By Zephyria 
I sat quietly, waiting for Vasily to return after completing the conquest.
Fortunately, he seemed to have cooled off before leaving, so I wasn’t particularly worried about his return. Rather, once the tension dissipated, I felt completely drained. I leaned back in my chair and slumped over like a jellyfish.
I had forgotten to tell Vasily to leave some ice behind, but thanks to the ice still remaining in the open sea, it was actually bordering on chilly.
I took out my smartphone to check the time. 1 PM. For some reason, I felt hungry.
After the Espers headed toward the Gate, lunch was provided on-site. It was fresh sushi, seemingly ordered from a nearby shop. Since there was a portion for me as Vasily’s companion, I filled my stomach with satisfaction.
After eating lunch, I sat back in the chair and opened a lodging app.
Vasily must have exerted considerable effort to freeze the sea. Since he might need guiding, I thought it would be better to look for accommodations in advance. Somewhere nearby and as high-quality as possible.
Fortunately, there was an Esper-exclusive lodging in the nearby Seosan mountains. Since it was a facility managed by the association, it was better than most hotels. Of course, there was a possibility that Vasily would want to return to Seoul immediately, so I decided not to make a reservation just yet.
Now, all that remained was to hope that Vasily would complete the Gate conquest safely.
* * *
Bored of just sitting still, I took a slow walk along the beach. Then, I suddenly noticed the site becoming hectic. As I peeked around, news arrived that the conquest was over.
“It took longer than I thought…”
I muttered softly, looking up at the darkened sky.
I thought Vasily would have finished and come out before sunset. Had I overestimated him too much? If it were Vasily from six years later, he would have conquered a C-Class Gate of this level in no time.
After waiting a moment, the Espers began to cross over from beyond the dark sea, one by one, using the ice bridge. Hmm, everyone looks to be in decent shape. As I lingered near the bridge, observing the returning Espers, Vasily soon revealed himself.
I approached him with a slight sense of tension, but Vasily welcomed me with a bright smile. Fortunately, it seemed his anger had completely vanished.
However…
‘Why is the atmosphere like this?’
The air was heavy. The Espers’ expressions were not good. There was no sense of leisure or relief that usually follows a conquest; instead, a taut tension lingered.
The atmosphere was unusual. Could it be…
“Esper Vasily, did something happen inside the Gate?”
“No. Nothing happened.”
I asked Vasily, but as expected, I received the same answer.
I wanted to believe Vasily too. But… the Espers were glancing at Vasily with stiff expressions. It was absolutely not an atmosphere that suggested nothing had happened.
I couldn’t let this go. Something was strange.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, shall we return now—”
“I’ll be right back after checking something.”
I looked around and approached an association employee who was checking the headcount.
“Are there any personnel who haven’t come out of the Gate yet?”
“Yes. About five people have not arrived.”
“Thank you.”
Five people. I turned my head and stared across the ice bridge.
While I was waiting for the remaining personnel to emerge, Vasily approached me.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, we’re going back now, right?”
“No, I’ll wait a little longer.”
“…”
Vasily fell silent.
I intended to wait until the end. I felt uneasy.
As I waited endlessly, I kept feeling a cold chill from somewhere. I couldn’t tell if it was blowing in from beyond the frozen sea or leaking out from Vasily.
While waiting for the remaining Espers to exit the Gate, I stole glances at Vasily. It would be a relief if truly nothing had happened, but because I was reacting this way due to my anxiety, I felt like I’d have a hard time soothing Vasily’s mood. I just hoped he wouldn’t demand an absurd level of guiding.
However, my anxiety gradually turned into certainty. Quite a bit of time had passed, yet the remaining Espers showed no sign of appearing. And Vasily’s mood was steadily worsening.
Then, I saw Espers approaching in the distance. As I watched them anxiously, one Esper, who seemed severely injured, was walking with great difficulty, supported by others.
