Chapter 25
The adults from the guild and student Espers gathered to put their heads together.
Around a dozen Espers, four Guides, and I was the only student Guide, while Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon were the only middle school Espers.
Since there was nothing I could do as a Guide, I could only watch.
I stood with the Guides from the guild in the safest possible place, observing their meeting.
“The good news is that we have quite a few ranged fighters. From what I can see, the boss monster doesn’t seem likely to appear immediately. Did everyone get emergency rations from school?”
“Yeees…”
“Good. Since a C-rank Gate isn’t one that takes too long, we should all be able to return today.”
The Espers from the guild were both physical enhancement dealers, or what you might call close-range dealers.
Since close-range fighters tend to have sturdier bodies than ranged Espers, it seems they planned to have them attack the monsters first to draw aggro, while the students supported from range.
By the time students reach their final year of high school, they sometimes enter Gates through temporary guilds to build personal experience, apart from the Gate practice organized by the school.
Fortunately, most of the high school students trapped with us had clearing experience, whether through part-time jobs or by joining affiliated guild conquest teams.
Thanks to this, they maintained their composure despite the sudden rank elevation.
Moreover, both guild Espers were A-rank, so they could sufficiently cover a C-rank Gate even with kids present.
“These slimes are so different from what we see in games.”
“Ah~ The slimes there are based on the green slimes that frequently appear in F-rank Gates. The slimes here are higher rank. F-rank Gate slimes are green, right? If you collect the liquid they leave behind after being eliminated and take it outside, it’s used as a skin care product.”
“…Skin care?”
“Yes. Research shows it’s good for the skin. However, these Blood Slimes are quite toxic, so they can’t be used that way directly. They’re looking for ways to dilute them for use, but the research and development isn’t complete yet. If we take some out this time, they should sell well as research materials.”
“Little one~ When a Gate is safely conquered, Guides also receive a share. We’re here to check on the Espers too.”
Unlike the Espers who were earnestly discussing, the Guides were carefree.
Guides couldn’t directly fight monsters, and since they needed to help Espers in emergencies, they were always in a supporting role rather than the main force.
Right now, with many students present, they would likely provide guiding intermittently to maintain their condition, but I’d heard that during real guild conquests, guiding is performed outside the Gate in a stable environment after the conquest.
One senior who could use a barrier came over to our side and waited.
Following that, Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon also walked toward where the Guides were gathered, seemingly having been assigned to the protection group due to their young age.
Looking at Yoon Cheong, who appeared calm but was visibly on edge, and Ji Yeohoon, who seemed anxious knowing it was his fault, I reached out and grabbed their hands.
“The adults are here. Don’t worry, you won’t get hurt.”
“Okay.”
“Hyung, will it be alright…?”
“If you’re anxious, focus on guarding our surroundings. Even if they’re working hard to catch monsters over there, if just one runs over here, the Guides can’t do anything.”
As soon as they heard that, both of their expressions became solemn.
It might be due to the Esper instinct that prioritizes a Guide’s safety.
“Oh my, look at these kids protecting their Guide like proper Espers.”
“…I’m not a Guide with a possessive pronoun attached to them.”
“But these two seem to think so? You all look really close.”
Well, that’s because we’ve been together since they were young…
Since I can’t protect myself, I had no choice but to place the burden on these young kids, but surprisingly, the two boys gained more stability within the tension.
Ji Yeohoon, who always shouted at Yoon Cheong, quietly looked at him and nodded, and Yoon Cheong, who always scolded Ji Yeohoon, scanned the surroundings without showing any confusion.
“Oh, you two seem pretty strong. What are your ranks?”
The high school senior maintaining the barrier looked at the two boys.
When I answered that this one was B+a and that one was unmeasurable but above B, the senior’s face showed envy.
“Scary kids. That means both have a high probability of becoming A-rank or higher. I’m counting on you for the conquest?”
“They’ll just stay here inside. What’s your rank, senior?”
“I’m C. But my barrier is quite thick, so I was cast by a guild as soon as I manifested. I’ll protect you safely. You’re from Calling, right?”
“Yes.”
“If I protect you well, Calling might thank me, so this is actually beneficial for me?”
Though he spoke jokingly, he was a senior confident in his abilities, having already cleared B-rank Gates as a C-rank Esper.
Since the battle hadn’t started yet, we also conversed while forcibly relaxing our tense bodies.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Try not to get hurt!”
The two guild members who shouted ran straight ahead.
All kinds of abilities flew around from every direction.
When the jelly-like slimes were frozen using ice powers, physically enhanced Espers rushed in to shatter the jelly.
As the frozen red Blood Slimes broke into pieces and fell, they looked like red crystal gems dropping to the floor.
