By Zephyria 
While traveling for a long time by helicopter, I saw Vasily talking about something with an association employee. Had we arrived above the Gate? Just as I was about to glance down, I noticed Vasily standing up from his seat.
Is he trying to jump again?
As I looked at him with exhausted eyes, Vasily reached out his arm toward me.
What is this? While I watched his actions in silence, Vasily touched my seatbelt and unbuckled it.
“Wha—what are you…”
While I was in shock, my arm was grabbed and I was pulled up. Vasily smiled and stepped out of the helicopter.
The moment I witnessed that scene, I hurriedly tried to grab the handle right next to me, but my body was pulled so strongly that I clawed at the empty air.
The last thing I saw as I plummeted out of the helicopter was the face of the association employee, looking at us with eyes full of horror.
“Aaaah!”
I screamed and struggled. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, but I felt that if I did, I wouldn’t even be able to react to what was coming, so I forced my eyes open and endured it.
Vasily, falling while holding me, had a look of pure amusement on his face. And right below us, the blue, shimmering Gate was waiting with its mouth open to swallow me.
Damn it, I shouldn’t have trusted Vasily.
Only one day after failing to escape and signing a contract stating I wouldn’t enter Gates, the entrance to a Gate was laid out before me. At this trajectory, entering the Gate was inevitable.
To make matters worse, I wasn’t even wearing a combat suit. Did he bring me here like this to make me lower my guard? I had no weapons and no armor. In this state, I had no idea how long I could survive once inside the Gate.
“…!”
Just then, instead of the Gate visible beneath my feet, a massive ice pillar shot upward. However, it was slightly tilted.
Before I could even grasp the situation, Vasily landed on top of it and slid down the slope. In an instant, we reached the ground. Moreover, it was a smooth landing without a single shock.
“Were you surprised?”
“P-please let go of me first.”
Vasily asked me. I blinked and looked at him, then realizing I was in a position where I was practically clinging to him, I hurriedly pushed him away. As I struggled, Vasily obediently set me down on the ground.
I barely managed to stand on my trembling legs before eventually collapsing into a sitting position.
Seeing this, Vasily smiled and spoke.
“You haven’t forgotten already, have you? Guide Kwon Gi-dam-ssi, you wrote a clause in the contract that I must not cause you any physical harm.”
“….”
…That’s right. If Vasily were to cause me harm, the contract would be immediately terminated, and I would be a free man. But in a situation where I thought Vasily was trying to drag me into a Gate, there was no way I could remember that.
As I caught my breath, Vasily asked with a nonchalant face.
“Have you calmed down now?”
“…If you’re going to do something like this next time, please consult me in advance.”
“Then it wouldn’t be any fun…”
What is he talking about? If he tries to have “fun” twice more, I’ll be the first to die of a heart attack.
“Why on earth did you jump?”
“I told you, it’s a mountain peak. Do you see any place around here where a helicopter could land?”
As Vasily said, this area wasn’t like a hiking trail; it was literally the top of one of the mountain ranges. Everything in all directions was trees, so there was no spot for a helicopter to land.
“Usually, people climb down using the ladder.”
“That’s too slow and frustrating.”
“….”
No, that’s the normal way.
The helicopter hovered overhead, and the strong wind from the propellers scattered my hair. Soon, a ladder descended, and the association employee who had been on board carefully climbed down.
It was true that the slow speed was frustrating. But it looked very safe. That was exactly what I wanted.
“Well then, I’ll be back.”
“Are you going alone?”
“Yes. They always send me alone to places with such poor accessibility. It’s a B-class Gate; isn’t that a bit much?”
Vasily shrugged.
Indeed, for a B-class Gate, it would make sense to attach a few more Espers, so the association was being excessive. However, since Vasily enjoys tormenting the people around him, he deserves to suffer a bit too.
Since it’s B-class, it’ll probably take a while. But I’m tired and want to go back and rest quickly…
I cautiously checked his mood and asked.
“Esper Vasily-nim, can you finish the conquest and come out quickly?”
“Hmm… I wonder.”
Vasily gave an ambiguous answer, testing my reaction. Was he saying he wouldn’t do it for free? His thoughts were so obvious that I let out a deep sigh and reluctantly made an offer.
