I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 290

Seras responded with a slight raise of her eyebrows instead of answering.

Ian nodded. "I'm not forcing you to answer. This isn't directly related to the matter. I was just curious, that's all."

Elia twisted her head to look at Ian, her eyes ignited with curiosity. While Ian inhaled with a soft sigh, Seras finally wore a subtle, mysterious smile.

"No, it's fine. You are my lifesaver, after all. I can share as long as you keep it a secret."

"I swear it, Your Highness." It was Elia who answered quickly.

Glancing cautiously at Ian, she added, "In fact, I’ve been informing Sir Philip about the conversations the two of you have here. But regarding this part, I won't say a word."

"Yes, please do so."

Without showing much surprise, Seras nodded and then looked at Ian. He simply shrugged. In truth, he was the one with the most secrets here. One more wouldn’t make a difference.

"Now that I'm about to say it, I feel embarrassed. Honestly, it’s not such an extraordinary ability."

As if she wasn’t exaggerating, Seras’s fingers twitched slightly on her lap. After clearing her throat softly again, she spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper.

"I can see the near future."

Elia’s eyes widened, and even Ian's eyebrows lifted involuntarily.

"That seems like a rather extraordinary ability."

"From the outside, it may look that way. But it’s a power with many limitations, especially because I can’t control it. Occasionally, I just see a very brief moment in a dream. Only what I see and hear, nothing more. And on top of that..."

It was clear she hadn’t explained this to many people before. Her speech was hesitant, and her explanation lacked structure.

"... I only see moments where I make the wrong choice."

"What do you mean by wrong choice?"

"Exactly what it sounds like — a choice that leads to an undesirable outcome. How bad it will be, I can't know until it actually happens. It’s only after making the same decision I saw in my dream that I understand it. Sometimes I get hurt, lose something precious... or worse."

Ian nodded as he took a swig from the bottle. He could picture how Seras had come to grasp and confirm her ability. She had likely experienced déjà vu in similar moments, each time followed by some misfortune.

After realizing she was having precognitive dreams, she must have made different choices than the ones she saw. Because of that, she would no longer know the original consequences of her actions.

"A fork in the road of fate...!" Elia exclaimed at that moment.

Noticing Ian and Seras’s eyes on her, she gulped and continued, "I’ve read a phrase that said our fates are made up of countless crossroads. Even in the smallest moments of choice, new paths are created, and with each of them, a new destiny is born. That’s why every soul essentially lives infinite lives."

Ian scratched his chin, thinking that he had heard something similar in his world. Seras, who looked a bit surprised by Elia’s knowledge, nodded after a moment.

"Impressive. Few people know of this theory. But you are right, I’ve been thinking along those lines too."

"So, that’s what it means to be someone who glimpses the crossroads of fate..." Ian murmured at last.

Seras nodded in agreement. "The only ones who truly understood the meaning behind that were my brother and my father. Everyone else merely came up with wild speculations," Seras explained.

"Of course, you didn’t bother to correct their misunderstandings."

Seras smiled as if that was obvious.

"But the crossroads aren’t always just two paths, are they?" Elia interjected carefully.

Ian glanced at her, noticing the growing curiosity in her eyes. She seemed to have a lot of lingering questions. He realized mages and scholars had much in common, especially their thirst for knowledge and their endless curiosity about the unknown. Considering that Elia embodied both traits, she was likely destined to be relentless in her questioning.

At least, it seems like she’s learned some control when it comes to black magic...

Seras’ smile deepened as she gazed at Elia, the look one might give when discovering a garment or jewel that caught their eye.

"Exactly. That’s one of the many limitations of my ability," Seras replied. "In the end, I’m still left to face another uncertainty. A different choice doesn’t always lead to a better outcome."

"That makes sense, indeed..." Elia nodded thoughtfully, clearly lost in her thoughts. Whatever was running through that round head of hers, only she would know.

In a way, we're similar.

