The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

”Miss Aisha, they’re staring again.”

Daisy glanced at the potted plant where two people wearing a doctor’s coat were standing.

”Ignore them,” Aisha told her. ”They’ll stop when they’re satisfied.”

”But, why are they following you?”

”Hm, I wonder?”

Aisha sounded like she was curious as well, but she never glanced at the doctors watching her. Daisy couldn’t fathom what her young lady was thinking.

”Look at this, Daisy.” Aisha happily called out, pointing her finger at the tiny worm wriggling on the artificial leaf. ”Isn’t it adorable?”

Daisy looked down on the little worm and fell silent. Although her loyalty called for her to agree with Aisha’s words, she felt a bit conflicted about her spiritual beast.

When Daisy first saw it, she had no thoughts other than being extremely happy for her young lady. But after seeing Aisha interact with it and spending more time observing it, she couldn’t help but have opposite thoughts about it.

When Aisha said it looked cute the first time, Daisy seriously stared at it. Other than looking small, it didn’t look cute at all. But for her young lady’s happiness, she could only praise the tiny worm.

”Yes, Miss Aisha. It looks adorable.”

”Just like me, right?”

Daisy: ”...”

”Right?”

”...”

Aisha teased, ”Daisy, when you’re with me. Don’t lie, okay?”

Daisy looked at her young lady and was slightly dazed.

Like most guides, Aisha possessed a delicate and fragile beauty. Her porcelain skin was as flawless and cool as fine jade. But her striking, grey eyes made her look sharp and quiet. Her features were gentle, and her every move was graceful, seemingly without making any improper movements.

Even as everyone claims they hated her, no one can possibly dislike that beautiful face, right?

”They left.”

Daisy turned in the direction where the doctors were and saw that they weren’t there anymore. It seemed that they left, realizing that they weren’t going to get anything from her.

Thinking about their strange behavior these past few days, Daisy thought about reporting it to the Novalis family. Even if the hospital was backed by the royal family, it shouldn’t be so blatant about its actions towards a female patient.

Just as she was about to tell Aisha about her plan, she saw her young lady taking out her terminal. A deep frown appeared on Aisha’s face.

”What’s wrong, Miss Aisha?”

Aisha squinted at the terminal, her face expressionless, showing no emotion. She simply read the message she had just received from a recipient registered under Imperial Star Academy.

It was a notice of impending dismissal.

It summarizes what the cause of this notice was—her attempt of taking her own life. They want an explanation from her and demand that she immediately report to the academy for behavioral disciplinary action. If she fails to show any changes and improvements in one month, they will be forced to banish her from the academy and restrict her spiritual core.

Daisy waited patiently beside her. Seeing Aisha’s prolonged silence, she sensed something was wrong. But she couldn’t just peek at her terminal and see what she had just read.

”Daisy, can you find the nurse for me?” Aisha stood up from crouching on the ground, cradling the artificial leaf in her palm, where the tiny worm wriggled. ”I need to talk to her urgently.”

”Are you in a lot of pain?” Daisy drew her eyebrows in worry.

She didn’t appear hurt, but Daisy was filled with concern for Aisha.

”I’m fine. Just go, Daisy.”

Once Daisy left, Aisha stared blankly at the tiny creature in her palm.

”They said they’ll take my spiritual core.”

The worm-like beast didn’t move.

Aisha caressed its smooth and soft body with her finger.

”Then we won’t be able to see each other.”

She stared at her spiritual beast. For a second, it didn’t move. Then, suddenly, it squirmed and wriggled, antennas wrapping around her finger possessively. Tiny silvery lights formed across its tiny form, flashing intermittently, as though protesting yet couldn’t find the strength to do so.

She chuckled at that.

Losing her spiritual core was a heavy punishment. It meant being unable to use her guiding ability, and she could no longer summon her spiritual beast. As a guide, this was like losing her arms and legs. Her purpose in life will be taken from her, and only when they think it’s the right time will they return it.

Aisha’s soul could live without a spiritual core, but not this body. Once her spiritual core is restricted, who knows what kind of effect it will cause on her soul as well?

Besides, this little creature was starting to grow on her.

It didn’t manifest when Aisha Novalis was still alive, but with her.

In other words, this creature belonged to her.

Aisha had no intention of going back to her room just yet. She waited for Daisy and the nurse to arrive while staring at the sky.

Suddenly, the tiny creature on her palm stopped wriggling. Her expression also shifted, eyes moving toward the trees on her right.

Nothing was there yet, but that dangerous and suffocating sensation filled her.

She glanced away, looking in the direction where Daisy had disappeared. It will be a while before her maid arrives with the nurse. So, it’s fine if she went to look around, right?

Her instinct kicked in immediately the moment the sensation returned.

It came from just a few feet away from her, right behind a tree. Her instincts screamed for her to get out of there. And most of the time, she followed it and survived numerous dangerous situations.

But she didn’t do it this time.

Strangely, her mind was open and calm. The danger signs that raised their flag just now were being forcefully pushed down by something far more powerful. It came with the want to reach out to this ominous feeling that was coming from that tree.

Whatever it was, it was calling for her.

One step. Two steps. Three...

Her feet took her to that spot, hidden by the tree.

Behind it was a man half-lying against the tree, a hand on his bleeding stomach. His face was unclear because of the dirt and blood covering it. But his bloodshot eyes looked feral, raking over her as if a starved predator eyeing prey.

It did not look like the gaze of a human gazing at another human.