I am hazy about those details, but even taking that for granted introduces new problems. If an unseen force is controlling his actions, even down to his ability to speak, which will violently correct events if they get off track…what exactly can he accomplish within the narrative? At best he just decides how he dies.
Not saying the author hasn't taken liberties with what is and isn't allowed. But whatever force is maintaining the continuity of the orignal story has stepped in several times to course correct Harold's changes.
I'm not sure if it was in a monologue or me just injecting my own opinion, but it feels as if Harold is trying to maintain events as close to the story line as possible to prevent an unexpected course correction.
Like in the orignal game story, Liner's perents were either severely maimed or killed during the theft. Here under Harold's orders, they were just incapacitated. Similarly the game FMC's mother was saved in much the same way. Yet in both cases they were involved in their respective game events even if the outcomes were slightly different.
OTOH events pivotal to the storyline are harder to change. Not only were two Stellar tribe members present in the theft, but they also played a major role in establishing Justice's villians credentials. So when Harold moved to prevent the assault and kidnapping of Stellar Tribe members, the Narrative stepped in and forced the parts necessary for the storyline outcome. Stellar Tribe members were captured for Justice's experiments and Harold was railroaded as a traitor and placed under Justice's control.