Even if the influence of blood relations on Guides was said to be minimal, it wasn’t completely irrelevant. If this level of ability had manifested as an Esper…
Banteon shook his head to dispel the thought from his mind. Moving even a little more was better than wasting time on pointless speculation.
There were no injured Guides yet, but the number of Espers arriving on stretchers was increasing one by one. Unstable energy could be regulated through Guiding, but physical injuries—broken bones and all—rendered everything useless. The more the injured increased, the more precarious the Subjugation Squad’s defense line became.
As the number of vacant beds dwindled, the atmosphere within the Subjugation Squad grew increasingly tense and on edge. Still, there was some good news. The exploration team had already reached the midpoint of the abandoned mine, and even Commander Sotenru and Tearot had moved to the front lines. It was progressing faster than expected.
The situation of Unit 3, which had just arrived after receiving support, was not good. The room was thick with the tangled red aura of the Espers, while the Guides’ energy was barely discernible.
Scanning the area, Banteon gently patted the exhausted Guides on the shoulder and sent them back to their lodgings.
He pushed aside the outer garment he’d brought and sat down. As he rolled up his sleeves in preparation for Guiding, the person who had requested support looked at him hesitantly and pointed to a small room.
“Uh… there isn’t a Guiding room prepared right now. Please wait a moment.”
Guiding was a delicate process. A Guide’s emotional fluctuations or even the slightest misalignment could create countless variables. By principle, a soundproof Guiding room should be used—just the Esper and the Guide inside, focusing solely on each other’s energy.
But principles were for average situations. Work hours were already long past, and many Espers still remained. Those standing were better off; there were some sitting against the wall, groaning in pain.
It was unclear how many additional Guides would arrive for support, but at this rate, they’d be here until morning—and new patients would surely come tomorrow.
Even the time wasted preparing a room for Guiding felt like too much.
“It’s fine. I’ll do it here.”
“Here…?”
Banteon gestured to the Esper who appeared the most unstable and took off his gloves. These special gloves blocked energy flow with a unique transmission barrier to prevent unintended Guiding. Guides affiliated with the Center were required to wear them at all times. He took them off and extended his pale hand.
“This way.”
“Y-Yes, sir…”
The Esper hurried over and clasped his hand. Grasping and aligning the energy of a single person amid the overwhelming swirl of everyone else’s presence demanded immense concentration. But Banteon didn’t mind. He didn’t rely on sensation—he focused solely on what he could see.
As he gently led the crimson energy and began Guiding, the chaotic aura of the Esper gradually settled.
All eyes turned to him in astonishment.
Banteon, watching the clearly stabilized energy, immediately pointed to the next person. In the meantime, the waiting Espers awkwardly shuffled into line of their own accord.
Time passed, and soon the number of Espers in poor condition had been cut in half. At this pace, things might be wrapped up before the moon rose.
He’d probably feel it in his body tomorrow, but so be it. Rolling up his sleeves again, Banteon moved swiftly.
The work ended around the time Banteon had predicted. Before the sun had fully set, before the moon made its appearance, he stood from his seat, rolling his stiff shoulders.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“You saved our lives.”
He replied to the people bowing 90 degrees with a brief nod.
“If it weren’t for you, Banteon-nim, we really would’ve been in trouble.”
“Not at all. This is only natural.”
He answered with a polished public smile—one that would have made Tearot freak out if he saw it.
But the people, unaware of that fact, nodded fervently, deeply moved.
“Actually, I attended your class back at the Center, Banteon-nim.”
“Me too.”
No wonder they looked familiar—he must’ve taught them before. The two began excitedly recounting what they remembered from his lessons.
They said that once word spread that Banteon would personally perform Guiding, people lined up in droves to volunteer for the third Subjugation Squad.
They even told him stories about how some people vowed to join even if it meant paying out of their own pockets after reading testimonies from Espers who had received his Guiding.
Banteon chuckled at the exaggerated accounts, but the two students stamped their feet in frustration, insisting it was all true.
“By the way, any news about the third Subjugation Squad?”
“Oh! There is, actually. But I don’t think it’ll be a large-scale dispatch like the first or second. The Center can’t afford to be left empty anymore.”
“I heard there’s a rumor that any available S-Ranks will be deployed.”
Banteon nodded at that.
