Chapter 13 : We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.

(Xin Jian : So, when am I dying for real ?

Mr. Fool : *chokes*

Author : Well, I wanted to kill you but Mr. Fool was against it…

Xin Jian : Oh… Mr. Fool, why are you against it ?

Mr. Fool : You're really troublemakers, you know that ?

Author : No, you're just too overprotective.

Mr. Fool : We're talking about dying here.

Xin Jian & Author, raising an eyebrow : So ?

Mr. Fool, facepalming : You won't die, that's all. Everybody is forbidden from dying.

Xin Jian & Author, throwing a tantrum : Whyyy ??? *roll on the floor*

Author, realizing something : Wait. I still have to kill the people that fall in love.

Mr. Fool, reading the script again : …Seriously ?)

Xin Jian's point of view :

When I opened my eyes, I was above the gray fog.

Wow, isn't this a typical sentence for a transmigration novel, please don't mistake the genre.

I sat up and saw Mr. Fool, sipping sweet iced tea (again ?!).

He noticed that I was awake and wanted to say something but I beat Him to it.

« Mr. Fool, you do know that you seem like a psychopath while watching me sleep. »

The corner of Mr. Fool's lips twitched.

« I wanted to begin a serious conversation but it seems like it won't be possible. » He said.

Ah, really ?

Now that I think about it, what am I doing here ? I thought that I was on a boat with Klein then pirates arrived then I fainted…

Ah, so that was it.

I nodded to myself.

I also faintly remembered Mr. Fool visiting me in my dream, then I said bullshit as usual… Oops.

I feel like I drank alcohol, said a lot of things I shouldn't have and still remembered it.

I covered my mouth.

I knew it, I should make a vow of silence.

Mr. Fool broke the silence :

« Am I part of the reason why you're so sad on the inside ? »

Well, it's true that you contributed.

Wait, I just woke up less than a minute ago and you're already saying such things ?

Don't tell me this is the "serious conversation" that you wanted to have.

Did you really worry about that all this time ? Sigh…

I raised an eyebrow and broke my meaningless vow of silence :

« What are you saying ? You're so self-centered. Why would I be sad because of you ? »

(Xin Jian : Our time together was so short, Vow of Silence-chan !

Author : Huh ? Why isn't it "-kun" ?

Xin Jian : Let's not argue now. I'm mourning.

Author : Okay…)

Mr. Fool blinked.

« Then, why did I forget you ? »

I bit my lips.

« It was my fault ! I made you think that I wanted to explore outside but in truth I prefer being with you ! Please don't leave me again… »

Please…

Mr. Fool was stunned.

Oh no, I was a little too emotional. I should calm down.

« Then why did you want me to break ? » He continued.

Mr. Fool, you're really an idiot ! (I didn't calm down at all.)

I pouted and didn't answer.

I stood up, sat on his lap and crossed my arms.

« I want an orange juice. » I ordered.

Mr. Fool didn't understand why I seemed mad but still made an orange juice appear.

I remembered something.

« Huh. So what happened while I was unconscious ? No, how much time passed ? »

Mr. Fool thought then answered :

« You were in a coma for a little less than two weeks. Do you want to watch what happened ? »

Two weeks.

Seriously.

I nodded, digesting the information.

Mr. Fool showed me His recordings of the past two weeks.

« I should first tell you that Klein has joined the Nighthawks during that time. »

I turned to The Fool :

« Now that I think about, was there at least something interesting in these two weeks ? Klein usually only works… »

Mr. Fool shook His head :

« No, there was one thing this time. Just watch. »

[-Instead of speaking of Qilangos to Azik, Klein decided to help Alger himself if Qilangos were to appear.-

While Klein was lazing around, waiting for Xin Jian to wake up, he stood up.

However, he was stopped by a sudden prayer and went above the gray fog.

He listened to Miss Justice's prayers.

"Qilangos has actually used the special powers of Creeping Hunger to infiltrate Duke Negan's ball !

But Qilangos probably didn't expect that one of the ladies at the ball is a Spectator, a Spectator who has committed the mannerisms of Baron Gramir to memory ! Hence, he doesn't realize that he's been exposed !" Klein thought.]

