The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 217: The Deal

Despite how wild and chaotic Diana normally appeared, she could be extremely efficient and straight-to-the-point if she wanted to. And thus, Lane was in for a surprise when the very next day, he got called into Cyrus’ office, where his grandfather, father, and mother were all waiting...

And Diana. His grandmother was there as well. Sitting on a throne made from toppled over furniture, and sipping her tea with her pinky extended, her hair wild and her clothes even more so, she appeared to be the calmest and most composed person in the room, even with all the eccentricities.

Truly an inspiring figure (at least as far as Lane was concerned).

"Sit down," Miles said, pointing at the sofa. Or, at least, what remained of it, as half had been crushed by one of the bookshelves. "We need to talk."

Those words never bode well. But, after tossing a quick glance at Diana, Lane found himself calming down. He confidently walked over, and took the seat, facing the three people he hated the most in this world.

"About what?" he asked, as he leaned back on the sofa, curving his lips in a smirk. Or what was supposed to be a smirk, at least.

His rude behavior, however, was completely ignored, as Miles continued in a cold, but unmoved voice, "There have been rumors that you would like to leave the Allen family."

’Rumors’ as if Diana had stormed into the mansion and said it, probably. Not that Lane’s desire to escape this wretched place was anything new, though, and everyone already was well aware of it, from the family members, down to the assistant gardener who cut the grass.

But that was not the point.

"Yeah, I do want to leave, so what?" Lane lifted his chin defiantly. Although, truth be told, he did consider revealing his power (or at least a part of it) to his parents, to secure a better life for himself, even if that would involve STAYING, and working for the Allen Guild... Why would he resign himself to becoming the Allens’ tool, when he had a way out now?

Miles’ brows furrowed slightly, and he narrowed his eyes, staring straight at Lane for a long while... Or at least for what felt like a long while to Lane. Then, he exchanged glances with Cyrus, and once he received the confirmation to go ahead - after all, while Miles was the one leading the conversation, Cyrus was still the head of the family. The final say belonged to him - he turned back to Lane.

"Alright. You will be allowed to leave, under certain conditions. First of all, you cannot let anyone know you are related to our family."

Lane nodded his head in agreement. That much was expected. He was hidden from the public for years now, and even most people at school didn’t know he was related to THE Allens. At best they thought he was some distant relative they were taking care of because of some circumstances. So why would now be any different?

"Second of all," Miles continued, "You are not allowed to engage in any Awakened activities."

"What?!" Lane shot up from the sofa, losing his calm.

To which Miles only slightly lifted his brows. "Why are you so agitated? I thought you didn’t want to go on dungeon raids? You’re just an F-ranker, you won’t be able to achieve anything anyway."

Lane turned around, looking back at Diana, but his grandmother was still sipping her tea, perfectly undisturbed. She already knew it before, it seems.

Well, from her point of view, she was doing Lane a favor, no? With his supposed rank, every trip to a dungeon could result in his death. He couldn’t even feel betrayed about it now, as he was the one who decided not to share the truth with her...

But saying it out loud now, even in private, was too risky. The Allens were not idiots. They might realize that something was off if he insisted on removing this condition, and the deal might fall through...

Thus, the only thing he could do was to press his lips tight and sit down.

"Does that mean I won’t be able to have personal relationships with any Awakened?" he asked, trying to come up with an excuse for his reaction. "You might not know, but I have some friends who are Awakened... Friends and more..."

"...We have no intention of intervening in your personal relationships," Miles said in response, his voice still perfectly cold and unmoved. "As long as they are private. You can’t attract any media attention by dating someone high-ranking. Which brings us to the third point: You cannot seek any job that would cause you to appear in any media, traditional or online."

...So, occupations such as a model or an athlete were out of the question, huh? Not that Lane was surprised, but...

"In fact, it will be best if you don’t work at all," he added a moment later. "You don’t have any useful skills or talents, and your grades are abhorrent, you can’t possibly hope to have a decent career. We will provide you with funds to live, so there is no need for you to seek out any employment. Isn’t that the best solution for everyone?"

Lane remained silent for a while, just staring blankly at his father. Well, that settled everything... And his father wasn’t exactly wrong... But to be summed up this way...

Still, he quickly dismissed all the thoughts, and asked, "How much is this ’funds to live’?"

"More than you will be able to spend."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," Miles confirmed.

Well, the Allen family was not short on money, so he was probably right.

"Okay then. When can I move out?"

"We will arrange a suitable apartment for you. It should be ready by the end of the week at the latest."

"Great!" Lane stretched his lips in a wide smile, and stood up, about to leave. Before he managed to reach the door, though, he felt an overwhelming pressure descend on him...

...Or not? There was some pressure indeed, but it only made him feel uncomfortable and tight, a bit weak in the knees, and with his breathing quickened, but that was all. It wasn’t so overwhelming, as it used to.

He really got stronger, huh?

However, to maintain his F-ranker pretense, he fell down on the floor, as if he wasn’t able to take it. "Wha... What..." he muttered, pretending to be unable to talk.

"This is a warning," Cyrus spoke for the first time since Lane had entered the room. "We might have let you leave, but if you break any rule, you will suffer heavy consequences."

That last sentence was probably directed at Diana, since she was the one who arranged this whole thing in the first place, after undoubtedly putting some ideas in Lane’s head.

But Lane was unaffected. He was no longer afraid of the Allens. What could they do? Try to kill him directly this time?

He just waited until Cyrus’ ability was withdrawn, before scrambling up and fleeing the office, pretending to be scared.

And only two days later, he was ready to leave. All packed up, with a driver waiting for him to take him to his new apartment. He stopped in the entrance hall for a moment, turning around to take one last look at the place, letting it all sink in, that he would never have to come back here again...

Then, his eyes met Nyla’s, who was standing at the top of the staircase.

They stood for a long while in silence, just staring at each other. Neither saying anything, or making any move.

Until finally, Nyla lowered her head, avoiding Lane’s gaze.

...Of course.

Lane scoffed, and turned around, finally leaving that wretched place.