The police were one of the organizations that survived that way. Of course, since the November Continent was in the hands of mafia Yuri, there were many limitations to them performing their duties.
Yuri didn’t particularly try to give them power. He seemed to have little interest in creating corrupt police to use as loyal dogs. Thanks to that, the Esper Union side was able to secure this kind of information.
“She looks like an ordinary old woman, but a drug dealer—surprising.”
One of the team members muttered. His expression wasn’t good at all.
“An ordinary old woman… Old Anastasia is one of the drug dealers who survived quite a long time here. The fact that she survived this long while Yuri Sobolev was keeping a close watch on drug distribution with burning eyes means she wasn’t an easy opponent.”
Yont answered with a serious face. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be the type to rebuke his subordinates harshly.
“I misspoke.”
To the subordinate Esper who honestly admitted his mistake, Yont nodded and continued.
“First, Jay, Gillian, Aparna, and I will come down from the north, investigating candidate locations where Yuri is suspected to be.”
Yont, the leader, hadn’t called Chris’s name yet.
“Chris, Skild, Andrea, Federico, and Ahmed will remain in Aurum.”
At the name ‘Chris,’ several people flinched and glanced at Chris. Knowing it was a reaction due to having the same name as Sobolev’s hunting dog, it wasn’t particularly unpleasant, but he couldn’t help feeling strange whenever he received such looks.
‘Mr. Magnolia must feel this way too.’
He suddenly thought of the antiquarian bookshop owner who received many rude questions for having the same name as Yuri Sobolev.
“Is it for backup?”
As if trying to stop his thoughts from naturally heading toward Yuri, Chris threw a question at Yont. The team leader shook his head.
“No. You all will track the trail of the drug dealer Anastasia here. Though she’s already dead, we need information like the hideouts and warehouses she built to deal with Yuri, as well as distribution channels and transport routes.”
Those called by Yont nodded with hardened faces.
“Perhaps we might reach Yuri Sobolev or his subordinates who are chasing the same thing. Now that they’ve dealt with Anastasia, they’ll be most interested in erasing her traces.”
Having said that, Yont looked at each team member and emphasized.
“And everyone remember this. Sobolev’s hunting dog, Chris Danil, is an S-rank telekinetic ability user. If you encounter him, everyone prioritizes escape over engagement. You remember the action guidelines for fleeing from a superior ability user, right?”
Of course, everyone knew.
Everyone scatters in different directions.
It was to raise Espers’ survival rate even a little. And to immediately destroy their devices so they couldn’t access Northern Light’s network through them.
“Yes.”
Everyone became solemn. In the materials they’d received before coming to the November Continent, the past actions of Chris Danil, presumed to be missing—or at least the incidents he was known to have committed—were summarized in order. Some included photos of devastated scenes after Yuri’s hunting dog had passed through.
Each incident was on too massive a scale to be considered the work of a human. Even with the premise of the maximum capability of an S-rank Esper in rampage state, the extent was excessive. The airport that had been so thoroughly destroyed it seemed more like a natural disaster than the work of a person, Northern Light’s ‘former’ branch that had been on the November Continent, and the collapse of Silvermine, originally called the November Continent’s second city…
He was a cruel and bold individual to the point where it was hard to understand how he could have someone above him.
“I heard Chris Danil used to be a young master from a prestigious family, but I have no idea what possessed him to become the subordinate of a mafia.”
Ahmed muttered with a face that shuddered just thinking about it.
“I have materials on individuals presumed to have been connected with Old Anastasia in each district. Memorize all the contents and then dispose of them.”
Yont called each person forward and handed them materials.
“Chris, you’ll take Districts 11, 12, and 13.”
At those words, Chris hesitated.
“…Districts 11 through 13, you said?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No.”
Was that wretched dream he’d had last night a prophetic dream? Though it was probably coincidence, it bothered him that Yont had assigned this particular district to him.
“Lastly, I’ll explain about Guiding. Currently, there’s one C-rank guide dispatched from headquarters staying in this building.”
Everyone looked surprised at Yont’s words. Though they’d heard a guide would be dispatched with them, they seemed naturally tense at the news that a guide was really here in this dangerous place. It was also an indication of how important the higher-ups considered this matter.
