53 - How to Escape the Reverse Harem Cliché
Chapter 53
Orion must have been busy looking for me, just like Aiden. At least I managed to send a message through Rowen to Aiden, telling him not to look for me, but I didn't send any news to Orion.
I was someone who used to be overjoyed by a single letter, so maybe I was too harsh. Thinking about it made me feel unnecessarily apologetic. Still, he was once my favorite character, but his treatment has become worse than that of a supporting character.
He's still someone who feels like a sore spot in my heart.
"You must have been worried. I'm sorry, Orion."
"No, it's enough that you're back."
"This isn't the time to be so dramatic. Move aside, will you?"
Rose, who had lightly kicked Orion's leg with her foot, gestured with her hand for him to move. Orion let out a short sigh from the faint Guiding he felt from that small friction and obediently moved aside.
"I'll replenish your Guiding, so everyone else stay far away and be still."
Indeed, an S-Class Guide was different. She seemed unfazed even while non-contact Guiding three High-Class Espers in the tent.
Judging by how Aiden, Evan, and Orion all groaned and slumped over, she seemed to be emitting an enormous amount of Guiding, yet Rose calmly held out the Inspection Stone towards me.
Is this the power of a High-Class Guide? It was impressive, but it's too much for me, who aims for mediocrity.
If there's one thing I must do, it's avoid becoming a High-Class Guide.
"Young Lady. Please place your hand here."
"Yes."
"If the Guiding wavelength is too strong, it can sometimes sting. I don't know your Rank, Young Lady, but please bear with it if it stings a little."
Since I was sure I'd have a low Rank anyway, I vaguely listened to the precautions.
If my prediction is correct, it would be around C-Class at most. In the original work, Laila's Manifestation Rank was around that level.
Even while I was distracted by the Guiding Rose was giving me, the three of them kept their eyes on me and the Inspection Stone.
Having eight pairs of eyes solely focused on me was quite burdensome. I tried to ignore it, suppressed my trembling heart, and placed my hand on the Inspection Stone.
"Relax your hand and take a slow, deep breath. You know how to control your Guiding, right? You can radiate it slowly."
It was still difficult to inject Guiding intensely into just one target.
Even with maximum targeting through contact, some Guiding inevitably leaked out. This was also due to my lack of professional training.
As expected, the world isn't easy for someone like me who just drifts along.
Still, fortunately, the faint Guiding that leaked out was swept away by the immense wave of Guiding Rose was emitting.
Perhaps Rose had been emitting such a massive amount of Guiding precisely for this purpose from the start. In case any other Esper felt my Guiding around the tent.
Rose is definitely a genius. It's a waste to call her a supporting character. Anyone can see she's more like the female protagonist, so why am I...
"Huh?"
Rose's short scream startled me back to my senses.
The Inspection Stone my hand touched was shaking slightly.
"Why is this...!"
"Your Rank seems to be high."
At Rose's muttered words, I involuntarily pulled my hand away from the Inspection Stone.
The Guiding that had been flowing out of me retreated back inside me and calmed down, and the shaking Inspection Stone became still as if nothing had happened.
"Young Lady. You shouldn't have removed your hand before the measurement was complete."
"...Alright. I'll do it again."
I placed my hand back on the Inspection Stone. Then, I closed my eyes tightly and prayed earnestly.
Please, don't let my Rank be high. Please... please be ordinary, a low Rank like in the original work. Just this, please!
"It's between D and C. Closer to C, so I suppose D+ would be appropriate."
"What?"
"But why was the Inspection Stone shaking like that earlier?"
Rose said that and then recorded what she saw on paper.
Whether my prayer was answered or it was just a simple illusion, I was relieved that my Rank wasn't high. I thought it would be C-Class, so it's even more fortunate that it's a little lower.
While an Esper's Rank can increase or decrease with continuous training and growth, a Guide's Rank remains constant. Once determined, it rarely changes.
Of course, the problem was that the original Laila broke that rule to fit her overpowered female protagonist position.
In any case, now that it's recorded as D+ Rank, everyone will treat me as D+ unless something special happens.
This much is satisfactory. I can receive the Academy's protection to a certain extent, but I won't be assigned to a team, nor will I be swept up in the original story.
Now, I just need to avoid absorbing others' Guiding.
"Please wait here for a moment. I'll contact the Academy to transfer your affiliation immediately."
"Laila. What is all this?"