Damn it… I bit my lip and frowned. I could tell instantly. The person returning covered in blood was the Esper who had received guiding from me before departure.
My heart turned ice-cold.
“…Esper Vasily, didn’t you clearly say nothing happened?”
“Yes. Nothing happened.”
Even seeing that sight, Vasily continued to repeat the same answer.
I grit my teeth. Right, to Vasily, it might be nothing. But it was different for me.
This was the exact same situation as when I had barely escaped Vasily and became the dedicated Guide for another Esper before my regression.
It happened shortly after I got a new Esper. The Esper who said they were going to a Gate returned half-crippled and was eventually forced into retirement. And I… had to return to Vasily.
It was exactly like then.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, where are you going?”
“An emergency patient has arrived, so shouldn’t I provide guiding?”
“…Guide Kwon Gi-dam, you didn’t come here as a temporary Guide, but as my companion.”
“But before that, I am a temporary Guide, am I not? Are you telling me to just watch while an Esper is dying?”
As I said that, I saw Vasily’s face harden more coldly than ever. I flinched, but I immediately pretended it was nothing. Fearing he would notice I was scared, I avoided his gaze and continued.
“The person over there looks more urgent than you, Esper Vasily, so I’ll go provide guiding now.”
“…”
Having said that, I turned around. Vasily did not stop me.
I approached the Esper and checked his condition.
His body was completely shredded. It looked like his shoulder and leg had been pierced by something sharp, his flank was half-torn, and various parts of his body were frozen; there wasn’t a single spot left intact.
Seeing the wretched state, I almost collapsed under the weight of guilt. I closed my eyes tightly and steadied my heart.
“Are you alright?”
“Ugh…”
“I think we need to transport you to a hospital. Esper, I’m sorry, but could you help me move him?”
He was already nearly unconscious. The bleeding was severe, so it seemed he needed surgery immediately. With the help of other Espers, I hurriedly moved him into an ambulance.
‘Vasily is…’
Before leaving the beach, I turned my head to look back at where Vasily had been. But Vasily had already disappeared.
I provided guiding to the Esper while moving to the hospital. My chest throbbed with guilt.
Fortunately, since he was said to be an A-Class Esper, his recovery power would be excellent, and if he received proper guiding at the right time, he would be able to avoid aftereffects. I was glad that the matching rate between the man and me was high. I could provide appropriate guiding just in time.
After arriving at the hospital, I waited for the Esper in front of the operating room. Even after the surgery ended, I continued guiding by his side until he recovered.
The man slowly opened his eyes around dawn. I suppose this is because he’s an A-Class Esper. To regain consciousness so quickly despite such severe injuries.
“Ugh…”
“Are you awake?”
“Guide…”
The Esper struggled to regain consciousness, then opened his eyes wide in surprise upon discovering me. I apologized to him first.
“I’m sorry. Because of me, you got caught up in this.”
“No. I’m the one who caused the trouble.”
I was prepared to accept it even if he got angry at me, but the man instead shook his head calmly.
“…I heard the rumors. That you were Esper Vasily’s…”
“…Those are false rumors.”
A brief silence followed.
“Then that’s a relief. I would really like it if you became my dedicated Guide.”
The man proposed that I be his Guide once again. I quietly shook my head.
“…I’m sorry.”
I knew his sincerity in proposing the Guide position even though he knew what I had suffered from Vasily and why, but I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me again.
The Esper I had a contract with for a short while after fleeing from Vasily had also been a good person like this man. That’s why I think the guilt was even greater when he was ruined by Vasily because of me.
“I thought so… That’s a shame.”
“…I am not that great of a Guide. You will be able to meet a much better Guide.”
The Esper let me go with a look of regret. I bowed and quietly left the hospital room.
“Sigh…”
Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue, I stepped outside the hospital. It was already dawn. Seeing the sky faintly brightening, I figured I could take the first bus back to Seoul.
“I’ll have to guide Vasily once I get back, too…”