Don't Support the Guide - Chapter 15

“There are no other animals showing signs of becoming demonic beasts besides the lion. We’ll be transporting the lion’s body back to the base.”

“We’ve confirmed that all civilians from inside the building have been safely evacuated.”

“Good work, both of you. Prepare to return,” Adrian instructed.

Michelle and Kate gave a slight bow and disappeared to handle the necessary arrangements. Adrian rubbed her throbbing temple and read through the animal log that the manager had brought her.

Monkeys, rabbits, and a lion.

There were no clear commonalities among the infected animals. No shared contact path could be traced.

If it wasn’t an infectious disease, the only other explanation was that someone had deliberately introduced demonic beasts into the zoo.

Are there smugglers dealing in demonic beasts?

Perhaps someone had disguised demonic beasts as ordinary animals and mixed them with real animals during the smuggling process.

There were lunatics in the world who captured dangerous demonic beasts for profit. Others were even more reckless, experimenting on them to satisfy their curiosity, risking both life and sanity.

Still… it doesn’t fit perfectly.

Adrian couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that she was missing something. Just as she loosened the collar of her uniform in frustration, a commotion caught her attention.

“Punishment! This is karma! The very existence of zoos is rotten from the core!”

The recruits who had gone to check on the other animals returned. Ricola stomped her feet in fury.

“Locking all these animals in tiny cages just for human amusement—how can that be right? Tell me, Peter Rudd! Would you want to live your entire life in a cage?”

“Well… if it’s a luxurious house with good food, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad?” Peter replied indifferently.

Ricola, who had been thumping her chest in indignation, suddenly unleashed a torrent of words.

“You’re from the South, right? What if I forced you to live in the freezing North for the rest of your life? You’d be trapped indoors, never able to go outside or meet your friends!”

“Uh… that’d be kinda rough.”

“See? Humans are selfish! Experimental animals, ornamental animals—people treat living beings as tools for their convenience, dragging them into suffering!”

“Lieutenant Ricola, are you an animal lover?” Michelle asked hesitantly.

“Anyone with a conscience should be concerned about this, Lieutenant!” Ricola declared, her eyes wide with passion.

Caught off guard by Ricola’s intensity, Michelle stammered. But Adrian froze.

One word echoed in her mind: Experimental animals.

Monkeys and rabbits were frequently used for experiments in the Empire.

It’s almost like someone was testing something—starting with small animals and moving on to larger ones.

But testing what?

An unsettling theory suddenly crossed Adrian’s mind.

“Adrian—no, Commander. Are you okay? You don’t look well,” Linton said, stepping closer with a worried expression.

“I’m fine, Captain Linton.”

“You should receive guiding.”

Linton sat across from her with a concerned gaze. Adrian, still seated at the manager’s desk and reading through the log, shook her head.

“I’m fine. It’s not necessary.”

“Of course it is. The doctor specifically told us that you must receive guiding after using your ability.”

“Even after using this much?”

“Absolutely! The doctor gave me strict orders to make sure you did.”

Judging by the determined sparkle in Linton’s eyes, he wasn’t going to back down easily. Adrian let out a resigned sigh and extended her hand over the desk.

Linton’s face lit up as he eagerly took her hand. He made a point to inject a generous amount of guiding energy.

“Ugh!”

“Commander?!”

The moment the guiding energy flowed into her, a wave of nausea surged through Adrian. Without realizing it, she pulled her hand away as if swatting something off.

Linton’s startled face came into view, but she couldn’t endure the churning sickness in her gut any longer. Adrian clamped her hand over her mouth.

“Bring Samuel. Get Lieutenant Samuel Nora.”

The air grew cold. She could feel the heavy silence as every gaze turned toward her. Linton stood frozen, as rigid as a stone statue.

But Adrian couldn’t help it. Her stomach twisted, and it felt like she was moments away from vomiting.

“Commander. It’s Samuel Nora.”

“…Over here.”

Samuel walked around the desk and stopped directly in front of her. Then, without hesitation, he knelt on one knee.

“Samuel.”

“Give me your hand.”

Adrian stared at it for a moment.

She wanted nothing more than to press that hand against her aching abdomen right now. How good it would feel if those large, warm hands slipped beneath her shirt and soothed the pain directly.

But this wasn’t the place for that.

Suppressing her growing desire, Adrian extended her hand and placed it in his. The guiding energy rushed into her the moment their skin touched, bringing an overwhelming sense of relief.

“…Haa.”

Her twisted stomach began to settle, and her frayed senses slowly melted back into calmness. For the first time in minutes, she felt like she could breathe again. Her mind cleared, the dizziness fading away.

Adrian glanced toward where Linton had been with a sinking feeling.

