ol li The Story of the Man Operating Behind the Scenes/li /ol

    * * *

    Two passengers are aboard the carriage heading towards the capital’s academy.

    One is Sara Sr, the Baron’s daughter. A girl scheduled to enroll as a first-year student at the Royal Kiralimake Academy this term. A beautiful, innocent peach-haired youngdy.

    The other is Kiskett Tóveil. A wandering healing sage who has been hired as a faculty member at the academy starting this new semester. A tall man with white hair and tanned skin.

    Inside the rocking carriage, Sara seems to have grown tired of chattering and is now quietly snoozing with breaths of slumber. Seeing her like this, Kiskett lets out a relieved sigh.

    (I somehow…somehow managed to bring the situation this far…)

    Kiskett is a legendary wandering healing sage. His family home is the Count’s household in the country of Démès. Born into a noble bloodline, yet he abandoned that status entirely and ran away from home – an entric man.  Loving freedom, bound to no one, a capricious fellow.

    That is generally how Kiskett is evaluated by society, so the few acquaintances who heard he was taking a teaching position at the academy were all equally surprised.  However, Kiskett the free spirit did not make that decision due to any change in his own mentality.

    While people think his unrestrained behavior stems from his heart’s core desires and personality, the reality differs. He has a master – a supreme being he reveres, devoting his entire self to serve.

    Nearly all of Kiskett’s actions since fleeing the Count’s household have been carried out under the instruction of his master. That master’s name is Allofa, the Fate Goddess.  He is an apostle of the Fate Goddess.

    * * *

    It is said the Fate Goddess Allofa is a beautiful goddess with rainbow-colored hair, but she always appears before him in the form of a rainbow-glowing small bird. ording to the Fate Goddess, that is her avatar for activities on the earth ne.

    In any case, one day while Kiskett was resting at an inn, that rainbow-colored small bird appeared. Hurriedly opening the window to invite his master’s avatar inside, Kiskett prostrated himself before the hopping bird as it gave him a divinemand:

    Go to the Sr Baron’s territory in the eastern part of the Teenidys Kingdom. Attack Sara Sr, the Baron’s daughter there.

    Kiskett was stunned and perplexed. He took pride in being the Fate Goddess’s apostle, ready to carry out any of her orders. However, her previous instructions had always been to use his healing sage abilities to save someone’s life.  He had never received an order to harm anyone before.

    Naturally understanding his bewilderment, the rainbow-colored small bird continued with a more detailed exnation.

    I am not issuing thismand out of hatred for her. Quite the opposite, this is a trial. A trial necessary for Sara Sr, the Baron’s daughter, to awaken to her true power.

    Ah, put that way, Kiskett could not argue against it.

    Have a bandit hand over money and arrange an attack on her. By viewing her destiny, as a result, Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter will suffer a grave injury, but she will not die from it. For you will happen to pass by and heal her.

    In other words, instigate bandits to attack her, yet save her.

    (W-Well, I wouldn’t mind a little matchpump action…but if that is what you need, Your Grace?)

    Yes…no, do not misunderstand. This is a necessary trial for her. My apostle Kiskett, you will do this, will you not?

    (Hahah…by the way, what bes of the bandits after I rescue the youngdy?)

    The bandits you will hire are the Megzam Thieves Band. They create no decent flow of destiny. Dispose of them without further ado before they can b. I have already granted you the power to fight, the power to battle.

    (…………)

    You are also an adventurer, are you not? You have helped take down bandits before, have you not? It is the same. Kill them.

    (…………Hahah)

    It is the god’smand.

    Kiskett obediently epted the divine order and resolutely began to act.

    * * *

    And then, on that day the bandits hired by Kiskett attacked the carriage carrying Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter…

    Indeed, the youngdy faced a life-threatening crisis.

    One of the bandits raised a hatchet over his head.

    And soon, it woulde swinging down aimed at the youngdy’s head.

    She would likely twist her body instinctively to dodge. Thus avoiding a direct head strike, but still sustaining grave, if not immediately fatal, injuries.

    At which point, it would be my turn to act.

    That is surely how the situation would y out.

    Why was I certain?

    Because the Fate Goddess herself stated it would unfold that way.

    Whilepletely concealing his presence, hiding in the roadside bushes to observe, Kiskett had channeled magic energy through his body, preparing to fight in order to save the youngdy.

    However, at this point, an event urred that was unforeseen even by Kiskett, and perhaps the Fate Goddess herself.

    KABAAM!!!

    With a tremendous explosion, the head of the bandit targeting the Baron’s daughter was blown clean off.

