Chapter 67: Something was wrong

Lucien glared at Zephyr for a long moment, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

In the end, all he could do was take a few deep breaths and repeatedly remind himself that Zephyr was his only hope of returning home someday. As a powerful SSS-Rank Esper, Zephyr was someone Lucien could not afford to fall out with. He had to cling tightly to Zephyr’s thigh and keep his foul temper in check if he wanted Zephyr to save this world and help him.

Even with his embarrassment and frustration threatening to boil over, Lucien forced himself to calm down, swallowing every curse that rose to his lips.

Besides, it wasn’t like he hadn’t enjoyed it.

His mind had been a mess at the time, but he knew he had cooperated with Zephyr.

And, well...

It was just a little touching and kissing. Nothing worth making a fuss over. Yeah, definitely. And Zephyr was handsome, so Lucien could simply consider it some... practical experience for the future.

With that thought, Lucien began mentally hypnotizing himself until his emotions finally settled. Even his wildly beating heart gradually returned to normal.

Zephyr, whose mana had unconsciously rushed out to wrap around Lucien’s body ever since he rolled away, lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions within them.

He had sensed something unusual about Lucien’s behavior several times before, and this time was no different.

Once again, Lucien had gone from panicking to completely calm in a matter of moments.

What had he just thought about?

How could he suddenly become so indifferent after being so flustered just moments ago?

Zephyr’s expression grew thoughtful.

There was something else he had not thought too deeply about before, something that really did not add up.

If he remembered correctly, Lucien had reacted with obvious shock when Zephyr’s Esper rank was tested at the Association.

He had even blurted out, ’Impossible,’ as if he could not believe the result. But... how could Lucien have known what rank Zephyr would awaken with? Even Zephyr himself had no idea what his rank would be at the time. It was only later that he realized that the Gaya System was hiding his true rank.

The more Zephyr thought about it, the more certain he became that something was wrong. Yet no matter how he tried to piece it together, he could not pinpoint exactly what was bothering him.

Before he could dig any deeper into his thoughts, Lucien suddenly spoke, a faint smile audible in his voice that somehow made his words sound very threatening.

"Zephyr, I saw earlier how powerful your skill was. I’m sure you’ve already realized that your abilities seem to be stronger than your tested rank. But next time, I hope you won’t use your mana so recklessly, so we can avoid ending up in a situation like the one that just happened between us again."

Lucien paused, his expression becoming more serious. He was genuinely trying to put some sense into Zephyr. When Zephyr had suddenly stepped toward Slar earlier, he had seemed annoyed by Slar’s scratchy voice, but he had also angrily asked Slar if he had just hurt Lucien. It was obvious that Zephyr had behaved so recklessly and lost control because he was worried about him.

It seemed that Zephyr felt grateful to him and had started unconsciously protecting him after Lucien saved his life in prison.

He wasn’t sure if Zephyr was simply trying to repay him, but he was happy about it. If Zephyr cared about him, perhaps he could use that goodwill to get Zephyr to listen to him and help him achieve what he wanted.

"Entering a violent state again and again can put a tremendous strain on your body. So, until you learn to control your mana properly, I want you to be more careful."

Lucien took a breath before continuing.

"Guiding you in that condition is taxing on me as well. I know I’m an A-Rank Guide, but my guiding energy isn’t limitless."

His smile faded slightly.

"If you lose control again and, without realizing it, try to get ’forced guiding’ from me like in that dungeon we were dragged into, my life could actually be in danger..."

Lucien’s words trailed off when Zephyr suddenly turned his head toward him.

"I would never."

Zephyr’s voice was quiet, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it. He stared directly at him as if he could see him, his eyes carrying a rare trace of solemnity.

Then, he repeated.

"I would never harm you."

He paused for a brief moment before continuing in an apologetic voice.

"The first time was a mistake."

His gaze softened slightly.

"And I would never repeat it."

Lucien was stunned for a moment. As he stared into those sincere eyes, his heart rate suddenly sped up. However, it lasted only a moment. He quickly looked away and glanced toward the classroom exit, stammering out in feigned calmness.

"Now that you’re okay, let’s head out. Everyone should be waiting."

Just as he said this, he noticed Zephyr’s expression turn somewhat conflicted. Then, to Lucien’s horror, Zephyr lowered his gaze.

Lucien followed it and instantly became mortified when he noticed the wet stain that still hadn’t completely disappeared.

There were even some white marks!

And then Zephyr had the audacity to ask, completely innocently at that.

"Eh... are you sure?"

Lucien shut his eyes, barely restraining himself from pouncing on Zephyr. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and say.

"You go out. I’ll join you in a minute!"

Zephyr blinked but didn’t move. Instead, he lay back down, folded his hands over his stomach, and closed his eyes.

"Let’s go out together. I also need to get some rest. My body and mind are tired."

Lucien wanted to kick him out. He desperately needed some time alone!

But before he could say anything, Zephyr added unhurriedly, almost as if deliberately.

"Besides, it’s dangerous to be alone in this place. What if another Demon shows up?"

Hearing him, Lucien could only keep his mouth shut. In any case, he was far too tired to quarrel with Zephyr. He had already used up almost all of his guiding energy.

Now that the initial panic was over, the exhaustion was finally catching up with him. All he wanted now was to recover his strength. Fortunately, Zephyr had used his healing skill on him earlier, so he didn’t feel nearly as bad as he otherwise would have. All of his injuries had also been healed too.

***

By the time Lucien and Zephyr finally stepped out of the school building, more than an hour had already passed.

As Lucien stepped into the open space where many massive ant monster corpses were strewn across the ground, his eyes caught sight of a deep, jagged dent in the half-collapsed outer gate, as if someone had punched it with considerable force.

He hadn’t noticed the damage when they first arrived and helped Han’s team, so he stared at the dent for a moment, stunned.

It seemed someone had been really angry...

And, of course, Lucien could guess exactly who that someone was.

It could only be Erick.

Lucien rubbed his arms with a shudder.

’I knew the protagonist had liked Zephyr in the past, but I didn’t expect Erick’s feelings to still be this strong. He actually punched an iron gate out of jealousy! Hopefully, he wasn’t imagining my face while punching it.’

While Lucien was still lost in thought, a familiar voice suddenly came from the side.

"You guys are finally out."

Lucien turned toward the voice and spotted Jake leaning against a wall some distance away. He appeared to have been waiting for them; however, he was the only one there.

So, Lucien couldn’t help but ask.

"Where are the others?"

Jake’s gaze shifted between Lucien and Zephyr, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes. There was a hint of curiosity, along with traces of relief and regret.

He had honestly expected Zephyr to take things further, knowing that his mind was not in the right state while they were alone.

But one look at Lucien was enough to dispel that thought.

Lucien was walking perfectly fine, without any obvious signs that anything serious had happened. Whatever had occurred between them, it clearly hadn’t gone as far as Jake had imagined. As for why he had assumed Lucien would be the one to suffer, well, first, he was a Guide, and second, the difference in strength alone made it clear.

Regardless, both of them seemed fine.

That was what mattered most.

Jake quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he had been worrying too much.

"Olivia was asked by Erick to go and find Nana, then throw her into the safe zone."

He explained as he walked toward them.

"As for Nox and Erick, they both headed toward the dungeon to help other Espers."

Lucien raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Wow... To think Erick had actually asked Nana to be thrown into the safe zone...

Haha, it seemed the relationship between those two was no longer as amiable as it used to be. And all of it was because of this side character standing right beside him!

Finally, he felt better and smirked.