18

Banteon was silent, shocked by the story he had just heard. He sensed an unusual energy in the air around him. It was puzzling that someone from the center, overflowing with Guides, would be so unstable, but now he understood why.

The situation was more serious than expected. An Esper who fails to receive guiding will eventually die from going berserk. Even a low-rank Esper’s berserk state is several times more destructive than their normal powers. But if an SS-rank Esper were to go berserk without guiding?

The central continent would be split in two, just as it was during the first naturally occurring Esper’s rampage.

At first, he was curious why Delroz, who was still without even a temporary Guide and hadn’t received any training, was sent to this place. Now he understood the intentions of the center in sending Delroz here.

An Esper who cannot find a Guide is a ticking time bomb—a massive disaster that cannot be allowed to remain at the center of the kingdom. So, they sought to isolate him in the farthest possible place from the center.

“That’s why I came to see if it was possible with you, but it seems I’ve only wasted my time.”

Most of the personnel would soon join the subjugation team, leaving only a minimal number behind. If things continued as they were, the end was inevitable. Either the monsters’ lair would be cleared, or Delroz would go berserk and die…

No, before that, did Delroz even realize that he was sent here to die alone in a remote place?

Banteon looked up to observe his expression. He searched for any shadow of concern on his normally stoic face. But Delroz’s face was as indifferent as ever.

It was a hopeless situation with no available Guides and no possibility of guiding.

Even without finishing his training, Delroz would understand the gravity of the situation. Any Esper would instinctively know. Having already faced a berserk crisis once, he should know how difficult it was.

“What happens now?” Banteon asked.

“It’ll happen just as you think. I’ll go berserk… Why am I even explaining this?”

Delroz stopped talking and ruffled his hair roughly. He folded his arms, his expression dark and frustrated, then turned away in irritation.

“It was foolish to think it might be possible with a man. I made a mistake.”

“…”

“I’ve only wasted my time. Forget everything you heard today.”

With that, Delroz strode out of the tent without a word of goodbye, just as he had appeared. Banteon stood there, watching him disappear into the distance.

Left alone, Banteon paced slowly around the tent, biting his lip in anxiety. He pressed his hand to his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.

What would happen next?

The thought that Delroz might go berserk lingered in his mind. The berserk state of an SS-rank Esper would be catastrophic. It would result in a disaster that could destroy half of the continent once again.

Banteon, who had lectured students on the dangers of going berserk, had encountered numerous documents during his studies. He knew better than anyone how devastating it could be.

He lay down on his bed, trying to suppress the unease in his chest. Why had Delroz suddenly become unresponsive to guiding, which had been going smoothly before?

No matter how much he retraced his thoughts, no clear reason came to mind.

In the centuries of the center’s operation, there had never been an Esper who experienced symptoms like Delroz’s. Many had survived berserk crises, but there were no records of anyone having issues with guiding afterward.

Could it be because of the drug that was said to have forcibly triggered Delroz’s berserk state? It was highly likely that the drug was illegal and caused severe side effects.

“Hmm…”

As Banteon organized his thoughts, another question arose. Why had Delroz sought out Banteon among all the available Guides?

Espers’ instincts are sharper than any beast’s. Even knowing he was a male Guide, even suspecting that Banteon might not have been the one to stop his berserk state, he had approached Banteon…

‘Could it be that I’m the only one who can guide him?’

If the energy from Banteon’s guiding had been strongly imprinted on Delroz due to the drug’s side effects, then maybe Delroz had been instinctively drawn to him without realizing it.

As his thoughts spiraled, Banteon shook his head roughly.

If he was the only one who could guide Delroz, he would be forcibly tied to him. That was the outcome Banteon wanted to avoid the most. It was a situation where he should immediately distance himself, but…

This wasn’t just a personal issue; it was a matter of the continent’s safety. It wasn’t the time to hide and think only of his own safety.

“…”

Could things have gone any more wrong?

Should he have ignored Delroz that day? But if Delroz had gone berserk, the entire capital would have been destroyed. Even now, the conclusion remained the same.

