12 Chapter 12: a liar’s resolve

Throwing away the broken, bloodied knife that he had, Markus turned towards the carriage that was previously attacked by the now dead bandits and asked.

""You guys alive? If anyone's hurt I could do some minor healing magic...""

Markus said trying to sound considerate, but all he came off as was half hearted and bored.

"Eh..."

Kiara who was watching the entire thing, stepped back in fear of the 9 year old, the other two passengers that were travelling on the carriage with her had more or less the same reaction.

""...""

Markus was quiet upon seeing Kiara's reaction, he maintained his stiff expression and just looked at the passengers blankly as if absent-minded.

((Fair enough, that's a natural reaction, I mean seriously what did I expect? I only did this out of my own self righteous desire...did I want her to give me a medal or something? Don't be ridiculous!))

Admonishing himself for his own foolishness, Markus had grim thoughts about the consequences of his actions today.

((Congratulations lady, you live for now...I'm sorry for changing your destiny in this way, if anything bad happens in the future you can blame it on me if you'd like, I don't mind...after all it's well deserved for someone as despicable and as hypocritical as me))

Thinking about the words that he wanted to say to the lady but couldn't in his head for if he did she'd probably think he was crazy or maybe she already has, Markus began to silently walk away seemingly unbothered by what just transpired.

"Onii-chan wait!"

Suddenly a dainty voice from behind Markus called out with tiny footsteps accompanying them.

"Wait a minute Clara! Don't get too close!"

Kiara tried to stop her daughter but couldn't do it in time.

The young girl ran up and grabbed the black coat of the mysterious white haired boy.

Markus was completely caught off guard by this and turned around to face the one grabbing him with one of his hands in his pocket grabbing one of his concealed knives.

A young girl about one or two years younger than him was behind Markus, she had blonde shiny hair like that of the sun's ray, a plump, cute face with a bright smile plastered all over it.

She had clear sky blue eyes representing her pure intentions and innocence.

She was a full head shorter than Markus wearing a modest white blouse and a red knee length skirt.

"Thanks for saving me and my mommy onii-Chan! You're really strong"

Clara said trying to show gratitude to who she perceived as her saviour.

Markus was speechless, as he had never expected someone to come up and thank him, much less a child that's seemingly younger than him.

""...""

No word could slip out from Markus's tongue as he just continued to give Clara a blank stare in silence.

((Why is this kid not afraid of me? Can't she see the blood that's splattered all over my face and hair?...wait a minute, what did that lady called this kid?))

"If it wasn't for you me and mommy would have been in trouble, anou...what's your name onii-Chan? Mine's Clara, Clara Medicus"

Clara's flowery smile became even more flowery somehow as she asked Markus for his name.

""Markus...""

With his mind unable to find the correct response, Markus answered instinctively.

At that moment a revelation appeared in Markus's mind.

((Wait...did she say Clara Medicus? As in the playable healer/staff wielding character Clara? Wasn't she also a part of Reinhart's party in the game?))

"Thank you so much Markus nii-Chan!"

With a bright and innocent glee Clara thanked Markus.

""ehh...you're welcomed I guess?""

Dumbfounded, Markus just automatically responded in the most simple way, while letting go of the grip he had on his knife.

((Wait so that means...that woman over there is Kiara Medicus, the one who was supposed to die in Clara's Backstory?...fvck! Did I just accidentally changed a main character's backstory? Arghh FVCK! I knew I should've just walked away, why the h*ll couldn't I just look the other way? This is why I said morality is overrated...)

Markus thought as he has now come to regret his decision even more than he was before.

((Clara Medicus, healer of the future hero's party led by Reinhart and also the future saint of the grand church of Valentia))

((She's a kindhearted, boisterous and open minded character that's very popular with the fanbase's male audience with her cliched but also easy to get along with personality, a real people's person. She has saved me many times when I was doing my speed run on the hardest mode as she has a high attunement with the core of life Gaia, not only is she potentially the tanky-est character in the game if you upgrade her vitality stats enough she's the possibly the only thing keeping your team alive when you're in a tough boss fight due to her absolutely broken health recovery abilities and resurrection power))

((And I've just changed her life drastically from it's original course, FVCK me!))

