As he stepped into the narrow lane, a strange unease prickled his senses. Where a dead end should have loomed, the shadows parted to reveal a table, inexplicably set up in the corner. Behind it sat a plump figure, offering a warm smile and a beckoning wave.
"Young man, care to have your fortune read? It's quite accurate~"
The voice was gentle, almost maternal. Alex turned toward the sound.
A faded black hat adorned with a single blue flower crowned her head. A dark veil shrouded her aged face and white hair, while a tailored black coat—accented with ornate trinkets cloaked her frame. Her hands clasped together on the table, she looked less like a mystic seer and more like a dignified matron dressed in finery.
Noticing her tucked into the gloom, Alex's lips twitched into a faint smirk. He approached.
"I thought you'd give me the slip, ma'am. I was about ready to call it a day."
"Oh? But in my sight, I didn't see you walking away so easily…"
The Mother of Misaki City smiled softly, brushing off his remark with ease.
"But the future's never set in stone, is it?" Alex countered, mirroring her smile.
"Still, I'm impressed. You saw my future without even meeting me. That's some cheat-level skill, ma'am."
"Don't flatter me, young man. This gift isn't mine, I'm just its vessel for now. It could abandon me any day."
They'd never met before, yet she'd knew his persistence. Clearly, she'd glimpsed a future where he kept hunting her down instead of giving up.
But as he'd implied, the future wasn't absolute. It was fluid, a web of countless possibilities. Take a simple bet: if she predicted his dinner and wagered on it, he could skip the meal or choose something else, unraveling her vision. The future, at its core, was an unclaimed event, its truth tethered to the Root. Seeing it only exposed one strand among many.
Her so-called absolute future sight, Alex figured, let her view a person's potential paths, select the most probable, and guide them toward it with subtle nudges.
As he pieced this together, she chuckled, as if reading his thoughts. "Heh, you're a clever one. You're right, the future's a tricky thing, not something predictions can fully grasp."
"I'd love to lay it all out for you, but even I don't see the whole tapestry. I'm just a humble fortune-teller, not some flawless oracle. Those rumors you've heard? Urban legends, nothing more."
"Urban legends, huh…" 'Legends don't peek into hearts that easily, but if you say so.'
Alex kept his skepticism to himself. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Mother of Misaki City." He nodded politely, his tone warm. She was elderly and potentially useful—respect was the smart play. "I'm Alex, a magus passing through. I keep my mouth shut, I haven't spilled your secret."
"Thank you for that, young man," she replied, her smile deepening. She seemed to appreciate his courtesy. "I'd rather stay off your world's map and out of its troubles. I'm just a simple fortune-teller. If people start calling me a perfect prophet, I might as well retire."
"No worries, I'm not that careless."
"I trust you."
"Then let's get to it. I'm sure you've already guessed why I'm here," Alex said, settling onto the stool across from her stall. Through the veil, his gaze met her water-blue eyes. "I'd like you to read my future."
"Very well, I'll take a look."
She nodded and fixed her stare on him. After a brief pause, amusement flickered across her face. She gave a faint smile and spoke. "Well, now, young man. The secrets you carry are far stranger than I'd imagined."
Alex stayed silent.
"Your case is… peculiar. Your origins are bizarre…..like you don't belong to this world. There's no trace of you in the future's threads."
"So?"
"So, I'm afraid even my eyes can't see your path clearly."
She shook her head, genuinely surprised. It was her first encounter with someone her sight couldn't pierce.
Alex raised a brow, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "No shock there. Probably my own doing."
"Perhaps," she conceded, then flashed a playful grin. "But while your future's a fog, I stumbled onto something intriguing while trying. Want to hear it?"
"Intriguing, huh?"
He nodded, curiosity piqued. "Go ahead."
"When I peered into your future, I glimpsed a strange man in the haze."
"A strange man?" Alex sat up straighter.
"Yes, a striking figure with long white hair."
Her smile widened as she described the vision. "I saw a breathtaking sea of flowers blossoms I'd never seen before, so exquisite they seemed alien to this earth. In the center stood a white tower."
"As if he sensed my gaze, the man resting by the tower opened his eyes and looked straight at me. He smiled and asked me to pass you a message—"
Alex's breath caught. He had a guess who this might be.
"Oh my, what a fascinating soul," the man had said. "Slipping past my sight and the world's gaze, existing in a place not your own, I've never seen anything like it."
"But your future? It's not written in this world's ledger."
"Why bother chasing absolute future sight or clairvoyance to peek ahead? Dive in yourself. The future's charm lies in its mystery. Living it trumps knowing it—me and those two kings agree on that."
"So, traveler from beyond, if you're chasing thrills, jump in. You'll only taste the rush by playing the game."
"Maybe soon, I'll swing by to say hello. Look forward to it."
Mimicking the man's teasing tone, she made Alex's eye twitch. The description, that smug delivery, it could only be one person.
And that trick? The clairvoyance chat. Those with absolute future sight, EX-ranked clairvoyance, or omniscience could swap words across time and space.
So, he'd caught the attention of a certain tower-dwelling shut-in. A future meeting, did Merlin plan to join the Fourth Holy Grail War as a Servant? No way. Merlin was the type to spectate from Avalon, not wade into the chaos… right?
Then again, Merlin lived for whimsy. Predicting a non-human's moves with human logic was a lost cause.
"You know this oddball, don't you?" she asked, noting his reaction. "A friend?"
"No, we've never met," Alex said, shaking his head. "He's just a hermit lurking on the world's fringes—a notorious trickster."
"A trickster beyond the world? That's something," she mused.
"Anyway," she continued, "I can't map your future, but I can see the ripples you've caused. Take today, for instance…"
"By neutering those punks' threats, you've spared a girl who'd have suffered at their mercy. That shifts a lot of threads."
"I won't judge if it's right or wrong, but to me, it's a good deed. That's why I met you and offered some advice."
Her gaze sharpened. "Do as you will—that shall be your law."
"Don't hesitate. Follow your heart, young man. Do what you want, and I'm sure you'll find what you seek."
"???"
Alex blinked, thrown off. "Do as you will, that shall be your law" hadn't he muttered that to himself just yesterday? How did she know?
He wanted to press her, but as she lowered her veil, he let it go and smiled. "Got it. Thanks, ma'am."
"Oh? I thought you'd hound me for more."
"I considered it, but there's no point. Knowing too much about the future spoils it, and I'm tired of riddles. It'll work itself out."
"Smart lad," she said, nodding approval.
"If you want payment, name it. A thank-you for your help."
"It's 200 yen per reading, as posted. I'm a roadside fortune-teller, what more could I ask?"
Seeing her deflect with a grin, Alex placed a large bill on the table. "Here's your fee. Keep the change."
"Fair enough, we're square. Don't come poking around again, young man."
She pocketed the cash, clearly pleased. "Until next time."
"Yeah, goodbye, ma'am."
With that, Alex turned and left, carrying unexpected revelations.
After he'd vanished, the Mother sighed. "What a rare soul. It's been ages since I've met someone so strange. Live long enough, and you see all sorts of marvels."
"I can't do much for you, but I hope you reach the future you're chasing."
She exhaled softly, and her form dissolved into white smoke, vanishing into the dark.