Became the Villainess’s Guardian

“A rail gun!”
“A rail gun!”

“Yes, yes, just do whatever you please……”

Professor Magni sighed as he observed the elderly members, who had been awaiting such an opportunity.
Despite the wrinkles lining their eyes and mouths as traces of their years, their eyes sparkled so brightly that dissuading them seemed futile.

The professor raised both hands in surrender.
With the final obstructionist gone, the members began mentally constructing rail guns, discussing materials, theoretical principles, and engineering limitations.

Taking a step back from the fervent scene, Professor Magni briefly watched Edan, who was more animated than anyone at the center of the commotion.

While Professor Magni, a man fond of cookies who seemed to know everything and transmitted promotional information about his assistant, resembled a search engine in many ways.
He was undoubtedly the leader of a school of thought, a seasoned scholar whom Edan and most other mages had to defer to.

And occupying such a position, he invariably caught wind of various rumors circulating in Londinium, be they welcome or not.

Rewind a bit, to a few days before Edan’s Royal Academy induction ceremony.

Knock knock knock

“Got a moment?”

“Of course. Come in and have a seat.”

The visitor was a friend who had resurfaced after the news of his newfound wealth to greet Magni, who readily welcomed him with open arms.
After exchanging a casual wave, the friend remarked:

“No, it won’t take long. I just… wanted to briefly discuss your disciple.”

“About Edan? Is there some talk going around behind his back?”

While the young man was a tad eccentric, he was hardly a delinquent.
Unless he had been witnessed engaging in debauchery, he was not the type to cause trouble for others.

“It’s not that, but he seems to be hiding something.”

“Everyone has a secret or two, don’t they? I myself have hobbies I keep under wraps, for instance.”

“No, this doesn’t seem like that kind of secret.”

“Then what is it that has you beating around the bush like this?”

“I don’t know myself. I only sense that it’s not something trivial. Perhaps even attempting to uncover it could be dangerous.”

Professor Magni pondered this, his mind filling with question marks.

He had known Edan for nearly a decade as his disciple.
Ample time to understand the kind of person he was. And the professor did not believe his judgment could be so misguided.

For Edan simply had not had the physical opportunity to engage in anything untoward.

While his sense of urgency had diminished compared to before, he still dutifully held his position at the Ceres Martop.
He was not one to indulge in excessive leisure either. What little time he did take off or go out, he always brought Freugne along.

The professor had already cross-verified by interviewing both Freyja and Freugne.

“Is Edan home?”

“…Who might you be?”

“Hello there?”

“Oh, hello!”

“Well, I’m an acquaintance of your father.”

“Ah, I see. You must be Professor Magni. I’ve seen you in the papers a few times, and Father has mentioned you often.”

“Is your father not around at the moment?”

“Father? He’s just getting dressed. He’ll be down soon.”

For reasons unknown, Freugne still referred to him as “Mr. Edan,” but at least until then, probing her had yielded nothing of particular note.
If Edan had started engaging in any suspicious activities, would his own child not be the first to notice, being in such close proximity to him?

“While I wait for him, let me ask you a few things to pass the time.”

“Of course, by all means.”

“Do you happen to know what Edan has been up to recently? I’d like to hear it from someone else as well.”

Freugne proudly recounted memories of visiting parks with Edan on weekends, going shopping together, or attending mage lecture tours.

And when he arranged a separate meeting to ask Freyja the same, nothing particularly unusual could be discerned either.

“Ah, Edan? He has mentioned wanting to create something new again recently. But for now, we’re just improving air conditioners together. Oh, and he’s been tinkering with vacuum cleaners a bit too.”

“I think the charity foundation and Norton Investments were planning another joint purchase support event. Anyway, he’s just been going between the martop and my foundation, living his life.”

Once a mentor, always a mentor, and Professor Magni was inclined to set Edan straight if he seemed to be veering onto the wrong path.
However, he could find no trace of Edan engaging in anything untoward.

It was likely mere baseless rumor then.
The gossip surrounding Edan probably stemmed from a form of jealousy – the luxury of making careless remarks as an uninvolved third party.

As the adage went, the more popular the figure, the more fans and antis they attracted. It was nothing unusual.

Finally, after observing Edan gathering the Royal Academy members to, of all things, construct toys, the professor felt he could set his mind at ease.
Thus, Magni decided to drop the matter. After all, he had recently heard far more concrete and dangerous rumors.

“Word is that insolent rabbles have been roaming the slums lately.”

“So you’ve heard that rumor too.”

