Chapter 250: Max, the Museum Manager (6)
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw had been people looking down at me.
“We did it.”
“It was a success!”
I remember finding this particular scenario strange. There had been a lot of peculiar beings that filled up the room I was in. Some had pointed ears, and the others were noticeably short in height. Some were evidently taller, and others even had green skin.
As I looked around, I saw the face of someone with blond hair with sharp ears, who laughed loudly as she stroked my head. For me, she was the most memorable of them all.
“Your name is Max.”
-Max?
“Yes. Max.”
-Max!
“And my name is Metel.”
-Metel?
“Yes. Metel.”
-Metel!
“This is a place called the Crack Museum. You are an agglomerate of magical power created by our Guardians… Shall we walk first before I explain further? Can you walk?”
-Ah… Yes.
At the time, everything had been full of wonders. These people greeted me, stroked my head, and proudly brandished the objects on display all around them.
Everything had been new for me—the cold sensation I felt when my feet touched the floor, even the magical feeling prickling my skin. I couldn’t help but feel grateful for being born. Everything around me seemed to be a blessing.
Time passed.
Of course, I had learned a lot since that day. I learned how I was made and why I was born, and I learned about the existence of the Crack Museum, its significance, and how the administration office worked.
The study time had been fun. I was able to spend time with the Guardians, and if I worked hard enough, I would receive praise.
“Do you understand?”
-Yes. Jamie-nim. I can understand. I also memorized all the list of items in the museum!
“Really? Our Max is so smart.”
-Thank you.
I managed to acquire a lot of knowledge.
“You were born to manage the museum, Max. This is in order for you to take over the duties of our Guardians. I’m sorry, but I hope you can understand us.”
-You don’t have to be sorry. Oliver-nim. I am happy to be born. I really am.
I learned what responsibility is.
“I’m just saying that, but you know that your body will scatter when you go outside the museum, right? Because the magical power in this museum is the only thing that keeps you up and running. You have to be careful.”
-Yeah. Snef-nim!
I had learned what I shouldn’t do.
“I’m glad you worked hard. Hmm. You look a little like me…”
-It’s an honor for you to say that, Isaac. I heard you are leaving today…”
“Yes. I’m not from here, after all. I’ll see you again someday. Bye, Max.”
-Ah… Okay.
Of course, there were things that I didn’t get used to even after time passed, but I really enjoyed my time with the Guardians. I missed when I used to be able to talk with them.
‘Thank you for making me, Guardians.’
It was enough to think about similar things several times a day. Some Guardians were a little difficult to deal with, but there was also the opposite.
-Guardian Metel!
“Max! How was it today?”
-Well. Today I checked the administration room and saw the sealed Crack with Snef.
“Oh. Didn’t he say anything? Did he treat you well?”
-Yes. I heard several explanations. The Crack is completely blocked now, but as we don’t know when it will open again, we have to keep an eye on it. And the items in this museum…
“It’s the same story every time, you must feel sick of it now…”
-No, Metel-nim. That’s why I was born. I was created to take over the maintenance of the museum after the Guardians! I have to work hard!
“…”
-Guardian Metel?
“It’s okay if you don’t get too overwhelmed.”
-I’m sorry?
“No, nothing. Shall we not go to the class tomorrow and play together?”
-Can I do that?
“Sure. You can take a day off.”
I especially enjoyed my time with Guardian Metel very much. Although the others were kind and treated me well, Guardian Metel treated me differently from all the other Guardians.
-Guardian Metel, what is a ‘parent?’
“A parent is either a father or a mother. Elves like me, and humans like Jamie, are born differently from the way you were born. When a woman and a man share love, they have a child in the woman’s belly, and in time, they come out to the world. They call parents to the ones who gave birth. Of course, the concept of raising… Ah! Why are you asking about parents suddenly?”
-Snef-nim said that the Guardian Metel is like my parent.
“Of course! The method is a little different, but I’m no different from being Max’s parents. I’m the one who made the biggest contribution in getting Max out to the world. Snef is quick to notice. Actually, I was thinking of Max as my child. What do you think? Can you call me mom?”
-N-No.
“Why?”
-It’s just…embarrassing.
“Oh, don’t be. Just call me mom, come on!”
-L-Later. I’m really embarrassed.
I really thought it had been a good thing to be born. Those were the happiest times of my life.
I didn’t have any worries. I laughed every day, ran around, and sometimes even acted like a baby to Guardian Metel.
More time passed by.
I didn’t really know how much time had elapsed, but it was enough time for Jamie’s hair to turn from blue to white, and it was enough time for wrinkles to form on Oliver and Snef’s faces.
Snef-nim, who had always been angry every day, had more time to quietly read or look away, and his body noticeably weakened. Oliver-nim couldn’t chew his food properly, and every time we were together, he would stroke my head.
“I’m sorry.”
-No, Oliver-nim. I’m the one who’s sorry. There’s nothing I can do…
“I’ve become a big burden for you.”
-I’ve never thought of it like that, Oliver-nim!
“Haha… Thank you for thinking that way. Yes… Thank you.”
-Oliver-nim? Guardian Metel! Oliver-nim is weird! Guardian Metel!
And… For the first time in my life…
I learned what death was.
-So, humans die.
It must have been around this time that I realized what I already knew.
“Our cutie…”
After that, Jamie-nim passed away.
