* * *
[Welcome to Korea. I am Han Raon, team leader of the Guide Special Team.]
Raon first greeted Mikhail in front of him with flawless British English.
This world’s technology had advanced even further than before due to Gate byproducts.
Thus, one could travel to the other side of the globe in just a few hours and converse effortlessly with people worldwide using feather-light translators.
However, Raon deliberately didn’t use his translator to avoid seeming inexperienced.
Mikhail seemed surprised by this, his icy blue eyes narrowing slightly.
[Where is Esper Seo Dojin?]
But Mikhail, also not using a translator, turned his head and asked in a rude tone.
Raon, who had extended his hand for a handshake, lowered his arm with a strained smile.
[Esper Seo Dojin was injured recently at the Violet Gate and could not come. I will guide you to the Center.]
[Tch. I could talk to him just fine.]
His tone implied he found the current Raon unsatisfactory.
Raon felt it clearly but merely smiled wryly.
Mikhail Hamilton was a typical British noble.
His immaculate platinum hair, icy blue eyes, and his well-tailored three-piece suit—every detail was flawless.
Though he lacked a hat and cane, anyone could be sure of his nationality just from his first words in stiffly accented English.
In circles where white supremacy had once prevailed, they had now established a new hierarchy standard: high-class Esper supremacy.
Mikhail was typical of those who revered strong Esper power and looked down on Guides as vulgar.
[Unlike your side, S-Class Guides aren’t that rare here. If you thought I would treat you specially, I’d say you’ve completely misjudged.]
Mikhail spoke while still looking dismissively at Raon.
It was true that unlike Korea, the European Union had no shortage of S-Class Guides.
With vast land and a large population, they had ample talent.
Of course, that also meant they had to handle many Gates.
However, perhaps because their population density wasn’t as high as Korea’s in their relatively smaller territories, the frequency of Gate appearances was lower.
Therefore, they had often dispatched espers to Korea under the pretext of support.
Simply put, Korea had many high-level Gates and their valuable byproducts.
This time, their intentions were slightly different, but ultimately, if an Irregular Gate appeared during their stay, they would find some excuse to enter it together.
This was why Raon had told Yunchae not to worry about Dojin’s absence.
“That’s enough, Mikhail.”
[……!]
Then, a soft voice came from behind Mikhail.
Unlike Mikhail, who stubbornly used his native language, it was a polite tone using a translator.
“Hello, Team Leader Han Raon. I’m Jamie Windsor, an A-Class Healer Esper dispatched from the Union.”
A slender man smiled and extended his hand towards Raon.
Feeling immediate goodwill, Raon shook his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Windsor.”
“Please, just call me by my name. Jamie is fine.”
Unlike Mikhail, Jamie was exceedingly kind and gentle.
His overall red hair with a scarlet hue was typical of a ginger.
Dressed in comfortable clothes rather than a suit, Jamie seemed like a warm person to anyone who saw him.
[I told you Jay is too nice.]
“Mikhail, behave and turn on your translator.”
[Hmph.]
Although he snorted like a sulking child, Mikhail obediently switched on his translator.
The two still seemed to have a good relationship.
Even before the regression, they were like this.
At least Mikhail had taken a liking to Dojin back then, so he hadn’t picked unnecessary fights from the start.
“Then, this way…”
Feeling somewhat relieved by Jamie’s mediation, Raon tried to guide them to the Center.
But then, belatedly, Mikhail thrust his hand out towards Raon.
Raon was momentarily speechless, just staring at the hand.
“What, you’ll shake Jay’s hand but not mine?”
“Well, no.”
How embarrassing to refuse now, what am I doing?
Anyway, he was an unfathomable person.
Clicking his tongue internally, Raon lightly took his hand.
He planned to just go through the motions of a handshake and let go immediately.
“Ugh!”
But the moment their hands met, he felt a strong grip and a sensation of his guiding energy being forcibly drained.
Reverse Guiding.
It was a technique typically used by high-ranking Espers to forcibly take a Guide’s guiding energy against their will.
In Korea now, thanks to the Guide Protection Act, it was considered a violent act punishable by law.
“I had expectations since they said you were the only S-Class Guide here, but you’re nothing sp…”
Mikhail muttered, looking bored as he watched a flustered Raon unable to move while his energy was stolen, and released his hand.
But his words were cut short.