(Xin Jian : Klein, there's such a drama in your head !

Mr. Fool : Shut up and drink your orange juice.

Xin Jian : You're so mean~!

Mr. Fool : I know.

Xin Jian : Wow, so you finally adopted my manner of speaking ?

Mr. Fool : *nods*

Author, imagining two Xin Jian : *shivers*)

[Klein answered the prayers and went down the gray fog.

Since he didn't have any ideas about what appearance he should take, he wanted Leonard's but settled on Xin Jian's.

After all, taking Leonard's appearance could cause him problems since he is an official Beyonder and Xin Jian proposed to lend him her appearance if he ever needed it. She also said that she always stayed home and how she looks like should only be known by Crestet Cesimir and the goddess in the church.

He just changed the hair length to be shorter, stayed as a male and put on gold rimmed glasses.

Xin Jian originally didn't look very feminine anyway. (She's tall too.)]

(Xin Jian : What ?!)

[He already had his only suit on and looked at himself in the mirror.

He had brown eyes, brown hair and European facial features.

He nodded and hurried to Duke Negan's ball.

To enter, he put on an illusion to fool the guards and leaned down on the wall.

He casually checked his surroundings in search of Qilangos and realized that he didn't how he looked like.

Embarrassed, he asked where the toilets were and went up the gray fog.

He said :

« Mr. Fool, please tell Miss Justice that I am already at the scene to deal with the situation. I will be waiting near the banquet. »

Then he passed the message to Miss Justice's crimson star and exited the gray fog.

He went back to the ball, near the banquet, took a glass of wine from the waiter and soon saw a beautiful girl with blond hair and green eyes.

He assumed that it was Miss Justice.

He raised his glass in her direction and she approached him.]

(Xin Jian : Now that I think of it, Mr. Fool, you were hidden all this time… So while Klein goes up the gray fog you're still recording him ? Aren't you a stalker ?)

Mr. Fool spoke up :

« I have recordings from Miss Justice's angle too, if you want. »

I turned to him.

« Huh ? »

He didn't answer and changed recordings.

[After Audrey received Mr. Fool's message, she went to the banquet in a natural manner.

She looked around and saw a man raise his glass.

From his body language, it seemed like he was waiting for her.

It was a man that stood out because of his simple and not luxurious suit.

He had common brown hair and brown eyes but he didn't seem Loenese.

However, even though she approached him, nobody seemed to notice it.

She carefully asked :

« Are you here for "that" ? »

The man nodded.

« Yes. I would like your information on the situation. »

Audrey smiled and casually looked around but saw that the other nobles still didn't pay attention to them.

« What do you know exactly ? »

The man (Klein) also smiled, embarrassed.

« Well, I know that Qilangos came here disguised as Baron Gramir and that I have to get rid of him but… I don't know what he looks like, I'm not familiar with the nobles. »

Audrey and turned her gaze to Baron Gramir.

Klein bowed :

« Thank you, beautiful lady. »

Audrey pulled up the corners of her dress.

« You're welcome. I am glad if I could be of help. »

Then Klein took a plate of food and went closer to Baron Gramir.

Not much time after, "Baron Gramir" began to struggle, his actions were slowing down.

"Am… I… attacked ?"

But he soon noticed that nobody seemed to see his state and finally stopped moving.

That's how Qilangos died.

Klein then casually left.

When the official Beyonders arrived, everyone realized that "Baron Gramir" had been replaced by someone else's dead body.

While the nobles panicked, Alger stared intently his old friend's corpse.

Then he turned around, silently.]

(Xin Jian : Spiritual body lines + illusion = deadly combination.

Klein's kill count : +1)

After the recording ended, I observed a moment of silence for Qilangos when Mr. Fool said :

« From now on I will use my spiritually to let you use the gray fog's power in your body without nearly dying. Now, you will be able to use to use the abilities of the three pathways with the gray fog. »

I tilted my head.

« The abilities of the tree pathways ? Isn't it only possible at high sequences ? I am just an ordinary person… »

I remember that Klein could use the abilities of other pathways above the gray fog only after he became an angel. What are you saying ?

Mr. Fool smiled mysteriously.

