30 - How to Escape the Reverse Harem Cliché
Chapter 30
It was dark outside. I sat hunched near the tent, waiting for anyone to return, and thought a great deal.
This place is truly on a different level from where I used to live. My age, my gender, my rank, and my traits dictate my future life here.
No matter how brilliant an Esper is, they cannot survive without a Guide, and no matter how great a family is, their influence wanes if they are all ordinary people.
Most importantly, if I am merely a supporting character without even a name, I will die alone in a place no one knows, without receiving anyone's attention.
In such a situation, is it truly the right thing for me, who has transmigrated into a female protagonist with an excessive amount of plot points, to try and break the original story and forge my own path? Am I just complicating my own life? Wouldn't it be better for me to quietly follow the original story?
It was around the time my mind was overwhelmed with such worries.
“Rose!”
Aiden, who suddenly appeared out of thin air, called out Rose’s name, went inside the tent, and then I saw him drag her out.
Rose, who had been dragged out while changing, seemed annoyed but complied readily with Aiden’s request.
“You need to treat me, an S-class, with a bit more respect, Adrian.”
“Shut up and hurry up and follow… Huh? Laila! Why are you out here!”
Only then did Aiden, who had been observing the situation from the corner, notice me and throw Rose aside, rushing towards me.
He pushed me towards the accommodation, saying the temperature had dropped after the rain and I should go inside quickly, while I could hear Rose’s hollow laugh from afar.
“Look at you, caring for your little sister.”
“Rose. Say something!”
“Ah, forget it. So, where is it? You better repay your debt today, okay? If you think you can just let it slide, you’ll die.”
Rose, her pink long hair tied up high, passed by us and headed towards the teleport Esper who had arrived with Aiden a moment ago.
Meanwhile, Aiden spoke at lightning speed.
“I found Olivite’s Spiritual Body.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. Just like you said, there’s a risk of Berserk. So, it’ll be difficult to bring him here immediately. Instead, I’ll take Rose to Guiding and bring him back.”
“Thank you. And I’m sorry, Aiden. I think Sir Rose is angry because of me too.”
“Rose? She’s always been full of anger. And more than half of the reasons she gets angry are because of me?”
Aiden chuckled, told me again to wait just a moment and go inside, then ran towards Rose, who was urging him to hurry. Soon, they disappeared as quickly as they had arrived, using their abilities.
It was a great relief. That I found him before Valerian…
Actually, Valerian had dispatched a unit to help me, but for some reason, I couldn’t trust him.
No. The word 'trust' is a bit funny. I am simply afraid of Valerian.
The moment he finds out Evan is an unregistered Esper, he might drag him back to the capital and force him into the Imperial Academy. Even if Evan is D-class, Valerian prioritizes principle over utility, which is obvious.
If the Olivite family, who abandoned Evan at the academy from a young age, wouldn't even care if Evan manifested as an Esper, Evan would be dragged away without a second thought.
“Where did Sir Rose go?”
“Sir Pascianne took her.”
“Where to?”
“It seemed like she was searching for the missing person, and Sir Rose appeared to be needed.”
Orion, who had followed Rose outside, reported to Hagwan. He frowned, looked around, then spotted me and approached with a forced smile.
“When did you come this far? It’s cold, go inside.”
“Around the time you and Sir Rose were about to fight? I came out because I felt awkward.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s a joke, why are you apologizing again? You apologize too quickly.”
“You told me not to hold back expressions of apology and gratitude, Laila.”
“……Me?”
“Yes. Don’t you remember?”
I vaguely nodded.
I must have raised my child well since they were young. That’s why Aiden is so quick to express thanks and apologies? It was worth all the effort I put into raising him.
Orion took the teacup from my hand, tilted his head, and drew me out of my thoughts, focusing my attention on him.
“Olivite’s Spiritual Body is an Esper, and Laila has been Guiding him until now?”
“If you were a mental Esper and could read my mind right now, you wouldn’t say it so openly.”
“Is this a secret too?”
“Yes. I only told Aiden. Now you know too.”
“I would never reveal Laila’s secrets.”
“I know. That’s why I’m so calm.”
Orion let out a small laugh at my words, then turned to me with a serious expression.
“Laila. I’ve been training quite hard. My rank went up last month too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The Inspection Stone didn’t break, but it shook so severely that I became A+. They say it’s above A, though not S.”
“That’s great. You’ve earned the reward for your hard work. Well done, Orion.”
“Yes. So please wait a little longer.”
