Chapter 1: A Cataclysm of a Lifetime
“If you get involved in things beyond your station, you are bound to suffer misfortune.”
This was what Aiden's father, who was a worthless petty thief in the back alleys but always quick-witted and cunning, constantly told him as if to instill it in him.
“You aren't cut out for great things, son.”
“Why?”
“Isn't there nothing you're good at other than using your wits to pull off some mediocre scams?”
“Why are you evaluating your own flesh and blood like that?”
“Live within your station. Don't cause trouble trying to play in the big leagues. At our level, being a petty criminal in the back alleys suits you perfectly.”
“Hey, can't you give your son some words of wisdom?”
“I'm doing it right now.”
“...Does that really work?”
At some point, Aiden himself had come to accept such words, as he was indeed a man who wasn't particularly good at anything.
Average. Plus minus zero.
An ordinary person whose only memorable achievement was occasionally pulling off petty, annoying scams to survive.
Ah, of course, not the big scams. He treated the victims with nothing but trivial and annoying matters.
After all, even a criminal has boundaries they must respect.
This aspect of him was likely clearly evident in a conversation he once had with his younger sister.
“You’re just a criminal, so why are you trying to save face?”
“If you commit a big crime, you’ll eventually stand out and suffer greatly. Even if I happen to run into a victim, I should only rip them off to the point where I get beaten up badly.”
“…….”
“Just enough to feed the family, take care of myself, and never do anything to incur a grudge. That’s the only way to live a long life, you know?”
Aiden Kellermaine’s life was exactly like that.
An ordinary and insignificant con artist.
Even after undergoing a bizarre event where he awakened to a past life on a place called Earth after hitting his head hard on the floor, that fact hadn’t changed much.
[Status Info — Aiden Kellermaine]
▶ Unable to view status because system viewing permissions are insufficient!
▶ Your influence on the main story is extremely low!
▶ Contact key figures to unlock special abilities!
Even after a white square with such text appeared before his eyes, and even after he realized he was a character in a game world, the conclusion he reached after days of deep contemplation was as follows:
“Do I really need to live doing something grand?”
Main story, special abilities—these were phrases that people who wanted to stand out would have loved.
However...
Doing something grand made you easily exposed to great danger.
If you lived safely, nothing happened, but you didn't get into danger either.
So, Aiden decided to remain in his place.
A petty criminal among petty criminals for whom law enforcement felt no reason to intervene.
A worthless con artist who committed crimes so pathetic that even his victims felt more contempt than resentment.
And, living such a life, there were bound to be people you were absolutely certain you would never get involved with.
[Sir Noel is entering the Arc de Triomphe!]
[All subjects of the Empire, please welcome him with thunderous cheers!]
Why, the woman appearing on the old TV he was watching right now was just like that.
“Oh my.”
He let out such a sigh as he watched the TV screen.
The sight of the woman riding into the triumphal arch was worthy of such a reaction, even just by looking at it through the screen.
Her obsidian-like hair seemed to absorb the surrounding light, her pure white skin contrasting with it, and her red eyes filled with a dazzling light that could not be described as glittering.
She was a human whom some even called the manifestation of Karba, the principal deity of the Empire and the goddess of struggle.
Not merely beautiful, but someone who exuded an aura.
“...Calling her the goddess of struggle does suit her quite well, doesn't it?”
Noel Astria Seamus.
A warrior called the greatest since the Empire came into existence.
The four lion-head medals pinned to her chest immediately lent overwhelming credibility to that fact.
The Lionhearted Medal.
The highest honor medal that could be awarded by the Imperial military.
Considering the criteria typically required to be awarded a Medal of Honor, receiving four of the highest honors implied that she was a human-shaped monster who had performed feats capable of single-handedly changing the course of a war.
She sat at the pinnacle of the superhumans known as Knights, capable of smashing rocks with their fists, flying through the air barehanded, and breaching fortresses alone when armed.
