Chapter 9: The Guardian’s Promise

“I recall you mentioning it before, ‘A monster has appeared in the alley where I reside.’”

Recalling their previous conversation, Bai Zhi cast a concerned glance at the silent girl beside her before inquiring,

“What exactly is this ‘monster’? Surely you aren’t referring to Miss Lin?”

“Of course not!” Xia Ranxin quickly and flusteredly denied. “That monster… it only just appeared in the alley a short while ago…”

Xia Ranxin was about to elaborate further when a female voice interrupted her.

“Allow me to explain to Your Excellency Bai Zhi.”

Sensing Xia Ranxin’s slight fluster, Lin considerately took the initiative to continue.

“It happened on the night three days ago. Lady Ranxin, true to her routine, returned home quite late.”

“B-Because of my part-time job, I always return very late…”

Xia Ranxin added softly. Lin acknowledged her with a glance, then nodded, and proceeded with her account.

Bai Zhi’s gaze towards them both sharpened, finding something amiss; the atmosphere between the two women struck her as undeniably peculiar.

“Concerned for Lady Ranxin’s safety, I secretly followed her, acting as her hidden guard. The journey there and back was uneventful until we entered that particular alley, when I suddenly detected an unusual aura.”

As Lin spoke, Xia Ranxin’s expression momentarily froze, the horrific scene from that night seemingly replaying before her eyes.

“It was an incredibly chilling presence, tinged with the scent of blood, like the primal dread of being hunted by a predator. Moments later, a pair of sharp, vicious claws suddenly manifested behind Lady Ranxin. Panicking, I instantly pulled her behind me and engaged in a fierce struggle with that malevolent beast.”

As Lin’s narrative continued, Xia Ranxin’s tension seemed to gradually ease.

“…Thanks to Lin, I emerged unharmed, though she herself sustained injuries in the process…”

“My apologies!” Lin bowed her head deeply. “My martial prowess proved insufficient; I failed to subdue the wicked beast and was instead wounded by it. Consequently, I have been unable to continue guarding Lady Ranxin these past few days, leaving her exposed to peril alone.”

“I see,” Bai Zhi nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s why you attacked us; you mistook us for malevolent individuals intending to harm Ranxin, correct?”

“My heart was consumed by unease, and thus…” Lin’s face registered a look of profound shame.

Bai Zhi, with a magnanimous wave of her hand, dismissed it. “It’s quite alright. No one was harmed, after all. Consider it a bit of exercise.”

Bai Zhi wished to glean more information from them, but a certain fervent gaze from Lin made it impossible for her to continue speaking.

“Oh! Not only is your strength formidable, but your magnanimity is equally vast! Your Excellency Bai Zhi is truly a powerful individual in every sense of the word!”

Bai Zhi remained speechless.

“Ah, you’re being far too generous with your praise…” Feeling a blush creep up at Lin’s unabashed compliments, Bai Zhi hastily redirected the conversation to Xia Ranxin. “Classmate Xia, what made you seek my assistance? After all…”

Bai Zhi paused, then gestured towards herself.

“We weren’t exactly close before this, were we? To your knowledge, I’ve always been nothing more than an ordinary high school girl. How could someone like me possibly deal with the ‘monster’ that wounded Lin?”

Confronted by Bai Zhi’s question, Xia Ranxin shyly drew her head back.

“It’s merely a hunch, I suppose. Classmate Bai Zhi, you seem to possess an incredible aura, much like Lin, leading me to believe you are also someone endowed with great power.”

Bai Zhi, her expression unreadable, quietly settled back into her seat, softly repeating the word Xia Ranxin had just uttered.

‘Intuition…’

“A-And, even though everyone else seems to have forgotten, I vividly recall the sight of Classmate Bai Zhi rushing towards me at an astonishing speed this morning. Someone capable of such velocity couldn’t possibly be merely an ordinary…”

“Wait!”

Bai Zhi and Rena simultaneously shot to their feet, their gazes fixed on Xia Ranxin in astonishment.

“You mean you remember?!”

Xia Ranxin’s slender frame trembled, startled by the abrupt question, before she stammered her reply.

