Chapter 76: The Price of a Promise

“Ethan!”

The moment Milo saw Ethan, he enveloped him in a bear hug, pounding his back with the same boisterous energy he always displayed at the restaurant. Ethan returned the embrace, patting his back before raising a hand as if for a handshake, meeting Milo’s with a resounding clap.

This was a customary greeting among staff at the restaurant’s opening, meant to invigorate everyone. Yet, from the moment they hugged and clapped each other’s backs, Bliss’s eyebrow, which had been glowering disapprovingly, shot skyward as their hands met.

“Many of you might not know each other, so let’s start with introductions. Doctor Sera will join us with Philip a little later.”

Bliss smoothly interjected himself between them. Maxon, along with Violet and Emma, a Guide who had been abandoned by her Esper, exchanged greetings. As they inquired about each other’s health and offered brief pleasantries, Dale and several servants entered the drawing-room with aperitifs.

A wine-based liqueur, filled with ice in a stemless, rounded wine glass, released the fragrant aromas of peach and orange.

Bliss first offered a glass to Ethan, then took one for himself, grasping Ethan’s ring-adorned hand.

“Allow me to formally introduce him. This is my partner, Ethan Prescott.”

His gaze swept across the room, a clear warning in his eyes: Ethan’s standing had completely shifted, and no one should dare treat him lightly. Violet and Emma, who had dealt with Bliss as their superior in the Antares Unit, exchanged uneasy glances, but Ethan and Milo seemed utterly unconcerned.

“Wow, Ethan! I heard the rumors, but I didn’t realize you’d already gone and gotten married. Congratulations! That ring, it’s identical to Lord Bliss’s. I want to get matching rings with Violet too!”

Ethan, flustered, quickly corrected him.

“Brother Milo, the marriage isn’t quite…”

“Oh, so it’s an engagement then? Ugh, why make it so complicated? Just get married already. Simple folk like me don’t understand such complex matters.”

Despite its simplicity, Milo’s reaction clearly pleased Bliss, whose lips curved into a subtle smile.

“It will be soon.”

Watching them, Maxon sighed and raised his glass. It felt as though his position as Ethan’s closest friend had somehow receded, yet he doubted Bliss would care even if that spot were claimed by someone like Milo. Perhaps it was for the best, then? Still, an inexplicable bitterness settled in his stomach.

“I hardly wish to drink good liquor once the ice has melted and diluted it.”

His mood had soured, and his words followed suit. Milo, having served as a restaurant’s assistant manager and dealt with customers for years, quickly raised his glass and replied with practiced affability.

“It’s a relief Ethan has such wonderful friends by his side. That boy, he’s finally making proper friends now that he’s come to Ashilton.”

Ethan chuckled softly, raising his glass to his lips. Milo was certainly qualified to make such a comment, having adjusted Ethan’s work schedule countless times because Scott, even as an adult, constantly clung to Ethan and insisted on doing everything together. Milo hadn’t looked kindly upon Scott, who would even spirit away the popular server Ethan during the busiest hours of a restaurant famed enough to attract patrons from other regions.

“Doesn’t Ethan already have a best friend in Ashilton?”

Maxon’s voice, now noticeably brighter, broke through.

“Have you already met Scott Kenton? Oh, Ethan has a bit of a nanny-like tendency, you see…”

Letting their newfound camaraderie wash over him, Ethan savored his drink. The golden liquor, resembling the flesh of a ripe peach, was as sweet and tart as its aroma and hue suggested, making it a perfect apéritif to awaken the appetite.

“Violet, what on earth happened? A delayed Guide manifestation?”

Leaving the others immersed in their conversation, Emma turned to Violet, who had been quietly sipping her drink. Violet glanced at Bliss, seeking his permission.

“Anything I know, Ethan is also permitted to know.”

At Bliss’s words, Violet’s expression momentarily flickered with surprise before she nodded and hesitantly began to speak.

“It was the first day Emma and I went to the restaurant. The neighborhood was pleasantly quiet, but Emma was feeling even more down than usual. So, we decided to eat out for a change of pace.”

At that moment, Milo interjected.

“Oh, don’t even get me started! I was shocked too, you know?! But how fortunate it turned out to be! To manifest as a Guide perfectly compatible with the person you fell for at first sight!”

Ethan’s eyes widened as he looked at Violet. She, however, indifferently turned her head, avoiding his gaze. Milo, seemingly unbothered by her reaction, took Violet’s hand, firmly enclosing it in his own, and smiled.

