* * *
[Is that monster… out of his mind right now?]
Liran poured out the thoughts she had been holding back, unaware that Haimar was reading her like an open book.
As far as she knew, Haimar was not the type to show interest in someone and cling to them so persistently.
Even if the person in question was his Guide, she had thought that much would still be true.
After all, the monster she had known had never shown even the slightest hint of humanity!
At this point, she was starting to wonder if Ben Plaskun had fed that monster something strange to make him act like this.
Yes, if that were the case, it would at least make some sense.
But the man trapped in the predator’s grasp wasn’t just blushing—he was sending desperate SOS signals her way with his eyes.
There was no way a man like that had tried to seduce this shameless monster.
Sorry, Ben, but this isn’t something she could do anything about.
She had no intention of interfering and ending up bleeding for it.
Liran could also feel that the interest of those standing farther away, including Enten, was shifting toward them now that their conversation had wrapped up.
Seriously, that man not only had a strikingly eye-catching appearance but also a way of drawing attention wherever he went.
And after all the effort Enten Nebail had put into steering the atmosphere back on track.
But her concern didn’t last long.
“My Guide is embarrassed, so could you all stop staring?”
Guide?
Haimar Eilec’s Guide had just appeared!
Despite all the rumors, Haimar’s Guide had remained hidden away—yet now, with those very words, the veil had been lifted, and his identity was revealed.
Liran, Enten, and even Ben, without exception, couldn’t hide their shock.
Enten Nebail, who had just subtly ordered the Espers and Guides of Division 6 to pretend they hadn’t seen anything, realized his words had become meaningless.
He had planned to discreetly probe into Ben’s identity and move on, but Haimar himself had just dropped a truth bomb, and now his head hurt.
“Kyaaah~! Look, I was right! This is my lucky day! This is huge!”
“Calm down. I had a feeling it might be the case, but still…”
“Whoa… Ben, you were this person’s… Guide?”
“This is shocking. Wow.”
The murmur spread like wildfire, with whispers and gossip bubbling up all around.
“Shut up, all of you.”
But that didn’t last long.
Haimar’s next words instantly sealed everyone’s lips as if they had been glued shut.
With just one short sentence, the previously lighthearted mood turned ice-cold.
Everyone felt like they were walking on thin ice.
“I don’t particularly enjoy being the subject of gossip.”
Gone was the earlier playful tone.
Haimar smiled gently, but it was not a real smile.
It was a warning.
“So if you keep running your mouths, you’ll die. Or maybe your hearts will give out first.”
…In the end, both options still meant death!
Everyone thought the same thing but lacked the courage to say it aloud.
Instead, they stiffly nodded, silently screaming in unison: ‘Yes, if you say shut up, we shut up.’
The only person who dared to protest was the man still held in Haimar’s arms.
“That was way too harsh, don’t you think?”
How many people in this situation would dare to complain?
Liran was certain the only one reckless enough was Ben Plaskun.
“Was it harsh?”
“You could’ve just politely said, ‘Please keep it a secret.’”
If there was ever a definition of a bizarre scene, this was it.
“Fine, then. Everyone, please cooperate in keeping this a secret.”
Again, Liran had to remind herself—this monster listening to someone else’s words so obediently was not within the standards she knew of him.
Even with his face still flushed red, Ben didn’t hesitate to say what he wanted to say.
Haimar’s actions were shocking, but seeing the fear-stricken faces of the people around him, Ben couldn’t help but speak up.
In the end, their minor squabble continued for a bit, but the situation wrapped up with everyone else collectively turning into mute spectators.
Everyone except for one particular Esper from Division 6, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement.
For Enten, this was actually a relief—at least now he didn’t have to sweat over damage control.
He hadn’t expected Haimar Eilec to shut things down so aggressively, but really, unless someone had a death wish, no one would dare spread this around.
“I-I swear I’ll keep it a secret! About seeing Lord Haimar’s face, about the Guide—everything!”
The lone Esper from Division 6, the only one still capable of speech, spoke up.
