It's Actually Not Easy Wanting to be a Supporting Male Lead-Chapter 16 part11
Translated by Eve
Edited by Kara
While One-Eyed was pondering over whether or not he wanted to work with Sui Yuan one more time, Zhao Xihe finally made a move. Probably because Iressa had been observing this whole time but he thought that this "Hill" was very suspicious. He would rather kill the wrong one than risk letting him run free. Thus, Iressa chose to move against "Hill."
Only, "Hill's" status was that of an under-aged guide who had been sent to the Academy by the military. If he wanted to act, he'd have to do it secretly and not let anyone see. Furthermore, at this time, the self-defense measures Iressa had placed for himself became his restrictions. He needed to temporarily lead the "spies" by his side away so that he could act on his own.
Naturally, this was not very difficult for Iressa. After all, he was very self-confident. He didn't think that a young, inexperienced guide—or rather, Actor, who could not even cover their tracks, would give him any trouble.
When he thought that he had made all the appropriate preparations, Iressa quickly set forth his plan. Meanwhile, Zhao Xihe, who Iressa thought was "not in the least bit prepared," had already been waiting for a very long time. He was practically itching to "fall into his trap."
Thus, the next day, a video that was secretly spread around the Star Network caused ripples in everyone's hearts. The quality of the video was not very good as the picture was not very clear. The person recording was clearly not skilled, and one could see that it was also taken in haste rather than "premeditated." Although the screen was shaking a lot, and the sound was disjointed and fuzzy, everyone could see that there was an adult guide chasing after an under-aged guide with an enormous killing intent. Furthermore, the adult guide was, astonishingly, a rather famous guide teacher: Iressa!
Everyone's first reaction after seeing the video was that of disbelief. How could they believe something so absurd?! However, after several tech experts confirmed that this video had not been altered in any way, adding to the growing voices of concern, everyone's attitude regarding this became that of half-belief and half-doubt.
One may know a person for a long time without knowing their true nature. Who could guarantee that underneath that brilliant and beautiful exterior, there wasn't a filthy interior? After all, everyone had seen many examples of two-faced people.
Although the Guide Academy had a long history, and its image was righteous, there were still quite a few people who had rather deep grievances against it. For example, some children had friends who had awoken as guides. These children could only watch helplessly as their friends were forced into the Guide Academy, so they didn't have a good image of the institution. Who would want their closest people to have no freedom over their futures, to be manipulated for the rest of their lives? Unfortunately, they were powerless in the face of authority and had no way to face off against the societal system. They could only swallow their anger and maintain their silence, waiting for a chance to erupt.
——And this was their chance to erupt, finally venting the feelings that had been brewing for a long, long time.
When "Hill's" identity was exposed, and everyone knew that he had once been a space pirate, no one focused on this point. What they did focus on was why he was being so fiercely chased and beaten. Was it because he didn't obey the laws since he was used to having his freedom? Then, did that mean that all the young guides who entered the Guide Academy and tried to escape, hoping to attain freedom, would have also been treated like this? Was this why the guides who came from the Academy were so gentle, docile, and obedient—even to the point of lacking some emotions?
Originally, everyone thought that the change in guides was just a natural phenomena that occured when attending the Academy. However, after several free guides who had never entered the Academy spoke out, questioning the education the Academy's guides received, the people began to doubt what they had thought before. They wanted to understand what the lifestyle of the guides in the Academy was like. If the Guide Academy was truly as outstanding as rumoured, then why would so many guides from aristocratic families use their privilege to refuse education from the Guide Academy?
This matter aroused sympathy and pity in a normal person—although it was not enough to prevent them from bystanding on the sidelines. Meanwhile, it set off huge waves amongst the sentinels.
Each sentinel dreamed of having a gentle and considerate guide. They would protect their guides very well and treat them with utmost care as if they would break from the slightest touch. Although the current under-aged guides from the Guide Academy had no relationship with them for the time being, that didn't mean that one of them wouldn't be their future guide, ah! Their little guide might be oppressed and hurt right now. How could the sentinels bear this thought? Just thinking about it made their hearts hurt so much that their entire persons felt terrible!
