A few minutes before the explosion, the red-haired man started running away from the house.
Poor guy lost his guts to fight against Nick and didn't have any confidence in assisting the old mage.
But his freedom was short-lived as he dashed into a man in his twenties who had silver hair and golden eyes.
The man's face was similar to Nick's current face. Even their hair is the same silver color, except for their eyes. Nick has crimson eyes.
Behind the silver-haired man were more than 20 knights. Their crest was a flying phoenix.
Red-haired thug's heart started to pound faster as he stared at them.
"What's the hold up, brother?"
A teenage girl's voice echoed as a beautiful girl with a knight's uniform asked.
She also had the same silver hair and golden eyes.
"Nothing"
The big brother answered as he turned towards the thug.
They are knights of the Veyra Dukedom. And those two siblings are the eldest son and the youngest daughter of Duke Veyra.
Currently, they are searching for their good-for-nothing sibling who went missing last night.
The eldest asked the thug with a cold voice,
"Hey, have you seen a kid who had silver hair and red eyes?"
Red-haired guy recalled his orders,
Kidnap the drunk kid and put him to sleep with dead women. When Veyra knights come searching, all they need to say is that the kid blackmailed them and forcefully dragged a woman with him to the bedroom.
But the plan failed, the kid was awake, and killing people left and right. So, lying is no longer an option.
"W-we kidnapped h-him when he was drunk-"
His words are cut off, as the youngest asked,
"Tch, that moron. Where is he now?"
With trembling fingers, the red-haired man slowly gestured toward a distant two-story house.
"Arrest him."
Eldest ordered the knights as he was about to move when,
-BOOM
The shockwave came instantly, followed by a wall of flame that swallowed everything in its path.
Though unprepared, the knights and siblings stood at a safe enough distance to escape the blaze.
When the dust settled, the world before them had changed. The house the thug had pointed out no longer existed. It was erased completely, leaving behind only a vast, burning crater.
Knights swallowed hard. The siblings' golden eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ha! Serves him right-"
The red-haired man said as His words were cut short, his head burst apart, a clean strike from the eldest's hand.
Blood fell on the knights who apprehended him.
But nobody said anything. No, they didn't dare to say anything.
The eldest lowered his hand, fury etched into his face. It was his strike.
Clenching his fist, jaw tight, he issued a single command:
"Search."
At once, the knights scattered into the ruins.
...
Time passed, late at night.
Under the moonlight. Nick, who had been unconscious, slowly opened his eyes.
But something changed; he wasn't just Nick anymore, he was also Luke Veyra.
Luke Veyra's memories had flooded him, weaving themselves into his own.
He lifted his gaze to the full moon above. Crimson eyes gleamed under its pale glow.
A small grin formed on his face.
"Looks like I'm Luke Veyra now… I guess."
He rose from the muddy pond, the stench of ash clinging to the air around him.
"So... what now?"
As if answering that a blue colored interface opened up,
{ [You have altered a Major Plotline.] }
{ [The world believes Luke Veyra was kidnapped and perished at the hands of his enemies.] }
{ [The Female Lead, Aria Everheart, feels guilt for setting you up.] }
{ [The Side Character, Lucian Veyra (your brother), mourns for failing to save you.] }
{ [The Side Character, Luna Veyra (your sister), blames herself. Believing that if she hadn't scolded you, you wouldn't have drunk and been kidnapped.] }
{ [Reward: Skill – Author's Insight (S)] }
{ [Calculating Fate Points…] }
{ [Enter the Library to use Fate Points.] }
"So, I wasn't seeing things after all?"
Luke chuckled as the glowing interface flickered before him. It worked in his favor—more than he could have hoped.
"Enter the Library, huh? And what the hell is that supposed to mean…"
But first, he needs to run away from here; there might be people still searching for him.
So Luke ran away from his family, away from criticism, away from the plot, away from his death with a smile on his face.
...
On the horizon, the first rays of the sun greeted the world; for a few, it was a brand-new day, and for some, it was a new beginning. A new chapter in their lives.
Luke, who was running the whole night, reached the merchant city, Adhill.
It was the closest city to the slum where he had been.
If he remembers correctly, his family is staying at the capital of the Raylin Empire.
Luke wanted to move away from the capital. And he did not wish to go to the Veyra Dukedom either.
Instead, he chose the safest place before the story's main plot began.
The Karyal Kingdom.
A small coastal nation, with all sides bordering the Raylin Empire.
There was only one problem: he had no money.
Luke entered a merchant shop, and the scent of parchment, oils, and spices greeted him.
Behind the counter stood an elderly merchant, his sharp eyes hiding behind a kindly smile.
"Welcome to my humble shop," the man said smoothly. "What brings you here, young sir? If you're here to buy, I'll see what I can do."
Though Luke looked ragged and bloodstained, the man didn't sneer or pry. A veteran merchant knew better.
Without hesitation, Luke slipped the two ornate rings from his fingers and placed them on the counter.
"I need a bath, clean clothes, all essentials for long travel, and a carriage to the Karyal Kingdom by tomorrow. Also, a magic pouch with a thousand gold, two thousand silver, and five thousand bronze coins."
The merchant blinked at him… then at the rings. For anyone else, it would've sounded absurd. But to him, it was clear Luke wasn't even asking for two percent of their worth.
The old man sighed softly. "Young sir, I'll prepare ten thousand gold, twenty thousand silver, and fifty thousand bronze with a high-grade magic pouch. Consider the rest my… fee for silence."
Luke smirked faintly and nodded. He knew this man well enough; in the novel, he was a minor character. Reliable. Greedy, but trustworthy.
"Good."
The merchant personally guided Luke to a guest room. "Take your time to clean up. I'll send someone with new clothes."
As the door was about to shut, Luke called out, "One more thing."
The merchant paused. "Yes?"
"Can you forge me a new identity?"
A beat of silence. Then the old man asked slowly, "Place and name?"
Luke understood the unspoken deal.
"A commoner from the Karyal Kingdom. And as for the name…"
He thought a bit and answered,
"Let's go with… Charlie."