TGIC Ch 19

Chapter 19

After leaving the office together, we got into the elevator side by side. Vasily pressed the button for the top floor with practiced ease.

‘…That’s the floor with the Association President’s office.’

I glanced at Vasily. He was staring at the rising floor numbers with a remarkably relaxed expression.

…Surely not?

I had assumed we’d simply confront the executives, but the President’s office? Wasn’t this getting too big? Of course, the executives could very well be gathered there. Still, surely we weren’t actually going to confront the President himself…

My mind whirled with thoughts. But the answer was already clear.

Of course, since it involved Vasily, there was no way the President hadn’t been involved. I could already foresee the chaos, but since the Association had dealt me such a heavy blow, I figured it was only fair they reap the consequences. So I decided to play dumb and follow behind Vasily.

It’s not like he’s going to kill the President, right? And if he did try to kill him… well, I could step in then.

As soon as we got off on the top floor, we headed straight to the President’s office without hesitation. With a simple step forward from Vasily, the tightly shut door froze solid. Before I even had time to process that it was covered in ice, Vasily kicked the frozen entrance and shattered it, stepping inside.

“Ahhhh!!!”

A scream erupted from beyond the broken door.

Through the scattering ice shards, the President’s pale face came into view. Perhaps because the last time I saw him was six years in the future, he looked noticeably younger than I remembered. He even had a decent amount of hair back then.

As Vasily strode into the room, he spoke.

“I told you not to do anything unnecessary.”

“E-E-E-E-Esper Vasily?”

“Did my words sound like a joke to you?”

“W-What do you mean…? Surely we can resolve this through dialogue…”

The President’s visible tension was undeniable. With each step Vasily took toward him, the President’s shoulders shrank further.

Vasily stopped right in front of him. As the President trembled in his chair, pressing his back tightly against it, Vasily leaned in slightly and whispered coldly.

“If you pull another stunt like this…”

The chair the President sat on was instantly encased in ice.

“You’ll be sitting there forever.”

“U-Understood…”

The President nodded quickly, terror written across his face.

With the department transfer resolved, my steps felt lighter.

As we left the Association building, a satisfied smile spread across my face, prompting Vasily to ask,

“So, have you abandoned your thoughts of quitting?”

“Yes. That was incredibly satisfying.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I felt relieved. Though I had meant it when I said I was quitting, I couldn’t deny a bit of lingering regret. I had just reached my first full month on the job, finally settling into the role. This was, after all, my very first workplace.

“But…”

Trailing off, I looked around curiously.

“Where are we going now?”

I had been absentmindedly following Vasily, and before I knew it, we had arrived in front of the Esper Association building. Since I’d been coming here for six years, it felt familiar enough that I hadn’t questioned it.

Sensing something was off, I stopped in my tracks. Vasily turned and said to me,

“I helped solve your problem, so now I’d like you to do me a small favor.”

A favor? I didn’t know what Vasily wanted, but… he had solved my problem.

“All right.”

I nodded reluctantly, and Vasily gave a meaningful smile. His suspiciously pleased expression made me feel uneasy, but I figured it couldn’t be anything too serious, so I continued following him.

And quickly regretted it.

“…This is the training hall.”

I muttered as we arrived at a training facility next to the Esper Association building, which resembled a gymnasium. I looked at Vasily questioningly, wondering if we had come to the wrong place. But he merely smiled and walked inside.

Once inside, I saw Espers already using the facility. The moment they saw Vasily entering with me, they all stopped what they were doing.

The Espers quickly dispersed and began leaving. It seemed they subscribed to the idea that avoiding a mad dog was the best strategy. Given Vasily’s reputation as a walking time bomb, this was a predictable reaction and didn’t surprise me.

I frowned as I looked around the interior. This was the place where I had trained with Vasily every morning. Not exactly a place I was eager to return to…

I glanced at Vasily.

Surely… no?

“Why are we here…?”

“Want to spar with me?”

“What?”

Vasily suddenly suggested a match.

Has this bastard finally lost it? I always knew he was crazy, but it seemed his mind had finally snapped. And he wanted to do this in front of other Espers? That would be the end of my quiet C-rank guide life.

“No.”

“Why not? Think it over. I’ll even give you a handicap.”

“Still no.”

“If you win, I’ll grant you one wish.”

“….”

That wish was tempting. Vasily wasn’t exactly frugal, so if I asked for all the money in his account, he’d probably hand it over without question.

Noticing my hesitation, Vasily leaned in and coaxed,

“If you can knock me down, I’ll count it as your victory. What do you say? Not too bad, right?”

“Then I’ll set the handicap conditions.”

“Of course.”

“No use of abilities. Only use your left hand and left leg. Stay in one spot and don’t move.”

“Sounds good.”

Vasily readily agreed. Hm… Is that so? But there was still one more thing.

“And… please let me win.”

“….”

Vasily hesitated. The smug expression he had worn the entire time cracked slightly.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, at that point, it’s not really a match, is it?”

“A regular person fighting an S-rank Esper needs at least this kind of handicap, don’t you think? If not, I’m out.”

“Ha… Hahaha…”

Vasily laughed. At first, he chuckled quietly behind a hand, but soon he couldn’t hold it in and began to laugh openly. His laughter was so bright and innocent that I stood there, momentarily dazed. I didn’t know Vasily could laugh like that.

“Fine. If you want a weapon, go ahead and choose one.”

“No need. I’ll fight just like this.”

None of the training weapons here would leave even a scratch on Vasily’s body anyway. Besides, they were all too heavy for me to wield properly, and they’d only get in the way.

Maybe I should’ve started working out sooner. Two weekends of exercise wasn’t nearly enough to regain my old strength.

Looking around the training hall, I found a combat suit lying in a corner and quickly changed. Though it was meant for Espers, I was far more familiar with this kind, since I always wore it when entering gates. It absorbed shock well, too—maybe it could withstand one or two of Vasily’s hits.

“I’ll help you.”

“That’s not nece—”

Before I could finish, Vasily had approached and began fastening the vest tightly around my waist.

He adjusted the loose chest straps, tightened the protective gear securely, and even cinched the baggy waist with precise skill. His movements were so natural that he looked even more experienced than I was, despite my six years of wearing these suits.

He’d always worn a suit when entering gates—when did he get so good at this?

Silently, I watched Vasily as he carefully checked the leg gear as well. Kneeling on one knee, he focused intently on adjusting the suit. His slightly lowered face was reflected clearly in my eyes.

Each time he blinked, his long lashes fluttered delicately. His pale skin radiated a soft glow, and his refined features were flawless. His neatly styled hair was so smooth it resembled the coat of a well-groomed pedigree cat.

It was the kind of face that could easily convince anyone that he was a masterpiece crafted by the gods. But perhaps the gods had been too fair—because they clearly hadn’t bothered giving him a decent personality.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, let me know if anything feels off.”

“Ah…”

By the time I realized it, Vasily had finished adjusting the suit. I hastily stepped away from him.

A wave of embarrassment hit me. Had he noticed me staring at his face?

Trying to act as though nothing had happened, I began stretching lightly. As I moved, I realized with surprise that the suit, which had felt stiff earlier, now fit me perfectly without the slightest discomfort.

“Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Let’s start right away. Do you remember the handicap conditions?”

“They were so intense, there’s no way I’d forget.”

He nodded, recalling the terms for victory. He had clearly stated that just knocking him down would count as my win. If that was the case, then perhaps it wasn’t entirely impossible.