“Violet is the Esper I fell for at first sight. From the moment she and Ms. Emma walked into the restaurant, it was as if no one else existed around me. Seriously, I spent about a week hovering around Lord Bliss’s mansion, hoping to catch another glimpse of Violet’s face, but it was incredibly difficult.”

“Did you confess?”

Maxon asked, his eyes sparkling with interest as he watched their clasped hands. Violet, however, pulled her hand from Milo’s, abruptly stood up, and excused herself before exiting the room.

“…As you saw, I tried my best. I’m still in the process of being rejected, I suppose. The first time I confessed to her out of the blue in front of the mansion and was rejected, I thought, ‘Ah, it must be because I lack romance.’ But then, even when I brought flowers, and even when I staged an event at the restaurant, I was still rejected every time. Eventually, I was sick in bed for days, burning with fever. I didn’t even realize it was a sign of Guide manifestation, and yet I still went back to the mansion.”

“That’s unbelievable! While you had a fever?! Were you trying to kill yourself?!”

Ethan, having experienced something similar, cried out in alarm. Milo scratched his head.

“I nearly did die. I collapsed right in front of the mansion.”

“Insane.”

Bliss chimed in, but Milo merely shrugged, flashing a proud grin.

“It was Violet who saved me then! Not only that, she helped me into the mansion and even nursed me back to health. And in the midst of it all, I unconsciously Guided her.”

“…!!”

“I only found out later, but it seems Violet had been struggling to find a compatible Guide. She was particularly distressed, and in my pity, I earnestly wished for her recovery. Since Violet had nursed me, I wanted to heal her too. And just like that, I turned out to be her perfect match! It was a whopping 38%!”

“Huh. That’s quite the romance of the century, isn’t it?”

Maxon exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine surprise.

“Right? At this point, I’d call it fate!”

‘[Hey, where have I seen this pattern before? Scott Kenton, that guy also fell head over heels for a guy named Enoch, didn’t he? What’s with everyone in that village? And they’re all perfectly matched Guides too?]’

Dongja floated, pointing at Milo and cackling, but Ethan’s head shot up, his gaze locking with Bliss’s. Bliss, too, looked slightly startled, as if he had genuinely heard Dongja’s words.

“…It’s preposterous, but perhaps worth investigating.”

Ethan also understood Bliss’s murmur and subtly nodded. That village, it seemed, was becoming a source of considerable concern for Ethan in more ways than one.

“Then, to the dining hall…”

*CRASH!*

Dale, who had been subtly clearing the atmosphere and was about to announce that dinner was served, stopped short, startled by the rough sound of the door bursting open. Philip stood there, his impeccably tailored suit slightly disheveled, gasping for breath.

“Lord Bliss, Lord Ethan! You must hurry to the shelter!”

A problem had arisen with Huey Cloud. Ethan and Bliss immediately rose, offered their apologies, and rushed out with Philip. If anything serious had happened to Huey Cloud, Devon Green’s Esper, within the Moore household, the mere thought of it was terrifying.

****

“Pulse?”

“Far too high for an Esper’s average!”

“How’s his breathing?!”

“He’s been breathing solely through his mouth since a moment ago!”

“Any signs of rampage?”

“He’s already had several seizures inside, so there are no signs of rampage!”

Watching the researchers move with frantic urgency, Bliss frowned, accepting a tablet from Doctor Sera.

“He’s had three seizures, and his pulse and breathing haven’t returned to normal?” Ethan asked, startled.

Doctor Sera nodded slightly in greeting. “Lord Ethan, it’s a shame we meet again under such circumstances. I truly had so much to tell you, but let’s resolve this first. Lord Huey Cloud has been in the shelter for far too long.”

“I thought there might be exceptions since this is his first seizure, meaning the frequency or intensity of the seizures could increase, but this twisting of energy flow is unprecedented.”

“What situations are suspected?”

At Bliss’s question, Doctor Sera’s face subtly contorted.

“There are a few possibilities, but I’m not sure. It’s a rather illogical situation.”

“Speak.”

“The last time I saw similar energy patterns was during Lord Bliss’s second manifestation. Not like other Espers’ second manifestations, mind you. However, since I’ve never properly observed rare compatibility apart from Lord Bliss, I can’t be certain. The sample size is simply too small.”

“…!!”

Ethan gasped, hearing that the energy wave resembled what Doctor Sera had witnessed during the second manifestation of an Esper with rare compatibility.

