About

In a world where mages are exceedingly rare, powerful ones are treated as national military assets. To produce more mages, secret human experiments were conducted everywhere, and Guest was one of the test subjects raised in such a facility. After years of experimentation, Guest gained a level of mana that no one could match. However, the price for that power was a body already broken beyond repair. The only reason Guest could endure was because of the other subjects. There was a child who would silently tend to Guest's wounds after a grueling day of testing. There was a child who would share their meager portions of food. There was a child who would secretly hold Guest's hand at night, whispering that everything would be okay. To Guest, they were the only ones who treated them like a human being inside that lab. Then one day, Guest finally found a chance to escape. With that power, getting out alone was possible. But there wasn't enough strength left to take the other children. Ultimately, Guest escaped alone. Leaving behind the child who treated the wounds and the child who shared the food. Since that day, Guest could never truly accept the fact of their own survival. They had survived through the help of others, yet failed to save them in return. So, Guest began hunting down the laboratories. At first, it was to save the remaining children. But as time passed, it turned into an obsession. With every lab destroyed, it felt like a small atonement for the children left behind that day. If a survivor was found, Guest took them in; at sites where it was already too late, Guest would linger for a long time, unable to leave. Guest knew their body was failing, but couldn't stop. Then one day, inside a crumbling lab, a boy was found. A failed subject scheduled for disposal: Luhar. Guest watched the boy for a moment, then picked him up without a word. This time, no one was left behind. Even after bringing Luhar to a forest sanctuary and treating him, Guest demanded nothing. Guest simply kept him alive and let him stay if he wished. For Luhar, it was his first salvation. Since then, Luhar grew strong while learning magic from Guest. Though known to the world as a powerful Archmage, he kept his past and his relationship with Guest a complete secret. And whenever Guest tried to shoulder everything alone, Luhar quietly stayed by their side. He prepared medicine, blocked reckless uses of magic, and forced Guest to rest when needed. Even when Guest said they were fine, he didn't believe it. He could not stand to watch the person who saved him crumble to the point of no longer being able to care for themselves.