This even scared the sentinels whose guides had graduated from the Academy. They indirectly asked their partners about their lives in the Guide Academy. If the other party showed even the slightest grievance, the blaze of anger would only grow hotter. Furthermore, even if the guide refused to speak, or they denied the conjecture about their abuse, the sentinels, who had been brainwashed by this great change in attitude, were skeptical. They were worried that their guides were afraid of speaking or that they had become accustomed to that treatment long ago.
Aside from deeply pondering on the issue about the guides, the other conjecture was about what deep grudge the guide teacher, Iressa, held against the space pirate, Hill. His expression, full of killing intent, did not make his actions seem like he was just punishing him for misbehaving. There must be an inside story to this!
Could it be that Iressa's sentinel partner had been killed by space pirates? Or was there some other reason? After all, the masses had a pretty good impression of Iressa. Many people tried to make up an excuse for him to prove that Iressa, who was once their "male god," wasn't actually that terrible.
If he had a desire for revenge against the space pirates, then even if it was a bit overboard to act against an under-aged child who had mended his way, it was still a sort of reasonable excuse.
The power of the masses is great. Their leniency for a once-injured guide prevented them from delving too deep into Iressa's past. However, now that they researched it, they found a heaven-shaking secret. It was so shocking that it was even enough to cause people to faint—even Sui Yuan was no exception!
Iressa had indeed bonded with a sentinel before. Afterwards, they split up. However, it wasn't because the sentinel had died—nor was this sentinel a military man. The sentinel still lived, and he was even a famous and great space pirate.
Sui Yuan, the famous, great space pirate who still lived: "…………………………！！！！！"
When he saw this, Sui Yuan was completely stupefied! He rubbed his eyes to confirm that his vision hadn't gone bad. Only then was he able to sluggishly accept this absurd fact.
——That's right, Germain's guide who had disappeared had finally been found. He was unexpectedly his and Zhao Xihe's target, Iressa!
Sui Yuan maintained a shocked expression. He supported his forehead with his hand while he called Zhao Xihe, who was on the other side. He looked like his spirit had left him. Meanwhile, Zhao Xihe spread out his hands and coughed softly, "Now, do you understand why I wanted to quickly get rid of Iressa, why I didn't want you to pay too much attention to him or have any interaction with him?"
"I understand…" Sui Yuan sighed, "But, how did you know? This—this was never mentioned in the plot!"
That's right. The plot never revealed the relationship between Iressa and Germain. After all, when Nova was captured, sent to the Guide Academy, and met with Iressa, Germain had already died. Nova knew that Iressa once had a sentinel partner and had always missed him, but he didn't have any clues that would have let him link it all back to Germain.
"It's probably because of his attitude?" Zhao Xihe furrowed his brows slightly, "In the plot, the attitude he used to treat Nova is vastly different from how he treated me. It's not just a matter of his appearance but also from deep within. We Actors are more perceptive than other people. Whether or not the other is genuinely treating us well, we can accurately tell. In the plot, Iressa took very good care of Nova. He treated him with kindness that came from the heart. This was probably because he knew that Nova was Germain's relative. He could not take revenge for Germain, so he would only work hard to compensate Nova in this manner. In the end, when Nova escaped from the Guide Academy with Erick's help, Iressa also lent a hand," Pausing, Zhao Xihe shrugged, "Of course, this was just my guess. What's more important is that I scented you from his body."
Sui Yuan blinked, realization dawning upon him, "Was it very obvious?"
"It wasn't obvious. After all, the two of you lost touch a long time ago. If it wasn't because we bonded, I probably would not have perceived it."
Zhao Xihe narrowed his eyes slightly, his childish face was like a poppy, full of dangerous, devilish temptation, "Do you know how angry I was when I scented you on him? Even if I know it wasn't you, who left that scent, I couldn't bear it. I wanted to immediately tear him apart, limb from limb, but even that wouldn't be enough to quell my anger!"
Sui Yuan glanced at the other. He could feel that this situation was delicate, and so, he very wisely chose not to continue discussing this subject matter. He decisively changed the subject, "Did Iressa also scent me on you? Is that why he acted against you?"
"That I don't know," Zhao Xihe spread out his hands, indifferent.
"Then, did the Iressa in the plot want to leave Germain? He knew that the other would collapse without him, but he still chose not to return? He doesn't seem like a ruthless person," Sui Yuan muttered, trying to make conversation.
