I Became the Guardian of Big Shots in the Game

The banquet concluded successfully.
Serdin natives who knew the fairy tale seemed somewhat shocked, but.
Thanks to many people unconsciously turning a blind eye saying “No way~”.
It didn’t spread into a big commotion.
“What was that just now, hic! Rudy?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe they used a large-scale magic circle to wrap up the banquet?”
“Hahaha! That makes sense. Is the reason for five pillars to mean the mayor should run straight through his 4th term to a 5th?”
The Inspection Bureau Chief’s group slipped out before the crowd rushed in.
Tom, who was staggering, leaned against a streetlamp.
For a while, he didn’t say anything.
But when people around had almost disappeared.
Finally, Tom asked with all traces of laughter gone from his face.
“How did he seem to you?”
“Far from looking dangerous, he was a polite and courteous young man. Didn’t he not even yawn once while listening to your adventure stories, Chief?”
While strongly agreeing with Rudy’s opinion, Tom raised another possibility.
“Could it have been an act?”
“If that was acting, the popular male actors in Etre’s theater district these days should quit acting and look for other jobs.”
Rudy was the one who carried out an internal spy mission for 4 months in the Limping gang during his rookie days.
His evaluation, which is on par with popular actors when it comes to acting, is quite trustworthy.
Then one problem arises.
“That’s right.”
Tom frowned as he bit his tobacco.
“Then who on earth is controlling Serdin’s underworld?”
“Since even the local public sentiment is on his side, it doesn’t seem easy to get information. Shouldn’t we take more time to investigate?”
The higher quality mana tobacco is, the stronger its scent.
So Tom had been refraining as much as possible right before the banquet.
Finally able to smoke the tobacco he so wanted.
Faced with the reality of having to return to Etre with no results.
A word Tom often used in such situations popped out of his mouth.
“Shit.”
*
The mayor, who was greeting and seeing off the last visitors, felt uneasy.
‘Is he angry?’
Ethan’s expression didn’t look very good.
In fact, he felt very wronged.
To arrange Ethan’s aide position, he kicked out Michel, prepared to be at odds with the Marquis Garad family who still had great influence in central politics.
Is that all?
Afraid they’d be disappointed if left out, he even sent an inauguration ceremony invitation.
Not by a low-level employee, but by the hands of the mayor’s direct administrative officer.
He observed all the proper formalities.
And did everything he was asked to do without fail.
‘What on earth was the problem?’
From the scale of the event to the list of attendees.
No matter how thoroughly he searched, he couldn’t figure out what the cause was.
“Mayor, are you alright?”
Levi approached.
“You haven’t left yet.”
“I have something to tell you. The pillars of light that shot up outside earlier. You saw them, right?”
‘That was your doing too!’
But the mayor didn’t show it and replied as calmly as possible.
“I saw. Everyone else besides me witnessed it too.”
“Could you announce that it was part of the event you prepared?”
“May I ask why?”
Levi thought for a moment and answered.
“He didn’t seem to want it.”
His long-standing intuition that led him on the road to success.
Was telling him that probing further would be dangerous.
“…Alright. I’ll cover it up well, so don’t worry too much.”

“Thank you. I’ll be counting on you in the future too~”
The mayor, who heard Levi’s words as “Let’s keep working together in the future~”.
Heaved a deep sigh.
‘But at this level, is this underworld side okay?’
Baron Roan too.
And Benny the guild master who ruled the underworld before him.
Were desperate to intervene in the city and its administration.
But this young man Ethan and Levi were a bit different.
They didn’t seem very interested in seizing Serdin’s power or money.
Rather, didn’t they even abolish the protection fees for the Free Market, which had been a long-standing practice?
“Hmm, what are they up to.”
“Mayor?”
“Ahem, hem. I’ve been talking to myself a lot today. It’s nothing.”
Whatever it was, there was little he could do.
Just watch and.
If they try to do something dangerous.
Even if his knees don’t bend easily.
He’d have no choice but to kneel and beg for the city.
*
Ethan was in a bad mood.
As he remembered, the ‘World Tree’s First Root’ was both an equipment item and a consumable item.
It could be equipped as a blunt weapon on its own.
And was also consumed to craft higher-tier items.
But Ethan who came up from the basement was empty-handed.
[Congratulations! You have absorbed the ‘World Tree’s First Root’.]
‘Why is it being absorbed?’
He reached out his hand to take it.
When his fingertips touched the root, it seemed to scatter as if at the particle level.
Then it flashed like a flashbang going off.
And went straight into Ethan’s body.
He tried coughing roughly like someone who inhaled a lot of dust while cleaning.
He even tried to forcibly vomit it out, but to no avail.
