Does Spring Come Even for a Dying Esper

Oops.

Iberis made a face that showed he had made a mistake, asking about the guiding method without realizing it. When he came to his senses, he found he had spoken as if under some spell.

But it was too late to take it back. Lucas, having obtained the answer he wanted, curved his eyes in a smile. It was a beautiful smile that momentarily captivated Iberis’s gaze.

“I only perform Level 1 guiding.”

“Level 1…?”

“Hand-holding and hugging.”

Lucas stared at Iberis with a face that said, “You surely don’t not know this.” Guiding required physical contact because it involved purifying an esper’s contaminated mana with a guide’s mana. This was the oldest and most effective method.

Although cracks didn’t occur as frequently as they do now, this phenomenon had existed on Earth for thousands of years. Monsters often appearing in novels and movies, such as werewolves, vampires, yetis, imugi, and gumiho, were beings that emerged from these cracks. Naturally, ability users to prevent these cracks had existed for a long time as well.

Holy knights and saints, exorcist monks and healing monks, onmyoji and shikigami, exorcist priests and healing priests, exorcists and healers, demon slayers and purifiers, and so on…

Espers and guides had operated under various names throughout history. In modern times, governments operated response teams or special forces, collaborating with various countries.

About 80 years ago, when large-scale cracks occurred simultaneously around the world, plunging the entire world into crisis, this was why they were able to respond to some extent.

Guiding was called by various names such as treatment or purification, but the method was always physical contact between esper and guide. The mana of espers and guides had properties that attracted each other like the N and S poles of a magnet, so guiding occurred naturally when they held hands, kissed, hugged, caressed, or had intercourse. This method remained unchanged despite the changing times.

However, as the number of ability users increased exponentially and various problems arose due to guiding that disregarded the will of espers or guides, change came. As the human rights issues of ability users came to the fore, research was conducted to achieve sufficient guiding effects without resorting to sexual intercourse, and drugs such as purifiers and sedatives were developed to substitute for guiding.

In this process, guides’ mana control abilities improved overall, and guiding levels were divided in more detail. While it remained true that higher levels of physical contact resulted in more effective guiding, performing guiding without the other party’s consent was strictly prohibited.

“Of course, if Level 1 guiding isn’t sufficient, we might have to consider going beyond that… but personally, I’d prefer if that didn’t happen.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a ‘premarital chastity advocate.'”

“…What did you say?”

Premarital what? Iberis’s expression suddenly went blank. He looked at Lucas as if wondering if he had heard correctly.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, uh, there’s no problem, but…”

Flustered, Iberis trailed off, mumbling. While it was principle to proceed with guiding in stages according to the esper’s condition, there was a recent trend of ability users avoiding intense physical contact. However, this was the first time someone had cited premarital chastity as a reason for only being able to do Level 1 guiding.

“Someone like you must have had many temptations…”

“I don’t have a habit of mixing bodies with people I don’t love.”

Lucas replied firmly. As Iberis said, he had received countless temptations over the past few years. Given that the guiding method involved physical contact, many ability users tended to be sexually open.

It was inevitable that such people wouldn’t leave Lucas, who was outstanding in both appearance and ability, alone. Most espers who received guiding from Lucas showed affection towards him and made various proposals.

Naturally, Lucas flatly rejected the espers’ intimate temptations. For him, who had goals to achieve, romance with someone was a luxury. Moreover, there was no one who caught his eye or attracted him in that way.

There were cases where espers rejected by Lucas caused a commotion or showed obsessive behavior, but fortunately, it never escalated into a major problem. This was because he was under Winfried’s protection. Lucas also knew how to protect himself.

“I’m telling you this because it’s an essential procedure to inform the esper of the possible levels before guiding and to reach an agreement. Unless it’s an emergency situation, I won’t perform Level 2 or higher guiding.”

“I understand. Level 1 is fine. I haven’t received higher-level guiding until now anyway.”

“What? You’ve never received Level 2 or higher guiding?”

