Blinking blankly, Eugene quickly let go of the hand he'd been holding. And he glared at Lee Si-yoon with wary eyes.
This kid — did he read my memory?
Lee Si-yoon, with his mind-based ability, could hear the other person's thoughts or read their memories through physical contact. Just now he'd been busy guiding and hadn't been thinking about Eugene Langford, so he'd clearly read his memory.
"I can't read you at all, but that one thing came through."
"You..."
Eugene slowly took a deep breath. It was hard to grasp whether he was simply playing a prank or had some other scheme. But considering Eugene Langford's personality, there was no way he was on friendly terms with Lee Si-yoon.
"What do you think you're doing? Why are you reading someone's memory without permission?"
When he spoke angrily, only then did a slight change come over Lee Si-yoon's expression. The faint smile, as if he were pleased, left Eugene dumbfounded.
"But why won't you read at all? Did you change your item?"
"What?"
At Lee Si-yoon's question, Eugene faltered. At the complaint-like remark about not being able to read him, he belatedly recalled the system's existence.
The system must be blocking it again.
In the novel's world too, to keep Eugene from being exposed as a transmigrator, the system had blocked the skills of mind-based espers on its own. The mind-based espers he'd met there had been just as puzzled as Lee Si-yoon. Eugene answered in a composed tone.
"Right, because you keep causing trouble like this."
"Hmm..."
Normally, a high-rank mind-based esper of Lee Si-yoon's caliber faced many institutional restrictions on using their ability. Recklessly trying to read a superior's thoughts or memories like this would earn disciplinary action, but Lee Si-yoon seemed to have paid no mind to that and repeatedly tried to read Eugene Langford's memories too.
The system probably blocked Eugene Langford to some degree as well.
So was that why Lee Si-yoon had just asked whether he'd "changed" the item, not whether he'd "bought" it? It was a bit unexpected that the system hadn't blocked Eugene Langford's information as much as his own. Was it a difference in the system's disposition? Or was there some other reason? Unable to think it through deeply, Eugene continued.
"Try to read my memory even one more time and I'll report it to the Association."
"Aw, over a prank this small."
"A prank?"
Eugene sharpened his eyes at Lee Si-yoon, who was trying to brush it off as a simple prank.
If Lee Si-yoon had read something other than a memory about Eugene Langford, it might have been a disaster. Of course, during the time Eugene Langford occupied the body he'd done no work at all, so no Center secrets would have leaked, but as Eugene worked going forward, important information would remain in his head. Lee Si-yoon's behavior was more than enough to ruffle the higher-ups.
"If you think the Association will brush off your behavior as a prank, then keep at it."
"..."
At Eugene's threat, Lee Si-yoon's mouth clamped shut.
The brief information written in the profile alone made it hard to fully grasp the other person. But it was recorded that Lee Si-yoon had been abandoned by his biological parents even before awakening, and had entered a research institute under the Association the moment he awakened.
S-rank mind-based espers were exceedingly rare. Even in the novel's world he'd never seen an S-rank mind-based esper. Here too, they'd be rare on a global scale. It was a mighty power — being able to unconsciously read the unspoken thoughts of others even before awakening.
Because of that, Lee Si-yoon had been abandoned by biological parents who found him unsettling, bounced between orphanages, and then, upon awakening, entered a research institute managed by the Association. There, he'd surely learned methods to control his ability from a young age. Being a valuable sample, he'd have been subjected to plenty of experiments too.
Would a place like that not have prepared a means to hold Lee Si-yoon's leash? Seeing him clamp his mouth shut the moment the Association came up rather than the military, it seemed that was the answer.
"Did you do wrong, or not?"
"...I did wrong."
Seeing Lee Si-yoon answer obediently with a downcast face put Eugene a little more at ease.
Of course, that didn't guarantee Lee Si-yoon wouldn't do this sort of thing again. But he'd at least watch himself a little. Going forward, he'd have to be more careful when guiding Lee Si-yoon.
Turning on the device during guiding is a bit pitiful too.
He'd heard the device on his neck not only restricted Lee Si-yoon's voice but also interfered with using his ability. It was even written in the profile that it caused Lee Si-yoon pain, as much as the side effects from a rising contamination level. Eugene pondered for a moment.
"Do that again and I'll guide you with the device turned on, got it?"
"Hng, so mean."
"Answer properly."
"...Okay."
It's like educating a child, honestly. Eugene looked with displeasure at Lee Si-yoon, who was already answering playfully again.
