I will finally embark on the road of no return called hero

The seal was lifted.

And with it came a familiar, stabbing pain in Lord El-Melloi II's stomach.

It wasn't just the usual stress-induced headache this time—it was the sight before him.

Cyd and Medusa, who had promised they'd "just watch from the sidelines," were now blatantly sitting there, enjoying a meal as if this whole situation was just dinner entertainment.

Did they have any self-awareness? Did they realize the kind of impact their mere presence had on this world? Clearly not.

El-Melloi II sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He waved a hand, motioning for Gray—who had been about to stand—to remain seated, then took a chair at the dining table behind Cyd.

He made very sure not to sit next to Yvette.

Not in a million years.

"Did you find the culprit?"

Cyd leaned back slightly, bringing his face close to El-Melloi II's ear, his voice a low murmur.

"No." El-Melloi II shook his head, his expression dark with contemplation.

"Want me to help?" Cyd smirked.

El-Melloi II gave him a sidelong glance. "I have my pride."

He wouldn't bow his head to another hero. He refused to concede, no matter how absurdly strong his competition was. Stubborn? Yes. Foolish? Perhaps. But admirable, in its own way.

Cyd chuckled, lifting his coffee. "Alright, then I'll just sit back and watch."

"No, you'd better not just sit back if things go south," El-Melloi II muttered, already dreading how this was going to unfold.

Cyd tilted his head toward the approaching figures of Olga-Marie and her attendant, Trisha. From her purposeful stride and laser-focused gaze, it was obvious she was heading straight for El-Melloi II.

"Like now, for example?"

El-Melloi II let out a resigned sigh, pushing his chair back as he rose. He had expected this, but he hadn't expected her to come in person.

It seemed Animusphere was placing significant weight on this auction.

"Let's talk," Olga-Marie stated, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

El-Melloi II hesitated. From his perspective, everyone outside his trusted circle was a suspect. But considering the sorry state of his current faction, it wasn't exactly wise to casually offend the daughter of a Lord—especially when that Lord was wasting family resources on something only marginally less absurd than chasing the Holy Grail.

After a moment's deliberation, he nodded and led Olga-Marie to his private quarters.

Cyd, naturally, followed along without the slightest hesitation, settling beside Gray as if he were a mere bystander watching a show unfold.

Olga-Marie blinked, confused by his presence. "He…?"

"He's with me," El-Melloi II sighed, rubbing his temple. "You can trust him."

Cyd gave a small wave before returning to sipping his coffee, completely unbothered.

El-Melloi II's gaze flickered to Cyd's shadow. In the span of a single breath, Medusa had vanished.

Again.

Did she ever stop pulling that trick?

"Well then…" Olga-Marie straightened her posture, regaining her composure. "Let's talk."

"By all means," El-Melloi II replied, exhaling slightly in relief.

Just as the conversation was about to begin, a hesitant voice called out.

"Uh… Mr. Cyd?"

Clyress, standing at his side, held out a small envelope.

"I found this earlier," he whispered.

Cyd arched a brow before slipping the letter into his pocket. "Good work."

"I just… I wanted to help, too," Clyress admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

At that moment, Gray clenched her fists under the table.

Not again.

Her body tensed, and she hunched forward slightly, pulling her hood down lower over her face.

She had to endure it.

The conversation was important. The Professor was busy.

But the dizziness was getting worse.

A low sigh escaped Cyd. He reached over, effortlessly hooking a finger under Gray's collar and pulling her upright before she could collapse.

"Relax, Gray," he murmured, patting her back gently. "Breathe. You're just out of sync with the train's movement. Feel the rhythm. Let your body adjust."

Gray took a shaky breath, nodding as she followed his instructions. It didn't fix everything instantly, but the dizziness began to fade.

"…Smart kid," Cyd mused, flashing El-Melloi II a knowing look.

El-Melloi II let out a breath, then turned back to Trisha, who was watching them with an oddly vacant expression.

"Well?" he asked. "What exactly did you want me to see?"

Trisha hesitated. Then, in a deliberate motion, she removed her glasses.

"El-Melloi II," she said smoothly, "please raise your right hand."

His gaze narrowed.

Magic eyes.

He lifted his hand, keeping his expression neutral. He was currently wearing the Mystic Eye Killers, which nullified direct interference. If whatever she was about to do still worked, then this wasn't a simple ability.

Trisha's lips curved upward.

"Three… two…"

A sudden jolt ran through the train.

To most, it was barely noticeable.

To Gray, it was the final straw.

"S—Sorry…!"

She shot up, intending to steady herself, but her legs—already weakened from suppressing the dizziness—gave out entirely.

She fell forward.

Or rather, she would have—

If not for Cyd catching her by the back of her cloak and pulling her upright in one fluid motion.

"…Breathe, Gray," he reminded her, resuming the gentle patting on her back.

Trisha, however, was frozen.

Her Mystic Eyes of Precognition had just failed.

Moments ago, she had foreseen El-Melloi II catching Gray with his raised right hand. That was the future. The sequence of events was set.

Yet now, it hadn't happened.

The timeline had been rewritten.

El-Melloi II, oblivious to her internal panic, flexed his fingers. "Okay. So. What exactly was I supposed to see?"

Trisha coughed awkwardly, struggling to recover.

"I… saw the future. But it didn't happen."

Olga-Marie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Trisha hesitated before sighing. "My Mystic Eyes allow me to see a few seconds ahead. I saw that he—" she gestured to El-Melloi II "—was supposed to catch her. But he didn't."

El-Melloi II raised an eyebrow. "And that's why you had me raise my right hand?"

"Yes…" Trisha's voice trailed off.

It had been meant to be a display of credibility. A demonstration of her ability. And yet, in an instant, her vision had been thrown off-course.

El-Melloi II crossed his arms. "…I see. You had no reason to deceive me, so I'll believe you."

Trisha let out a relieved breath.

But her eyes flickered to Cyd, who was still calmly soothing Gray.

She had seen the future. And in that future, Cyd didn't exist.

He wasn't even there.

Yet now, he was.

And somehow, he had changed fate.