Chapter 115: No one would ever find you
"Did you idiots think that being a Field Guide would potentially mean you would get more power in the Guild? More seniority? I’m fucking disgusted by you." Kellen took a small, calming breath. "As a C Class Guide, I spent seven years on the front lines. Do you know why that’s impressive?" Kellen asked the group, but none of them answered. Kellen gestured to Brent behind him. "He’s an A Class Guide and he spent three years there, do you know why that’s impressive?" Again, silence, until Bree’s tentative voice spoke up behind him.
"Aren’t the front lines dangerous?" Her voice was weak, but Kellen appreciated her answer. He snapped his fingers.
"Why yes it is Bree. Thank you for answering what was such an obvious question that none of these idiots could." The medic finished healing the sobbing mess of a Guide and stood up. They glanced at the other one, who was still breathing, but clearly in pain.
"Should I heal it?" They asked him, and Kellen sighed heavily.
"Do whatever you want." He told them. They scoffed, spitting on the ground, and turned away from the other injured Guide. The Guides, who had never seen a healer behave that way, stared with wide eyes. Kellen smirked. Maybe now it was becoming clear what exactly they had done.
"The front lines are very dangerous. This is a fact even children know. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve seen go into gates and never could back out alive. I also can’t count how many body recovery missions I’ve been on." The next bit wasn’t just for the monsters in front of him, but for all of the Guides in the room.
"Out there, your ego and ideals have to take a back seat. You have to check it, otherwise you will die. I understand why the Captain didn’t enforce this as a policy for Guides, since some of you are fucking weak little shits, but I don’t think we can let this stand anymore. You lack respect for others, and you have put in jeopardy the trust Espers have in us. Did you forget that the healers are also Espers? Did you forget that Espers make up just as many of the positions you take advantage of day to day?" Kellen bent down, staring a few of the monsters in their eyes.
"What do you think would happen if word were to get out that you didn’t do your job and let some Espers die because you thought you were better than them? Do you think other Espers would stand by? Especially Espers of the Classes you so quickly dismissed?" Dawning horror crossed their faces. "No one would come to save you if you got into trouble. Half of the police force these days are made up of lower Class Espers. You would be abandoned. You would die, here, in the city you love so much. You would lose all of your privileges that you benefited from by being in the Saturn Guild. By being a Guide."
Kellen glanced around at their sick, pale, and drawn faces. The grin that crossed his face was absolutely evil. "If we were on the front lines, and I took you into a gate and you just so happened to get lost inside that gate while I went to gather supplies, no one would care, you feel me? They might not even put your name on the missing persons register, and just declare you dead." That would never happen, but these idiots didn’t know that.