Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 27

#27. Summon

Dohyeok stopped the treadmill when he saw the android enter the training room.

“Esper Kang Dohyeok, Sept grade. You are being summoned to Sector S-13.”

Having experienced this once before, Dohyuk didn’t panic. Instead, he felt tense. He remembered Jay’s warning.

‘Dohyuk, I want to believe in you. So, let’s do well, shall we?’

‘Recently, the espers from Shelter Yeouido have been helping me a lot.’

‘I hope you don’t make any mistakes. If you get expelled, Yeowon will be heartbroken.’

‘And then I’ll have to find another suitable Esper to bring to this base just to console her. Yeowon needs someone to rely on, after all.’

Every word was like a sharp blade, and the coldness of her voice echoed in his mind.

Dohyeok hurried his pace, wiping his sweaty palms on the hem of his shirt. He stood before Jay.

He felt like a criminal awaiting his sentence.

What warning was she going to give me this time? What did I do wrong?

With these questions in mind, Dohyeok tried to recall all his past actions. There were too many possibilities, and too many reasons why he might be in trouble.

He knew he shouldn’t have gotten so close to his guide, but he had failed to keep his distance.

“Ah, you’re here, Dohyeok.”

“…Yes.”

“Hey, why don’t you go cool your head outside for a while?”

Dohyeok considered the high-spec android body standing before him.

Could I destroy it with a single blow?

Seeing Dohyeok’s sudden change in attitude, Jay burst out laughing.

“So, now you want trying to take me down? Why? Have you finally decided you want to fight me?”

“Am I being expelled?”

“I’m considering it. You promised me you’d be good, but you’ve been a huge disappointment.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t seem like you’re actually sorry. You can’t even sleep properly at night, can you? Because of your libido.”

The words struck a nerve, leaving him speechless. The blunt criticism cornered him, exposing his most vulnerable side.

“Well, it’s a natural thing, so I understand it’s hard to control. I won’t point it out any further. Anyway, the reason I called you here… is to inform and share the current situation. You know what I’m working on, don’t you?”

“…”

“Oh, and don’t worry, I’m not expelling you yet.”

Dohyeok’s gaze softened at the belatedly given reassurance.

“But I’m a little hurt that you’re already thinking of challenging me. I guess Yeowon has been really fond of you. I should have stopped it when I knew what was going on.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s there to be sorry for? Forget it. Let’s be honest. My Guide’s romantic relationships, pregnancy, childbirth. I’m not ready to handle any of that yet.”

The harsh criticism made Dohyeok want to reach out and grab Jay’s neck. He wanted to rip out the voice speaker implanted under the android’s tongue.

But Jay was a consciousness divided and implanted into countless satellites and androids. Destroying this android wouldn’t make the director disappear.

Dohyeok felt the urge within him rise and glared at the source of his frustration.

“Won’t you eventually be ready to handle it?”

For a moment, Jay was dumbfounded by the audacity in his tone, but then she gave a sly smile.

“And do you think Yeowon will feel the same?”

At the piercing question, Dohyeok paused. Even though it was merely the Guide’s name being mentioned, his instincts were subtly shaken.

Jay, seeing this, decided to provoke him further.

“If you want to fight, go ahead. Even if a battle breaks out here, the residential zone won’t be affected.”

The friendly, monotone voice was unsettling. Dohyeok concentrate, trying to understand the hidden intention behind it.

Why is she doing this now, after watching from the sidelines all this time?

The director was openly provoking him, despite saying he wouldn’t be expelled. Dohyeok need to understand why. He looked at Jay for answers.

But the answer wasn’t with Jay. It was within himself.

“I won’t fight you, Director.”

“Oh? Even if I were to expel you right now?”

“…”

“Interesting. Why did you come to that conclusion? I’d like to hear it.”

“…Because you’ve tacitly approved of my approach to my Guide. If there’s a reason to expel me now, I believe your judgment is more correct than mine. It would be a reasonable decision.”

“Haha. I like that. You’re not reckless, and you think before you act.”

So it really was a test. Of course, it made sense, she was the director of the Esper Research Institute, after all. Dohyeok quietly listened to the rest of Jay’s words as her demeanor shifted back to her usual sly and nonchalant tone, as though she had never been serious to begin with.

“Dohyeok, you know I’m creating an esper database, right?”

“Yes.”

