The One and Only Guide - Chapter 6
“Alright.”
When Jian agreed, Axion felt a wave of relief.
If she had hesitated or resisted his intentions, he was prepared to knock her out. However, seeing her nodding without any doubt, Axion realized that Jian was even more naive than he had expected.
In fact, it was due to her excitement at finally finding a matching Esper. Axion couldn’t know the circumstances leading up to this point.
Unaware of Axion’s impure thoughts, Jian spoke.
“When we leave the Gate, would you mind accompanying me to the Awakening Center? Or better yet, how about we check your matching rate right now? I happen to have a portable matching rate tester with me.”
“…What do you mean by ‘test’?”
“Just by being near you, I can sense the waves. It seems like our compatibility is quite high. Even without further testing, our guiding efficiency seems excellent, but wouldn’t it be better to confirm the exact percentage?”
Axion understood only about half of what Jian was saying. He was simply uneasy about not knowing her intentions. But he couldn’t refuse when Jian suggested it so eagerly.
He didn’t understand what she meant by testing, but she seemed genuinely excited. Despite mulling over his refusal several times, he found it difficult to voice his rejection.
Jian earnestly convinced the hesitant Axion.
“It’s a simple test. It’s similar to a blood test. See this on my wrist? It looks like a watch, but it’s a matching rate tester. When you press the button, a small needle comes out, and you just need to get a tiny drop of blood on it for the test. It might sting a bit. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes, I’m fine with it.”
Axion was taken aback by his own automatic response. Why did he say that? Even if the needle had poison on it, what harm could it do?
He had faced and overcome much worse poisons in the past. But most importantly, the Guide in front of him didn’t seem like someone who would do something sinister like poisoning a needle.
As the blood sampler pricked their fingers, the result came out quickly. The matching rate was even higher than Jian had expected.
98%.
For a moment, Jian was surprised by the unfamiliar number, but then she smiled broadly. It’s not 0%! She could finally perform her guiding duties properly.
Her joy was short-lived, as she quickly regained her composure. Finding an Esper with such a high matching rate was a happy event, but they were in a serious crisis situation, unprecedented in her experience.
They were caught in a Gate manifestation, a situation she had never encountered before. Thinking about this made her anxious.
“But where should we go? It’s my first time in a Gate. I’m a Guide, but I have no experience with Gate dispatches. We need to find the exit quickly, but as you can see, there’s still a snowstorm… If only I hadn’t been caught up in the Gate manifestation in the first place. Even so, we’re lucky not to have encountered any monsters, right? I think it might be dangerous to go out now.”
Jian’s words sounded like idle chatter to Axion. He had no worries about Northern monsters. His condition had improved significantly, and he could handle them easily with just one hand.
However, he was concerned about how the Guide in front of him would react during the process. That was his worry.
The howling gale was another factor that troubled Axion. He had grown up facing the winter winds of the North, but the woman in front of him seemed extremely vulnerable to the cold. Her trembling jaw, pale lips, and quivering face confirmed this fact.
With his thoughts in mind, Axion removed his cloak and draped it around Jian’s body, wrapping her carefully from head to toe. He mimicked the way women carried their children on their backs. This way, he thought, they could descend the mountain together.
“Wait, what are you… doing?”
“You can’t withstand the cold outside.”
“I’m fine.”
“The terrain is rough. Don’t roll or trip for no reason. Just hold on.”
Despite feeling a bit embarrassed and awkward being carried on the back of a grown man she didn’t know, Jian easily agreed to the Esper’s instructions.
After all, she was inside the Gate, so it was best to follow the Esper’s lead. Plus, if it wasn’t for the man in front of her, finding a way out of the Gate would be nearly impossible.
Jian obediently allowed Axion to carry her on his back. Being carried on the back of a man she didn’t know made her feel a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed, but it was him who would be doing the hard work, not her.
Since things had turned out this way, she might as well do her best to guide him. Jian put her arms around Axion’s neck.
“By the way, what’s with your outfit?”
“My… outfit…?”
“Yes. I’ve heard that Espers wear specialized suits for Gate operations, but what you’re wearing doesn’t seem like one.”
She also wondered why he was wearing a cloak. Was it part of his concept? She wanted to ask, but she didn’t push the matter. People had their own preferences. To each their own.
