Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: I'll Be Your Guardian
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Insight Ability was immature.
It wasn't because of its voice or the way it spoke.
Despite all the talk of it being some mythical power, from what I'd pieced together, the thing had childish thought processes and pure emotions.
Like transparent ice.
"Right? The Queen made you because she was lonely, bored, and cooped up, didn't she?"
【That's right! But I don't know!】
What the hell is it saying...
I wasn't sure exactly, but it seemed like it wasn't wrong?
Anyway, the Queen, confined to the northern continent, had created this ability that didn't exist in the world before—to soothe her loneliness and satisfy her curiosity.
To gaze upon the vast world using the stars and moon in the night sky as her mirror.
That's what Luke had told me, so it wasn't made up.
"You must've been all cramped up inside that jerk Luke, so you never got to see the wonders of Hellite, huh? Right? Come to think of it, that guy's pretty stifled too. What good is locking a kid away in a heart no one can see? Don't you think? You've been stuck sleeping for so long—you're pathetic too. Used by some holy knight."
A sharp pang stabbed one side of my heart.
It was the thing's displeasure radiating out.
I chuckled softly and immediately softened my tone.
"I'm not saying the Queen or Luke are bad people."
The Insight Ability came from the Queen and had spent ages with Luke. Bashing them wasn't the way to go.
Instead, I targeted the loneliness it had felt trapped inside Luke.
"Those guys have too many responsibilities to protect—they probably couldn't wander far either."
It seemed to nod, so I kept going without pause.
"You must've been lonely and bored, trapped inside that jerk too."
Poor thing, gotta soothe it first.
Pretending to understand someone you barely know isn't smart, especially on first meeting.
But we weren't strangers.
It claimed not to know me, but I knew it inside out—thanks to the Insight Ability it had shared with me.
"Nghhh—."
Groans leaked out mid-sentence even as I spoke.
As pain wracked my body, a sudden thought hit me.
About the Insight Ability, that is.
Trapped in Luke's heart with nowhere to vent its frustration, maybe that's why it had flared up so dazzlingly.
I'd gotten caught in that blinding light by mistake and half-lost my mind...
Once the thought crossed my mind, pity overtook any resentment.
"Hey, what do you think about me?"
Me?
A free soul with no responsibilities.
No mouths to feed, no ties holding me back.
I'll show you the wide world.
I laid it on thick.
"I promise. I'll take you sightseeing around the Eaar Continent. If we can, we'll hop on a big ship and sail far out to sea to see an even bigger world."
【You mean... you'll be my third master—】
"No need for that."
I cut it off.
Master-servant relationship? Come on.
Even if it was just a bodiless spirit, treating something with spirit, intelligence, and a sense of self like a slave? No thanks.
I came from a world where everyone was equal—at least basically, despite all the discrimination and hate.
I tossed out the weapon I'd prepared.
"Silver Star."
【Silver Star...? Silver star? Aroreyaesroeblis?】
"Yeah. It means pretty star."
It started shaking violently. Confused.
Figures. It really didn't have a name.
A little pitiful.
Chatting with enemies trying to kill you, asking a total stranger its name—in a world like that, this grand "Insight Ability" was all it had.
"I'll be your guardian."
Take it or leave it.
In a few days, my corpse would be left behind anyway—it could wait inside for the next owner.
Thump—.
【Guardian...?】
It was a power of wisdom descended from the stars, after all. It had properly parsed "Silver Star" as a proper noun, so it surely understood "guardian" too.
Shaking at just that one word—I could see why it felt so pitiful. But I didn't spell it out.
"Yeah, guardian."
Silver Star showed curiosity and goodwill.
The chill in my heart was slowly fading—that was proof.
It hadn't vanished completely, but it was bearable now compared to before.
"Ngh—."
Perfect timing—the transplant process was wrapping up.
I straightened my back, stood tall, and cleared my throat.
I roughly wiped the streaming nosebleed with the back of my hand.
"Ahem—."
My throat was hoarse from all the screaming.
Standing there naked with just a cape draped over me looked ridiculous, but duty called.
"I command thee—. Ugh, fuck, this is too cringy, I can't."
Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head furiously.
Kekeke—.
It wasn't loud, but Silver Star was laughing like it was hilarious.
Pure, just as I'd expected.
"I'll share my vision with you. You can do that, right?"
【I can if you permit it, buuut—! Even with Silver Star's power, escaping the heart is impossible! The great holy knight Luke Seid sealed Silver Star here!】
With my gentler tone, Silver Star cautiously shared even unasked details. Its stiff speech had softened beyond compare. The shouting style remained, though.
"I know. I'm just keeping my promise. I said I'd show you the world. If a way comes up to free you even after I die someday, I'll do it."
I knew the feeling of huddling in darkness.
I'd been dust once.
It's a loneliness worse than death.
"I permit it. Let's see the world through my eyes together."
It shared its vision.
No—more like it transplanted its sight into my eyes.
【Now the guardian's eyes are Noghe Alev!】
Noghe Alev. Blue Eye.
The meaning of the Ice Queen's pupils that peered at the world from afar.
I tilted my head up to gaze at the stars.
