Adaptation
The rumor that Yusoha had failed yet again to contract a Guardian Star spread through Hwanryeong in the blink of an eye. Everyone knew she had spent the entire day preparing the summoning ritual. And with how deeply her expression had crumpled afterward, it was obvious to all that the contract had fallen through. The people of the guild had no choice but to see it that way.
Yu Danha, buried in paperwork inside her office, received the news about her sister as well.
“Soha failed another Guardian Star summoning?”
“Yes. The young lady who emerged from the summoning chamber was apparently walking around with a deeply furrowed brow, and it was plain for everyone in the guild to see.”
A quiet sigh slipped from Yu Danha’s lips. Worry for her sister washed over her, along with the grim premonition that Soha’s temper would only grow worse by the day.
“I wonder what kind of grudge the Guardian Star contracted to Soha could possibly hold. Understood. You may go.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
Team Leader of Hwanryeong Awakened Team 1. That was Yu Danha’s title. Because her father was the chairman, she had been given command of a team despite her youth. Yet she had proven her worth and earned genuine respect from every member under her. Unlike her sister, she never lashed out at her subordinates over trivial matters and always treated them with human decency. As a result, her position within the guild was rock solid.
Even so, not even Yu Danha could escape awkwardness when her sister’s infamous behavior spilled beyond their family. They were sisters, after all. She hoped Soha would keep quiet, but she could hardly scold her for it. Yusoha might treat those who failed to meet her standards harshly, but she carried out her duties with flawless precision.
“Haa.”
“Ah, Hidelixius.”
It was Yu Danha’s Guardian Star. Remaining invisible, he watched her with quiet worry as she clutched her head over her sister’s latest trouble.
“There’s no need to worry. It doesn’t strike me directly. Of course… I am concerned about how Soha will vent her anger once the public starts tearing into her.”
“Yes. So for now, I’ll simply stay out of her sight. She’s never turned her wrath on me, at least.”
“Anyway, the Hwanryeong tournament is coming up soon. Shall we begin preparing?”
“Yes. The occasion where members of the Yu family prove their own skill. I hope we see good results this time as well.”
“In any case, I should head home soon. I’m always sorry about this. There’s no proper place for you to move freely. It weighs on me that you became my Guardian Star yet cannot roam as you wish.”
Just as Yu Danha had said, Hidelixius was a giant. The reason she could stand tall among so many formidable Awakened despite specializing in long-range attacks was largely thanks to the Guardian Star who supported her like a moving fortress.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Yu Danha offered him a small smile before her thoughts turned to the upcoming Hwanryeong tournament.
How fascinating.
Meanwhile, Yusoha, who had stepped out onto the street, was on the verge of a headache from Eclipse’s constant exclamations. The irritation she had faked while leaving the guild had become entirely genuine.
Cars driving down the road would of course be fascinating. Towering skyscrapers would be fascinating. The occasional airplane drifting across the sky would be fascinating. Injected knowledge was one thing; seeing it with his own eyes was another matter entirely.
“Eclipse,” Yusoha muttered quietly the moment they reached the street.
Hm?
“Could you possibly be a little quieter?”
Her voice carried clear annoyance. Eclipse realized her mood had soured.
Was I being too loud?
“Good that you noticed. You’re so noisy my head is ringing. If there’s something fascinating, I’ll tell you about it later, so stay quiet for now.”
Understood.
Even though he said that, Eclipse continued drinking in the wondrous world with his eyes. The injected knowledge had told him what these things were, but this was his first time actually seeing them. The concept of carriages had long since faded, replaced by automobiles. There were even vehicles that flew through the sky. To Eclipse, Earth must have seemed like an entirely different realm.
The only things he had ever seen flying in his previous world were birds or the cosmic entity known as Terror, drifting through the air and slaughtering people. It took no great amount of time for Yusoha to reach her home.
Consistent with her status as a member of a chaebol family, she lived in an enormous and magnificent mansion. It was as luxurious as the estates of the nobles Eclipse had seen, allowing him to finally grasp just how high her position truly was.
Upon arriving at her residence, Yusoha spoke to him without preamble.
“You may reveal yourself now.”
Understood.
Smoke coalesced in midair, forming Eclipse’s body before he dropped to the ground.
Thud!
The impact was rather heavy.
“Haa.”
The problem was that he had landed squarely in the middle of a beautifully manicured garden. It did not take long for the carefully arranged flowerbeds to turn into a disaster zone. Flowers were trampled and crushed, dirt flew everywhere, and the garden was left in an ugly state that perfectly mirrored Yusoha’s current mood.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. She had just realized that teaching common sense to this incredibly powerful yet clumsy knight was going to be quite the ordeal. What good was knowing things if he could not apply that knowledge properly? In that sense, teaching Eclipse common sense was essentially showing him how to reprocess the injected information and use it in real life.
It would be arduous work, but Yusoha believed it would have been the same with any other Guardian Star. She nodded with firm resolve.
“All right. Starting today, you will receive common sense education from me. Understood? I’ll teach you what actions to be careful of, how to behave, everything. So listen carefully.”
“……Understood.”
“And everyone living in this mansion is favorably disposed toward me, so if there’s something you don’t know, ask them.”
“Got it.”
