FG | Chapter 5.4

It was best a6035bcd78 not to bother cb589d3429 an overworked civil 491dfceb6b servant unless absolutely a1b2e237d1 necessary. As I ed3a719a4a waited, I 8ef95f84af let my 9653580cf0 gaze wander 600458faf9 around the 68ab4c7b45 Center. Just yesterday, 65a705f8b6 the place 63ae9c197d had been 59839c020f in chaos 95e41803a6 because of d7c093ed11 Yeo Eundo’s 4abc2343cf rampage, but 7f87967d85 now, not 07c2120695 a single 59e9d5290e trace of 81f0aefeaf that remained.30a42103f927bccb

‘So they’re just sweeping it under the rug, huh?’25b4f2e53dc5c3fd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

People had c39d6ba19f grown accustomed 52695b1fa3 to the 52e05e0bf9 unpredictability of 61768ba8c3 Gates, but a3242e2a38 more than d9853270c8 that, the 555ad0fcd9 meticulous management be1aa6c47b of the 9545b68526 public image 42a6d11340 of Espers a0a81f871f played a e6c03b25a7 role. After all, Espers 36fdf67cb3 could easily be 16e6b94ef5 seen as bigger 3ddb34966e monsters than the 9039ef20a9 creatures inside the 3790f6bff7 Gates.1fadc348d678dc6f

Fine by cf6cdbcc23 me if b37df0f3fa this blows 79ee84f142 over quietly.a4756a9b52051642

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just as that thought 13e3b87d05 crossed my mind, I 3630ab132e heard voices nearby.9f0319a1604c9aa9

“Is that guy coming 07c90ce1a0 too?”e15771030ad43344

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“After all the trouble f46aded0b5 he caused? No way.”9a9d7c9a5eee5ab6

A group of a24f067967 Espers entered from db514778ba a distance. A quick glance 517cc83262 told me they 361402106e were A-class and bdc9f9ebf6 B-class, high-ranking Espers. Instead of 12af0a05bf uniforms, they 71452adf86 wore symbolic aa5c0f7611 accessories or a7fc712437 carried weapons e5d558ec51 that identified 6043978c3f them as 20068dd0f1 part of 049b6b1887 different guilds—and 334a10101f from the 62f07a1413 looks of 1fc88fdd6d it, multiple 763997b522 guilds were bdb9d9a468 gathered here.ac6bffbd7cc028ec

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Then, it happened.2405897506689dbc

A synchronized, 3bb4c7b9a2 heavy marching ea0e6762b4 sound filled 694ac9ab23 the air 3d1e9a7095 as a 6691563fb8 group in b294c1704a uniforms entered 093902406b the Center. In an instant, the 7841c46a7d atmosphere shifted—a silent but 82dea62004 palpable clash of authority bff1d50ab9 between the nationally affiliated 5a47039d0d Espers and the guild-affiliated 4c29d52ff0 ones.ada7b6901bb3de05

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The first to e72bce2e31 strike in the edb6ed2d54 brewing tension was ef1caaeb10 one of the 753a2fed17 guild Espers.1d6a6d8e94e9c4b4

“Hah. I was f0bc502f07 wondering where a24c1c6aa9 that disgusting 3b1297024a stench was 180d385a4a coming from—looks d081195340 like the ca9ed6c3c0 pack of d056168f85 dogs finally 04f19108ed showed up.”4a9d4797dfcf4a79

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“That filth you’re 20a1b2103c smelling is probably 0e28075dda from your own e81fe79b5c mouth.”1e4dcc2b7a50f68d

“Go on, keep licking ff1d1d3fe5 your higher-ups’ boots. That’s what you lapdogs 37bde847d2 are best at.”aba2e86289c676ae

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A guild d038472f6f Esper jabbed f5d6a93fc6 a finger e773aa2cd3 into the fa5f13ec19 chest of 7b43cdfcd4 a national 8d061b25c3 Esper, deliberately 0b5119bf4b provoking them. Power struggles between Espers 33239ff806 were nothing new, but 975012eb0e the hostility between the c6066f5f21 government and the guilds a6c83d9bac hadn’t always been this f05824249a bad.8f7b7fa73116809e

It all 4a56688fa1 went downhill 9cc4a72f15 seven years 52d5f05616 ago—when South 0b6462d633 Korea was bdcef4ddaa thrown into 5309a1e6ac chaos by b805001c4b a top-tier ef667a773d Alpha Gate.245cb696fa91cdec

