Chapter 41
Before I knew it, Arsen’s voice was thick with sorrow.
Hearing the Lord’s words, I looked down and saw the panoramic view of Parma Hal.
The ominous premonition that his hometown would disappear, leaving only traces behind.
And the displeasure of being a mercenary who couldn’t protect his hometown.
The feeling that everything Arsen had built up until now was crumbling.
“I can’t fully believe everything you say, young lady, or that you’re the Lord, but at least I know you’re no ordinary bird. So, please help me protect Parma Hal.”
Arsen’s voice grew firm.
“I don’t care what you are.”
“Then I suppose you won’t care what I am either, right?”
“……Huh?”
Arsen grimaced.
He had mustered his resolve, and now this young lady was picking a fight again.
She had cut off his words in one stroke.
Truthfully, Yurein wasn’t in good condition.
She was really on the verge of ‘coug*h-ing’.
Her head was growing dizzy from the foul energy the monsters were emitting.
Amidst all this, it wasn’t like they were on a picnic; there was no room for joking around.
Yurein’s face turned pale.
In fact, she had been feeling nauseous for a while now.
Seeing this, Jarkal frowned slightly.
But Yurein couldn’t afford to show any sign of weakness in this situation.
The Guide’s energy and the monsters’ energy are antagonistic.
Naturally, Yurein, who possesses no aggressive magical power, could only find it hard to endure.
In fact, Arsen, who hadn’t yet awakened, would probably withstand this situation more easily.
Jarkal, who had been watching Yurein for a while, rose to his feet, drawing his sword from its scabbard.
Then, he began to emit his magical power, little by little.
Whoooooom-.
Jarkal’s magical power gradually enveloped the surroundings.
Focusing especially around the Lord, around Yurein.
‘Ah. It’s a bit easier to breathe.’
Yurein let out a deep sigh, her expression becoming more comfortable.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
As Yurein’s complexion improved, Jarkal, who had been restless, relaxed his tension.
Then, he shot a glare at Arsen where Yurein couldn’t see.
“No…… What did I even do……”
Arsen muttered under his breath, feeling wronged, but Yurein didn’t hear him.
Yurein shook her head to try and regain her composure.
“Mr. Arsen. If you could do it, would you really do it?”
“If I could, I’d really do it!”
At that, Yurein beamed.
“Good. You permitted it.”
Yurein suddenly grabbed Arsen’s hand as if seizing it.
Jarkal, who was beside Yurein, flinched, but nobody paid him any mind.
Yurein began to emit her own magical power.
Then, the magical power enveloping Arsen’s hand began to vibrate with a whoooooom.
“Young lady. This is……”
It was a powerful wave of energy, so strong that even Arsen, who hadn’t yet awakened, could feel it.
Arsen’s expression changed.
Just a moment ago, he had been looking at Yurein with disbelief, but now—.
“Don’t tell me……”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you beforehand, but I am a Guide.”
“No. That, the Duke, you were the Duke’s daughter?”
He was more surprised by ‘Duke’s daughter’ than by the word ‘Guide’.
Shouldn’t most people be surprised by being a Guide?
There can be multiple Duke’s daughters, but there’s only one Guide in this world.
Or not? Are there two now?
“I am a Duke’s daughter, but not that Duke’s daughter… Well, anyway, I’ll explain the story later.”
“Wait, even if you’re a Guide, what does that have to do with Esper awakening?”
Arsen asked desperately, feeling a strange energy enveloping his body.
He had no idea what was happening.
For the first time in his life, he was hearing that a Guide could awaken an Esper.
Really, what was this? If he had heard this in any other situation, he would have thought it was utter madness.
On top of that, his body felt strange somehow. He didn’t know why.
His stomach churned, and he felt as if something strange was about to burst forth.
Fwaaaaaaah-!
And then, finally.
“Huh? Huh?”
Arsen’s eyes widened.
It felt like something that had been densely packed deep inside his body had gone ‘Pop-‘ and burst out.
