The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 216
The more they used their abilities, the more guiding was essential. The more power they used, the faster their minds would deteriorate, so my ability was even more necessary.
‘I’m glad I honed my skills with Hedonia.’
All the practice with guiding had paid off. Although it was mainly through our intimate practice… ahem!
I widened my eyes.
“Everyone, use your abilities to your heart’s content.”
I would pour all my strength into guiding until my power reached its limit.
I wouldn’t let Cayden’s schemes become reality.
“…Duke Hedonia Apharantes. You can understand my feelings, can’t you?”
Cayden, with his bruised face, pleaded.
“When the one you love disappears… how can you stay still? You must seek fitting revenge.”
Hedonia didn’t respond to those words.
“It’s selfishness.”
In the silence, Hedonia’s words were brief.
“Pushing other innocent people into the same situation for the sake of revenge. If it were a revenge solely for the emperor, it might have been justifiable somehow, but isn’t this different?”
Hedonia’s gaze at Cayden was fierce.
“Even I almost fell into that.”
Hedonia squeezed my hand tightly. The trembling I felt from his hand indicated that, although he didn’t show it outwardly, he was sufficiently shocked by the current situation.
“Now, acknowledge your mistakes.”
Hedonia muttered to Cayden, as if giving him a final warning, then stood up.
“Let’s start from here.”
He stood before the line of people. I held Hedonia’s hand and stood beside him.
Hedonia’s journey to break the brainwashing of all the espers began.
As we approached each esper in turn to free them from the brainwashing, Pheon organized the surroundings and lined up the people again.
Around Shaelock, roughly dozens of summons were called forth.
Christopher stood before them and soared high into the sky. The sight of all the summoned creatures following him and moving together looked like a shimmering mirage.
“Wow….”
Even those who had been fighting were mesmerized, gazing at the sky in awe. It was a sight as if stars were gathering to converse.
“I’ll go and close the gate that opened this time.”
Esban, knocking everyone down by unleashing his sword energy among the fighters, bowed his head to me.
“I’ll get the guiding when I return.”
Given the open gate, there must be a considerable number of monsters. Therefore, I was truly grateful that Esban volunteered to go first.
…Above all, it was reassuring to see his determination to clean up the mess made by the Cairoze family.
“I’ll resolve it quickly and be back.”
Esban looked at me with unwavering eyes as he spoke.
Perhaps it was because the conversation with Christopher had ended, and all the truths about Cayden had come to light?
Esban’s actions, as he moved forward, had more certainty than before.
“……”
That sight was rather pleasing.
It seemed like he had found his own answer to the current situation.
“It looks like the warm-up is over.”
Hedonia, holding my hand, smiled brightly.
He stood in front of the people.
“The price for trying to drag you in…”
Hedonia’s gaze lingered on Cayden for a moment as he paused.
“…is something I must show.”
As Hedonia closed his eyes, the espers who had been fighting around us began to collapse one by one.
‘…They aren’t just collapsing.’
Realizing that this was Hedonia’s doing sent chills down my spine.
Shaelock’s abilities were flashy and grand. But Hedonia’s power was the exact opposite. It approached silently, infiltrated the mind, and achieved the most remarkable results.
No blood or sacrifice was needed. It must have been anything but easy for Hedonia.
The sweat beading on his forehead and the trembling in his eyes as he looked at me sometimes made it seem like he had forgotten who he was.
In those moments, I was scared.
I feared what would happen if Hedonia, overwhelmed by the people surrounding him, truly lost his mind.
“Hedonia.”
In those moments, I called his name.
“Hedonia, I’m here.”
Each time, Hedonia looked at me with the same face and smiled.
With a smile that he showed only when we were together, he reminded me that the person beside me was indeed Hedonia.
Around 200 people had collapsed. Hedonia steadily did his job.
Just as he was doing his part, I began to do mine.
While holding Hedonia’s hand with one hand, I used the other to guide the exhausted Shaelock and Pheon whenever they came to me.
I was surprised by how infrequently they needed my guidance.
They weren’t espers who solely relied on my guidance.
‘…They really worked hard while I was away.’
For me, my role was just a way to survive, but the butterfly effect of my actions had influenced all the espers.
‘…In a very good direction.’
I felt proud that all these changes were a result of my role as a guide.
And when all the espers who participated in the festival finally fell asleep, Hedonia could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
