Guardian (3)
The wind blew and scattered the gray ash.
No one could approach Ian, who had finally been revealed. No one even dared call his name.
Not only the unit members, but even the monsters held their breath and just watched Ian.
In that terrible silence, Ian just stood there defenseless, his sword lazily held in his left hand.
His black hair swayed in the wind. His side profile, looking at the ground with an expressionless face, had a distinctly beautiful yet eerie atmosphere.
Marquis Astrod swallowed dry saliva.
"Was this the being that was the 'Protector'?"
Even as a dozen or so monsters turned to ash, they couldn't even scream.
A power whose purpose is not to save, but simply to destroy.
Can a being with such overwhelming power really be called human?
Certainly, the 'Protector' was different from other Guardians. There was no sense of alienation, no feeling of being the same human being.
Suddenly Ian raised his head and looked ahead. Marquis Astrod also turned his head to follow his gaze.
"...!"
Above the heads of the monsters hovered a black shape that had never been seen before.
A being with four wings spread wide, which appear to be about 2m long, and spewing black smoke.
'It's a top-tier monster.'
30 years ago, there were no top-tier monsters in the Great Rift, so this was the first time he saw one in person.
Even though the distance was quite far, he felt an enormous pressure. Cold sweat ran down the Marquis' spine.
'Can Ian subdue the top monster?'
The Guardian's power is not infinite. It was currently unknown how much strength Ian had left.
Marquis Astrod stood up, holding his sword.
There was no point in hiding since the enemy was preparing for an all-out attack.
Let's lure them and somehow send Ian back alive. In that case, he didn't even care about his life.
Beorn and other members of the unit also appeared one after another as if they had the same idea. The unit members stood tense and prepared for the impending clash.
After a tense standoff, the monsters finally began to move.
"All personnel, protect the commander...!"
Marquis Astrod, who was about to give a loud order, hesitated.
The monsters were disbanding and returning to their nests. Those who had been preparing to go to battle just a moment ago had given up on the fight.
'What? Is it because of the appearance of the 'Protector'?'
The Marquis of Astrod's puzzled eyes moved to Ian.
He was coming back calmly.
Even though the highest-level monster was staring at him from behind, he didn't seem to care. He walked leisurely as if he was taking a stroll. Everyone who saw him felt their hearts sink.
At that moment, the top-tier monster that had been persistently watching Ian disappeared.
Only then did the Marquis let out a sigh of relief. His clenched fist was soaked with sweat. Ian, who had not noticed the onlookers' pain, slowly approached and put his sword back in its scabbard.
"Let's go back."
lan and Marquis Astrod, who returned to the unit only after the sun rose in the morning, searched for Kalit without resting for a moment.
He was in the middle of a meeting with his executives when the snow, which had been expected to fall for several days, suddenly stopped.
Marquis Astrod reported to them in a calm tone the results of the guerrilla warfare and informed them that Ian had awakened as a 'Protector.'
Kalit was very pleased and immediately informed his entire army of this fact and sent messengers to each country.
The Allied forces were in a truly celebratory mood, as their hopes for victory rose even higher.
Of the three guardians, the one with the most real and powerful influence in the war against demons was the 'Protector'.
The Allied Forces were now at their best. It was only natural that their morale would rise.
lan returned to the barracks to cheers from the soldiers.
As they clear the screen in the corner of the barracks, the bathtub is full of water.
It was clear that Beorn had prepared first for Ian, who had no servants.
"I told you not to do that."
Ian let out a small sigh and immersed himself in the steaming water. He looked down at the rippling water and then lay back down.
The expressionless face sank into the water. The water level, which had been just barely filled, suddenly rose.
The ceiling shook back and forth with the surging water. lan slowly closed his eyes and recalled the moment of awakening.
At that time, since no landmines were laid, he was able to deal with the monsters faster than anyone else.
When he was about to go to Marquis Astrod after confirming that there were no more monsters approaching.
A muffled scream was heard not far away. Ian immediately turned around.
A moment later, what he witnessed was a unit surrounded by monsters.
One side of his leg had already been torn off. The floor must have been red from the blood he had shed.
There was no time to hesitate. It was time to jump in and kill the monster and stop the bleeding on the agent's leg without thinking.
"Commander! Behind you!"
In fact, he knew something was approaching quickly even before the unit members could scream.
But the agent came first. If they don't stop the bleeding now, this guy will die.
This young man, is only twenty years old, the same age as Millenia.
