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James Moriarty, the former prince of the Principality of Moriarty, which had fallen due to annexation by another country. The Principality had been wiped off the map entirely.

His name bore a striking resemblance to that of a fictional character from Sherlock Holmes. Upon delving deeper into his persona, I discovered that his demeanor closely mirrored that of the fictional character. It was almost uncanny how similar they were. He was like the true Napoleon of crime.

An incredibly intelligent individual, Moriarty was hailed by Gabrielle herself as possessing a mind of the highest caliber. He was a mathematical and scientific prodigy with a notable academic background. However, Moriarty\'s insatiable thirst for power led him down the path of criminality, ultimately resulting in the downfall of his Principality.

I had squared off against the man in the past. He proved to be a formidable opponent, skilled in magic and adept at wielding his powers—a mystery that still puzzled me to this day. Though now he appeared as a child, during our battle, he had been a fully grown adult. Did his transformation to a child enable him to survive my onslaught back then? Or perhaps he used it to regenerate himself.

Currently, he stood before me with all his limbs intact, indicating he had indeed regrown them somehow. It was truly astonishing that he had managed to survive, considering I had unleashed all my most powerful spells in a relentless barrage.

"Oh, don\'t give me that look," Moriarty chimed in with a jovial child\'s voice. "I\'m not here to pick a fight. Can\'t exactly unleash my full potential in this pint-sized form, you know?"

His words were difficult to trust, but I sensed sincerity in his tone. Moreover, the thought of risking the orphanage\'s safety in a confrontation with him made me hesitant to challenge him further. Reluctantly, I conceded that it was best to heed his words for now. I couldn\'t bear the thought of Alice coming to harm, especially given our strained relationship after that incident.

"What\'s your game then?" I demanded.

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"All I ask is that you spare that woman," Moriarty replied. "She\'s been naughty, I know, but let me handle her punishment. I promise not to harm the orphanage if you comply."

With a reluctant sigh, I slowly released my grip on the woman, allowing her to slump in my grasp. She coughed and wheezed for air.

"Grr..." she growled at me.

"Come here," Moriarty commanded.

Like a dog, the woman obeyed, her form still resembling Princess Myrcella. However, the real Princess Myrcella seemed to have escaped from this ordeal. It was a wise move on her part, as even someone as composed as her would surely be shaken by such this situation.

"Well then, Mephisto. Let\'s see each other again, although I doubt it\'ll be anytime soon. You\'re a busy man, after all," Moriarty remarked.

"What\'s your plan?" I couldn\'t help but ask, breaking my silence. He was a powerful individual with extensive connections. It wouldn\'t be surprising if one of his allies was among my ranks. I had no leads at the moment, but I planned to investigate further after this.

In response, he simply smiled—a smile reminiscent of a child who had just found a coveted toy. "Just like what you\'re trying to accomplish," he replied cryptically, offering no further explanation. But I knew immediately what he meant, what he intended to do.

Like me, he wants to own this world.

"Are you the puppeteer pulling Prince Julius\'s strings?" I demanded, my suspicion lacing each word.

"Ah, come now, why would I dabble in such affairs?" he retorted, a sly smile playing on his lips, though his tone betrayed his involvement. Despite his denial, I could practically taste the deceit in the air. "But even if I were, it seems you\'re not inclined to take my word for it. Understandable, of course. Trust is earned, not forced."

As our conversation unfolded, I sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere, the approach of three distinct presences. Moriarty, ever perceptive, seemed to share in my awareness, a knowing smirk dancing across his features as he cast a sidelong glance in my direction.

"Let\'s have a little test," Moriarty proposed, his voice laced with malice as he leveled his gun. "Who will you protect first: the woman with the purple hair, or the woman with Clairvoyance? These bullets move faster than light itself. You might manage to intercept one, but I doubt you\'ll have time for both. So, Mephisto, the choice is yours."