Even she, as indifferent as she often seemed, knew she had just committed a serious breach of etiquette.

But Linton was nowhere to be found. He had already left the room.

“Commander,” Samuel’s voice pulled her back. For a fleeting second, it felt as though he had deliberately tried to draw her focus back to him.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Adrian offered him a faint smile and gently ran her thumb across the back of his hand.

The comfort he provided was always intoxicatingly sweet.

***

Kate kept her footsteps light as she approached. Behind an isolated building, Linton stood motionless with his back turned.

“…I know you’re there, Kate.”

“Linton, sir.”

Linton slowly turned his head. Tears, like scattered jewels, fell from his blue eyes. But rather than sadness, he looked furious.

His gaze, blazing like a blue flame, locked onto Kate.

“Adrian isn’t the kind of person who would humiliate me in front of others. She’s never done anything like that before.”

“It must have been a mistake,” Kate replied calmly.

“Samuel—that bastard—is just a silver-level guide!”

Linton’s voice was trembling, thick with frustration and disbelief.

“Sure, his scores are a little high. But there’s no way he’s on my level. There’s no chance that worthless nobody could ever replace me.”

Linton couldn’t understand Adrian’s actions at all.

If she had fallen for a newly emerged gold-level guide, he might have been able to accept it. If that guide’s skill had been more powerful than his, or if they had been more attractive, or born into a better family—he could have made sense of it.

But Samuel Nora had nothing over him. Not a single thing. That made it all the more unbearable.

“Please, stop crying.”

Kate handed him a handkerchief. Linton stared at it blankly for a moment before abruptly turning away.

“She’s an Esper—it’s possible for her to develop a wandering preference for guides. Even Adrian could get carried away with something new and exciting.”

His steps grew harsher, almost stomping as he spoke.

“But when you keep consuming something that doesn’t suit your body, you’ll end up sick. Adrian’s always been so focused on work that she wouldn’t know that.”

His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

“So, I’ll stop her.”

“If there’s anything you need me to do, just give the order,” Kate said without hesitation.

Linton finally turned back to look at her. Kate had always been there for him—never wavering, never leaving his side.

They had known each other since they were children, a bond far deeper than that of a typical Esper and guide. Kate was his most reliable weapon.

“It won’t be difficult. In fact, it might even be fun.”

Linton’s figure faded into the darkness cast by the building’s shadow until it was completely swallowed by the black.

***

As usual, Adrian sat on the office sofa next to Samuel, receiving his guiding. She rubbed her temples tiredly.

“From now on, come every other day, Lieutenant Samuel.”

“…What?”

Samuel’s eyes widened in shock. Adrian was caught slightly off guard by his reaction. She had expected him to respond calmly with a nod.

“Is it because of Captain Linton?” Samuel’s voice trembled slightly.

“Why would you bring him up?” Adrian frowned.

“Are you planning to reduce our time together so you can receive guiding from him instead?”

For a moment, the two of them just blinked at each other in silence.

Adrian retraced her recent actions, puzzled. She hadn’t behaved any differently with Linton in front of Samuel. Why would Samuel even think that?

“It’s just because I’m busy with work, Lieutenant.”

“Work?”

Samuel’s expression darkened even further.

Now what?

Adrian couldn’t read the complex emotions swirling in this man’s head, which frustrated her to no end.

“Commander, you still need to receive enough guiding,” Samuel said firmly, his eyebrows drawn together as he gripped Adrian’s hand tightly.

“I am,” Adrian replied, raising an eyebrow.

“If that’s the case, you should at least let Captain Linton guide you.”

“Are you serious?”

But his trembling voice when mentioning Linton made it clear that wasn’t what he wanted at all.
Adrian couldn’t help but smirk at the contradiction in his words.

“Lieutenant, everything about you is great, but you tend to obsess over my health a little too much.”

She understood why Samuel was worried—many people around her acted similarly.

But in truth, Adrian was receiving more guiding than she ever had in her life. Of course, she kept that to herself, knowing that revealing it might lead to even more complications with Samuel.

“In that case, we’ll just change the method of guiding,” Samuel suggested.

“How?”

He stayed silent for a moment, his green eyes glowing with determination before he finally spoke.

“Imprint with me every other day, Commander.”

Adrian blinked in disbelief, her lips slightly parted.

“That’s the only way you’ll be able to maintain your condition.”

She sat up straight, replaying his words in her mind to make sure she had understood correctly.

“Lieutenant Samuel, have you thought about the consequences? If we go about it that way, you’ll end up completely drained.”

“I’ll manage my body. Just like you do.”

Samuel leaned in closer, their proximity becoming almost unbearable. Adrian instinctively leaned back.

“Wait, Lieutenant—”

Her body kept tilting backward as Samuel pressed in further, closing the distance.