Became the Villainess’s Guardian

In truth, there were certain limitations to her ability.

She couldn’t see the distant future in terms of years, nor could she pinpoint specific scenes she wanted to view.
Peering into the future made her rapidly fatigued, so she could only do it once a day at most to function properly. Pushing beyond that to three times was possible, but she would immediately pass out from exhaustion.

Moreover, the experience of glimpsing the future itself was not always a pleasant one.

‘So Freugne can’t come back now…?’

‘Oh dear, how could this happen at such a young age.’

‘It’s unfortunate, but not exactly uncommon, is it? Still, it’s a pity. She seemed like she would have amounted to something if she grew up.’

With just her name scrawled on a wooden slab instead of a proper gravestone, the meager gathering of a few people from the orphanage could hardly be called a funeral.

Witnessing her own funeral through the eyes of others – how should one describe that feeling?
It was quite chilling and sorrowful.

Sometimes due to a factory fire, other times crushed by a pile of wooden crates that suddenly rained down from above.
By being able to witness the pivotal events and incidents that would lead to her demise, Freugne had managed to survive until now.

However, there was one nagging concern.
While she was well aware of the reality that factories treated safety regulations as little more than coasters for ramen bowls, even accounting for that, the frequency seemed almost deliberate.

It felt as if this world was decidedly out to kill her.

As if her life was being steered in a certain direction.

‘No, that couldn’t be.’

The more she dug into it, the more tormented she became.
Positive thoughts, positive thoughts. Freugne only spurred herself to move again when she saw her smiling reflection in a puddle on the street.

As much as she felt confident she could succeed in business if she set her mind to it, for now she had to live in the present reality.
The orphanage was barely scraping by, so having allowance money was out of the question, and the only ways to save up were by selling items scavenged from abandoned homes or garbage heaps, or the occasional coin given out of pity.

Working at a factory? Children were paid only one-tenth to one-fifth of an adult’s wage.
Between occasionally acquiring secondhand clothes or buying food to silence her rumbling stomach, there was nothing left over.

So she had to persevere until she could become independent.
Fortunately, a new sponsor had recently appeared, providing more opportunity to save up money. Such chances were rare.

“Is Freugne here?”

“She should be back from work by now. I wonder where she went…”

After completing her night shift at the factory without incident and delivering newspapers, Freugne had just entered the orphanage when she heard the voice, straightened her tousled, wrinkled clothes as best she could, and peeked her head in.

It was probably that magician named Edan who had visited last week.

A magician meant an intellectual, an intellectual meant a member of high society.
In her life, the only attention she had received from the upper classes was during slum tours, so she didn’t understand why someone like that would take an interest in her.

However, there was one way she could indirectly find out.

“…Mister?”

“Yes.”

“Um, could you… hold my hand for a bit?”

It felt awkward asking this of a stranger she was only meeting for the second time, but
perhaps it would contain helpful information.

As she hesitantly held out her hand, a slight dizziness came over her simultaneously with an alien scene flashing before her eyes.

The timeframe seemed to be roughly five years in the future.
In her field of vision was her future self, who had grown considerably taller.

Surely by then she wouldn’t still be living at the orphanage, eating and sleeping, so perhaps this connection allowed them to continue meeting.
Since glimpsing this far into the future was quite rare for her, Freugne was all ears.

“Mister.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“Just close your eyes, and say this one line.”

She seemed to be fervently persuading Edan about something.

The fact that she was alive and well until then was encouraging.
With all her limbs intact and a bright smile on her face, it didn’t appear she had fallen into some disastrous 18-hour laborer position at a factory with no rest.

“Join me.”

“…You won’t reconsider?”

“No, absolutely not.”

And then Edan reached into his coat.

-Click

“Huh?”

-Bang!

And just pulled the trigger.

Simultaneously snapping back to reality, Freugne let out a small static burst like a broken radio.
The chronic affliction she suffered from, the ‘the world is out to get me’ syndrome, began ringing alarm bells.

Her second encounter with Edan was the worst.

After finishing his lectures, Professor Magni let out a small sigh as he glanced at the documents on his office desk.

And as he was signing and organizing research budget proposals, assistant applications, advisory materials from the Royal Academy, and so on, his hand suddenly stopped when he picked up the fresh resignation notice Edan had submitted that very morning.

