I Became the Guardian of Big Shots in the Game

*
Ethan heard the circumstances from Doberr and Sir Rashid.
Doberr arrived at the underground arena in Legville, Kingdom of Ligrion.
He entered the arena as requested and purchased Ponya.
But at that time.
Unfortunately, the arena was caught by a crackdown team.
Doberr was detained along with them.
‘It could have been big trouble if I was a little late.’
As Ethan remembered, when the underground arena Ponya was in was closed after being caught by the crackdown team, she was taken in by a kind knight.
The knight recognized Ponya’s talent and raised her as a knight.
The ‘Black Lion of the Battlefield’ Ponya, who became the vice-captain of the Ligrion Kingdom’s Knight Order, becomes one of the six big shots.
“Anyway, it seems Doberr did purchase Ponya.”
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t have the authority to stop a foreign merchant’s legitimate transaction.”
“What legitimate transaction! I only needed 279 more gold to be free!”
Ponya growled.
“Calm down, Ponya. The arena is closed, and at best, you would have only been sold as a slave. Did you really think those running an illegal arena would actually give you freedom? You know better than anyone that you were deceived by them.”
She growled as if frustrated, but.
Unable to refute, she turned her head to the side with a huff.
“Ethan-ssi, our Lakan family has been teaching swordsmanship for generations in Ligrion. It’s our family’s destiny to train more warriors and guide them in the right direction.”
‘This person seems to be that knight.’
According to the story, Ponya grows into a formidable talent with the beastkin’s unique strength and reflexes, and under the guidance of the knight who becomes her master.
Unlike ‘Black Baroness Hwaryon’ whose disposition is classified as evil.
‘Black Lion of the Battlefield Ponya’ is a big shot on the good side.
Just looking at how he raised a child oppressed in an underground arena without going astray shows Sir Rashid’s good character.
“Although Ponya is a gladiator slave, she’s a child with limitless potential.”
“I know that too.”
“Yes, that’s why you purchased her. However, this child has talent that’s truly too precious to waste her life as a mere slave.”
“That’s right. That’s why I requested to purchase her to set her free.”
“Please yield Ponya to me… Pardon?”
Sir Rashid doubted his ears.
He heard from Doberr that the client paid 5,000 gold as the request fee.
5,000 gold is by no means a small amount.
And freeing a slave purchased for that much is an even more incomprehensible action.
“It’s a waste to let a talented child rot as a slave. So I want to give her a chance to show her talent.”
“Uh…”
Rashid was greatly flustered by the unexpected answer.
He had prepared about 2,000 gold to take Ponya.
He had forcibly held back Doberr, who was trying to hurry back to Etrion saying he had to complete the request.
He felt a bit empty.
It felt like all his efforts so far had been in vain.
“If I may ask, what do you plan to do after freeing Ponya…”
“I plan to teach her swordsmanship so she can take care of herself.”
His words were cut off.
Though he felt somewhat frustrated at losing the chance to polish this raw gem.
Seeing the magnificent mansion, the bright expression of the girl about Ponya’s age, and Ethan’s kind heart.
‘Right, this is better than me taking her.’
In a better environment and conditions.
He decided to give up on Ponya.
“I understand. I’m truly sorry for visiting suddenly and causing trouble.”
Sir Rashid got up without lingering regret.
“Ponya.”
“What?”
“It seems we won’t be able to be together after all.”
“The promise?”
At those words, Rashid bit his lower lip.
The day they met at the arena.
He had promised to teach Ponya swordsmanship.
-I’ll help you become strong. In return, will you promise to become a proper knight?
-Okay.
Rashid clenched his teeth and answered.
“I’m sorry.”
Ponya also had a bitter expression.
Not all the people in the crackdown team that raided the arena were as kind as Rashid.
Some were busy coveting the arena’s slaves or gold for themselves.
Some violent ones even killed the caged slave gladiators just for fun.
Only Rashid protected Ponya and Doberr.
Though Ponya didn’t like Doberr or Rashid because of her goal to clear her debt life with her own hands.
Rashid was the first person to look at Ponya as she was, without beating or contemptuous eyes.
‘Liar.’
That’s why the sense of betrayal was even greater.
“You said you’d take responsibility. You said you’d teach me the sword.”
“Ethan-ssi said he’ll free you from slavery and educate you. You’ll be able to have a much better life guaranteed than with me, a mere knight.”
“Fine, go! Get lost!”
In an atmosphere as dramatic as watching a morning soap opera.
Ethan couldn’t easily say what he was going to say.
“All adults are liars!”
“Um…”
“What!”
“I’ve been very rude. I’ll take my leave now.”
“No, Sir Rashid. If you’re alright with it, I’d like to hire you as our house’s swordsmanship instructor.”
“…Pardon?”
Rashid who sensed he had to leave and.
Ponya who couldn’t easily reveal her true feelings to such a Rashid.
Ethan’s words ended up ruining the two’s poignant farewell scene, but.
“Pffft.”
“Oh my, you shouldn’t do that.”
Finding the situation funny, Hwaryon burst out laughing.
Hwarin lightly scolded her sister not to laugh.
Rashid and Ponya blushed at the same time, diluting the heavy atmosphere.
“Me as a swordsmanship instructor…?”
“That’s right.”
“There must be many more excellent people than me. Why such an offer to me?”
There were several reasons, but.
The biggest one was.
