“But back then, Helix focused on just me for three days to save me. Can that method handle this many patients?”

He stroked his sharp chin thoughtfully.

“…I’ve regained much of my Guardian abilities, so I should be able to treat several people at once.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Using the right herbs would help even more.”

At Helix’s words, Leah immediately took action.

“Then let’s go to the medicine storage right away.”

***

The medicine storage was a cool, dark room without sunlight. Though called a room, it was nearly the size of a commoner’s house, which seemed to surprise Helix.

“As we handle more medicines, we need more ingredients.”

“I’m impressed you’ve managed to gather and maintain all this.”

He quickly took Leah’s hand while admiring the space.

“Be careful, it’s dark.”

Pong.

She chuckled softly at the ticklish sensation in her palm.

“Why are you transferring mana while warning me about the darkness?”

“The more mana you have, the sooner you’ll become an Archmage.”

“Are you so eager to make me an Archmage? So you can graduate from being my contractor?”

Helix shook his head firmly at Leah’s teasing words.

“That’s not it. Becoming an Archmage will make you healthier and safer.”

He transferred more mana to her as he continued.

“And increasing your total mana will dilute Archaik’s mana. That should weaken your connection.”

“Is that why you’ve been giving me mana so frequently and abundantly lately? To protect me from Archaik?”

Helix averted his gaze.

“…Chirpy is too young to receive mana yet. I thought we should use other methods available to us.”

“And?”

“And…”

He confessed in a murmur.

“I simply dislike that you’re connected to him at all.”

Her cheeks flushed at his honest words.

What expression was Helix making in this darkness? Suppressing the urge to check immediately, Leah deliberately asked lightly.

“Because he’s a dragon?”

“…”

“Helix, you dislike dragons, don’t you?”

Helix squeezed her hand.

“…You know that’s not it.”

His fingers wrapped around her wrist like vines. Despite feeling his firm touch, Leah pretended to be indifferent.

“I don’t know.”

“…”

“At first, you seemed to be wary of me too, suspicious because of dragons.”

“…I tried to be cautious.”

Helix said with a sigh.

“But it was all futile in front of you, Leah.”

“…”

This time Leah was speechless as she looked at Helix.

“Leah, you… make me disarm. All the things I’ve worn for ages, my values, the armor of tradition. In front of you, they all feel cumbersome.”

Pong.

Mana flowed in following his unhurried touch.

“Perhaps it’s my selfishness.”

“…”

“Leah, if your body as a mage needs mana to fill it.”

He whispered, “I want to be the one who fills you.”

Gulp. Leah unconsciously swallowed. The words he couldn’t bring himself to say seemed to travel through the heat of his hand.

That she had changed him. That she had filled him.

So shouldn’t she also be filled by him?

She parted her lips, entranced.

“…Tell me about yourself.”

Leah whispered.

“The things you’ve worn for ages, the traditions you valued, the principles you tried to protect.”

With her free hand, she touched his cheek. His skin was flawless, but the texture felt masculine rather than soft.

“They’re all meaningless now.”

“No. Why would they be meaningless? They’re all part of you.”

Helix met her eyes at Leah’s words. Brushing aside his long silver hair that fell over his cheek, Leah whispered.

“You’re a wonderful Guardian.”

Helix smiled slightly. He murmured.

“It’s all what I told you before. Protecting the world from mad mages and dragons.”

He paused briefly, seeming to think.

“Looking back now, Guardian was probably a position better suited for elves from the beginning. It was ill-fitting for humans.”

“Hmm… if elves are the standard, you’re quite similar to them.”

“How so?”

“Your face doesn’t look human. I thought you were an elf when I first saw you.”

“No. I’m of human origin.”

Helix replied decisively, then gently touched Leah’s skeptical cheek.

“Leah, you’re human too, yet you’re this beautiful.”

***

Helix’s smiling face was dazzling even in the darkness. Leah felt conflicted.

Her boyfriend with beyond-human, elf-like beauty was calling her pretty.

‘Should I be happy about this?’

Thinking about it, there was no reason to dislike it. Leah decided to trust Helix’s eyes.

‘Well, in Helix’s eyes, I must be the prettiest!’

With that thought, her confidence surged.

“I am pretty.”

“Pretty? You’re the most beautiful in the world.”