"Well... it's clearer, but staring at the stars doesn't show me other places. Guess I'm still too weak for that."
My eyes, blurred from pain and feverish groans, had cleared up, and the dark space was more visible. Visibility was short in such darkness, but I was satisfied for now.
【Having Silver Star doesn't mean you automatically see the world! It's like how unfocused eyes can't build an ice castle!】
"Mm. Got it roughly."
The pearl is only as good as its base—ugh.
Basically, you need foundational knowledge to understand anything.
With enough eyesight to survey the sanctuary now and the transplant done, I had no intention of sitting idle.
I looked around and said,
"You can use my head too. Just don't boss me around."
【Really?!】
"Not just my head—it's Luke Seid's head. That guy's a genius with killer memory. Not much of his knowledge left in here, but you can probably see mine. Bet you're curious, huh?"
I had two reasons for the offer.
First...
Luke and Silver Star's smarts. Two good brains together make a better one.
Plus, referencing my memories and knowledge would help it understand me without constant nagging.
【Oho—! Why are these women taking off their clothes one by one—! No! The guardian's making them!】
"Ahem—. We consented. No, not that—stick to useful memories."
Silver Star excitedly dove into my memories.
It wasn't passive browsing.
It was vividly checking images and text I'd skimmed past.
【Clang clang clang—! Aaaah! The Heavenly Demon deflected all the swords flying from every direction with a single strike! That's when he seized the Murim Alliance Lord's wrist with the Golden Crow technique! Shivering—! His ink-black robe fluttered...!】
It absorbed info at blazing speed.
The time it took to devour all my memories and knowledge felt like less than a second.
【He merely lifted his foot as gracefully as a butterfly taking flight! In one step, his silhouette stretched long for an instant! By the time the crowd searched for him with their eyes! The young master had vanished! Only the chilling whirlwind remained in the training ground, whispering of his presence! Oho—, is lightness skill like the Flashman?!】
It compared genres, made associations, showed curiosity.
【A single true step shook the mountain! That's when it happened! The assassins gasped at the sight of earth fragments floating in midair! Th-this is... Air Grasp?!】
"Silver Star. Do you have to read the wuxia novels out loud?"
Its mind raced so fast my head spun.
In my agony under the starlight, I'd binge-read wuxia novels I didn't even like just to force sleep. Boring stuff makes you drowsy.
Naturally, I remembered zilch.
But Silver Star seemed to love them.
【To learn to talk! The Queen and Luke Seid never spoke to me or showed me writing! Ebooks are fun too...!】
Ebook, huh.
"Yeah, go nuts..."
Its cowed vibe softened me up.
I'd encouraged its enthusiasm, after all.
The second reason for sharing my head showed immediate results.
'Feels livable now. I can straighten my back.'
My head felt clear, and the chill in my eyes and heart eased.
'Heart rate's stabilizing too—much better.'
Couldn't stop here.
Survival was priority one, my biggest goal.
"Don't you want to feel sensations too?"
My heart quivered with anticipation.
Hey, don't piss in my heart. It'll stink up my blood.
"I permit it."
The biting chill dispersed through my body.
Compared to the focused agony, it was just a bit nippy—way easier to handle.
'Still prime for hypothermia, though.'
Like facing the damp chill of an early spring dawn buck naked.
I let Silver Star experience various sensations.
Scratching body parts, blinking, stretching my stiff limbs to loosen up.
【Ah...!】
Silver Star couldn't control me.
Just shared.
Even that amazed it—no holding back the wonder.
Its presence surged, but no negatives yet.
Time for the finishing blow.
Thanks to Luke and Silver Star, I'd become a pretty cunning nutcase.
"The transplant pain was too horrific. That's why I shared sensations after it ended."
Silver Star went silent.
Pondering deeply.
Meant to tug heartstrings—didn't land?
Good folks would've melted at that line.
Having absorbed my knowledge and memories, Silver Star sensed the rising chill from the floor, savored the rocky cave smell.
【Thump! Thump! Cold! This is water smell!】
Defining sensations based on accumulated info and my knowledge.
Like a baby.
The same process I'd gone through entering Luke's body.
Why be generous in someone else's house?
The owner handed me the keys himself.
"And if there's nothing special, you can rest quietly."
A nicer way of saying "shut up unless necessary," but the smart kid would get it.
Pat pat—.
I patted my chest like soothing a baby.
Its childish voice pretending to be tough and smart felt pitiful somehow.
Like a kid struggling to stand on its own with clumsy skills.
One last confirmation.
"Don't forget. I'm your guardian now."
【Guardian!】
"If the guardian dies, the ward gets abandoned."
【Abandoned!】
With that lingering tone chewing over the words, the Insight Ability—no, Silver Star—finally shut up.
For a brief moment.
To get used to the body, I circled the altar, moving my limbs.
【Fingers hurt! Hands throb!】
"The transplant hurt so bad I pounded the altar."
【Extreme Pain Divine Art!】
"What?"
【When it hurts, hurt somewhere else more to forget the pain!】
What the hell...
It'd devoured every wuxia novel in sight and turned totally weird.