Converging Timelines

The monster appeared, just like in the game.

Reiss awoke just like in the game.

The dark magic inside him took control of him and taught him how to use it.

The beast was torn to shreds and Elana was crying her eyes out, staring at her older brother covered in the monster’s blood.

Reiss smiled reassuringly at Elana and went to hug her but stopped when he saw the blood on him.

“…I’m sorry for scaring you, but-”

Elana hugged him instead, as tightly as she could.

“Nii-sama, I was…so…scared!”

Reiss relaxed and hugged her back. “So was I. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”

***

“My lady’s saying strange things again.”

“What are you talking about, Yena?” Charlotte de Vas asked, sitting up on her bed. “Every woman in the world wants to be waited on hand and foot by beautiful men.”

“Apologise to every normal woman on the planet.”

“Y-you!” Charlotte leapt up and angrily thrust a finger at her bored maid. “I could easily have your head for your insolence.”

“Don’t worry, my lady. My head is firmly secure on my neck as your mother loves me like a sister.”

“She loves me more!”

“I don’t think she would if she learnt of your grooming harem plan.”

“Don’t call it grooming!”

“‘I will raise those young men so that they’ll be great people who love me, no matter what.’ What a sinful child you’ve given birth to, Evalyn. I fear for the future.”

***

“What do you think, Samantha?”

“Huh?! Don’t call me by my name, it’s gross.”

Exasperated by his temporary partner, Stephan pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Why did the boss pair us up today? I’d rather have Lucien or Risa. Stephan sighed once more.

“It definitely appears that Reiss is acting like an Irregular, but it’s too hard to tell with Charlotte.”

“Publicly, she’s exactly as Onee-sama described, but the old runes in the wall stop my babies from being able to enter the mansion.” Samantha giggled. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re Irregulars or not; they’re nothing to us.”

“…Regardless.” Stephan sighed. “We should keep a close eye on them. Perhaps I could hire some-”

“There are only 5 of us - or have you forgotten?”

Stephan shut his mouth.

***

The private airship ride was a rather dull and boring affair for both Lucien and Risa.

He was itching to get up and move his body, but there wasn’t enough room for him to properly exercise. The most he could do was get up and walk up and down the aisle repeatedly.

For Risa, she simply sat perfectly still, unmoving, unflinching; Lucien was also pretty sure that she didn’t blink either.

Or at the very least, she didn’t whenever he stared at her, puzzled and fascinated by his partner.

“I understand why the boss chose us 3, but you.” Lucien eyed Risa up. “I don’t get it. Why you?”

“...Does it bother you?”

“Bother’s not the right word. Just don’t like it when I can’t tell if someone’s stronger or weaker than me.”

“Like your little apprentice?”

Lucien grunted. “Peter’s got some serious potential. Give it 10 years and he might be more powerful than an S-rank adventurer. Excited to see how good he’ll get.”

Risa blinked twice. “I’m surprised.”

“Huh?”

“No matter. When that happens.” She blinked once more and her whole demeanour changed. “I’ll gladly take you both on.”

The sweat trickling down Lucien’s back answered his earlier question quite clearly and he was glad he hadn’t tried asking her to spar.

***

“The Silent Sect are gone. Soon, all the rest will follow.” Rose looked lovingly up at the ceiling above her, covered in photos and maps. “Everything is going as I wanted it.”

2 pieces have changed because they are like me.

And then there are the pieces I have changed.

Alice Eagold is alive and well.

Emilia has become Samantha’s kin.

The Pentagram exists.

She couldn’t help but laugh and smile.

The timeline above her head of all the events of the MoH franchise was now rendered useless.

No past knowledge of this world would help the reincarnators now.

Just as Rose desired.

No one knows what will happen next, not even me.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Serves you right.”

***

John Moriarty, as Luke Yamamoto called himself, had lived longer in the world of Making of Heroes than he did his past life.

Dead at the age of 22 and a big fan of the MoH franchise and detective stories, Luke had not had an easy life.

Born to a Canadian mother and a Japanese father, Luke was half-Japanese and found himself bullied for it as he was not a particularly attractive looking young lad. This problem only got worse after he was caught up in a bus accident and glass shards stabbed the side of his face, leaving him blind in one eye and horrifically scared.

