# Chapter 16
Why did he have to go?
It sounded like asking if another Guide couldn’t go instead of him.
“…Because I’m the only one who can guide whichever Esper goes.”
This too… was a very simple matter. The fewer people Espers have to protect, the more easily they can clear dungeons. As someone who could guide any Esper, he was the most suitable for this job.
Well, if one were to argue, Jiwon was chosen because his abilities were too good.
“We can’t bring all the exclusive Guides of the Espers participating in the dungeon.”
The situation if each brought their exclusive Guide… was hard to imagine. Wouldn’t they be busy protecting their Guides rather than clearing the dungeon? It wouldn’t be easy to get permission from all those Guides either.
For one thing, Guides were essentially no different from ordinary people. The more people unfamiliar with dungeons increased, the greater the chance of accidents.
“Haah….”
Suhyun sighed. He clearly wasn’t thrilled, but he seemed to understand.
Jiwon relaxed slightly as he watched Suhyun’s expression. He had thought Suhyun would give him the cold shoulder for hiding this, but the conversation was flowing well without any issues.
Should he try guiding before going in? Despite regular guiding, the stability level hadn’t exceeded 79, which was concerning, so Jiwon was looking for the right timing to bring it up.
“That should work then.”
“…What?”
But Suhyun had no interest in guiding. He nodded as if he had made a decision.
“I’ll participate in the same dungeons that Guide-nim participates in.”
“…Pardon?”
“If we don’t go together, you cannot enter either.”
Jiwon, startled by this firm declaration, waved his hands emphatically.
“That won’t work. It’s too demanding a schedule.”
Since Jiwon wasn’t affected by wavelengths, he planned to enter dungeons three or four times a day. But for Suhyun to follow that entire schedule? It would be the quickest way to ruin the wavelength they had painstakingly maintained at 79.
“I’ll enter when my schedule aligns with Esper Suhyun-nim’s. But there’s no reason for you to follow me everywhere I go.”
“I’m going to protect my exclusive Guide. Didn’t you say everyone would do that?”
“No, that’s…”
“I’ll report this to the Association. If I don’t permit it, you cannot enter the dungeon.”
It was similar to what Jiwon had said once before. Leaving Jiwon speechless, Suhyun stood up. There was no time to stop him.
Suhyun, an S-class Esper, had declared he would continuously enter dungeons following Jiwon. It wasn’t news the Association would welcome. They could potentially lose both an S-class Esper and a Guide if things went wrong.
But Suhyun pushed forcefully. No one could dissuade Suhyun once he had made up his mind.
‘You’ll ruin your body that way. Did you consider what might happen to your wavelength when you made this decision?’
‘I have no intention of fighting monsters in the dungeon.’
‘…Then?’
‘My only job is to protect my exclusive Guide.’
The same went for Jiwon.
How could he argue against someone who said they wouldn’t fight monsters, only protect him? If anything, Jiwon felt reassured.
After all, entering the dungeon, a world virtually unknown to him, was somewhat frightening.
In the end, things went according to Suhyun’s wishes. Jiwon was now at the site with a small hope that Suhyun wouldn’t have to use much of his power. Suhyun was firmly positioned beside him.
Thanks to that, though anxious, he felt somewhat relieved.
Jiwon tried hard to focus his relaxing mind.
“…Ha.”
However, Jiwon wasn’t even given proper time to collect his thoughts. At the end of his furrowed gaze was a man with a gleaming face.
“Oh… Guide Moon Jiwon-nim.”
“……”
“It’s been a while, right? Looking forward to working with you today.”
It was because A-class Esper Kim Juyoung greeted him with a smile.
“Oh shit….”
What Jiwon returned was a curse. Displeasure surged to the top of his head.
‘Kim Juyoung Esper isn’t going to the dungeon. I think the information has leaked.’
‘…Not surprising.’
‘Right. But it seems he also knows about the decision that Guide Jiwon will enter the dungeon.’
‘He sure knows a lot.’
‘Haha…. Well, that’s why I’m telling you. I’ve been thinking he’ll probably show up when Guide Jiwon goes to the dungeon. Be careful.’
He had already heard this from Jo Wooyeon, but momentarily forgot because he was preoccupied with Suhyun.
‘A Guide should at least do this much for an Esper.’
‘Does Guide Jiwon-nim fight? I’m the one risking my life. You can stay safe thanks to me.’
‘Don’t you think you’re not putting enough effort into guiding? You should be serving wholeheartedly.’
To forget that he might see this lowly person again—someone who not only had a knack for treating Guides like tools but ultimately moved Park Minwoo to try to crush him.
“Really? I was hoping to never see you again.”
