The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 70: Other Options

If there was a negative aspect of taking things further with Damien, it was the fact that now his argument for not wanting Lane to join his team was valid. Of course, Lane still wouldn’t care - he had never thought of Damien as his superior, and even if he did, it wouldn’t stop him. Maybe there were some rules against it, he wasn’t sure, but rules were meant to be broken either way, or so Lane would say...

Damien didn’t share such a mindset though, so sleeping with him and working under him at the same time were hardly an option.

So, Lane had to try his luck with other Team Leaders.

Among the top teams in the Headquarters, there were five led by A-rankers. Only they were truly worth joining, as far as Lane was concerned, because they and Damien were in charge of inspecting all high-ranking dungeons in the area. And getting stuck entering only the low-rank dungeons would make all of Lane’s efforts completely wasted...

Hannah Jones was very strict, and Easton Cruz... Lane simply disliked the man, very much. He was part of his team in the past, and they didn’t get along at all. So, he put them aside, at least for the time being.

Cooper Morris was transferred from a different area not that long ago, so Lane didn’t have all that much information about him. He was an experienced Team Leader and Lane knew all about his past, ability, and fighting style from his information network, but things like his habits, what he liked, what kind of person he was, Lane barely had any info at all.

So, Lane put him aside as well, focusing on the two remaining Team Leaders first: Bella Clark and Anthony White. As he already had experience working with them before, he knew pretty well how to approach them, and what to expect.

Throughout the day, whenever he had a break, he stopped by Bella’s office. He seemed to have no luck, however - her team must have been on inspections or something, because she was never there. Then, in the evening, a few hours after his work hours, he returned to the Association, going to the Esper gym, hoping to meet Anthony. However, once again, he had no luck.

It was only on the fourth evening that things finally took a turn.

When Lane entered the Esper gym, dressed in well-fitting gym attire, which highlighted his toned physique, he spotted a familiar figure training at the back. Anthony White was there, lifting weights, doing his usual routine.

Lane couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Finally, he had a chance.

Naturally, he didn’t approach the man straight away. It would only backfire, as it was impolite to interrupt his training session. So, instead, Lane picked one of the training machines not too far away, set up a challenging resistance, and started his own workout.

It took quite a while, almost an hour or so, but eventually, he managed to catch Anthony’s eye. Having completed another one of his sets, the man was taking a break, when he noticed Lane.

And seeing him struggling to complete the exercise, he couldn’t just sit back and ignore it.

"Your posture is wrong. Straighten your back," he said, approaching Lane.

The corners of Lane’s mouth twitched, wanting to raise up, but Lane suppressed the smile, putting on a pondering expression instead. "Like this?" he asked, adjusting his position.

"No, now you’re pushing your hips too much... May I?" Anthony reached out his hands.

"Yes, please."

"Look, you need to push your arms a bit to the back... Then tighten your abs..." Anthony fixed Lane’s posture, explaining everything in detail.

He used to be a personal trainer before his awakening, after all. Old habits die hard.

"Now that’s better. However... You should also lower the resistance. It seems to be too much for you."

"Ah..." Lane scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. "I wanted to challenge myself..."

"I understand. However, it is pointless if you can’t even complete the exercise. You should start at a lower resistance, and then slowly build up your strength... May I ask what is your rank?"

"C-rank."

Anthony furrowed his brows, glancing at Lane’s set resistance once again. "A C-rank?"

"Yes... But a Guide."

"Ah." Anthony went silent for a moment, before asking, "Why are you in Esper gym, then?"

"...Is it wrong for me to be here? I thought there were no rules against it..."

"It is not forbidden. However, the equipment here is tailored especially for mid and high-ranking Espers. For a Guide like you, the general gym would be much more suitable."

"Well... It’s a bit embarrassing, haha..." Lane let out a light chuckle. "I was just hoping, since I’m an awakened now... That I could use the Recovery Pills, push myself a bit more, and make progress faster..."

"There should be no need for that. Progressing naturally is still the best for you. And you already seem fairly athletic, so even if you go into the field, you should be able to do well. As long as you can use a weapon, of course."

"Well, that’s the thing. I would like to go to the field, but my application to become a field agent is still pending..."

"Ah, don’t worry about that. It usually takes around two to three weeks, I’m sure it will be accepted soon," Anthony waved his hand dismissively, but Lane cut in,

"I’ve already been waiting two months."

Anthony paused, taking another good look at Lane. "May I ask what’s your name?"

"Aidan Jenkins."

"Hmm." Anthony observed Lane, rubbing his chin in contemplation.

"I’ve already finished my Basic Combat Training... And I’ve done pretty well on it, or so my instructor has said. I’ve also signed up for the Intermediate training, but it doesn’t start for another month... I just don’t know what to do," Lane sighed heavily, throwing a furtive glance at Anthony. "The management office told me that my application will be processed as soon as one of the teams needs a new Guide... But I’ve heard from others that field teams are always short on Guides, so I don’t understand..."

"That’s true, we could always use more Guides," Anthony nodded in agreement.

"We? Are you perhaps a field agent, Sir?" Lane bit his lip, hesitating for a moment, before bashfully asking, "If it’s not too much trouble... Would you mind recommending me to your Team Leader? I-if that’s alright with you, of course."

"...I am a Team Leader."

"Eh?" Lane’s eyes widened. "Oh, then, um... Haha." Lane scratched his neck, looking away.

He remained silent for a moment. Eventually though, he couldn’t hold it anymore. "Then, um, Team Leader... Do you think I could qualify for your team?"

"This..."

"Oh, of course, I’m not asking you to accept me right away! I understand that you might want to check my skills first! All I want is to be given a chance..."

Lane’s pleading eyes met Anthony’s gaze. For a moment, they just looked at each other, without saying anything.

However, unfortunately for Lane, Anthony ended up shaking his head. "I’m sorry. I cannot accept your application at the moment."

"...Is there any reason for that?"

"I’m afraid I can’t say."

Lane’s eyes twitched. He had a hunch he knew what it was about. The only reasonable explanation he could come up with.

Pressing Anthony any further wouldn’t work though, so he only put on a disappointed smile, and said, "I understand."

Anthony wasn’t the kind of person who would let something accidentally slip.

But Bella could be.