Three things greeted me the next morning:Sunlight stabbing me in the eyes.The smell of bread and something sweet drifting up from the kitchen.A notification hovering over my bed like an overexcited pigeon.——————————
SYSTEM NOTICEWORLD F-01 – HAVENFORD NODE UPDATE:Local Stability: +++Crack Activity (Inner District): ReducedNew Event Chain Unlocked: "Founding Day Festival"RECOMMENDATION:
– Participate.
– Try not to start a riot.
——————————"I'm not promising anything on that last one," I muttered, sitting up.[Your presence in key events accelerates both stabilization and social entanglements.] MMA said. [This festival chain is a classic 'bond building' opportunity.]"So… a party. With snacks and flags and potential harem escalation."[Regrettably accurate.]After washing up and failing to get my hair to obey gravity in a reasonable way, I headed downstairs.The common room buzzed with more energy than usual. A trio of workers hauled in crates of colorful cloth. Someone argued about where to hang lanterns. Merra barked orders like a general.She spotted me and jabbed a thumb toward the door."Eat fast," she said. "The mayor's looking for you.""That's ominous breakfast conversation," I said, sliding onto a bench as she set down bread, eggs, and a mug of not-coffee."He sent one of his aides around," Merra continued. "Said, and I quote, 'Summon the young man named Kai at his earliest convenience, we have civic matters to discuss.'""Civic matters?" I repeated. "Did I get drafted into the town council while I was asleep?""If you did, my condolences." She snorted. "Eat. You'll need your strength."As I chewed, I opened the interface with a thought.LOCAL EVENTSA small calendar appeared, today's date marked with a lantern icon.——————————
EVENT: Havenford Founding Day FestivalActivities: Market fair, games, shrine ceremony, mayor's speech, evening dance.Effects:
– Increased town reputation gain.
– Guaranteed random encounters.
– Elevated harem flag probability.
——————————"Harem probability is not a standard event effect," I said.[It is when you're involved.] MMA replied."Can I uninstall that part of the bloodline?"[No.]Resigned, I finished breakfast and headed outside.Havenford was in festival prep mode: stalls being decorated, strings of paper charms stretching between buildings, kids underfoot everywhere. Someone on a ladder was arguing with someone on the ground about whether the banner was straight.I hadn't gone far when a man in a neat but slightly rumpled coat intercepted me, carrying a stack of papers."Kai, yes?" he said. "Excellent. The mayor was just asking if anyone had seen you. Please, this way.""And you are…?" I asked as we walked."Perrin," he said. "Assistant to Mayor Thalen. Thank you for— ah—dealing with that… drain incident yesterday. The Guildmaster gave a report. A sanitized one.""Sanitized?" I echoed. "It was pretty messy, yeah."Perrin gave me a thin smile."The mayor dislikes surprises," he said. "He hates mysterious surprises. You, unfortunately, fall squarely into that category.""I've been called worse."The mayor's office sat atop a low hill overlooking the square: a sturdy stone building with a modest balcony. Inside, a map-strewn room waited, desk buried under parchment. Behind it stood a man in his forties, hair going gray at the temples, sleeves rolled up, eyes sharp and tired."Mayor Thalen," Perrin said. "This is Kai."Thalen looked me over in a single, measuring sweep."You don't look like a walking crisis," he said."That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me since I got here," I replied.One corner of his mouth twitched."Sit," he said, gesturing to a chair. "I'll be direct. I have a festival to keep from collapsing."I sat.Thalen leaned on the desk."Havenford is not a big city," he said. "We're a trade town. A waystation. Our job is to be predictable. Safe. Boring." He tapped the parchment. "Lately, the sky has been cracking, the shrine's been complaining, merchants whisper about 'strange flashes' on the road. And then a newcomer shows up and closes a possession case in a day.""That's a flattering summary," I said."Harven says you're not normal," Thalen went on. "Aria says you ring like a bell when you stand near the shrine. Garron says you lift carts like firewood. Yesterday, you followed a demon into an old drain and came out with everyone alive. Including the possessed man."He folded his arms."So. What are you?"[Say 'concerned citizen.'] MMA suggested."I'm…" I started, then stopped.Lena's observation. Aria's suspicion. Harven's worry. Thom's empty eyes.I could lie. Say I was just "talented." A wandering mage. A blessed one.But the world here was already cracked.I wasn't just a visitor anymore. I'd thrown myself into its fault lines."