Chapter 170 - 26 - King’s Game, Part 2 (9)

Leon's POV

I recalled the name vividly. It was a name Gabrielle had once mentioned to me: James Moriarty.

James Moriarty, the former prince of the Principality of Moriarty, which had fallen due to annexation by another country. The Principality had been wiped off the map entirely.

His name bore a striking resemblance to that of a fictional character from Sherlock Holmes. Upon delving deeper into his persona, I discovered that his demeanor closely mirrored that of the fictional character. It was almost uncanny how similar they were. He was like the true Napoleon of crime.

An incredibly intelligent individual, Moriarty was hailed by Gabrielle herself as possessing a mind of the highest caliber. He was a mathematical and scientific prodigy with a notable academic background. However, Moriarty's insatiable thirst for power led him down the path of criminality, ultimately resulting in the downfall of his Principality.

I had squared off against the man in the past. He proved to be a formidable opponent, skilled in magic and adept at wielding his powers—a mystery that still puzzled me to this day. Though now he appeared as a child, during our battle, he had been a fully grown adult. Did his transformation to a child enable him to survive my onslaught back then? Or perhaps he used it to regenerate himself.

Currently, he stood before me with all his limbs intact, indicating he had indeed regrown them somehow. It was truly astonishing that he had managed to survive, considering I had unleashed all my most powerful spells in a relentless barrage.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Moriarty chimed in with a jovial child's voice. "I'm not here to pick a fight. Can't exactly unleash my full potential in this pint-sized form, you know?"

His words were difficult to trust, but I sensed sincerity in his tone. Moreover, the thought of risking the orphanage's safety in a confrontation with him made me hesitant to challenge him further. Reluctantly, I conceded that it was best to heed his words for now. I couldn't bear the thought of Alice coming to harm, especially given our strained relationship after that incident.

"What's your game then?" I demanded.

powered-by-MvLeMpYr

"All I ask is that you spare that woman," Moriarty replied. "She's been naughty, I know, but let me handle her punishment. I promise not to harm the orphanage if you comply."

With a reluctant sigh, I slowly released my grip on the woman, allowing her to slump in my grasp. She coughed and wheezed for air.

"Grr..." she growled at me.

"Come here," Moriarty commanded.

"Gaaah!" A pained scream echoed through the air, followed by the sickening sound of a blade piercing flesh. I turned to see the woman who bore the Princess's appearance, a blade protruding from her chest as Shredica stood behind her, driving the weapon deeper into her body. "Y-You...?!"

"Even if you change your appearance, you can't mask the stench of your mana," Shredica declared, a hint of pride in her voice. With a swift motion, she withdrew her blade, and the woman collapsed to her knees before slumping to the ground.

As this unfolded, Moriarty chimed in with a comment.

"She managed to deflect that bullet with her blade. Are you truly confident she'll emerge unscathed, or do you simply give zero fucks about her?"

He directed the question at me, but I remained silent, merely staring back. Truth be told, I wasn't all that confident that Shredica would emerge unscathed from that ordeal. The future Hertrude had foreseen played a significant role in my decision to side with her instead of Shredica. But if I hadn't been aware of such a future, would I have chosen to save Shredica?

Part of me entertained the idea of abandoning her to her fate, but strangely enough, another part of me felt compelled to intervene and save her.

"Oh well..." Moriarty shrugged when he realized I wasn't going to respond. "Guess this is it then. I'm out. Until next time, Mephisto," he declared.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the surroundings, and in the blink of an eye, Moriarty vanished, along with the woman.

Shredica looked bewildered by the sudden turn of events, and then a man emerged behind her. It was Hereon, confirming that he was the third presence all along. Meanwhile, Hertrude appeared stunned by the unfolding chaos, still unaware that the woman stabbed by Shredica wasn't Princess Myrcella.

I cast a Mist Magic spell, allowing the smoke to cloak me as I vanished from sight, taking Hertrude with me in my arms. Once I set her down, I revealed the truth: the woman Shredica stabbed wasn't Princess Myrcella, but an imposter who had copied her appearance. Hertrude breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this revelation.

"Thank the heavens the Princess is safe," she exclaimed. "But now I understand... changing the future won't be so simple."

That's right. Today, I learned that fate isn't something you can change. It's fundamentally the law of the universe. Fate, or destiny, is predetermined. We used to think that by taking actions that could lead to various outcomes based on our behavior, we could alter it. The Law of Attraction, for instance, suggests that focusing on what we desire can attract it into our lives.

We believed that if fate is flexible, and we focus enough on our desires, things would go our way. However, that wasn't the case. Fate seemed unchangeable.

"But hold on..." Hertrude interjected, a realization dawning on her. "If the Princess didn't die here, then what could possibly cause the future I saw, where Prince Julius murders the entire royal family?"

There was an answer to that, of course. Prince Julius was being manipulated by Moriarty. That meant that the reason the entire family gets murdered in the future she saw was Moriarty's doing.