Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 260
He teamed up with Espers who supported him to rescue and protect kidnapped or hiding Guides. The Guides naturally gathered around him for their protection, and consequently, more Espers began to follow him.
He promised to establish an organization that could systematically manage and supervise these individuals, and eventually, he was elected president and founded the Center.
Thus, the current system was established, where not just a few powerful Espers but the majority of Espers and Guides worked together to protect the peace of all citizens.
As a result, despite the astronomical budget invested in maintaining the Center, few questioned its necessity. The moment the Center disappears, Arteon will once again become a lawless land where only a small number of powerful Espers survive.
The current situation, where mutants are harming people and the Center hasn’t found a single lead, implies a lot. If the Center’s incompetence is exposed to the public, people will start questioning its necessity.
The peace that Arteon has firmly maintained around the Center for the past fourteen years might be shaken.
“You might find it hard to understand how serious this issue is. You were young at the time and have never lived from the perspective of the weak. But I remember Arteon before the Center as clearly as if it were yesterday. It was truly… no different from hell.”
The Head of the Center sighed as he recalled those times.
“Humans are happiest when living together. No matter how strong one is, what meaning is there in living alone with the world underfoot? Think about it. If it weren’t for the Center, would you have ever been able to meet your Guide?”
“……”
Caught off guard, I shuddered in surprise when I was suddenly mentioned. Claude, who had been holding his head, gave me a troubled look.
W-Why am I being brought up when I was just sitting here quietly…?
As I stood there flustered, the Head of the Center suddenly said something unexpected.
He revealed that he once had a daughter who was a Guide.
“……The most unfortunate beings at that time were undoubtedly the Guides. No matter how they hid, it was useless. They were always found and taken by those who wanted them. Even my daughter… She was only sixteen.”
Though he tried to speak calmly, his voice trembled uncontrollably at the end.
His eyes, forced to hold back tears, were now bloodshot with red veins.
“After establishing the Center, I hoped that as long as she was alive, I might meet her again… but I never found her. It’s a common story for those who had Guides as family members back then.”
“……”
“Of course, even back then, you would have been at the top of the food chain… but who knows? Your Guide is weak and there is only one. Just like my daughter was.”
The Head of the Center, who had been shrinking before Claude, was now making a fervent appeal with a resolute expression. His damp handkerchief was crumpled mercilessly in his tightly clenched fist.
“Arteon’s peace must be preserved. And for that, the Center must be flawless. It must instill confidence that it can protect the citizens from any mutant threat. That’s why we need a hero. Someone like you.”
“……”
“I admit that because of your exceptional abilities, we’ve placed an excessive burden on you until now. So, it’s not easy for me to make this uncomfortable request once again. However…”
“……”
“The situation is very bad. In the fourteen years since the Center was established, incidents of civilians dying due to mutants have been rare and usually occurred in villages near the borders. But recently, in the capital of Arteon where the Center is located, there have been frequent mysterious deaths among unspecified individuals, and so far, we haven’t found a single clear clue about these series of incidents.”
I trust that you, being so intelligent, understand what this means.
In a calm and composed voice, the Head of the Center finished speaking.
On the surface, it seemed like he was pleading humbly, but that wasn’t the case at all.
In fact, he was issuing a grave warning.
Given that the cause of the killings was mutants, if the problem wasn’t resolved quickly, the responsibility would fall on the Center.
More precisely, it would fall on Claude, who has been idolized more than any other Esper within the Center.
