Chapter 12: A Fork in Fate
Chloe Rosemist, a girl characterized by her black ponytail, is one of the heroines of the romantic action RPG «Altena Fantasia». Accompanied by Arianna, a girl with long flaxen hair, she had arrived in the royal capital.
“…What an incredible sight,” Chloe remarked.
“Yeah, truly…” Arianna agreed.
Chloe and Arianna stood overwhelmed before the bustling energy of the royal capital. Everything here was utterly different from the rural life they had known.
“…Ugh, how did I end up in a place like this?” Chloe sighed, recalling the events that led her here.
In «Altena Fantasia», Chloe is the only heroine among the five who is a commoner (or so the setting goes). A spirited girl raised in an unremarkable rural orphanage, she lacks any standout traits at first glance. Yet, despite her commoner status, Chloe possesses exceptional talent in magic and archery. Her skills were noticed by a member of the Royal Knights while she was hunting in the forest, and she was personally scouted by the Royal Academy.
Though reluctant, the academy persuaded her to at least hear their offer in person, and so Chloe brought along Arianna, her orphanage companion, to the royal capital. But now, she already wanted to return home.
“I knew it, city life just isn’t for me. Let’s turn them down and head back,” Chloe declared.
“Now, now, Chloe. This is a rare opportunity, isn’t it? Even if we decline, we should at least enjoy ourselves. It’d be a waste otherwise,” Arianna reasoned.
“…You’re right,” Chloe conceded.
Determined to gather stories to share with the orphanage children, Chloe and Arianna set out to explore the capital. However, navigating such a crowded place was a first for them, and they quickly got separated.
“Chloe! Where are you?” Arianna, a year older and like an elder sister to Chloe, called out as she wandered the streets.
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Then, in that moment—
Thud!
“Eek! I-I’m so sorry! I must’ve bumped into you…” Arianna apologized reflexively after colliding with someone’s back due to her distraction.
But the person she bumped into was the worst possible encounter. The man, dressed in lavish clothing, turned around with a scowl.
“You dare to disrespect me, knowing I am the great Earl Blazek?” he demanded.
Though Arianna didn’t know his name, she immediately recognized him as a noble. She hurriedly bowed.
“I-I’m terribly sorry! I’m new to the capital and not familiar with…”
“Hmph! To not know me, you must be some backwater peasant. Now, what punishment shall I mete out… Wait, let me see your face,” Blazek said, scrutinizing Arianna’s features.
“Hmm, not bad at all. Listen well, I have a fine proposition for you—”
And then, shockingly, Blazek offered to buy Arianna. She refused outright, which only fueled his anger. When she pushed away his attempt to forcibly drag her off, it was the final straw.
“Enough! I’ll deal with an insolent wretch like you right here!” Blazek roared, raising his sword.
“Eek!” Arianna, untrained in combat unlike Chloe, could only close her eyes, unable to resist.
But then, a sharp clang! echoed through the area. Surprised that no pain followed, Arianna opened her eyes to see a boy—Klaus—standing before her.
“You…” Arianna stammered.
Unfazed, Klaus boldly confronted Blazek. And just like that, the two began to fight.
“Anna! Are you okay!?” Chloe’s voice called out.
“Chloe…” Arianna responded.
Hearing the commotion, Chloe arrived soon after the fight began.
“What happened?” Chloe asked.
“Well…” Arianna, still shaken, explained the sequence of events.
Hearing the full story, Chloe’s eyes widened as she turned to Klaus.
“He’s the one who saved Anna…” she murmured.
To Chloe, Arianna was like a cherished older sister. Filled with gratitude, she resolved to step in and help Klaus, noble or not, if he found himself in danger.
But that moment never came. Klaus was dominating Blazek so thoroughly that the word “overwhelming” felt inadequate.
“Amazing…” Chloe whispered.
As someone personally scouted by the Royal Academy, Chloe had prided herself on her skills. But the sheer gap in ability before her shattered that confidence. Yet, her feelings weren’t limited to shock—
“…”
Deep within her chest, Chloe felt a burning sensation she had never experienced before. She watched the scene intently, unable to look away. Arianna, standing beside her, felt the same.
A few minutes later, having effortlessly defeated Blazek, Klaus prepared to leave without introducing himself.
“Wait! At least let me thank you for saving my precious family—” Chloe called out desperately.
Klaus paused for a moment but then walked away without a word.
“He’s gone…” Chloe said, disappointed.
“Yeah. I wanted to thank him for saving me,” Arianna added.
Both felt a pang of regret at missing the chance to express their gratitude. Then, the surrounding crowd began to murmur:
“What an incredible fight.”
“At that age, with that strength, he’s surely a Royal Academy student.”
“Yeah, that explains why he wasn’t intimidated by a noble.”
Hearing this, Chloe and Arianna exchanged glances.
“Did you hear that, Anna?” Chloe asked.
“Yes, Chloe,” Arianna replied.
“If I enroll in the Royal Academy, I’m sure I’ll meet him again…!” Chloe declared, a newfound resolve forming in her heart.
But let’s pause to reflect on the two girls’ circumstances in the game world. In the original «Altena Fantasia», Arianna is killed by Blazek for defying him, sparking Chloe’s deep hatred for nobles. Driven by a desire for revenge, she enrolls in the Royal Academy to grow stronger, a core element of her storyline. Additionally, her black hair—linked to discrimination and her unique magical abilities—adds a darker tone to her arc, making it one of the game’s most intense narratives.
