# Chapter 38
When the situation turned this way, the S-class Espers became more flustered and tried to stop Lee Ha-min.
It was hard to imagine such a situation normally.
Lee Ha-min going on a rampage and S-class Espers trying to stop him?
Wondering how all this happened, I couldn’t close my mouth.
It was definitely entertaining to watch.
The Center Director glared at Lee Ha-min with an exasperated expression.
“Lee Ha-min Esper. You seem quite agitated right now, so I’ll postpone disciplinary action, but next time I won’t let this slide.”
“You shouldn’t let it slide now either. I don’t intend to let it go either. I’m an Esper, but I’m also a Guide. And from now on, I don’t plan to follow the Center’s orders. I won’t leave here until the Center promises to improve the treatment of Guides.”
“Lee Ha-min Esper!”
“Do you know how many Guides have died this year? What disciplinary actions were taken against the Espers who killed those Guides! From what you’re saying, it seems you never even thought discipline was necessary. Am I wrong?”
The Center Director looked at the people around him and smirked.
It was a smile that seemed to say, “What’s wrong with him?” or “How should I handle this?”
Obvious mockery.
That was thrown at Lee Ha-min.
“Why are you laughing, Director?”
When I spoke with rising irritation, he glared at me as if he couldn’t believe it.
“What did you say, Seo Eunwoo Esper? Do you think you’re in the same class as the S-class Espers just because you hang out with them? Have you lost your mind?”
“Maybe I have. But isn’t being crazy better than being so stupid that you can’t read the situation? From what I see, that’s the state you’re in right now, Director. You still don’t get it? These people here aren’t asking you for favors.”
Kyun In sighed and covered his face with one hand.
He seemed like he didn’t want things to go this far.
Shim Woo-jin completely covered his face with both hands and bowed his head.
I had thought we might have to cross a line if things didn’t go well, but it seemed they hadn’t expected the line to be crossed so easily.
The Center Director finally seemed to realize this wasn’t just an ordinary situation.
“That’s right, Director. Give us a definite answer right here. Improved treatment for Guides. From now on, no Esper or Center staff can assault Guides without reason. No, even with a reason, they shouldn’t be allowed to assault them. Guides came here because of the Center’s needs and provide Guiding, so the Center should offer appropriate conditions.”
As Byun Tae-young spoke, the Center Director’s face twisted even more.
I don’t know why he thought this, but he seemed to believe Byun Tae-young at least would remain on his side until the end.
Perhaps because he was the number one ranked Esper, he thought Byun Tae-young would find it hard to give up what he’d enjoyed until now.
Seeing the Center Director’s troubled face, the S-class Espers pressured him, and the Director finally sighed.
The S-class Espers hadn’t yet mentioned leaving the Center, but it was easy to anticipate.
“For high-ranking… Guides, I promise to improve treatment. But we can’t do this for all Guides. Espers’ complaints will increase. There needs to be a way to address the Espers’ dissatisfaction.”
The Center Director spoke as if this was his final defense, and the S-class Espers looked at Lee Ha-min and me.
But before I could say anything, Lee Ha-min spoke up.
“That won’t work. Espers must take responsibility for what happens when they can’t control their dissatisfaction. If I wanted to relieve my frustration, I couldn’t hit you, Director, could I? If I did that, would you just sit there and take it?”
The Center Director flared up as if he’d suffered a great insult.
Such a reaction was natural.
He simply thought he had that right, but Guides did not.
“Let me ask one thing. Seo Eunwoo Esper. Have you manifested as a Guide?”
When the Center Director asked me, the people around us wore puzzled expressions.
Their faces seemed to question if such a thing was even possible, but they appeared to have found the answer.
If someone like Lee Ha-min exists, why couldn’t someone like me exist too?
When Kyun In returned to the Center in rampage state, they might have remembered how I stood firmly beside him while others couldn’t endure it.
