Aaron Amano's POV
…..what an amazing turn of events.
With a huge sigh, I leaned against the backrest of the 'couch' that I made.
....kinda hard.
While I tried making this couch as soft and comfy as the couch I used to have at home, it seems that current abilities aren't enough.
[Truly….I had no idea if things would go as I had hoped. Thankfully, it went even better than I expected.]
That's right. The current situation right now is completely unknown territory.
Aileen was saved. I, myself, directly met and talked with Rheves Verstone.
Things that never happened in the game are happening now.
I have no idea how much my actions would change from the 'future' that I know from the game.
And the things I had changed were not a little changes by any means.
A person that should have died, kept on living. My existence became recognized by an inhabitant of this world.
If the events of the 'future' are completely different from those in the game now, I wouldn't be surprised.
However, humans are creatures who wish to have some kind of control over their lives.
Say they somehow knew about their future. If it is a 'good one', they would try their best TO NOT change the flow as much as possible. If it is a 'bad one', they would try their best TO change it the best the can. However, now their new 'future' is out of their hands.
Knowing, in itself, is a power. Just by knowing, all things can have power over their own fates and destinies.
I too wish to have this 'power'. If I had kept myself quiet, that 'power' could've been mine.
However, I threw away that chance without hesitation.
If I did that, Ashe wouldn't be happy.
If Ashe isn't happy, why am I even here?
That's why even if I were to somehow return back to the point where I had to make that decision again, I would not change what I would do.
Even if the 'future' I know becomes totally obliterated, it doesn't matter. I lived my previous life like that anyways. I'll just do the same with this one. Whatever happens, happens.
Luckily, however, it seems that destiny still hasn't left us yet.
While the reason is different, Rheves Verstone has once again offered to become the Master of Ashe.
I was truly surprised but also somewhat understanding as to why it became this way.
In the game, the reason Rheves become Ashe's Master was for the sake of taking care of a 'broken' Ashe. Instead of declaring himself as his new 'parent', which would have opened up fresh wounds, he decided a position that has similar value.
That had been the only reason I had known for why the master-disciple relationship came to be.
However, from my new experience, I had just gone through, I know probably another reason as to why Rheves wishes to keep Ashe close as his Master. It was in order to watch out for Xoketh which is inside him.
The Rheves in the game had obviously known about Xoketh is within Ashe. While in the prologue, any hint of him knowing was not shown, but as I got further in the game, it became apparent that Rheves knew about Xoketh all along. Any conversations that occur between him and Ashe contained many hints.
Ashe's daggers also proved my hypothesis is true. Giving an Ancient Artifact which has a special effect that was made it useful against beings like Xoketh was a dead give away.
Using the master-disciple relationship as an excuse, Rheves planned on giving Ashe the dual daggers as a present in order to slow down and look out for Xoketh's eventual awakening.
The other, more important, reason as to why Rheves offered this master-disciple relationship I could think of was probably…his feelings of guilt and responsibility towards Ashe.
Having not made in time to save Aileen resulting in Ashe being all alone in this world, Rheves wanted to make amends.
At first, Rheves wanted to adopt Ashe. A quote of him saying those exact words could be found in one of the conversations he had with an older Ashe in the game.
However, the Ashe who had just lost his mother was in an extremely delicate phase.
The deprived Ashe became mute and emotionless. If Rheves were to speak to him, Ashe would insist on searching for the Blackthorn Rose once again, in hopes of saving his dead mother.
If Rheves were to normally adopt Ashe, the concept that Ashe has now a new different parent that is not his mother could potentially break him.
So, to circumvent that, Rheves offered to become Ashe's Master. Rheves took his time to convince Ashe that it is too dangerous for Ashe to gather the Blackthorn Rose by himself and that if he takes Rheves as his Master he could learn how to fight to be able to get the rose safely.
The words used to convince Ashe in the game and now are almost the same. However, the motive is different.
In the game, Rheves only wanted a way to distract Ashe while simultaneously bringing him under his wing. The Rheves now chose to become Ashe's Master for him and his mother's sake.
In the end, though, the results are the same.
It is truly a lucky occurrence.