Was this really the same person who had been too stunned to act earlier when the Guide fainted?
Her eyes were practically sparkling as she stared at them, making Ben suddenly snap back to reality.
The embarrassment he had briefly forgotten came rushing back, and he hastily tried to push himself away from Haimar.
“Uh… I’m feeling kind of embarrassed right now.”
“Then should I make you even more embarrassed?”
Absolutely not!
Ben’s eyes widened as he shook his head vigorously.
Haimar, seemingly expecting that reaction, let out a quiet chuckle.
It felt different from his usual smirks, which was puzzling—but for the woman watching, it had an entirely different effect.
“Oh my, what a wonderfully heartwarming partnership….”
…Wait a second.
Ben wanted to correct her misunderstanding but couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
Instead, he remained trapped in Haimar’s hold until the Division 6 Esper was finally dragged away by her Guide.
And as a bonus, they loaded up the still-dazed Zereno into a waiting vehicle, leaving only Liran, Enten, Haimar, and Ben at the scene.
“Achoo—!”
The cold air made Ben’s nose sting, and he sneezed reflexively.
Up until now, the snowfall had seemed manageable, but at this point, it was more like a blizzard.
“The snow is getting worse. We need to do something about this.”
“If it keeps coming down like this, it’s only a matter of time before we end up on the 9 o’clock news. I just got the latest report—Eternita’s strongest ice-type Esper is only ranked B+, and they’re currently away on a mission.”
For now, they were keeping the situation under wraps in Central, but they couldn’t suppress the news forever.
However, while Liran and Enten were growing anxious, Haimar calmly unwrapped his arms from Ben’s waist and stretched out his hand, letting the falling snowflakes gather on his palm.
Then, he spoke.
“There’s only one Esper I know who could make it snow like this without a clear purpose.”
At those words, Liran, who had been skimming through documents on her phone, snapped her head up.
Enten, as if realizing something, smacked his forehead.
Until now, it had only been a vague suspicion, but with Haimar’s words, one particular theory suddenly gained credibility.
“Wait… Are you saying it’s an [Integra] Esper? Why the hell would they come here?”
“What a dumb question. If [Integra] actually followed orders like you think, you wouldn’t even be asking that right now.”
At the sneering remark, Enten pulled a face as if he had bitten into bitter roots.
As the Deputy Director of the Central Bureau in Eternita, he made a half-hearted attempt to feign indifference by scratching his unkempt hair, trying not to reveal any preconceived notions about [Integra].
But it was already too late.
To the general public, [Integra] was often regarded as a dream organization—an elite group of top-tier Espers dedicated to maintaining world peace.
Even Ben’s understanding of [Integra] was similar. However, those who were entangled with the Main Central had a rather different way of describing [Integra].
To put it simply—”a collection of utterly insane geniuses.”
Ben had never imagined such a reality.
“So, you’re saying an Esper from [Integra] is making it snow here?”
“What the hell, why are they making it snow?!”
Rubbing his frozen nose with his fingers, Ben demanded an explanation.
Liran, caught up in the moment, also jumped in with a sharp tone.
But as Haimar brushed the snow off his platinum hair and turned his gaze to her, she quickly realized her outburst and toned down her aggression.
“…I’ll ask more politely. May I know the purpose behind making it snow?”
“Because they absolutely hate the cold but go crazy for snowfall.”
Ben was left more dumbfounded than Liran, who had actually asked the question.
Judging by that absurd response, this snowfall had nothing to do with some grand national conspiracy, climate manipulation, or world destruction.
No, it seemed the ridiculous truth was that some lunatic who loved snow had made it happen—for no reason other than their own amusement.
“That’s insane. That can’t possibly be…?”
Liran muttered to herself in disbelief, and Enten gave her a sharp nudge in the ribs.
Given what he knew about [Integra], her reaction wasn’t entirely wrong.
Enten glanced at Haimar, but seeing no particular reaction from him, he let the comment slide.
“With how strong the snowfall’s getting, they might already be close enough to be listening.”
* * *