I wondered why they used such a method, but it turned out that ordinary physical enhancement types would be pushed back due to the slimes’ characteristic elasticity.
Espers who used water fired extremely thin, strong jets to pierce through slimes.
When a slime tried to regenerate, a close-range Esper using flames would approach and thrust fire into it, causing the slime to melt and disappear into the floor without regenerating.
Various Espers were eliminating slimes very organically using their abilities.
“Over there! Guides, come a bit more this way! Don’t get too far from us.”
“Yes.”
I snapped back to attention when I heard the call after watching the battle intently.
With explosions everywhere and movements too fast for my eyes to follow, it was impossible not to be captivated.
While watching the Espers with my eyes, I walked absentmindedly, and Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon looked at me with furious expressions.
“What, why. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“When we become high schoolers, we can do well too.”
“We’re just holding back. It’s not like we want to be doing this.”
“We’d do really well if we tried.”
“As long as we’re safe, what’s the big deal…”
Seriously, if they think the upperclassmen fighting outside are cool, they should just admit it, instead of being jealous because they can’t participate.
Isn’t it the golden rule to tease them a bit when they act like this?
“Then you just need to become high schoolers who can go to the front.”
“…That’s not something I can control right now.”
“Can’t be helped. You’re still weak middle schoolers.”
“Yoon Cheong hyung, do you think they’d advance us to high school if we went out there and caught those?”
“Maybe.”
“…Stop talking nonsense. I really can’t joke around in front of kids.”
The Guides from the guild who were listening to our conversation burst into laughter.
Well, I’m fifteen and talking about “kids” in front of adults. It’s good that the tension eased, but now there was fire in both their eyes.
“From the moment you break through this barrier to go out, I’ll leave Calling, and you’ll have to ask other kids to guide you.”
The two who had been eyeing the Blood Slimes running outside the barrier as if really preparing to go out immediately turned their eyes away.
“You won’t guide us?”
“Nope.”
“…For how long?”
“I won’t guide you at all anymore.”
“Ah, why…”
“If you do anything dangerous, I really won’t let it slide. I’ll apply to transfer to another school.”
They had seemed to be building up their power, but both opened their clenched fists.
I found it funny how quickly they backed down from a little provocation, perhaps because they still had a long way to grow.
It was evidence of how thick the barrier was and how strong the seniors and guild members fighting at the front appeared.
There were explosions everywhere, but strangely, everyone seemed to be progressing smoothly through the conquest despite the Gate being elevated to C-rank.
No one seemed to be getting hurt, and whenever the Espers fighting at the front felt a bit strained, they approached the inside of the barrier.
For some reason, though, they didn’t come to me, and instead approached the guild Guides for guiding before rushing back out.
They didn’t seem to be using much power, as some just held hands, while others embraced the Guides saying “please help me” before going back out.
I heard that intensive contact guiding with strong skinship is difficult inside a Gate. Since you never know what might happen, hugging is as far as it goes.
In a combat situation like this, they could ask me too, but they persistently avoided coming my way.
Wondering why, I just moved my head around, watching people coming in and going out.
“Guide, I’ll also ask for your help a bit.”
“I could help you…”
When I spoke to the high school senior maintaining the barrier, he opened his eyes wide instead.
“That won’t do, you should help your friends.”
“…What?”
“They’re the two using the most power here right now.”
“In what way?”
Looking at the two, they frantically shook their heads, turning pale.
As they moved their hands as if saying “we’re not doing anything, we’re fine,” I brought my face closer to them.
Shocked by their bloodshot eyes, I shouted:
“What are you doing! Weren’t you supposed to stay back?”
“No, well, we’re support.”
“We’re also ranged, and since you’re here, hyung…”
“Oh my god, fuck, if you get hurt, how am I supposed to face your parents!”
“We’re fine, really.”
“What exactly are you two doing?”
These little bastards hadn’t stayed back; they had taken the lead in protecting the Guides.
Instead, to help end the battle as quickly as possible, Ji Yeohoon was enhancing the Espers fighting at the front, and Yoon Cheong was using his telekinesis to create transparent walls to prevent too many slimes from clustering together.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before!”
“Because we promised to protect you. We can receive guiding later.”
“What does that even mean…”
“You were so worried that you acted like you wouldn’t look at us if we broke through the barrier.”
“We’re really okay. But if we’re truly struggling, we’ll get guiding from you.”
“It looks like it will end soon anyway. I’ll help you get outside quickly. I won’t go outside the barrier either, so it’s safe.”
“I won’t go out either.”
Though they had been bickering like children, the two boys now stood in front of me as if they had been doing it deliberately.
They appeared to be blocking anything from passing through to reach me.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