…I'm someone with the ability to see and fix certain kinds of… breaks," I said slowly. "Things like that tear under the mill. The cracks in the sky. I didn't come here on purpose. But I can help. And I plan to."Thalen's brow furrowed."Are you going to cause more trouble than you solve?" he asked."That depends," I said. "Do your problems like to pretend they're not there?""Often.""Then yes," I said. "But I'll solve them louder than they appear."Perrin almost choked.Thalen stared at me for a long moment.Then he sighed."You talk like Aria," he said. "She also insists on poking things until they either break or become honest." He rubbed his temples. "Very well. I can't control what you do outside town. Inside, I can ask one thing.""Which is?""Don't let my people panic," he said. "They know something's wrong. They see the sky. They hear rumors. Today is Founding Day. If this town remembers it's allowed to be happy for a few hours, that buys me time to prepare for… whatever is coming next."He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small wooden token stamped with the town emblem."This grants you access to the mayor's balcony and inner square during the festival," he said. "You'll be in the middle of things, where I can see you. Consider it… unofficial assignment. Be visible. Help if anything goes wrong. Take the weight off where you can."So: "human lightning rod.""I can do that," I said."One more thing," Thalen added. "If you sense another of those… breaks, and it's beyond your ability to handle… tell me. Or tell Aria. Or both. I would rather mobilize the Guard and Guild than pretend it's not happening.""Deal," I said.He nodded once."Go enjoy the festival," he said. "Or pretend to. That's an order, too.""Sir, yes, sir," I said, saluting with the token.Outside, the square had transformed while we talked. Banners fluttered. Stalls overflowed with food and trinkets. Children darted between legs with wooden swords and paper masks. Someone tuned a fiddle on the makeshift stage.I hadn't realized how much the town needed this until I saw all the strained smiles ease."See?" MMA said. [Stability isn't just math. It's mood.]"Did you just get poetic?" I thought.[It was an accident. Don't mention it again.]"Kai!"I turned just in time to catch a cabbage.Lena skidded to a halt, hair slightly mussed, apron already dusted with flour."Sorry!" she yelped. "Tom tripped and I—""Cabbage safely intercepted," I said, tucking it under my arm. "Crisis averted."Tom came barreling after her, almost colliding with me."Kai!" he said. "They've got a ring toss! And someone's selling honey cakes! And there's going to be fireworks! Maybe! I don't know!""Breathe," I said. "You'll pass out before the fireworks."Lena grinned, a little breathless."Are you helping with security?" she asked, spotting the token."Unofficially," I said. "Officially, I've been ordered to enjoy myself and not cause a riot.""Can you do that?" she teased."I'll need supervision."She hesitated, then blurted, "I can— I mean, we could— if you're not busy, after we finish morning sales, maybe we could—""Lena!" Garron's voice bellowed from their stall. "Those carrots won't sell themselves!"She squeaked."Ihavego"—she snatched the cabbage and dashed back.Tom gave me a thumbs-up."She was going to ask you to walk around with us later," he stage-whispered. "Don't say no.""I'll… check my schedule," I said.[Harem Flag: "Festival Date (Light)" primed.] MMA intoned."Subtlety is dead," I thought.A familiar voice cut across the noise."There you are."Aria stood near the base of the shrine steps, a small table set up with incense and charms. She wore the same robe, but a thin, pale-blue sash was tied around her waist today."You got the mayor's attention," she said. "Impressive. Or unfortunate.""Bit of both," I said, showing the token. "I'm a walking fire hazard on his map now.""He's not wrong." She nodded toward the sky. "The cracks dimmed slightly this morning. The shrine's been… humming. Whatever you did in the drains helped.""Good," I said. "I prefer my towns non-perforated.""Keep that up and I might start believing you're some sort of blessing," she said."Please don't," I said quickly. "I have a reputation to maintain."She gave me a small, almost mischievous look."There's a ceremony at midday," she said. "To honor the spirits and the founding. If you're free, I'd like you there. The shrine… wants to see you participate.""That sounds suspiciously like being watched.""It is," she said. "But not in a hostile way. Yet."She handed me a thin paper charm, inked with a spiral and a tiny crack symbol crossed by a line."Protection charm," she said. "From fractures. Theoretically. It's mostly symbolic. But symbols have power."I tucked it carefully into my coat."Thank you," I said. "I'll be there."As noon approached, the square filled even more. I drifted between stalls, sampling skewered meat, watching kids try to knock over stacked cans with beanbags, helping one old man pick up dropped apples when a cart wheel hit a stone wrong.Rel found me near the ring toss, losing spectacularly to a six-year-old."Don't tell anyone about this," I said as yet another ring bounced off the peg and into the dirt."Tell them what?" Rel said. "That the demon-exorcising prodigy can't throw?""The demons don't move as much."He snickered, then sobered."Harven says the Guild's bumping you to Silver as soon as he can justify it," he said. "Said he doesn't want you stuck taking 'kill five slimes' requests when you're closing portals.""Slime genocide might be relaxing," I said. "But thanks.""Also," Rel added, lips quirking, "Lyse is on the warpath. She wants you to help test a 'new spell concept' tonight.""That sounds like an OSHA violation.""I don't know what that is, but yes."The midday ceremony at the shrine was short but strangely grounding.People gathered at the base of the steps as Aria lit incense, the smoke curling upward. She spoke about Havenford's founding—farmers, traders, a river, an agreement with the land. Offers of grain and fruit were placed in baskets.When she gestured for me to step forward, a murmur rippled through the crowd."Who's that?"
