13

“What was that about?”

“Excessive contact without a guide’s permission is forbidden.”

“……”

At Teeroth’s remark, Keslan’s gaze sharpened. Realizing Banteon was right beside him, he quickly softened his expression, ignoring Teeroth’s comment and turning back to Banteon.

“Teacher, if you just arrived, there must be many places you haven’t seen yet. Let me show you around. I’ve been here for about a week since the first reinforcement.”

Keslan’s enthusiasm was palpable, almost as if he had a tail wagging behind him. Teeroth, having been lightly disregarded, simply shrugged, seemingly unbothered.

Keslan smiled as he always did.

His soft eyes curved into crescent moons, and his light brown hair made him look harmless, like a young retriever. He was still very much in line with Banteon’s preferences.

“Where would you like to go first? Where is your tent located?”

Keslan clung to Banteon’s side, linking arms. Predicting that Teeroth might try to intervene, Keslan moved to Banteon’s other side to avoid him.

When Banteon stopped Teeroth from intervening again, Keslan’s smile deepened. It was a victorious smile.

“I warned you.”

“Teacher, are you uncomfortable with me being close?”

“It’s fine.”

“……”

Why were these two grown men behaving so childishly? Keslan’s tendency to be clingy was understandable, but Teeroth, usually playful, seemed unusually heated.

Keslan glanced at Teeroth with a mischievous smile.

“Then, Captain, you should go to your team members. I’ll take care of showing the teacher around.”

“Really?”

“There’s nothing dangerous here, and I can handle the tour myself.”

Teeroth raised an eyebrow at Keslan’s words. As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Banteon stepped in, gently pushing Keslan away and ruffling his hair while looking at Teeroth.

“He’s right. You should go to your team. You’re heading out tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“……”

Though Teeroth reluctantly agreed, his expression remained stern. Banteon urged him again.

“Don’t be stubborn. What good is a captain if you leave your team for so long?”

“They’ve been through this before; they’ll manage fine.”

“You’re being unreasonable again.”

“Fine…”

Teeroth sighed deeply, casting a displeased glance toward the headquarters. He knew he wasn’t making sense; a captain shouldn’t leave his team to fend for themselves.

“Let me know when you get to the tent. I’ll come help you unpack.”

“Alright, see you later.”

“Make sure you call.”

Reluctantly, Teeroth began to walk away, dragging his feet toward the end of the corridor. Once he was completely out of sight, Keslan excitedly reattached himself to Banteon’s arm.

“I can help you unpack!”

“Keslan.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t provoke Teeroth too much. You know there’s a difference between you two, even if you’re both A-rank.”

“……Yes.”

Keslan’s response was subdued. While both he and Teeroth were A-rank, Teeroth’s abilities were balanced, resulting in his ranking. However, in terms of destructive power and focus, Teeroth had S-rank capabilities, making him incomparable to Keslan, who barely made it to A-rank.

“Ruining your relationship with him won’t do you any good. It’s foolish to challenge an opponent you can’t defeat.”

“Yes… You’re right. For now.”

Banteon chuckled at Keslan’s stubbornness despite his acceptance of the truth.

“An Esper with a strong desire to win is good. But don’t let it interfere with your teamwork on missions.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. You’re a good boy.”

As a reward, Banteon ruffled Keslan’s hair roughly, making him beam brightly, revealing his teeth. No matter how many times he looked at him, Keslan always reminded him of a puppy.

“You must have adjusted well since you arrived a week ago?”

“Yes! But I kind of wish I had come a bit later. I missed some interesting things at the center.”

“Interesting things?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t know. It happened while you were on your way here. The center was turned upside down again recently.”

Keslan, having forgotten his earlier mood, excitedly explained.

“You know that SS-rank Esper, Delroz? A few days after the second depletion team left, he destroyed the center director’s office.”

“What?”

“He also trashed Building C, so the director’s office was probably easy. He accused the director of deliberately hiding the guide. This time, he even raided the guide lists from other centers.”

Banteon’s face hardened imperceptibly. He had thought he could escape hearing about the unruly Delroz by leaving the center, but he was wrong. Rumors followed him wherever he went.

“He went through every guide list, even those who already have matching Espers. He’s totally crazy.”

“…Incredible.”

“He’s basically saying he’ll take any guide he likes, even if they’re already matched. All the Espers are on edge, afraid of losing their guides.”

“…That’s a big problem.”

“Well, I don’t have a guide to lose, so it doesn’t matter to me.”

Keslan leaned more heavily against Banteon, rubbing his cheek against Banteon’s shoulder, trying to feel his energy more intimately.

“It’s such a relief that the crazy SS-rank isn’t targeting you, Teacher.”

“…Indeed.”

Banteon forced himself to respond, turning his pale face away.

---

Banteon arrived at his hastily set-up tent. Unlike the others, it was exceptionally clean and neatly arranged. His belongings, which had arrived earlier, were piled neatly outside.

He walked in weakly and lay down on the hard bed, not yet softened by personal belongings.

His heart skipped a beat at the thought of Delroz intensifying his search for the guide. Even knowing he was in a safe place, his body tensed instinctively.

He tried to calm his racing heart. Delroz was still in the basic training phase. He couldn’t leave the center until he completed the intermediate level, so there was no chance of encountering him at the depletion team.

The shortest period for the depletion team was six months. He had to endure here for that long. If necessary, he was willing to stay for a year to avoid Delroz.

As Banteon pressed his tired eyes, his terminal blinked red, signaling an incoming message.

Annoyed, he grabbed it and checked the content, which detailed his schedule starting the next day.

Espers were deployed four days a week, and guides had to perform guiding duties for three hours daily, unless they reported illness or poor condition in the morning.

The demanding schedule reminded him of where he was.

Get a grip.

Banteon sighed deeply. This was not the center. Though it was a settlement, it was a war zone where monsters could appear at any moment. Here, he needed to focus on his duties, not think about Delroz.

After six months, Delroz would likely find another temporary guide. There was no way he would go that long without guiding.

With that thought, Banteon slowly got up and reached for his piled belongings.

---

Banteon’s wish to clear his mind was magnificently granted.

“Please support Team 3.”

“We’re overloaded here. Is there anyone available?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you, Banteon!”

The three-hour guiding sessions were a joke. Monsters didn’t adhere to standard work hours. With monsters appearing sporadically, Espers were on constant alert, and guides were inevitably required to work extra hours.

The guides’ exhaustion deepened, evident in their darkened eyes. Even after the second depletion team arrived, the situation remained the same.

They began to explore deeper into the mines, encountering more dangerous monsters. As the core Espers were deployed into the mines, guides with high efficiency or matching rates accompanied them.

Inexperienced guides and those from the second depletion team stayed behind, supporting less capable Espers and filling gaps.

“Please rest for a while.”

“Banteon, you’re amazing…”

Though guiding was unrelated to genetics, people looked at him with awe. Just his presence, the most precious bloodline in the kingdom in such a dangerous place, boosted the team’s morale.

Occasional murmurs praised him as a model noble.

“Are you not tired?”

A guide from Team 1 clung to Banteon’s side.

“You’ve been doing extra work for three months. While we’re grateful, we’re worried you might collapse.”

“I’m fine. I can still manage.”

“You’re truly incredible.”

The voice carried genuine admiration. As much as others admired him, Banteon was also amazed by his stamina. He had always known his capabilities were above average, never having reached his limit despite numerous guidings. Except for the brief encounter with Delroz, he had never found guiding difficult.