I Became the Guardian of Big Shots in the Game

Though it may have been Cecil’s way of showing her urgency.
The city hall guards, Ethan, and even Levi.
All had dumbfounded expressions.
To her, who didn’t realize what the problem was.
An elderly man who looked like a butler whispered while covering his mouth with his hand.
“!”
Only then realizing what she had blurted out, Cecil blushed.
“I don’t know what the circumstances are, but isn’t it getting late? Let’s continue tomorrow.”
“Ah, no. Please, it’s urgent…”
As it seemed she might burst into tears again.
Ethan had no choice but to invite Cecil to the mansion.
The story Cecil shared in the mansion’s reception room.
Was not something light that could be discussed casually on the street.
Cecil, who put down her teacup with trembling hands.
“Our Count Sharian family has a territory in the northeast region of the kingdom. We were managing the territory with income from mining minerals and forest byproducts.”
“Then one day, nobles from neighboring territories proposed to collude on mineral prices. It was a vile act. Father flatly refused, but after that, strange things started happening.”
From a few years ago, monsters in the mines and forests increased exponentially.
They experienced several attacks disguised as accidents, and even the count’s son was injured.
“Eventually even merchants stopped coming, and the territory faced a crisis. Father, the Count, had no choice but to take out private loans from the capital, but that was a ploy by Etre’s underworld. The interest snowballed to the point where we can’t repay unless we sell off all the mines…”
‘It’s a money problem.’
Only then did he understand why she came looking for him.
Since the place he’s currently residing is the White Mansion.
Though it was actually a bargain purchase, it was enough for rumors to spread that he has a lot of money.
But even if he has ample assets.
It’s not something he can lend out recklessly.
Because.
‘There was no territory called Count Sharian’s domain in the northeast region of Etrion?’
If his memory wasn’t wrong.
9 years later when the main story begins, Count Sharian’s domain disappears from the map.
Why would he lend money he won’t be able to get back?
Still, just in case, he asked.
“How much do you need?”
“Pardon?”
“You need help repaying the debt, right? Tell me.”
“No, I didn’t come to borrow money.”
‘The purpose isn’t money?’
“Then why…”
“Please lend us your strength. The other nobles in the northeast region have allied with the creditor ‘Secret Order’. Even if we somehow repay all the debt, those people won’t give up. Please help our territory.”
The Secret Order, one of the five pillars of Etre’s underworld.
The members are indeed officially certified priests from the Holy Spirit.
But it’s a criminal group full of scum that makes the name ‘order’ seem wasted.
Their main sources of income are kidnapping the poor to sell as slaves or collecting money under the guise of donations to run loan shark businesses, so that says it all.
That’s why Ethan found it hard to understand.
‘What power do I have?’
The five pillars of the underworld are by no means easy opponents.
They bicker among themselves, but if one organization is attacked from outside, they band together.
The five organizations united like that are so powerful that even the royal army can’t guarantee victory in a head-on battle.
But Ethan now?
He’s just an aide to Serdin’s mayor.
And he hasn’t even officially started working yet.
“I don’t think this is something I can resolve.”
“What? No, please reconsider…”
“I’m sorry.”
This would be impossible even if Ethan was an OP character wrapped in high stats with cheating traits.
“P-Please.”
“This is not for me to step in.”
Regrettably, that was all he could say.
The capital’s underworld is part of the main story Levi has to deal with 9 years later.
“It’s late, so stay the night. I’ll tell the servants to prepare a guest room.”
The only kindness current Ethan could offer.
Was letting her stay for one night.
In the end, leaving Cecil who was in tears behind.
Ethan, who felt like his heart might soften, left the reception room.
“Young miss. There’s nothing we can do.”
Cecil is not someone who didn’t understand butler Garfield’s words.
To the dark lord who controlled the kingdom’s second city.
If a mere verbal request worked, it would have been a miracle.
At the very least, she should have brought the family heirlooms left to properly show sincerity.