“Hehe.”

Leah nuzzled her cheek against Helix’s large hand.

Helix hesitated, then tried to embrace her, but Leah suddenly raised her head.

“Come to think of it, you became a Guardian despite not being an elf? How did that happen?”

“…When the elves decided to leave for another continent, things progressed naturally.”

The first human with the qualities of a next-generation Guardian had appeared.

“And that was you?”

He nodded.

“There must have been a commotion then? Did they hold celebrations in your hometown?”

“No.”

Helix smiled bitterly.

Beautiful and noble-looking elves who came to him one day when he was young.

They told him how much being a Guardian was for the world, how heroic a position it was to sacrifice oneself.

“Because of my mana abilities, I thought I would become an Archmage. But after the elves’ words, I followed them.”

“Those elves were terrible.”

Leah muttered, “Manipulating a child by appealing to his heroism. They were definitely the type to demand passion without proper compensation.”

“Passion without compensation?”

“You know, those who say how important and good this work is, but don’t pay proper wages and only demand passion.”

“Haha.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong, but Helix shook his head.

“Still, I couldn’t satisfy my elf masters.”

He recalled the past.

Hearing that he needed to protect the world from dragons and Archmages, young Helix had dreamed.

A dream of protecting the weak from the strong and contributing to a more peaceful and fair world.

“Goodness. How could a child be so kind? You really were a moral compass from childhood?”

“In that era, the powerful treated the powerless however they wanted. If a neighborhood child was grabbed by the hair by a drunken knight and beaten to death, no one could say anything.”

In such times, Helix stood out as a remarkably beautiful and powerful child. He couldn’t help but contemplate how to use his strength.

And then he was given the idealistic position of “Guardian.”

‘Even helping others must be done carefully. Having the power to help comes with tremendous responsibility.’

Young Helix tried to uphold those words.

“But I was scolded every time.”

“Why?”

“Because I helped a rabbit escape from a wolf.”

“That’s something to be scolded for?”

“They said it disrupted nature’s balance. A Guardian’s mission should maintain balance and preserve the world as it is.”

He added bitterly.

“My masters said that humans couldn’t understand true fairness.”

“What?”

Leah was indignant.

“These long-eared jerks took a child and gaslit him?”

“G-gaslighting…?”

“Yes, that’s what it is! Putting you down, twisting things, belittling you, making you feel small!”

“If that’s what it was, the elves weren’t the only ones who did it.”

Even after becoming a Guardian, dragons would dismiss and reject him with comments like “What? A human Guardian?” Mages at the magic tower also gave him sidelong glances.

‘Being human, shouldn’t you show more favoritism toward us?’

‘What makes him think he’s different from us, acting all high and mighty?’

A sneer formed at Helix’s lips.

‘What rotten people. Ah, they must already be rotting.’

Leah hugged him tightly, feeling sympathetic.

Looking back, Helix’s self-restraint had always seemed excessive.

‘Plus, from what he occasionally says, he seems to have been betrayed multiple times.’

With everyone disapproving and finding fault with him, yet growing up steadfast, and even suffering multiple betrayals—it made perfect sense why he became such a rigid straight arrow.

To avoid criticism. To avoid showing weakness.

‘How hard he must have struggled alone.’

Yet despite his past, Helix never lost his compassionate nature toward the weak.

‘He’s truly strong and admirable.’

Leah looked up at Helix with renewed admiration.

“…Are you disappointed in me?”

“What?”

“I’ve always called myself a Guardian to you, Leah, but I’m just a flawed half-Guardian.”

“No, who says you’re half? Who said that?”

Leah burst out angrily without thinking.

“Was it those elves? Don’t mind those long-eared, zero-empathy jerks! Or was it the dragons? You know they’re all just lizards except for Chirpy!”

“L-lizards…”

Helix bit back a laugh at the unexpected expression.

“And so what if you have flaws? What’s admirable is trying to overcome those flaws.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You don’t need to be perfect.”

She continued firmly.

“Especially not for those who don’t value you. Why bother meeting their standards?”

Leah looked at Helix with unwavering eyes, then suddenly lowered her gaze.

“Of course.”

She fidgeted with her hand on his arm.

“In my eyes, you’re already perfect.”

Thump.

Helix’s heart dropped.