"That's something only the real Iressa would know. It has nothing to do with us. In any case, regardless of what sorrows the real Iressa faced, he can't rid himself of this nasty reputation anymore~" Zhao Xihe's lips bent into a smile full of schadenfreude, "After all, he is the 'mastermind' who had pushed the military to exterminate all the space pirates. He's a traitor who stabbed us in the back."
Sui Yuan grabbed his hair, sighing, "So, what I have to do now is begin ridding the space pirates of their bad reputations? I was already prepared. But now, I've been tossed this huge bomb. I'm a bit dumbfounded."
"Mn, start it up. While you're at it…" Frowning, Zhao Xihe added with displeasure, "While you're at it, talk about how good Germain was to Iressa in the past. How although Iressa had disappeared for so many years, Germain had never stopped searching for the other, even when his spirit was about to fall apart because of Iressa's disappearance. How it was only when he bonded with Hill that he could dull the pain a bit."
He was clearly burning with jealousy but still made it so that Sui Yuan could show his affection to another person, thereby making it clear that he should be considered a victim. It was obvious just how terrible Zhao Xihe must have been feeling.
Sui Yuan nervously swept an eye at his lover, who was donning a dark expression. He tactfully nodded, indicating his understanding, and did not provoke the other any further. Soon after, he ended the call and began to work.
The space pirates' philanthropic acts, the Federation's government's scandals, the inside story regarding the Guide Academy, the love and hate between Iressa and Germain—this series of information was manipulated by Sui Yuan and was spread across the Star Network via 5237. Furthermore, if people wanted to search for the source of the information, it would be a fruitless effort.
After arranging everything, Sui Yuan could finally relax. He restrained his desire to stretch and maintained an aloof expression as he walked towards the Commander's room. In the end, he was surrounded on all sides by the space pirates.
This matter made such a fuss on the Star Network that the space pirates, who were always paying close attention to the movements of the military and Guide Academy, naturally understood what was happening as soon as it occurred. This made them feel incredulous, angry, puzzled, and helpless.
No matter what they did, they couldn't understand. The always docile, kind-hearted guide who had always been in deep conjugal love (?) with their boss had unexpectedly appeared completely unhurt in such a dramatic manner. He was even the murderer who had attempted to hurt Hill. Why did Iressa leave? Why didn't he return? Was the hostility he had for Hill because of jealousy?
The space pirates were puzzled and conflicted. However, what was for certain was that they did not understand, let alone were they able to pardon Iressa's actions. Their emotions were running high. They wanted to take Iressa back here, interrogate him on why he had done what he had done. They wanted to ask why he had betrayed Germain, and why he was willing to leave him for dead.
Thus, when Sui Yuan, who was the "victim," appeared amongst them, he naturally received waves upon waves of unbearable sympathy and concern. Even his always expressionless face had turned into an attempt at hiding his true emotions. His pale skin had become a sickly pallor in their eyes.
Sui Yuan, whose mood was especially relaxed and happy because things were going great: "…………………………"
"Commander…" The careful and well-spoken lieutenant walked over cautiously, pushing through the crowd of space pirates, and asked prudently, "Regarding Iressa…."
Sui Yuan shut his eyes briefly, raising a hand, "My current guide is Hill. And, it will only ever be him."
Commander-daren's attitude made the space pirates feel both relaxed and tender. Yes, ah, even without Iressa, they had Hill now! Iressa was untrustworthy, but little Hill, who they've all watched grow up, wasn't! Hill would never be like Iressa and discard Germain like that!
Although Sui Yuan's attitude made the space pirates feel a bit better, "Iressa" still became a forbidden word amongst them. When One-Eyed heard of this matter, he even acted indirectly when expressing his condolences, afraid that if he said the wrong thing, he would destroy the soft interior that Germain protected with that cold face of his.
——After all, they all knew just how much Germain cared about his previous guide. When they all thought the guide to be dead, Germain had even nearly chased after him in death. Now, this wound that was just starting to heal was so mercilessly ripped open again—it simply made people's souls ache in pain for him.
One-Eyed looked at Sui Yuan, who looked about the same as always, and sighed deeply inside. He thoroughly respected this old rival of his. To be able to keep his expression unchanged after experiencing such an attack, this was not something a normal person could do. Even One-Eyed himself would not be able to.
Meanwhile, the information Sui Yuan had 5237 spread through the Star Network had created a ripple effect. It brought the Iressa affair, which was already being closely followed, to an all new high. It was only getting worse and worse.
