Chapter 621: The Phantom Guardian
A ghost.
A phantom.
Or at least, that was what Sid thought it would be like. Because surely, a guardian mecha like him could not possibly know what it truly meant to be one.
And yet, for a fleeting instant, right as he disappeared, the newly upgraded Sid believed he was as close to a phantom as one could possibly be without actually dying.
It was downright impressive.
For the first time, he fully understood why the little master had kept asking him about his original build.
Back then, Luca had been confused why Sid—who was supposed to excel at light mecha combat—was heavier than most light models. The boy’s golden eyes had squinted with suspicion, hands on his hips, muttering about possible design oddities and balance.
For a moment, Luca had tried to understand if he had missed a particular reason why the mecha was designed like that.
But apparently, Sid hadn’t been designed with a specific combat style in mind at all.
Luca had eventually figured it out: Sid’s blueprint was closer to those one-form builds, where the entire frame existed as a single fixed design.
Of course, Sid had assumed it was simply because he was... well, an heirloom.
"An Imperial Heirloom?" the little master had asked during their upgrade discussion, his voice full of disbelief.
"Yes, little master," Sid had replied calmly. "I am meant to be passed from generation to generation. To whoever can form the necessary bond, and when the current master deems it fit."
"WHAT?!" Luca had nearly fallen backward. "So you’ve had... a lot of masters?!"
"There have been many owners," Sid corrected patiently. "But only three true masters. Master Xavier is the third official one."
"Wait. There’s a difference?"
"Yes," Sid explained. "Owners could not use me as a mecha because no bond could be formed. But masters could."
Luca tilted his head, frowning. "Could not be formed? What do you mean?"
"There were some who could not forge the bond at all. And some who simply chose not to."
"Someone would choose not to?" Luca repeated in disbelief.
"Yes," Sid answered. "For example, the current Emperor. He could have formed the bond. But because he would not be able to go to the front lines, he decided it was better not to."
The boy had gone silent then, golden eyes softening. "Sid... was it hard? Were you okay with switching between owners and masters like that?"
The question had surprised Sid. Very few had ever asked him that. In fact, this was probably the first time he had been asked something like this.
And truthfully, yes—there had been difficult moments.
Not all ownership transfers were graceful. Some were abrupt, cruel even, when a master fell to an untimely death and the guardian mecha was left alone, waiting for the next bond.
But through it all, the House of Solaris had been a family worthy of his loyalty. Worthy of his service. He could not, and would not, regret the duty that had carried him all the way to this moment.
"It was difficult, learning new fighting styles every time," Sid admitted softly. "But my masters, and even my owners, were worthy. And when the time comes..." His voice deepened, full of conviction. "I believe it will also be worth it to serve the master’s and the little master’s heir."
"!!!"
"What?!"
Sid tilted his head calmly as the little master almost toppled off his chair, sputtering, his golden eyes wider than the suns.
But Sid said nothing more. The future was the future.
And to get there, they first had to survive the present. So he decided to move on with something that would help the present.
"Little master, you said you wanted to make changes to the build?"
"O-oh yes!" Luca brightened despite his fatigue. "If you’re also okay with it, then... what about really making the build fit for a light biomecha?"
And that was how Sid ended up rebuilt into something else entirely.
A guardian mecha once designed as a general-purpose frame, now honed into a machine of agility, stealth, and mobility.
Sid shifted his weight experimentally. His optics pulsed once, his systems humming to life in a new rhythm. And then—he moved.
The disappearance startled even D-29.
"Eh?!" the system squeaked in outrage. "Where did you go?!"
That should have been impossible. A dungeon manager system was supposed to have flawless detection within its range. Yet Sid’s body had become so unnervingly light that even the system’s sensors had failed to track him right away.
Sid, for his part, felt like he had been reborn. The motion was not just quick—it was silence itself. He wasn’t even a blur. A blur still left an afterimage, a trace of existence. Sid had left nothing.
Then, as suddenly as he vanished, Sid reappeared a few steps away. His presence materialized like a ripple in water. He initiated a scan at once, systems analyzing the changes in exquisite detail.
D-29, however, did not appreciate what it was seeing.
"Wait. What is this?! Why are your wings glittering?!"
Sid tilted his head. "Glittering?"
"Yes! Glittering!" the little system accused, nearly buzzing its circuits out. "Where did this function come from? I don’t remember the Host adding that!"
Sid flexed them carefully. The wings unfolded in smooth layers, white and compact, edged with what looked like crystalline frost. When the light hit them, they did not merely shine. They shimmered. They glimmered.
It was dazzling.
D-29 wobbled in protest. "W-what is this injustice?!"
"You’re saying my wings glimmer?" Sid asked again, voice calm but tinged with wonder.
"Yes!" D-29 squawked. "Mine are white and gold because I specifically asked for them! Yours just—just naturally gleam like some kind of... of ice sculpture! Why didn’t I ask for ghostvine resin too?!"
Sid finally asked to see his reflection. The little system reluctantly projected a display, muttering under its static.
"I-it’s alright, I guess," D-29 said, as if trying to comfort itself.
But Sid saw everything.
His arms had been rebuilt into sleek, slender limbs fitted with lightweight actuators that thrummed with responsiveness. His legs, leaner than before, carried integrated micro thrusters and silent-step stabilizers. Every joint seemed designed to erase his presence.
And those wings—
Compact, precise, shimmering like they had been carved from shards of ice, refracting faint light wherever he moved. They looked lethal and divine all at once.
Sid’s optics brightened with anticipation. He could not wait to see what this new form could do. The thought of testing it alongside the little master filled him with something dangerously close to excitement.
But it could wait. The little master needed rest. Testing would come later, when they could do it together.
Of course, just because Sid and D-29 decided to keep things quiet did not mean the secret would remain hidden.
Because what did they expect a certain husband to do after overhearing conversations filled with suspicious phrases like "no rest," "just napping," and "don’t tell the benefactor"?
Obviously, he would come and check for himself.
Which was why Sid’s very first test of stealth ended up being the most absurd trial possible.
"!!!"
The newly upgraded guardian mecha had to hide. Hide—from his very own master.
Because the Imperial Crown Prince had come to pick up his wife.