Avel and Luca returned home, walking side by side. He held her hand the whole time. After the water performance, Luca didn’t speak.

“There, we have arrived. Ouph?”

Luca suddenly hugged his thigh, burying her face.

“...Big bro, thank you.”

She ran away back home, embarrassed.

Avel smiled, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

Pheeew. Did I chase away the darkness inside her heart? Avel also went inside the house. Arim and Susan were already there.

“I brought some meat. Let’s eat until we’re full!”

Before he played with Luca, Avel also hunted an animal in the forest to feed the Irvings. On one part was to convey his gratitude, on the other was because he didn’t want to eat such a poor meal anymore.

“Venison?”

“My, how precious!”

The young couple happily welcomed the occasion.

The dinner that day was an improvement. It seemed the family didn’t eat meat much.

“Big bro,” Luca called when they were eating. Her parents looked at each other when she called Avel big bro.

“You want turnip seeds, right? Perhaps Mister Horse has some.”

“…Mister Horse?” He wondered if he misheard.

***

Viers was playing with the two rings on his hand.

When he lost most of his belongings during the fight with Freya, these two rings were the items he recovered before he made his escape to awaken the slumbering slug.

These were the most precious items in his possession, inventory rings.

But not his.

The rings belonged to the leader and vice-leader of the Dumuzin Cult of Luxore branch. Farley’s father and older brother respectively.

There were unmistakably a high amount of riches inside.

After my time in this Pecan Village is over, I should go into a city and crack these bad boys.

Unlike in other xianxia stories, inventory items in this world had enchantments that worked like a lock. Only a specific user or users could use them. Even if someone stole them or killed the original owner, the assailant couldn’t access the content.

Logical, but annoying! Why did this have to happen to me specifically?

Viers still experienced the woe of having too much luggage even after taking someone else’s inventory ring.

Well, since they can lock it then there must be ways to unlock it. Someone well-versed in enchantments should be able to do it.

Viers planned to visit a big city next, not mere villages or towns. A true congregation of people from all walks of life.

That’s for the future. The now is…

Viers reviewed his recent undertakings, contemplating a lot of things.

Yeah, that’s what I figured. There should have been better ways to deal with Sigma. Did I become too focused on him and lose sight of my surroundings? Because he’s an MC with a cheat?

Viers frowned on his bed while looking at the ceiling.

…I’ll do better next time.

Viers convinced himself then closed his eyes. He went to his realm of consciousness.

Soul search! Soul search! Soul search!

He looked into the memories of the people he killed during the DOTA killing streak. One man stood out in particular, it was the mind mage, Arrey.

He truly is a mind Pathseeker… So there’s soul, then mind, would there be a body Pathseeker as well? Just like my soul attack, his mind attack is hard to defend against.

Divination item? Jarret found out my location using a divination item? How did it ‘divine’ my location? What are the rules and limitations? Most importantly, how can I defend against it? My safest bet is raising my Level. The stronger a person is, the harder to divine he becomes. That’s the common pattern in power fantasy stories.

Then he reviewed his encounter with Freya.

“Freya, as the Interpreter’s decreed, I will not interfere between you and the boy’s battle. My directive was to bring you here. I am forbidden to help you if you lose or assist in the boy’s capture. Whether you convince him to surrender, forceful capture, or execution… It is all your decision to make.”

“The Light of the Goddess guides me here.”

“You’ve lost, just as Fate decrees.”

Interpreter, Light, Fate, the old man’s restriction… So that’s how it is.

Viers arrived at a conclusion.

Fate, or something along that line, wants me to be Freya’s whetting stone!

In other words, if Freya is an MC then ‘Fate’ wanted to make me a side-character to be her fertilizer! Yes, yes… first is her seemingly naïve disposition. She wanted to be a paragon of justice and protect the innocents and whatever. Against my villainous realistic method, she would be forced to see the reality of the situation.

If I’m a third-rate villain, then I might become someone obsessed with defeating her! I already have the background of one. I got OP powers compared to most of the people my age. Freya wiped the floor with me and so my pride is in pieces. Then it would be my life’s great undertaking to defeat Freya. But she won’t be defeated! Because she represents the ‘good’ and I the ‘bad’.

There’s another possibility. If I’m a second-rate villain then I might become her nemesis. That cockroach villain that would not die even after reaching thousands of chapters in xianxia stories! Their sole purpose of existence was to be defeated by MC and making the readers satisfied!!