“It seems the stability waves emitted by the shelter might not have been suitable.”

A universally used shelter could typically emit simple stability waves for even Espers with rare compatibility during their first manifestation without issue. However, the situation changed entirely if a rare Esper was undergoing the complex stage of a second manifestation. This was precisely why Bliss had a personal shelter, specifically calibrated to his own biological patterns.

Stability waves, meticulously tailored to compatibility, flowed in to prevent excessive seizures and gently guide the Esper’s energy to an appropriate level. Such precision could not be achieved in a general shelter; it would have been better for Huey to experience a natural seizure outside the shelter.

“…I suppose I am needed.”

Or, perhaps, to receive Guiding from a perfect Guide. Ethan surmised the reason he had been called. Doctor Sera, trying her best to ignore Bliss’s sharpening gaze, offered an awkward smile.

“The truth is, the situation has already escalated, and there’s no solution other than Lord Ethan. A problem has arisen with Lord Huey Cloud within the Moore household, and we are not in a position to summon His Highness Devon.”

“Hmph.”

Bliss let out an exasperated sigh. While Huey Cloud might not have had a choice in the matter, the thought that he might have concealed his ongoing second manifestation was infuriating. In a way, by experiencing his first seizure within Bliss’s own shelter, crucial information hadn’t been lost, but that would only be valuable if he safely emerged from this situation.

Even so, Bliss had no desire to see Ethan directly touch Huey Cloud to provide Guiding.

“…Only Doctor Sera and Philip will remain; dismiss the others.”

After a long moment of contemplation, Bliss gave the order, and the researchers quickly filed out. Doctor Sera, assuming Bliss would reluctantly allow Ethan to provide Guiding, approached the system control panel to halt the shelter’s operation.

“What’s the maximum size for a pocket? If I give you an entire roll of silk, can you make something large enough for a person to fit inside?”

Doctor Sera and Philip couldn’t believe their eyes. Bliss was speaking to thin air.

‘[Hey! You! As if I was going to tell you! You’ve been ignoring everything I’ve said until now!]’

Chilbok, from Ethan’s inner pocket, flared up at Dongja, but Dongja simply turned their head, feigning ignorance. Ethan sighed and replied,

“I don’t know if it can be made, but I’ve never seen one the size of a person either.”

The onlookers’ eyes widened even further. Something felt off, yet Ethan was accepting Bliss’s peculiar behavior with remarkable nonchalance.

Regardless of their astonishment, Bliss’s monologue continued.

“…To think that strawberries are the entirety of a delicious cake is quite a prejudice. I had envisioned a whole cake with slices of entirely different flavors.”

Ethan’s lips twitched, struggling to maintain his composure. Dongja, visible only to Ethan, was being perfectly reeled in by Bliss’s serious performance.

‘[Ugh! A whole cake! With all different flavors! Keep your promise!]’

“I am the leader of Antares, and I always keep my promises.”

‘[Th-that’s right! The head, the size of a human head is the maximum size!]’

Having obtained his answer, Bliss gave unhesitating instructions to the dumbfounded Philip and Doctor Sera.

“Once the shelter is open, I will completely deplete Huey Cloud with Psychic Silence. In his current state, he’ll faint. After that, put Ethan’s pocket over his head. If he recovers while unconscious, he won’t realize what happened when he wakes up.”

Doctor Sera and Philip’s mouths dropped open at Bliss’s elaborate and convoluted plan. They didn’t know what was in the air, but they knew about Ethan’s pocket. To treat Huey Cloud, who was already disoriented, as if he were a rampaging Esper, using advanced techniques to knock him out, and then recovering him with a pocket covering his face like a criminal?

“Um… recently… is it just my imagination, or does the technique ‘Psychic Silence’ seem like a very common skill?” Ethan quietly asked.

“…No. It is the pinnacle ability of Shadow, one that can only be deployed by those who can freely wield all other Shadow abilities.”

Bliss, feigning an explanation, didn’t forget to emphasize, ‘I’m good at everything else too.’

The shelter’s humming sound began to diminish as it ceased operation. Finally, when only silence flowed between them, Bliss instructed Chilbok.

“I will give you a roll of silk, but I’d prefer the pocket for Huey Cloud to be made into rags.”

*Thump*

Chilbok, or rather, Ethan’s wallet, which had been wildly flailing with joy, performed a trick by falling out of his jacket’s inner pocket all on its own.

“…….”