Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 125
125 – Intention (4)
Let’s work together to thwart the scheme of the Order.
At those words, I didn’t immediately open my mouth.
To be honest, just looking at the proposal itself, it’s a tempting offer.
The power of the “organization” — the group that Johanna referred to as the “Order” — is far too formidable for me to face alone.
However, that doesn’t mean I can simply accept the proposal without hesitation.
Because…
‘There’s too much I don’t know.’
There are so many things I don’t understand about Johanna and the group she belongs to.
What kind of structure does the group have? How much influence do they wield? Do they truly have the will to fight against the Order?
And, is this group really worth collaborating with?
‘What should I do?’
Extracting more information from Johanna at this point would only deepen my conviction that she is indeed the person she claims to be.
Yet, to simply pretend I don’t know and wrap up the conversation feels like it could be a missed opportunity that might benefit me.
As I was caught in this fleeting dilemma…
“…Even if I say this, it’s probably hard for you to believe. I understand.”
Johanna was the first to break the silence.
“But I’m certain that you are the one the person mentioned.”
“……”
That part, too, was one of the aspects I personally found questionable.
The stories she had shared with me, while obvious, were not the kind of things one easily confides in others.
Yet, she spoke to me about herself without hesitation.
Even though all she had were her suspicions.
What, then, is the source of her conviction?
“If I were to explain my reasoning… it’s intuition.”
“…Intuition.”
“Yeah. I’ve always had a good intuition since long ago. I haven’t always felt it strongly, but when I do have a strong gut feeling, I’ve rarely been wrong.”
At her words, I began to piece things together.
‘The Connected One.’
If Johanna is a “Connected One” like El, but to a lesser degree, then it makes sense that she would share such sensitive information with me.
She is somewhat certain through her intuition.
That I am the one pointed to by the prophecy.
“So, to help you believe in ‘us’ even a little, I’ll tell you about ‘us.’”
After saying that, Johanna began to lay out information about the group she belonged to.
“In the case of ‘us,’ there isn’t really a formally established name. This group wasn’t created with a framework from the beginning. But having no name inevitably leads to various inconveniences. Eventually, after going through several processes, the name that settled was… ‘Guardians.’”
“‘Guardians’….”
If what Johanna says is true.
In other words, if the purpose of the group Johanna belongs to is to thwart the ‘Order’s’ conspiracy and protect the world, then that name could be considered appropriate.
“Most of the members of the ‘Guardians’ are those who gathered voluntarily. It all started when those who received help from ‘Him’ began to come together one by one.”
“…….”
“Why do you think we banded together?”
“…Well, to be of help to that ‘Him’ person?”
“Of course, that’s one reason. But… the most important reason is different. It’s… to stand against the ‘Order.’”
“…….”
One question rose in my mind.
Why do they, the members of the ‘Guardians,’ fight so fiercely against the Order?
Is it out of a sense of duty to protect the world? Or is there some other purpose?
Did my doubts show on my face?
“Why do we fight so hard against the Order… there is a reason for that.”
Johanna continued.
And she lowered her gaze, quietly looking at the ground.
“Most of the members of the ‘Guardians’ are those who have lost something precious due to the Order.”
I didn’t know exactly what her eyes were seeing.
But it was possible to speculate.
According to what she said, the members of the ‘Guardians’ are those who have lost something precious because of the ‘Order.’
And Johanna is one of those who belongs to the ‘Guardians.’
If so, it means she too has lost something due to the ‘Order.’
Perhaps her eyes are recalling the past.
“The ‘Order’ has carried out numerous groundwork for their purposes, for their plans. And in that process, many have been swept away, and many victims have been born.”
The things the ‘Order’ has done until now are probably not just one or two.
—
They must have created and executed countless events, numbers beyond my imagination, beneath the surface.
And, as Johanna said, it must have resulted in numerous victims.
“‘He’ took pity on those who were sacrificed by the ‘Order’ and on all those who had lost everything. And… He taught us the truth.”
Thus, those who had lost everything to the ‘Order’ came to know of the foulness that had taken their precious things away.
“In truth, ‘He’ did not wish for us to oppose the Order. The power of the Order was far too great, and it was clear that many would die if they stood against such an Order.”