In the game, as Chloe’s trust in the protagonist grows, she shares her past. During this event, a still image shows only Arianna’s back. This memory is why Klaus, despite not knowing Arianna’s face, felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing her.
But in this world, Arianna wasn’t killed by Blazek. Instead of hatred, Chloe now feels profound gratitude toward Klaus. This realization led her to a decision.
“They said we could bring one attendant to the Royal Academy, right?” Chloe asked.
“Chloe, do you mean…” Arianna began.
“Yeah, if it’s okay with you, Anna,” Chloe said.
“Of course! I feel the same way you do!” Arianna replied.
The two locked eyes and nodded in unison.
“I’ve decided. I’m enrolling in the Royal Academy to thank that guy!” Chloe declared.
Thus, for a reason entirely different from the game’s narrative, Chloe resolved to join the Royal Academy.
But the changes brought by this incident weren’t over yet.
“…”
On the rooftop of a building overlooking the street where Klaus fought, a girl stood. Her translucent blue, shoulder-length hair marked her as distinct. Recalling the battle, she thought of Klaus, her former classmate from six months ago. Then, she murmured softly:
“Klaus-kun, how are you using the secret techniques of my school…?”
Her name was Eleanor Cobaltleaf, another heroine of «Altena Fantasia» and the only senior character. A master of the Cobaltleaf swordsmanship style inherited from her father, the Royal Knights’ commander, she was among the game’s strongest characters. Now, Eleanor was reeling from an indescribable shock. To make sense of it, she began recalling the events that led to this moment.
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It was a day off from the Royal Academy, and Eleanor had been out in town when she heard the sounds of combat. Hurrying across rooftops to intervene, she arrived to find Earl Blazek, a notorious troublemaker in both noble and commoner districts. But this time, something was different—Blazek was being utterly dominated by someone.
Seeing the boy’s face, Eleanor’s eyes widened in shock.
“Could that be… Klaus-kun?”
Klaus Renford, a classmate at the Royal Academy, had left after just one week to take over the Renford territory, forcing him to take a leave of absence. Their relationship had been minimal. Yet one thing was clear: based on the classes they shared, Klaus had shown no aptitude for swordsmanship.
But the scene before her contradicted that memory entirely.
“Earl Blazek isn’t weak by any means, yet Klaus-kun is overpowering him with swordsmanship? And—”
What shocked Eleanor even more than his strength was something else entirely.
“【Crescent Moon】【Dragon Tiger】【Heaven and Earth】【Divine Might】【Hurricane】【God Slash】—”
Every technique Klaus unleashed belonged to the Cobaltleaf style. Their execution was flawless, rivaling—if not surpassing—her own mastery.
“The Cobaltleaf style is a single-succession art, so how is Klaus-kun using it? Did he somehow observe Father’s battles and mimic them?” Eleanor wondered.
It was a stretch, but it was the only explanation she could muster. Yet the true shock came next.
“—Final Secret Technique 【Starlight Sword Dance】!”
“What!” Eleanor’s eyes widened further.
The Final Secret Techniques were the thirteen ultimate moves of the Cobaltleaf style, each with devastating power capable of felling even the mightiest monsters in a single strike. Their difficulty was so immense that even her father, the Royal Knights’ commander, could only use one. Eleanor herself had yet to master any, awaiting the day her father would pass down the secret texts. Since her father sealed these techniques during regular duties, it was impossible for Klaus to have seen them. The idea that someone his age could wield them was unthinkable—
“There’s more! Final Secret Technique—” Klaus continued, unleashing multiple ultimate techniques in succession, as if mocking Eleanor’s racing thoughts.
Initially paralyzed by shock, Eleanor gradually became captivated by the spectacle.
“…It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
From standard techniques to the Final Secret Techniques, Klaus’s movements embodied Eleanor’s ideal. Casting aside logic, she burned the scene into her memory. Even after Klaus defeated Blazek and left, Eleanor remained in a trance-like state.
Minutes later, she snapped back to reality.
“Klaus-kun, how are you using the secret techniques of my school…?” she wondered again.
But she shook her head vigorously, dismissing the question. “No, now’s not the time for that! While that scene is still fresh in my mind, I must train!”
Rushing to her family’s training grounds, Eleanor began swinging her sword with fervor, aiming to replicate Klaus’s movements.
“No, his movements were more natural… like waves. I can swing my sword more efficiently!” she muttered, wholly focused on recreating his techniques, chasing the image of Klaus’s swordsmanship burned into her eyes. She trained as if he were her master in an imagined world.
Now, let’s reflect on the game world. If players who completed all routes of «Altena Fantasia» were asked, “Which heroine is the strongest?” most would name Eleanor. But she doesn’t start as the strongest. In her route, Eleanor confronts the Cobaltleaf style, mastering all Final Secret Techniques and ultimately becoming a peerless warrior, rivaling the protagonist despite relying solely on swordsmanship.
Klaus, aware of Eleanor’s overwhelming power, had idolized her Cobaltleaf style and trained relentlessly to replicate it. But in this world, the dynamic shifted. Eleanor witnessed Klaus performing the ultimate version of her future self.
Inspired, she began training with those movements as her ideal, leading to growth at an unprecedented pace compared to the original story.
“Wait for me, Klaus-kun! I’ll catch up to you!” she vowed.
Thus, without waiting for the original story’s starting point, Eleanor embarked on her path to becoming the strongest.
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