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

A miracle 7026c0a9a0 had allowed 19ac4ccd89 them to d5fc5b6cba clear the 4ee269f1d8 Gate, but 7d07507c5c the destruction e83635b3b2 was so 5498736636 extreme that f20626cf41 the nation’s ebf81c41b1 very survival e79c44e370 had been 6c9d0f6852 put into 6a313a5e55 question. The blame a1426b768d fell on f5c7f5cb99 national Espers, 119e01a69e accused of 3fae55c1cf prioritizing the 0013ea1cb9 evacuation of 24d296958c high-ranking officials 547c3bd569 rather than d8144021af protecting the b36cdffa76 general public.62179d7804cc98b2

But had it 879037728e really been only f82e4e6e2b the national Espers bb40c8081d who turned a 3df6ffb94b blind eye?6cc6bc73783be80d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

When faced c6bc61949c with an 6523db5c25 unstoppable catastrophe, 762f3f7f30 anyone—regardless of 04cf91fb1d affiliation—could turn 3eaef3e66f cowardly.7ec8c54118335397

That was why I 54567aee5d found this whole standoff 35ab1d62de ridiculous.c7e3a2e6b5a4887f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was a joke—just e25464dd3f a bunch of dirty ebd107630c dogs barking at each 24e2929ef1 other about who’s filthier.0d6b157cfe8a53ab

Just as 7c99576755 the national f6c85ec1ec Esper was 20cad65079 about to acd252d1f6 snap back 3094698468 at the fcbe5c34c0 guild Esper’s 2c9ee6129f taunt, someone 4bb8fe00f0 entered the 47803cbf3d room—and shut dc25d1d9c7 everyone up fde3fa603f at once.59526fd955862481

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A weighty presence.Gu Seungjae.43d129d27b8c457e

With just his 233c483f93 appearance, the once-smug 480a0442cc guild Espers shrank 052ec57a38 back, instinctively stepping 5baafe3fc8 aside. Gu Seungjae didn’t even e77fe3b4cc spare them a glance 55374203f8 as he walked past. The national 8f5e64ef2a Espers, on 25e14e90ad the other b1962d58fe hand, straightened e13080e497 up with 6857461955 renewed arrogance, 66629d7ea3 their expressions cb64153038 turning smug d0aad327b9 as they dca3c901da followed behind b186b3a15c him.eed83137b39b1cb5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Meanwhile, the 71528daa9e guild Espers, 37bd9eea0c shaking with c1d3fb1e82 rage, could 0312dfc7ca only glare 4a64630435 after them.47b2742fb7435e67

What a joke.4b5ef277ad71af80

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘They’re really putting on a show, huh?’94ecbfbd5dacc80b

Gu Seungjae was 3851d10b53 good at concealing 734eeb7067 his presence, so 28c1f4f8d0 he hadn’t noticed d46ae50db3 me.f527c10cfd6595fd

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Something felt off. The guild-affiliated 950c59bed1 Esper was 4950db91c9 also walking 15f6692315 in the 12ea0b55ab same direction 5fffefb991 Gu Seungjae c3aedabe09 had gone, c68e208572 which meant 78da17ebc3 both groups 1f5ceae244 were headed c286d81af8 to the 537ca23132 same destination. Normally, they wouldn’t be 3dd4d33388 placed in the same db5bfc7b79 space. Yet they 0b7c70d4bb had been 47e1adcc87 summoned simultaneously—and a0105f230c actually responded. That meant there was 9f816bb3d6 enough reason and value af84eb7127 in it for them.e1cb4acc7244b358

Before long, another S-class 6a3357ea35 Esper and his guild d5ab8e30fc member passed by. That made it six a2cb80c3cf Espers in South Korea 3a9554cac3 who had gathered at 1e4df1fb92 the Center.d32d260d7c37ea73

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘What about Yeo Eundo?’64452b9b9d6472a4

That guy had definitely 281d5e952a said he had no d5d948dfeb schedule today. If it 5192f73f37 were something 5f9a271b4e big enough ff70bbcbc2 for everyone 2f6d81d27c to gather d9c77e43cd like this, 1c4530180f there would’ve 641ff03744 been a 8946606d7e prior notice. But even I, 9db8e44a57 who had been 2fbb114de7 watching him from 3f170ad49d the side, hadn’t 45c40ad18a seen any sign 696958aed3 of him receiving fded2021ad contact from the d62c5b1f90 Association or the c50f89f55c Center.b87522b1aa8393d0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘He’s a fa6f966763 bit of cab33b1f63 an idiot, f90fb48658 but he’s 428e30233b not someone fa9b6fc53a to be e1133d59ff ignored.’c81b1c66cb4457d6