‘Because he’s a good and upright person.’
Ponya’s master is what you’d call a stubborn person.
An inflexible stubborn person who strictly adheres to principles.
When colleagues accept bribes and cover for criminals.
When they neglect training and just drink every day.
He silently fulfilled his duties as a knight.
‘To prevent the kids from being tainted by evil, an educator with an upright life like Sir Rashid would be good.’
“Why? You said you wanted to teach Ponya. And I put out a job posting for an instructor but couldn’t find anyone for a while.”
“Of course!!! Ah, I’m sorry. I got a bit excited.”
“So the mister doesn’t have to go?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ponya’s angry expression softened a bit.
“However, if you take on the role of instructor, your activities in Ligrion…”
“Of course! I’ll take care of it quickly and come back! Time is of the essence. Doberr-ssi?”
“Yes?”
“Could I borrow a carriage?”
Sir Rashid was a man of excellent action.
He immediately unloaded all the luggage from the carriage.
“I’ll be back soon!”
And left for Ligrion.
“…He’s giving up his position as a royal knight to become a swordsmanship instructor?”
Doberr and others were somewhat puzzled, but.
“He must think it’s worth it. Come on, let’s all go inside.”
Ethan knew from seeing the story.
That the knight’s family who taught Ponya were perverts who couldn’t resist rushing in when they met a talented swordsman for generations.
*
‘Did it work out well?’
Ethan slowly checked the notification window.
2 fate change notifications.
[‘Unfortunate Knight Rashid Lakan’s fate has been changed.]
[‘Rashid Lakan’s fate is currently being reconfigured.]
In Rashid’s case.
A miserable end was waiting for him in the future.
When you live righteously and incorruptibly alone in the world, you’re bound to make many enemies.
In the story, the master who taught Ponya is dishonorably dismissed from the knight order after being framed for a crime.
Abandoned by his colleagues, even shunned by those he helped.
He died as his condition worsened after stopping Ponya who wanted revenge.
‘If I hire him as our house’s swordsmanship instructor, this won’t happen, right?’
Next is Ponya.
[‘Gladiator Slave Ponya’s fate has been changed.]
[‘Ponya’s fate is currently being reconfigured.]
[Character Information: Ponya]
「Ponya was abandoned in a quiet alley in Legville when she was about three years old.
She was picked up by Rex, a tavern owner who ran a bar and gambling den.
When Ponya turned five.
Rex discovered Ponya beating a wild boar that came down from the mountain with her bare hands.
Thinking of selling her as a slave when she grew up a bit, he instead sold Ponya to an underground arena for a high price.
At the young age of five, Ponya began fighting monsters and gladiators in an illegal arena.
Even with her flesh torn and covered in dust, all she got in return were words and trash like “Get up! I bet money on you!”, “Fight!”, “Win!”.
She thought she’d have to fight monsters in the dark arena for her whole life.
One day, she was saved by a knight of the Ligrion Kingdom who raided the arena.
Finally finding meaning in life, Ponya devoted herself to training and became a knight.
She was called the Black Lion of the Battlefield, vice-captain of the Ligrion Kingdom’s Knight Order.」
“Up to here was a happy ending.”
The problem is the latter part.
「Ponya led the Great War to victory, but lost more than half her strength while facing Borka, the great mage of the Cragent Federation.
The price of victory was bitter, and someone had to take responsibility.
The upper echelons stripped Ponya of her achievements and expelled her from the knight order.」
Ponya, who was abandoned by the country despite dedicating her whole body.
Ethan didn’t like that.
“Shouldn’t she be rewarded for her hard work?”
[The World Tree’s First Root agrees with that thought.]
“You know something, huh. So let’s give it a try.”
Gathering talented children with gloomy endings together.
To cleanly clear the main story.
And to avoid tragic endings too.
*
While Ethan was pondering as he checked various things in the notification window.
Levi and Hwaryon, who had guided Ponya to her room.
Were having a somewhat serious conversation.
“…Do you understand?”
“So, according to you. This person Ethan is the savior of the world or something?”
“Your comprehension is quick, that’s good.”
Levi added while choosing neat clothes for Ponya to wear.
“You too are someone whose fate has been twisted by someone. It’s natural that Ethan-nim would choose you.”
Ponya put her index finger to the side of her head and twirled it.
“Fate what? Are you crazy? I’ve seen guys like that among the debtors dragged to the arena.”
“It’s true! Big brother is the best!”
“Ow! Stop pulling my tail! That’s cheating!”
Hwaryon pulled Ponya’s tail hard and giggled.
Ponya, who barely managed to get Hwaryon away.
“I don’t know anything about saviors or whatever.”
“You don’t know, but you should. Ethan-nim saved you, and from today you’ll be living here too.”
“…What if I don’t want to?”
“You don’t want to? Interesting.”
“Ah! Levi unnie, are you using that again?”
‘What does she mean by tha… Urk?!’
She felt an ominous energy constricting her whole body.
Being dozens of times more sensitive than ordinary people as a beastkin.
She immediately realized it was emanating from Levi.
She tried to reflexively step back, but.
“It’s useless.”
“Ugh!”
Dark red shadows that had already spread out tightly bound Ponya’s limbs.
“Now, shall we have a calm conversation?”
“Mmph! Mph!”
‘What is this? A monster?’
It didn’t take long.
For the cheeky beastkin girl to become a polite young lady.