Some had been mentally preparing themselves to possibly have to take an airship to the October Continent in the middle of all this to receive Guiding.
“It’s not enough to handle all nine of you at once, so be careful.”
“Yes.”
Everyone nodded. Yont told three people including Chris to stay, then dismissed the rest.
“First, Gillian, Aparna, and Chris will receive Guiding now. Your three’s condition is most important.”
Gillian was a psychometry ability user, and Aparna could read the traces of people who had passed through the flow of air. Adding Chris, a Beast Transformation ability user who could maximize his five senses for quick evidence gathering. It meant to have Guiding done first for the Espers needed as a priority at the current stage.
While Jay and Aparna’s faces looked a bit excited, Chris quietly raised his hand.
“I haven’t used my ability once since receiving my last Guiding. So it’s fine if I don’t receive Guiding right away.”
At those words, Yont looked at Chris as if seeing something quite strange.
“You really have quite remarkable mental fortitude.”
“Pardon?”
“Even without using their ability, just having it makes an Esper’s nerves stand on edge. Like something gnawing away at them.”
Aparna and Jay nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. Chris. The guide came all the way here at risk, so you can’t refuse and then mess up the job later due to poor condition, right?”
At Jay’s words, Chris ended up unable to decline Guiding.
“Then I’ll receive Guiding last.”
At Chris’s words, Gillian and Aparna flipped a coin. The winner was Aparna. Humming a victory tune, she left the office first.
Her extremely light steps indicated she was excited. Gillian, who was next in turn, was also slightly shaking his legs as if nervous. It was clear he was filled with anticipation for the guide he’d soon meet.
Whether Aparna’s excitement or Jay’s tension, though they were fellow Espers, these were feelings Chris couldn’t share at all. He was sincerely reluctant about Guiding. It had never felt as good as others said it did. Like filling a car with gas, when Guiding became insufficient, he’d just go get it filled up.
Rather—
For a moment, Chris, who had unconsciously recalled the moment of contact with Yuri in his dream, covered his mouth. Because that scene seemed engraved in his mind as if unconsciously imprinted.
‘Aren’t dreams something you forget quickly after waking up…?’
At the same time, he realized an unexpected fact. The sensation he’d felt when Yuri’s hand touched his face in the dream was similar to the Guiding others talked about.
It seemed that his difficulty getting along with guides unlike others had weighed on his mind all this time. Taking that opportunity, when he met the first other person who caught his eye, the guide and his ideal type merged into one and appeared in his dream. That could explain the ecstasy he’d felt the moment he made contact with Yuri.
Though it still didn’t explain why Yuri had punched and kicked him in his dream, lifted his chin with a shoe, or stepped on his genitals through his clothes, thinking that it could be somewhat jumbled since it was a dream calmed his agitated feelings a bit.
“Chris, your turn.”
Lost in thought and even forgetting the passage of time, Chris stood up at Yont’s call. Following behind him down the corridor, Chris saw Yont open an iron door marked as an equipment room. Going inside and operating the orange distribution panel on the wall, a wall that had been empty opened up.
Though people said Northern Light had been pushed out of the November Continent by Yuri, they wouldn’t have completely let go—this was witnessing one piece of evidence of that with his own eyes.
He was even surprised at when they’d remodeled a building in the heart of Aurum to this extent. Chris swallowed this disturbance and followed Yont. He opened the door that a guard was standing watch over.
“Hello.”
Entering while greeting them, Chris discovered a familiar face.
C-rank guide, Luca.
“Hi. It’s a bit awkward meeting again like this after saying we’d part ways.”
Luca greeted him with an embarrassed face.
He looked more excited than when they’d met in Northern Light’s inner building. There was a feeling of vitality.
“I appreciate your help.”
In contrast, Chris’s reaction was so calm it was embarrassing how flustered he’d been on this end. Thinking he seemed strangely like an emotionless robot, Luca fiddled with his hair.
Though it might be because the degree of mutual compatibility, also called matching rate or chemistry, was low, Chris was simply indifferent to guides beyond even that. That attitude was quite refreshing.
