"I'm not going."
"I haven't said anything yet."
"I'm not going."
When I spoke forcefully, the director replied leisurely. But as soon as I walked past her, security espers stood in my way once again.
Only then did the chief whisper close to me.
"There's a lot of snow here, so shall we go up and talk?"
"Why? It's not something that other people think it's fair.”
"What's not to be proud of? The guide in the center has no choice but to obey orders. You know that, right?
The head of the headquarters smiled pretentiously without smiling. It was a brazen attitude as if not to struggle for nothing.
Then Aiden, who was behind, stepped in.
"What are you doing?”
However, the chief of the division warned him in a determined voice.
"Aiden, get out of here for a second. We're talking, right?”
"This guide first came to the central headquarters yesterday. You don't know anything...….”
"How can the hierarchy be so messed up?"
When the head of the headquarters winked at the security guard on both sides, two security guards seized Aiden.
"What? Are you guys crazy? I'm an A-class Esper!"
"How convenient is the natural world? Even if you can make only one embers, it's rated high. I'm thinking of changing the grading conditions. We can't put incompetent people in the lead on the battlefield. Take him."
Aiden was an Esper with the ability to ignite. Even in the physical world, Esper using nature was designated as a high grade, but the quality seemed to be lower than expected.
It was my mistake not to delve into it. I'll have to get that jerk out of here first. I didn't want to be harmed by me.
"Let him go, he's irrelevant."
"It's a discipline problem."
"Then why don't you throw me out first? There's a C-class guide disobeying the sky-high chief.”
"That's a funny girl."
The head of the headquarters laughed briefly.
I felt that this was really too much. No matter how much the center was established to protect the nation and its people, awakeners did not participate by their own choice.
However, he demanded absolute obedience and tried to exterminate the human rights of awakeners. I've been subjected to a lot of unreasonable things, but this was different.
Getting into Eclipse was suicide. Rather, it was better to leave the center and live as a fugitive.
I also felt that there was nowhere else to back down.
When I was just staring, the head of the headquarters said as if he couldn't help it.
"Our central headquarters was in the code-blue phase because of the S-level gate, and we were short of those who were inside the center and asked outside organizations for help."
It was what I knew. The seriousness was already heard before aid came to the central headquarters.
"Fortunately, a lot of organizations have worked together to clear the gate. Which of the many organizations do you think contributed the most?”
I knew the answer, but I didn't open my mouth. The woman continued, perhaps reading my useless stubbornness.
"I write a contract with an outside group before I go on the battlefield. It usually translates value into goods, but sometimes it requires other conditions. I'm sure you'll understand if I say this much.”
The woman acted as if she had been extremely considerate. Like reading a book to a child who doesn't know the letters.
"No, I don't know.”
I know this sort of outwardly sophisticated. Those people wouldn't say dirty things to themselves.
All I had to do was pretend I didn't know. We'll hang in there until we can.
The woman looked at me pitifully and backed away. Then a man in uniform walked in the back.
"This is Luden, team leader of Guide A at Central Headquarters."
"This is Roen applying from Branch C to central headquarters."
When someone who might be my boss came, I couldn't reach out like the general manager. Luden was also a well-known team leader among guides, with his emotionless eyes and mechanical tone.
"The terms of the Eclipse contract were to transfer the desired guide to the organization. Roen has been chosen as the desired guide, and Roen, a member of the center, has to comply with this order."
Luden didn't beat around the bush and told the truth. It was rather good to hear, but it wasn't very welcome. I couldn't think of a way to escape.
At that time, Aiden, who was still trapped, caught my eye.
"I'd love to follow orders, but I have a partner, so it's hard to get into another organization and guide."
"The paperwork clearly states that you haven't matched a partner in five years?”
"You've got it."
"But why did you book a matching system today?”
Luden looked back and saw my acquaintance on the match team.
You got caught.
Luden's hard impression became even more rugged.
"How did you get your education from another branch?… C-class is intelligent enough to be C-class? Take that unheard guide."
"Don't you let go of this?"
Security espers grabbed me by the arm. It was composed of meat system espers, so I couldn't overcome it with my strength.
"Put it in the capsule and let it out when someone comes from Eclipse."
"I think I'm going to go easy on you!"
"Roen, save me!"
"Aiden, you useless bastard! Do something!"
Aiden then tried to bounce his hand off to make my embers. But nothing happened except smoke. I felt like I was going to be dragged like this.
Bang!
Then there was an explosion in the back. When I turned around, a building was burning and collapsing. I looked at Aiden and he looked clueless.
"Is this what you want?"
The entrance door to the center opened and a person walked over.
White shirt and navy pants. It's definitely an ordinary suit, but it looked fancy enough to feel like a tailcoat.
I thought I saw him wrong in a different outfit from yesterday, but he was right. Blonde, blue-eyed Eclipse chief Carlyx.
"Who told my guide to behave badly?"
* * *
Chamber 1. It was the largest conference room on the ninth floor. We didn't talk to anyone before we got in here.
What I was going to hear was so obvious and what I had to say was already decided. Nevertheless, I came up after him because I thought it would be the fastest to finish with the person concerned.
Carlyx sat first and I walked for a long time and sat face to face in the farthest position.
Yesterday, I woke up and my clothes were loose, but today I was very neat. As if I've been dressed up to look good to anyone.
Suddenly, with a premonition of uneasiness, Carlyx spoke first when he was praying that it wasn't me.
"Don't you like me?"
"Would you like me?"
It's a street that ordinary people would have to scream, but Carlyx's voice sounded as well as the person right next to him.
Rather, I felt like I was whispering near my ear, so my body almost shrank.
"I don't think I did anything bad to Roen."
"I'm already being harmed by you."
"Who was bothering you? Just tell me. I want to help as much as I can. I want to look good to you.”
Carlyx spoke quite earnestly to make it seem like a passionate courtship when seen by a stranger.
But I've seen enough of Calix's influence on the centre in previous situations.
No one could easily stand in front of him, even though he blew up the whole building and considered humans as insignificant as ant lives. Even the retarded chief of staff.
So I felt worse because Carlyx's low profile behavior seemed to mock me.
"I'm in a bad mood, so stop it. I'm not going to set you up for a skit."
"I'm serious.”
"Why on earth are you trying to recruit me? You've already refused. Don't you have any pride?”
I spit it out as rudely as I could. I regretted being too harsh, but contrary to what I feared, he was smiling.
I shouldn't have worried. I should've said it harder.
"I like it.”
"Are you a pervert? Do you get excited when you say no? I heard there's a lot of crazy people in the upper grades, but I guess that's what's are about."
"You're crazy, you're crazy."… yes, sometimes I hear it. I don't get excited when I say no. What else did you say? A pervert? I can pretend to be if I want to."
Carlyx answered it seriously, reflecting slowly on what I had said.
Wow, I was just saying, you must be a real nut job.
I was stunned by Carlyx's reply.
"Roen, don't go away like that. It won't be a worse condition than I thought. I don't want to force you to take me."
"I don't care what the conditions are. I like the center. I don't want to work as a guide for an outside organization, even if it's not Eclipse."
"I think it's a lie that the center is good."
He recited as if he were talking to himself.
"Why else would I have worked in the center for five years?”
"Not because you can guide within the boundaries of the law?"
"What do you mean?"
"Literally."
Carlyx was vaguely reticent.
Hey, you know that, don't you?
Why I wandered from place to place and moved branches. Why is it hard to guide as a guide?
I bit my lip. It tasted like blood since when I opened it.
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