Ian, who took another sip of his drink, was having thoughts he couldn't voice aloud.

He, in a way, could claim to know the future. Though it was a future where he had consistently chosen the worst paths and never followed them through to the end, it was still the truth. Additionally, he possessed fragments of information from the strategy guides he had glanced over.

However, he couldn't say that the different decisions he made based on that knowledge always led to favorable outcomes. There were plenty of times when he ran into problems because he couldn’t predict the altered results and their consequences. With that in mind, he understood why Seras downplayed her abilities.

On top of that, she only saw a future that was even more fragmented and unkind than his. It must have brought her more confusion and anxiety than any decisive help most of the time.

"What was the most recent vision you had?" Ian casually asked.

Seras, who had been gazing at Elia with interest, turned to look at him again.

"The most recent one..."

A meaningful smile flitted across her lips. "I dreamt of hearing the news that the Agent of the Saint had stepped into the capital."

It was enough to make Ian's eyes momentarily narrow. After staring at her for a while, Ian added, "And then?"

"I did nothing. All of my attention was focused on the West."

"Did you have that dream before you learned the news from the West?"

"It was the very night after I read the first report that arrived from the West."

Her gaze drifted toward the Magic Stone Lamp hanging from the ceiling. "That was the moment that made me change my mind. And a few days later, another report arrived."

"A report from a knight in the West?"

"Yes. I was able to get my hands on it right after my father. I had been waiting for it."

Ian recalled the knight Spello, who had seen him off. After they parted, it was clear he had headed straight to Drenorov. And as he had mentioned, he must have written a report to send directly to the capital.

"The report elaborately described the Agent of the Saint’s achievements in the West, almost to an excessive degree. And within it, there was a brief mention of the Agent of the Saint’s whereabouts. It didn’t contain as many clues as I had hoped, though. And as you know..."

Seras looked at Ian again and tilted her head slightly to the side.

"I made a different choice."

So it wasn’t the Emperor who sent you to meet me. It was the other way around.

"So, it seems you can only see predetermined paths?" asked Ian.

Seras’s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"It felt like you had the dream after I left for the capital."

"...Today seems to be the most surprising day of my life. I believe that's why I only see the near future. A fixed fate only exists a few steps ahead."

"Well, perhaps there’s a future that’s already set in stone, one that can’t be changed. If what you said is true, you wouldn’t be able to foresee that."

Seras’s mouth opened slightly. "You’re surprising me as naturally as breathing now. That is one of my greatest fears. Just as humans are destined to die, no matter how much I struggle, there might be a tragedy waiting for me that I can’t escape. I didn’t expect you to see through me this far."

... I’m afraid of something similar myself.

Ian thought to himself as he brought the bottle to his lips.

Unlike Seras, Ian already understood that there was a powerful current shaping this world—like the North, the frontiers, and the West. It was a force that could only be described as fate, something that would happen one way or another.

However, just because it couldn't be stopped didn’t mean it couldn’t be altered. Already, countless details had diverged from Ian’s memories, even if they seemed insignificant.

And those minor changes were undoubtedly influencing the greater flow of events. Not all of those shifts had positive outcomes, but still, they mattered.

That was why Ian's gaze flickered as he looked at Seras.

They say many hands make light work...

Even if she was only making small changes to her future, if she continued changing things and survived long enough, one day, she might influence the larger flow as well.

"Is there anyone else besides you who can foresee the future?"

"As far as I know, I’m the only one in this era. I’ve heard that the Great Platinum Dragon can read the stars' flow, but I imagine the Agent of the Saint would know more about that than I do."

The Platinum Dragon?

Ian tilted his head. As far as he knew, the Platinum Dragon didn’t have any sort of precognitive abilities. Of course, it could be that it simply wasn’t using such power because the gods were watching.

Seras, observing Ian’s expression, smiled faintly. "Even within the records of my family, those born with the ability to foresee the future are very few. I was born with a rare gift. It’s just not an exceptional one."

"To me, it seems more than exceptional."

At least more exceptional than a mage having heightened Concentration or Intuition.

He had no way of knowing what happened to Seras in the game. But keeping her alive seemed likely to be beneficial for him as well. After all, the more beings capable of creating variables, the better.

Of course, Ian saw no need to voice such thoughts. This wasn’t the moment for him to be honest.

"Hearing that from you, I’m not sure how to respond... but thank you, your words alone mean a lot."

Seras smiled warmly, then added, "Does that answer satisfy you?"

"Yes. Enough to get back to the main topic."

At Ian’s response, Seras nodded. "Everyone assumes my father’s attention only reaches as far as the royal palace. So, secret conversations take place outside its walls. Of course, caution is still necessary. My father’s other eyes and ears are everywhere. However, beyond the capital... they don’t even exist."

Her voice dropped. "It gives more freedom, but at the same time, it becomes more dangerous. Days like today aren’t out of the ordinary."

She’s really going straight to the point, Ian chuckled.

"You sure make it difficult to say you risked your life to find me."

"I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. It was a choice I made for myself."

Ian simply shrugged. It really wasn’t all that impressive, after all. In this cursed world, more people were living under the constant threat of death than those who weren’t. The center was the only place where a life-risking adventure was considered extraordinary.

"This concludes my excuse, Agent of the Saint," Seras finally added.

Ian, nodding, spun the bottle he held between his fingers and continued, "In summary, you can’t identify who’s behind this attack, and there may be more attacks in the future."

"Until they realize I’m traveling with the Agent of the Saint, probably. Once they know, they won’t make any more moves."

Seras answered calmly, carefully meeting Ian’s gaze before adding, "Targeting the Agent of the Saint is the same as committing treason."

"Isn't it because capturing or using me in the capital holds more value than killing me?"

"... As always, you're direct." The corners of Seras’s mouth lifted slightly. "That’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility."

"Then the chances of more attacks are slim."

"...?"

"The leader of the assassins sent out a messenger hawk at the last moment." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Ian recalled the black hawk flying past the glacier wall.

"There wasn’t a letter tied to its leg or anything like that. It was likely meant to signal their annihilation or the failure of their mission. As you’re probably aware, your group alone wouldn’t have been able to stop them."

Seras didn’t deny it. If Ian hadn’t detected the ambush and charged ahead, the assassins would have trapped them in a perfect encirclement.

"They must know that as well, which means they’ll likely assume I’m traveling with you. Of course, they might pretend not to know and prepare for revenge again."

"... In that case, sticking with the Agent of the Saint is my only chance of survival. I can only hope this has eased your mind, even just a little." As she finished speaking, Seras lowered her gaze, looking like a criminal awaiting judgment.

She’s changed her strategy.

Without batting an eye, Ian opened his mouth. "I understand now that it wasn't something to speak about lightly in advance."

Seras cautiously raised her head again. "Do you truly mean that...?"

"But it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve betrayed my trust."

Seras froze.

Ian continued without concern, "And I have no interest in royal succession disputes or any power struggles between the royal family and the Order. I have no desire to get involved in that mess either."

"...Are you saying you won’t take anyone’s side?"

"I’m saying your internal affairs are none of my concern. If someone draws a sword on me, I’ll repay them with my sword. If they offer gold and want to talk, I’ll consider it. Regardless of who they are."

"Oh, my... You’re saying the opposite." Seras muttered with her eyes tightly shut.

In any case, she understood Ian’s words perfectly.

With her eyes still closed, she continued, "If someone comes along offering a better reward than me, you’ll take their hand instead."

"Probably. But, I have more than one hand, don't I?"

Seras’s eyes flew open.

"If hands aren’t enough, there are also feet. I’m sure there’s someone out there who’d gladly cling to my feet if given the chance." Ian, casually adding that, met Seras’s gaze, which now held not just surprise but admiration.

"If you can do the same, we can move on to renegotiating the terms of the reward."