“If you finish and come out within three hours, I’ll give you a long guiding session today.”
“Will that be okay? The Attending Physician said to limit guiding to only one hour.”
“Drug treatment starts next week anyway, so it’ll be fine until then.”
Hearing that, Vasily smiled with satisfaction. As expected, it seemed he was quite unhappy that guiding had been limited to one hour.
“Deal. See you in three hours.”
The negotiation was a success. I watched Vasily walk toward the Gate in a good mood and said,
“Make sure to control your powers so there are no aftereffects. Even if you come out early, if you can’t control your powers, I won’t be able to give you guiding immediately.”
“Of course. Who do you think I am?”
Saying so, Vasily disappeared into the Gate with an air of complete leisure.
Cold air flowed from the massive pillar standing next to the Gate. I spent an awkward amount of time crouching in front of it with one association employee. Since he had already contacted the helicopter to wait nearby in three hours, we should be able to leave as soon as Vasily came out.
I killed time by looking at my smartphone while fighting off bugs.
Until Vasily finished the conquest, I searched for news about him. I searched to see if any articles had appeared suggesting Vasily had found a Guide, but fortunately, there was nothing of the sort. The incident where he caused a commotion at the airport was also quiet, as if nothing had happened.
I was a bit worried that the internet might have exploded because Vasily openly introduced me as his Guide on the plane, but fortunately, it was still quiet. Of course, it would spread gradually over time.
Should I start wearing a mask from now on? Since regressing, I occasionally get contacted by acquaintances from six years ago, but I don’t even remember those people well. I don’t want to see my smartphone exploding with unfamiliar contacts, so I should probably change my number soon.
I have to move my luggage to Vasily’s house, change my number, organize my desk in the association’s guiding department, and start preparing for the removal of the suppression chip. I’ll have a mountain of work once next week hits.
I wonder if I’ll have to follow Vasily to every Gate he’s dispatched to from now on.
Usually, a dedicated Guide does not accompany the Esper to the Gate. Because the area around the Gate is dangerous, Espers also didn’t welcome Guides coming close to the Gate.
However, Vasily doesn’t seem to care about that at all, and it seems highly likely he’ll bring me every time for the sole reason that I might run away. He also seems to have the intention of receiving guiding immediately after finishing the conquest…
“Others say it’s more comfortable once you sign an exclusive contract…”
At least that doesn’t apply to me.
Well, I suppose if I’m the dedicated Guide for a busy S-class Esper, it’s only right that I become just as busy. While I was carefully planning my future, I saw Vasily walking out from inside the Gate.
I checked the time. It took a little over two hours. Although I had requested it, it was a very fast conquest for a B-class Gate. At this rate, his speed was comparable to six years later.
I gauged Vasily’s condition with my eyes. Seeing that no cold air was emanating from him, he didn’t look too bad.
I narrowed my eyes. As expected, he has looked to be in good condition ever since the day he discovered the suppression chip, froze the device, and received guiding.
“Is the conquest over?”
“Yes. As you can see, my condition is fine.”
“Then we’ll proceed with guiding immediately upon returning.”
“Great.”
Vasily approached the ice pillar standing in front of the Gate and pressed down on it firmly with his leg. The ice pillar slowly tilted and seemed to crack, then it suddenly shattered violently, and the fragments poured into the Gate.
A clean cleanup. I stared at the spot where the ice pillar, which had vanished its traces in an instant, had stood.
When the association employee contacted the helicopter via radio, they arrived quickly, saying they had been waiting below the mountain. When boarding the helicopter again, I climbed up using the ladder they lowered. It shook precariously with every step I took.
And so, we returned to the association.
Since I had been hungry while waiting for Vasily to come out of the Gate, I had a late lunch at a nearby restaurant I always go to as soon as we returned to the association.
By the time I arrived home, it was 3 PM. Half of Sunday had already passed just by going to the Gate.
If Vasily hadn’t finished the conquest and come out early, it would have been night already. I’m not particularly grateful, though. Since it was a negotiation based on the condition that I would provide guiding.
I want to lie down on the sofa and rest immediately, but to think I can’t because I have to guide Vasily…