Chapter 229

“……I’m sorry, Young Master.”

“…….”

Stingray Foundation Academy Branch.

In the Chairman’s office—my office—Maria stood across from my desk with her head bowed deeply, as if too ashamed to face me.

Her long hair looked darker than usual, heavy with moisture. She must have been caught in the rain.

She had tried to dry it in a hurry, but in the chaos she hadn’t managed to dry it completely. She occasionally showed an airheaded side, but at the very least, she had always maintained a neat and proper appearance at work.

For her to show such a disheveled 모습 in front of me meant that her emotions had been thoroughly shaken. And to be honest, I was more than a little flustered seeing this side of Maria for the first time.

“…….”

I didn’t know what to say.

I had just realized that ‘Guardian’, a character absolutely essential to the next main episode, hadn’t enrolled in the Academy. On top of that, as if things weren’t already bad enough, Evangeline had run away from home. My head was beginning to ache.

‘No, I expected Evangeline to run away…….’

Even in the original work, Evangeline had run away once. This time, the absurd reason was ‘I don’t want to go to school!’, but in the original, she had left secretly because she felt isolated for being the only one among her companions who was a Mystic.

However, not only had the story changed greatly from the original, I simply hadn’t expected her to attempt it at a point where she would feel such alienation.

‘What should I do……?’

I couldn’t understand why things had started to tangle like this. Of course, if I used the power of the Stingray Group, finding Guardian or Evangeline would be effortless—as long as they were still within New Valhalla City.

But I was deliberately trying to keep some distance from the headquarters at this point, so I wasn’t particularly inclined to rely on their power.

‘Think. Think.’

How could I resolve both of these problems at once? How should I……?

As I remained silent, lost in thought, Maria’s complexion turned pale. Suddenly, she dropped to one knee like a knight and begged for forgiveness once more.

“I-I’m sorry, Young Master……!”

“……?”

What was wrong with her?

It took only a moment for me to realize.

I hadn’t responded and had been sitting there with a stiff expression, deep in thought. From her perspective, it must have looked like I was suppressing my anger.

Her shoulders trembled.

It was obvious that she was afraid of me.

Come to think of it, many things had changed since I came to this world. As my ego replaced Aaron Stingray’s soul, the various negative images attached to this body had gradually faded.

The fear people once held toward me had lightened considerably, and I had gained the image of a devoted and diligent Chairman who looked after students and talented individuals alike.

My relationship with Maria had changed significantly as well.

Once, she had feared me, resented me, and had even tried to kill me. But I had forgiven her. I had even saved her when she was nearly killed by Benedict Stingray.

Because of that, I believed I had become a trustworthy superior in Maria’s eyes. And to a certain extent, that was true.

However, fear that had accumulated over many years clung deep within the heart and did not easily fall away.

If Gian did a few manly deeds in a movie, would Nobita completely forgive him? In animation, perhaps. But in reality, it wasn’t so simple.

‘Maybe I’ve been thinking too complacently.’

Humans were not simple beings.

They weren’t NPCs who would input A and automatically output B. Evangeline was like that. Guardian was the same. And of course, the others would be no different.

I might think I understood them deeply, but I didn’t know everything. In other words, I had been arrogant.

I needed to reflect.

“Stand up and raise your head.”

“…….”

“Now.”

Maria stubbornly maintained her posture at first, but after I urged her two or three more times, she reluctantly rose to her feet. Even so, she still looked tense.

I let out a slow sigh and spoke calmly.

“Maria.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“You’ve done well.”

“……!”

At my single sentence, Maria flinched. It seemed she hadn’t expected that.

“I was the one who brought Evangeline here. Taking care of her was originally my responsibility. If anything, you were simply helping me out of goodwill, doing what I should have been doing.”

“But……!”

“I know you have a strong sense of responsibility. You probably think this entire incident happened because of your own shortcomings. But you don’t need to think that way.”

I softened my expression further and shook my head.

“Thank you for taking such devoted care of a child who isn’t even your daughter. Don’t worry too much and return to your regular duties. I’ll handle the rest. I’ll take a half day off this afternoon, so leave the aftermath to me.”

As I said that, I stood up and put on the coat hanging on the rack. Maria hurriedly asked,

“Y-Young Master. If you find Evangeline, do you intend to send her somewhere else afterward?”

“……If that’s what you want, I will.”

“…….”

Maria fell silent.

I asked again.

“What do you think would be best?”

“I…… may I really make that choice……?”

“I trust you.”

“…….”

I said that, but she still couldn’t answer easily. It wasn’t a question that could be decided lightly.

If she, still unmarried, were to live together with Evangeline, she would have to give up many things.

For some reason, I felt like a pathetic father who left the child entirely to the mother and pretended not to know anything…… but that was probably just my imagination. It wasn’t as if I had forced her in the first place.

Anyway.

Whatever choice Maria made, I intended to respect it. After a long moment of deliberation, she finally answered with difficulty.

“……Please bring Evangeline back.”

“Very well.”

That was Maria’s choice.

At first, she might have brought her in as if adding a living doll to her room, but now it must have meant much more than that. After all, spending half a year together would have fostered deep affection.

I nodded and was about to step outside when Maria grabbed me.

“Young Master. Just a moment…….”

“Mm?”

“Your necktie is crooked.”

“Ah, I see.”

“May I fix it for you?”

“…….”

It was a strange feeling.

Maria, my secretary, had always taken care of my styling, but this time there was ‘something’ I couldn’t quite put into words. Still, I forced myself not to dwell on it and barely managed to nod.

“……Yeah.”

“……Excuse me.”

As she said that, Maria carefully approached me and slowly reached out her hand. Without realizing it, I squeezed my eyes shut. Because of that, my hearing and sense of touch became even more sensitive.