As Rose left with the paper and the Inspection Stone, her emitted Guiding stopped. Orion, who had been resting, unable to do anything as he was enveloped by that Guiding, regained his senses after the Guiding disappeared and approached me, asking.
I had received Orion's help even in the capital because I didn't want to enter the Academy, so it was natural for him to be surprised that my Rank was suddenly being measured.
"There were some complicated circumstances."
"Are you trying to enter the Academy?"
"Yes."
"No, that's good. I respect Laila's opinion."
I liked that Orion didn't pry.
I thought that he, unchanging from the past to the present, would support my opinion without question, which was indeed characteristic of my favorite.
"Sir Restro. Could you move away a bit?"
Evan, as self-willed as ever in the original work and in reality, wedged himself between us and pushed us apart. Then, he turned his head sharply, stared at me intently, and unbuttoned his clothes to show me a mark near his collarbone.
"I haven't been replenished with Guiding yet."
At his complaining words, I frowned, but Evan's mark was indeed so lacking in Guiding that its color appeared faint.
The fact that the color is visible to this extent means it's about 50% full. Was the Guiding Rose gave me earlier not enough?
"I need you."
"Hey. I told you not to demand Guiding from Laila."
Aiden, who had been listening quietly, grabbed Evan's clothes and pulled him back with an incredulous expression.
"Besides, that's normal. You have no problem using your abilities, so stop exaggerating."
"Then, if I don't demand Guiding, can I be with Laila?"
"Would that be possible?"
I let out a small laugh watching Evan and Aiden converse as if they were in a comedy skit.
At that moment, Orion's hand touched near my lips. I was startled by the sudden contact, but he smiled bitterly and infused his ability.
"You're hurt."
"Huh?"
"This was made by Astolphe, wasn't it? The one you guided... was you, Laila."
At first, only the tip of my lips stung, but soon my entire lip swelled and felt numb. Guiding is really... not easy.
Feeling embarrassed, I meekly accepted Orion's recovery, rolling my eyes to avoid his gaze, and then secretly glanced at him.
Strangely, Orion's expression wasn't good. It seemed there was a reason beyond just sadness over my lip injury, something more inexpressible.
But before I could ask about that reason, his hand fell from me.
"The mark is gone now."
"...Thank you."
"Wait a moment. I'll heal this burn too."
He seemed to have noticed the burn on the back of my hand, which was caused by Valerian's ability earlier. Orion covered the back of my hand with his own and healed it with his ability.
As he did, he whispered in a soft, low voice.
"But it's a shame."
"What is?"
"I'm scheduled to graduate from the Academy soon."
Ah, right. Orion and Aiden would be graduating this year. Evan and Valerian would have already graduated.
"What about Lady Rose?"
"Rose? Officially, Rose is still a student, but since she's been dispatched to the battlefield since last year, she's practically no different from a graduate."
"Really? That's unbelievable. I wanted to see Lady Rose at the Academy."
What a shame. It was a chance to become friends with Rose without the male leads, but she was too exceptional, so it was in vain.
Seeing my genuinely disappointed expression, the three of them looked at me with bewildered faces.
"You're more disappointed about Rose than me?"
"Why are you looking for that woman?"
"I was the one who said it was a shame, but Laila seems to have wanted to hang out with Rose."
The words that burst from Aiden, Evan, and Orion, in that order, made me press my lips together.
I'm sorry. That's because... I wanted to build a slightly stronger friendship with Rose.
With a sheepish smile at my inner thoughts, which contained a bit of personal desire, I avoided their gazes. Yet, due to their persistent stares, I had no choice but to appease them with a lie.
"It is a shame. How great would it be if I had acquaintances at the Academy? It's already hard to adapt. It would have been great if you guys were there too. Right?"
"But why are you avoiding my eyes? Laila. We agreed to look at each other when we talk."
Ah, honestly. Evan, who brings up the contract clause whenever I almost forget, makes things incredibly awkward for me.
I made eye contact with Evan and gave an awkward smile, but he still looked at me with a displeased expression.
"That's a lie."
Evan, who instantly saw through my lie, clicked his tongue and grumbled irritably. Regardless, Aiden, who had stuck to my side, grabbed my arm with a pleading expression and whined.
"It's not me, right? Laila. You're sincere with me, aren't you? It's a shame you can't attend the Academy with me, right, Laila? Huh?"
"Yes, yes. It's so regrettable that I could cry."
"Really? Then should I postpone my Academy graduation? In some cases, I can repeat a year. Unlike them, I haven't graduated yet."