“But surely they wouldn’t go so far as to attempt overthrowing this kingdom? It’s merely the temporarily disgruntled hungry lashing out due to the panic, is it not?”

There was an ominous air surrounding Londinium.
Outwardly, the chaotic panic appeared to have subsided, but to the professor’s eyes, it resembled the eerie calm before a storm.
While not yet known to all, the more perceptive few had already sensed the brewing unease.

Having initially been on high alert suspecting Edan of secretly meeting another woman, only to end up thoroughly embarrassed before Professor Magni, Freugne sensed it was time to receive a report from Ulr, whom she had dispatched to the slums.

Rustle rustle

“I’ve returned.”

“You’ve worked hard. Were you able to uncover anything?”

“Of course.”

Sure enough, accompanied by the rustling of bushes behind a park bench, the lawful Ulr manifested.
The neutral Sithe, present both as a bodyguard and to listen in, dropped her pencil with an adorable shriek after being startled while working on her homework.

Having spent a mere two months living in Londinium’s city center before suddenly becoming homeless, she appeared quite haggard.
Of course, Freugne intended to compensate her accordingly. It was easily discernible that clear rewards and punishments motivated subordinates, even without receiving monarch’s education.

But for now, it was time to hear Ulr’s account.
At Freugne’s gestured prompting, Ulr began speaking.

He had never particularly questioned the way the world operated. It was simply the way it was.
A world where one could not even obtain residency without a Dual Deck might seem incredibly bizarre, but those born and raised there would readily accept it.

And the knowledge imparted by Hugo became a ray of enlightenment for the hand-to-mouth impoverished.

As they say, like when primitive humans first discovered fire in their cave dwellings.
Like when the age of faith faded and the era of magic and engineering dawned.
The irrationalities they had accepted as a matter of course throughout their lives began to shatter, revealing the world in a different light.

Those who had read the book Hugo provided marveled as if regaining their sight after a lifetime of blindness, exclaiming:

“I see now. The fault was not mine, but the world’s!”

“Damn, Hugo. What exactly is this ideology?! To share such precious knowledge with me……”

“Incredible, isn’t it?! The power of ‘Communism’!!”

It provoked an instinctive sense of revulsion.
While mere words might not convey the full impact, to an outside observer, nothing was as chilling as witnessing an entire personality transformation.

Yesterday’s casual smiles and chatter replaced by shouts demanding revolution.
A father fretting over his child’s Christmas gift now recounting legends of a red-suited elder distributing presents for free.

Ulr himself could not bring himself to act with such fanatical devotion.
But orders were orders. As per Freugne’s instructions, once Ulr deemed he had gathered sufficient information, he approached Hugo.

“I too harbor a keen interest in this matter.”

“Then shall we read this book together?”

“Allow me to see it directly.”

Upon receiving the crimson-covered book, Ulr flipped through the pages nonchalantly before nodding his head and feigning entrancement.

Perhaps unable to fathom someone acting their way into the community, Hugo remained silent and accepted it.

“Welcome to our fold. We expect you to play a significant role in our cause.”

“I shall strive to meet those expectations.”

Ulr’s subsequent life became monotonous. During the day when everyone else was away at work, he observed his surroundings, and at night, he attended their “gatherings.”

“Do you realize how corrupt this Londinium has become?”

“Yes! Yes! Give us bread!”

“So what must we do? What do we need?”

“We must seize it!”

Despite this cult-like assembly spewing vivid hatred towards the world, Ulr’s lack of vociferous participation drew some suspicious glances. However, after bringing a few enraptured members he had supposedly converted, Hugo seemed satisfied and no longer questioned it.

Having infiltrated the community, over the course of two months, Ulr formed an assessment of this peculiar organization.
While predominantly comprised of impoverished individuals and thus lacking in elite caliber, it was more organized than initially expected. And judging by appearances, its scale was far from small, rapidly expanding in real-time.

Those rejecting the very existence of this kingdom had filled the slums.

After hearing this, Freugne’s expression slightly tightened as she remarked:

“It’s clear they intend to take some action soon.”

“And one more thing.”

Ulr shared a piece of information likely of interest to Freugne.

“I haven’t witnessed it myself, but according to bystanders’ testimonies, someone in a white suit has frequently been observed issuing orders to Hugo.”

“…Heh.”

The narrowed eyes of Freugne, who had been contemplating how to deal with these rabbles moments earlier, betrayed a hint of menace.
The refocused Sithe unconsciously flinched at the murderous aura, her homework forgotten.