Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 22.1
“The first and second awakenings are complete opposites. The level of danger is on a whole different scale. Let’s say you manage to get in there and make contact somehow. If anything goes wrong, even a little…”
“I wouldn’t just pass out, I’d be torn to shreds by his mana. I know that.”
“Think about the difference in rank between you and him! Even if you manage to make contact, how long do you think you can last?”
Cassiel’s remarks, which only reminded me of what I already knew all too well, made irritation suddenly surge up. I shook off his hand.
How could I not know?
But if I wanted to minimize casualties until higher-ranked support arrived, this was the best I could do.
Someone else would have to go in with me, but at least I could prevent a pointless mass sacrifice of everyone of lower rank following blindly.
If I had to hope for something, maybe the slim possibility that Acteon would end his second awakening on his own.
Cassiel told me to consider the gap in rank between me and Acteon, but I’d already managed to guide him during his first awakening.
“I’m still better than someone who’s never experienced Acteon’s mana before. Even for Acteon, it would be less off-putting to be guided by me than by a total stranger. And if he considers me even a little bit close, maybe he’d hesitate to attack me, even a little?”
I stared at Cassiel sharply as I said this, and he froze, his hand still hanging in midair.
As I faced off with him, I was also convincing myself.
‘That’s right. If guiding Acteon were impossible, it would have failed during the first awakening. And if it only worked because of our high compatibility… then maybe it’ll work again this time.’
I already knew perfectly well that this was reckless.
But if there’s even a chance to stop this with minimal casualties, I have to try.
I repeated this to myself over and over, doing my best to crush the unease deep inside me.
But more than anything else.
“I don’t want to die either. Don’t act like I’m already dead. That’s an insult to me.”
Since I didn’t want to die, I planned to be as cautious as possible and hold out as long as I could.
Cassiel still looked like he had a lot to say, but my cold expression stopped him from trying to hold me back further.
Instead—
“…If you don’t come back in one piece, I’ll do whatever I want, so just know that.”
He let me go, grumbling in frustration.
Only then was I able to cool my head a little.
* * *
I never imagined… I’d actually end up volunteering.
With things spiraling more and more out of control, the faculty was busy running around.
They’d already lost a precious Guide. A professor had died. Even if this was ruled an accident, the headmaster wouldn’t be able to escape responsibility with the crown prince.
I scanned the frantic crowd, struggling to find my supervising professor.
She happened to be with the headmaster.
“It’s not just a simple second awakening anymore. Headmaster, we need to reclassify this as a berserk state.”
“I know, so quiet down for a moment. Have we gotten in touch with the Awakener Management Bureau?”
When my professor nodded, the headmaster took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I have no idea how long it’ll take them to get here. For now, just do as I said. Make a list of cadets to send in. That’s the best we can do right now.”
I was curious about their conversation.
They must have been deciding who to send in to guide Acteon.
As my professor approached, I stepped forward to meet her.
“Professor.”
“Lippey, I heard you collapsed. Are you alright?”
“Please let me go in.”
I got right to the point, not wanting to waste time. My professor’s lips parted in surprise.
To be exact, she seemed frozen. She wanted to say something, but it seemed hard to get the words out.
“I heard you’re selecting cadets to send in. I want to volunteer.”
She wrestled for a long moment with how to respond.
It seemed she couldn’t quite bring herself to say what she was thinking, so I added one more thing.
“Professor, I’ve guided Acteon Brondearn before.”
Of course, I didn’t mention that I’d passed out afterward.
I’d sworn never to guide him again…
Yet here I was, throwing myself into the jaws of death of my own accord.
In the end, my supervising professor reluctantly opened her mouth.
“I’ll put you on the list. And two more people will be sent in as well.”
I agreed without protest.
Of course, it was safer to go in with a few other Guides rather than alone.
My professor immediately finalized the list and reported it to the headmaster.
The other two who would be going in were also B-Class. One was a rather aloof upperclassman, and the other was a classmate.
Neither of them had real combat experience, but both had a strong understanding of stabilization.
Before long.
“……”
I saw Cassiel watching from afar.
I deliberately ignored his gaze and entered the main building.
* * *
“No way… All of this is Acteon Brondearn’s mana?”
The moment we entered the main building, thick mana was swirling everywhere.
Just how much mana was he able to wield? It felt like my lungs were being crushed.
Unexpectedly, the other two were calm.
‘Did they volunteer for this too?’
In any case, it was better not to create unnecessary friction, so that was good.
The auditorium where the entrance ceremony had taken place was in the very center, past the first-floor corridor.
The interior wasn’t complicated, so it didn’t take long to find the open door.
“……”
The upperclassman looked back at me and the other B-Class.
Her eyes seemed to be asking, ‘We’re supposed to go in, right?’
Now that we were actually here, it looked like she was having second thoughts.
She hesitated for a moment, so I raised my hand.
When I indicated that I would go in first, she flinched.
But then she shook her head and said she’d go in before me.
Most upperclassmen I knew only bossed around the underclassmen and treated them like lackeys, so I wondered where someone like her had come from.
At the very least, it seemed she was willing to take responsibility, having been here longer.
But there wasn’t time to dwell on such idle thoughts.
Step.
After she went in first and surveyed the area, she gestured for us to follow.
I was just about to quietly follow her when—
She suddenly whipped her head around and shouted,
“Get back!”
Bang!
Almost at the same instant she shouted, a powerful force sent her flying.
The impact was so strong that her body floated up like a piece of paper, then crashed down onto the floor.
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