Rustle. Swish.

I could hear the sound of fabric brushing against skin. As I stood there in the silence, listening to that faint noise, Maria’s touch soon withdrew.

“It’s done.”

“…….”

“Young Master?”

“……Yeah.”

……What was I even thinking?

I had been perfectly fine all this time.

After shaking my head to clear away the useless thoughts, I stepped forward as if cutting a thread.

“Please have a safe trip.”

“…….”

I didn’t respond to her farewell.

“Gasp!”

“What’s wrong, Serena?”

“I just got a bad feeling. Look. I’ve got hives.”

“A bad feeling?”

“For some reason, it feels like there are more foxes wagging their tails at my husband…… at Mr. Aaron.”

“……Please. At that point, that’s a disease.”

Despite her college friend’s exasperated gaze, Serena didn’t care. She immediately opened her call application, entered Aaron’s number, and was about to place the call.

“Hey, you’re calling again!?”

“Huh? Of course!”

“What do you mean ‘of course’! Stop it already! If you keep that up, you’re going to make him sick of you! You said you haven’t even been seeing him much lately! And that’s probably because of that kind of attitu—.”

But before her friend could finish her advice, something surprising happened. Before Serena could call, her phone rang first.

The caller ID was saved as ‘Dear Husband♡’. It was none other than Aaron.

“See! I told you something must’ve happened! That’s why he wants to rely on his ‘official wife’ right away! He’s secretly kind of cute!”

“No, you’re insane…….”

“Yes~ hello~?”

“Ugh, I’m done.”

Serena answered in an overly sweet tone. Beside her, her friend pretended to gag, but as always, she couldn’t stop her.

However, Serena’s excited expression didn’t last long. Her face stiffened in an instant.

“Th, that’s…… Ah, yes. Understood.”

With that reply, the call ended. Seeing her face, dry as cement, her friend asked with interest,

“What now? Did he say he’s breaking up with you?”

“……No.”

“Tch.”

“I don’t know why you’re clicking your tongue. It’s not what you’re thinking. Ugh…… this just got troublesome.”

“So what is it?”

“Sorry. Something urgent came up, so I’m skipping all my afternoon classes! Please attend for me!”

“Hey, hey! Wait—!”

“I’m begging you~!”

And then she dashed off, thud thud, running straight through the Anti-Rain Level 4 without hesitation. Watching her disappear into the distance, her friend let out an irritated sigh.

“Seriously! It’s a practical class! How am I supposed to attend for you?!”

But unaware of that, Serena immediately called a taxi and headed to the place Aaron had summoned her to.

The destination was Sector B.

The newly established meeting room of the Transmigrator Alliance.

At the same time.

Evangeline was, as expected, completely lost. Wearing a bright yellow raincoat, she looked like a little chick wandering through a jungle.

“H-huh…… why did I come this way……?”

No matter how she looked at it, this was Sector D.

A place said to be swarming with dangerous people.

Evangeline began to feel a chill of fear.

“W-where should I go……?”

She had only walked aimlessly to avoid the rain, yet somehow ended up here.

No, the reason was obvious. From Sector A to Sector C, most buildings were equipped with mana-detection sensors.

Every time Evangeline tried to take shelter from the rain, she triggered the sensors, panicked, and ran away. After repeating that process several times, she had gradually drifted toward the outskirts of the city.

‘My legs hurt…… and I don’t even know the way…….’

She had only been trying to find somewhere to avoid the rain, yet she had wandered for hours without gaining anything.

Before losing her power, Evangeline had once moved freely between Sectors D and E and even beyond the barrier into the domain of the Mystics. But those faint memories weren’t enough to guide her now.

‘A-am I going to be unable to return at this rate?’

Just as regret began creeping in, beasts started closing in on the chick wandering through the reinforced-concrete jungle.

“H- who are you!”

Startled by unfamiliar presences, Evangeline hurriedly turned around and shouted. A group of bald men with half their faces replaced by machinery had gathered behind her.

Their bloated bodies, barely concealed by umbrellas, loomed over her as they stared with half-lidded eyes.

“H-hey, kid~? It’s dangerous here~”

“We’re n-not trying to hurt you, huff. It’s just dangerous, so come with us uncles…… heh heh.”

“Begone.”

Evangeline spoke in a sharp voice.

No matter how much younger she looked, she had once been a witch of astonishing ability. A few perverts like these could easily be dealt with by magic…….

‘H-huh……?’

Her mana wouldn’t come out.

Why?

Anti-Rain.

Rain imbued with the power to suppress Mystics was falling.

‘Th-this is bad……!’

Realizing she couldn’t freely use her magic, Evangeline fell into a panic. With mere physical ability alone, there was no way she could defeat those pig-like men.

But if she carelessly turned her back to run, she would leave herself completely exposed. Instinctively, Evangeline began desperately calculating the best way to protect herself.

And then—

Thud! Thudthudthud! Thud!

“Giiieeeek!”

A shadow that had appeared out of nowhere instantly sent the bald pigs flying. Then, to Evangeline—who was trembling in fear and cold—it spoke gently.

“Are you unharmed? I sensed a peculiar presence and rushed over from afar…… Fortunately, I was not too late. Those men are infamous around here for being dangerous. It was wise not to follow them.”

Perhaps not wishing to frighten her, the man deliberately kept his distance. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that obscured his face, but his build was quite large.

“Go that way and you’ll find an intersection. There’s a police station there. Ask them to help you find your home.”

“W-who are you……?”

“My name, you ask?”

At that, the man lifted his hat slightly. The face that had been hidden beneath it was revealed, and Evangeline involuntarily swallowed.

His face was entirely mechanical.

Noticing her shock, the man introduced himself in as gentle a voice as possible.

“They call me Guardian.”

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