“Really, Major. You could just close your eyes and agree to it.”
Brenda made a gesture of clutching her chest as if exasperated. She was the only one who knew what conflict the two were going through. Iberis had no one else he could comfortably consult with except Brenda.
“How can I do that…”
“Try putting yourself in his shoes. What would you do if you were in the Captain’s situation? You’d definitely propose imprinting, wouldn’t you?”
“That’s… yes.”
Iberis, who had been fumbling with his lips as if at a loss for words, nodded. If Lucas had been sick and imprinting was the only cure, he would have tried it regardless of the risk of failure.
“The Captain feels the same way as you. Who would stand by and watch their lover suffer for a lifetime, especially knowing that a severe mana outburst could undo all the treatment so far? Anyone would try to cure it somehow.”
“But if our situations were reversed, Lucas would refuse imprinting just like me.”
“Hmm, I can’t deny that point.”
Brenda groaned at Iberis’s rebuttal. In the end, the cause of the current situation was that they cared too much for each other.
“Anyway, the problem is that both of you are neglecting yourselves and only trying to give to the other. In love, it’s good to pour out affection and devotion, but sometimes you need to be selfish too.”
“Wouldn’t that cause fights? It’s not considerate of your partner. I heard that’s a common reason couples break up.”
“You’ve been looking things up on the internet again, haven’t you? By that logic, there are also many cases where people break up because they give too much one-sidedly and end up being discarded, or misunderstandings and resentments build up unknowingly. We don’t need to look far – you two are in that situation right now, aren’t you? Both being stubborn under the pretext of not wanting to hurt each other.”
“Ugh.”
“Anyway, what I’m saying is that you should throw tantrums sometimes, openly demand expressions of affection… be selfish and prioritize yourself in these situations.”
“I throw tantrums all the time… You just don’t know it.”
Iberis pouted his lower lip and mumbled shyly.
“I’m not talking about that kind of aegyo… Ugh, it’s hard to explain because I’m not good with words. What’s certain is that if you don’t imprint, you might die, Major, but even if the imprinting fails, the Captain won’t die. The success rate is 90%, isn’t it?”
“A 10% failure rate means it goes wrong one out of ten times. Even a 1% chance would be worrying…”
Iberis trailed off. Imprinting involves exchanging mana between an Esper and a guide. In other words, it meant pouring his own mana into Lucas’s body. That was exactly what Iberis was concerned about.
Accepting Lucas’s mana wasn’t difficult. It was something he always did during guiding.
The problem was Lucas. Although he was less affected by Iberis’s cold energy than others, he wasn’t completely immune to the pain. During imprinting, the pain would surely be more severe than usual, and Iberis worried about the strain Lucas would experience during the process.
“Even if an accident happens, it would only cause some discomfort to his body, right? I think that’s worth trying. I’m sorry to say this, but… I think you’re being overly scared, Major.”
“Is that so…”
Brenda’s opinion was correct. Iberis lowered his eyes with a troubled expression. How could he not be afraid? In the worst case, Lucas could suffer from hypothermia and frostbite symptoms like himself.
In fact, Iberis was already leaning heavily towards imprinting. After reading the materials Lucas provided several times and researching imprinting-related literature on his own, he found that, as Lucas claimed, the chances of successful imprinting were high.
Moreover, the benefits of successful imprinting were clear: the satisfaction of having one’s soul connected with a destined partner, and the ability to reach a higher level through imprinting.
Above all, what Lucas had said to persuade him that day was still stuck in his heart even after several days.
‘I absolutely cannot bear the thought of you leaving my side early.’
‘I’m greedy, so I want the time I can have with you to be very long. I want you to stay by my side, healthy, for a long, long time.’
Iberis bit his lip as he recalled his conversation with Lucas. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel tempted. He understood why imprinting was often performed between name-matched Espers and guides despite its high risk.
It was very difficult to know a way to connect more deeply with a loved one and not act on it. Perhaps that’s why, whether it was intentional by mutual agreement or unexpected like a traffic accident, most ability users who were connected with their name partners eventually went through with imprinting.
After confirming dozens of such cases, he had a feeling that he and Lucas might end up imprinting someday too, even if not for treatment purposes. In that case, it would likely happen unconsciously.