With a flick of his wrist, he aimed the gun toward the oncoming figures. In an instant, two forms materialized at opposite ends: Shredica and Hertrude. It was as if time itself slowed, and in that moment of clarity, realization struck me like a thunderbolt. So that was the reason... that\'s why I chose to save Hertrude instead of the Princess.

It all fell into place, the pieces of the puzzle clicking together with alarming clarity. This meant the future Hertrude had sought to prevent was now unfurling before me.

After a split-second of decision, the man fired his gun, then swiftly aimed in another direction. Without hesitation, I moved toward Hertrude, who was in the path of the oncoming bullet. Reacting instinctively, I summoned my Guardian skill to shield her. Hertrude stared at me in shock, bewildered by my sudden action.

But as the realization dawned upon her that the vision she had foreseen was unfolding before her eyes, she resigned herself to her fate.

Once I had shielded her, she spoke urgently. "M-Miss Shredica is targeting the Princess. You must act quickly and—"

"I know," I interrupted, cutting her off. While Miss Shredica was indeed targeting the Princess, her true target wasn\'t the Princess herself, but rather the woman who bore her likeness.

"Gaaah!" A pained scream echoed through the air, followed by the sickening sound of a blade piercing flesh. I turned to see the woman who bore the Princess\'s appearance, a blade protruding from her chest as Shredica stood behind her, driving the weapon deeper into her body. "Y-You...?!"

"Even if you change your appearance, you can\'t mask the stench of your mana," Shredica declared, a hint of pride in her voice. With a swift motion, she withdrew her blade, and the woman collapsed to her knees before slumping to the ground.

As this unfolded, Moriarty chimed in with a comment.

"She managed to deflect that bullet with her blade. Are you truly confident she\'ll emerge unscathed, or do you simply give zero fucks about her?"

He directed the question at me, but I remained silent, merely staring back. Truth be told, I wasn\'t all that confident that Shredica would emerge unscathed from that ordeal. The future Hertrude had foreseen played a significant role in my decision to side with her instead of Shredica. But if I hadn\'t been aware of such a future, would I have chosen to save Shredica?

Part of me entertained the idea of abandoning her to her fate, but strangely enough, another part of me felt compelled to intervene and save her.

"Oh well..." Moriarty shrugged when he realized I wasn\'t going to respond. "Guess this is it then. I\'m out. Until next time, Mephisto," he declared.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the surroundings, and in the blink of an eye, Moriarty vanished, along with the woman.

Shredica looked bewildered by the sudden turn of events, and then a man emerged behind her. It was Hereon, confirming that he was the third presence all along. Meanwhile, Hertrude appeared stunned by the unfolding chaos, still unaware that the woman stabbed by Shredica wasn\'t Princess Myrcella.

I cast a Mist Magic spell, allowing the smoke to cloak me as I vanished from sight, taking Hertrude with me in my arms. Once I set her down, I revealed the truth: the woman Shredica stabbed wasn\'t Princess Myrcella, but an imposter who had copied her appearance. Hertrude breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this revelation.

"Thank the heavens the Princess is safe," she exclaimed. "But now I understand... changing the future won\'t be so simple."

That\'s right. Today, I learned that fate isn\'t something you can change. It\'s fundamentally the law of the universe. Fate, or destiny, is predetermined. We used to think that by taking actions that could lead to various outcomes based on our behavior, we could alter it. The Law of Attraction, for instance, suggests that focusing on what we desire can attract it into our lives.

We believed that if fate is flexible, and we focus enough on our desires, things would go our way. However, that wasn\'t the case. Fate seemed unchangeable.

"But hold on..." Hertrude interjected, a realization dawning on her. "If the Princess didn\'t die here, then what could possibly cause the future I saw, where Prince Julius murders the entire royal family?"

There was an answer to that, of course. Prince Julius was being manipulated by Moriarty. That meant that the reason the entire family gets murdered in the future she saw was Moriarty\'s doing.