If this matter only made people doubt the necessity of the Guide Academy, then, when the news broke that Iressa had abandoned his sentinel partner and changed his name, it made the sentinels all break out into cold sweats, incredulous.
No one knew just how important a guide was to sentinels after bonding than the sentinels themselves. None of the sentinels had ever doubted their sincerity either. However Iressa—if this matter was true—had indeed raised an alarm bell in their minds.
He abandoned his sentinel, let his sentinel search for him for over a decade, and looked on unfeelingly as his sentinel was on the brink of falling apart, descending into insanity. Just how cruel and callous was he? The sentinels asked themselves honestly, if they were in Germain's shoes, would they would feel the same? If they had the misfortune to encounter this kind of partner, it was simply too horrifying! Separation by death was inevitable, but if the other was actively plotting against them, that was truly intolerable.
Instantly, Iressa fell from his position as the sentinels' "male god." Although there were some voices that said this certainly must be a misunderstanding, the majority of people would rather believe it than not, so as to be safe than sorry. If it wasn't true, then how come after all of these years, the only person to be criticized and "slandered" like this was Iressa?
Of course, aside from the sentinels, the impression of Iressa that the regular people had also took a tumble. This was naturally because of Sui Yuan's blackening of the government and his efficiency in washing clean the reputation of the space pirates. Germain's appearance was especially good at catching people's eyes. In addition, include his overwhelming strength and lofty personality that was only gentle to his guide, and everyone became incapable of understanding why Iressa would abandon such an outstanding sentinel whose only flaw was his family background. In other words, so what if he was a space pirate? Space pirates were also good people!
Once the space pirates had lost their evil image in the hearts of the masses and became "Robin Hood"-like heroes, the blackened government's military’s action of trying to indiscriminately annihilate all space pirates suddenly became even more suspicious. The space pirates had existed for so long. They could have dealt with them long before. Why did they wait until now?
While everyone was coming out with their own conjectures, another bomb was dropped—the military’s actions against the space pirates was orchestrated by a mastermind behind-the-scenes. This mastermind influenced the sentinels' decisions via their care for their own guides. This mastermind borrowed the help of said guides to manipulate the sentinels' thoughts and actions. Furthermore, this person was at the heart of the recent scandals: the extremely blackened Iressa.
There was not a lot of evidence to back this particular claim. If one had to bring up evidence, it would be the fact that Iressa had taught quite a number of guides in his lifetime. Furthermore, many of these guides had ended up being the partners of many high-ranking government officials. Even after bonding with the sentinels, the relationships between the guides and Iressa had not grown distant. Rather, because of the increase in mental pressure that came with bonding, they actually began to look to Iressa for comfort and aid. Their trust and dependence on him only intensified. They simply obeyed his every word.
Although there wasn't much proof, not one of the high-ranking sentinels were dumb. They used to be very trusting of their guides and would never think of this issue. However, now that they heard about this, they began to silently think back. The more they recalled, the more fear and alarm they felt.
In order to maintain the stability of society and calm the sentinels, the government quickly sealed off this information under the excuse: "This was a false opinion based on unfounded rumours." Only, the people who were supposed to hear this information had already made a decision regarding this matter. Since the sentinels would not abandon their guides, then they would just chop off the hand that controlled their guides, regardless of whether or not that hand was innocent or guilty.
Even more, the Guide Academy, which had suffered upon the release of the video, also needed a scapegoat. Thus, Iressa was naturally the most suitable choice. The Guide Academy did their best to push this all onto Iressa by claiming it was an act of a singular person in a moment of flaring emotions. This way, the Academy could shed themselves from this affair and successfully pass through the crisis regarding the public's trust.
When a man is falling down, everyone will give him a push. During the government's inquiry, they discovered more and more evidence of the existence of the dangerous fangs he had hidden beneath his polite, modest, and gentle exterior. Thus, they unanimously decided to abandon him.
The barrier that was originally protecting Iressa became the sharp blade that was now being used to attack him. His splendid, rose-coloured future was instantly shattered. He had no leeway to change his fate.
Because guides were precious, the Federation's laws said that guides could not be given the death penalty. Therefore, what awaited Iressa was simply exile. Then, not long after the airship that held him set off, it encountered a large, aggressive space pirate crew that had been waiting for him all this time. And, the name of this crew was of course, the Germain Space Pirates.
