The Conquerors Path
chapter-724

I stayed back in the background as everything started to go in its own flow, the two sisters clutching onto each other with happiness, soon after which the shocked doctors entered the room, doing their work as they performed a full body test all around Tria until it was confirmed that she was alright. In fact, her body health was excellent.

The whole situation baffled them, but knowing that the princess had something to do with it, they shut their mouths and took their curiosity to their graves as each and everyone soon started to leave the room. Thus, leaving the room with just three people. I tried to go before, but Carmel held me back in the room.

That caught the attention of Tria as she looked at me with a calculating gaze that I am so familiar with because I have the very same one when I look at the mirror as I plan my future actions. The weight of what to do with this person, and the curiosity about who I am, all came into play.

'If she is from the original timeline, then that would mean she would know how I died. This is dangerous.'

I mused. In the game, it wouldn't have shown much, as it had focused much more on the real protagonists, but if the situation of real-time variables is to be considered, then if the original timeline actions had happened and I had died like how I did in the past, then it would have been great news that would have spread across the world.

The Empress having an affair with her husband's nephew and dying with him in a single flame? Yeah, I am sure as hell that those vulture reporters and writers would have had one hell of a time using that juicy information, which would mean the moment my name is spoken and known, the game between the two of us would begin.

'Well, can't say I am not intrigued.'

A challenge that I have no idea about is in front of me, one whose information is dry at best, and unfolding around what would happen, I would have to plan for what I would do.

'To either conquer or not to conquer, that is the question...'

Chuckling at the silly notion, I looked at Tria with her head on Carmel's shoulder, enjoying the sibling warmth—a unique bond they had come to share within this ruthless household. I spoke.

"I guess it's time I head out."

My words made Carmel look at me, her face flashing with hesitation as she asked me.

"Do you have to leave so early, Austin?"

"Austin?"

Tria intervened as she looked at me, a frown narrowing her face, a look of someone trying to understand the situation more flashing forth as Carmel turned to look at her sister and spoke with a smile as she pointed towards me.

"Oh! Looks like I have yet to clear the air here. The one in front of you right now is Austin Lionheart, the current heartthrob of the world, making waves everywhere."

Her introduction seemingly only made Tria feel more confused, the hardened look on her face trying to focus, giving me a glimpse of what was happening in her mind.

'Perhaps she is trying to match me with the memories of her own timeline with the current memories the current Tria holds.'

After all, there is no way that the 'past' Tria before regression wouldn't have memories of me, especially having heard of the things I have done. As an international superstar in a sense, it won't be hard for her to quickly match everything to their current self, and as it happened, I could see a frown—one of deep contemplation and suspicion—happening on her face just before it disappeared into a light smile as she responded.

"Wow! So you are the current hero of the academy...huh."

She said this with a smirk on her face, to which before I could say anything, Carmel took control.

"And he is also your savior. If it wasn't for him, I don't even know how I would have been able to save you."

Her words made it harder for Tria to keep a calm face as she, with a frown, asked.

"Then what about Leonardo?"

Her emotions turned dangerously chilly for a moment as Tria asked this, to which this time it was Carmel who got confused as she asked back.

"What about him? Better yet, why do you even know about him?"

Seeing the lack of reaction, Tria turned to look at me, the deep suspicious gaze being one of pure wariness.

'Looks like I can infer from it that she is from perhaps the original timeline and even above that, there is something wrong too.'

If things had flowed according to the original game, then there should have been at least a hint of infatuation in her voice, perhaps even a marking of certain emotions. But what I felt was deep indifference hidden within a deep level of malice.

'Though I can't be certain of how the real-life Leonardo without my intervention and control of the players would fare...'

Even then, I am pretty sure that things would have gone well for him because even with my current abilities, it would seem as though the world is being twisted to get him the girls. The true coincidence of fate keeps happening all around, and it ain't easy to control it at all, even with my interventions. Thus, a scenario without me would only look good for Leonardo and the other two guys out there.

'I lack too much information to do anything now.'

Thus holding back most of my impulses, I quickly interjected before things could get worse.

"Looks like the little princess is acquainted with Leonardo?"

I asked, my tone even and a bit playful, but the words seemed to have only made her guard up as with a smile she replied.

"I might have heard some things here and there."

Tria replied after which, focusing on me with a grateful smile, she bowed her head.

"Though above that, first I would like to give you my heartfelt thanks for saving my life and getting my sister through it, cause at times she can be quite the klutz."

"Hey! That was uncalled for!"

Carmel intervened as she ruffled through Tria's hair, the sibling bond being strong, to which I replied.

"It doesn't matter much. After all, I care about your sister, and we are good friends too."

I replied, my words with a deeply hinted path to which I quickly saw the lips of Tria twitch in some kind of annoyed reply mode. Of course, Carmel had it too, but the same reply from a girl I haven't done anything to?

'Looks like the path in her timeline would have been normal.'

The dialogue is something in the game spoken by Leonardo when Tria thanks him for saving her life—a wording which if taken in a real-life context could bring annoyance to the girl if she had a crush on the guy. Thus, any repeated use of this would, in a sense, form a certain reply when heard again and again.

It's a training that I have already taken Carmel and Carmelia through but with the family angle, which means things did flow correctly in a certain sense, but I don't know the end of it. After all, aren't regressors supposed to save the world or something? Does this mean that the world was destroyed? How did Carmel die?

There exist a lot of questions unanswered in my mind, and all the answers to them lie in front of me. But the biggest headache still exists from the fact that there are two more of these loose cannons out there, which I can't control for now.

'God, I just want to rest!'

[You can if you want, the only problem would be that the devil will start cooking things in hell at that moment to well…cook you.]

'Fuck off!'

Throwing off the system, I focused back on the real world as I spoke.

"Your thanks is appreciated. I just wanted to help, and it's nice to see Carmel smiling so brightly. She was very worried."

My words made Carmel give off a certain smile, one with a unique touch to it as Tria, with narrowed eyes, watched Carmel walk off the bed and stand in front of me before hugging me. While I acted outwardly to be fully focused on Tria, my senses led by Farah were on Tria the whole time.

'She is going through a whole different amount of emotions, one now of wariness.'

Farah spoke to me as I focused on Carmel, who was looking up at me.

"I really can't still thank you enough for what you did for me, really I can't…"

I smirked as I patted her back.

"You being happy is more than enough reward for me."

My reply was whispered into Carmel's ears, who blushed a bit as she smiled.