    (Wha…!?)

    In the midst of Kiskett’s confusion, the situation rapidly spiraled.

    By the time he realized what happened, it was toote.

    Aside from a few who fled, the bandits had all been massacred by a raggedy ck-haired, ck-eyed girl who had suddenly appeared.

    On this day, Kiskett failed to carry out the divinemand for the first time.

    * * *

    In response to Kiskett’s failure, the Fate Goddess swiftly took action.

    That very evening, the rainbow-colored small bird descended upon the camping Kiskett.

    This failure was unavoidable. Destiny is like an ever-changing flow of water, its form never fixed. Even gods cannot predict the intrusion of irregr elements that asionally ur.

    The small bird generously forgave Kiskett’s failure.

    Or rather, since Kiskett had simply followed the bird’s instructions, his failure was inherently the bird’s own failure as well.

    Her words carried a hint of self-justification.

    Nevertheless, my apostle Kiskett. I will not retract this divinemand to provide a trial for Sara Sr, the Baron’s daughter. From now on, you will remain near the Sr Baron’s estate unnoticed and await your chance.

    Kneeling, Kiskett epted this new divine order and began his operations.

    …Yet carrying out thismand proved extremely difficult.

    It seemed that raggedy girl who appeared had been hired as a maid by the Sr Baron’s household.

    Whenever Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter went out, that girl was glued to her side.

    Kiskett could not infiltrate the estate due to its barrier.

    (….Damn it! Why the hell would they hire a cursed brat like that!?)

    Hiding in the forest, Kiskett gritted his teeth as he watched Sara and the others practice magic.

    That girl’s unusually highbat prowess, easily massacring all the bandits, was well apparent to Kiskett who had witnessed the scene.

    As an apostle granted power, he could likely defeat her one-on-one…but if he did that, his existence would be noticed by Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter.

    Then he could notplete the divinemand.

    Above all, he was a healing sage.

    As unpleasant as that cursed girl was, unnecessarily harming her went against his principles.

    WOOSH!!

    At that moment, something shot by at tremendous speed just past Kiskett’s head, mowing down several trees behind him.

    The cursed girl, for some reason urged on by the Baron’s daughter, had used 【Stone Throw】.

    (Retreating! I’m retreating!!)

    Face turned pale, Kiskett hurriedly fled from that ce.

    His 【Presence Concealment】 was perfect.

    It wasn’t that he was detected – the 【Stone Throw】 had simply happened toe his way by chance.

    Yet he still did not want to remain at that ce.

    If that pebble’s trajectory had been even slightly more askew, he would have died.

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

    It was the first time since bing the Fate Goddess’s apostle.

    * * *

    Events moved forward about a weekter.

    As Kiskett continued camping out, his fatigue gradually building, the rainbow-colored small bird descended upon him once more.

    Rather than chiding Kiskett for hisck of results, the bird cheerfully issued a new divinemand in a pleasant mood.

    My apostle Kiskett. You shall now enter deep into the forest behind the estate, and climb the mountain there. Then, you must fell therge Kaliva tree growing at the peak. It is important that you dig up the roots thoroughly as well.

    (Eh? What about the trial for Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter?)

    By cutting down that tree, it shall be her trial.

    Well, what is the reason for that?

    Though inwardly questioning it, Kiskett did as instructed.

    It was far easier than carrying out the order to attack someone, after all.

    Afterwards, following the small bird’s directions, he took lodging in the neighboring vige to the one where the Sr estate was located, killing time by healing the vigers’ minor injuries.

    * * *

    Then, a few dayster,

    A maid from the Sr Baron’s household rushed in, face drained of color, to where Kiskett had been staying in the neighboring vige.

    Apparently, the Baron’s daughter had been exposed to a small amount of Poison topopolock venom and was now in critical unconscious condition.

    It seemed the so-called “trial for the youngdy” had truly been triggered by him cutting down that tree. Made no sense at all.

    Well, the details didn’t really matter.

    Given the situation, his task was simply to heal the youngdy.

    It had merely changed from treating cuts inflicted by bandits to venom poisoning.

    The Sr Baron’s household was very well-liked among the nearby vigers, and the vige chief who had hosted Kiskett readily saw him off as well.

    “…By the way, aside from the youngdy, were there any other venom victims?”

    Along the way to the Baron’s estate, to ascertain the situation as a healer, Kiskett questioned the maid.

    “W-Well, you see, the maid trainee shielded the young miss and took a direct 【Poison Breath】 hit.”

    “Then…my condolences for her.”

    The maid trainee was likely that cursed girl.