Again, I fit into the mold. If my life is at risk, I will have no qualms descending into doing acts of depravity. Such as the killing of Sigma in broad daylight despite him never doing anything and me unleashing a monster against the innocents.

The point is, Fate wants me to become the villain in Freya’s story!

And the Estellian Church has someone that can see or influence the workings of Fate, that ‘Interpreter’.

Using his sharp instincts of clichéd developments, and because he had read too many fantasy books, Viers arrived at a horrifying conclusion.

Freya’s character would have already grown even further now. She would be even stronger. And that ‘Fate’ thing must be what brings them to me! Combined with my shoddy work at Osemore because of the lack of preparations and I had to improvise most of it, they managed to pick up my trail.

Viers felt he had seen the weavings of Fate.

“Clarissa!”

“Whoah! You startled me. Don’t suddenly appear like that!”

Viers appeared before the lamia, outside her golden cage.

“Fate, what do you know of it?”

“You mean, about the predetermined occurrence of events?”

“Not the meaning of the word! Is there a fate Pathseeker?”

“Not that I know of,” she denied.

Viers peered deep into her eyes and didn’t see lies. He was sensitive to this since she was a ‘bare soul’, so to speak.

“Fine. Are there gods or devils or other beings associated with fates? I know you can’t say too much about the Age of the Gods. Since it didn’t really matter for the current me, I didn’t push it. But now this particular thing suddenly becomes relevant. I must know the answer,” Viers’ tone was firm.

“…There are.”

Clarissa weakly answered. She knew resistance is futile. Viers could force her to answer even if she refused.

“Good. That answer is enough. There’s a change in priority. Cease piecing together the Arte about changing appearance. Seek something about Arte preventing fate divination and mind techniques.”

“Divination? Mind?”

“Yeah, anti-divination, or scry, or augury. Fate manipulation and the like. I also want things to protect my mind. The last mind user caught me off guard. It was fortunate he wasn’t at a higher Level than me.”

“But that’s two different things,” Clarissa protested.

“Is it? I think both are actually quite similar. In any case, just rummage through Lamia Queen’s memory for Artes capable of those feats. If you can’t find something that fits into both, the anti-divination takes precedence.”

Shame shape-shifting my face must be postponed. But Fate shall play no part in my life.

“Those with divination or mind capability should be rare. Are you sure you want me to search for it anyway?” The lamia princess warned.

“My ‘privacy’ is very important.”

I want to be unhackable, now more than ever. As for the mind, they don't know the terror of having someone named Zorian as an enemy. Starting now, I must build my defenses against malware and hackers. I would be too late if I begin later.

Viers took his security measures very seriously, both for his ‘software’ and ‘hardware’.

“…Alright. I’ll get to it,” Clarissa replied.

“…Sorry if I seem forceful. This is important,” Viers apologized, he truly meant it.

“It’s fine. This is my role after all.”

Clarissa closed her eyes and started working. With that task completed, Viers turned around and saw two worried-looking girls.

“No need to be alarmed, this is just precaution. Paina, this is for you.”

Viers gave Paina a flute.

“I tried to make it look similar to the one you lost. Did I get it right?”

“Eh? Yeah, but why so suddenly?”

“Cause I feel like it. And your flute music was beautiful.”

Viers heard Paina playing the flute once before. He remembered it fondly.

Also because I sense you become more and more restless. Might be a good stress relief.

They were souls and Viers was a soul Pathseeker with maximum affinity. He could sense what they were feeling to a certain degree.

“As for you, I couldn’t think of a suitable gift. Do you have any requests?”

“No need to trouble yourself over me, Lord Viers. May I ask a question instead?”

Farley’s expression betrayed nothing but as Viers became more and more experienced with his soul mastery, he vaguely sensed Farley’s fear.

“Just ask. No need to be so formal.”

“During the battle with Freya, why didn’t you call me? I can fight by your side.”

“First, Freya was unbeatable at that time. Escape was better than fighting… and you wouldn’t be useful even if I called you out.”

“…I apologize for being useless.” Farley bowed, deeply.

“Sigh… Look, both of you. Stop thinking you’re disposable. I will never treat all of you badly. And when all is said and done, I’ll free you from my service.”

They both looked surprised and unsure. Didn’t know what words to say.

“…Why?” Paina softly asked.

“You all are precious to me,” Viers turned to Clarissa. “All of you.”

The golden cage imprisoning her slowly faded like sands in the wind. A sign of trust from him to her. The lamia looked straight into his eyes.

“It is I who have debts to pay. Me to you three. Not you all to me. I’ll give you your life back, or die trying.”