“For what?”
“If my rank goes up further, I’ll be able to heal Laila’s scar.”
Orion’s gaze fell upon my lower back, where I had been burned as a child.
The Count and Countess had brought Orion, who possessed healing abilities, to treat this scar, but at the time, Orion wasn’t of a high enough rank and couldn’t control his abilities properly, so he couldn’t heal my wound. Besides, a lot of time had passed.
“So, Laila, please wait just a little longer. I will definitely heal your scar.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. I’m fine.”
Orion seemed slightly disappointed by my reaction, as I wasn't expecting much since I planned to leave this place anyway.
Then, he tried to soothe and persuade me, insisting he could truly heal it. And I just kept nodding.
“Laila.”
It was Adrian again. Aiden, who had appeared with the teleport Esper, looked at me with an anxious expression and gently took my hand.
“What’s wrong, Aiden?”
“Did you really Guiding Olivite’s Spiritual Body?”
“Yes… Evan and I both had low ranks.”
“Low ranks? Do you know his rank?”
“He told me D-class. And I felt it too. What’s wrong?”
Aiden, who seemed to be contemplating, spoke cautiously.
“Rose’s Guiding isn’t working.”
“What?”
“It’s strange. Rose is clearly S-class, so why isn’t it working? Even if the compatibility is poor and the matching rate is low, an S-class should have some effect. And the Spiritual Body is D-class, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t work…”
“……”
“If Rose can’t do it, then not only medicine, but all our Guides will be useless.”
So, what you’re saying is…
“Give up, Laila. There’s no hope.”
“How can you tell me to give up?”
“Seriously. It’s not just on the verge of Berserk, it feels like it’s going to Berserk very soon. The mark below the Spiritual Body’s collarbone is almost faded. I can’t make out its shape. It’s unrecognizable.”
The mark below the collarbone refers to the pattern that appears when one manifests as an Esper. As the Guiding level drops, the clear pattern becomes blurry, and when the Guiding is completely depleted, it turns into a strange red shape.
And soon, Berserk.
This is different from the pre-Berserk symptoms experienced in the past few instances. Back then, it was a yellow warning light, but now it’s bright red. The Berserk is truly imminent.
“Laila, it’s best to give up. We need to evacuate our side too, so we don’t get caught in the Berserk.”
“I’ll go.”
“What?”
“I’ll go and Guiding. Take me with you.”
“No! What are you saying! Do you think that makes any sense?!”
“I’ve been Guiding him all along. My Guiding works on Evan. So, I’ll go.”
“Laila.”
“Are you telling me to give up without even trying?”
“It’s not that…”
“Are you telling me to just accept things as they are and live? We can at least try. But you’re telling me not to even do that?”
Aiden seemed to read the determination in my eyes. He finally lowered the hand that was holding me and let out a long sigh.
“I’ll go with you.”
Orion, who had been watching the two of us from behind, interjected.
“What difference will it make if Sir Restro follows?”
“There is something I haven’t reported to the higher-ups yet.”
“What is it?”
Aiden, frowning as if annoyed, was met with a bombshell from Orion.
“A few years ago, another ability manifested.”
“……What?”
What? Aiden’s eyes widened, looking as surprised as I felt.
Another ability manifested, what does that mean…
“You mean, besides Recovery, there’s another one?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“Ignore.”
Ignore… Nullification? A defensive ability that blocks abilities. It refers to an ability that can nullify and block other abilities.
So, now, he has two abilities?
Espers with two abilities weren't unheard of, but they were extremely rare, countable on one's fingers. They existed only sporadically, like finding a bean in a drought.
Something is strange. In the original story, Orion only had the ability of Recovery. Why suddenly Ignore…
This is a problem for later. Time was of the essence now. And Orion seemed to think the same way, as he grabbed Aiden and said with a frown,
“We’ll discuss the details later. For now, I will cast my ability on Laila. I will protect her with Ignore, so please do as Laila wishes, Sir Pascianne.”
“Damn it. What is going on?”
“Aiden, please. There’s no time. Please…”
Finally, at my desperate plea, Aiden relented from his stubbornness. He called the teleport Esper to his side and told him to grab me.
“You might feel a bit dizzy when we first move. Bear with it for a moment, Laila.”
“Okay. Let’s go quickly.”
I’m someone who didn’t even flinch after riding a regular express bus for 9 hours in my prime. Contrary to Aiden’s warning, I easily overcame any motion sickness from teleportation and finally arrived at Evan’s location.