“But… that would make Espers too vulnerable.”
The Guide Management Team Leader carefully spoke up in place of the Center Director.
Unlike the Center Director, he didn’t seem like a narrow-minded person and appeared to want to solve this reasonably.
“I don’t think it’s right to view this only as a conflict between Espers and Guides. I’d like to ask Lee Ha-min Esper something. Whether Lee Ha-min Esper was hostile to Espers when he was a Guide.”
Lee Ha-min said that wasn’t the case.
“That was because I was the dedicated Guide for the S-class Espers. The S-class Espers treated me differently. But most Espers don’t treat Guides that way.”
“Yes, that’s what I want to say too. Most Espers don’t do that. But not all of them are like that, right? Should Espers who don’t harass Guides suffer the same fate? Should they die without receiving Guiding?”
Lee Ha-min seemed at a loss for words.
“What about a contractual relationship? Let Guides provide Guiding according to their free will. Pay them fairly. If Guides decide and choose to provide Guiding themselves, the problem can be solved. And assault must be absolutely prohibited.”
I could offer more opinions on this than others.
After all, I had heard from Sister about how this world setting was used in other novels.
I didn’t particularly want to know about that, but it was proving helpful now.
The Center Director and staff looked doubtful about whether the problem could be solved that way.
“Are you saying that when an Esper needs Guiding immediately, they have to go around looking for a Guide to make a contract?”
“Contracts would be made in advance. And there would be a certain level of enforcement. That’s the enforcement from the contract. If a Guide contracts with the Center, they agree to provide Guiding during that contract period. With sufficient compensation and safety guarantees.”
The Center Director and staff looked at each other.
The Center Director still seemed very unhappy with this idea, but he must have realized they couldn’t keep facing off indefinitely.
“Do the rest of you agree with this? Will there be no complaints if we do it this way?”
The Center Director’s face was already displeased.
He spoke as if he was granting a great favor, and the S-class Espers seemed to sense that tone.
They didn’t seem to feel the need to respond, and neither did I.
However, I gave a general explanation to help the Center Director and staff create Guide contract regulations more easily.
“I think it would be good to have different contracts for exclusive and non-exclusive Guides. Exclusive Guides would stay at the Center and provide Guiding, while non-exclusive Guides would live outside when no dungeons appear and come when Guiding is needed when dungeons appear.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you? Seo Eunwoo Esper.”
Kyun In said with curiosity, and the Center Director signaled to the Guide Team Leader.
The Guide Team Leader was also an Esper.
He oversaw Guiding matters but had nothing to do with being a Guide himself.
“Talk with Seo Eunwoo Esper.”
“That’s all I have to say. From now on, you can make decisions on your own.”
I said this because I didn’t want to take on this task just because I made a suggestion, and Byun Tae-young laughed.
His expression seemed to say, “Why wouldn’t you?”
We had said almost everything we needed to, and as I was thinking about going to train and stood up to leave, a person rushed in with an urgent expression.
“Director, the dungeon that appeared in Origin is still uncleared. If this continues…”
He was wearing a researcher’s coat and was someone I hadn’t seen before.
He seemed like someone who didn’t usually deal with Espers or Guides and handled other duties, but as he rushed in and started speaking, he seemed to notice the different atmosphere and belatedly closed his mouth to look around.
The Center Director told him to continue, and I looked at the S-class Espers, wondering if it was okay for me to keep listening.
They seemed to have never heard such discussions directly either and had expressions similar to mine.
But since the name of a new city was mentioned and it was about a dungeon, I was concerned.
“Did you just say Origin?”
When Kyun In asked, the man slowly nodded.
“If you don’t have urgent business, it would be good to hear this together. Everyone else, go out and attend to your duties.”
At the Center Director’s words, those who had been standing there left, and the researcher who had rushed in approached the Center Director with hesitant steps.
The Center Director told us to sit down again and urged the researcher to continue speaking.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
