‘Jinjijo Transportation’, which means ‘One’s own life is one’s own responsibility,’ is a transportation company that has grown rapidly in recent years.
To explain the background of the emergence of the transportation company……
In the Eldora Empire, a thing called ‘Gate’ suddenly appeared 100 years ago.
And through the gates, monsters from other worlds appeared. Unexpectedly and irregularly.
With the appearance of monsters, some chosen citizens of the Empire started to exhibit special abilities.
These individuals with extraordinary abilities like telekinesis, clairvoyance, enhancement, and movement were called ‘Espers,’ and those who healed them from the side effects of using these abilities were called ‘Guides.’
Guides healed Espers through guiding.
Guiding was done through physical contact like holding hands or embracing, and the more intense the physical contact, the greater the effect.
The reason for the success of ‘Jiinjijo Transportation’ was this.
To transport guides who needed to be physically moved but lacked the ability to teleport, an Esper with teleportation abilities made it possible for them to move without an Esper.
On the outskirts of the Elodra Empire, there was the Philea Institute.
The first branch of “Jijinjijo Transportation” existed there, facing the sea.
I was in charge of the branch as the branch manager.
As darkness began to fall on the coast, I lay on a sunbed with a clear view of the sea, enjoying the summer breeze.
With work and love both seeming to be going well, my heart was at ease.
People should live while enjoying such tranquility.
“The more you look at it, the more beautiful it is.”
“The sea is truly beautiful the more you look at it.”
I lightly tapped my toes.
Lying on a sunbed facing the azure summer sea, enjoying the swaying summer breeze, with no worries about tomorrow.
It felt like being in heaven.
At that moment, Marco, who was asked to bring iced coffee, approached me.
“Master! Here’s your coffee.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Congratulations on today’s successful contract. Master is kind-hearted, good at work, and even beautiful, truly remarkable.”
I gently stroked Marco’s curly hair.
Marco, a local from the Philea Institute, or one might say, a boy from the countryside, looked so innocently charming.
Marco was a trustworthy employee at our branch.
“Even if it’s just empty words, thank you.”
“It’s not just empty words! I’m so curious about what the Master did before you became the branch manager. Probably something amazing that I can’t even imagine.”
“…….”
What did I do before that?
Under the merciless trio of Alan Knights who didn’t care about my human rights, I worked like a dog to pay off my parents’ debts.
Recalling that time sent shivers down my spine after a long while. Those were days of the past that I never wanted to return to.
“Did nothing happen while I was at the viscount’s?”
“No, nothing happened. But, uh, we don’t have much work… Should we promote our services to let people know about us?”
“No! There’s no need to promote.”
“Of course, I’m really happy that the deal with the viscount went through, and I believe our business will thrive without a doubt… But, still, our branch won’t go under, right?”
Marco asked very cautiously, so as not to hurt my feelings as the branch manager.
“Don’t worry, Marco. There’s no chance of this place closing or failing.”
Because I, the real head of “Jijinjijo Transportation,” was right here.
As the ultimate authority, I had no intention of pulling out of here. I didn’t say that part and took a sip of my coffee.
“Master! I admire and follow you. You’re really reliable. Hehe.”
I smiled back at Marco. It was then that I noticed something in Marco’s hand.
“But Marco, what are you holding?”
“Oh! It’s a newspaper. I was reading it before you came. I accidentally picked it up while rushing to deliver the coffee.”
“Can I read it too?”
“Of course! Here.”
I briefly set down my coffee and accepted the newspaper Marco handed me.
“Master, there’s a very interesting article here. Would you like to see it?”
“An interesting article? What’s it about?”
“It’s about the most famous trio of Espers in Chelsea Center! It’s related to their former guide who passed away in an accident.”
If it was about the former guide who supposedly died in an accident, it was probably about me.
I was the guide to the three most famous men in Chelsea Center.
And to quit that job and escape to Philea Island, I had to fake my death.
Marco flipped through a few pages of the newspaper and pointed to the article he had read.
「The truth is not what it seems, they still can’t forget her」
The contents of the article I read were almost nonsense.
In the capital, the three Espers who had tormented me lamented my death.
“Could it be that the three most famous Espers mourned the late former guide? What do you think, Master?”
“Mourn? Ridiculous!”
Memories of the various hardships I had suffered from the three men flooded back, and I couldn’t help but shout.
“Huh?”
“Ahem. It’s nothing.”
“Was was name Yerena? Could she possibly still be alive?”
Oh, innocent Marco. The person you’re talking about is right in front of you.
“I don’t know.”
“…….”
“Marco, why don’t you head back to the branch for now and call it a day. I’ll finish reading the newspaper and head back to the lodge.”
Marco seemed to sense my reluctance to talk about the subject. He replied with just a nod and didn’t say anything else.
“See you tomorrow then!”
After bowing his head in farewell, Marco started running towards the branch building.
Once he was completely out of my sight, I muttered to myself.
“Why can’t they just leave the officially dead alone.”
Please, act as you did in the original. I wished for them to forget about me, an extra like me who deviated from the original.
I couldn’t understand the Espers of the Allan Knights and was confused.
If I truly meant something to them, they should’ve treated me well when I was there.
All I experienced from them was persecution, exploitation, and threats.
‘But they’ll never find this place.’
With all traces of myself erased, I was secluded in this remote area.
Their chances of finding me were close to zero because they knew nothing about me.
They wouldn’t even know the fact that my “real ability” led to the success of the transportation business.
I stretched out on the sunbed and continued reading the newspaper.
When the day became completely dark, I planned to return to my lodge.
Shooaah, shooaah.
Amidst the only sound of the waves rushing in on the beach, I heard someone’s footsteps.
Before I could turn around, someone stood in front of me.
The identity of that someone was the nameless man whom I had frequently encountered lately. The hem of his robe flapped slightly in the night air.
The man stood tall, but his shoulders seemed somehow slumped.
Though his face wasn’t visible due to the hood, the man didn’t seem in a good mood.
At that moment, he reached and pulled the hood back.
Soon after, a handsome face was revealed that seemed to glow in the darkness.
That perfect face that once you look at it, you can’t look away for a while.
It was a face I…… knew.
I knew who he was.
“……!”
H-how did you find this place?
I was frozen to the spot, not even thinking about running away.
A sense of tension gripped my body, which had been relaxed until then.
As my eyes slowly closed and then reopened, the man was approaching.
He looked down at me with eyes as cold as a winter iceberg.
Not a hint of laughter touched his lips as they moved ever so slightly.
“Yerena.”
Yerena.
The name I thought would never be called again was right in my ear.
Since fleeing here from those three men, I had never been addressed by that name.
Beautiful face aside, this man’s hands were cruel.
The man’s identity was one of the “three most famous Espers in the capital” that Marco had mentioned incessantly.
And out of all of them, he was the most difficult person to deal with, the one I least wanted to encounter.