"Commander!"
The shocked faces of the unit members, the sound of footsteps drawing near, the rough breathing of the monster, and the nauseating stench.
His five senses became sharp as thorns and the back of his neck felt tense.
That was when he finished tying the knot. And then the moment he looked back.
Time began to pass slowly.
A monster lunging at him with its sharp claws raised, drops of blood bouncing off its claws, and drops of saliva slowly dripping from the corner of its mouth.
Everything was moving slowly.
In that desperate situation, Ian slowly raised his hand.
He didn't need anything. He was confident that he could kill the guy without any weapons.
Reckless confidence became a reality.
Before it even reached his fingertips, the monster had turned to gray ash.
"Ian."
Before he knew it, Kalit had entered the barracks and was looking down at him. The cheers of the soldiers could be faintly heard outside the barracks.
lan pulled himself up out of the water, water droplets running down his strong body.
Kalit watched Ian as he cleaned his body.
Ian's back, which was heated with hot water, revealed a flower-shaped tattoo identical to the one on his shoulder, which slowly disappeared.
"Erase the token of loyalty as soon as you return."
"... What are you saying?"
"The Guardians are on equal footing with the royal family. There is no need to be bound by past oaths any longer."
"..."
The two men's gazes crossed. Kalit smiled bitterly and grabbed Ian's shoulder.
"You've had a hard time. Keeping the loyalty that was forced upon you."
Then he tapped Ian's arm and turned around. lan said to him as he headed toward the entrance.
"I never once thought of it as coercion."
Kalit's steps stopped. After a moment of silence, he turned his head.
"You didn't want to carve a sign, did you? That's what I remember."
"I just didn't want to postpone the day I had to meet someone."
"Is that someone Millenia?"
"...!"
Ian's expression cracked for the first time. He couldn't figure out how Kallit knew the secret he had told no one.
"She asked me if I had ever been cured by anyone after having the mark tattooed on my back."
"Did you say something to her?"
"It seemed like she was looking for someone with a flower-shaped tattoo on their back. I didn't know who it was, but I could easily guess that it was someone very important to her. So I threw out a bait. To get her interested in me."
"...So what did you say?"
"That's what I said. That I was cured by her."
"..."
The barracks became quiet.
As the two men stared at each other with their mouths shut, Rahon entered the barracks.
He blinked as he looked back and forth between Ian and Kalit, who were naked.
"What are you two doing?"
Kalit's expression softened and he smiled as if he was melting.
"I have something to convey."
"You always smile fakey when you have something to hide. Did you two fight?"
"It's not like we're fighting. I'm going to go now. Let's talk comfortably."
Rahon sat on a chair and watched Kalit leave the barracks.
"You didn't really fight with him?"
"Why are you talking nonsense so early in the morning? Are you free?"
"No, I'm so busy."
lan changed his clothes. His tightly packed leg muscles were hidden by his wrinkle-free trousers.
"I'm telling you in advance, if you came here to pressure me to change my password, then get out."
This time the password was 'The Guardian's scent is good.'
Seriously, they won't let that happen once they find the guy who created the password.
Rahon gritted his teeth and sighed.
"That's not it."
"But why is your expression like that?"
"I'm confused about what to say. Should I congratulate you or express my regret?"
He's talking about the Guardians.
Ian, wearing a shirt, buttoned it up and turned his gaze to Rahon.
"Is this something to be sad about?"
"As you know, Guardians can't escape their fate. Well, there's Millennia, but that's an exception... Are you expecting that you might be one of those exceptions?"
"Not at all."
"I guess so. You're too rational to cling to uncertain hopes."
Rahon glanced at Ian.
"Are you okay? Do you mind if your love doesn't come true?"
"What is being accomplished?"
"Of course, you'll be together for life. That's what people usually think."
"Does It matter?"
"Then what's important? Don't you want to live with the person you love?"
"I want to live."
"What, you do that too."
"But that's what I want."
"..."
"Isn't the wish of the person you love more important than your own?"
The moment Ian was chosen as the guardian, the face that came to mind was Millenia.
The fate of the 'Protector' who cannot achieve love is not important. It was just a fate that had to be endured alone.
Because of him, she was able to achieve the future she wanted more easily. Ian was satisfied with that alone.
"As long as you don't give up on that person until the moment you die, it's not over."
Rahon had no answer.
Three days later, the second battle with the monsters began.
It was as Millenia predicted.
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