TGIC Ch 44

Chapter 44

Now that I think about it, Vasily must’ve reviewed the gate’s internal data before arriving. Since he’d be the one actually entering, asking him directly would be more accurate than my own guesswork.

“How long do you think the raid will take?”

“Hmm… Judging by the size alone, I’d say about two days.”

So even with Vasily, clearing it in a day is impossible. Oh well. I sighed deeply, relieved that I’d at least come prepared for an overnight stay.

“You’d like it to end quickly?”

“Why ask something so obvious?”

“Then I’ll finish it by tomorrow morning.”

“Excuse me…? Can you decide something like that so casually?”

Instead of replying, Vasily simply smiled silently.

Well, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m the one entering the gate anyway, so I wasn’t especially curious about how he’d do it. In fact, I’d rather not know—it might remind me of all the trouble I’ve witnessed before.

As long as he really finishes by tomorrow morning, that’s good enough for me. The day after a gate raid is automatically treated as a rest day anyway, so I’d get to enjoy a slightly longer break.

After a short while, the gate entry began.

Only after all the Espers had entered the gate did the surrounding area quiet down significantly. The remaining personnel on the surface began to gather around the ice pillars Vasily had erected before leaving. The refreshing cold from them felt like a small oasis amidst the midsummer heat.

Today’s gate was D-rank. It was only large in size, not particularly high in level, so there wouldn’t be any danger of the ice pillars shattering like last time… I could just sit back and wait for Vasily in a cool spot.

A light breeze occasionally blew in, and the sound of cicadas loudly chirping outside the tent filled the air.

There was no rain forecast, and the weather was sunny and clear. If only it weren’t for the overnight stay, this would’ve been a perfect day for a field dispatch.

Before I knew it, night had fallen.

It had been a while since the Espers entered the gate, yet none had been carried out injured. As expected of Vasily. Maybe because it was only a D-rank gate, it seemed he was handling the monsters alone. Thanks to that, my workload was also lighter.

Once the sun had set, the mountain air grew quite chilly. And, of course, the mosquitoes were relentless—I’d already been bitten twice. This is exactly why I hate gates that open in the mountains.

Unfortunately, with 70% of South Korea’s territory being mountainous, most gates open in the mountains. In summer, we battle mosquitoes; in winter, we trudge through snow. Occasionally, a gate opens in the city, but that’s rare.

As night deepened, silence settled over everything. Past 10 p.m., with no sign of anyone exiting the gate, people started preparing for sleep one by one.

I unfolded a portable cot and slipped into my sleeping bag.

I had secretly changed out of my combat uniform and into pajamas, so I was comfortable. I even had a pillow of just the right height. The cot was small and squeaky, but it wasn’t enough to disturb my sleep.

I closed my eyes to the sound of crickets. I must’ve fallen asleep quickly, but then, in a half-dream state, I felt something wriggling and snuggling up next to me. What is it…? I turned my head and opened my eyes…

Only to find Vasily’s face right in front of mine.

“Wah!”

Startled, I almost toppled backward in my sleeping bag. Vasily caught me just in time to avoid an embarrassing fall—but in doing so, I ended up cradled in his arms. Honestly, falling might’ve been better.

“Shh, people are sleeping.”

“Thank you… Wait, no! What are you doing here? What about the gate?!”

Vasily whispered quietly. Since the other guides were also sleeping in the tent, I replied in as low a voice as possible.

“They’re setting up camp inside right now.”

“Then why are you here, Esper Vasily?”

“You expect me to sleep in that filthy gate?”

Normally, he never sleeps in gates and only focuses on clearing them as fast as possible, so why was he suddenly here saying he wanted to rest? His inconsistency caught me off guard.

“I have to go back in three hours. I’m just going to rest here until then.”

“What gives you the right…!”

Vasily shamelessly laid down next to me. I wanted to push him away, but trapped inside the sleeping bag, I couldn’t even move.

Two grown men on this tiny portable cot—it creaked and groaned with every little movement, practically screaming. I stayed frozen in place, worried we’d wake the others if I so much as shifted.

Vasily’s build was large, so it felt like I was the only one at risk of falling off. If I tried to move away, I’d press right up against him. If I tried to put distance between us, I felt like I’d tumble off the side.

Caught in this impossible dilemma, Vasily suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in even closer.

“W-What do you think you’re doing?”

“I was just holding on so you don’t fall.”

“I don’t need that kind of consideration. Let me go.”

Despite my protest, Vasily ignored me and only tightened his grip. He even shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

…There were no words. Curled up like a larva inside the sleeping bag, I was completely trapped in Vasily’s embrace. I couldn’t fight back, nor could I push him away.

Was he doing this because he wanted more guiding? I had already guided him right before he entered the gate. How much guiding did he need before he’d be satisfied?

If I thought about the inhibitor chip that was sure to heat up soon, I should have pushed him away. But perhaps because I’d just been asleep, my eyelids grew heavy again. It was still early in the morning… I gave in and closed my eyes.

I could feel the stabilizing weight beside me disappear. At the same time, the cot gave a creaky groan.

“Mm…”

Turning over and blinking open my eyes, I saw Vasily’s face faintly illuminated by the bluish early morning sky.

“Are you leaving…?”

“Yes. Guide Kwon Gidam, you should keep resting.”

His voice was thick with sleep, but he responded quietly. I nodded wordlessly and got more comfortable on the now spacious cot.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, I’ll be done by this morning, so get ready to return in advance.”

“Yes…”

I wriggled deeper into the sleeping bag, blinking drowsily. As I did, Vasily looked down at me and smiled faintly, covering my face with his large hand.

“Close your eyes.”

As darkness fell over my vision, my eyes shut on their own.

While I breathed steadily, I heard the soft sound of someone chuckling nearby. Then I felt something cool and smooth briefly press against my forehead. At the same moment, my inhibitor chip pulsed painfully—but the sensation was drowned in my sleepiness.

“Well then, I’ll be back.”

With those words, I fell back asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, Vasily was gone. The scene around me was no different from the day before—there was no trace that he had ever been there.

It almost felt like Vasily’s visit had been a dream. That’s how quiet and ordinary the morning was.

As the sun rose, people began to wake and wash up one by one. It felt like the start of a calm, peaceful morning.

Then, suddenly, a commotion erupted from the gate’s direction. I turned my head and saw Espers rushing out of the gate in a panic.

Had something happened? Alarmed, I hurried toward the gate. I checked over the Espers who were emerging in a flurry.

I began administering temporary guiding to those who needed it. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be in good condition. Some had unstable waves, so I just held their hands to help calm them.

Now that I thought about it, Vasily had said he’d finish by morning. All the Espers appeared to be out, but I didn’t see Vasily anywhere.

I scanned the gate’s entrance, waiting to catch sight of him.

At that moment, one of the Espers I was guiding glanced at the guide ID badge hanging from my neck and struck up a conversation.

“You’re… a C-rank Guide, yet you handle waves really well.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m an A-rank Esper, and this is more stable than guiding I’ve received from Guides of the same rank. I think you’re much better than the others.”

Realizing he meant it sincerely, I felt my lips twitch upward. I couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at my face. When was the last time I’d heard praise like this?

After constantly being told by Vasily that my guiding wasn’t enough, hearing something like this out in the field felt incredibly liberating. See, Vasily! I am this good!