“Y-Yes! Um… even though our classmates all insist that the truth was you, Bai Zhi, suddenly burst into the classroom, attempting to forcibly elope with me… I’m rather confident in my memory; I couldn’t have misremembered…”

***

No sooner had the words left Xia Ranxin’s lips than a sharp, murderous aura erupted from Lin, who instinctively reached for her blade.

“To think… I never imagined Your Excellency Bai Zhi to be such a brazen scoundrel! Though my power is meager, I shall never permit my liege’s honor to be besmirched!”

Bai Zhi rubbed her forehead in exasperation. ‘Why is this person so incredibly impulsive!’

“It’s a misunderstanding, I tell you, a misunderstanding!”

“Eek! Lin, Lin! Don’t strike, it’s not what you imagine…”

Xia Ranxin frantically tugged at Lin’s sleeve, but it was already too late.

Lin was entirely deaf to her pleas, and in a flash, the air crackled with tension.

“You philandering rogue, take this blade!”

***

After another round of chaotic commotion, and through the combined efforts of Bai Zhi and Xia Ranxin to explain the situation, Lin finally settled down.

“Understood. I shall consider this incident a misunderstanding… However, should there be a next time, I shall protect Lady Ranxin’s honor, even at the cost of my own life!”

Bai Zhi wiped a bead of cold sweat from her brow, sighing inwardly. ‘How does this person possess such boundless energy?’

“Oh, oh! I highly doubt there will be a next time…”

Having said her piece, she instinctively turned to exchange a knowing glance with Rena, then redirected her attention back to Xia Ranxin.

“So, you believe we possess the capability to deal with this ‘monster,’ which is why you sought our assistance.”

“No, that’s not it at all.” Xia Ranxin shook her head, her voice resonating with resolve. “That monster is far too dangerous; I cannot allow you to be imperiled on my behalf.”

Not fully grasping her meaning, Bai Zhi prompted Xia Ranxin with a look to elaborate.

“My true intention was to ask for your help in convincing Lin to leave. That monster is simply too perilous; Lin has already been wounded because of it, and remaining here could genuinely endanger her life. However, Lin adamantly refuses to depart, which is why I sought assistance.”

A moment of silence descended, with neither Bai Zhi nor Rena uttering a word.

“B-But! If that were the case, Lady Ranxin would be—!”

Hearing such an unexpected response, Lin instantly grew agitated. Xia Ranxin, however, merely shook her head with serene composure.

“It’s quite alright, Lin… I was originally an abandoned, utterly worthless individual, barely sustained until now by the kindness of others. How could I possibly continue to impose upon everyone?”

Bai Zhi tilted her head, ‘Xia Ranxin is truly a remarkably thoughtful person.’

“Lin is an exceptional and formidable individual; someone like her should not perish here on my account.” A certain resolve gleamed in Xia Ranxin’s eyes. “It’s simply that I have no other place to go besides this alley. Fortunately, I am its sole resident, so there will be no further casualties.”

Turning then to Bai Zhi, she offered a profound, solemn bow.

“Therefore, Classmate Bai Zhi, may I entrust Lin to your care?”

The three occupants of the small room were plunged into an immediate silence, none having anticipated Xia Ranxin’s sudden, unprompted declaration.

Bai Zhi’s face remained impassive, her thoughts unfathomable, while Lin appeared utterly crestfallen.

Only Rena remained, seemingly lost in thought.

After a brief interval, she finally spoke. “Classmate Xia, I have encountered similar accounts of the ‘monster’ you described within the kingdom’s records.”

All three simultaneously turned their gazes to Rena. Without the slightest pause, Rena continued her explanation.

“It is a demonic creature known as a ‘Shadow Beast’. It typically dwells within shadows and subsists solely on human flesh and blood.”

Rena paused, casting a glance at the visibly bewildered Xia Ranxin, before continuing.

“The ‘Shadow Beast’ possesses an incredibly tenacious nature; once it fixes its gaze upon prey, it will relentlessly pursue and attack them until their demise. Moreover, its body is comprised of an unknown, shadow-like substance, rendering conventional attacks utterly useless against it. It is rumored that only ‘Holy Light’ can temporarily repel it.”

“Therefore…”

Rena was about to elaborate further, but Xia Ranxin cut her off.

