(BL) Hunting The Field Guide Chapter 230: A pair’s duty

After Rhys had set down the Esper, and the door had been closed, it was clear that she was very uncomfortable. Kellen had a few guesses as to why, but planned to just ask her outright what it was.

There was no use guessing in this situation when he needed her help.

Esper Blake looked very nervous, and was glancing between the other three people in the room. The Captain’s expression was basically unreadable, while Gwen kept herself near the door. Her happy-go-lucky expression had fallen into a serious one, and when she glanced at Kellen’s unsmiling face, it looked as if Esper Blake was resigning herself to her fate.

"Esper Blake, is there sothing wrong? You went white when you saw ." Kellen asked, and Blake blinked. It was clear she was shocked by the question, and how genuine Kellen was being.

"S-Sothing wrong?" She gave a confused look to the Captain, who shrugged.

"I’m curious as well, so don’t look at for clarification." The Captain said, and Kellen watched as Esper Blake seed even more confused. Her mouth opened and closed several tis, and Kellen gave her the ti to gather her thoughts. They had so wiggle room, and he had a feeling that it was needed for her. Rushing her didn’t seem to be the right call.

Worrying her fingers, she finally gathered her voice. "A-Aren’t you mad at ?" She asked softly, and Kellen frowned. Shifting his weight, he leaned against his cane more, an ache deep in his thigh.

"Mad at you? Why would I be?" Kellen asked, confused, and she swallowed. She looked away from his gaze, her expression grim.

"I...I failed. I was supposed to protect you and-" Kellen waved his hand, halting her words.

"Hold on. What on earth have you been worrying about for the last few days?" Kellen shot a glare towards the Captain. "You are supposed to check in on your teammates, even if a serious situation happens. Did you forget to check on Esper Blake?" The Captain gave Kellen a hopeless look.

"Kellen, you’d been shot. Do you think I would have had the presence of mind to do so? I told one of the lieutenants to make sure that everyone was okay. I don’t even rember who." Rhys defended himself, and Kellen sighed, closing his eyes. He shook his head. He couldn’t get mad at the man. He couldn’t even say that he wouldn’t have reacted the sa way, or would have neglected his people too.

It was just unfortunate that she’d been left with these thoughts for even a mont.

Shifting, Kellen moved towards Esper Blake until he was in front of her. She looked nervous, and ready to dart at any sign of danger. Kellen knew that Rhys wouldn’t let that happen, and nor would Gwen. Well, she would try and that was the important part.

"Blake, you did an exceptional job protecting ." Kellen told her, and watched as her jaw tightened.

"No I didn’t. You-"

"Who in their right mind would have anticipated being shot in front of the D.E.C.? Hmm? Who? We’ve been extrely lucky as a city that the groups that affect everyone else hadn’t gotten to us until now. If we bla ourselves, or each other, that ans we aren’t going to get the ones who are in charge of this incident. We’ll be too busy beating ourselves up to deal with the true people responsible." Kellen’s words were firm, and he ant them.

He did not bla Blake. If anyone was to bla, it was him, and he’d saved his Father. He was not going to let anyone else speak badly of the situation in this way. Even if it was to themselves. He’d gotten the best outco he could given the situation. That was all that mattered. It had to be.

"But I was hired to protect you, Esper Woods! And neither I, nor anyone else realised you’d also been hurt!" She protested and Kellen let out a hard, joyless laugh.

"Pardon for saying so, but when does anyone realise when Guides are hurt unless it’s obvious?" Esper Blake’s face fell, her expression dropping in the face of Kellen’s dark humour. "It’s alright that you didn’t notice sothing so trivial. I didn’t notice it, and everything worked out alright. You did everything you could given the situation, and I was also the one who sent you away at a critical ti. If anyone is to bla, it’s , and I’m already paying the cost." He gestured to his cane. "So why are you trying to pay for sothing you don’t need to?" He asked, his words serious.

Esper Blake was at a loss, unsure what to even do. She glanced at the Captain, and realised that was the wrong decision. The man was pissed, and it was clearly about what Kellen had said. Kellen hadn’t noticed it, since he was busy watching Esper Blake, and Blake glanced back at Kellen, her eyes wide.

"I-It was my job, and I-" Kellen sighed, disappointed.

"Esper Blake, you have a good future ahead of you. Do not let this one incident ruin you. We were targeted, maybe one, maybe both, but that bellies the question. Who? Who wanted to harm us? If we keep going in this circle, this is more ti we waste not finding out who that ’who’ is. So, are you going to let them win in the end even though both of us made it out alive, or are you going to focus all that energy you were previously putting into self-doubt and worry into sothing positive? I have great hopes for you, Blake, and I know that you can overco this. You just need to overco this...roadblock you gave yourself. I didn’t even give it to you, and as the one who was shot, I feel like I have so rights here." She was floundering in the face of Kellen’s words.

He wasn’t taking no for an answer, and he was more than happy to throw himself under the bus to get her to stop.

"I...Guide Woods, I know that you’re telling all this to try to encourage , but I-"

"You’re a great A Class Esper, who I am sure that the Captain has great use for. I should do this at the bare minimum since soone else neglected getting to you first. This kind of stuff if left on the front lines can fester and lead to soone getting into an accident. Usually you, if I’m honest. They get this damn hero complex, and put themselves in danger to protect the people who were hurt in the first place. I do not want that on my conscience." Kellen told her, and the Captain nodded when Esper Blake looked in his direction.

"He’s right. Trust Kellen on this. I know you aren’t inexperienced, Blake, and you are a great Esper. From the fact that most of the lieutenants work closely with you, and we all watch out for your growth, you an a lot to this Guild. You did not fail the mission I gave you. You did everything you could given such a strange situation. Who in their right mind would think to try to assassinate the new pair of the Captain of the Saturn Guild? Or any of the Woods’ family? You did a great job, Blake." Blake’s eyes watered, and she dropped her head.

Everyone ignored the sniff, and the way she quickly wiped at her eyes.

"I...I’ve never felt so panicked." She admitted softly and Kellen’s shoulders softened. "I never want to feel that out of control again. It was...I felt like I let everyone down." Kellen moved closer to her, and grabbed her shoulder. Yanking the quietly crying Esper forward, Kellen wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close for a fierce one ard hug. Esper Blake seed surprised at first, before she relaxed into the hold.

"You did everything right, and it is a scary situation. It’s been...a long ti since I was last shot at like that. You never get used to it." Kellen admitted softly, patting her back. "It’s not sothing one should get used to. You didn’t let anyone down. My Dad will say the sa thing." Kellen comforted her, and her shoulders shook as she sobbed. Kellen just held her.

She needed to know he was okay, and that no one blad her. He couldn’t watch soone so good and pure be ruined because of an action that happened to him. And it was a price he had to pay. A price to pay to ask her to help him by potentially putting herself into danger again.

"It’s always scary." Rhys added, placing his hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze from the other side. "But you did a wonderful job keeping everyone safe, Blake. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this earlier. If you hadn’t been there...who knows what else could have happened." It was clear that she was overwheld by them, and that was okay.

This was what they were supposed to do. They were supposed to be the family that she did or did not have. And Kellen would be damned if anyone in the Guild blad themselves for sothing like this.