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Allen stared at them in silence.
Four beast-girl maids in frilly uniforms bowed deeply, their animal features even more pronounced with their heads lowered.
From left to right: rabbit ears, wolf ears, dog ears, and—at the far end—a familiar face. The same cat-eared girl from the carriage back to Roa.
They straightened up in unison, hands clasped demurely in front of them, all wearing practiced smiles.
Four pairs of eyes met his.
Allen turned on his heel and walked out.
"Wrong room."
The moment he stepped into the hallway, he instinctively veered left—then paused, turned around, and marched right instead.
As he hesitated, the cat-eared maid was already at his side.
"Just as Lord Philip predicted~" She giggled. "You misunderstand, Master Allen. We're here to prepare your bed. Lady Sylphiette and Master Rudeus' rooms were already done. Yours was last."
Allen sighed and turned back, keeping his gaze fixed on her eyes—avoiding the furry ears.
"That line was also scripted by Lord Philip, wasn't it? Since when do maids start from the sides and work toward the middle?"
The cat-girl's smile didn't waver. After a beat, she shook her head.
"It was the madam's suggestion. She said that since you've all traveled so far—saving Lady Eris and being Master Paul's son—it's only proper to treat you well."
Allen exhaled through his nose. A non-answer.
"...Fine. Thank the madam for me. You can leave now."
The maid bowed.
"Of course. Goodnight, Master Allen."
In his peripheral vision, the four bowed again before filing past him one by one.
The musky, animal scent unique to beastfolk mixed with layered perfumes filled his nose.
The moment they were gone, Allen shut the door—but not fast enough. His Water God-style enhanced hearing still caught their whispers.
"Aww, for an adventurer, he's surprisingly shy~"
"His body's so mature, but in some ways, he's still useless~"
"Too bad~ We even bathed specially~"
Then, the cat-girl's voice:
"Hm? Lady Sylphiette, you're still awake? Was the bedding uncomfortable?"
A soft reply. "...No, it's fine. Thank you."
A faint click of a door closing.
Allen stared blankly at his own door.
After a day of overthinking, Philip's antics had finally cracked his composure.
"What the hell is this nonsense?!"
He stormed to the desk, slumped into the plush chair, and glared at the ceiling.
After last night's bloody pursuit, this morning's execution, and today's estate tour—which had even exhausted Eris—his nerves were frayed. A dull throb pulsed at his temples.
Yet sleep refused to come.
Minutes ticked by.
Finally, he took a deep breath, exhaled, and opened his eyes.
He pulled paper and ink from the drawer.
Candlelight flickered across his face as he wrote three stark characters at the top:
[Great Teleportation]
Beneath it:
[Scope: Fittoa Region]
"It's spring now. With tutoring starting, there's just over three years left before Rudeus' birthday."
"There's no sign of the spatial rift's magical distortion above Roa yet."
"No—it's already there since Rudeus' birth. Just not visible to the naked eye."
"In the anime, it looked like a sphere wrapped in mana ribbons."
His pen circled [Great Teleportation], then hovered. Instead of writing inside, he started outside the loop:
[Buena Village: Paul, Zenith, Lilia, Norn, Aisha, Laws, Norn.]
The surest way to prevent tragedy was to evacuate them entirely. Even if Zenith were rescued immediately, there was no guarantee she wouldn't end up like in the original timeline—her mind trapped in a "perception disorder."
"Worst-case plan: If no opportunity arises, knock them out and haul them away in a cart."
The pen moved again.
[Roa: Allen, Rudeus, Eris, Sylphie.]
"Uncertain variables. Should Rudeus and Eris still be sent to the Demon Continent? Rudeus' plot armor ensures he'd land safely, but Sylphie's fate is now unpredictable. The teleportation is random. By bringing her to Roa, have I already derailed her original destination—the capital?"
"And me? A complete wild card. If all four of us are teleported together, can Rudeus' luck still ensure a safe landing? Is that a gamble worth taking?"
His pen paused—then slashed decisively:
"Fallback plan: Rudeus and Eris—assess when the time comes. Sylphie stays with me. All four avoid the teleportation entirely."
He flexed his wrist, then continued.
[Philip. Sauros.]
The day's events replayed in his mind. His gaze flicked to Eris' name.
The pen scratched against paper.
Both names went inside the circle.
"Philip: Obsessed with royal court power plays. In the original timeline, he used his daughter as bait to secure Rudeus—a 'talent'—as a son-in-law, then lied to Paul, making him think Rudeus had agreed to the arrangement."
"Even if I play saint and save him, what then? Would he use the Fittoa crisis as an excuse to drag me into his political schemes?"
"Given his current behavior—absolutely."
"Sauros: Family honor above all. 'Tradition' over blood. Doted on Eris as a child but tacitly approved Philip's machinations. Survived the teleportation in the original timeline, then returned to the capital, intent on spending the family fortune to rebuild Fittoa."
"Even if I save him, to what end? Can I evacuate the entire territory?"
"To him, the land matters more than its people. He couldn't even gather intel on nearby conflicts—let alone prevent Philip and Hilda's deaths in the—"
The pen stopped.
Allen stared at the fresh ink.
The memory surfaced—Hilda's tear-streaked face under the plaza fountain, crystal droplets glinting in the light.
He forced himself to detach, writing again:
[Hilda: Eris is deeply attached to her. In the original timeline, she accepted Rudeus as family and pushed for his marriage to Eris to formalize their bond.]
"Currently, the only sane person in the Boreas household."
The pen stilled. Ink bled into the paper.
Moonlight—unfamiliar, not Buena's—streamed through the window, bleaching the desk in cold silver.
A chill hung in the air.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 185 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 90 power stones I will publish the next chapter.