I Am Really The Best Anti Hero In Another World!-System Of Anti Hero! Chapter 34 - Impartial Judgment

The guards entered the room, worried—and a little frightened—wondering if this could be the start of another incident. Their eyes swept over the entire room, and nothing seed out of place—nothing except for Guang Ai, kneeling on the floor in panic.

"W–what happened?!" one of the guards asked, while another ran over to assist Ai.

Noah rely shrugged—not out of disdain, but because the guard's bewildernt was mutual, after all. He then replied,

— I was ditating alone, as far as I can rember.

Upon noticing the injury on Guang Ai's wrist, the guard stood up, exclaiming,

— What have you done to Miss Ai's arm?!

He touched the sheath of his sword and shot a nacing glance toward Noah.

The guard found himself in a delicate predicant. On one side was one of the family's most important mbers, and on the other, a direct guest of the leaders along with his daughter. Touching his sword already had been an overreaction—even if it was rely reflex.

Seeing the situation, the other guard quickly left the room, running to fetch Arthur so that he could handle the matter personally.

"Hey, I already said I was here alone. I don't know when or why that girl ca in. And her arm..." He glanced at her briefly before adding, "She probably tried to touch when I wasn't looking—that's all."

"She tried to touch you? That's ridiculous! Miss Ai would never do that! Everyone knows that touching soone during ditation is dangerous and can cause a Qi deviation."

"Oh... is that true..?"

Ignoring the rest of the guard's words, Noah focused only on the last phrase. Although he didn't know all the details, he understood what a Qi deviation was and its possible consequences—losing one's cultivation being the most likely, though in so cases, people even die.

Looking directly into Guang Ai's trembling eyes, he asked,

— So why did you try to touch , even knowing that?

"You... What do you think you're—!"

Before he could finish, Arthur burst into the room in a hurry. The door slamd so hard it fell off its hinges as he exclaid,

— What happened?!

"Noah?" Sophia called out, surprising him—his heart ward at the sound; the feeling of being cared for can be intoxicating. She ran toward him, but when she saw Guang Ai, she knelt down to help her after realizing that Ai's situation seed worse than Noah's—she was crying and trembling, as if in shock.

"Sir, he... this boy is saying that Miss Ai tried to touch him while he was ditating," one of the guards revealed.

"What did she do?!" Arthur shouted, his veins bulging with the force of his cry—making Noah realize that this was more serious than he had imagined. "Are you out of your mind?! How could you even think of doing sothing like that!"

Sighing, Alice stepped forward—taking charge—and said,

— Dear, calm down. First, let's try to understand what happened.

Attempting to soothe everyone's nerves.

"Yes, she's right," one of the elders said—one of the three who had accompanied Arthur and his family—with Noah imdiately feeling his stern gaze. "Let's start from the beginning then: first, who are you, boy?"

"He's the one who saved my daughter!" Arthur exclaid, his irritation a bit more than necessary; Noah sensed that there might be sothing deeper behind that overreaction.

"Oh, so that's it," the elder said, clasping his hands together and bowing briefly. "I apologize for the tardy introduction—I am Guang So, an elder of the Radiance family."

"And I am Andrew Radiance," added the other elder, placing his hands together next to his cane, even though he couldn't bow.

An unexpected reaction – Noah had thought it would be sowhat different – more incisive, perhaps even tinged with a note of accusation. He clasped his hands together and bowed, ignoring the pain it caused:

— The pleasure is all mine, elders. And I'm sorry I couldn't introduce myself properly.

"Can't you...?" one elder began.

"Yes, he's dealing with the injuries he sustained while helping Sophia, sir," explained Alice. "He's doing much better than when my husband brought him in—considering his bones were all broken—but I believe it's still too early for him to walk."

"His bones were broken?!" exclaid the cane-wielding elder, incredulous—soon beginning a series of coughs.

Alice confird this while consoling him.

"Hmm, that's strange... Arthur, you didn't—"

"His recovery has nothing to do with us," Arthur interjected promptly. "All we did was bring him here. Do you really believe that if we had had access to sothing like that, my wife would still be in this condition?"

"...Yes, forgive . It was foolish of to make that assumption," sighed the elder. "So, regarding the current situation—"

"What is there to discuss?!" bellowed another old man from slightly further back. "Just expel him from here, and the problem will be solved."

"You...!"

Guang So stepped forward, cutting Arthur off. He halted in front of his fellow elder and asked,

— Didn't you hear what Arthur said, Philip? Or are you really suggesting that we expel a benefactor of our family without reason?

"Without any reason...?" the old man recoiled a step. "He crushed Guang Ai's arm! She is part of the family—on your side—and one of our most promising youths! Shouldn't you be protecting her?"

"I will not protect her if she is indeed in the wrong. Being of the family or holding a high position does not exempt anyone from bla or consequence. Rember that."

Guang So then walked through the room—his wooden sandals causing his footsteps to echo—until he stopped before Ai. She trembled rely at the sight of his feet, and then his hoarse voice resonated:

— Did you do it or not, Ai? I hope you'll tell the truth.

"Grandpa, I..." she hesitated, "...Yes..."

"What? Ai, you... why?" asked Sophia, confused—unable to fathom why Guang Ai would try to do sothing so dangerous.

"I... I just wanted to see who he was..." she replied, sobbing.

"The punishnt should be harsher; however, as Philip ntioned, since you are one of our most promising youths—and considering the circumstances—you will be confined for two weeks," declared Guang So, glancing at Noah. "I hope that will be sufficient."

Noah bowed—whether it was out of justice or coldness, he wasn't sure—

— I appreciate your impartial judgnt, elder.

"But Grandpa, two weeks is..." Sophia tried to intercede on Ai's behalf. "Really, nothing happened; can't the punishnt be a little more lenient...?"

"...If she had managed to touch him, even with the slightest mistake, the consequences she would have faced wouldn't be mitigated in the slightest, Soph."

"...I understand... sorry."

Before leaving, So gently caressed Sophia's head and offered one final word to Ai:

— I believe it's best if you tend to that injury and inform your father of what happened before you begin your punishnt. Don't harbor any bitterness about this—there's no reason to. Use this ti to better yourself and grow as much as I know you're capable of.

"...Alright, Grandpa... I'll do that," she said, wiping away her tears.