Since Yeo Eundo 6153a79fc6 was currently in 741149297f an imprinted state, 7dd2e4cc85 it was actually 1dcdc61070 better if they be967ca752 didn’t call him. The less exposure, the e05a0b930c lower the chance of a467544a74 being found out. But aside from 8643fc161b that, for some d9c7fd800e reason…55e4c7dc932a149a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“This is pissing me a842f5ebb1 off.”6d38a1f40e24d392

Someone from the 95c6756f48 civil affairs counter d7b71b1d92 called for me. I was just planning 44ef421f1d to grab my tablet d1f27549aa and head back, but af229a9fdc as I turned toward ba45d13937 the counter, I almost b200b9446e bumped into someone.a6942571a99d041d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“……Huh?”1382586c4f024c8d

“Excuse me.”e9dba653e911e00a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I tried to 30da2ccc95 step aside and 491b35d7db let them pass, 04903be9ff but the other 331c01926e person blocked my 2cbed4dbad way.937e8d77b14346af

‘What now?’e28db2662195efd2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“That time, you—!”fb762df8f0027f73

“No.”c322c59ce0ba021f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“How can you say 8c8b8abcb8 no when you don’t 1278694a05 even know what I’m 82d31966d9 talking about?”4c88b51f663cdcc2

‘Ah, damn it.’0b1e7b1a6443b03f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“It’s you, isn’t it? I thought 47ca45b100 I was 4a393f181c mistaken since 7583d9af61 you weren’t 1ef280811e on the 160b5fbf27 matching list ff94936a8a or the f80661973f deceased list.”c1c8975435663e1a

“You’ve got the wrong e8cccbd1fd person.”9e1701d7b4c0489d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What’s your name?”49dea307c9576500

Why do all 6d138665bd Espers act like 56caa7ec59 they have their eda07c28bc ears shut?0e191f34e9d92d83

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Instead of 21558dfc91 answering, I 73d54337f2 gestured for 2a5ec56541 him to 8422168156 move aside 6a33250b2c and headed 4a6f056b1d to the 620cd5f4fa counter. The civil servant looked f39f313e6c at me and asked. During the process e44930f891 of replacing a c2258262a1 monitoring tablet, all de51ced843 questions were automatically 160ad60676 recorded.0526b8602fd5dd3a

“D-class Seol Maehwa Guide-nim, 88b97b9afa affiliated with the Planning b1a40285a9 and Coordination Office’s Information 40ab250968 Statistics Department, is that 93eb413e49 correct?”c834e66d3d8a4593

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes, that’s me.”1a7f952992d96789

“I’ve restored a7b5b82abc the monitoring 6c00fd2404 tablet’s data 4699978828 and prepared 897d8d118d a new 306ff715f8 model for 138ed65edc rental. Please verify 9aa1a4f3e0 and sign 2a888975ea here.”80e5103ee32c2a9c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

All I f24db74c4c had to bc3ab13b70 do now 572e664586 was sign 7300ebc5c8 and take dcc0d32a3b the tablet, 0374704fc5 but the 6e320e41ad guy who 9199a842dc had been 043a8ea063 snooping next de2f26eb06 to me 9f616dd775 spoke up.9b655f28c1ae4172

“Huh? You’re not D-class.”d21f07bcb9594ece

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I flinched at those 93121a6197 words. The civil servant’s gaze fb9c0b0bab was about to turn 391d712629 suspicious, so I quickly 803bab97b5 finished signing and spoke.b68041dbf948ef2e

“Please verify the authentication.”cb28c0ed1df60644

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Authentication was 9aa69a3591 done through 6af563f19b fine biometric ccf4a91ca3 data, meaning 2a38beaff2 it couldn’t de7f41e971 be forged a7c531f663 unless the 43f32d71cd person was 723f87aafd an S-class effa4e5c83 Esper with 48480afce0 copying abilities.233bd024d55a3903