“Kugh!”
Mikhail, sensing an intense killing intent in that instant, blocked the gravity around him.
Since gravity significantly affected Esper abilities, Mikhail often used this method to block attacks from other Espers.
What just happened?
Though it was a very brief moment, Mikhail had felt his life was threatened.
The feeling of blood boiling within him still remained.
Soon, Mikhail realized who the Esper that attacked him was.
It was the Esper standing behind Raon like a shadow.
Piercing black eyes were fixed on Mikhail.
“Mikhail!”
“Siwoo!”
Jamie and Raon shouted simultaneously.
Jamie first scolded Mikhail for his rudeness, while Raon tried to stop Siwoo, who seemed ready to kill him in his anger.
If this were domestic, maybe, but harming a foreign S-Class Esper wouldn’t end simply.
It would undoubtedly escalate into an international issue. He had to stop it no matter what.
“Siwoo, stop. I’m fine, okay?”
“…….”
Whether he was truly furious, Siwoo still glared fiercely at Mikhail, seething.
While Reverse Guiding was rude, Mikhail had only done it to win a petty power play upon first meeting them and hadn’t taken a severe amount of guiding energy.
Still, Raon was extremely annoyed too.
Until now, he had loathed the male lead, Dojin, the most, but Mikhail was a equally disgusting character.
Before the regression, the world was such a mess when they met that he hadn’t gotten deeply involved with him and thus hadn’t been this infuriated.
“Mikhail, apologize to Team Leader Raon right now!”
“Why should I…?”
“Now!”
Jamie lost his temper with uncharacteristic intensity.
Come to think of it, despite being a white Esper, he was generally kind to Guides.
Raon remembered he had gotten along well with Dasom, who was originally a Guide.
“Hmph, sorry.”
“Sigh, really.”
At the reluctant apology, Jamie massaged his forehead as if he had a headache.
It was like dealing with a three-year-old child.
“I am truly sorry, Team Leader Raon. On behalf of the Union, I offer my sincere apologies for Mikhail’s rudeness.”
“It’s alright. You, Esper Jamie, don’t need to apologize for it.”
Raon genuinely felt sorry for Jamie.
It was always the normal people who suffered because of rude and abnormal individuals.
Raon clicked his tongue while glaring at Mikhail, who showed no sign of remorse.
“I truly don’t understand. Why would an Esper of your caliber obey the orders of a mere Guide?”
Mikhail’s nerves were entirely focused on Siwoo, who threatened him.
He asked, looking at Siwoo with tense eyes.
For Mikhail, an Esper supremacist, it was incomprehensible that Siwoo had joined a Guide team and now followed the orders of a Guide like Raon.
Though they were both S-rank, Mikhail had already felt a stark difference between them in just a brief moment.
The higher the rank of an Esper, the less time it took to assess their opponent’s abilities.
If not for his unique gravity powers, Mikhail would already be dead.
Recalling the cold, sharp sensation he hadn’t felt once since awakening as an S-rank, Mikhail swallowed nervously.
“If you disrespect my hyung again, I’ll crack your skull open.”
“…!”
Siwoo didn’t even consider Mikhail’s nonsense worth responding to.
He threatened him in a cold, dangerous tone.
Raon’s eyes widened in shock—it was the first time he’d heard such harsh words from Siwoo.
‘He talks like that?’
Raon looked Siwoo over again as if seeing him anew.
Even to Raon, a Guide, Siwoo still radiated a dangerous energy.
Mikhail’s abilities were special enough to place him in the top tier of S-ranks.
Even globally, he stood out.
In Korea, only Dojin was considered capable of handling him.
Yet Siwoo had managed to subdue him in an instant—and even had the composure to threaten him like that.
Unbeknownst to Raon, Siwoo had grown far stronger, to the point of becoming a truly dangerous force.
‘And that’s just with a sync level slightly over 70%. How strong will he be once he fully recovers?’
Siwoo had spent years suppressing his contamination levels with medication, suffering constant side effects.
So, even with intense guiding, his sync rate rose more slowly than other Espers.
If it rose further, his powers would become even more formidable.
Raon, who always found Siwoo adorable for being calm and sweet around him, now felt something else—something more complicated.
While it was reassuring to have someone so strong by his side as a bodyguard, there was also a growing discomfort at how monstrous Siwoo’s power was becoming.
* * *
