Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 342

All the Espers outside the line have been captured, the mastermind behind it all—the Prime Minister—has been killed, and they even managed to rescue the Guides whose fate had been unknown for so long. Shouldn’t they be celebrating? Shouldn’t the headlines be filled with dramatic praise for the hero?

In stark contrast to the fervent articles exalting the hero in intense tones, Jimil’s expression was grim. The other reporters present were no different.

Had they worn themselves out writing heated articles after hearing the shocking news overnight? Jimil clicked her tongue as she watched Anton, who still seemed confused and lost.

“Kid, are you really that clueless? How did you even pass the interview with that lack of awareness?”

“What…?”

“You should’ve asked the question by now. What happened to Lord Claude’s imprinted Guide? After all, the whole reason this mess was uncovered was because she was kidnapped. They even conducted biological experiments, trying to develop a cure for the allergy. Can you even begin to imagine what would happen if something went wrong with the national hero’s imprinted Guide?”

Ah! Realization finally struck Anton, and he let out a startled sound.

Even though he understood intellectually what a Guide meant to an Esper, it still didn’t feel real.

As an ordinary non-ability person, it felt too distant to grasp fully. That’s why his focus had been on the grand political conspiracy and the key figures, overlooking the importance of the Guide.

“Is… is she alive?”

Anton asked urgently, and Jimil, rubbing her throbbing temples, responded.

“…She’s not dead yet, but she’s badly hurt and in the hospital. Her exact condition is classified.”

“Oh…”

A brief silence fell between them.

Through the window of the press conference room, the dawn was beginning to break. The other reporters, exhausted, were slowly preparing to leave. Jimil, noticing Anton’s hesitation and uncertainty, muttered under her breath with a sigh.

“I don’t even want to imagine it. If Lord Claude hadn’t been there, if Hermann’s plan had succeeded, what kind of world we’d be living in right now.”

“……”

“The Center would’ve collapsed, and a world where only the strongest Espers hoard all the power would’ve emerged. It would’ve been far worse than those chaotic times from before. You’re too young to fully understand the gravity of that era, but—”

Jimil’s words were only half true. Anton had been young during that period, but even he had scattered memories of it.

The front door of their home, bolted with layer upon layer of wooden boards. His parents hurriedly hiding him in the basement beneath the floor if they sensed anyone lingering outside.

Alone in that pitch-black basement, Anton would wonder if the dangerous presence lurking outside was truly a monster—or perhaps human, just like him.

Now that he was an adult, he understood. It wouldn’t have mattered either way. Just like mutants, a rogue Esper could easily wipe out an ordinary family of non-abilities.

He tried to remember when his family had finally torn out all the nails from those boarded windows. When had they stopped feeling the need to check who was knocking at the door, and instead greeted visitors with ease?

“I had forgotten. Arteon may look peaceful on the surface, but it’s still far from stable. It could collapse again at any moment. Even if it’s not Hermann, there will always be someone else trying to disrupt the fragile order we fought so hard to achieve. If any of them turn against us, they’ll become the most terrifying enemies. That’s why we still need an absolute hero.”

“……”

“So, just pray. Pray that our great national hero never loses his Guide. If that happens, and Arteon faces another grave crisis, there will be no one left to save us.”