The civil servant, d6c94562d5 clearly uninterested in a344ab47cc making things complicated, 40e6f81b83 simply nodded and 0c98acc664 wrapped up the 8e8d426902 process. The moment bddc8d1d1c I grabbed cbbacc6666 the tablet, 29a2a6c68d I walked 1637b089ad straight out c4aac66d38 of the a7c4773fc4 building. It would take a 5bbfcd2e15 little longer to fully 323e89e87f exit the Center, but 1009b87b61 even then, the damn bd52a835c1 Esper kept following me.86d1023669ad8410

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘Tsk.’045b92c9727f7a64

I deliberately turned into 2f95d28fa2 a deserted area and 84c311641b rounded a corner. As expected, 6c300d93e3 my shoulder 38426fa90d and wrist 42a25e96ed were grabbed, b55ead0c5c and my 98eaa3b265 body was b1e7d4da22 forcibly turned, 02f7e2bf61 slamming me d9e5c1ff76 against the 8d107aebb7 wall. A dull pain f57fee3ba1 spread across my 06e0a0298f back, but I b4218d60a3 didn’t show it.5658ae7feb0c6c47

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“How the hell are ff02b9a28b you alive? Seon Jiyeol c5b6180142 Guide showed d1213d62cf up just eba84f8d02 in time, 5da6858132 but before 9060ad19bc that, you 646ad90559 got hit.”826fb0288cf07f62

“I have 83539fb668 no idea 9da3969396 what you’re 75126218ca talking about.”0ffc1cbd94107512

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Reverse guiding.”b32b0720e4b6a087

So that’s b6e0f2c663 who this 00c6970f18 guy was. The one ee6205c911 who ran 13291c6ae6 off after b69098f59e receiving my d9e6e45137 guiding on f8aeda6b8f the day b55488bf39 Yeo Eundo 2243b1586f had his 8ffe9392a6 first rampage. Back then, 482ec34bb5 he was 6fc45b984f definitely C-class, b2cae78a87 but the 740f926063 aura he 7b8f61175b was giving 607efdf96d off now 8382b3bc2e was closer 8c555233af to A-class.ed5150d9f98d9c8a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

There were a 01535c5045 few cases where 5676ce7d58 a Guide’s Esper af9598cc56 rating assessment turned 6ea427bba3 out inaccurate. One, if their level d4b9462261 was too low to 941feb19f2 distinguish from a normal 33e08214d3 person. Two, if their abilities 1ab1ad08fe were drained to the db59229f5a point of causing a 69a2e41d71 misreading in evaluation.6c1efd2fa4674344

‘Damn, he e6f789e07e ran so da43b82845 fast I 5c0d758f7c got fooled.’17ec5a8618c04203

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I rarely 6d77e81aea got things a842dc117b wrong, but 76bda8546f I had a62f8770fd misjudged him 9775526800 back then, e88b97dc13 overwhelmed by b34870aae2 the rampaging 0192fc9466 energy of 630313c0e1 Yeo Eundo.408adf55fb598afb

The guy 01cfe1d074 asked me, 8f3b25eb88 “You think 03e5ba88b5 the Association 86a36af139 knows about f6ca549394 your falsified aff454cd3f registration?”114ebbd86a6bd1b6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The way he ccb4300b88 phrased it was 800d58fb8a odd. He could have just e73eedfb26 assumed I somehow slipped f746d46692 through the cracks back f85ffd3ae8 then, but no—he was 0b9b45e399 completely certain that I 5fa8c9f3d8 had falsified my grade.874e7dcd5bcf2371

‘Earlier, he said I e83ee1abbc wasn’t D-class.’265d8747695520e1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I had a 2b17bd1be6 pretty good guess 12531e8f3c why, but I ba5e39699d needed to confirm 578475e601 it.c97032b7527de02e

“I’m a D-class 8e906bb1c0 Guide. What exactly am 85d48756f1 I supposed to f2a25ecfa6 have falsified?”062b6e4a61077b27

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You probably sensed 519c58f225 it while guiding 611f5d5166 me—I was right fcf3abe69f on the verge 49fa2064e2 of a rampage ba89e6f34d that day too.”7c2d2d001e496c64

I must’ve half-assed 8c0924cee1 it, because I ea4e45a37c couldn’t even remember d4b2edeed7 the guiding I 33ddd36086 gave him.20e68a98ebab22f9

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“If you imprint fdd213bac8 with me, I f1ca9774a7 can keep your aa158dbe35 secret.”0ce2049dac69bdb0