Watching the silently nodding Eclipse, Yusoha resolved to finish every preparation before the Hwanryeong tournament one month from now.
The education proceeded far more smoothly than expected. The mansion staff, delighted that their young lady had finally gained a Guardian Star, eagerly taught Eclipse all sorts of new facts. Thanks to their help, he absorbed the knowledge at an astonishing pace. Of course, his own intelligence made it possible.
The old knight whom she had assumed possessed a rigid mind was surprisingly gifted at absorbing and applying information.
“I see. So this is how it’s done?”
He manipulated the smartphone with practiced ease. A knight clad in ancient armor using a smartphone was such a bizarre sight that Yusoha and her staff could not help but chuckle.
He adapted to the culture of modern Awakened society at remarkable speed. Watching him, Yusoha felt inwardly satisfied. Her Guardian Star had no intellectual shortcomings. Since she regarded stupidity as something akin to sin, Eclipse’s cleverness was most welcome.
While gazing at him with that faint satisfaction, Yusoha suddenly noticed his shabby armor. He had not removed it once during their lessons, so the question arose naturally. Why did he insist on wearing that worn, unattractive suit of armor? There were plenty of finely crafted pieces made by artisans.
She cared a great deal about aesthetics. Someone who behaved as Yusoha did would normally be swarmed by antis across the media, yet she also had a considerable number of supporters. The reason was simple: Yusoha was extraordinarily beautiful. On top of that, her ability and pride were both exceptional, so quite a few people supported her without openly saying so.
In any case, to her, Eclipse’s aesthetic score was rock bottom. She had planned to present him with an artifact armor crafted by a master artisan once their lessons concluded. But Eclipse had flatly refused her offer.
“By the way, when do you plan on taking off that shabby armor?”
“I won’t.”
“What? Why?”
“It is my master’s memento. I swore I would never remove it.”
“Didn’t you attend banquets and such? Wouldn’t there have been noble gatherings at the time?”
“By the time I inherited my master’s relic, my world was already on the brink of destruction. Engaging in such frivolous behavior would have put my life in immediate danger.”
“……Just what kind of world did you live in?”
“I would rather not speak of it. My apologies.”
“Haa. Fine. I understand. So you intend to keep wearing that old iron shell?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“It looks dirty.”
“It is not dirty. I maintain it every day. I always pay close attention to cleanliness.”
“……Do as you wish.”
From that moment, slightly offended, Yusoha had shoved the armor artifact she meant to give him into the back of her closet.
“As expected, it’s fascinating.”
Eclipse, still skillfully operating the smartphone, was completely absorbed in it like a child seeing one for the first time.
“I’ll give you a smartphone later, so focus on your lessons for now. Clear?”
“Understood. The next lesson covers various etiquette, including how not to be criticized by the media, correct?”
Eclipse’s expression was full of doubt. The Yusoha he had observed did not seem like someone who cared about such things at all.
“That’s right.”
“You did not strike me as someone who would concern herself with such matters.”
“External image refers to how other people perceive me.”
What Yusoha meant was that the current shape of her image was society’s way of declaring that she was wrong. She hated the very notion of being wrong. She was always right; it was everyone else who was mistaken. She had lived by that conviction because she had proven it through her own abilities.
But people were no different from the blind. They ignored every achievement she had demonstrated and tore her down simply because she was harsh over minor issues. And not one of them ever stepped forward to admit they had been wrong.
That was why Yusoha despised the media. They excelled at twisting stories however they pleased.
“So I’ve heard.”
“Do you know the biggest reason I hate them?”
“What is it?”
“They always tell me I’m wrong. That I’ve made mistakes. They mainly call it gapjil.”
“Gapjil?”
“It refers to people in positions of power treating those beneath them arbitrarily.”
“I see.”
“In any case, I guarantee I have never committed gapjil. How is it abuse of power to refuse to tolerate someone who made a mistake yet refuses to pay the price? They’re the ones who are wrong. I’m the one who’s right.”
“So that’s how it is.”
“That’s why I told you to manage your external image. You will be exposed to the media eventually. When that happens, you must present a flawless appearance. Why? Because people will inevitably associate the two of us. If you aren’t perfect? They’ll definitely write all sorts of nonsense about me. That I’m an Awakened who can’t even manage her own Guardian Star properly. Things like that.”
“……I understand.”
“I absolutely loathe being treated like a failure. I have successfully completed every single task I’ve ever undertaken and proven myself. If I had caused problems inside Hwanryeong without producing results, my father would have expelled me long ago.”
“I see.”
“Yet people who know nothing about the circumstances hide behind anonymity and spout such garbage. It makes my blood boil so fiercely I want to drive my lance straight through their skulls.”
A venomous expression flashed across her face. It was pure, unfiltered arrogance, not even the slightest consideration that she might be mistaken. Watching the furious Yusoha, Eclipse gave a slow nod.
“Understood. I will be careful.”
“Good.”
Seeing him obediently nod, Yusoha swallowed her rising anger and resumed his education.
“Oh, and while we’re on the subject of smartphones.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t go leaving strange comments anywhere. It’s annoying to get traced by those persistent bastards who can crack anonymous accounts and then get flamed for ridiculous reasons.”
“……Understood.”