Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 217
About three weeks after Claude left, his unit finally sent someone back for the first time.
It was none other than Log #3, Livener. And the reason for his early return was ‘a severe injury that made it impossible for him to participate in the battlefield’.
Livener’s condition was critical. With a large wound in his side, he struggled to even stand, and upon arriving at the Center, he was immediately placed on a stretcher.
While the battlefield is undoubtedly a dangerous place, it is rare for an Esper to sustain such a severe injury.
Mutants, no matter how strong, are creatures that move based on instinct without intelligence. If the right personnel are selected and tactical measures are put in place, they are usually easily defeated.
Thus, this unprecedented news alarmed not only the Espers and Guides, including myself, but even the Center’s director who came out to see Livener.
“What on earth happened? How could an Esper like you sustain such a serious injury!”
As Livener tried to lift himself from the stretcher, the Center director hurriedly waved his hand, telling him not to strain himself and to explain what happened.
Livener, panting heavily, finally managed to say…
“The mutants are… acting strange.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“They don’t herd when we try to corral them, and they cleverly avoid our traps. In all my time on the battlefield, I’ve never encountered mutants behaving this way.”
“This is…”
“It might be… that a mutant with intelligence has emerged.”
Livener’s words were enough to shatter me, standing anxiously by and listening.
* * *
I know that Claude’s expedition wouldn’t end exactly on schedule. But perhaps I had hoped otherwise.
The expedition was initially planned to last about a month. Since three weeks had passed, I believed I would see him soon.
But for Livener, an S-Class Esper, to be so critically injured that he had to return early?
And for mutants with intelligence to appear?
This meant that I had no idea how much longer Claude’s return would be delayed, but that wasn’t the important part.
If Livener was injured to that extent, even Claude could be in danger.
This had never been mentioned or happened in the original story. Therefore, I had no way of predicting the outcome of this event.
I didn’t know where things had gone wrong. Ominous thoughts kept creeping in.
I was the reason Claude’s guiding allergy suddenly improved. In other words, I am the variable in his destiny.
Could it be that fate is trying to separate him from the anomaly that is me? Is that why he had to leave the Center for an unprecedented event?
The reason why mutants, despite their physical destructive power, have not been a match for humans over the past 14 years is because they lacked intelligence. The number of Espers and guides is significantly smaller compared to the number of mutants, but the Espers trained systematically at the Center have managed to overcome their numerical disadvantage.
Thus, the discovery of intelligent mutant individuals means that the hard-won peace in Arteon could be shattered, and society could fall into chaos again.
Naturally, the atmosphere at the center became tense. Everyone wanted to deny it, saying ‘no way’, but the worry of ‘what if’ made everyone uneasy and sensitive.
For me, who had sent my lover off to the battlefield alone, it was even worse.
“According to Mr. Livener… the situation is very bad, so it’s unavoidable that the expedition will be extended.”
“…”
During our lunch, Epine, who was always in the know, relayed the news while watching my reaction.
According to her, the battle situation Livener reported after his early return due to his injury was incredibly bleak.
I understand that it’s not appropriate to complain about the expedition being extended. While Claude is fighting fierce battles in that desolate border area every day, I’m here at the Center, enjoying a comfortable and secure life.
So whether it takes three months, six months, or a year, I should be grateful if he comes back safely.
But…
Simeyez tried to comfort me, seeing my gloomy expression.
“It’ll be alright, Rose. It’s Lord Claude we’re talking about.”
