Please Don’t Sponsor the Guide - Chapter 49

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“Dr. Alex?”

“Hey, Ensign Samuel Norah. You don’t need this, right?”

“…Does that mean the results are out?”

The three new recruits looked at each other, clearly lost at what was going on.

“Well, at least one of them is.”

Alex gave a knowing smile.

“I’ve already got your sample, so you don’t need to waste your energy. You’re probably already running low after guiding a certain someone, aren’t you?”

“The result…”

“Hold on. I’ll finish comparing you with the other espers and let you know everything at once.”

“I understand.”

Samuel barely swallowed his anxiety and nodded. As soon as Alex left, Peter glued himself to Samuel’s side.

“What was that about? You’ve met the medical officer—no, Dr. Alex—before? What results?”

Samuel only shook his head, giving nothing away. But for some reason, he had a good feeling. Even Alex’s expression when he’d looked at him felt promising.

Samuel quietly clung to a sense of hope that only he knew.

* * *

For Adrien, misfortune had always felt closer than luck. So even when Alex brought good news, she tried to stay cautious.

A compatibility score of 98% was high, but there was no guarantee that a 99% or even 100% match wouldn’t turn up—she decided to wait until all the unit’s tests were finished.

“Here, take this.”

Results were sent to the commander first. The report listed the top ten guides for each esper, with names and compatibility scores.

Adrien checked hers. At the top, unsurprisingly, was Samuel, with a stand-out 98%.

“For Ensign Samuel, you’re also his number one. Even if you weren’t, you’d obviously be his most important match.”

“But I thought it listed up to the top ten.”

“It usually does.”

“So why do I only have the top three? Is it because I’m the commander, or because I’m off the charts?”

“If it’s the latter, that’s almost a relief. Like I’ve said, you’re not just picky, you have a full-blown guide allergy.”

“So out of the whole battalion, I can only tolerate three guides?”

Reviewing the results, Adrien realized that her list looked emptier than the others’. The second and third-place guides were both bronze-level, with just 11% and 8% compatibility—a shock compared to other members, whose tenth-best guides scored in the 20-30% range.

“Strictly speaking, it means Ensign Samuel is the only one you can actually receive guiding from.”

“…What about Linton?”

Alex held up four fingers, face deadpan.

“Four percent.”

“I thought he was at least bearable…”

“Not anymore, now that you’ve met someone with a 98% match.”

It was true. Only after meeting Samuel had Adrien finally understood why espers raved about guiding.

4% and 98%.

The difference between them was bigger than she’d ever imagined.

What would it be like to keep Samuel as her exclusive guide from now on? To call him every day, or even put a desk for him in her office—though they’d probably spend more time in the adjoining bedroom than at the desk.

Samuel always managed to get under her skin, and she, in turn, would get flustered by even the smallest glance from him.

Adrien smiled faintly down at her results. It was the first time she’d ever felt this light thinking about having an exclusive guide.

“Here you go. Exclusive guide application form.”

Alex thrust the form at her. Adrien raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t trust me to get around to it, did you?”

“Would anyone? When it comes to this, nobody in the unit would count on you.”

He even handed her a pen. Adrien, chuckling, opened a drawer and pulled out an identical form, already filled in with her name and signature.

Alex’s eyes grew round.

“…Commander?”

“Your eyes are getting a bit impudent, you know.”

“I—I’ll work on that!”

Not that his wide eyes shrank at all.

Alex hadn’t expected Adrien to have the form prepared ahead of time, especially considering her previous reluctance to appoint an exclusive guide. He also knew—at least in part—why Adrien had hesitated all this time.

Fortunately, Adrien’s mood seemed light as she gathered up the reports.

“Go ahead and hand these out.”

“What made you change your mind all of a sudden?”

Adrien didn’t answer, but in her mind, memories of the previous night were swirling. She hadn’t called for Samuel in ages, relying on her guiding medication to keep herself going.

But working in the same building, it was impossible not to run into him sometimes. She’d always thought he was just quietly greeting her and passing by, and that the strange sense of calm she felt around him was simply from radiant guiding in the air.