Why isn't there a single normal esper among them? Heaving a heavy sigh, Eugene rose to his feet.
"You're leaving already?"
"Yeah, the guiding's done."
Still, he must have liked the guiding, because Lee Si-yoon openly showed his reluctance. Leaving him behind, Eugene turned around without lingering.
"Whew."
He didn't know how Eugene Langford had treated Lee Si-yoon all this time, but judging by that reaction, they'd been quite the antagonists. From Lee Si-yoon's standpoint, it was probably fascinating that a guide's thoughts couldn't be read. He'd glossed it over with the item excuse, but that might have pricked the pride of an S-rank mind-based esper instead.
It'll be a problem if he keeps trying to read my memory as a prank like this. Guiding seemed to raise the chance of being read even further, since the energy flowed in directly. That was probably why Eugene Langford hadn't even tried to make contact with Lee Si-yoon.
Well, in any case, I laid down a threat, so he'll be quiet for a while.
Lee Si-yoon wouldn't want to receive guiding with that stifling device turned on either, after all. Eugene returned to the office, entirely failing to grasp the proposition that a problem child was a problem child no matter what.
"Min Jae-ha's return is delayed?"
"Yes."
Hearing Ha-young's report, Eugene frowned.
Min Jae-ha's guiding appointment had originally been set for the afternoon. But since there was no telling when the mission he'd been carrying out since morning would end, the schedule had hit a snag.
And Min Jae-ha's contamination level is on the high side too.
On top of that, the numbers could rise even further because of this mission. Worried, Eugene bit his lip.
"You said only three people went on this mission, right?"
"That's correct."
If Min Jae-ha were away, he'd meant to guide another esper in that time slot, but with the three besides Lee Si-yoon having gone out together, he couldn't even do that. There was no choice but to wait for the three to return.
"And are these all the guides belonging to our team?"
"Ah, yes. That's correct."
Having checked all the espers' profiles, Eugene was now examining the members belonging to the guide team. And the further he read, the more the sighs came surging in.
Guide Team A, of which he was the leader, was originally a special team with only himself and Ha-young in it. It had probably been created separately on the orders of his adoptive father, Kwon Seung-hyeok, to have him — an S-rank — guide Alpha-1 Team.
But because Eugene Langford had possessed his body, that plan had been thrown into disarray in an instant. The one who was supposed to guide, himself, had refused that duty for a long time.
So other guides had gradually been added to the special Guide Team A. They were auxiliary personnel to guide Alpha-1 Team in his stead.
"I'd like to have an interview with this guide, Yoo Ha-neul."
"Ah, Guide Yoo Ha-neul... you mean?"
Eugene jabbed the pad screen, pointing at someone. At that, Ha-young's eyes trembled and wavered.
Why is he so flustered? Eugene looked at him quizzically.
"Uh, why Guide Yoo Ha-neul...?"
Ha-young asked, dithering. At his question, Eugene looked down at the screen displaying the profile with emotionless eyes.
Yoo Ha-neul was a D-rank guide. Normally it was rare for a D-rank guide to be abruptly selected for a special team at Center headquarters. To begin with, it was hard for a D-rank guide to even set foot in this headquarters.
If it were possible, there was only one reason. It was possible if there existed a high-rank esper whose matching rate was overwhelmingly high, even if the guide's rank was low. And Yoo Ha-neul was such a case. His matching rate with the espers of Alpha-1 Team was on the high side. With Kang Tae-jun in particular, his matching rate was close to 100%.
Isn't this astonishingly identical to the original's main receiver?
The original's main receiver, Rayan, had been in the exact same situation as Yoo Ha-neul. A D-rank guide, but with high matching rates with the S-rank espers, he'd captured the attackers' hearts in an instant, elbowing out Eugene Langford. His appearance had been nothing less than the prologue to death for the villain Eugene Langford.
He could dismiss it as mere coincidence, but somehow it left a bad taste. That, of all things, Eugene Langford had possessed his body and the situation had grown similar to the original world's — it gave him a strange sense of displeasure.
I'd better meet Yoo Ha-neul once.
In the original, the main receiver Rayan had been a kind and good-natured person. Since he was a character one-sidedly tormented by Eugene Langford, it hadn't been hard for the transmigrated Eugene to improve their relationship just by treating him a little kindly. If Yoo Ha-neul was like that too, then even if this place had grown similar to the original world, he wouldn't be a great threat to Eugene. Thinking so, Eugene nodded.
