Chapter 73
Where exactly was this sense of dissonance I was feeling coming from?
To figure out the source of this discomfort, I deliberately moved my body slightly backward.
Beyond the scene of Calling’s Espers forming their formation to catch monsters, I could see Chaehwa’s Espers.
Between Chaehwa’s Espers, I spotted the brothers with shining heads.
I didn’t think those two shining guys would be the source of dissonance I was looking for.
Ye Han-dam was creating small explosions to keep the vines from reaching the Espers, while Ye Han-seo was cutting away the vines that dodged the explosions.
I thought that if either of them had shown any signs of dissonance, I would have noticed during our few encounters at school.
“Soo-young, stay in the back, okay?”
“Yes. I wanted to watch, but everyone’s running around so I can’t see properly anyway.”
“The Gates we usually take you kids into with the guild are deliberately raided slowly. But we can’t do that with this one. Unlike regular Gates…”
I pretended to listen to Uncle’s enthusiastic explanation, but none of it was registering in my mind.
Since I had been temporarily affiliated with Calling for a long period, I would be able to immediately notice if something strange happened among Calling’s Espers.
I was paying extra attention because of those two guys—there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed.
Calling’s Espers were catching the approaching monsters with their abilities.
When a Galrok charged with an imposing size that could easily crush a person, Espers with protective abilities took the lead to block it.
It looked like we could be trampled at any moment, making me flinch involuntarily, but the Espers skillfully stopped the huge monster.
“Hoon!”
I quickly turned my head at the familiar name and voice.
The Guild Master, who had somehow slipped in among the Espers, called for Ji Yeohoon, and he moved his hand while seemingly using his abilities on others.
It was a fluid movement.
I could faintly see the thread of ability extending from Ji Yeohoon to the Guild Master.
Empowered, the Guild Master rushed forward and swung her large sword.
The tip of the sword moved toward one of the Galroks that Yoon Cheong had been restraining.
I unconsciously marveled as the sword path seemed to emit light.
“Wow…”
“Is this Soo-young’s first time seeing a Gate raid where the Guild Master participates directly?”
“Yes.”
“When those three team up, it’s incredibly fast. They have such high synergy potential that she deliberately avoids participating when our sons are involved.”
“It would be good to catch them quickly and finish the raid.”
“That’s our perspective. We’re the top guild, you know. As I’ve told you before, we need to consider multiple routes. That’s why she usually doesn’t participate. Thanks to what you said to the Guild Master before entering the Gate, she seems to be deliberately using her power.”
That’s fortunate. If she just stayed in the back pretending not to know what’s happening again, I was going to cause a scene.
I swallowed the words I wanted to say.
To put it nicely, it’s about exploring multiple raid routes, but ultimately, isn’t it just piling all sorts of combat experience on kids who are at most high schoolers, for future battlefields?
More experience means a higher probability of getting hurt, and I didn’t want to see them injured.
After watching Calling’s guild members fighting monsters, I shifted my gaze.
Chaehwa’s Espers barely moved, as if they were waiting one step behind.
It was frustrating that only Calling was active while Chaehwa was relatively still, and the behavior of Chaehwa’s adult Espers made me even more uneasy.
“Why are they like that?”
“It’s not just once or twice.”
“Making middle and high schoolers do the work?”
“They have a lot of Espers there.”
Unlike Calling, where all affiliated Espers moved organically in their proper positions, on Chaehwa’s side, only a few ability users were active.
Especially centered around Ye Han-dam and Ye Han-seo.
“What does having many Espers have to do with focusing on just those guys?”
“Think of it as them focusing on rookies. I don’t know if they’re planning for when Chaehwa guild members raid alone, but they tend to use students when they judge it’s safe during joint raids. Especially this time, they probably think there’s no chance of failure since they’re raiding with us.”
Uncle, who normally wouldn’t share such hidden stories, was speaking freely.
When I wondered why he was talking so comfortably, he said it was because I would naturally learn these things by watching raids near Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon, so he was telling me in advance.
Indeed, even from my perspective, it was obvious, so there was no need to pretend otherwise.
Ye Han-dam and Ye Han-seo attacking the approaching monsters, along with some young faces. And Espers who seemed to be evaluating them.
The Espers watching the middle and high schoolers weren’t incompetent—whenever monsters escaped, they effortlessly caught them.