“So, isn’t this ideal?” A faint smile graced Xia Ranxin’s lips, and the familiar peach-colored blush bloomed on her cheeks. “If I simply remain here, I can keep that monster confined within this alley. After that, I implore you all to find a way to seal off this alley, preventing anyone else from entering. In doing so, no one else will ever be harmed by that creature.”

‘Even if I pray to the gods, no miracles will manifest; even if I cry out, no hero will rush to my aid.’

‘So, I’ll simply die alone, and perhaps, before my end, I can drag a notorious monster down with me. Wouldn’t that be rather good?’

Rena was momentarily at a loss for words. She had intended to explain that as the ‘Glorious Knight,’ her constant presence by Xia Ranxin’s side would afford a certain degree of protection. Together, they could then devise a plan, and eventually resolve the issue.

However, she had not anticipated Xia Ranxin’s unwavering resolve.

This seemingly delicate and demure young woman appeared to hold her own life in such low regard, as if it were nothing more than refuse to be casually discarded.

Such a person, seemingly actively courting death, was a rare sight even within the ‘Radiant Knights,’ an order that held “sacrifice” as a virtue. Rena found herself momentarily without a strategy to persuade Xia Ranxin.

At that very moment, Bai Zhi, who had remained silent throughout, suddenly let out a soft laugh. Every girl present, save Bai Zhi herself, instinctively turned their gaze towards her.

“The solution to this problem… isn’t it glaringly obvious, everyone? Hmph hmph hmph, is there perhaps a chance that we simply eliminate this ‘Shadow Beast’ entirely?”

Bai Zhi declared with absolute confidence, while Xia Ranxin appeared somewhat bewildered.

“Eh? But Classmate Rena just mentioned…”

“It seems you don’t quite know me yet, Classmate Xia Ranxin!” Bai Zhi declared, placing her hands on her hips with a triumphant air. “Though I may appear to be nothing more than an ordinary sixteen-year-old beauty, secretly, those transmigrators from other worlds have dubbed me ‘the Guardian of this World’~”

Bai Zhi blinked, striving to maintain a lighthearted tone.

“A mere ‘Shadow Beast’? I’ve dispatched countless foes far more troublesome than it; one wild beast is hardly a cause for concern!”

“But…”

Seeing that Xia Ranxin was about to object further, Bai Zhi placed both hands on Xia Ranxin’s shoulders, earnestly and sincerely persuading her.

“Classmate Xia… no, Ranxin. You seem to believe yourself to be without value, preferring to expose yourself to danger rather than allow others to suffer harm.”

Her tone was considerably gentler than before, even eliciting a look of surprise from Rena.

“But that is merely your unilateral perception. Lin, over there, and Rena and I, who have only just met you—in our eyes, you have forged an undeniable connection with us. Therefore, you are absolutely not someone without value.”

“When someone as important as you so readily speaks of sacrificing yourself, do you ever consider how much pain that would inflict upon us?”

Listening to her words, Xia Ranxin gradually found herself unable to meet Bai Zhi’s gaze.

“I hadn’t thought of it that way…”

“So, trust me with this.” Bai Zhi’s demeanor became exceptionally gentle. “You only need to ask for my help, and I shall fulfill all your wishes.”

“I, I…”

Xia Ranxin’s voice began to tremble, and the strong facade she had maintained until now crumbled, becoming incredibly fragile. She could no longer suppress the fear within her, and tears streamed from her eyes.

“I, I’ve actually been so afraid…”

Bai Zhi crouched down, pulled a tissue from her pocket, and handed it to Lin, softly responding to Xia Ranxin’s words.

“I know.”

“Whether it’s about the monster, or Lin getting hurt, I don’t want to see anyone else close to me leave! So I thought, this time, perhaps it would be better if I just…”

“But I’m still so scared! Even though I’d made up my mind, I can’t help but feel terrified!”

“So, so!”

Xia Ranxin sobbed uncontrollably, clinging tightly to Bai Zhi’s arm like a drowning person grasping at a final straw.

“C-Can you… please save me, Classmate Bai Zhi!”

“Of course.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Bai Zhi offered an incredibly reliable, radiantly beautiful smile.

“After all, I am that ‘Guardian’!”