She was a talent who appeared perhaps once in a thousand years, having shattered every single record in the Imperial military.
She was different from birth.
She was the kind of person an ordinary person like Aiden might not even be able to speak to once in a lifetime.
And Aiden, at least, could add a note to that assessment.
Is that the main character?
That woman was one of the key figures in this world he currently inhabited—the Fantasy Game.
She was one of those destined to overcome adversity and lead the continent, facing an unprecedented crisis, to salvation alongside the game's protagonist.
And among them, Noel was a figure with quite distinct characteristics that stood out.
[Rumor has it that high society is abuzz with Sir Noel's marriage—]
[Just looking at the list of candidates is enough to make your head spin—]
Right. Marriage.
One of the most critical turning points that determined both Noel's own destiny and the entire axis of the main scenario.
[Well, whoever you marry, may the Pantheon bless Sir Noel's future!]
Aiden let out a wry laugh at the commentator broadcasting the triumphal procession.
I don't think it will be that full of blessings.
Considering the game mechanics he knew, Sir Noel's fate would be severely twisted the moment she married.
That was also when the main story spiraled into chaos.
Noel herself, at this point, likely wouldn't want to get close to any of them.
In fact, wasn't the setting that at this point, she would do anything to avoid the marriage at all costs?
And, to be honest, such details were of no concern to Aiden.
The marriage of people he would never have crossed paths with in his life was just gossip for the enthusiasts to chatter about.
Whether saving the world or getting married, that was Joo-yeon's business, not his.
Yes, that was exactly what he thought.
Until just a few days ago.
“Are you awake?”
“……?”
Right now—
“You are awake.”
Lord Noel, standing before him, was saying this with a faint smile.
At a distance close enough to count the blemishes on each other’s faces.
“……??”
Aiden looked around with a blank gaze.
It was clearly an unfamiliar place.
At least, he had no memory of falling asleep in a pitch-black basement with his arms tied to a chair.
While he blinked stupidly, the other person continued speaking as she clipped a fluttering document into a clip.
Glancing sideways, he saw that the document, bearing the Imperial Military’s watermark, contained his entire personal information and a list of clients.
It must have meant that his personal details had already been thoroughly stripped bare from head to toe.
“Aiden Kellermaine. I’ve heard you’ve been a con artist for a long time. It’s nice to meet you.”
“……Lord Noel?”
“Yes. I am Noel Astria Seamus. I have come to ask you for a special favor.”
An emotionless voice thudded softly down upon him, who hadn't even fully regained his senses yet.
Why this man—why him, and for what purpose would he do this?
Before he could even fully complete that question, his mouth reflexively mumbled an answer.
It must be called an occupational hazard.
Always having to react sensitively to what the other person says.
“...Did you say ‘a request’?”
“Yes. A con artist's job is to deceive people, you know. You are a skilled con artist, and I have to deceive someone, too.”
I don't know if he possesses the skill to be described as "skilled."
Seeing Aiden assess himself that way...
“Beating around the bush isn't my thing, so shall I get straight to the point?”
Sir Noel paused for a moment as she said that.
“Let's get married.”
Out of the blue.
“Would you pretend to be my husband for just one year?”
“.......”
“I’d like you to deceive the entire Empire.”
She dropped a bomb of language.
Accompanied by a horrific aftermath.
[System Message]
▶ Contact Lionheart, Noel Astria Seamus.
▶ This is the most critical target in the story. The fate of the world is determined by the influence you exert on this target!
▶ Influence on the main story increases.
▶ A new special ability is unlocked!
▶ A new event is unlocked in the main story!
Getting entangled in matters beyond one's station inevitably brings misfortune.
It was a phrase Aiden's father always muttered like a mantra.
[System Message]
▶ The skill Weaver of Fate is unlocked.
▶ You can copy one skill from the target Noel Astria Seamus.
▶ Interact with key figures in the main story to unlock additional abilities!
And now, he was standing before a cataclysm of a lifetime that would defy the life creed instilled in him by his father.