It was more of a pity than he had told Edan yesterday, but what could he do?
Trying to keep him as a lifelong slave would only breed resentment. The professor knew when it was time to let someone go.

The situation would have been slightly different if a simple suggestion had made Edan reconsider.
But that would have proven his resolve was lacking to that degree. In any case, indulging in ‘what ifs’ about the past wouldn’t change the present reality.

“I’ve completed all my tasks for today. The handover process will also be finished soon.”

“Let me ask one more time, are you really sure you don’t want to continue? I feel there’s still more for you to learn.”

“Yes, that may be so, but I want to start aiming higher gradually.”

With that, Professor Magni watched Edan’s retreating back for a long while as the now-liberated man strode out of the room.

It was only natural for humans to aspire to advancement, and that desire for self-improvement was not a bad mindset.
However, his hurried demeanor, throwing his all into it, seemed different from mere ambition.

The Edan he had seen always seemed to move busily, as if being chased by something.

He also seemed quite interested in weapons.
Even though the last all-out war with the Demon King was decades ago, an industry that should have lost most relevance.

“Edan. Is there, um, a reason you’re researching weapons?”

“It was a friend’s dying wish before I left the orphanage. Something like… wanting to fire an awesome double-barreled shotgun.”

They both knew he had left the orphanage around the age of ten.

“Then what about this magic stone bomb…?”

“That, well… it’s fireworks.”

“If you step on it to activate it, aren’t those landmines instead of fireworks?”

“…Actually, my friend’s second-to-last wish before I left the orphanage was to bury anti-personnel mines in front of the house, so-”

It seemed Edan didn’t really intend to hide much, readily giving up and starting to peddle new wares at the slightest critique.
Professor Magni felt apprehensive that one day Edan might roll out an iron automobile calling it a ‘decommissioned Sherman tank from the military…’

He wondered if the prolonged assistant life had caused Edan to awaken to the dark side, nurturing coup d’état ambitions.
However, whenever he tried a simple suggestion to probe for such intentions, the result was always the same.

‘Edan, speak only the truth.’

‘No! You’re trying your mind tricks again-‘

‘Look me straight in the eye. Good, like that.’

‘Yes, master…’

‘Do you harbor even the slightest thought of taking over the kingdom?’

‘Kingdom, takeover, rule… Black Veil?’

He would then let out a pained scream, foaming at the mouth as he violently shook his head, his sincerity undeniable in that moment.

Thus, Professor Magni concluded that Edan was ‘preparing excessively, almost paranoidly, for some impending crisis.’
He failed to realize that Edan was living a second life, aware that humanity would face annihilation within the next decade or so, and was simply steeling himself accordingly. After all, the professor only thought within realistic frameworks.

As long as he offered some cautionary advice on that aspect, he judged that Edan could be sent out into society without issue.

“Time really does fly.”

He had foreseen this day would come eventually.
It was a thought he had entertained from the first time he taught Edan, but the truth was, Edan seemed more suited as an eccentric tinkering inventor applying magic, rather than studying it academically.

Not that his skills as a researcher were lacking, but he would likely better utilize his talents as an entrepreneur.

“I appreciated your lecture. But for a moment, I’d like to discuss something outside the scope of the lecture…”

“Ah yes, I remember you bringing up a business proposal before. If you recall, let me be direct, Professor. Why don’t we split the profits?”

“We understand your desire to teach well. However, it is only natural that one should be positioned where they can maximize their abilities.”

“No, you’re mine. My slave! I can’t spare even an hour!”

Exorcising these evil spirits trying to encroach on his private property had become a daily routine.
But is it not the nature of all things in this world to eventually come to an end? This tea-bagging had injected a bit of vitality into his life as well, which was a pity.

He had enjoyed himself quite a bit over that time. Separate from the joy of teaching, he had also received much help.

Still, it was fortunate that Edan seemed to have opened his eyes to philanthropy recently.
It meant he had gained some leisure to turn his gaze aside and catch his breath, albeit briefly.

While he had sought advice from Edan on how to handle children himself, personally the professor thought Edan would know well, having lived in an orphanage himself at one point.
He would likely empathize better and understand their needs more than anyone else.

Thus,
Professor Magni…

-Creak

“…Professor, I’m back.”

“What is it? No, more importantly, how long have you been gone?”

It hadn’t been long since Edan had left when he returned, bearing scratches on his heart – the professor hadn’t expected to find him huddled in the corner of his office, scratching at the floor.