Chapter 10: Threads That Move the World
Hage Village slept peacefully, unaware that the world beyond its borders had already begun to turn.
I felt it before I understood it.
Not danger—yet. Not hostility. But movement. Like distant gears beginning to grind, setting larger mechanisms into motion. Raphael noticed it as well.
"Raphael: long-range mana fluctuation detected. External convergence likely. Probability of political and military movement increasing."
The world was shifting.
Asta trained harder than ever, his body screaming while his spirit refused to yield. Each swing of his sword carried obsession—the will of someone who rejected fate outright.
Yuno, on the other hand, grew quieter. His mana flowed unnaturally smooth, responding before conscious thought. The wind gathered around him instinctively, as though recognizing something inevitable.
And me—
I observed.
I calculated.
I prepared.
Under Raphael's guidance, my Mana Sense extended farther than before. Faint ripples traveled from beyond Hage—Magic Knight patrol routes shifting, noble mana signatures consolidating, devil-related disturbances quietly erased before commoners could notice.
"Analysis: probability of large-scale conflict within projected timeline increasing. Recommendation: accelerate preparation while maintaining concealment."
I refined myself accordingly.
Perception sharpened.
Predictive reflex tightened.
Skill Creation remained restrained—small frameworks drafted and stored, awaiting the right conditions. No wasted growth. No exposure.
At night, I stood atop the church roof, gazing at the stars. Mana above Hage was calm—but beyond it, turbulent. Violent. Hungry.
For a brief moment, Raphael fell silent.
When he spoke again, his voice carried something new.
"Observation: strategic anticipation detected. Emotional parameter deviation minimal but persistent."
Anticipation.
Not fear.
Not urgency.
Expectation.
The kind that preceded evolution.
Hage Village remained unchanged. Children laughed. The priest prayed. The world looked small and harmless.
But the threads were already moving.
I could feel them tightening—around Asta, around Yuno, and slowly, inevitably, around me.
"Conclusion: convergence phase approaching. Maintain restraint until first unavoidable intersection."
I closed my eyes, committing the sensation to memory.
The game had begun.
And unlike most players—
I could see the board.
End of Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Threads That Move the World
Hage Village slept peacefully, unaware that the world beyond its borders had already begun to turn.
I felt it before I understood it.
Not danger—yet. Not hostility. But movement. Like distant gears beginning to grind, setting larger mechanisms into motion. Raphael noticed it as well.
"Raphael: long-range mana fluctuation detected. External convergence likely. Probability of political and military movement increasing."
The world was shifting.
Asta trained harder than ever, his body screaming while his spirit refused to yield. Each swing of his sword carried obsession—the will of someone who rejected fate outright.
Yuno, on the other hand, grew quieter. His mana flowed unnaturally smooth, responding before conscious thought. The wind gathered around him instinctively, as though recognizing something inevitable.
And me—
I observed.
I calculated.
I prepared.
Under Raphael's guidance, my Mana Sense extended farther than before. Faint ripples traveled from beyond Hage—Magic Knight patrol routes shifting, noble mana signatures consolidating, devil-related disturbances quietly erased before commoners could notice.
"Analysis: probability of large-scale conflict within projected timeline increasing. Recommendation: accelerate preparation while maintaining concealment."
I refined myself accordingly.
Perception sharpened.
Predictive reflex tightened.
Skill Creation remained restrained—small frameworks drafted and stored, awaiting the right conditions. No wasted growth. No exposure.
At night, I stood atop the church roof, gazing at the stars. Mana above Hage was calm—but beyond it, turbulent. Violent. Hungry.
For a brief moment, Raphael fell silent.
When he spoke again, his voice carried something new.
"Observation: strategic anticipation detected. Emotional parameter deviation minimal but persistent."
Anticipation.
Not fear.
Not urgency.
Expectation.
The kind that preceded evolution.
Hage Village remained unchanged. Children laughed. The priest prayed. The world looked small and harmless.
But the threads were already moving.
I could feel them tightening—around Asta, around Yuno, and slowly, inevitably, around me.
"Conclusion: convergence phase approaching. Maintain restraint until first unavoidable intersection."
I closed my eyes, committing the sensation to memory.
The game had begun.
And unlike most players—
I could see the board.
End of Chapter 10