The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 44: We Need To Have a Talk

Lane’s feeling had been wrong.

Or at least that’s how it seemed, when he came for training at the headquarters the next day. It was still hard, and he couldn’t keep up with the rest - perhaps even more than usual, since Noah’s body hadn’t fully recovered from the days spent in the safe.

And of course, Damien was still keeping an eye on him. Observing him vigilantly. And offering him his homemade protein bar on break. Still strawberry flavored.

Well, that last part was actually nice. The protein bar was really tasty, and it replenished Lane’s energy. So, Lane couldn’t bring himself to say no to it, even though he thought he should.

But the best part was, that the sword training was finally over!

Since Lane had already bought a good spear, and was doing well with it, Damien didn’t insist on teaching him sword fighting anymore. He did suggest trying for a while longer, considering Lane had already ’put so much effort into it’. Once Lane said he felt more confident with the spear though, he let it go, as a reasonable Team Leader should.

Lane should have been happy. One less thing he had to contend with Damien’s unending patience in. Still...

He couldn’t help but feel more uneasy.

That man had been mining Mana stones for close to eight years.

There was no way he had given up. If he let Lane off with the sword, he must have something else in mind. Perhaps an even better plan.

And sure enough, once the training was over, Damien called him over. "Murray. Once you get changed, come to my office. We need to have a talk."

"Um, well. But, Team Leader... I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have an appointment..."

"Right away?"

"...No, at 4:30 PM."

"Is it far away?"

"...Um, not really..."

This appointment of his was in the Association Headquarters, after all, so it hardly could get any closer.

"Then there should be no problem, it won’t take long." Damien glanced at the clock. There was well over an hour left. "However, if you’re worried, we can move it to tomorrow, since it’s nothing urgent."

Lane hesitated. He would have preferred.

But, in the end, would it make any difference? He didn’t know what the ’talk’ was about, so it’s not like he could prepare in any way. Then, perhaps it was better to just get it over with? At least today, with the appointment, he could excuse himself earlier, once he found out what Damien wanted. And finish the conversation some other day, after preparing his defense properly.

So, he said, "Well, if Team Leader says it won’t take long, then let’s do it today..."

"You’re sure?"

"Um, yes."

"Alright. Then see you soon." Damien nodded his head, and walked away.

Once he disappeared from his sight, Lane exhaled deeply with relief, his shoulders slouching. He didn’t even realize it, but he was incredibly tense all this time, ever since Damien called his name.

It was insane. There weren’t many people who could make him so nervous...

He turned around and went to catch up with the rest.

"You okay?" Arlo asked him, as soon as Lane entered the locker rooms. "What did he want?"

"Uh, yeah. Just summoning me to the office, I don’t know what for yet."

"...Again?"

"Well, yeah." Lane shrugged his shoulders. He started unbuttoning his shirt, about to get changed...

But at the last moment, he remembered all the bruises, which were still too visible, despite the medicine. Not wanting any questions, he just grabbed his recovery drink, and plopped down on the bench, pretending to have a little break to catch a breath before going for a shower. He was in no rush anyway.

"What is it?" he lifted his brows, turning back to Arlo, who was still standing next to him, staring at him.

"Well, are you really alright? I mean, REALLY?" Arlo asked with audible worry. He glanced around, and lowered his voice, as he continued, "Is Team Leader unfair toward you?"

"Unfair?"

"Yeah. I’ve already noticed it before, but he seems to keep an eye on you more than anyone else. On the training, and the dungeons, and summoning you to the office... And there was this thing with the rooms..." Arlo paused, hesitating, before lowering his voice even more, whispering to Lane, "If it bothers you, let me know."

Lane looked at Arlo in silence. Talk about an overreaction. Was he trying to suggest reporting the issue?

Sure, Lane was bothered by it, but... The reason why was not quite what Arlo might have thought. Damien hasn’t done anything appropriate, and he wasn’t any harsher with Lane than with the rest of the team.

"Noah?"

"I’m fine, really," Lane waved his hand, dismissing the topic. "I’m sure it’s just because I’m a newbie. Unlike the rest of you, I’ve just had my awakening a few weeks ago. Team Leader must be paying extra attention to me because I’m so inexperienced."

"Well, if you say so... If you need any help though, remember you can always talk to me!"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks!" Lane smiled at the man.

Of course, he had no intention to ever do so. Whatever he wanted to do, he could handle it himself. Why would he involve Arlo, and risk another person discovering something they shouldn’t have?

He waited for a while, sipping on his drink, until the locker room finally emptied out. Only then did he undress himself, heading for a shower.

There was no point dragging it out any longer.

***

In the meanwhile, in a different part of the city.

A young couple sat on a boat, in the middle of the lake, enjoying the last days of summer, as they went on a date. The young man calmly rowed the oars, making the boat glide through the water at a relaxing pace, leaving the ripples behind. His girlfriend lunged back, licking her ice cream, her long, slender legs stretched out. Her eyes lazily glanced over the scenery, through the trees and the beaches surrounding the lake, the other boats drifting around, and the flickering light dancing on the waves...

All of a sudden, her brows furrowed, and she straightened up her back, focusing on the water.

"Did you see that?"

"Hmm? What?" The young man lifted his eyes from his girlfriend’s legs to take a look at her face.

"Just now, in the water... A shadow passed under us..."

"It’s probably some fish." The man shrugged his shoulders. "There are some fish in this lake, no?"

"Yh, I guess they are... But, wait, no! This was much bigger! Like, about this big, at least!" The girl made an animated gesture with her arms.

The man stared at her for a moment, before letting out a sigh. "It was probably just a trick of light, then."

"No, I’m sure I saw it! It swam right underneath us, before it dived deeper and disappeared from sight..."

"Then what else do you think it is?" the young man clicked his tongue, getting annoyed.

"Well, I don’t know!"

"See, even you can’t come up with anything. Why can’t you just..."

He didn’t finish, as out of nowhere, the whole boat shook.

"Ah!" the girl screamed, jumping up to her feet. She swayed, losing her balance...

Her boyfriend caught her hand in time, though, and pulled her down. "Calm down. You’re gonna fall." freewēbnoveℓ.com

"But, but!"

"I know. Shhh..."

He was no longer dismissing her concerns. Now, he was also staring at the water, all tensed up, holding his girlfriend’s hand tightly.

For a long while, nothing happened. The water surface was perfectly calm, just deep blue, with no trace of any shadows.

As time went on, the man slowly relaxed. Did his girlfriend’s paranoia start to affect him as well? He lifted his eyes, about to poke fun at her...

But then he saw it.

Tentacles rising from the water, wrapping around one of the boats nearby, and pulling it down in an instant, before the unlucky couple on it had even a chance to let out a scream.

He blanked out. For a moment, he just stared at the empty spot where the boat used to be and now only ripples remained, his eyes bulging from his sockets and his mouth agape. He couldn’t even move a muscle, even when his girlfriend, who had missed the incident, started shaking his shoulders.

And then, everything turned into complete chaos.