Yet, they chose to fight.
To take revenge on the enemy that had taken everything from them.
To ensure that no more victims like themselves would be created.
“At first, it was pitiful. It was so small that it was embarrassing to even call it a group. But as time passed, more and more began to join the ‘Guardians’ of their own accord, and the scale and power of the ‘Guardians’ grew. Of course, as ‘He’ had feared, there were those who died, but still, the growth of the ‘Guardians’ did not stop. And now, as time has passed, the ‘Guardians’ have gained considerable power.”
Though it was summarized briefly, it must not have been a short time.
For a group that had not even properly formed to establish a significant power, there must have been many hardships and adversities.
“Right here, there are dozens of members of the ‘Guardians’ infiltrated. All of them have been dispatched to thwart the ‘Order’s’ plans.”
“…….”
Dozens.
If most of them meet the average of those gathered in this grave, then as Johanna said, the power of the ‘Guardians’ is indeed considerable.
Not to mention that those gathered here are not the entirety of their strength… It certainly felt like they had reached a level where they could speak of opposing the ‘Order.’
Of course, if one were to nitpick, the difference in power would be incomparable.
“Yeah. Dozens. All of them are certainly capable. Even now, they must be advancing toward the center of the grave.”
Her gaze turned back to me.
“With this level of strength, it will be a sufficient help. So, let’s join hands. Together, we can stop the Order.”
“…….”
If what Johanna said is true.
If the strength of the ‘Guardians’ is really at that level.
Simply put, it would be beneficial to join forces.
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However.
There was still something weighing on my mind.
“…Who is this ‘He’ you speak of?”
The person who became the origin of the ‘Guardians’ as Johanna mentioned.
The one who saved the members of the ‘Guardians’ and revealed the identity and plans of the Order.
And the one who prophesied my existence.
Though I wasn’t directly involved, the ‘Guardian’ is a group deeply touched by the hand of ‘Him.’
From what I’ve heard, the members of the ‘Guardian’ seem to trust and follow that ‘Him’ profoundly.
In other words, it also means that the group’s way of acting could change at any moment depending on His will.
So, until I learn more about ‘Him,’ I couldn’t hastily offer an answer.
However.
Johanna, who had answered all my questions without evasion until now, shook her head this time.
“I can’t tell you about ‘Him.’”
“……”
Still, wouldn’t it be too easy to share information about a figure who should be called the core?
I felt a pang of disappointment as I subtly licked my lips.
“It’s not that I can’t easily divulge information about ‘Him.’”
Johanna continued, negating my thoughts.
Then, she immediately followed up.
“The reason I can’t tell you about ‘Him’ is that I don’t know much about ‘Him’ myself.”
“……”
“Even among the ‘Guardians,’ there’s no one who truly knows ‘Him.’ I’ve received direct help from ‘Him,’ but I know nothing about ‘Him.’”
Despite having received direct help, she knows nothing.
Does that even make sense?
“‘Him’ always wore a robe that covered from head to toe. His physique could appear either male or female, and his voice was such that one could not guess his gender or age at all.”
Hearing her words, I understood.
If he hides his identity to that extent, it made sense that she would know nothing.
Perhaps that person known as ‘Him’ has concealed all his information through some special means.
Maybe the robe itself is a special item.
“…Is it really okay to trust and follow someone whose identity is completely unknown?”
I had no choice but to ask.
To trust someone who hides their identity so thoroughly and to stake my life on it?
However, Johanna shook her head firmly.
“Of course, I don’t know ‘Him’s identity. That might seem suspicious. But I can assure you, he is someone you can trust. At the very least, I am certain that he has no ulterior motives whatsoever.”
In Johanna’s eyes as she spoke those words, there was no hint of doubt or hesitation.
I quietly gazed into her eyes.
To be honest, Johanna doesn’t seem like the type of person who would devote her life to a futile scheme.
However, the matter is not so trivial that I can rely solely on her judgment.
“What are you going to do, Andel?”
Johanna asked, gazing intently at me.
She was demanding my answer.
Ultimately, it was a question that needed a response.
I couldn’t just keep pondering indefinitely.
That’s what I thought.
Finally, I opened my mouth.