The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 123
The silhouettes moving between the mansion’s roof and the trees appeared and returned repeatedly.
Shaelock, disguised as someone else, surveyed the surroundings and muttered.
“Hedonia’s accelerated awakening might actually be a good thing. Once she becomes a guide, Robert’s schemes will be useless.”
“Calling him ‘Robert’ is already too kind. I prefer ‘that bastard.'”
Pheon grinned as he spoke. His tone was smooth, but there was a chilling coldness to it.
Using profanity was a clear sign of how infuriated Pheon, who usually valued elegant manners, truly was.
“He’s unbelievably cowardly for a noble.”
Esban, who was walking beside them, nodded in agreement.
“It seems like Esban believes all nobles should be paragons of virtue.”
Pheon retorted sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s just how I was taught. And why are you here today, Lord Pheon? You didn’t have to come.”
Shaelock came insisting on helping her friend, and Esban was bound by ties to the Cairoze family, but Pheon had no such obligation.
“Ah, if you two are going to fight, make it loud enough to snap everyone out of it.”
Shaelock said, her expression bored as she encouraged their bickering.
On the surface, they maintained their composure, but all three Espers were far from their normal state.
“I need some guiding…”
They truly were in desperate need of guiding.
Robert wasn’t just sitting idly by either.
He had taken his leave to coincide with the times when the three Espers returned from the dungeons.
Going to other guides resulted in lukewarm guiding at best. No matter how many hours they received, the pain didn’t lessen at all.
“Shouldn’t His Majesty the Emperor severely punish such actions, Princess?”
“Honestly, on the surface, there’s nothing wrong. No matter how much we say the guiding isn’t working, the guides can claim they tried their best. Bringing in more guides won’t change anything.”
Shaelock sighed, stretching her legs out. A frown crossed her face as she gazed into the air.
“We’ve been obedient for so long… and now the lurking wolf has raised its head.”
While receiving Robert’s guiding, they could tolerate it, but the current guiding system was absurd given their opposition to him.
All guides were gathered and controlled through Robert Apharantes.
It was an unassailable power that even the royal family couldn’t handle.
However, it was difficult to directly attack Robert Apharantes, who was moderately loyal to the royal family and focused on the duchy.
The makeshift system he had created was still functioning.
…At least, it had been so far.
Shaelock thought of Karina’s face.
“Ah, I miss Karina…”
The more they lost control and craved guiding, the more they needed Karina’s refreshing guidance.
“Oh, I miss my friend too.”
“Friend?”
Shaelock’s eyebrow twitched at the word Pheon unnecessarily added.
Esban blinked at the unfamiliar term.
“Ah, Karina and I decided to be friends. Princess.”
“…Karina doesn’t make friends with just anyone.”
“Well, I asked her and she agreed.”
Pheon omitted the lengthy argument it took to gain Karina’s consent.
“Ah.”
Shaelock’s lips curled into a smile.
“Karina asked me first.”
Pheon was defeated.
Watching their bickering, Esban felt a strange mix of emotions.
‘…Am I feeling left out?’
Was it because he was the only one who wasn’t friends with Karina?
No matter how admirable she was or how much time they had spent together, their statuses were different from the start, so how could he possibly…?
How could he…?
…Maybe he could.
The sudden thought made Esban widen his eyes.
‘I must be crazy.’
He was half out of his mind from not receiving proper guiding, but he needed to hold on to his sanity.
Get it together.
He couldn’t let all his efforts go to waste.
As they continued talking, they eventually arrived at the Apharantes mansion.
The main mansion’s third floor, a room close to the outdoor garden with the best view.
They had come to check on Hedonia’s condition in person because they had no way of knowing his state since communications were cut off.
In case Hedonia woke up and could take action, Cayden Cairoze was prepared and ready.
“Pheon, you check on Hedonia’s condition. Esban and I will go get her.”
Shaelock’s directive was met with nods from Esban and Pheon.
Though it was clear Pheon wasn’t entirely pleased with the arrangement.
The Apharantes mansion was surrounded by the most powerful magical barrier in existence.
The magic circle, forged with the power of countless mages, turned the mansion into an invulnerable fortress.
This was why not even an ant could infiltrate the mansion, let alone an assassin.
“Let’s begin.”
At Pheon’s command, the three Espers moved into action.
The compromised barrier would detect an intrusion and attempt to attack within 15 minutes.
This was only possible because Pheon had been one of the creators of the magic circle.
“Alright, let’s go.”