His gaze as he b794804995 looked down at me fc72e9e69c was like a wolf f67efad93a eyeing its prey. He was 4a7c379533 thrilled at 25dafd319b the thought 4b62aba006 of catching 78624eb863 a high-ranked d3936dc43e Guide’s weakness.941381dd0f250ef0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Wouldn’t it f8dc8695bf be better cf514648d0 for you 5dd237e519 to imprint d3286f8b60 with a 30381b452b high-ranking Esper a7916e152e like me 7faf468582 and be 3066c5b93c protected?”341cdf697db7a3c0

He reached out and e4333b45b3 pulled down my mask. The moment my 5d1c497d7b face was revealed, 269caf3afd his greedy, glistening 695508a36a eyes wavered, turning 36e7c24de3 red with excitement.ac738426d55b51bb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“If you a816554502 survived Yeo 472dd891ba Eundo’s reverse c0914d6ca0 guiding, then… 2a07796c03 B—no, A-class?”63660d2e1345d364

“L.”ecc67561a7b1bc33

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…What?”dcc1295247e0f034

I lifted my e691a0d0dd free hand, bit 37724d8b42 my glove to ce2c614a70 pull it off, 783a3b7f8b and reached for 46ac2abed1 his face.975877fa3e318fe1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The moment my fingertips 25d3b4a42a touched his skin, his 9f5df1ad41 expression went hazy.71c666549e8ac016

And then, guiding.a6d33ca79845bf20

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Ghk—?!”0cd72943c370a470

With a loud thud, 5ad8d7197e he collapsed backward. His skull didn’t 22afb80dbe crack, but his 5760fea977 body convulsed as 38c9c6dffa if he’d taken 9b04d7ef4e a hit far 17f801c3e1 worse than that. Then, he went eb43387c85 limp. Only after his 90cc13f5b8 strength drained completely 190d24b7b4 did his fingers 089f6fc5e5 finally slip off 5044c651fc my wrist.65aa08cfe0ff3d63

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

There was 51b306d065 nothing surprising 92526c394f about an 9c9365697d Esper showing 90da23d277 their true 722ba026d2 colors the d2169aa8b8 second they 461333986f thought they ff24bec7a7 had leverage 8ea6ca80cc over me. In fact, their predictable f0f92dd9d2 nature was almost laughable. Pathetic, even.87dbb41d2175308d

“Right. You guys are 40f9975cd9 all the same.”87b18b4c5ee9c6bd

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I had fa88ab125f just forgotten e351673f18 for a 48cc3e848a moment.1da5432507884e3c

I wiped ab736c9b06 my face f26047f81a with my f58bb10d08 palm before 50976ff066 standing up, 46ebdcd326 shaking out 0d69a640f5 my aching 4d685c5a8a wrist. It was 1f1d483f5c already swelling 24c3df151c red—probably going d39efbb293 to bruise 869dfda5ef soon. As I stared 02bbc382f7 at the guy 0184a2723b wheezing through the 38d2fe1725 guiding shock, I 2e6bb7b44f pondered my next a502c2ab61 move.82dae62255a57f6c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A deep, consuming disgust 7729d73f16 crept up on me.90180ef797cfc615

‘Should I 8284ee7dbc just kill c8a1381c7f him?’5b8d22d61295dd96

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

If I guided 8f1d793e60 him a little 59c2a52759 more, I could 6ea2b13145 leave no trace b77a55c4a5 behind. But the 212ae924de location was 25ac9b2185 a problem. If an 82d150fb5d A-class Esper e4232626bb suddenly dropped df1fb6e9be dead inside 4222c41ca2 the Center, c14672765c it’d cause e88f593e43 an uproar. If I 93466ce83e wasn’t going 24d6093a06 to kill 675a80ad97 him, there 2b78b06d59 was only d1cddcb7c4 one option 6030cb90f1 left.8a41891f8466af4f

With an L-class 5774484de7 Guide’s abilities, I df2c48c3f4 could damage an a222b9937a Esper’s mind as 3a5e8a4708 badly as a 3018455c0d psychic Esper could. One of f854307986 those ways 67be6abcb3 was using 42018f9ecf guiding to 035a919f29 inflict brain 63dd8552bd damage—specifically, cognitive ac931663dc impairment.094ba9b52f2e708c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I pressed my index 930a4d9ed7 finger to his forehead.41a89b52914383a4

“This year, looks like af355d39aa everyone’s lucky except me.”4a6077bdced97a4f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley