The Story of the Man Who Kept Scheming Behind the Scenes

Two passengers were riding in the carriage bound for the academy in the royal capital.

One was Sara Salar, the baron's daughter.

A girl scheduled to enroll as a first-year at the Royal Kiralimake Academy.

A carefree, pink-haired beauty.

And the other was Kiskett Toveil.

A wandering healing mage, already set to join the academy faculty from the new term.

A tall man with white hair and brown skin.

In the rattling carriage, Sara, tired out from chattering perhaps, was breathing softly in her sleep.

Seeing her like that, Kiskett let out a breath, a sigh of relief.

(Somehow...... somehow I managed, to bring things this far......)

Kiskett was a wandering, highly skilled healing mage.

His birth family was a count's house in a country called Demes.

Born of noble blood, he was an eccentric who had thrown away all his status and run from home.

A whimsical man who loves freedom and refuses to be bound by anyone.

Since that was more or less how the world saw Kiskett, his few acquaintances had all been surprised alike to hear that he was taking a teaching job at the academy.

But it was not some change of heart in the free spirit Kiskett that had led him to that decision.

The world believed his free ways sprang from his nature, that his temperament made him that way, but the truth was different.

He had a master.

A supernatural master, one he revered and was bound to serve with all he had.

Nearly everything he had done since leaving the count's house, he had done at this master's instruction.

That master's name was Fate Goddess Allofa.

He was the Fate Goddess's apostle.

◇ ◇ ◇

Legend says Fate Goddess Allofa is a goddess with beautiful rainbow hair, but she always appeared before him as a little bird shining in rainbow colors.

According to the Fate Goddess, that form was an avatar that let her act on the earthly plane.

In any case, one day while Kiskett was resting at an inn, that rainbow-colored little bird appeared.

Kiskett hurriedly opened the window, invited the master's avatar into the room, and prostrated himself; before him, the little bird hopped about and handed down a divine command.

Namely,

<The Salar Barony, in the eastern Teenidys Kingdom. Attack Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, who lives there.>

So it said.

Kiskett was surprised and confused.

He took pride in being the Fate Goddess's apostle and intended to do anything if commanded by his master.

Until now, though, every oracle had told him to use his power as a healing mage to save someone.

He had never received an oracle to hurt someone, as he had this time.

The rainbow-colored little bird naturally understood his confusion and continued with a more detailed explanation.

<I do not hand down this oracle out of hatred for her. Quite the opposite: this is a trial. A trial Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, needs in order to awaken to her true power.>

Ah, so that was it. Put that way, Kiskett had no objection.

<Give some thieves money and have them attack. When I look at fate, Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, will suffer a fatal injury as a result, but she will not die of it. Because you, happening to pass by, will treat her.>

In other words, set the thieves on her, then save her.

(Th, that's setting the fire just to put it out, if anything...... but it is, something you require, is it?)

<Yes...... no, you must not misunderstand. This is a necessary trial for her. My apostle Kiskett, you will do this, won't you?>

(As you command...... by the way, once the young miss is rescued, what is to become of the thieves?)

<The ones you will be hiring are the Megzam Thieves Band. They make no decent flow of fate. Dispose of them before they say anything they shouldn't. I have already given you the power for that, the power to fight.>

(............)

<You are an adventurer as well, are you not? You have helped hunt down thieves before, surely? It is the same. Kill them.>

(............As you command)

It was a god's command.

Kiskett accepted the oracle and solemnly began to act.

◇ ◇ ◇

And then came that day, when the thieves Kiskett had hired attacked the carriage carrying Sara Salar, the baron's daughter.

Sure enough, the young miss's life was in danger.

A thief raised a hand axe above his head.

And it was about to be swung down toward the young miss's head.

No doubt she would twist away on reflex. So the blow would miss her head, and she would not die on the spot, but she would be fatally wounded.

Once that happened, it would be his turn.

That was surely how things would unfold.

How did he know?

Because the Fate Goddess said it would be so.

Hidden in the bushes along the highway with his presence completely masked, watching, Kiskett filled his body with magic power, ready to fight to save the young miss.

But, as it turned out.

At this moment, an event occurred that was unexpected for him, and even for the Fate Goddess.

PAAN!!!

With a tremendous pop, the head of the thief going after the baron's daughter burst apart.

(Ha......!!?)

While Kiskett was frozen in confusion, the situation began to move rapidly.

By the time he noticed, it was already too late.

Except for a few who escaped, the thieves had all been slaughtered by a shabby-looking girl with black hair and black eyes who had suddenly appeared.

On this day, for the first time, Kiskett failed to fulfill a divine command.

◇ ◇ ◇

Following Kiskett's failure, the Fate Goddess moved quickly.

That very night, the rainbow-colored little bird flew down to Kiskett, who was camping outdoors.

<This failure cannot be helped. Fate is like flowing water, forever changing its shape. Every so often, an Irregular slips in whose fate even a god cannot foresee.>

The little bird generously forgave Kiskett's failure.

Or rather, since Kiskett was moving exactly as the little bird said, Kiskett's failure was also the little bird's failure.

Those words sounded somewhat like an excuse for herself.

<Even so, my apostle Kiskett. To give Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, a trial...... I will not withdraw this divine command. From now on, stick close to the Salar baronial house without being noticed, and wait for your chance.>

Kiskett prostrated himself, accepted the new oracle, and began to act.

......But carrying out this oracle proved extremely difficult.

It seemed that the shabby girl who appeared then had been hired as a maid by the Salar baronial house.

Whenever Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, went out, that girl stuck by her side.

As for the mansion, he could not enter because of the barrier.

(......Damn it! Why on earth would they think to hire a cursed child!)

Kiskett gnashed his teeth while hiding in the forest, watching Sara and the others practice magic.

Kiskett had seen her slaughter the thieves with ease, so he knew full well that her fighting ability was far beyond anything you'd expect from a girl like that.

Since he had been given power as an apostle, he could probably win if they fought one-on-one...... but if he did that, Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, would notice he existed.

Then, he would be unable to complete the oracle.

Above all, he was a healing mage.

Even if she was an unpleasant cursed child, it was not his intention to hurt her needlessly.

Byuon!!

At that moment, something crossed right next to Kiskett's head at tremendous speed and mowed down several trees growing behind him.

Apparently the cursed child had been pestered by the baron's daughter, for whatever reason, into doing a 【Stone Throw】.

(Retreat! Retreat!!)

Kiskett left the area for the time being, his face turning pale.

His 【Presence Concealment】 was perfect.

He hadn't been noticed; the 【Stone Throw】 had just happened to come his way by pure coincidence, but he still didn't want to stay there.

If the trajectory of that pebble had shifted even slightly to the side, he would have died.

For the first time in a long while, Kiskett felt the fear of death.

It was the first time since he had become the apostle of the Fate Goddess.

◇ ◇ ◇

Things moved 1 week later.

Kiskett had kept camping out and was thoroughly worn out by now when the rainbow-colored little bird came down to him once again.

The little bird did not scold Kiskett for getting nowhere; instead it handed down a new oracle, in high spirits.

<My apostle Kiskett. Go now, deep into the forest behind the mansion, and climb the mountain there. Then cut down the big Kariva tree growing on its summit. When you do, it is important to dig up the roots thoroughly.>

(Eh? What happened to the trial for Sara Salar, the baron's daughter?)

<If you cut down the tree, that will be the trial.>

Wait, why!?

Retorting in his head, Kiskett did as he was told all the same.

It was far easier on the nerves than fulfilling an oracle to attack someone.

And after that, as instructed by the little bird, he stayed in the village next to the one where the Salar baronial house was located, killing time while treating the villagers' minor injuries.

◇ ◇ ◇

And then, a few days later.

To Kiskett, who continued to stay in the neighboring village, a maid from the Salar baronial house with bandages wrapped around her head rushed in, her face pale with alarm.

Apparently, the baron's daughter had been exposed to a small amount of Poison Topopolock poison and was in critical condition, unconscious.

Apparently, his cutting down the tree really had set off the so-called trial for the young miss. It made no sense.

Well, there was no use worrying about the details.

Now that things had come to this, his job was to treat that young miss.

It was simply that the thing he was treating had changed from a cut given by thieves to poison.

The Salar baronial house was very well-liked by the neighboring villagers, and the village chief who had let Kiskett stay gladly sent him off.

“......By the way, besides the young miss, is there anyone else who was exposed to the poison?”

On the way to the baronial house, Kiskett questioned the maid to confirm the situation as a healing mage.

“A, a-a, actually, the maid apprentice shielded the young miss and took a direct hit from the P, 【Poison Breath】.”

“Then...... may she, rest in peace.”

By maid apprentice, she must have meant that cursed child.

Taking a Poison Topopolock's 【Poison Breath】 full-on, surviving would be a tall order.

She had been the greatest obstacle to the execution of the oracle, but hearing that she had died, a feeling of pity welled up.

“Ah, n, no, that thing has lost consciousness, yes, but i, it looks rosy and full of life, somehow. Right now, that thing is sound asleep.”

What the hell is she? Is she a monster?

◇ ◇ ◇

Upon arriving at the baronial house, Kiskett was immediately guided to the room where the young miss was lying and began treatment.

That said, the young miss's debilitation was severe.

There was no way Kiskett's treatment alone would be enough in time.

But Kiskett did not panic.

He had already coordinated this part of the scenario with the Fate Goddess.

Despite Kiskett's efforts, the life of Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, would all but run out.

But then, a divine miracle would occur.

The young miss would be granted power by a god, and then she would be revived.

The rest would go with the flow.

That was the scenario given to him by the Fate Goddess.

In the middle of it, that cursed child woke up and burst into the room.

He couldn't stand having the divine command interfered with any further.

“Stay back, cursed child.”

A colder voice than he intended came out.

And what the cursed child gave Kiskett in return was.

Intense, murderous intent.

It was a fierce, hideous, and intense murderous intent.

(Hih......!)

In spite of himself, Kiskett let out a pathetic little shriek.

That one was no good.

He could tell just from sensing the murderous intent.

That one thought nothing of killing people.

Its heart was nothing like a normal human's.

Given power by a god, he could probably win one-on-one: what a foolish analysis his past self had made.

He did not want to fight that thing.

A healing mage at heart, Kiskett could never trade lives with a monster like that.

Kiskett thanked the baron from the bottom of his heart for immediately soothing the cursed child and settling the situation.

◇ ◇ ◇

And so the trial for Sara Salar, the baron's daughter, came to an end, and she was revived.

According to her family, she seemed to show some memory loss and slight changes in personality, but that was probably no great problem.

The rainbow-colored little bird had also brushed it off, saying <There is no need to worry about it>.

Now then, now then, never mind that; the hard part was still to come.

Kiskett had been going through the paperwork to become an academy teacher for a while, as the rainbow-colored little bird had told him, but from what the little bird revealed yesterday, it was apparently so that he could support Sara Salar, the baron's daughter.

In the carriage bound for the academy, this young lady, dozing with drool running and her dopey face on full display, was a beauty as long as she kept quiet, but quite the idiot.

At the Royal Kiralimake Academy, where the sons and daughters of nobles from all over the country gathered, she was bound to stick out terribly, wasn't she?

She would probably be mocked as a country monkey or some such, no question.

On top of that, the things she said and did were odd at times.

Listening closely to what she muttered to herself now and then, it seemed she regarded Kiskett as a ‘helper character’.

What was a ‘helper character’?

True, Kiskett had an oracle to support her, but she shouldn't have known that......?

(Well, whatever. What I must do is the same as always. I shall simply follow the oracle.)

Kiskett switched his mindset.

What could be seen from the carriage window was no longer a peaceful rural area, but a crowded, bustling city.

The voices of many people could be heard, and delicious scents reached him from the stalls.

Leaning slightly out the window, what could be seen ahead was a giant gate.

The main gate of the Royal Kiralimake Academy.

The premier place of learning in Teenidys.

A giant academy that would likely be among the top 5 even if counted across the entire continent.

The new workplace where he would be working for at least 12 years from now.

Pan, he slapped his cheeks.

With this oracle, Kiskett had committed the blunder of failing a divine command.

With a short-tempered god, a blunder like that alone could have gotten him abandoned, stripped of his apostleship, no, even killed.

But Fate Goddess Allofa had generously forgiven him and still valued him as her apostle.

He would repay that kindness. He would wipe away his blunder.

(Got to get myself, fired up.)

Kiskett renewed his determination.

(Please watch over me, Fate Goddess Allofa-sama. I, Kiskett, will surely show you deeds worthy of your apostle.)

Then he placed his hand on his chest and offered a prayer to the god.

(......And, it is very presumptuous and I am terribly sorry, but Fate Goddess-sama, I have a request.)

He spoke further to the god.

(If it may be, that cursed child...... may I never cross paths with her again.)

It seemed Emi had become Kiskett's trauma.

A story from Kiskett-sensei's perspective.

He was the one who initially requested the attack from Megzam and the others.

While making it look like he suddenly appeared toward the end, it seems this man was hiding in the un-depicted shadows all along.

By the way, he is Shula-chan's real older brother.