Well, I guess I can still try it later…

So does that mean that I have Beyonder abilities now ? I can pretend to be the Lord of the Mysteries ?

« Hmm… But where is Klein now ? »

Mr. Fool faced forward and didn't look at me.

« He was called to Tingen, like Dunn, because they lacked of manpower. »

My glass of orange juice fell on the floor.

Wait. The date.

I suddenly have a bad feeling.

« Why didn't you tell me earlie-…?! »

My sentence was cut off because Mr. Fool sent me down the gray fog.

Huh, Mr. Fool, why are you acting like that ?

In reality, I suddenly opened my eyes.

I saw that I was in a hospital room and sat up in a hurry.

The nurse that was next to me was surprised.

« Wait, lie down ! Call the doctor, the patient woke up ! »

I saw that I was wearing hospital's clothes and looked around, searching for my belongings.

Arrodes is usually in my sleeve, did Klein take it ?

That won't do.

Why am I feeling so anxious.

I should breathe.

But, just in case, I should hurry and go to Tingen.

I scratched my head.

« Say, Miss Nurse~. How long would it take to go Tingen ? »

Think about it, who could tell me the way there…

Wait, Leonard ! Leonard should still be in Backlund, right ?

I activated the dots on the back on my hand and hid it under the blankets.

I muttered :

« Hey, Mr. Fool. Hurry up and send an oracle for Leonard to come here RIGHT NOW. (And you emphasize the "right now".) »

I lied back down and controlled my breathing until Leonard arrived but I couldn't calm down.

I have a bad feeling. I have a bad feeling. I have a bad feeling. And repeating if won't change it.

But what could I even do if I went there ?

I wonder if it would be faster to wait for Leonard or to go by foot…

No… It should be nothing, right ? I don't even have spiritual intuition to begin with…

I nodded to myself.

I am just overreacting because of the date.

Let's eat something first.

Speaking of it, that's surprising that I am completely fine and not even hungry after 2 weeks of coma but well… That's also good news.

I should still eat something for the symbolic meaning even if I am not hungry.

The symbolic meaning, you see ? That thing completely useless that I don't even know why it exists…

Okay I am beginning to think bullshit.

Leonard, when are you coming ?

I am quite impatient today…

I shook my head.

I heard footsteps.

Well, someone came but it wasn't Leonard, it was the doctor.

« So, how are you feeling ? »

I was just in a coma for two weeks but else I'm fine.

« I'm feeling quite foggy today~. »

You now ? Since I am made of fog.

The doctor looked at me strangely.

« It was a joke, I'm completely fine. »

My head too, really.

Wait, no. My head is not fine…

And why are you still looking at me strangely ? Are you criticizing my humor ?

I sighed.

My mind is a little too active…

« When can I go out ? » I asked.

If it's not possible now I guess I'll just exit by the window…

The doctor smiled.

« We have to check a few things then we'll let you go. »

I nodded.

After a while, Leonard casually arrived.

« So what is i-…? »

I grabbed him by the collar.

« Leonard, we're friends, right ? »

Leonard gulped.

« Uh, yes. »

I smiled.

« Then show me the way to Tingen. Right now. »

Leonard was a bit scared because my smile was creepy.

« Why ? What will you do there ? »

"Will you kill someone or something ?" He thought.

I shrugged.

« No idea. »

Let's just get there first, I'll after…

« But I have work to do ! » He complained.

I frowned.

« Then at least bring me to a carriage ! »

I don't want to get lost on the way.

Since I don't have Arrodes, something must act as a GPS in its stead !

—————— I am the dividing line~

Blackthorn security company, 3rd point of view :

Due to an abnormal increase of Beyonder incidents in Tingen, Klein had to go there to support the Nighthawks.

Klein just came back from a mission when he came across a man.

It was the same man that he had seen on the boat.

(Xin Jian : So it was Ince Zangwill's ally ?!

Author : Don't ask me, I just learnt it too.

Xin Jian : But didn't you plan the incident on the boat ?

Author : Huh. To me, it was honestly just a random man saying to Klein that he couldn't use his Beyonder abilities. I didn't think about it more than that.

Xin Jian : You should really think more about what you write.

