(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Side story- 6 Years ago Kellen and the Captain part 1

Kellen Woods knew that this might be his last chance to make it big.

He knew that coming to the front lines was going to be a big deal, and that it was going to be hard, but he didn’t think it would be this hard.

Cursing under his breath, he did his best to pack up his sleeping bag quickly, ignoring the way it didn’t fit into the tiny bag even after he’d folded it several times. He could hear the snorts and laughter behind him from the other Field Guides but he didn’t pay any attention to them.

It didn’t matter that he was sleeping outside since his tent had collapsed two nights ago. It didn’t even matter that he was pretty sure someone had cut a hole into his sleeping bag last night and that he’d shivered as soon as the sun had gone down. None of that had mattered.

That was because today was the day. He was going to get that damn contract. Because if he didn’t?

He wouldn’t be able to remain on the front lines anymore.

It’d been nearly four months since his last contract. He’d been here for nearly a year and still people didn’t give him contracts that often. He had to fight tooth and nail to get the scraps other Field Guides wouldn’t take. That usually meant more dangerous contracts.

Ones that could result in death if one wasn’t careful. Ones where the Espers he would be in charge of would be a little too handsy. It was already hard given that his compatibility rating was so low, and he was C Class Guide, but the others weren’t making it any easier for him.

His teachers had warned him. He hadn’t come in unprepared, but damn it, it was worse than even they had said. He’d hidden the fact that he was a Woods as best as he could. Made sure that whenever a higher up Esper or Guide was around he was gone, especially if it was someone like his Uncle Tom, who was the head of the D.E.C.

The D.E.C. practically ran the area. If word got out that some no name C Class Guide knew the head Esper in charge? Kellen could already imagine how bad his treatment would get. Forget slashing his sleeping bag, they might even just beat him to near death and toss him into a gate.

If you paid someone enough, they would turn the other way. Kellen had already seen it happen plenty of times.

It was because there were no Guilds around to regulate the gates. No Espers powerful enough to strike fear into the hearts of the power hungry Espers who resided here. Kellen talked a big game, but Uncle Tom rarely came here, and most of the Guides here were B or C Class. A Classes wouldn’t dare to come here until they were with a Guild.

The front lines could promise riches, but that was only if you were an Esper? The Guides who came here?

Well, they usually had a death wish. Kellen wouldn’t deny that it wasn’t an option for him, but he just...he’d needed something different.

He’d spent too long having everyone either looking at him with pitying looks, or with anger. Why was it his fucking fault that he was a C Class? He’d never asked for it. He just wanted to be normal. Fit in. Why did everyone get mad at him when all he’d done was been born?

They should take it up with his fucking parents if they were so mad about it!

Plus, it wasn’t as if every Esper and Guide pair had kids who awakened! They should be fucking counting their blessings that another Guide was born to help their fucking Espers. La de fucking da.

Another cog in the machine. That’s all Kellen felt like back home.

So, as soon as he heard about Field Guides, Guides who were in charge of Espers in a different way beyond spreading their legs to make them happy, he’d jumped at the chance.

Kellen didn’t dare to dream that he was going to find a pair out here. Hell, did he even want a pair when all the Espers out here were fucking crazy? They all treated guys like him as dirt too. They only wanted girls to guide them, which also shot down his chance of getting contracts.

It disgusted him, and some of the other Field Guides had even suggested partnering up with a girl to get contracts, but Kellen would never do that. He wasn’t going to-to pimp out another human! That was fucking disgusting.

Kellen tightened the drawstring on his sleeping bag before attaching it to the bottom of his bag. Pulling the straps around, he put the bag on his back and gave one last look over his little camp. Everything was tidy, neat. If someone else wanted to use it while he was away, they could.

"Where do you think you’re going, newbie?" One of the other Field Guide’s called. She was sitting at a fire with another Field Guide, both in the same black garb as Kellen. Both had flasks in their hands, and cruel smiles on their faces. Kellen’s grip on the strap of his bag tightened.

"They’re doing another general contract call. For a new Guild." Kellen told them and they both laughed.

"You think you have a chance?" They asked, and the other one hit her arm.