In the game despite being one of the most kindhearted characters, sympathising with those of the lowest layers of society and even monsters Clara had a burning hatred for those belonging to the dark side of society, criminals of the underworld like slave traders, human traffickers, homicidal killers and above all...bandits, this was because her mother Kiara was killed by bandits, there was one infamous scene in the second game where when she met one of the bandits who killed her mother. She mercilessly stabbed him forty times while laughing psychotically, after that Reinhart temporarily dismissed her from the party starting a game mode where you had to play without the healer of the party which was one of the hardest part of the second game.

But now that will never happen as thanks to Markus's intervention, her mother's life has been saved on this day, this will undoubtedly affect the game's story turning it into an unpredictable situation.

((Calm down! Panicking isn't gonna help me with anything! If I play this smart, I may still be able to salvage the situation...))

Markus thought wilfully activating the emotion suppressing effects of the Exforia in his body, as he was about to say something to Clara, Kiara ran up to them and grabbed Clara's hand before he could say anything.

"Clara! What did I say? Don't get too close to him!"

Kiara angrily shouted at her daughter as she pulled her away from Markus.

"But mommy, I was just thanking the kind onii-chan for saving our lives, you said it's very bad to not show gratitude to someone when they've done something good for you"

With a saddened expression, Clara tried to explained herself to her mother.

"That's...well yes I did say that but..."

Kiara couldn't find the correct words to say to her innocent daughter, she looked at Markus apprehensively one part because she was still scared of him but deep within her eyes that had the same color as her daughter's, Markus could see that she was asking for his help, something along the lines of:"you say something to her too"

((Well this has turned into a difficult situation...))

Markus sighed tiredly as he began to gather his words.

""Your mother is right little one, it's very wrong to not thank someone who helped you but you must first know whether or not that person actually intended to help you before you thank them, your mother's reaction is completely reasonable, I mean what would you do if I wasn't actually trying to help you but was really trying to steal the bandit's catch instead?""

Markus said, explaining things to the young Clara.

"Ehh!!?? Then I'm really sorry for being mad at you mother...but Markus nii-chan isn't that sort of person right?"

Clara became flustered, her embarrassed expression was very cute even Markus had to admit that.

""What makes you think that? I don't believe we've been acquainted before to the point where you could easily trust me to such a degree"

Markus asked, confused at Clara's insistence on thanking him.

"Because Markus onii-chan readily put himself at risk to save us of course! If you were really a bad person you would have done bad things to us already, besides your eyes show that you're a good person not like those bad men that attacked us"

Clara said her bright smile returning back on her face, Markus had to admit that this expression fit her more than the sad and flustered one she had earlier.

((Is this girl for real? I just killed thirty armed and dangerous grown men in less than an hour! How many 9 year olds do you think is capable of that!?))

Feeling exasperated by Clara Markus corected her nonetheless as a senior in life should do to their junior.

""Those are only situational proof at best, they do not objectively indicate that I am a good person...and to be honest I really am not, so you don't really have to thank me""

"...that maybe true but the fact still remains that my life was saved by onii-chan, it would be bad if I didn't at least say thank you"

Clara eyes lit up with determination as she insisted on Markus accepting her thanks.

((My god, she's so conscientious that it's almost scary, I guess it is to be expected of a rpg game character))

Realising that Clara wouldn't relent, Markus thought about what to do.

((Wait a minute...can't I use this to my advantage?))

Suddenly an idea popped into Markus's calculating head.

""(sighs)...if you're so persistent then how about this, if you agree to make a promise with me then I'll consider our debt payed""

"Woah woah woah!!...I will not allow my daughter to be involved in something shady"

Sensing something bad Kiara stepped in between the two children.

"Mom!! You're being rude to Markus nii-chan!"

This time it was Clara's turn to shout.

""Please be at ease Kia...Clara's mother, I'm not so distasteful as to endanger a girl over a fleeting debt, you can decide whether or not to let your daughter go through with my proposal, I only ask that you listen""

((I almost accidentally called her Kiara, that could've been bad))

Trying to sound mature and reasonable Markus spoke to Kiara with as much sincerity as he can muster.

((Please say yes, because if you don't there's a 99.9% chance the world will end...))

"..."

Kiara pondered for a moment.

"Mommy, Markus nii-chan saved us and if he had bad intentions he would've killed us already shouldn't we at least hear him out?"