…..'lucky', huh?
Was it truly just luck?
I couldn't help but feel like there was something more to it.
I have never been a person who believed in things like 'fate' or 'destiny'.
To imagine that my life in the past, present, and even the future is merely a 'completed story' already planned out for me by the gods makes me uncomfortable, to be honest.
That reason as to why I had this belief is probably for the same reasons as to why I enjoyed reading webnovels, manga, lightnovels, and other eastern literature so much.
While the concept itself is considered a 'trope' or a boring 'cliché', a lot if not all of these stories contained elements where their protagonists always are fighting against an unwanted 'destiny'.
The idea of fighting against an unchangeable 'fate' and controlling your own 'destiny' as a concept to me is truly inspiring.
It was with that sentiment is why I felt a feeling of 'dissonance' with my current situation.
In my past, I invested myself fully to playing a game called Verstronia-Dreamless Story.
In my present, I am currently existing as a 'Soul' within the body of a character of that same game while living in a world that bears an extreme resemblance to that same game's world.
In my future, many if not all future events from now on will follow the exact same path as the events outlined in that same game's storyline.
VDS's storyline had become the same as a 'law' equal to deciding the 'destinies' of every inhabitant of this world as long as they are have been mention within it in any way.
It is my 'instinct', the same 'instincts' which helped raised me and Ashe to amazing heights, which is telling me that 'destiny' isn't over yet.
The reason why Rheves chose to become Ashe's Master? It is because the game's story (destiny) dictates it's so.
If anything in this world were to happen differently from the game's main storyline, the world itself will do a 'correction', forcing events to happen as close as they were previously portrayed.
Rheves decision to make Ashe his disciple is an example of such 'correction'.
Thinking about it carefully, there is absolutely no reason for Rheves to offer to become Ashe's Master now.
The reason for in the game was that his offer was merely a trick to get a hurt Ashe to accept him.
Currently, he has no such need.
Even without a master-disciple relationship, Rheve could just as easily offered to teach Ashe a few pointers whenever he comes to visit. Creating a relationship as deep and special as a master-disciple relationship over a few pointers?.... Unheard of.
Unlike in the game, Rheves is not gonna stay with Ashe all the time. A master-disciple relationship would add unnecessary baggage.
As to why it had become so was the result of the 'correction' that is happening in order for the game's story to continue. Or so my 'instinct' is telling me.
Normally, no one would just blindly believe in their 'instinct' like that, especially for strange ideas such as these. Even so, I would bet my entire life on it.
My 'instinct' had never failed me once I began relying on them when I had chosen Ashe as my partner in VDS. Ashe is now once again my partner. If I don't believe in my 'instinct' now, what else can I believe in?
I heaved out another sigh.
Next, I stood up from the couch and began stretching my body.
As my current state is a 'Soul', the act of stretching is unnecessary and useless action. While I do have a 'body', it is not 'real' and has no muscles to actually stretch out.
I just felt like doing it. Got a problem?
[*Pheeeeeww…..* I really got my a lot on my plate this time.]
'VDS's storyline'. 'Destiny'. 'Correction'.
As I placed my faith upon my 'instinct' there is one important detail I need to prepare for in light of this knowledge.
It is keeping Aileen alive.
Within the VDS's storyline…..Aileen is dead.
If the 'correction' truly works as it should, Aileen would once again be in danger.
For the 'correction' to be complete, Aileen would have to die, even though I saved her from that 'fate'.
I won't let that happen.
I changed 'fate' once already, Doing it again is no problem.
Now that I found out I am able to grow and learn new things, a little 'correction' won't scare me.
The tutorial is over. I know what I need to do.
The start of 'Chapter 1' begins 10 years later.
I won't let Aileen die before then….or even after.
I had sworn upon Ashe's 'Soul' already that I would save his mother.
I am not planning to renegade that promise.
I clenched my fist and raised it up towards the screen.
[I don't know if you are watching this…..but watch me. You brought me into this world and didn't tell me anything….so I'll do what I want.]
The corner of my lips lifts up into a smirk.
[Watch out VDS. The true legend of Ashe Daemon begins now!]
-------True Prologue End-------