Chapter 47: The Only Guardian (1)

Juyeon received a brief call from Rohan.

A polite request, asking if she could come to the Public Security Bureau.

After hanging up, Juyeon immediately closed the book she was reading and moved.

Thud!

Juyeon, parked in the Elysium Security Bureau parking lot, was wearing a suit despite it being a day off for Orion Academy.

She brushed back her red hair, a burning sensation in her chest.

“Excuse me!”

Stepping into the Public Security Bureau headquarters, she strode inside.

Knowing who Juyeon was and why she had come, the Peacekeepers on duty simply made way.

Click. Click. Click.

There was no need to ask where Rohan was. She just had to follow the direction of his presence.

Juyeon suppressed the urge to charge straight through, quickening her pace.

After a few steps.

Rohan’s figure came into view, sitting amongst the Peacekeepers.

“Instructor! I’m here!”

“…!”

Unlike his cheerful voice, Rohan was bandaged all over.

The past overlapped with that sight.

Juyeon squeezed her eyes shut to shake off the distracting thoughts and moved with heavy steps.

Before figuring out what Rohan had gotten involved in, she went to the person organizing medical supplies to check his condition.

“I’m Instructor Juyeon from Orion Academy. How is Cadet Rohan’s condition? Is he badly injured…?”

“He has lacerations and abrasions all over his body. Some will leave scars, but none are serious enough to cause permanent disability.”

The woman in charge of medical care at the Public Security Bureau continued with a detailed explanation.

Only after hearing the reassurance that he was fine and she could relax did Juyeon turn to Rohan.

Seeing his confident appearance, she wondered if he had committed a crime.

“Rohan. What in the world…”

“Instructor. I’m really sorry to bother you on your weekend.”

“That’s alright. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“It just looks bad, I’m fine.”

“Haaah…”

Juyeon let out a heavy sigh and sat down in an empty chair.

The Peacekeepers present, knowing who she was, kept silent, tense.

The youngest Peacekeeper discreetly left to prepare drinks.

“Could you explain what happened to my Cadet?”

“Instructor. Let me explain…”

“Quiet. I’ll hear it later.”

Juyeon stopped Rohan and turned her gaze to the Peacekeeper.

A Beastkin man, as big as Gilbert, picked up a document from the desk and spoke.

“General Juyeon. I’ll explain.”

“I’m an Instructor now, but… please.”

“First, the organization Cadet Rohan eradicated was called the Yellow Toad Gang, a group that dealt in human trafficking and organ trafficking.”

“Eradicated…? Rohan, a human trafficking organization…?”

Juyeon blinked at the story that far exceeded her expectations.

The Peacekeeper nodded mechanically and continued his explanation.

“Yes. We’ve confirmed it with the wanted individuals list after receiving information from international cooperation. The Peacekeepers are currently searching the surrounding area and believe there are no remaining members.”

“…”

“Cadet Rohan rescued a total of fifteen people by destroying the organization, all of whom have been transported to the hospital for treatment.”

“…”

Juyeon calmly assessed the situation and fell into thought.

The Peacekeeper placed the drink brought by the youngest in front of Juyeon and offered praise.

“You have a truly outstanding cadet.”

“On the contrary, I was fortunate enough to meet a good Instructor and grow like this.”

“Hahaha! Did our junior get lucky? I wish I had entered the Academy at this time.”

Rohan chimed in, and the Peacekeeper laughed heartily.

But Juyeon was different. Her lips formed a straight, cold line.

Her sharp gaze turned to Rohan.

When their eyes met, he tried to defuse the situation with an awkward smile.

This kid…

It looked like she needed to talk to Rohan separately.

As Juyeon made up her mind, the Peacekeeper added that he had left something out.

“The bounty will be transferred to the Public Security Bureau and paid as soon as it’s approved by the other countries. The reward for protecting Academy City will be reviewed separately by the committee.”

“…Thank you for the detailed explanation. Would it be alright if I spoke with my cadet for a moment?”

At Juyeon’s request, the Peacekeeper’s gaze turned to Rohan.

When Rohan nodded in agreement, the Peacekeepers started preparing to leave, grabbing their hats and equipment.

“Understood. Please let us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After the Peacekeepers, a mix of different sizes and races, left.

Juyeon started to read the document she received carefully, and Rohan remained silent.

After a suffocatingly silent time for Rohan, Juyeon’s gaze landed on the period at the end of the last sentence of the testimony.

