Guardians of The Damned-Chapter 11: Offering

"What kind of help did you offer? Money?" I asked.

"Yes. He fell into crippling debt after losing his job. I gave him enough to get back on his feet and even offered him a position at another company," he explained.

"Do you know why he refused? Pride, maybe?"

"No, he's not that kind of person. He just said he didn't want to be a burden and told me to stay away from him. Naturally, I was worried about why he suddenly started isolating himself, so I confronted him."

"What did he say?"

"He said, 'I don't want you to be cursed like me, or anyone in the company.'"

"Cursed? Like suffering from constant bad luck that escalated until... it killed him?" I frowned slightly and turned my head toward him.

The entire time we spoke, neither of us made eye contact. Our gazes were fixed on the wallpaper of Mountain Stanserhorn.

"Judging from what happened, it's not impossible he was cursed. Damn it! Why did he have to die?! What kind of monster would do this?" Mark's fist slammed into the bathwater, sending violent ripples across its surface.

I pinched my chin, searching my memory for any information about Honor users tied to curses.

"I know someone who could do that... but she disappeared ten years ago."

"Ten years ago? That's when Igor started acting strange. That's right! I remember now—he used to meet with a woman occasionally. It may have been ten years ago, but I've got a good memory."

Igor—Calvin's father.

"I see. That woman might hold the answers. Do you know who she was?"

"No, sorry. But Igor kept a diary—he said it helped him relax and focus on work. You might find it in his old house."

"His old house?"

"I bought it after he died. He would've been furious if I'd purchased it while he was still alive," he said with a chuckle, though the smile quickly faded into regret. A moment of silence passed.

"Where is it?"

"Excalibur," he replied shortly.

"I see. Thank you for the information, Mr. Mark." I extended my hand.

He took it. "No, I should be thanking you—for saving me back then." He paused, his grip lingering before he asked, "That boy... why did you help him? You're not trying to take advantage of him, are you?"

"No, of course not. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't need him. You saw that mech, right?"

"I did," he nodded.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you. The boy has the power to deactivate Honor abilities."

"You're joking—someone who can erase powers?" He laughed at first, but when he saw my expression, the amusement faded. "You're serious... That's bad. If Synth finds out, they'll kill him!"

Synth—the organization I work for, and the one that governs the ancient city.

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen. But you seem to know a lot about Synth... and its hatred for powers that disable others."

"How could I not? I used to oversee the entire city's infrastructure alongside Igor. We've seen things regular people wouldn't believe," he said, pride tinged with fear. "Please... take care of Calvin for me."

"I will. One more thing—what organization was Igor indebted to?"

"A group called Revenant. We sometimes hired their people for jobs in the dangerous districts. They deal in drugs, prostitution, gambling, and the black market. I paid off Igor's debt after his death."

"That's strange. I was told Igor still owed them money, and that Calvin's been forced to work to repay it."

"That's impossible! Wait—what Calvin said earlier... I thought he got involved with criminals after I settled Igor's debts. I assumed he blamed me for it all—but I was wrong. Those bastards tricked him!" Mark's anger boiled over again.

He thought Calvin hated him. Until now.

"Want me to handle it?" I asked, easing into a float across the vast, mostly empty bath, eyes drifting to the dome-shaped ceiling above.

"Are you sure? Why would you?"

"It just doesn't sit right with me," I said simply, not thinking too hard about it.

"...Thank you," he murmured, nearly speechless.

"You need to explain everything to Calvin." I rose from the water, bored of the ceiling, and started walking out of the bath.

"Yes. Thank you, again!"

I waved silently as I left. After changing into fresh clothes, I sat in the lobby and looked out the window, letting the view soothe my mind. Then I called Goo Han. It rang three times before he answered.

"Sunny, it's late. We have a mission tomorrow. What is it?" His voice was groggy and annoyed.

"Can you look into someone? The Witch of Light—Hansel."

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"Hansel? Sure, but why?"

"I'll explain later." I hung up.

Not long after, Mark approached me with a clean set of clothes and a plastic bag.

"This is Igor's old house." He handed me a QR code.

I scanned it. A map popped up with the exact route to the house.

"Thanks." I gave him a small smile.

We left the bathhouse and called for a carriage to the hotel where Yin Hee was staying. It took about half an hour to get there.

Inside the room, Yin Hee was sitting on the sofa, watching over the still-unconscious Calvin. The room was spacious—king-sized bed, snack bar, drinks, a box TV, a radio, and plush carpet beneath our feet.

"What's he doing here?" Yin Hee pointed at Mark.

"He wants to explain everything to Calvin. He feels responsible." I sat beside her, leaning back against the sofa.

"You're not leaving?" I asked. "Your job's done. I've already found the kid."

"Do you want me gone?"

"No. I just don't want to use you. I don't really have a reason to."

Then, without warning, she slapped the thick wad of cash I'd given her earlier onto my lap.

I sighed and adjusted my posture. "Too little? I've got more." I pulled out my wallet.

"What? No! I don't deserve this much. I've barely done anything. I want to help more. I specialize in tracking, divination, and fire magic," she said firmly.

I studied her in silence, then returned the cash to my wallet and handed her just a single bill—one thousand Erk.

"Pleasure working with you."

Speeding things up wouldn't hurt. I had a mission tomorrow and wanted all this wrapped up soon.

"I want you to track down anyone connected to Igor. See if they had a hand in his death. I'll rest for now." I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.