A few hours before Yerena’s accident, Duncan stared intently at the white parrot entering through the open window.

“Did you deliver it well?”

With a ‘pong!’ sound, the parrot transformed into a man.

The man’s identity was Evans, with his impressive silver-gray hair resembling the parrot’s white feathers.

“Yes. I delivered the jewel and the message well.”

“Then will she come to write her resignation letter today?”

“She might. After going through that chaos during the day, she might be even more averse to the guide job.”

Duncan nodded.

He had also been briefed about the battle that took place during the day.

That battle where four dragon-kin appeared simultaneously at the Pandora Forest gate.

It was the first time since the appearance of the gate that four dragon-kin had appeared at once.

Perhaps because of this, there were quite a few casualties and injuries.

Duncan, who heard about the terrible situation in real-time, even considered going to Pandora Forest himself.

In the midst of this, Benjamin appeared with impeccable timing.

That powerful esper who could single-handedly destroy an empire if he wanted to.

If Benjamin hadn’t appeared at the end of the battle, all the espers at the center might have been annihilated.

It was horrific just to imagine.

Fortunately, with Benjamin’s appearance, all the dragon-kin were eliminated, but there was another problem.

What if later, five dragon-kin… or worse, ten appeared simultaneously?

Would they be able to eliminate them all then?

“…This is really serious.”

An attractive wrinkle formed between Duncan’s brows.

Although he had unwillingly taken on the heavy position of center director, he didn’t want to handle things carelessly like the previous director.

Duncan wasn’t a person overflowing with love for humanity, but he wanted to protect the center and the ability users, and by extension, the empire.

‘To do that, we need to utilize Benjamin, who defeated an S-class monster single-handedly, even more…’

But Benjamin was arrogant, unpredictable, and did as he pleased.

He was a wanderer who hardly listened even to the emperor’s words.

Since coming to the center, Duncan and Evans had been agonizing over how to keep Benjamin tied to the center.

And that agony didn’t end in vain.

“Evans. What happened to that woman I mentioned?”

Evans replied with a bright expression.

“Fortunately, it seems we’ll be able to bring her to the center soon.”

“The compatibility test?”

“We’ll need to do an accurate test after she comes here, but… based on a preliminary test, it’s expected that she’ll be a good match for the Allen Knights.”

“Ah. That’s good.”

“She might even become a more suitable guide than Guide Yerena.”

Duncan let out a sigh of relief.

The ‘woman’ he mentioned.

That woman was the clever solution to bind the wanderer Benjamin to the center.

She would not only control Benjamin but also all the troublemakers of the Allen Knights.

Duncan couldn’t forget the moment he met her in the Philia Islands, where he had stopped by on a trip before taking office as the center director.

That woman had an atmosphere similar to the Philia Islands, famous for their coastlines. A calm and relaxed atmosphere, you could say.

Her golden hair, like sunlight breaking on golden waves, fluttered gently in the sea breeze, and her smiling eyes resembled the curves of waves.

She was so bewitching that everyone who passed by chance turned to look back.

It goes without saying that she was beautiful.

More than that, what surprised Duncan was the fact that her appearance resembled someone.

‘Diana…?’

That woman had an appearance identical to Diana, the saint of the three troublesome men of the Allen Knights.

Duncan couldn’t help but recall Diana, whom he had seen at a party long ago.

Diana. Even he, who rarely showed his face in social circles, knew of that sickly noble lady’s renowned talents.

Her fairy-like appearance played a part, but she became even more famous because of her close relationship with Baron, Lambert, and Benjamin.

Because she was the only woman who could control the three willful men that even their parents couldn’t handle.

As if enchanted, Duncan followed the woman who resembled Diana and found out her identity.

In the process of discovering her personal information, he also learned the surprising fact that she was a late-manifesting guide.

Her existence hadn’t been reported in time because her manifestation was so late.

Duncan had been preparing to recruit that woman to the center as soon as he became the center director.

If she would come to the center, and become the guide for the Allen Knights, she could control the three men who were like unbridled colts doing as they pleased.

And those preparations were nearing their final stages.

“Now it’s okay even if Yerena leaves the center.”

Duncan sincerely hoped for her happiness. Quite sincerely.

Because he knew better than anyone how Yerena had been treated at the center.

“But you know. I heard today that Benjamin asked Guide Yerena for guidance and kissed her?”

“Lies. Don’t say such nonsense.”

“It’s true. That’s why the center is in an uproar.”

It was an impossible thing.

Benjamin had never shown even a speck of interest in Yerena.

He was even less interested in guidance. Benjamin was a monster who didn’t need guidance after all.

Duncan thought there must be some misunderstanding…

Then suddenly, he thought of someone who would react sensitively to that rumor.

“Don’t tell me Rosie came to the center too?”

Evans’ head moved up and down without a moment’s hesitation.

“Damn. There’s going to be a commotion.”

“Right?”

“Will Yerena be okay?”

“It might be dangerous this time. It’s a kiss after all.”

If only that woman wasn’t the daughter of a duke’s family, we would have banned her from entering the center long ago.

But if Rosie heard the kiss rumor, Duncan thought Yerena might really be in danger.

Rosie might even try to kill Yerena.

“Let’s go.”

Duncan rose from the sofa where he was sitting.

“…To Guide Yerena?”

“Yes. Our little one is in danger.”

“……”

“We can’t let anything bad happen before she even starts her business.”

Duncan stretched out his long legs forward, and Evans quietly followed behind him.

‘Master. You’re strangely passionate about matters related to Guide Yerena.’

Evans found it curious that Duncan showed such enthusiasm for matters related to Yerena.

The two men, having left the study, asked the center staff about Yerena and Rosie’s whereabouts.

The fact they learned was truly shocking.

“…What? Guide Yerena was dragged away by Lady Rosie? And towards the cliff?”

Moreover, the atmosphere seemed quite serious, they said.

Why didn’t anyone stop them?

Were they all too busy watching out for Rosie?

Duncan had an ominous feeling. A feeling that something bad was about to happen.

His body moved before his thoughts. Duncan started running out of the center.

It was uncharacteristic behavior for Duncan, who usually disliked running and had the nickname ‘the gentleman who doesn’t run’.

***

Duncan’s sudden appearance and his golden eyes were scrutinizing my appearance in detail.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Damn! To think someone would throw a person off a cliff.”

“I’m fine. Please calm down.”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now? My center employee almost died!”

“……”

Did this man always care so much about his employees?

I saw Duncan in a new light. He might be quite a decent person after all.

“But how did you know I fell here?”

“That’s……”

“No… never mind. You came at a good time, I was about to go see you.”

I’m not sure how Duncan found me.

As the center director, he probably knows well what happens in the center.

I didn’t want to resent him for not stopping Rosie’s misdeeds despite knowing well.

Duncan’s circumstances weren’t important to me right now. Only my circumstances mattered.

I took out the resignation letter I had carefully kept in my bosom.

“I will be leaving Chelsea Center as of today.”

It was the perfect time to quit.