Banteon had two choices. He could either attempt to guide Delroz and end up bound to him, or he could flee to the capital and wait for Delroz to go berserk and die.

Both options were horrific.

Banteon stared at his communicator, lost in thought.

If Delroz went berserk, half the continent would be devastated. Even if it happened in the outskirts, the damage would be unimaginable. There would be countless casualties, and the land would remain a wasteland for centuries.

He had never thought of himself as particularly noble. He had lived his life indulging in his position, enjoying the convenience of skirting the line between crime and legality. Words like guilt, responsibility, and justice were the furthest things from his mind.

So, this time too, he could just leave, indifferent to whether Delroz lived or died. After all, there was no guarantee that Banteon’s guiding would work. Even if he ran away, it wouldn’t be his fault.

Even if Delroz went berserk and there were casualties, no one would blame Banteon for it.

“Ah, damn it.”

He suddenly sat up from his bed, glaring at the unchanged screen of his communicator. In the battle between his reason and emotions, the scales finally tipped.

Nothing was certain yet. The idea that Delroz might be able to be guided by Banteon was just a conjecture.

He would check just once.

He would confirm that Delroz couldn’t be guided by him and then return to the center. That way, even if he heard one day that Delroz had died from going berserk, he wouldn’t feel guilty.

Roughly tossing aside the communicator, Banteon threw himself back onto the bed. His whole body sank into the soft mattress as if being swallowed. He turned over, burying his head into the pillow.

“I must be crazy.”

A sigh of frustration escaped his lips.

---

“Are you out of your mind?”

“…”

“No, seriously, you must be crazy to do something like this. Are you sick? Should I book you a session with a therapist?”

“…”

“Say something!”

Teeroth shouted, frustrated by Banteon’s silence, as he clutched his chest in exasperation.

After spending the entire night agonizing over his decision, Banteon finally made up his mind. If he was going to confirm anything, he would do it quickly, close to Delroz, and then flee back to the center.

As long as Banteon stayed at the headquarters where he was currently stationed, he had little chance of encountering Delroz. So, after much deliberation, he decided to request a transfer to the team assigned to enter the abandoned mine where Delroz was posted.

He was desperate to confirm the truth as soon as possible. Teeroth, upon hearing the news, had stormed in early in the morning, making a fuss.

“I should have known when you suddenly volunteered for the subjugation team. I should have sent you to a psychiatrist back then.”

“Calm down.”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now?”

Teeroth violently shook the communicator displaying the roster, then threw it loudly onto the table in front of Banteon.

The intensity of Teeroth’s outburst made Banteon’s ears sting.

“Are you seriously not going to tell me the real reason? Even after things have gotten this bad?”

“…”

Watching Teeroth, who was so upset that he was stomping his feet like a frustrated child, Banteon hesitated. Maybe it was time to tell him the truth, even if it was late.

“Please, just tell me. What’s going on with you all of a sudden?”

Teeroth’s voice trembled, almost pleading.

If it was Teeroth, Banteon knew he could trust him not to let the information leak out. He was the only person Banteon could rely on here. Yet, the reason for his hesitation was that Banteon himself was still unsure about everything.

But with things having gotten this twisted, it seemed better to come clean now. He was in a situation where he could use all the help he could get.

“Alright, sit down.”

“Fine.”

Teeroth quickly sat down across from Banteon, his demeanor full of determination not to miss a single word. Banteon took a deep breath.

“How much do you know about Delroz?”

“What? That he didn’t match with any Guide at the center and got sent here? That he might die soon from going berserk?”

As expected, Teeroth was well-informed about the situation.

“Yes, that’s right. But I think I might be able to guide him.”

“Why? Why do you think you can do it when no one else could?”

“I don’t know how much you’ll believe, but, actually…”

Teeroth crossed his arms, waiting to hear what must be an incredible explanation. Banteon wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do, but the situation was already out of control.

Banteon swallowed hard and finally spoke.

“I’m the Guide.”

“What Guide?”

“The Guide Delroz is looking for.”

“…Huh?”

“…”

“Huh? …What?”