Cecil berated herself for her immaturity.
“B-But. Sniff, sob. Still…”
At this rate, the family is finished.
The familiar territory she was born and raised in, the castle servants, her family, all of it.
That’s why she made this last desperate attempt.
But it ended in vain.
As she roughly wiped away the endlessly flowing tears with her hands.
A long shadow fell in front of Cecil.

“Use this to wipe.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Levi handed over a handkerchief and then also left the reception room.
She felt quite uneasy.
Not because of Cecil’s sorrowful crying heard from behind.
‘Of course this isn’t something for Ethan-nim to step in.’
At most, just one underworld organization is involved.
Even looking at the big picture, it’s just petty scheming between local nobles.
‘He has to carry out bigger and more important missions.’
As Levi snapped her fingers.
“You called?”
Malos, who had melted into the shadows, smoothly came out.
“How many Special Forces are deployed in Etrion’s northeast?”
“About twenty or so, I believe.”
“That should be enough. I’ll send a letter, so be prepared.”
“Yes, miss.”
Levi mulled over her master’s words again.
[This is not for me to step in.]
That means.
The servants should take care of it.
‘Ah, even though I made a mistake, he trusts me and leaves the work to me. How can he be so generous?’
Levi joyfully scribbled out a directive.
Soon after.
A mana messenger ball flew through the night sky.
*
The next day.
Ethan firmly rejected Cecil’s request to reconsider even once.
“I wish you good fortune.”
“But…”
Cecil crying at the mansion entrance and.
Ethan passing by her with a stern expression.
People passing by who witnessed this spread rumors that ‘He made the noble young lady cry twice, once at night and once in the morning’, but.
Fortunately, it didn’t reach Ethan’s ears.
[The World Tree’s First Root subtly suggests helping the unfortunate one.]
‘Me? How?’
[It says you have the power to do so.]
‘Nonsense.’
Stats just a little higher than an ordinary person.
Passive skills that give buffs to wards around him rather than his own abilities.
And other miscellaneous trash skills.
How can he defeat the main story’s evil organization with this?
‘If I charge in like this, I’ll just die. You fluorescent twig.’
[@@#!$$!!%$%@#%!]
Ethan ignored the notification window and the root half-fused with it.
He headed to city hall.
‘I’m a bit nervous.’
From today, he starts working as an aide.
He has no leisure to rack his brains and waste emotions on unsolvable matters.
“Hello.”
“Ah, hello, Aide-nim.”
But for some reason.
Every city hall employee he met clearly showed signs of avoiding him.
Fortunately, there was one person who faced him properly.
“You came earlier than I thought.”
It was Ailey who had visited the mansion.
“Are you confident you can do well?”
“I’ll have to try.”
“Your spirit is good. Well then.”
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
She stacked thick bundles of documents on the desk one, two, three.
“This is…”
“What work would I give a new aide on his first day? Read and familiarize yourself with all of this first.”
“All of… this?”
“I’ll give you plenty of time, so don’t worry. For the next month, before you start full-fledged work, build up the necessary knowledge.”
As she returned to her seat, she added one more thing.
“I’ll be watching. I hope you’re better than that idiot Michel.”
“…I’ll work hard.”
Sad, but what can he do?
Even if he didn’t want it, it’s a position he agreed to take.
And he now has a reason to keep coming to work for the time being.
[The World Tree’s First Root is happy, saying it likes this place.]
To raise the First Root’s stats.
It needs to receive mana from the World Tree, its parent.
‘You should have charged up in advance when we were in the basement. So troublesome.’
[The World Tree’s First Root says indignantly that it was asleep until the promised one arrived.]
‘Inactive until the user touches it? The game settings are really annoying.’
After scolding the glowing root a bit.
Ethan returned to the reality before him and.
“Ah.”
His vision went dark at the pile of documents.
‘This will take 3 months, not 1 month.’