Well, to lead rookie Espers, they’d need to have some ability.
“They’re being much more defensive than usual.”
“Defensive?”
“Chaehwa usually positions in an offensive formation. They’re the type that catches before they get hit. So they place close-range fighters on the outside…”
Defensive? As Uncle continued explaining, I turned my head to compare the formations of Calling and Chaehwa.
They were almost identical. But something was different.
Seeing that buff-type Ji Yeohoon and healing ability Auntie were almost in the middle, Calling’s formation was basically about protecting ability users with support skills rather than attack.
But with Chaehwa, most of the Espers were gathered in a circle as if protecting the inside, and inexperienced Espers like Ye Han-dam were moving around outside.
I couldn’t take my eyes off one person in the very center.
“Uncle, do you know who that Esper is over there?”
“The Esper in the middle of Chaehwa? Well… it’s an Esper who’s never come to a joint raid before.”
For some reason, it was highly suspicious to me that they were only protecting that Esper.
They didn’t seem to be using abilities like the other Espers either.
Among Calling’s Espers, those being protected were Espers like Auntie or Ji Yeohoon who healed or provided buffs.
Espers who couldn’t attack directly but indirectly made other Espers stronger… why was that Esper being protected?
At that moment, the Esper in the middle looked straight at me and smiled slightly.
For some reason, a chill ran through me. I stared at him silently, and he stared back at me.
I need to talk to that person. After finishing the Gate raid first.
But then that Esper broke through the barrier of Espers and walked toward where the Guides were gathered.
“Could I ask for some guiding?”
“Of course.”
Since Chaehwa is a guild without Guides, they all casually extended their hands.
He seemed tired, as if he had already used a lot of his ability.
Having been watching Chaehwa’s Espers with Uncle, I knew that Chaehwa’s Espers hadn’t used their abilities as much as Calling’s Espers.
But how should I understand that in that short time, that Esper who had been standing in the middle had become so exhausted?
Calling’s Guides were performing guiding on that Esper, but they were sweating profusely as if it was more difficult than expected.
“Did you use a lot of your ability?”
“I used a little more than I thought.”
The Esper, who had been smiling with a kind face, only released his hand when one Guide raised both hands, saying he couldn’t do any more guiding because his energy was depleted.
That Esper walked naturally toward me as if to rest and sat down heavily beside me.
Why next to me this time?
I know I’ve become somewhat known as S-class.
But it’s not always best to receive guiding from me.
He would have already memorized the names of Guides who matched well with him within the guild joining the raid today, so why?
“Hello, you’re the prospective Calling guild member, right?”
“…Temporary.”
“Temporary? Really? Then, temporary guild member, have you ever thought about joining the Association? Interested?”
“That won’t happen.”
“What a shame…”
The strange Esper approached me more normally than I expected.
He seemed to have a lot to say to me, but with Uncle sitting next to me, he appeared to be recruiting for the Association like typical Chaehwa Espers.
Although I responded firmly, I felt uneasy because I couldn’t tell what this Esper was thinking.
While I was wondering what to do, the Chaehwa Esper smiled and held out his phone.
“I like you. Want to give me your number?”
You seem to be crossing the line to somewhere strange.
I also had questions for this Esper, but I didn’t want the atmosphere to shift in this direction.
“No.”
“You’re too decisive… I thought you were my destiny.”
“I’m eighteen years old, what destiny? Are you crazy?”
I think I’ve given all the rational responses I could while maintaining this level of formality.
Seeing my ice-cold gaze, the Chaehwa Esper withdrew his phone.
Uncle seemed rather relieved by my rejection.
It was because Espers using excessive force while catching monsters and others getting injured meant Auntie needed guiding, so Uncle had to move to that area.
“Soo-young, I’m going to do some guiding for a bit, so if he does anything strange, make sure to shout. Got it? And if he talks nonsense again, I hope you use what Yeohoon gave you.”
“…”
I don’t want to become a murderer… no matter what mischief he does, asking me to shoot a person?
But if I didn’t answer, it seemed like he would immediately tell the two guys, so I awkwardly nodded.
After Uncle moved away, the Chaehwa Esper who had been smiling at me opened his mouth.
“You owe me, you know.”
“What debt?”
“I saved the Espers you care about.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
