Chapter 9: Sole Volunteer
Damien stared at Lane in silence, his brows furrowed.
Lane interrupted him in the middle of his speech. Such behavior would be disrespectful toward anyone, let alone someone of a higher rank. It wasn't that Damien was angry or anything, however - he was never personally offended by such actions. In fact, he would have a much stronger reaction if it was someone else being treated in a rude way. He simply cared a lot about propriety.
But it was also because he was such a stickler for the rules that he didn't say a word. He never scolded anyone who wasn't his subordinate - he believed it wasn't his place to do so. He would at most point it out if someone violated any of the laws or regulations, but when it came to the lack of manners or inappropriate behavior, he would always refrain from commenting.
If, however, the lecturer wanted to reprimand Lane, or even give him some punishment, Damien wouldn't intervene. Lane was currently in his class, after all. Therefore, he had enough authority to do so.
Lane couldn't help but smile widely, meeting Damien's gaze directly. He could tell exactly what his former Team Leader was thinking.
But that was him - having worked under Damien, he was familiar with his personality and habits.
The same couldn't be said about the lecturer, who was glancing between the two of them, licking his lips nervously. He was a mere E-ranker. As if he'd dare to do anything in the presence of an S-ranking Esper… Not to mention, the person who needed to be scolded was an A-ranker. Although Lane was a newbie, and therefore his position was technically as low as it could be, the lecturer knew all too well which one was more valuable to the Association. Getting on the wrong side of someone who was bound to become an important person definitely wouldn't be a smart move.
Even though - or perhaps especially because - they were both Guides.
So, in the end, after a short staring contest, Damien let out a sigh, breaking the stalemate. "You will be entering dungeons."
Lane lifted his brows, tilting his head. "I know!"
Wasn't that just mentioned a minute ago?
"We might encounter monsters. It could be dangerous."
"I am not afraid!" Lane bit his lip, trying to hold back a chuckle.
His behavior only caused Damien's frown to deepen. "This is serious," he pointed out.
And he immediately received a cheery response. "I am serious!"
But, despite his words, Lane sounded anything but serious.
Once again, silence fell in the lecture hall.
"We may allow you to skip the training, but you will still need to pass the exams." After a moment had passed, Damien tried a different approach. "Completing the Basic Guide qualifications is essential to be legally allowed to take on any work as a Guide."
He was clearly trying to deter Lane from taking on the job.
But how could that discourage Lane? He smiled, his eyes turned into crescents. "That's easy!"
Damien looked at Lane seriously. "To join the team, you need to be a member of the Association."
"But I am!" Lane announced excitedly, a wide grin on his face.
A loud crash sounded on his right, as the guy sitting next to him dropped the bottle he was holding. Some of the drink spilled on his shoes, but he didn't even seem to notice, as he was too busy staring at Lane with his eyes practically bulging out from the sockets.
Lane just flashed him a charming smile, before turning back to Damien, whose frown seemed to have deepened even more. At this point, his brows were drawn together so tightly, that they were just a tiny bit away from touching each other.
"You… are?" he repeated slowly, as if he found Lane's words hard to believe.
"That's right! I signed the contract right after the registration!"
Damien stared at Lane in silence yet again, completely stumped. It was as if he was met with a wall. Whatever he threw at him, it just bounced right back.
In a last desperate attempt, he glanced around the lecture hall. "Any other volunteers?"
But he was met with deathly silence. It seemed that all the trainee Guides present froze completely, to the point of even holding their breaths, afraid that they might catch Damien's attention and be asked to join.
Lane couldn't help but smirk. Everyone's reaction was understandable. They were only newbies, and Guides at that. They didn't know what the inspections Damien mentioned entailed. They just heard 'dungeons', and that was enough to scare them away.
That was part of the reason why Lane rushed so much to offer himself. By not giving Damien a chance to explain things properly, he immediately reduced the possibility of having any competition for the job.
Eventually, Damien had no choice but to give up. He closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath as he held back a sigh, before turning to face Lane yet again. "What's your rank? And name?"
"Noah Murray, an A-rank Guide, at your service!"
This time, Damien wasn't able to stop a quiet sigh from escaping him. If Lane was a low-ranker, he would still have an excuse to reject him. But an A-rank Guide… was exactly who he needed for his team.
Lane leisurely leaned back in his chair, fully satisfied with himself.
Initially, he didn't intend to join Damien's team again. Any other team that enters the dungeons would suit him just as well. And seducing Damien was currently out of the question - considering that the man's mental state didn't seem to be at its best, a casual sexual affair wasn't a good idea. He was just too likely to get emotionally attached, which would be quite troublesome.
But, an opportunity to skip class didn't happen often, so how could Lane possibly be willing to miss on that?
In the end, Damien had no choice but to give in and accept Lane, despite his clear disapproval of the man's attitude. Lane already knew it would happen - if Damien had any better options, he wouldn't seek newbie Guides who had only just started their Basic Training. Which was why he didn't even try to make a good impression in the first place.
"…Murray, was it? If you're certain that you want to do this, pack your things and follow me."
Lane didn't have to be told twice. He grabbed his bag and rushed to the front, skipping down the stairs. The guy he was chatting with earlier gave him an envious look as he did so - he also wanted to leave… He was almost on the verge of asking to join.
But, in the end, the perspective of having to join the Association discouraged him from doing so. He simply watched in silence as the door closed behind the two men, after which their unbearably boring lecture resumed.