DBOFS 43

Chapter 43

“……”

Saying things like that with a smile—now that’s truly in poor taste.

‘Do S-ranks just come with a default lack of empathy…?’

Jade sighed deeply and spoke.

“You don’t like that kind of thing.”

“Hm?”

Alucas raised an amused brow, the corners of his mouth curling up.

“Do you know what I do like?”

“Of course. That’s not all I know.”

“Oh? Then what else do you know?”

His height, weight, personality and preferences, his awakening period, and what triggered his awakening. Even the reason he allied with the Imperial family.

Jade knew it all. He wasn’t her absolute favorite, but he had been a likable character.

Which also meant… she knew exactly what to say now.

“I know you’re currently looking for a Guide.”

“Haha, that’s right.”

Alucas nodded with a hearty laugh.

But there was a flicker of disregard in his eyes. It was natural for an Esper to seek out a Guide.

“Are you offering to pay for the drink with a guiding session? I’ll pass—”

“That Guide is your half-sister. And she’s trapped in a place you can’t reach on your own.”

“……”

Alucas’s eyes narrowed. The light and playful air around him turned heavy like molten lava.

“How amusing…”

He didn’t look amused at all.

“Is that so.”

Still, Jade knew better than to point it out in this situation.

She gripped the glass in her hand tightly.

The clinking ice had already melted—likely due to the heat emanating from Alucas.

The once lukewarm iced tea was slowly heating up into a hot drink.

“And… what else?”

In an instant, the table and refreshments between them turned to ash and vanished, and two muscular arms caged her in.

“What else do you know?”

Hissss— The railing behind her sizzled as it melted. Sweat began to bead on her skin from the heat.

Alucas’s nearly 190cm-tall, heavily built body alone was enough to make one feel crushed.

“Well… Are you curious?”

“Very.”

Drip. Drip. Drops of molten iron fell to the ground from the railing.

Alucas grinned with golden eyes gleaming.

“I’m very curious about how you’ll keep me entertained here.”

In other words—if you bore me, I’ll burn you alive.

‘How many times now has this happened?’

Jade’s mind turned cold at the threat right in front of her. Half of it was fear, the other half…

‘Son of a…’

…was fury.

Sure, they might seem friendly and easygoing on the surface, but cross them even slightly, and S-rank Espers wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

‘Ah, Harris is an exception. He doesn’t even look like he has a good personality on the outside.’

But that’s his charm. My favorite is a consistently broken personality type!

Fueling her fangirl devotion in strange places, Jade took a slow, deep breath. The air, thick with heat, was stifling.

‘At the very least, he must know I’m Harris’s Guide.’

That Harris was now the heir to the Duke Godwin family, and though unmeasured, was still a powerful Esper.

Even knowing that, Alucas would kill her if things got boring.

He didn’t care if it earned Harris’s wrath.

‘He probably thinks of him as just some brat.’

At least, for now.

Anyway, whether it was Duke or Alucas, all S-rank Espers were selfish and ruthless.

Jade felt it in her bones again.

‘This is why Adrian hated Espers.’

She already knew it before, but now she could feel it.

The mastermind of their scheme—Adrian—had been utterly merciless toward Espers.

Using his guiding abilities, he pushed them to their limits—and if necessary, weaponized his guiding to kill them.

‘Seriously, he was a genius. Who else could figure out how to reverse-use guiding to kill an Esper?’

Some Espers had cried tears of blood and cursed Adrian. Why was he so cruel to them?

To that, Adrian would simply ask why. And when they couldn’t answer, he responded by killing them.

“Not knowing is a crime too.”

A brutal and merciless world teetering on destruction.

And she—dropped into it—neither fully a Guide nor an Esper.

‘I have to survive.’

No matter what it takes.

Jade became aware of the stone on the necklace under her collar. Warmed by her heartbeat, she had continuously infused it with mana.

A faint vibration rippled along the string—Adrian’s token.

‘I’m curious to see what else she’ll say.’

Alucas looked down at the girl, smiling.

Light pink, wavy hair. Flushed, pale cheeks. Lips that looked like they were always smiling, full and plump.

She reminded him of a peach. Would juice burst out if he bit her?

Alucas licked his fang.

She wasn’t his type.

A small, delicate face. Long, slender neck. Frail body with such fine bones, it looked like she might break with a touch.