-Ding!
[The World Tree’s First Root asks for the name of the one who awakened it.]
“Me?”
[The World Tree’s First Root answers that it is.]
“Ethan.”
[Confirmed. Ethan-nim, you are designated as the authorized user.]
“No, wait. Not me!”
No matter how you look at it, the phrase “Are you sure you want to equip this? This item cannot be traded with others once equipped.” came to mind, but.
Unfortunately, there was no ‘No’ button on the notification window.
[Applying to user.]
[Application complete.]
Completely doing as it pleases.
“Unequip it! Please!”
[Not possible. The user is ‘Ethan’-nim and it can only be unequipped in case of your death or cessation of existence.]
Non-tradeable, soulbound item.
Isn’t this something often seen in certain games with vicious business models?
For a moment anger surged to the top of his head, but.
Ethan barely calmed down due to the influence of his composure stat.
“If there’s no way to take it out, giving it to the kids is out of the question.”
Thinking he might as well check the effects, he opened the notification window.
There was no change in stats, but.
A new entry was added to the skill window.
…
[Passive Skill: The Leader]
●Exert a positive influence on those around you to permanently increase intimacy, LV.1 30% intimacy increase per hour for characters within 300m radius.
●The World Tree bestows blessings on those who truly follow you, LV.1 20% increase in attack power/defense/agility.
●Your righteousness will set a good example to punish evil and drive out darkness, LV.1 20% increase in mental pollution defense, 30% increase in willpower.
[Item Skill: Thought Acceleration]
●Enhance your thinking ability for a certain time with the World Tree’s sacred mana, LV.1 120% acceleration of thinking ability.
…
“?”
In a way, the best top-tier options for guardian gameplay were all attached.
Originally these should have been attached to equipment.
It’s like they were attached to a person as passive skills, but.
[The World Tree’s First Root is proud that it has finally recognized its true value.]
But Ethan’s expression remained unchanged.
“Fucking useless.”
[The World Tree’s First Root is bewildered by the sudden criticism.]
The reason for his dissatisfaction was simple.
“It would have been better if it was attached to equipment to give to Levi instead of me. Now I have to run around myself.”
Because the options rolled too well.
He had moved about five steps away from the dream of automatic hunting ^click^ using a ward.
After all.
“How can I resist this? I can’t resist this.”
Ethan was a crazy efficiency and performance enthusiast.
*
While waiting for Levi who went back to city hall saying she had left something behind.
There was someone nearby who caught Ethan’s attention.
“Please! Let me in!”
“It’s not possible. You can’t enter Serdin City Hall without permission from inside in the first place.”
“I’m begging you like this. It’s urgent!”
She looked quite young from her appearance.
Judging by her clothes, she looked like a young lady from some noble family.
She was being stopped in front of city hall and pleading desperately.
“Miss, it’s difficult because the mayor’s inauguration ceremony and banquet are today. Please come back tomorrow morning when the sun rises. The mayor isn’t the type to unilaterally turn people away.”
“It’s an urgent matter. Please. I’m begging you like this.”
Not minding that her skirt was getting dirty on the ground.
The woman tried to kneel down right there.
“Oh my, why are you doing this? We’re just low-level security guards.”
“Miss, please come back tomorrow.”
“But Garfield…”
Her eyes were already welling up with tears.
“Ethan-nim? What are you looking at… Ah.”
“I was just watching for a bit. Wondering what’s going on for her to be like that.”
Did she come to meet someone important?
But it’s been a while since the banquet ended.
Most people have gone home already.
‘Even if she goes in now, there’s probably no one she can meet.’
It didn’t seem like there was anything a parachute aide could help with.
So he was about to leave when.
“Please let me meet the new aide. Please?”
Realizing unexpectedly that he was the one the girl was looking for, Ethan.
“???”
Wondering what this was about now.
Turned his feet.
“Look, I said it’s not possible.”
“Just a moment.”
“Ah, Aide-nim? Miss, this is perfect timing. This is the new mayoral aide.”
“What? This person…?”
As if he was quite different from the impression she imagined.
The woman who seemed considerably flustered soon regained her composure.
“Ahem.”
And hurriedly got up, lightly lifting her skirt hem, and introduced herself.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Cecil Sharian, young lady of the Count Sharian family.”
“I’m Ethan. What business do you have with me?”
“It’s against etiquette, but since the matter is urgent, I’ll get straight to the point.”
Hoping it wasn’t anything serious, Ethan perked up his ears.
But.
“Please help our family! If you want, I’ll give you anything, no, even my body!”
“???”
At the sudden full-on fastball that came at him.
Ethan felt his mind going blank.