She spoke.

“You’re saying you were chasing a speeding car in an alley that threw a cigarette butt out the window, and you thought you heard a cry for help through the gap?”

“Yes. That’s correct. I still don’t know if it was a hallucination or a real scream.”

At Rohan’s reply, Juyeon bit her lower lip hard.

Strangely, words of commendation wouldn’t come easily.

It was certainly commendable that he saved people. This kind of real-world experience would also be excellent nourishment for his growth.

But why was she inclined to scold him for not calling her first instead of praising him?

“Instructor.”

“Do you have something to say?”

“I’m sorry.”

Juyeon, who had been staring at the report with a stern face, lifted her head.

Rohan was reflected in her fiery eyes.

“I knew it was dangerous for someone of my skill level. But I thought it was something I had to do.”

“…”

“I thought about contacting you, Instructor, when I was sure of the situation, but I judged that if I waited, there might be casualties.”

An explanation that it wasn’t an impulsive act driven by emotion.

She definitely would have told him to avoid the situation if he had called.

Ah.

Juyeon came to her senses at Rohan’s apologetic behavior.

She realized she had made the mistake of staying silent with a serious expression without a single word of praise.

“…I see. Well done. You did a great job.”

“Thank you.”

“Calling after it was over was the right decision. It’s something your Instructor needs to know.”

“I’m sorry for causing this situation on the weekend. I apologize.”

“You don’t need to apologize again. It’s really alright.”

“Yes!”

Juyeon relaxed her expression and smiled softly as she looked at Rohan’s spirited reply.

Rohan had no family in his family register, so she, his instructor, was his only guardian.

“Since you’ve protected the peace of Academy City like this, your chances of passing the Peacekeeper exam after graduation will be very high.”

Juyeon swallowed the bitter words on the tip of her tongue and playfully pinched Rohan’s cheek.

She wanted to pinch him harder, telling him to be more careful, but also wanted to praise him gently.

“I’ve actually been considering that path as an option for a while.”

Rohan answered with his cheek stretched out by Juyeon’s hand.

“A Peacekeeper as one of your options… You seem to be considering various career paths.”

“But I’ve decided on a general direction.”

“I’d like to hear about it when you’ve made up your mind.”

“Of course. I definitely will.”

How could his answers be so proper despite his injured appearance?

Juyeon pulled Rohan’s cheek.

“Oww…!”

“You endure pain without a flinch during practical classes, yet you’re being a baby now.”

As if caught, Rohan’s voice stopped.

Juyeon smiled wider at his reaction and scolded him as lightly as possible.

“What you did today is a good deed worthy of a hundred praises. But be even more careful and cautious in the future. Understand?”

“Yes! I’ll train hard too!”

The current situation felt strangely similar to her daily life with her younger brother.

Juyeon suppressed her turbulent emotions and offered sincere advice.

“…If you get seriously injured, you can’t undo it even if you regret it. You’ll be the one who suffers the most, and secondly, you’ll make those around you sad.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rohan briefly closed his mouth, sensing Juyeon’s unexplainable mood.

But only for a moment.

He had to say what he had to say.

“Instructor.”

“Speak.”

“But if the same situation happens in front of me again, I’ll do the same thing.”

“…”

Juyeon pressed her lips together. It was a feeling of falling into nostalgic memories.

Other Cadets didn’t give her this feeling. Only Rohan kept making her dwell on buried memories.

“I apologize in advance.”

Juyeon chuckled at Rohan’s preemptive apology.

“I didn’t see it coming… You’re quite the troublemaker.”

Rohan tried to defuse the situation with an apologetic laugh.

Juyeon watched him quietly for a moment, then stood up and went to the Peacekeepers.

After a brief conversation, she returned to Rohan.

“Rohan. Can you walk?”

“No problem!”

Rohan jumped up and spun around.

It was an attempt to reassure Juyeon, but he was actually fine.

“Good. Follow me.”

“Can we go back to the dormitory now?”

“No. We’re going to my house.”

“…Huh?”

When Rohan reacted as if he had misheard,

Juyeon, unusually playful, explained.

“They said the search for any remaining gang members and the on-site investigation aren’t finished yet. If you don’t like my house, you can wait at the Public Security Bureau until it’s over.”

Implying he would have to sit and wait for at least a few hours.

“…”

Rohan’s deliberation didn’t last long.

He trailed after Juyeon, who had taken on the role of his guardian.