If that was the case, it might be safer to proceed with imprinting after proper preparation. Then it would be easier to deal with unexpected situations.
“Hmm, anyway, I’m on the Captain’s side on this issue. I think it’s better to try to recover as quickly as possible by any means necessary, rather than spending time worrying about him.”
Iberis snapped out of his reverie at Brenda’s voice. He didn’t argue with her opinion. To eliminate the anxiety inherent in Lucas’s heart, to fulfill his lover’s wish to be together for a long time, he needed to recover completely, just as Brenda said.
“Phew.”
Iberis let out a small sigh, feeling that the time to make a decision was approaching. At that moment, Brenda clapped her hands.
“Well then, let’s stop with the heavy talk… Shall we watch the news?”
“The news?”
“Yes. They’re broadcasting it live on TV right now. The urgent arrest of Livio Logan.”
“Ah…”
Iberis let out a small exclamation as he recalled the fact he had momentarily forgotten.
“Come to think of it, they should be arriving at the guild about now.”
“Yes, when I came in, I noticed TVs were on in every office. Some team members had even set up in the break room.”
With popcorn in hand, no less, Brenda added with a grin, describing the scene she had witnessed. There was no one in N-0 unit who didn’t know Iberis’s story. To them, Livio was practically a mortal enemy. They wouldn’t miss the chance to watch his downfall.
“What’s so good about it… Openly slacking off during work hours, everyone’s discipline has gone slack.”
“It’s a happy day, so let it slide. Where do you want to watch? If you’re going to the break room…”
“No need. Let’s just watch here.”
Iberis manipulated the mouse to enter a portal site. Clicking on the news tab, he saw a banner reading “Mars Guild Master Arrest Live Broadcast” below an article about the Defense Force special investigation.
“May I watch with you?”
Brenda, who had quietly moved behind Iberis, fixed her gaze on the laptop screen.
“Of course. Bring a chair and sit comfortably.”
Iberis clicked on the banner with a deflating sound. Immediately, a reporter’s voice flowed through the speakers.
[About 5 minutes have passed since the special investigation team went to escort Guild Master Livio Logan. Currently, it’s understood that about twenty guild members, including the guild master, are in the building. The security guards blocking the first-floor entrance briefly opened the door when the investigation team appeared, then immediately locked it again.]
[So we can’t go inside?]
[That’s right, not only the entrance but all windows are sealed off. We can’t even fly drones because the anti-terror unit has surrounded the building. A few people tried to enter earlier but failed.]
The reporter turned slightly to the side as he answered the announcer’s question. The camera then zoomed in on the building bustling with a large crowd.
[About 2 minutes ago, security guards were seen contacting someone via radio. They’ve disappeared since then. Huh?]
The reporter, who had been earnestly reporting the situation, stopped speaking as he sensed something was amiss. Immediately after, a deafening explosion shook the screen violently.
[Boom!]
[Aah! Fire!]
[Take cover! The windows…!]
The scene descended into chaos from the sudden explosion. Iberis jumped to his feet, shocked by the terrible sight visible through the flickering screen.
[…Reporter Anne! Can you hear me? Are you alright?]
[Huff, gasp. I’m, I’m okay, ugh.]
[What’s happening?]
[Suddenly, fi-fire broke out in the building. All the windows shattered, and people were injured by the falling debris…!]
[Bang! Boom!]
Before the reporter could finish speaking, another loud explosion erupted. Iberis narrowed his eyes as he saw the building in the video engulfed in bright red flames. At that moment, an emergency alarm sounded throughout the unit.
Wee-oo-wee-oo…!
[Code Black, Code Black. Suspect refusing arrest and fleeing. Livio Logan and twenty-two others.]
“Major…”
Brenda alternated her gaze between the chaotic broadcast screen and Iberis’s hardened face as she listened to the alarm blaring throughout the unit. Meanwhile, an urgent order from central headquarters came through the speakers.
[As of this moment, Livio Logan and Mars Guild members are publicly wanted for attacking the Defense Force, arson, and special escape charges. We request all units in N-district to cooperate swiftly in tracking the fugitives and rescuing residents.]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