“Why? We used to see each other almost every day.”
Jo Wooyeon taking the time to specifically mention Kim Juyoung was clearly a warning. It was tacit permission to prepare mentally and withdraw if he tried any tricks.
He must have thought Kim Juyoung might try something inside the dungeon.
“That’s why I don’t want to see you again. Did you get amnesia or something?”
“Haha… is that a joke?”
Jiwon had briefly considered when he heard he might enter with Kim Juyoung. If they entered together and that dungeon happened to be an abnormal one, should he just abandon him? He probably wouldn’t even feel guilty about such a cheap person.
But it was impossible, and since he couldn’t be certain that particular dungeon would be affected, he stopped pondering. And he had planned to declare he wouldn’t enter if he met Kim Juyoung, but…
“It’s been a while, Esper Seo Suhyun, too.”
“Yes.”
With Suhyun present, that wouldn’t be necessary.
Considering how Suhyun had acted toward Park Minwoo, there was nothing to worry about. As long as he didn’t rush ahead to clear the dungeon first.
“I wanted to form an exclusive contract with Guide Jiwon-nim. But in the end, he went to Esper Suhyun, I’m jealous.”
He spoke well for someone who already had exclusive Guides with matching rates over 90%, not to mention additional Guides hired with money.
“Is that so.”
Suhyun responded indifferently. Fortunately, he didn’t mention that he hadn’t wanted it.
“But don’t you have many Guides already?”
However, Suhyun didn’t stop there. Kim Juyoung’s brow furrowed at Suhyun’s light jab, but only for an instant.
“Haha.”
He laughed loudly, almost artificially.
“If Moon Jiwon Guide had become my exclusive, that wouldn’t have happened.”
“I think it would have.”
Suhyun wasn’t shaken in the slightest by Kim Juyoung’s words. His precise responses, delivered with the same attitude he showed to Jiwon, seemed deliberately meant to irritate Kim Juyoung.
“Ah… what’s this? You haven’t even been in an exclusive contract for long, but you’ve become just like Moon Jiwon Guide?”
Kim Juyoung folded his arms and rambled.
“It’s quite remarkable. Men or women, they all lose their minds when they meet Guide Jiwon. I thought Esper Suhyun would be an exception, but you’re thoroughly enchanted.”
The tone was somewhat ambiguous for talk about guiding. As much as he wanted to see how elaborately this nonsense would continue, with Suhyun as the listener, it was necessary to shut him up at this point.
“But today, as a matter of principle, you’ll make some concessions, right? Since you’re risking your life to protect Guide Jiwon, shouldn’t you receive guiding before going in?”
But it was so absurd that instead, Jiwon’s own mouth closed.
Not only was he trying to get guiding from another Guide despite already having an exclusive contract, but he made this request to Suhyun instead of Jiwon.
“Are you crazy….”
Jiwon muttered, twisting the corner of his mouth.
“What did you say?”
Kim Juyoung, with unnecessarily sharp ears, turned his head. Jiwon had no reason to keep quiet.
“You seem to be under a misconception, but I’m going to protect the Esper-nims. Without that, I’d have no reason to enter.”
“Hmm. Let’s do it that way. So that means you’ll protect me with guiding?”
“I won’t guide except in the relevant dungeon. And…”
Jiwon, who almost blurted out the truth that he wouldn’t do it even if Kim Juyoung got hit, barely managed to close his mouth.
“That’s disappointing. I believed Guide Jiwon had a strong sense of duty as a Guide.”
But was there any need to stay silent? Kim Juyoung was freely running his mouth.
“This isn’t just about conquering the dungeon, but having to face monsters while protecting Guide Jiwon. It’s a much harder path, you know. Yet you’re saying you’ll just watch?”
Jiwon smirked. He was about to tell him not to come along if he had so many complaints.
“I will protect Moon Jiwon Guide-nim.”
That’s when Suhyun stepped in.
“Other Esper-nims just need to fight monsters as usual. You don’t need to worry about the Guide-nim.”
His tone suggested it wouldn’t be a problem at all if the Espers didn’t worry.
“So unless it’s an exceptional situation, there will be no guiding according to principle.”
Suhyun said exactly what Jiwon was going to say, very decisively. Jiwon added words as if he had been waiting.
“Well, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to enter the dungeon. With Esper Seo Suhyun-nim here, Esper Kim Juyoung-nim… isn’t really needed, actually.”
Though his voice was friendly, his tone blatantly disrespected Kim Juyoung.
Of course. With S-class Esper Seo Suhyun present, what need was there for an A-class?
Jiwon turned away cheerfully, regardless of whether Kim Juyoung’s face crumpled or not.
