Chapter 273 : The Truth Behind Guardian
Chapter 273: The Truth Behind Guardian
“This is the first time we've had a proper conversation.”
“......”
Nod.
Instead of answering, Guardian simply lowered his head.
He was probably uncomfortable around me.
Not because he bore me any ill will, but simply because we'd barely had any opportunities to interact.
From Guardian's perspective, I had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and resolved every problem related to the Mafia.
Then, it turned out that I was one of the most powerful figures in the entire city.
And it didn't stop there.
I provided him with food, clothing, and shelter, made it possible for him to attend school, and even volunteered to become his sponsor despite him never asking for any of it.
Anyone would feel burdened.
In this post-apocalyptic city, goodwill never came without a price.
Guardian knew that perfectly well.
That was why, instead of simply feeling grateful for everything I'd given him, he remained suspicious and burdened.
And he wasn't the type to hide what he was thinking.
“What is it that someone like you wants from this humble monk?”
He didn't hide his suspicious gaze in the slightest.
Rather, he asked the question with such blunt confidence that it bordered on boldness.
With a personality that straightforward, regardless of the situation, he had probably experienced quite a few hardships because of it.
“Is it because of that little Bodhisattva?”
“......Little Bodhisattva?”
For a moment, I wondered who he meant before realizing he was referring to Evangeline.
Ah.
I see.
Guardian seemed to believe I was treating him so generously because he had helped Evangeline.
“This humble monk merely did what was right. Yet you have shown me far more kindness than I deserve. It leaves my heart uneasy.”
“Too much? In what way?”
“All this humble monk did was allow the little Bodhisattva to stay at my residence for a single night. Yet you brought me here, provided me with clothing, food, and everything else I require. I do not believe the balance is equal.”
“That's simply a difference in perspective.”
I answered immediately.
“It may be a great deal to you, but to me it's nothing. On the other hand, Evangeline is someone so precious that I wouldn't exchange her for anything in the world. If anything, I feel like I'm getting the better deal by repaying such a debt with something this insignificant.”
“Please do not joke about such matters.”
“Does it sound like a joke? I mean every word.”
I deliberately wore a mischievous smile.
“Do you really think I decided to sponsor you simply to repay a favor? That I'd donate to a follower of a religion I don't even believe in because of some hypocritical sentiment?”
“What is it that you seek from this humble monk...?”
“To put you in my debt.”
As I said that, I snapped my fingers.
At the same moment, the Academy maintenance drones waiting by the entrance poured into the training facility all at once.
They spread throughout the room in perfect formation while broadcasting announcements through their speakers.
Attention, students! Please leave immediately!
We ask that everyone vacate the premises at once!
Effective immediately, this training facility is temporarily closed! Use of this facility is prohibited until further notice!
Murmurs spread throughout the room.
The students looked bewildered by the sudden development.
Still, they obediently followed the drones' instructions and filed out one after another.
In less than three minutes, only Guardian and I remained.
“Th-This is...”
“I abused my authority a little. It's finally quiet.”
“Why have you done this?”
“Why are you refusing treatment?”
“......So that is the real reason.”
“That's right.”
I nodded.
“At this rate, you'll die before long. If you're especially unlucky, you may even become another monster entirely. Don't tell me you weren't aware of that.”
“I am aware.”
“Aren't you afraid?”
“Death is merely another path.”
“You make it sound as though you're hoping for that outcome.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“Because this humble monk is a sinner.”
He smiled bitterly.
“According to the teachings of our Gijeongjong, one who implants machinery into his own flesh is forever stripped of the right to attain enlightenment. Furthermore, someone who has already been expelled continuing to call himself 'Guardian' is itself an unforgivable offense.”
“You had no other choice, didn't you?”
“If you already know the circumstances, then that only makes things simpler. However, I do not believe there was 'no other choice.' I allowed myself to be consumed by anger and became a creature of vengeance. I had opportunities to choose another path. Yet I did not. I am merely paying the price for that decision.”
“Paying for your sins...”
I let out a quiet sigh.
I'd felt it from the moment we started talking...
'This is going to be troublesome.'
In the Original Story, Guardian had been one of the characters who joined the protagonist's party with surprising ease.
The protagonist's free-spirited yet upright personality had been perfect for inspiring Guardian.
And after coming to sincerely admire him, Guardian had quietly begun viewing the protagonist as both a new master and a senior figure.
Naturally, that had only been possible because, during the Original Story's Black Dragon Gang episode, Guardian had fought alongside the protagonist and experienced tremendous emotional growth.
Risking his life against the villains had fundamentally changed him from within.
But...
I'd skipped all of that.
Because I'd become entangled with Kallia, the Dragon, and countless other troublesome situations, I had been forced to intervene with overwhelming force myself.
As a result, Guardian had effectively been robbed of the episode centered around him.
In other words...
He'd lost his opportunity to grow.
Consequently, he had never found a way to resolve his guilt or the many complicated emotions weighing on his heart.
Instead, he had sunk into a state of helplessness, becoming obsessed with the idea that he needed to "pay for his sins" rather than receive treatment.
Hmm...
What should I do about this?
Guardian had originally served as the frontline fighter in the protagonist's party.
If Irie was closer to a pure tank wielding a shield, then Guardian was a bruiser who relied on overwhelming physical strength to unleash devastating close-range attacks.