Author : You're the one writing your point of views, though ?)

That man suddenly declared that manipulating the spiritual lines was forbidden before disappearing.

Klein blinked and confirmed that he couldn't move the spiritual lines around him.

He narrowed his eyes and entered the Blackthorn security company.

Klein was ready to report what just happened to the captain when a pregnant woman came in.

Klein's pupils constricted.

He accommodated Megoses, wrote something on a piece of paper before sending it to Mr. Azik and ran to the captain. Dunn listened to Klein and went to take Saint Selena's ashes.

Soon, Megoses went on a rampage and they fought.

Even if Klein's abilities from sequence 9 to sequence 6 were at the angel level, it was not enough.

Leonard wasn't there, either.

And Klein didn't have the sun charms too.

That's why it was simply not enough.

Thanks to a lot of coincidences, the True Creator's child still died before being died.

Still standing, Klein struggled to open his eyes and check the situation.

He forced his head to face forward.

He saw a burned, bloody placenta on the ground. He saw Dunn Smith standing on the spot, still wearing his black windbreaker. He saw the heart in the box of Saint Selena's ashes still beating slowly.

At that moment, Dunn Smith turned to look at Klein. His pale face had a warm and relaxed expression, and his voice still as mellow as it usually was.

« We saved Tingen. »

Klein's expression froze. He saw the heart in the box of Saint's Selena's ashes stopped beating. It turned into a resplendent ball of light before scattering into the surroundings. He saw the captain fall backward, his arms losing their strength.

Even though the box wasn't covered, the darkness within the box sealed the opening, preventing the resplendent sand-like ashes from falling out. The box rolled a distance away towards Klein.

Dunn Smith fell to the wrecked floor, his deep gray eyes having lost all their luster. He was looking at the hole in the ceiling, the sunlight pouring down on his face.

At that moment, the box containing Saint Selena's ashes had rolled to his feet.

Suddenly, Klein felt a pain in his chest, his pupils violently constricted as he froze in place.

Meanwhile, the person at the door stopped their steps.

She arrived too late.

—————— I am the dividing line~

I stood in front of the open door.

Frozen in place, I looked at Klein's collapsed body whose gaze was in my direction while Ince Zangwill was passing by me.

In less than a fraction of a second, the light in his unfocused eyes was completely extinguished.

I knew that he was dead.

In fact, he died right when I arrived, maybe he could even get a glimpse of my figure before dying.

Ince Zangwill slowly walked away, giving me a glance then ignoring me.

I knew that I couldn't take on a demigod and just walked to Klein.

I squatted down.

« I'm sorry. »

If I had been a little faster, maybe I could have saved Dunn.

I If I had been a little faster, maybe I could have saved you.

If I had been a little smarter, I would have taken better measures to prevent this from happening.

If I had been a little smarter, I would have killed Lanevus earlier.

If I had been a little stronger, I could have helped you or at least taken revenge.

If I had been just a little more of something… !

…then this wouldn't have happened.

« Haha. Hahaha. Hahahahahaha ! »

I laughed.

« I'm sorry. »

I am so useless.

I sat down and put my head in my knees, closing my eyes.

I'm not sad.

I knew that this would happen, anyway.

So I'm not sad.

I rubbed my arm.

« It's cold. » I mumbled.

I am not sad at all.

I just… want to close my eyes a little.

I felt a drop of liquid rolling down my cheek.

I sighed.

I'm tired.

After waiting for a while, I felt a presence in the room and raised my head.

« As expected… »

My face had the same emotionless expression as always.

With my usual monotone voice, I said :

« You are 10 minutes late, Mr. Azik. »

Mr. Azik looked at me.

« Don't be too sad, it will pass with time. »

You suck at comforting people, huh ?

I chuckled.

« But I'm not sad, Klein is not dead. He'll resurrect soon. »

Mr. Azik didn't seem to believe me.

« Then what are you doing on the ground ? »

I shook my head.

« I'm a bit tired, I guess I just wanted to sleep for a while. »

I put my head in my knees once again and Mr. Azik soon left.

« I'm sorry for not saving you, Klein. »

It's really so cold.

[We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.]

End of the first book.