Lucas’s brow furrowed slightly at Iberis’s answer. Although technology had advanced enough to divide guiding into levels, sexual intercourse was still the easiest and most effective method.

Your body is this damaged, yet you’ve only tried Level 1? Lucas raised one eyebrow as if he couldn’t understand.

“Before becoming an adult, Level 2 or higher guiding was prohibited, so I didn’t do it… When I turned 20, there was hardly anyone who could handle me…”

Iberis explained the situation with an awkward expression in response to Lucas’s puzzled gaze.

“Every guide I met couldn’t even hold my hand properly, so how could they do more? Without fail, they would either stop, unable to endure the pain before proceeding to Level 2, or collapse from mana depletion.”

Iberis finished speaking and looked at Lucas’s reaction. Mana depletion was the most critical side effect for guides, occurring when they completely exhausted their internal mana due to excessive guiding or failing to control an esper.

“So if you find you can’t handle it either, don’t force yourself and stop the guiding.”

“Thank you for your concern. However, it’s unlikely that I’ll experience mana depletion under normal circumstances.”

“Huh?”

“You haven’t forgotten that I’m an S-class guide, have you?”

Lucas asked with a slightly bewildered expression. Guides’ ranks increase with higher compatibility tolerance and greater internal mana quantity. S-class guides, in particular, could make surrounding mana their own, much like S-class espers of the nature element, making them essentially an inexhaustible spring. This meant that unless they reached their physical or mental limits, they wouldn’t experience mana depletion. Lucas was no exception.

“I did experience mana depletion a couple of times shortly after awakening as a guide, but since becoming accustomed to using my ability, it has never happened again. Level 1 guiding has been sufficient for all the espers I’ve met so far.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to disrespect you.”

“I know. You were just speaking from your own experience, Major. However, I’m different from the guides you’ve met. So…”

Lucas trailed off, leaning his upper body closer to Iberis and gripping his hand more firmly. As Lucas’s weight shifted, the chair creaked.

“Stop worrying about me and let’s start the guiding, shall we?”

“…Alright.”

Iberis, momentarily startled by the closeness that brought their breaths within touching distance, nodded slightly. He suddenly realized their hands were still overlapping. His delicate eyes trembled slightly at this realization.

“I’ll begin now.”

As soon as he received Iberis’s permission, Lucas drew up his mana. He then channeled it through their connected hands. Immediately, Iberis’s mana responded as if it had been waiting. Lucas’s neat eyebrows twitched at the cold sensation penetrating his palm.

“I see…”

So this is why no one could endure it. Quietly marveling, Lucas suppressed Iberis’s mana, which was raging like a long-starved beast, ignoring the piercing cold in his own hand. Then he pushed his own mana in.

“Ngh.”

Iberis unconsciously groaned as Lucas’s mana seeped into his body. It was an unfamiliar yet nostalgic sensation. Warm like the morning sun chasing away dawn, reminiscent of someone’s embrace from a distant memory.

Is this really guiding?

Iberis’s gray eyes shook widely in confusion. He couldn’t help but be surprised because it was so different from any guiding he had received before. A deep warmth was rising from his wrist, held by Lucas. He hunched his shoulders at the gentle mana climbing up his arm.

The sensations espers experience during guiding are all different. Those who feel as if their entire body is freezing feel warmth, while those who feel as if their whole body is burning feel coolness. The sensation most needed at that moment is manifested through guiding.

What Iberis needed was, of course, warmth to push away the cold that had permeated his entire body. Like a spring breeze melting the ground frozen solid all winter, Lucas’s mana gradually warmed Iberis’s body, as if asserting that all the guiding he had received until now wasn’t real.

“Ah, wait, hnn.”

Iberis bit his lip, swallowing a gasp at the unfamiliar stimulation. Unable to bear the mana spreading in all directions like water diffusing, he hunched his upper body. The sensation of his body being forcibly warmed felt both good and strange.