[The World Tree’s First Root subtly boasts that it can help.]
‘What help?’
[The World Tree’s First Root uses the skill ‘Thought Acceleration’ on user ‘Ethan’.]
Then Ethan felt a refreshing energy envelop his whole body.
He decided to check how effective it was.
He immediately picked up the first document and started reading.
His eyes that would normally get tired easily, and his brain that would be exhausted from reading difficult and dry text, were both fine.
Even without particularly focusing, he could perfectly remember even the page numbers of the documents.
‘Better than I thought?’
[The World Tree’s First Root is elated.]
‘Alright, I’ll acknowledge you just this once.’
After repeating the commute for a week like that, Ethan.
“…What is it?”
“I’ve familiarized myself with everything.”
“What are you trying to do? I gave you enough to take even a speed reader two months.”
‘You gave two months’ worth but only a one month deadline?’
It was hard for him to manage his expression.
“Sigh, Ethan-ssi. Do you think no one has ever bragged to me like that before? Go back to your seat.”
Since she clearly didn’t believe him.
Ethan provoked her.
“Let’s test it. If I’m lying, I’ll resign from the aide position myself.”
“…Fine.”
Ailey glared at him with sharp eyes as she picked up a document.
“What year did Serdin become a free city?”
“Continental year 1203.”
“Tell me about the representative achievements of Serdin’s 5th mayor.”
“Baron Mike Laibin. When the kingdom faced its greatest crisis with the federation of Ligrion in the south and Cragent in the north invading from both sides, he formed the Serdin City Defense Force and repelled them in turn, achieving tremendous military merits.”
“What precautions should be taken when cleaning the mayor’s office every morning?”
“Never touch the potted plants and the mayor’s desk. Everything else should be cleaned thoroughly.”
After that, Ailey threw nearly thirty more questions.
Contents about Serdin’s city administration.
Contents about past mayors.
And even about the duties an aide should perform.
Despite the wide-ranging and detailed barrage of questions.
Ethan answered without batting an eye, and.
“…You pass. From today, let’s start working together in earnest.”
“Thank you.”
He was finally acknowledged.
But.
“What are you doing? Get up.”
“?”
Ailey roughly pushed aside the documents.
She grabbed her coat and got up from her seat.
“Let’s go to work. I gave you about a month to relax comfortably, but you kicked it away yourself, so don’t complain.”
“???”
Something seemed to have gone very wrong.
*
The place they arrived following Ailey was the Free Market.
She greeted the merchants very naturally and.
Bought two skewers, handing one to Ethan.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Take it. This is also one of the city hall’s main duties.”
“…Snacking at the market during work hours?”
“Observing public sentiment is also an official job.”
If the boss says so, what can he do?
After eating deliciously, they arrived at the guild.
But.
The moment the door opened.
“Ugh!!”
Some nerdy-looking guy wearing glasses was punched and flew towards him.
Crash!
“Albert you bastard, if I gave you work, you should just do what you’re told. Huh? Why are you acting like you’re the guild master when you’re just a trainee?”
A very angry fat man stomped out through the guild door and grabbed Albert’s collar, pulling him up.
“You damn bastard. You’re fired!”
“Albert?”
Ethan unconsciously reacted to the familiar name.
A famous great merchant who had already made it big at the start of .
Looking closely, his appearance was similar too.
He must have gone through quite a lot of hardship, as he looked even older around the start of the main story than now.
“Huh? Who the hell are you…”
Then the man noticed that the person lying at his feet was Ethan.
“Uh…uh…uh…”
He slowly unclenched the fist he had tightly gripped to strike Albert and prostrated himself flat on the ground.
“I’m sorry! I committed a mortal sin not recognizing you!”
At that moment, Ethan thought:
‘Is it because he’s a civil servant that he apologizes right away? Serdin’s public authority is no joke.’
He had no idea it was the merchant’s desperate attempt to save his life.
For daring to touch the boss of Serdin’s underworld.