Chapter 33
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Dressed in his form-fitting black training uniform, Samuel absently brushed his fingers under his chin, thinking of Adrien’s face.
He remembered how her cold expression would soften without warning, the quiet smiles she let slip, and the way the tip of her tongue would peek out between her teeth when she was focused on touching him—expressions she never showed around the other squad members.
“What’s got you so deep in thought?”
Peter’s voice snapped Samuel out of his daydream. Peter was giving him a strange look, his lips pursed in a circle.
“Were you daydreaming while standing up? You looked like you were asleep with your eyes open.”
It wasn’t entirely off the mark. Samuel gave a small laugh.
“Is it because you haven’t seen the Commander in a while? Did you even get any sleep, or were you up all night worrying?”
“I slept just fine.”
“Of course you did. I bet you’re thrilled, since today you finally get to guide her again.”
Samuel didn’t bother to deny it, and Peter stretched with a lazy smile.
“To be honest, I was a little worried when I heard you’d imprinted with the Commander. I figured you were going to have a hard time of it.”
Peter’s voice dropped as he finished.
“These things happen all the time, you know. When a high-level Esper picks a guide, jealousy becomes a real problem—I’ve seen it happen myself.”
“Yeah, it happens.”
Samuel agreed. He’d seen similar things in the Makas Mountain Unit, and he knew the outcome was rarely good for the guide caught in the middle. But he wasn’t bothered.
This was Adrien Brillante—everyone’s ideal, the very embodiment of justice. Standing at her side was never going to be easy.
It was only natural to have to fight for something so coveted.
Samuel understood that brutal truth better than anyone. If you wanted light, you had to be willing to push through the darkness.
“At least the only Gold-level guide in the Security Guard isn’t saying anything, and Captain Linton, the one we were all worried about, seems fine too…”
The squad, which had been marching at a steady pace, came to an abrupt stop. Peter, bringing up the rear, craned his neck to see what was going on ahead.
“Looks like we’re finally here—wait, what?”
“What is it?”
“Samuel, this feels like deja vu. It’s like we’ve gone back in time.”
Peter’s expression was a mix of surprise and dread.
“Both guides and Espers need strong bodies—you know that, right?”
Linton Vionne’s cheerful voice carried from the front, where he was leading with Kate.
“When you’re out in rough terrain, physical weakness is a serious problem. So today, we’re going to practice running through the mountains as efficiently as possible.”
Only then did Samuel take a good look at the scene ahead. They were standing at the base of a mountain so steep you’d have to crane your neck all the way back just to see the peak.
“Never thought I’d have to climb one of these damned mountains again.”
Peter groaned, wiping a hand over his face.
“And come to think of it, we’ve got two Makas Mountain Unit vets here, don’t we?”
As if he’d heard Peter’s muttering, Linton turned and smiled at them.
“I’m expecting great things from you two. I’m sure you’ll be the fastest and safest up the mountain.”
“Thank you, Captain Linton!”
Thank him? The thought of scaling that monstrous mountain again made Samuel’s head spin. Peter shouted his reply with the air of a man going to his doom.
“All right, let’s get started!”
* * *
The exercise itself was pretty interesting:
The squad was split into two teams, and everyone set off individually. The goal was to find as many markers hidden across the mountain as possible, then steal the markers from opposing team members before reaching the summit. The team with the most markers at the top would win.
To balance things out, Espers had a handicap—they couldn’t use their powers, and physical combat was only allowed between Espers. Guides, on the other hand, could use radiating guidance to steal markers from Espers. It really highlighted the physical gap between Espers and guides.
“…Twelve.”
As a guide, Samuel was doing impressively well. He’d just taken markers from another guide and two Espers, for a total of twelve—more than half of the twenty markers in play.
He’d been praised for his near-Esper stamina back in the mountain unit, so this much was a walk in the park for him. Still, something felt off.
“…This terrain is way too steep for rookies.”
It was a brutally rugged mountain, and while he could handle it, it would be easy for someone to get hurt—especially in a scuffle near a cliff. Even when he’d confronted another guide by a precipice, they’d both agreed to move to safer ground before continuing.
‘Unless there’s some special reason, no one would pick a mountain like this for training…’
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