His parents still loved him and bought him whatever he wanted, but Luke ended up becoming suicidal during his last year at middle school and tried to kill himself. He failed, but then he ended up slipping down the stairs at home years later and broke his neck.

Before then, he had played through all the MoH games, read several Sherlock Holmes stories, lots of books on history, myths and legends, and he was a trivia buff who loved quizzes. He didn’t fully understand everything in them, but he admired the cool detective and wanted to be like him one day.

Until his father explained that actual real life private investigative work was not all that it appeared to be.

However.

I’m in MoH!

When Luke was reborn in The Making of Heroes, he decided to make his past life dream a reality.

Taking the name of John Moriarty professionally, Luke had spent his life until his 18th birthday studying and learning to fight. His parents in this life were minor nobility and they were able to afford a great deal of tutors and private school education.

His parents gave their blessing to his job after seeing his skills, and John Moriarty became the world’s first private investigator. He quickly became famous and very highly regarded.

However, he made it a point not to take any action that would disrupt the original storyline of the MoH games.

But then he noticed the abnormalities, starting with the destruction of Tartarus.

So, John Moriarty took a small break to learn more.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about the case.”

“Not even a little bit?”

His best friend and contact in the Royal Investigation Department, Ryan Noel, shook his head. “To be honest, even meeting up and telling you no could get me in a world of trouble."

"How much-?"

"John."

"Sorry.”

Ryan sighed and slumped a little in the café chair. “Look, it’s not like I don’t think you could help us, but this is beyond the normal level of hush-hush or top security. Understandably.”

“Very understandably.” John took off his fake glasses and cleaned them. “But surely you and the top brass must know how helpful I could be.”

“And I tried telling them that at one point.”

“What was their answer?”

“If I told you-”

“You’d have to kill me?”

“No, you’d probably start crying like a little bitch.”

“Rude.”

Ryan smiled thinly. “I wish I could help more, mate, but…just not this time.”

John exhaled loudly and put his glasses back on. “If it’s that highly secretive, that means.” He lent in close and whispered so softly that even John struggled to hear himself. “Someone dangerous got out alive.”

The small twitch in Ryan’s eye, his only tell, told John all he needed.

“I won’t say anything.”

“Never thought you would.” John patted his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll do some digging myself and try not to step on any toes.”

“If you do, I’ll have to take you down like anyone else.”

“You’re welcome to try.” John put his over-sized coat back on. “It’ll be like the academy all over again. Just with less heart-broken fan girls.”

***

“That him?”

“That’s the one, Sven.”

“That ugly guy’s the best detective in the world?”

“He’s in disguise.”

Sven looked at Allen and grunted. “That’s a disguise?”

“You wouldn’t have known it was him unless I told you. And I wouldn’t know it was him unless I knew those two were old friends.”

“You went to school together, right?” Allen nodded. “Were you close?”

Allen laughed. “They didn’t even know I existed.”

***

“Ah, how’s my cute Grace today!”

“Papa! Ah~!”

Grace laughed gleefully as Duke Henry Wilbert lifted her high into the air, spinning around and smiling brightly at her.

“Papa was lonely not being able to see you.”

“Grace too! Grace missed papa lots and lots!”

“Ah, my angel, my-!”

“Dear.”

“…Uh oh.”

“Grace?”

His wife’s voice gave Henry all the information he needed.

“Grace, did you run away from your classes again?”

“Eh-ehehe~”

“That’s okay then!”

“Dear.”

“I-I mean, Grace.” He put her down and went onto one knee, so he was at her eye line. “Papa is always going to be happy to see you, but papa only got to be this big and strong and smart and handsome and-” He cut his self-praise short under the intense stare of his wife. “What I mean is, if you want to be as cool as papa and as awesome as mama, you need to work hard in lessons. Okay?"

"...But-”

“If you do, you’d make mama and papa very, very happy. Won’t you please do that for me?”

Grace fidgeted in place for a little but nodded and smiled in the end. “Okay, I’ll do it for you, papa.” She ran up, hugged his neck and pecked his cheek. “I’ll do my best, so papa do your best too!”

She ran back to her mother as Duke Wilbert cried tears of joy and screamed his love for his daughter.

Hidden in the shadowy tree branches nearby, however, was a bat, staring intently at them.

“Bingo,” Samantha said, licking the sadistic smile on her lips. “Just like Onee-sama said.”