"That's the one who helped under the mill, I heard."
"Looks normal."
"Normal doesn't get a personal invite from the shrine girl."I ignored the whispers and climbed a few steps, standing beside Aria."Place your hand here," she said quietly, indicating the edge of the offering table. "Don't push. Just… let the land feel you."I did.Warmth spread under my palm. The same deep hum as before vibrated in my bones, stronger this time, more… curious.For a heartbeat, the cracks overhead dimmed.Aria's eyes widened a fraction."The spirits acknowledge you," she said softly. "And they are confused.""That makes two of us," I murmured.When the ceremony ended and people drifted back to food and games, Aria said, "The shrine will call again. Be ready.""Aye, boss," I said.Later, as the sun dipped, the mayor made his speech from the balcony—a mix of "thank you for your hard work," "let's stay strong," and a carefully worded "yes, the sky is weird, no, we are not doomed." He mentioned the Guild, the shrine, the Guard.He did not mention me.But when I glanced up, I caught his eye for a moment.He nodded, barely.A quiet acknowledgment: "I know you're there. Keep doing what you're doing."Evening settled in with lanterns, music, and the kind of awkward dancing that only happens when you cram too many people into a square and tell them to have fun.Lena managed to corner me near the edge of the crowd, cheeks pink, hair slightly frizzed from running around."Would you— um— like to walk?" she asked, then blurted, "Around! Just around! Not anywhere weird, I mean—""Sure," I said. "Somewhere with lower risk of stepping on toes."We wandered the quieter edges of the festival: the riverbank, where lanterns floated slowly downstream; a side street where someone had set up a target shooting game; the shadow of the shrine hill."So," she said at one point, watching a lantern bob along the water, "is this… better than your old world?"I thought about exams, cramped apartments, neon signs, and a billboard about safety harnesses."Different," I said. "The food's better. The magic's definitely better. The mortality hazards are about the same."She laughed."I like it when you're honest," she said."I lied about the food. We had some good stuff back home," I admitted. "But this stew is better.""Flattery accepted."We walked in companionable silence for a bit."I heard what you did under the mill," she said softly. "People are talking. They're scared. But… hopeful. Because someone actually did something."I watched the lanterns drift."I don't want to be a rumor," I said. "I want to be… dependable.""You're already that," she said. "At least to me."Her hand brushed mine.For a moment, the noise of the festival faded.The ward stone in my pocket stayed blessedly quiet.[Harem Flag "Festival Date (Light)" fulfilled.] MMA noted. [Relationship: Lena – Affection ↑.]"Don't narrate my feelings," I thought.[I didn't. I narrated hers.]"Worse."As we turned back toward the square, a different tug brushed my awareness.Not from the stone.From above.I glanced up.At the very edge of sight, far beyond the cracks, something flickered.Not here.Not now.A distant world.A different sky with a different wound.[You felt that?] MMA asked."Yeah," I thought. "Another… place."[Your Worldline Access just nudged upward.] it said. [The act of reinforcing this node is loosening the locks on others. Soon, you'll be able to reach the Lobby. And from there… the rest.]"Multiverse road trip," I thought. "Coming soon."[And with it, more people. More worlds. More chances to break and fix things.]"More harem," I added.MMA made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a static pop.Back in the square, music swelled.Rel spun an exasperated Lyse in a clumsy circle. Sara actually smiled, watching, cup in hand. Aria stood near the shrine path, expression thoughtful, gaze flicking often to the sky. The mayor watched from his balcony, arms folded, as his town laughed under a cracked heaven.And me?I stood in the middle of it all, feeling the tug of distant worlds and the warmth of this one.The Number One Multiverse Bloodline didn't just mean I could go anywhere.It meant anywhere I had been would never fully let me go."Alright," I thought, as Lena tugged my sleeve toward a street game and the night filled with lanterns and laughter."Let's see how many worlds I can make feel like this."