“Since we started distributing the guiding drug, I’ve had countless conflicts with espers. Even amidst all that, I had to select promising espers. I searched for a lot of shelters where Yeowon could live comfortably. As you know, Yeowon is…very lonely.”

“…”

“I wanted to give her some breathing room. If I tightened the reins too much, she might break. So I tried my best to find an environment where I could control things.”

“You’re still trying your best to…”

“No, no. I’m not asking for flattery.”

“….”

“Guess why I’ve let you off the hook? Why I haven’t imposed any of the restrictions that could be placed on an esper like you? What do you think?”

The painful reason surfaced mercilessly at those words.

“……Because I’m nothing.”

“Correct.”

Jay smirked.

“You’ve never owned a shelter. Like other espers, you could have seized one or joined any of the countless available shelters. But you haven’t. All you have is the ruins of Noah and a bad reputation.”

Jay, who had begun by criticizing Dohyeok’s lack of ambition, suddenly turned cold.

“That’s why you seemed like the least harmful option for the guide. You don’t have any ties to the factions or esper groups between the shelters. Because everyone hates you.”

“…”

“Let me guess why you’re so submissive. You know Yeowon dislikes me, right? And while you like her, trust is another matter. Even if you tried to persuade her to run away with you, she wouldn’t easily fall for it. She’s timid and extremely cautious.”

She wasn’t wrong. Just as it takes a certain level of expectation to even get angry at someone, Dohyeok was fully aware that Yeowon’s coldness toward Jay was, in its own way, a sign of reliance.

Jay, noticing how Dohyeok listened silently without denial or rebuttal, spoke to him in a soothing tone.

“Let’s say you somehow managed to persuade the guide to run away with you. Out there, where groups targeting Guides are everywhere, how do you plan to protect her? Sure, the easiest solution would be to find a suitable shelter. But to do that, you’d have to overthrow the current Esper in charge, seize control of the shelter, and establish your base. In other words, you’d gain a comfortable living environment and resources through force. But in that case, there would be friction and resistance from the residents, and it would take a considerable amount of time to manage them. That’s not a stable foundation.”

“…”

“Even if you manage to take over a shelter, there’s still a problem. Espers from around the world will come running to steal the Guide from you. Can you handle that on your own? Sure, you might be able to deal with one or two Espers, but what if they form alliances? Could you fight a group on your own? It’s a battle between an individual and a group. Dohyuk, what will happen to Yeowon if you lose?”

Dohyeok clenched his fist, suffocated by the continuous barrage of questions.

There was nothing he could say to refute them.

With a smug smile, Jay emphasized her role, having subdued Dohyeok with just a few words.

“I’m still selecting espers and searching for shelters. Maybe somewhere out there, there’s a suitable esper who can protect the guide. Eventually, a shelter might come with it.”

“But for now, I’ve come to a different conclusion.”

Looking at the deliberately silent Dohyeok, Jay pointed out the plight of the Espers, who were as pitiful as the Guide.

“So many espers have ruined their lives after experiencing radiation guiding. If we release her, Yeowon will, intentionally or unintentionally, increase the number of espers she comes into contact with. Just like what happened in Sakhalin. Whether it was a mistake, an accident, or someone’s trick, the process doesn’t matter. The result is what matters.”

The dangers of radiation guiding, and the fact that Yeowon wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath, had been an unspoken agreement between Dohyeok and Jay ever since the incident in Sakhalin.

“To prevent a power struggle, the Guide must remain under my management. Meanwhile, Espers rely on guiding drugs to get by. That’s the way it should be.”

“…”

“In that sense, you were very lucky. If the timing hadn’t been so coincidental with the Western Alliance incident…”

As if lost in deep thought, Jay trailed off. Dohyeok, who was watching her, quietly voiced a thought that suddenly occurred to him.

“Director. If, just if, there were an Esper who abandoned their shelter and come to us…”

“Yes, I’d welcome them.”

Dohyeok’s heart sank at the response.

“But that’s my opinion, and Yeowon might think differently. It’s up to Yeowon to choose the esper she wants to be with.”

Relieved by Jay’s seemingly benevolent words, Dohyeok breathed a sigh of relief. But it was too soon to relax.

“Anyway, let’s get back to the main point. Dohyeok, why don’t you go out and clear your head?”

“…Nothing you’re worried about will happen.”

“Oh. Do you really think so? Is your self-control that great? Is that why you spent a month without sleeping?”

“….”