Meanwhile, Silence was the assassin.
Evangeline was a (real) mage.
The protagonist was an all-purpose damage-support hybrid.
Miyu managed the entire team as their Modular.
Together, they formed a perfectly balanced party.
But with the protagonist gone and Evangeline reduced to a little girl...
That balance had completely collapsed.
To somehow fill the gap, I had nurtured Irie both mentally and physically into becoming the team's leader.
At the same time, I turned Ciel into a Techno-Wizard and recruited Raina as the team's long-range firepower.
Even so...
It still wasn't enough.
After all, Ciel was an Android.
She couldn't officially participate in Academy activities.
At present, our only proper combatants were Irie, Silence, and Raina.
Just those three.
Our composition was already awkward enough, and we were short on members as it was.
If we lost Guardian on top of that, there would practically be no point in continuing the Special Class system.
'I can't keep filling in for the protagonist forever...'
Until now, I'd relied on the cheat character known as Aaron Stingray to forcibly bulldoze my way through one crisis after another.
At the same time, I myself had grown far beyond my original expectations, allowing us to overcome every challenge without major problems.
Well...
There were certainly situations where I'd still have to step in personally from now on.
But if I solved everything myself, the others would never grow to the same level they had reached in the Original Story before every episode ended.
'The crises waiting ahead only get more absurdly difficult, while our kids still haven't moved very far beyond their early-game setup...'
As someone who wanted to raise them into dependable allies I could truly rely on, this wasn't exactly a welcome situation.
Naturally, there were also plenty of personal complaints from the perspective of someone obsessed with the Original Story.
'How am I supposed to persuade this guy...?'
This was getting difficult.
Guardian was originally a junior character who only joined after the middle of the Original Story.
Compared to the other main characters like Irie, my understanding of him wasn't quite as thorough.
And if I were being completely honest...
'He's not a heroine.'
So I was naturally less attached to him than I was to Irie or Miyu.
That wasn't even a joke.
With girls like Irie or Miyu, I could practically predict their next line of dialogue.
Not with Guardian.
That made it impossible to completely understand what he was truly thinking.
'What kind of bait would convince him to join?'
For now, I'd forced him into becoming a member of the Special Class through sheer authority.
If necessary, I could also force him to receive treatment.
But...
Could such a heavy-handed approach really continue forever?
Especially when what he truly needed was to attain his own enlightenment and grow stronger through his own efforts?
“......Is something the matter?”
“......”
Guardian looked at me curiously after I suddenly fell silent.
But instead of answering, I continued thinking.
I carefully reconsidered the Guardian from the Original Story.
What kind of person had he been?
How had he spoken?
How had he behaved?
Had there been any foreshadowing I'd unconsciously overlooked?
'Even with a series I dug into that obsessively, after a year, my memory's starting to get fuzzy.'
I couldn't even remember which questions I'd answered during the Quiz Contest anymore.
Come to think of it...
There had been several questions about Guardian there too.
Then...
A sudden sense of discomfort surfaced.
'Wait...'
Guilt?
Refusing treatment to pay for his sins?
Was Guardian really that kind of character?
'...No.'
A kind-hearted, broad-minded young monk.
He was gentle to everyone.
Strict with himself.
Yet flexible when dealing with others.
He wasn't someone obsessed with rules, nor could he tolerate injustice.
That was precisely why, when his fellow monks were attacked by gangsters, he chose to make a contract with the Mafia and obtain new power—even if it meant being expelled from his order.
Wasn't something fundamentally contradictory here?
Up until now, he'd always been the kind of man who charged forward without hesitation.
So why was someone like that suddenly talking about paying for his sins while refusing treatment?
And if he truly intended to do whatever he pleased...
Then why hadn't he simply refused when I invited him into the Academy?
He could've hidden somewhere and continued cultivating himself in peace.
'Unless...'
Perhaps...
I'd been making an absurd misunderstanding this entire time.
Come to think of it, the author of Cyber-Module's Necromancer loved expressing a character's psychology in extremely indirect ways.
Maybe...
I'd been interpreting Guardian completely wrong all along.
Having reached my conclusion, I finally spoke.
“Guardian.”
“......What is it?”
“It's time to stop acting.”
I deliberately threw those words out to test whether my guess was correct.
“This talk about paying for your sins... That's not what you really want, is it?”
“......I have no idea what you mean.”
Guardian frowned deeply, looking genuinely confused by my words.
Yet that reaction only made me even more certain.
Grab.
I seized Guardian by the collar.
Then, carefully controlling my strength, I threw a punch straight at his face.
At the last possible instant, Guardian crossed both arms and blocked it.
KRAAAANG—!!
A tremendous shockwave erupted.
Guardian's massive body was pushed backward more than ten meters.
His feet carved two long trenches across the ground as they scraped against the floor.
“Wh-What are you doing all of a sudden?!”
Guardian shouted in surprise.
He still hadn't lowered his guard.
It was obvious he was preparing for another attack.
But he couldn't fool my eyes.
Hidden behind his crossed arms...
His mouth was unmistakably...
Smiling.
'Just as I thought.'
Now I understood everything.
Who said he was an honest, virtuous monk?
Not even close.
Guardian...
This bastard...
Was a battle maniac.