(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 269

Chapter 269: Side story- 6 years ago Kellen and the Captain part 4 Chapter 269: Side story- 6 years ago Kellen and the Captain part 4 He’d fucked up.

He fucked up so bad that he was sure that this was the end of his career here.

Damn it.

He should have learned to keep his damn mouth shut!

Everything had been going so well until the questioning period.  After the little back and forth between Esper Hill and the Captain of the Saturn Guild, Kellen had turned and started drawing out his battle plan.

Kellen had laid out a serious, no nonsense plan about how to tackle the gate that they were wanting to enter, with a play by play for all the monsters that were going to be inside of the gate as well.  Kellen had tracked the patterns, behaviours, and mating seasons of all of the monsters, flora, and anything else inside of the gate.

He could draw charts from memory, and had to reference his notebook a few times as he drew out all the information he wanted to convey.  He didn’t have to refer to his papers too often when it came to the speech, and he felt confident when he was interrupted and asked questions.

He answered them in depth, with research to back his statements, and he felt confident that he’d surprised Esper Hill, and the Captain as he continued.  Even the Guide at the end was shocked.

The only person who wasn’t obviously impressed was Taylor.  It did, unfortunately, make sense.

They’d had a few group projects together in high school.

She would be used to this level of detail from him.  Everything had gone perfectly up to this point.

He could feel that he was reeling them in.

Even if he didn’t get this contract, he was sure he could get something from them later down the line.

Maybe the next one.  New Guilds like this one usually had something else lined up, so maybe they’d consider him for that.

Kellen wasn’t going to get his hopes up considering what Esper Hill had said about the other Field Guide.

But he was sure he had impressed them.  Until the true questions began.  “So, it is clear that you’re quite intelligent, so that begs the question.

Why do you have so few completed contracts under your belt, Field Guide Woods?” The Captain caught Kellen off guard.

He shouldn’t have, Kellen knew he should have been expecting this.  Kellen sighed, his shoulders dropping as he turned from facing the white board, to facing the panel who was judging his fate.  He wasn’t going to get any contracts from them.

He could feel it.

It had nothing to do with Taylor, and everything to do with the smug way Esper Hill was smiling at him.

As if she knew what was wrong with him.  “I have…low compatibility.” Kellen stated, the sting in his chest something he wasn’t sure he could ever get used to.

They stared at him, even Taylor, as if they couldn’t understand what he was saying.  It was only the fellow Guide who seemed to realise what that meant.

His gaze, which had been neutral until now, grew sad.

He pressed his hand against his throat.  “Oh that’s too bad.” He murmured, and the three Espers turned their gazes towards the Guide.

Kellen felt his shoulders rise as he grew uncomfortable.

Damn it.

This was the worst way it could be revealed, but this seemed to be the only way it was ever revealed.  Like it was a damn dirty secret.  “What does that mean, Lieutenant Casper?” The Captain asked, and Kellen tried not to let his surprise show on his face.

This Guide was a lieutenant of a Guild?

That was surprising.

He must be a high Class Guide then.

Good for him.  “It means that even if he was a higher Class, his compatibility is low.

He can’t do high level guiding with others, or, I should say, even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

He’s better off holding Esper’s hands and guiding that way then going further.” Kellen felt his cheeks flush as the truth was spoken.  At least Lieutenant Casper was speaking about it in a nice way.

Others had been…less kind.  “Wait?

Does that apply to everyone?

Ever Esper?” Esper Hill asked.

Kellen swallowed.  “Uh, well, I haven’t tested it with every type of Esper yet, but it appears so.” Kellen mumbled, before he cleared his throat.

“But that doesn’t mean that I’m useless.

I’m good at guiding, even if it is at base level.

Every Esper I’ve guided so far has had a good experience, and I haven’t had any obvious complaints.” He’d had complaints of course, about how he wouldn’t go further, but that was a practical thing.  Like Lieutenant Casper had said, it didn’t make sense for him to guide with more intimate forms when it didn’t make a lick of difference for the level of guiding that they were receiving.  “I see.” The Captain said and Kellen felt dread fill him.

That did not sound good.  Esper Hill sat back in her seat, laughing heartily.  “A Field Guide who has low compatibility?

What on earth are you trying to do?

And a C Class at that?

Jesus fucking christ, why the hell are you even here?

Do you have a death wish?” Kellen swallowed thickly at the way she was speaking to him.

Hold it in, Kellen.

It wasn’t like she was wrong.  The other Field Guides said the same damn thing.

They just didn’t see the value in him.