Clara pleaded to her mother with puppy dog eyes.

"...(sighs)...fine, I supposed just listening to him will be okay"

Failing to resist her daughter's cuteness, Kiara relented.

""Thank you for your tolerance mrs. Medicus, now concerning the promise I want you to make for me there are two things that I need from you...""

Markus began to explained

(Is this "kid" really a kid? His overly reasonable way of speaking is oddly disturbing...)

Kiara thought.

(But maybe, just maybe Clara's right if he wanted to kill us he would've done it already and I doubt that he can't so I'll trust him for now...)

""The first thing is this...""

Markus said as he began to take off the fingerless glove he had on his left hand, revealing a gray insignia on his the back of his left hand.

This action greatly surprised Kiara as in the continent of Valentia, revealing one's insignia is a sign of absolute sincerely and honesty as the insignia is not just a symbol, it IS everything that YOU ARE, so you must never reveal it to anyone unless in very special occasion like making a blood oath or something along those lines.

Markus then handed the black glove to Clara and said.

""In the future if you can find someone you can trust with your life, someone so important and trustworthy to you that you can effectively hand your life to them without worries please give this glove to them as proof of that trust""

Markus said in a cryptic tone, as if to imply something.

((Of course I'm talking about Reinhart, if things continue as they are she should meet with him no matter what so with this I'll gain a connection with the main hero of the story although indirectly))

In the game after Kiara died, Clara was picked up by a relative who was working for Reinhart's house which is another knight house residing in the capital, Kiara originally came here to work for Reinhart's house but since she died Clara had to take over for her in order to make money and to maintain a roof over her head, this is where she'll meet Reinhart and become his best and childhood friend, but now with Markus's intervention Clara wouldn't have to be bereft of her mother but would still meet Reinhart all the same.

((If I think about it logically my meddling might have unintentionally gave me a powerful weapon in order to build a positive connection with not one but two of the main characters, this might turn out to be very beneficial in the far future))

"Eh!? Someone I could trust with my life?...what does that mean?"

It was now Clara's turn to be confused at Markus's words.

""You'll understand when your older...""

Leaving her with that vague explanation Markus continued.

""Second is that you must promised to become stronger, both physically and mentally, I might have been the one to save your life today but you can't always expect a saviour to fall out of the sky, so please devote yourself to increase your own personal power...and maybe who knows? In the future you might be the one to come to MY rescue""

Markus added this condition to motivate Clara to discover her talent for healing and martial arts by insinuating that she may be able to help him back.

((Humans are beings driven by desire, they will work extra hard if someone praises them it is only natural it may be just a theory but considering Clara's personality right now she might developed her powers even more in these formative years of a person's life if I make her promise me this, hypothetically this may make her even more powerful than her game counterpart, therefore benefiting me))

"Ah! This one I can understand! Sure! It's a promise then"

Clara said trying to take the glove from Markus's hand but was stop by Markus before she could.

""WAIT! I did say that your mother also gets a say in the final decision of whether or not to accept this promise""

Markus said trying to subtly curry favour with Kiara.

"..."

Kiara was once again lost in thought.

(Well, it doesn't seem too bad I supposed)

"I'll leave the final decision in the hands of my daughter"

Having her mother's approval Clara enthusiastically took the glove from Markus unknowingly accepting an alliance with her enemy from a different life, an alliance that will shake the world to it's very core but that's a story for another time.

""And with that we'll done here, please report this attack to the local authorities! They'll compensate you for all your losses suffered here oh and also please keep my involvement a secret if you would be so kind""

Markus turned to Kiara and said.

"That goes without saying...and also thank you, for saving me and my daughter but don't get this wrong I still don't trust you completely"

Kiara replied to Markus.

""Thank you for your consideration""

""Well then I'll be off now...it was nice meeting you little miss Clara""

"See you soon onii-Chan!"

Saying that Markus turned around after bidding fair well to Clara and the moment his feet left the ground his visage disappeared onto thin air.

Looking at that both Kiara and Clara were silent for a while before they made their way back to the carriage.

((...a liar to the end huh?))

Markus had this thought on his way back, his expression once again regained their unemotional state as his emotions slip away leaving only his focused mind behind.

((...it is what it is))

With his resolve renewed Markus increased his speed