    To take a direct 【Poison Breath】 from a Poisontopopolock, survival would be extremely difficult.

    Though she had been the greatest obstacle to carrying out the divinemand, hearing of her death still elicited feelings of pity.

    “A-Ah, n-no, she did indeed lose consciousness, but herplexion looks healthy and vibrant somehow. She’s just sleeping soundly now.”

    Just what in the world is that thing? A monster?

    * * *

    Upon arriving at the Baron’s estate, Kiskett was promptly shown to the room where the youngdyy and began treatment.

    However, the youngdy’s condition was quite severe.

    There was simply no way Kiskett’s healing alone would be sufficient.

    Yet Kiskett remained calm.

    This part of the scenario had already been discussed with the Fate Goddess.

    Despite Kiskett’s utmost efforts, Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter’s life would hang by a thread.

    But then, the trajectory of the gods would manifest.

    The youngdy would be granted power by the gods, and then revive.

    Then events would proceed from there.

    That was the scenario the Fate Goddess had provided him.

    Partway through, that ursed girl awoke and burst into the room.

    He could no longer tolerate any further interference with the divinemand.

    “Don’te any closer, cursed child.” His voice came out colder than intended.

    In response, the scorching killing intent that cursed girl unleashed upon Kiskett was:

    Intense, ferocious, an overwhelmingly potent killing intent.

    (Hiii…!)

    Kiskett could not help but let out a pitiful little shriek.

    This was no good.

    He could tell just from sensing that killing intent.

    She felt nothing about killing people.

    Her mentality waspletely different from ordinary humans.

    His prior analysis that he could likely defeat her one-on-one since he was granted power by the gods…how foolish that had been.

    He did not wish to fight that thing.

    As a healer at his core, Kiskett was in no position to trade lives with such a monster.

    He was wholeheartedly grateful to the Baron for promptly cating the cursed child and defusing that situation.

    * * *

    Thus, the trial for Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter concluded, and she revived.

    ording to her family, she seemed to have some memory loss and slight personality changes, but nothing too major from what they said.

    The rainbow-colored small bird had also dismissed it casually with No need to worry about that.

    Well, nevermind that – what lies ahead will be quite troublesome.

    Kiskett had previously been instructed by the rainbow-colored small bird to proceed with bing a faculty member at the academy. However, he was informed yesterday that this was to provide support for Sara Sr the Baron’s daughter.

    This youngdy currently drooling and drowsily making a foolish sleeping face in the carriage headed to the academy…while silent, she is an idiot despite being a beautiful youngdy.

    At the Royal Kiralimake Academy where noble sons and daughters from across the nation gather, she will likely stand out as an oundish character.

    She will probably be mocked as a country bumpkin or something along those lines.

    Furthermore, her words and actions are asionally strange as well.

    Listening to the soliloquies she sometimes mutters, it seems she regards Kiskett as a “helpful supporting character” of sorts.

    A “helpful supporting character”…what is that supposed to mean?

    True, Kiskett has received a divinemand to support her, but she should have no knowledge of that, right…?

    (Well, whatever. What I must do remains unchanged. Simply follow the divinemand.)

    Kiskett refocused his thoughts.

    Through the carriage window, rather than a serene ruralndscape, he now saw a bustling city street crowded with people.

    The chatter of the masses filled the air, along with delicious aromas wafting from the food stalls.

    Leaning slightly out the window, he could see an immense gate in the distance.

    The main entrance to the Royal Kiralimake Academy.

    The premier institute of learning in all of Teenidys.

    Undoubtedly one of thergest academies on this entire continent, counted among the top handful.

    The new workce where he would be employed for at least the next 12 years.

    pping his cheek, Kiskett psyched himself up.

    In this divinemand, he hadmitted the blunder of failing to carry it out.

    For a hot-tempered god, such a failure would be grounds for immediate dismissal as an apostle – no, they might even kill him, that’s how egregious the failure was.

    Yet the magnanimous Fate Goddess Allofa had graciously forgiven him and still valued him as her apostle.

    To repay that kindness. To atone for his failure.

    (I need to get fired up.)

    Kiskett renewed his determination.

    (Watch me, Fate Goddess Allofa. I, Kiskett, will surely demonstrate aplishments worthy of being your apostle.)

    cing a hand over his chest, he offered a prayer to the goddess.

    (….And, if I may be so shamefully presumptuous, Fate Goddess, I have one request.)

    He then addressed the goddess further.

    (If at all possible, may I never encounter that cursed child again.)

    It seemed Emi had be Kiskett’s trauma.