Chapter 32: Guardianship and Being Guarded
The Tarot Club's discussion about Qilangos quietly came to an end, and Alice returned to her life of being forbidden from going out and having her holidays canceled.
In truth, there wasn't much for her to do at Blackthorn Security Company, but to be honest, it was really boring... Alice sighed for the umpteenth time—precisely because there was nothing for her to do, she felt so bored.
Therefore, when the injured "Sword of the Goddess," Lord Crestet Cesimir , appeared, Alice's mood lifted slightly.
Don't get it wrong; she wasn't gloating over his misfortune. She was just too bored.
His golden-brown hair was cut very short, and his dark green eyes were exceptionally calm. His entire face was hidden in the shadow of his high collar. When Alice saw him, he had already received initial treatment and was leisurely leaning back in his chair.
Suddenly seeing a stranger, Alice's steps halted. At the same time, her intuition exploded—oh, this was a very dangerous person for her.
This realization calmed Alice's excitement over the new encounter. She cautiously stopped, even though her intuition told her that the strong person in front of her had no ill intentions. She still considered the possibility of turning around and leaving immediately.
Alice's footsteps evidently startled the gentleman. He looked up at Alice and then showed a knowing expression: "It's you, that child."
His voice was gentle, and he smiled as he spoke, which made Alice abandon the idea of leaving. She asked, "Do you know me?"
"You don't recognize me... Well, when I left, you hadn't woken up yet," Cesimir responded with a light laugh.
This instantly made Alice understand his identity—this was the "Sword of the Goddess," Lord Cesimir , who had come to Tingen for her sake.
This lord had actually appeared when Klein was promoted to "Clown," but Klein did not share his experiences with Alice. He only intermittently hinted at the concept of "acting" to everyone. Alice, who had long known about the "acting method" and had been avoiding Klein, was naturally not included. Therefore, she did not swear in front of the goddess's holy relic.
This was the first time Alice had seen this lord since she woke up.
"Lord Cesimir ," Alice quickly bowed to Cesimir , "What happened to you...?"
"A little accident," Cesimir shook his head and gestured for Alice to sit down, "The Red Gloves I led had an unexpected encounter with Mr. A."
This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened recently. There had been numerous skirmishes between the Red Gloves and Mr. A, but...
Alice keenly realized that this lord was evidently injured. This meant that he had been hurt in the encounter with Mr. A. In fact, Mr. A had been avoiding the Red Gloves recently. For the "Sleepless" pathway, which was not good at long-distance movement, pursuit was clearly impossible. So... why did Mr. A suddenly change his mind?
A sense of unease resurfaced in Alice's heart, but lacking key points, her private divinations always ended in failure. She didn't even know how to warn others.
The spiritual intuition of Beyonders can indeed be quite magical at times. Both Dunn and the Red Gloves took Alice's unease seriously, especially since her frequent and inexplicable unease indicated something unusual.
But a person's spirit cannot remain tense all the time.
Cesimir quickly noticed Alice's renewed anxiety. Having already heard related reports, he knew this was a kind of inexplicable unease. Besides being more vigilant, there was nothing he could do.
In the end, Cesimir just gave Alice a reassuring smile: "Don't worry, at least we won't let civilians bear the brunt."
Civilians. Alice suddenly fell silent. She actually hated this feeling deep down. Although she was nominally a Night Watcher, people seemed to treat her like a child who hadn't grown up, caring for her, looking after her, protecting her...
Alice had initially been delighted by this care. For a lonely soul with no past and far from home, this care greatly alleviated her anxiety in a strange environment. She gradually built trust and reliance on the world around her, but she always felt a sense of discomfort.
...She seemed to really hate being protected.
Why? Alice had a vague guess in her heart, starting from that sad dream. She suspected that in the past, she had also been in such a protected role, but at that time, she was powerless and could only watch those who protected her die for various reasons.
...But now, I clearly have the ability to protect myself. Alice pursed her lips, lowered her head, and with a dissatisfied tone typical of children eager to grow up, said, "But I am already a Night Watcher. I am a Sequence 7 Beyonder. I am stronger than most Beyonders in Tingen City."
"But you are not even an adult yet." Cesimir looked at Alice as if she were a willful child.
Alice opened her mouth but couldn't find a rebuttal. After all, her being underage was an indisputable fact.
Seeing her indignant expression, Cesimir suddenly laughed. He sat up a bit straighter and said to Alice in a negotiating tone, "How about this, after this matter is over, I'll talk to Dunn and arrange for you to join a team—how about that?"
"Really?" Alice's eyes lit up.
"Really," Cesimir nodded, reaffirming his words, "And since you are already Sequence 7, if you perform well and become more familiar with handling Beyonder incidents, you can apply to join the Red Gloves—then you will be one of our elites."
These words were no different from the kind of promises adults make to children, slightly better than the empty promises bosses make to employees. At least this was a promise made out of concern, but in terms of not being realized, there was no difference.
Alice certainly didn't believe it. She dared to bet that if she applied to join the Red Gloves, no one would agree unless she first served as a Night Watcher for three, five, or ten years...
But at least, Cesimir 's first promise should be true. Such a prominent figure wouldn't lie to her about this, right?
With the hope of becoming a real Night Watcher, Alice showed a happy smile.
(End of Chapter)