They were so used to being on the front lines and doing it in a specific way that they couldn’t see any other option.  Kellen clenched his hands tightly.  “While it’s normal to have that kind of view,” he began, and Esper Hill froze at the frosty tone of Kellen’s voice.

“I believe that you have a skewed view of what Guides are.

We are not some sex toy for an Esper’s personal use.

We are people, and even if I can’t provide the same level of guiding as someone like the Field Guides outside, that does not mean I don’t have value.

I doubt that the Guides outside know their exact breaking point as well as I do.

I doubt they would ever be able to understand their powers as well as I do.

I know how many Espers I can manage, at what Class, over how many days if they use their powers over a certain amount of time.

I can calculate that to a decimal point, and know, with confidence, that my margin for error is slim.” Kellen knew he was getting worked up, but he couldn’t help it.  Esper Hill reminded him of the damn pricks who’d tried to push him around when he first got here.

The ones who he’d gotten in trouble for, and black listed by damn near every Guild, because he’d beaten them to a pulp.

How the fuck was he to know that they were rich, powerful babies?  Not all nepo babies relied on their parents once they grew up.

Kellen knew that he got special treatment, but he was doing everything he could to not be like them.

He hadn’t even told his Mom about the fight.  “I won’t ask for an apology.” Kellen said, and watched as her face flushed with colour.

“I don’t expect you to feel apologetic for what you’ve said.

I don’t think you ever will be.

I can’t blame you for growing up the way you did.

Until I awoke as a C Class, I’m sure I felt the same way you did.” Kellen didn’t need to say that things had changed.

They all could see it with their own eyes.

“However, that doesn’t mean that what you said isn’t hurtful, and that you shouldn’t reflect.

I understand that you’re probably quite powerful, and are used to Guides and people of a lower Class than you to shiver as soon as they come in contact with you.” Kellen huffed.  He grabbed his bag and opened it, shoving the things he took out of it into the top.  He raised his gaze, meeting Esper Hill’s wide, brown gaze and he sniffed.  “But I’ve never heard of your name, and as someone who has met their fair share of powerful people, you barely cut it.” Kellen grabbed his bag from the bottom.

Even in his anger, he didn’t forget that it was falling apart.

He bowed, holding onto the bag.

“Thank you for your time.” He didn’t bother saying that he looked forward to hearing from them.

He’d spoken his mind and he hadn’t held his tongue.

All that training to be a ‘good’ Guide, and for what?

He was never going to be a soft spoken, big doe eyed Guide.

It didn’t suit him.  Instead, he was brash, harsh around the edges, and such a fucking idiot he probably blew this shot out of the water.

With his own hands, no less.  Kellen stormed towards the tent flap and heard a chair pushing back.  “Kellen, wait!” Kellen didn’t stop as he heard Taylor call after him.  “You know him?” Esper Hill sounded horrified, and Taylor huffed.  “We went to school together.

Kellen, come on!

Wait!” Kellen tossed the tent flap open, not meeting anyone’s gaze as he stormed out.

The silver haired man’s eyes shot wide as Taylor came out of the tent, huffing, behind him.

“Kellen!

Jesus, I haven’t seen you in two years, can you just wait up please?” Kellen halted, not wanting to make a scene with so many people around, and turned, glaring at her.  “We have nothing to talk about.” He told her, and Taylor seemed genuinely hurt.  “How could you say that?

I’ve been to your house before.

While you’ve been away, I’ve been looking out for your little sister.

Don’t you dare say we aren’t close right now, or so help me, I’ll have Lieutenant Gunther do something about it.” Who the hell was Lieutenant Gunther?  The silver haired man chuckled at the table behind them, and Kellen stiffened as the Captain pushed the tent flap to the side.  “It seems that Esper Green needs to speak with Field Guide Woods for a minute.

Do we have any other Field Guides we need to interview at the moment?” He asked the silver haired man, who Kellen was coming to believe was Lieutenant Gunther shrugged.  “Nope.

He was the last one to register.

We haven’t seen hide nor hair of anyone else.” The Captain chuckled, and Kellen felt his heart race in his chest.

Fuck.

He didn’t sound happy about that, and Kellen felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound he made.

Taylor’s hand on his arm drew Kellen’s attention as she yanked him over to a different tent nearby.  “Come on.

We can chat over here.” She stated and Kellen could feel the gaze of everyone else on him.

Damn it.

He was drawing attention.

This was the last thing he wanted to do.

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS CalyB Kellen has no idea that this is the moment that he first caught Rhys’ attention.

Just a snarky little guy with a broken backpack.