He could never return to how he was before. Now that he had felt this sensation.
He was completely different from his former self, like… his very race had changed.
Arsen could feel it instinctively.
His body was overflowing with power.
With this feeling, it seemed like he could do anything.
Yes. Something he hadn’t been able to do until now.
“Congratulations.”
Just then, Yurein spoke, enveloped in light.
Only then did Arsen’s vision seem to clear, allowing him to see Yurein properly.
“Ah……”
Yurein was wrapped in a blue aura.
Her hair, now turned silver, fluttered in the wind.
Within it, the blue aura undulated and danced, softly enveloping Yurein.
The deep blue sky.
The starlight densely embedded in that sky.
The faintly glowing moon floating above Yurein’s head.
In that moment, Arsen realized the clouds were drifting beside him, and felt the greenish night mist enveloping them.
And he also felt as if Yurein might be swept away and disappear by that mist.
Then, finally, when his gaze reached the space between Yurein’s eyebrows—
Arsen couldn’t help but bow his head deeply, deeply.
“You were… the Lord’s… Contractor. Truly……”
The pattern of light clearly emblazoned on Yurein’s forehead was the ‘Lord’s’ pattern.
There was no way Arsen wouldn’t recognize it, of all people.
Yurein nodded quietly, looking somewhat paler.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am Yurein. The daughter of House Tarbargen, and a Guide.”
Then, she gripped Arsen’s hand firmly.
“Congratulations on becoming an Esper, Mr. Arsen.”
“Really…… I…… I became an Esper? Really?”
Arsen muttered in surprise, then belatedly used formal speech.
He also didn’t forget to sneak a glance at Yurein’s reaction.
Truthfully, it didn’t matter to Arsen whether Yurein was a noble lady or not.
But he had stubbornly insisted he couldn’t become an Esper, and then suddenly became one.
It was awkward.
“Yes. You’ve become an Esper.”
Yurein nodded.
Unfortunately, such circumstances of Arsen’s didn’t even register with Yurein.
There was only one thing that drew Yurein’s attention.
‘Amazing.’
Her body tingled slightly from the pure energy.
Probably— if they could measure his rank now, Arsen’s rank would easily be an A.
Of course, S-rank above that is even more amazing, but it’s almost impossible to reach S-rank unless you’re born with it.
“I had a feeling you would be, but you really are… an amazing Esper.”
“Is that so?”
Arsen waved his hand around here and there.
Then, a sky-blue energy began to rise faintly around Arsen.
Visible only to Yurein’s eyes, or perhaps—.
“Huh?”
Arsen’s eyes widened.
Until just now, he could feel something. But it wasn’t visible to this extent.
But now he knew for sure.
That the haze of light occurring near him was being drawn out by something that had been trapped deep within his body.
That haze of light drifted leisurely around his body, as if it had always been there.
When he waved his arm, it disappeared for a moment, then wrapped around his body again.
Its movement was natural, as if fairies were swimming through the void.
But as that mist-like haze of light moved, vibrating with a hum, his senses grew sharper and he felt slightly nauseous.
It felt as if a sharp pain, like his soul was being torn apart, was surging up from deep within him.
‘Ugh……!’
His nerves were on edge, and he felt vomit rising involuntarily.
In response to Arsen’s will, the haze of light also spontaneously sharpened.
Looking at the sharply honed light, Arsen suddenly felt fear.
Can I even control this?
Stunned by the feeling of ‘fear,’ which he was experiencing for the first time in his life, a hollow laugh escaped him internally.
Just then, Yurein spoke with a look of wonder.
“Wow. You can see it, can’t you?”
“This… this haze-like thing?”
His voice was clearly flustered.
Hearing it, Yurein smiled faintly.
“That is your ability, Mr. Arsen. When you use magical power, your own ability naturally manifests as well. Usually, before their ability manifests, few Espers can perceive it. You’re truly amazing, Mr. Arsen.”
Yurein lightly waved her hand.
