* * *
“Don’t tell me you got yourself a partner? Though, since you’re just an F, at best, they’d be an E-grade.”
“…That’s not the case. What about you, Zereno?”
No one outside the higher-ups knew that Ben was Haimar’s irregular guide—the only guide capable of handling him.
If it became public knowledge that Main Central’s ‘monster’ had no guide, the consequences would be immense.
To prevent this, the higher-ups had carefully crafted an air of mystery around Haimar’s guide, hiding the truth from everyone else.
Rumors had spread among espers and guides that Haimar didn’t have a guide at all, since no one had ever seen them.
But since he had gone years without a single rampage, people were left to speculate.
If he ever did lose control, he could just manipulate others’ consciousness at will, so whether or not he had a guide was never an issue for him.
As a result, even the control device on his ear was often mistaken for a simple piercing.
In any case, Ben did have a partner—but not an E-grade.
Instead of answering, he turned the question back to Zereno.
“I recently got matched with a D-grade esper, but honestly, it’s not working out. A fellow C-grade would be a much better match.”
It seemed Zereno Osel hadn’t changed at all over the years.
Ben had never liked that way of thinking.
Back in the day, he never humored conversations like this—just letting Zereno’s words drift in one ear and out the other.
He had assumed he’d never have to deal with him again, but now… it seemed like his days ahead would be exhausting.
Ben exhaled softly, careful not to make it obvious.
After briefly greeting the members of Division 8, he was led to his assigned seat.
“Division 8 has fewer people compared to the other esper-guide units. The department head’s away right now. Anyway, most of our job is just cleaning up after Divisions 6 and 7. But I’m aiming to transfer to Division 6 someday.”
Ben turned on his computer, letting Zereno’s ambitious speech wash over him.
He skimmed through the documents handed to him, nodding absentmindedly while making mental notes of only the relevant details.
“But why’d they assign you to Division 8? Wouldn’t administrative work suit an F-guide better? Divisions 6 through 8 mainly handle esper-related security and missions. Isn’t that too much for an F?”
Ben leaned against the partition, watching Zereno talk, and thought to himself—does he ever get tired of that F-rank talk? He knew the man outranked him, but hearing it tacked onto the end of every sentence, both in the past and now, was still just as grating.
If he were someone like Liran Siu, with a fiery temper, he might have grabbed him by the collar and yelled, “So what if I’m an F-rank?! What do you want me to do about it?!”
But Ben had long since moved past any inferiority complex over his rank.
He had never once complained about being an F.
He was an ordinary, hardworking person who simply did his best with what he was given, never wasting time comparing himself to others—only looking straight ahead.
“A person’s ability isn’t determined solely by their rank. You know that.”
For a moment, Zereno fell silent.
It made sense.
Departments 6 through 8 were primarily focused on law enforcement and field missions, mostly staffed by Espers and Guides, but a select few non-Espers were also hired based on their capabilities.
Ben was one of them—recognized for his competence and given a place here.
No matter how much Zereno had improved over the years, he wasn’t in a position to talk down to him.
“Well, yeah, I guess it’s not really my place to say this to you. But still, Ben, you’re sharp—I’ll give you that. But an F is an F. No matter what, you’re never going to be an A or a B. And just so we’re clear, I outrank you here. I’m your superior.”
Even without saying it outright, his tone made the message clear—so do your job properly.
‘Of course you are…’
Ben didn’t see the need to respond, so he kept quiet.
Zereno must have taken his silence as agreement because he smirked in satisfaction.
He swung the yellow file folder in his hand.
“Alright, time for your first mission today! Let’s go clean up after Departments 6 and 7.”
He tossed something at Ben, who reflexively caught it.
It was a car key, attached to an old keyring.
Seeing that it was for an external field mission, Ben reluctantly stood up.
It took them about 30 to 40 minutes of driving in a worn-out navy sedan provided by Central before they arrived at their destination—the red-light district on the outskirts of the capital.
By nightfall, every building here would be strung with colorful lanterns, their lights casting a glow over large display windows where alluring figures stood like merchandise, beckoning passersby.
Technically, prostitution was illegal in Eternita, but this district still thrived in the shadows.
It was vast, deeply entangled with the underworld, and too much of a legal quagmire for law enforcement to meddle with easily.
Seeing the unexpected destination, Ben checked the navigation again and slowly turned the wheel.
“What exactly are we here for?”
Since this was a place that came alive at night, the gray streets in the daytime looked bleak, despite the fair weather.
People with hollow eyes wandered the alleys, devoid of energy or purpose.
“It’s a dangerous area, sure, but as long as we’re near District 11, it’s nothing major. Department 7 busted a drug dealer recently, so we’re just here to clean up. Gather any remaining evidence, check if they missed anything. That sort of thing.”
Ben took the file Zereno handed him.
It had an “8th Department” sticker on the cover, and inside, a few sheets of paper.
He glanced at them briefly before steering the car according to the GPS directions.
As they drove through the streets, people stared and whispered at the sight of a vehicle so blatantly marked with the Central emblem.
It made sense—who would welcome someone boldly declaring their presence in the heart of a crime zone?
Ben could see wary eyes in the rearview mirror.
A few people, upon spotting the car, immediately turned into alleys and disappeared.
The unease settled in his gut.
“Places like this exist because of rogue Espers. If only every Esper was registered with the government, things would be so much better. But there are always exceptions, and that’s the problem.”
Zereno was too preoccupied with his own words to pay attention to his surroundings.
For once, though, Ben agreed with him.
The government tried to manage all Espers, but it wasn’t a perfect system.
Some people slipped through the cracks—those from lower-rank backgrounds who never underwent ability screening, or those whose abilities manifested late.
There were always outliers.
“Don’t tell me you’re already scared?”
“No… It’s nothing. Just a feeling.”
As they followed the winding alleyways, they eventually reached a small building with a rusted metal door.
It barely functioned as an entrance anymore—just brushing past it sent flakes of rust cascading down.
Beyond it stood another, slightly more intact metal door, left ajar.
[Navigation complete.]
The robotic voice from the GPS signaled their arrival.
As Ben gathered the file and stepped out, following Zereno, the thick smell of dust hit his nose.
The building was surrounded by stacked layers of cement walls, topped with security bars—reeking of criminal activity.
“This way.”
The three-story structure had no elevator. Instead, they passed through the entrance lobby and climbed the emergency stairs.
Each floor had a long hallway, lined with a few doors—typical of an old corridor-style apartment.
They reached the first door on the third floor.
While Ben checked the documents again, he noticed an extra sheet hidden behind the folder flap—one he hadn’t seen before.
“It should be unlocked, though.”
Click.
“Wait, Zereno—”
The doorknob refused to turn.
Zereno frowned and tried again.
When it still didn’t budge, he scowled in frustration.
“What the hell? Department 7 should’ve handled this properly.”
At the same time, Ben, having read the last page of the file, handed it over.
“Excuse me, but did you read this file to the end?”
“You don’t need to. Just glancing at the first couple of pages gives you the summary and action items.”
‘This guy…’
“We weren’t supposed to come here. Did you even know that?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Zereno took the paper from Ben and looked at it.
His eyes paused on the newly discovered section, and for the first time, realization dawned on his face.
Yes, the mission involved cleanup.
But that was only true if you didn’t read all the way to the end.
The final page—what Ben had just found—told a completely different story.
* * *
