Chapter 235.1. Difficulty Level: Very Hard

Spatial Witch. Even though it’s vague, Miu remembered. She was Shin’s mentor in the original story. Without money, hungry, and collapsing in the dirty alleyways of the slums, Shin was discovered by chance, or perhaps it was just convenient beyond the realms of reality, by the Spatial Witch passing by.
Then, on a whim, the Witch took Shin to her home and let him rest in a bed. When Shin woke up and thanked her, he noticed the attribute of Void within himself. He decided to train this power.
Well, it’s a classic template. The protagonist is saved by a strong individual by chance, putting in effort and gaining overwhelming power. In the context of a novel, even convenient plot developments are acceptable.
Even if many hungry children are collapsing in the alleyways of the slums, for some reason, only the protagonist is saved.
Such miracles don’t happen in reality. And this world is real.
In other words, it was a farce. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was warming Oda Nobunaga’s sandals in his bosom to gain his respect. 
Ishida Mitsunari served 3 different temperature teas to impress Toyotomi Hideyoshi. 
These were events created closer to fiction.
Looking at the Spatial Witch standing before her, I became sure of this.
A nameless woman. Shin called her mentor, while others referred her as the nameless Witch. She stood there with a thin smile that seemed to unsettle people. 
She gently covered her mouth with her hand and spoke with refined gestures.
“Originally, it was a well-structured puppet show. However, someone somewhere started cutting the puppets’ strings and scribbled them all over the script in black. That’s how it turned into such a chaotic play.”
It seems she’s talking about the charade between Shin and Aegir. Indeed, the lines and the background didn’t match, and it was a mess. 
Aegir fled like a rabbit. It seems someone was responsible for this mess.
“Somebody does things like that! I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”
Miu is snorting, she answered with a hint of caution in her ice-blue eyes. 
I don’t know what kind of person she is, but I don’t think she meant any harm. 
She probably just wanted to play around with her Magic Pen.
“Hehe, there’s no need to scold. I was getting quite bored anyway, so I’m enjoying this.”
“Are you the director? Someone with the ability to manipulate others? Your puppeteering skills seem a bit clumsy, though.”
“I don’t possess that kind of power. I’m merely an observer. I just watch. I hold an unrestricted free pass, you see.”
Observing the witty responses from the Witch, I twisted my lips into a small grin and decided to ask what was on my mind.
She might or might not answer, but asking doesn’t cost anything.
“Could it be that  threads of fate are connected to everyone’s backs?”
“Why do you think that?”
In the vast silence of the cavern, Miu and the Spatial Witch converse, checking each other’s reactions.
“I’ve had a strange feeling for a while. But after witnessing what happened yesterday, that feeling intensified.”
“Oh? What kind of experience did you have?”
“A prideful girl like Elizabeth, whose pride is as high as Mount Everest, stayed at my base.”
“Isn’t it normal to stay at a base?”
“It’s not normal, though.”
Shaking my head, I refute the Witch’s question.
Normally, yes, that’s true. Bases are meant for lodging. 
But it’s different. I felt a significant sense of discord here.
“Before that, Menou Elizabeth relentlessly mocked Kohaku Suzu about the base. It was terrible. However, after finishing that remark, she entered the base without any sign of awkwardness.”
That prideful Elizabeth, you know.
“Isn’t that strange?”
Locking eyes with the Witch, I emphasize my tone.
“Even the people around didn’t show any surprise, didn’t raise an eyebrow, tried to stop or criticize her.”
It’s like she just finished a performance on a stage.
As if she had delivered her lines according to the script.
Once Elizabeth stepped off the stage, she entered the base as if she had forgotten her words and actions.
The people around her didn’t show any discomfort. 
Even in a dark alley, they didn’t get angry or take any action.
As if they don’t care about the actor once the performance is over.
It’s undoubtedly odd. What’s even more peculiar is that Miu is the only one who finds it weird.
They seem to be manipulated. 
It’s as if even their perception is being controlled.
“Hehe, ahahaha! I see. You have a terrifyingly sharp wit. To start feeling that sense of discord from such a point.”
Laughing heartily at Miu’s words, the Witch holds her stomach.
“It’s keen observation. Indeed, it was supposed to be a flow that wouldn’t arouse any sense of discord. Once you surpass numerous major branching points, your destiny is sealed.”
With a graceful and fluid motion, she presents her index finger, slender like a whitefish, pointing it at me.
“Significant branching points carry formidable destinies. No one can interfere. Because it’s destiny. There’s no resisting it.”
Certainly, Sena cheered for Shin so fervently, claiming it was all thanks to him.
It’s absurd. All I feel is discord.
“But, this time, it was a clumsy play. Destiny is seeking a predetermined future and attempting to make adjustments… That’s why it was so disjointed, isn’t it?”
“Indeed, I think the content is rather far-fetched. If it were a game, it would be worth complaining to the game developer