The abandoned mine, which they had initially thought wouldn’t be too difficult, had far more monsters than expected. Not only that, but more dangerous variants were starting to appear, and the number of casualties was growing rapidly. Dispatching an S-Rank was the logical move.
“Then it should be resolved soon.”
“I hope so. But… will it really be resolved just because an S-Rank comes? There are already several A-Ranks here. Will one S-Rank really change the situation?”
Even those who spent their entire lives at the Center rarely got to see an S-Rank Esper. Many had only heard of them by name and didn’t even know what their abilities looked like.
Banteon reassured them, saying it would be fine.
“If an S-Rank is coming, the problem will be solved.”
“I hope you’re right. Ah, an emergency alert just popped up. I’ll be off!”
“I’ve got one too. Thank you again for today!”
The students who had been chatting quickly bowed their heads and said their goodbyes. Banteon simply gave a slight nod in response. The hurried footsteps of the departing Guides echoed noisily in the distance.
From outside came the rattling clang of metal wheels dragging the injured along and the shouting of people moving in urgency. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Subjugation Squad would be paralyzed—Guides collapsing from exhaustion and Espers bleeding out.
He looked up at the hazy sky above.
The crisp air that had greeted him when he first arrived was now tainted with acrid smoke and dust. The roar of hulking monsters at dawn had become a regular part of life. What had started as a place of escape—the Subjugation Squad he’d joined on a whim—was now revealing a reality that clashed completely with Banteon’s expectations.
It was harsher than he’d imagined and far more brutal than he’d thought.
Blood was spilled. People collapsed.
“…Tch.”
His chest twisted for no good reason. He’d once brushed off Tearot’s question about why he joined the Subjugation Squad with a half-hearted excuse. He had claimed it was to fulfill the duty of nobility.
But Banteon had lived his entire life far removed from any sense of righteousness. He believed that simply existing and passing on his bloodline was duty enough. His lineage, one with a high probability of birthing Espers, was the sole justification for his existence. That alone had always seemed sufficient.
His terminal let out a soft chime, notifying him it was time to clock out. His finger hovered above the screen, ready to log extended hours—but stopped. Supporting another unit like he did today would double his recorded performance metrics. Not only that, it would also increase his vacation time once he returned to the Center.
And yet, he had no desire to log the deployment report.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Banteon simply closed the screen. His terminal registered only the regular work schedule before shutting down.
Just like that Guide from earlier had hoped, reinforcements needed to arrive—soon.
He rolled his stiff neck with effort. Today, even his eyes felt dry and stingingly fatigued. Perhaps the overexertion was finally catching up to him. Banteon frowned at the unfamiliar sensation and made his way back toward his tent.
Even someone like Banteon, who had always been skeptical of powerful Espers, was now hoping for the arrival of an S-Rank.
Someone—anyone—needed to come and reinforce this place. With that thought, he quietly walked back to the comfort of his own quarters.
***
The day had finally come. The day the promised reinforcements were to arrive.
Only one military vehicle pulled into view among the people who had been waiting eagerly. Calling it “reinforcements” felt like a stretch given the small number.
“I’m Petern, from the 3rd Subjugation Squad. Uh… it’s just the two of us, but we’ll do our best.”
“No, no—thank you so much for coming.”
People swarmed around the Center vehicle like a hive of bees. Heads bobbed like matchsticks in a rattling wind.
This was it—the long-awaited arrival of the 3rd Subjugation Squad. Naturally, all attention snapped toward them.
Even when Banteon had arrived, many had lingered curiously nearby. But now, the crowd had more than doubled.
Feeling self-conscious from the zoo-like crowd that had gathered, Sotenru gave an awkward smile.
“Sorry for the commotion. We really did try to keep it under control…”
“No, no, we understand. He tends to attract people wherever he goes. We’re used to it.”
“…Noisy.”
“…He’s not a bad person, really.”
Commander Sotenru greeted them with a courteous expression—the only one managing to remain composed amidst the excitement. The spectators who had come to catch a glimpse of the newcomers looked on with sparkling eyes. Admiration, reverence, and a swirl of emotions poured from them, impossible to hide.
Rumors had already been spreading about the possible arrival of an S-Rank.
Due to the structural limitations of the abandoned mine, deploying a large number of personnel wasn’t practical. It was far more efficient to send a single high-caliber Esper who could operate solo.
Those assumptions had been entirely correct.
The only twist?
It wasn’t an S-Rank who had arrived.
It was an SS-Rank.
