Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 98: Raison D’etre

Chapter 98: Raison D’etre

Whatever the princess said, the fact that it involved royalty like her meant only one thing to Velren: a hassle. A convoluted entanglement of politics, power plays, and unseen dangers—none of which he had any interest in.

But before he could voice his thoughts, the princess wasted no time, not even waiting for a reply.

"I’ll get straight to the point," her tone sharpening.

"What happened back on the island during the exam... I believe it was an assassination attempt. And I was the target."

Velren didn’t react. He had already suspected as much, having heard more or less the same information from Professor Vekar and Mikhail.

Seeing that he remained silent, Princess Solenne continued.

"I don’t have concrete proof yet, but certain factions would benefit from my disappearance. And with the upcoming summit... well, I have every reason to believe that whoever was behind it won’t stop there."

She placed her hands on the table, fingers lightly gripping the edge.

"The summit is a gathering of monarchs, nobles, and dignitaries from multiple kingdoms. On the surface, it’s meant to foster diplomacy and trade agreements. But behind closed doors, it’s a battlefield of influence—alliances are forged, rivalries stoked, and power shifts in ways most people never see. If someone wanted to move against me, this would be the perfect stage."

The way she explained it... did she not know about the Kaovus’ origin? And the suspect behind its source? Did Mikhail haven’t told the princess about it?

"All of this sounds important and all," Velren finally said, leaning back slightly, "but what exactly do you mean by wanting me there?"

Princess Solenne met his gaze without hesitation.

"I need someone who isn’t tangled in political games, someone who can act without being bound by courtly ties or obligations."

Velren scoffed lightly, shaking his head.

"Are you sure you should trust me that easily? What if I had my own plans in mind when I saved you back then?"

The princess didn’t flinch. If anything, she looked almost... tired.

"My whole life, I’ve seen the dark side of royalty—the resentment, the jealousy, the hatred. Sometimes from outsiders, but more often from those closest to me. My own siblings included."

Her voice remained even, but there was a weight to her words.

"The people I can trust... I can count on one hand."

She exhaled slowly, then looked at him with a certainty that sent a strange chill through him.

"I have a sense for these things. I can see people’s true intentions—their inner selves, the emotions they try to hide. It’s what’s kept me alive this long."

Velren frowned slightly, clearly intrigued by her words.

"...And what do you see when you look at me?"

The princess studied him, her gaze was unreadable.

"Someone who doesn’t yet know what he’s meant to do. Drifting, unbound, but not without purpose—just without a path."

Velren felt his breath hitch slightly.

Her words shouldn’t have meant anything—shouldn’t have stirred anything. But they did.

Drifting, unbound. Without a path.

His fingers unconsciously curled into a fist on the table.

Back then, before all of this, he had wanted nothing more than to live a quiet life in the depths of the forest, away from the burdens of people, of civilization. Hunting, surviving, spending his days with those two wolves. But even then, the old man had scoffed at the idea, calling it foolish, a child’s dream. And as much as he had wanted to argue otherwise, deep down, he had known it was true.

Then what about now?

He was a student of the academy, going through the motions of lectures and training. Was that enough? To simply aim for good grades, to graduate with high marks? No. That wasn’t it. Even if he did all that, then what? What came after?

What was he even working toward?

A strange weight settled in his chest, something cold and suffocating. It was absurd, really—he had never cared about this before. But now that the question had been spoken into existence, lingering in the open air, it refused to leave.

His thoughts then drifted further, reaching into the shrouded remnants of his previous life. What kind of person had he been back then? Had he lived with a goal in mind? A purpose?

Maybe he was someone ambitious, someone who had strived toward something greater. Or perhaps he had been aimless even then, just as lost as he was now. A fleeting existence, moving forward simply because that was what life demanded.

The memories remained distant, fragmented—like trying to grasp mist with bare hands. He could recall emotions, vague sensations, but not the details that mattered. Was he satisfied with his past life? Had he died content? Or was there something left unfinished, something that had carried over into this one?

He exhaled, pressing a hand against his temple. This was ridiculous. There was no point in wondering about a past that no longer belonged to him. And yet... the question gnawed at the edges of his mind, refusing to be dismissed.

Princess Solenne’s eyes flickered with something unreadable as she observed him—his unfocused stare, the way his brows were drawn ever so slightly, as if trying to piece together something just out of reach. His expression wasn’t one of mere contemplation. It was heavier, burdened, as if her words had forced him to confront something he hadn’t dared to before.

She hesitated for a moment before exhaling softly.

"I’m sorry," she murmured, her voice quieter now. "I didn’t mean to bring all of this up so suddenly."

Velren didn’t respond, still caught in the lingering haze of his own thoughts.

"The truth is..." she continued, her fingers tightening slightly against the table’s surface.

"I was scared back then."

That made him blink. He turned his gaze back to her, finding her expression strangely vulnerable beneath the usual composed front.

"I don’t want to die." Her words were plain, but the way she said them made them feel heavier, like an admission she rarely allowed herself.

"I know it sounds obvious—who would? But it’s different when you can feel it looming over you, waiting. When you know that someone, somewhere, has already decided that your life is something they can take. I’ve lived with that shadow for as long as I can remember, but this time... this time, it feels closer. And I don’t know if I can outrun it."

She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles faintly paling.

"You know, I’ve felt this way before... a long time ago, when I was just a child."

Velren’s eyes flickered at that. A memory stirred—of a young girl, trembling in front of him. But despite her fear, she was willing to help some stranger that she barely even knew.

"Never mind," she said, forcing a small, tired smile. "It doesn’t matter now."

But it did.

Velren leaned back slightly, exhaling.

This whole situation had nothing to do with him. He wasn’t a knight sworn to protect her, nor did he owe her anything. And yet...

She was right about one thing—he had no clear path, no real goal. He had spent this life simply going with the flow, moving forward without thinking about where it would lead. And for the first time, he was starting to realize how empty that was.

Maybe this wouldn’t give him all the answers. Maybe it wouldn’t change anything.

But if he could do something—if he could somehow prevent another one of those day again, then maybe, just for now, this was enough.

"...I’ll help you."