“I’m sorry for treating you the way I did. I just want you to know that I didn’t hate you, though. Max, take good care of the museum.”
Then, after that, Snef-nim disappeared.
Guardians Metel cried quietly every time the other Guardians closed their eyes one by one, and the days when she did not eat became frequent.
Around this time, I began to regret being born.
When the Guardians died, or when Guardian Metel holed up in her room, I always thought of that.
I thought the same thing as time passed, and now there were only two of us left in a large museum. Of course, this didn’t mean that I had become unhappy.
Guardian Metel wasn’t old, and she spoke of a lot of things we could laugh about.
We read books together and ran around the museum. We had didn’t stop. I still laughed more than I cried.
It was a little disappointing that I couldn’t go outside with her, but I loved it all the same.
I thought everything would stay like this forever.
However, Guardian Metel was not infinite, either. Like Jamie-nim and others, she started to act differently around me.
Around this time, Guardian Metel didn’t seem to be able to exit her room.
“I’m going to start…a research, Max. I will get busy, alright?”
-Yes… Guardian…
“I don’t think I’ll be coming out too much. During that time… Please take care of the museum.”
-You can count on me, Guardian.
I didn’t know what exactly she was researching, but I didn’t like the expression on her face. I began to dwell on my unhappiness at being born in the first place.
Guardian Metel continued to devote herself to her research and thus began to deteriorate rapidly. On the rare times that she came out, I would see her coughing, holding her chest, and gasping. It was scary, but I had no choice but to smile and focus on the museum’s management.
I had to do my job.
Guardian Metel continued to put spells on me during this ordeal, saying the same thing every time.
“I love you.”
That was a lie.
She said the same when it became difficult for her to move.
“I love you.”
That was a lie.
Even when all the magical power in her body was gone, she spoke with a smile.
“I love you, Max.”
She was lying.
She said the same when she poured out all her magic and took me out of the museum.
She said the same thing while muttering, ‘The research is a success,’ and when her body finally broke.
“I love you… I love…you, Max.”
I thought of all of these as lies.
-Lie…
“…”
-If you love me… Then you shouldn’t have made me. Sniff…
“…”
-If it’s true, you shouldn’t leave me alone like this. If Jamie-nim, Oliver-nim, and Snef-nim, liked me, they shouldn’t… Sniff… leave me alone like this. Metel-nim is a liar. Sniff… You said that we could be together forever… You liar… It would have been better if I weren’t born. It would have been better not to have been created.
“…”
-I never said I wanted to go outside. You said I could continue living in the museum. I haven’t even asked for anything like this. If you said you love me… You should’ve stayed with me. You shouldn’t have done this to me.
“…”
-…
“…”
-Me too… I love you too! I love you too. So don’t go. Please…
“…”
-I knew it wasn’t actually a lie. I know it’s real. Wake up. Please wake up.
“…”
-Sniff… Please… Please.
“…”
* * *
“Is that the end?”
-Yes… Afterward, it is as explained. I entered the museum and fulfilled the duties and responsibilities of the guardians. I was surprised when the museum suddenly turned into a dungeon.
It had been a more touching story than I thought.
I began debating about whether I should shed some crocodile tears for Max, who calmly managed to finish the story.
However, I didn’t cry.
His story felt a bit unrealistic to me, and the loud voices approaching us proved to be a distraction. The other expedition members had probably arrived.
[Max’s Guardian.]
[This title was created with the earnest request of Guardian Metel. Depending on whether Max grows or not, the Museum Manager’s level is raised. -Sorry. Please treat him sincerely.]
‘Wow…’
This wasn’t bad at all.
I wasn’t mortgaged like I was with Dialugia, and it was up to me to decide what to do with him.
However, I started to feel guilty.
Even the woman named Metel had crossed the Rainbow Bridge after taking responsibility for the final seal. This all felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Then, what I saw for a moment…”
-It’s probably the remnant thoughts left by Metel. Perhaps she didn’t believe in me until the end.
“No. It’s right to think in the context that perhaps she left it in consideration of you going out.”
-Ah…
“Anyway, so… now the Crack Guardian wants me to take care of you. No, why didn’t you go outside that day in the first place?”
-S-Someone has to be responsible. I am the manager… I-I’m sorry.
“There’s nothing to be sorry, staff Max. Nothing has been lost. But the question is how to explain this…”
Jung Hayan bit her nails nervously as I trailed off, thinking about what to do with Max.
Of course, his story wasn’t all that bad. Being able to raise the level of Museum Manager was already a huge benefit in itself. Many things had happened to us, but acquiring this responsibility was definitely the highlight of this expedition.
‘It needs someone to take care of it, anyway…’
Of course, since I had become a guardian, it would be a little different from how I lived here, but this guy’s existence was indeed indispensable. He was the only one other than me that could handle these devices. Besides, it would be possible to shorten the time it took to extract the mass-production type based on these devices.
“Hey, staff Max.”
-Yes?
“By any chance… The internal design of the devices here…”
-I… know about them. Of course, I can’t touch the core devices…
“This? How about this?”
-Ah… I guess I can handle that…
“Huh… Is there anything else you can do?”
-Ah… I think I can make that too, President Lee.
“Huh?”
-President Lee?
The answer has already been decided. In fact, I didn’t even have to think about it much.
“President Lee, my ass… You can call me father, son.”
-What?
“Pfft.”
I had gotten myself a son who would be responsible for my happy retirement.