The X Guide

Ayen calmed down somewhat a few minutes later. Khal and Devion’s presence helps him stabilize his emotions. The two espers were more skillful than him when it came to hiding their emotions.

Although they were also raging inside, they made sure to hide it well, thinking of Ayen first and foremost.

Keeran was still unconscious. Ayen was more than familiar with this, as the other seemed to recover this way when she experienced a traumatic incident.

While the tension was still palpable in the air, it was more subdued. The two other people were inside the room; their entourage was left outside.

When they approached the city, Ayen only saw a few people who seemed to be waiting for their arrival. Ayen already realized they might be Khal’s subordinates.

They reported something immediately, which led them to the government camp.

Ayen sat in one of the chairs beside the bed; the two espers stood behind him. Across from him were two government espers, Jarred and Georgina.

He could actually recognize them. However, he was not here to talk about their feats but about Keeran.

Similarly, the two were also looking at him with curious gazes. After Ayen started regularly guiding the two espers, his own guiding energy was not that faint anymore.

At least espers would immediately know he was a guide.

Jarred and Georgina were curious about his identity, especially about how the two S-class espers treated him. So, one could not help but think in that direction.

Ayen was still not well-versed in initiating conversation, even more so with strangers. He found it awkward, but strangely, he did not feel any of it.

His gaze landed on the woman and the injuries on her.

"They said you saved Keeran?"

Ayen started, more like confirming. His tone was softer and his gaze more attentive than usual. Unlike the indifference he usually gave off, his overall demeanor had a sense of warmth in it.

Georgina blinked, slightly mesmerized. She was not interested in men, but she could not help but appreciate the guide’s appearance. It was not just appearance, either; there was just a strange charm around him that made one lower their guard.

It was far more than just delicately beautiful. There was something about Ayen that evoked goodwill, especially for higher-ranking espers.

She had not realized that she was only staring at Ayen without answering his question. Georgina only snapped out of it when she felt Jarred poking him at her side using his elbows.

"Ah, uhm, yes," she belatedly replied, even stumbling on her words.

Jarred almost facepalmed. Georgina was not like this; he did not know why she suddenly seemed lost. After all, he was not staring at Ayen’s face, afraid to do so.

Compared to him, Khal and Devion’s lips curled slightly. They noticed Georgina’s mesmerized pause. The two understood it, and so this only made them amused.

The two let Ayen lead the conversation and remained quiet behind him.

Ayen did not notice it, or more like, he could not care less about that. He nodded slightly. Ayen’s gaze landed on the unconscious Keeran.

His mind ran through the possibilities of Keeran’s injuries becoming more serious or worse... if she remained in the Nevaris clan’s captivity.

Although they rushed here, those hours were also so critical that Ayen feared he might be too late. And seeing Keeran safe now made him sigh in relief.

And the reason for this was the esper before him.

He looked up again and stared at the beautiful esper. Ayen clasped his hands and took a deep breath. There was an unprecedented gratitude that settled within him.

"Thank you." Ayen’s remark of gratitude seemed simple on the surface, but it carried his heart and the emotions deep within him.

Those two words laid bare his feelings, something he had not uttered in quite a while towards a stranger. It also carried an unusual weight that those who heard those words felt an inexplicable wave of emotions.

Georgina felt it clearer as someone these words were directed to, and even Jarred beside her was somewhat affected. Khal and Devion did not need to mention it.

They, as Ayen’s espers, knew even more how Ayen could not easily utter these words if it was not something that came from the bottom of his heart.

Their hands clenched slightly.

"Ah," Georgina exclaimed after recovering. "It’s my duty. There’s no need to thank me."

For Ayen, this was not just a mere duty. Georgina saved Keeran and, by extension, prevented him from doing something so reckless. He shook his head slightly.

Saying thank you was not enough. However, Ayen did not have the capacity to give more than that. There was nothing precious on him, only what the two espers gave him. Just like the bracelet on him or the ring.

Yet, there was no way he would give those to others.

Ayen looked up at the two espers; they were listening silently to the conversation. Sensing his gaze, the two met his gaze. Khal and Devion had now understood most of his gestures and even gazes without Ayen saying them outright.

Devion’s hands brushed against Ayen’s shoulders, gripping them slightly. He gave a slight smile before he shifted his gaze to Georgina.

Khal did the same, his hands stroking Ayen’s long hair.

Suddenly, Georgina became tense. Two SS-class espers looking at her was just far too overwhelming that she almost forgot to breathe.

Jarred might not be the one being stared at by those pairs of eyes, but his nervousness was no less than Georgina’s.

In recent years, after Devion and Khal secluded themselves in the forbidden zone, sightings of them had become so rare that they were almost like a legend at this point.

Those who actually interacted with them before were mostly the higher-ups or the S-class espers. Jarred had seen a glimpse of them before, but never talked with them.

Most of their knowledge of the SS-class espers was from rumors of years ago or the talks of superiors.

There was no way of knowing if their temperament remained the same. As everyone still knew them as the great rivals of a decade ago.