But sometimes, there are charms that transcend personal taste.

He usually preferred sensual, voluptuous female Guides, and had never acknowledged anything else—but…

‘I can’t deny it any longer.’

A red tongue ran over Alucas’s lips.

What was Duke Godwin thinking, leaving a Guide like her so defenseless?

‘It’s practically an invitation to devour her.’

And Alucas had no intention of pushing the meal away.

He’d let instinct decide how to enjoy this Guide, now freed from her master’s hand.

How long could she last in that body? He slowly swept his gaze over the girl trapped under him.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, or… actually, I do. So stop.”

Snap. Jade flicked her finger and narrowed her eyes.

“Stop?”

“Yes, stop looking at me like that.”

I’ll guide you.

The moment she said it, a deep wave of power burst from her heart.

“……!”

Alucas’s eyes widened.

Being hit at close range with such an intense wave of a Guide’s power made him stagger briefly.

Jade was impressed.

‘As expected of Adrian…!’

The strongest Guide in the world could overwhelm an Esper even in an unguarded moment.

‘Thank you, My Favorite Brother, for lending me your power.’

I’ll pay you back with a commentary. Promise!

Wham!

At that moment, Jade sprang to her feet and fiercely stomped on Alucas’s knee with her heel.

“Argh!”

Then she screamed.

Damn S-rank! Are you made of iron?!

“Huff…”

Jade sniffled inside, but Alucas, kneeling on the floor, didn’t show a single hint of pain.

In fact, he looked a little dazed…

‘So he was Guide-deprived.’

Honestly, it made sense.

After losing his own Guide, this desert-born Esper had clawed his way up to become the continent’s Mercenary King.

He’d probably tried contact-guiding with every Guide he could find, but without compatibility, proper guiding was impossible.

He wouldn’t have been totally deprived—being an S-rank mercenary surely made access easier.

But fundamental relief would’ve been hard to come by.

Alucas had endured like that for over a decade to rise to Mercenary King.

Against the world’s strongest Guide, Adrian, it was no contest.

‘That’s why their pairing was so popular in Si Cheon Gui (Visions of Heaven).’

The flirty, seductive man of muscle and the sharp, sensitive beauty—what a combo.

Yeah, honestly, they did suit each other.

‘But plot-wise? Harris wins, hands down. Harris & Adrian is the real deal!’

Story-driven Jade got fired up for no reason and reached for Alucas. This was all part of the big picture.

‘Absorption Technique.’

Jade carefully stretched her fingers toward his dark skin.

Alucas’s half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open.

“……?!”

Jade tried to pull her hand back, but he grabbed her first.

“…What did you just do?”

His voice was cracked.

As Alucas slowly stood, the previous composure was gone from his face.

‘Wait… did he notice?’

Wrist still caught by her sleeve, Jade blinked. No way—he noticed that tiny moment?

“Guiding.”

Alucas rose to his feet.

As his shadow once again loomed over her, Jade awkwardly smiled, remembering she’d just kicked his knee.

“You felt it yourself, didn’t you? Your body is…”

“Perfect.”

Alucas gave a wide grin.

The boiling air had settled, and his smile looked more youthful.

“But midway through, I felt something weird—like energy was being drained.”

“T-That’s guiding too.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Don’t you know bloodletting? You release overloaded energy like draining blood with leeches—it’s similar.”

“Hmmm…”

Alucas smirked.

‘He’s not buying it.’

Well, bloodletting was alternative medicine. She wasn’t even sure of this world’s medical knowledge…

Jade ignored Alucas’s obvious doubt and changed the subject.

“Ahem! Speaking of guiding, I’ve got a great business idea.”

“No pyramid schemes.”

“……”

Even this world has MLMs? Terrifying.

Jade tugged on his wrist to lead him.

“Just come with me for now.”

“And why would I?”

Did you already forget I just guided you?

Jade was flabbergasted, but Alucas was shameless.

Of course. That’s the true nature of S-rank Espers. Selfish, self-centered, and fully convinced they’re entitled.

To move people like that, you need real, tangible benefits. Like—

“I’ll make it fun for you.”

“Oh, well then. I can’t resist that.”

Alucas chuckled and followed Jade.

And at that moment, the ruined cafe terrace collapsed with a loud creak.

“……”

Don’t Obsess Over the Fake Tranquilizer, Villain.