11. Parents Have Your Back (?)

You glanced at Saichi Itoshi. He remained calm and composed, showing no awareness that he should have returned the other person’s belongings.

You measured his height with a gesture… but decided it wasn’t worth the trouble to snatch the earphones back.

You shifted your body slightly, trying to escape this awkward sandwich; but the hand Itoshi Saichi had lightly placed on your shoulder suddenly tightened its grip. Caught off guard, you stumbled into his chest and accidentally stepped on his foot.

Itoshi Saichi’s expression remained unchanged; he didn’t look down at you, who felt as if a thousand needles were pricking your back.

You: ……………

Noticing your attention was drawn to Itoshi Saichi, Caesar’s displeasure became visibly apparent.

A sentinel suffering from separation anxiety is particularly sensitive to anything related to their guide. Even though he had taken medication to ease his symptoms, seeing that intrusive hand resting on the girl’s shoulder caused a crack to form in Caesar’s otherwise steady composure.

Caesar cast a warning glance and spoke a phrase in German before swiftly reaching out to brush away the sentinel’s glaring hand.

Itoshi Saichi reacted quickly, twisting your shoulder to the side and back slightly, while catching Caesar’s hand with his other hand.

“You should have taken your medication, right? If you’re on meds to suppress it, you shouldn’t be here.”

He gripped Caesar’s arm tightly; their veins bulged and muscles tensed, the tension escalating dangerously.

Caesar muttered something else, his gaze dark and menacing.

You sensed it was not anything pleasant.

“No matter how high the compatibility, you’re still not legal.”

“…………”

Itoshi Saichi’s face remained expressionless, but you were stunned by his cutting remark.

...Please, Itoshi Saichi, stop! Can’t you see his expression is murderous?

Though you had never witnessed a sentinel fight, you had no doubt these two were on the verge of combat.

Help! You just wanted to get to dinner quickly.

“Is this matter not settled yet?”

Suddenly, someone called your name. It was the voice of Shinba Eshin, coming from a speaker at the entrance.

All three of you turned toward the sound, and you smiled, feeling rescued.

The dark camera lens, like Eshin’s own deep black eyes, seemed to gaze at you with immense power at this moment.

In the next second, Shinba Eshin’s image appeared on a nearby screen.

“…………”

Wait, this is a Blue Prison project out in the wilderness—why is there a giant screen right outside the door…

Eshin crossed his hands calmly beside him and, with a cold demeanor, halted the confrontation between the two sentinels.

In just a few words, he persuaded Caesar to back off and explained your identity—exclusive guide for the Blue Prison project. If sentinels have other needs, they must follow official procedures.

...You had the feeling this wasn’t only meant for Caesar.

Yet, you felt a sense of security, as if grasping the support of a powerful protector. With Eshin backing you, you straightened your posture and apologized to him:

“I’m very sorry. I didn’t know sentinels suffered from separation anxiety. I’ll find a way to return the earphones to you!”

Shinba Eshin then looked at Itoshi Saichi.

“Itoshi Saichi, if there are any issues, you can contact me. She will need to undergo more professional guide training; there isn’t much time for casual visits.”

His words were blunt and unapologetic.

You couldn’t help but glance at Itoshi Saichi. He remained unfazed—or rather, as usual, he looked at the man on the screen with a trace of disdain.

“I understand.” He casually brushed off some nonexistent dust on his clothes, his tone cold. “However, if I ever need a guide for my matches, the Football Association won’t care about these rules.”

After all, the compatibility scores were right there.

The Football Association had never been optimistic about Blue Prison; the opportunities gained could be revoked at any moment. Not to mention, if Itoshi Saichi needed a high-compatibility guide from Blue Prison to prepare for matches mid-season...

Shinba Eshin understood perfectly—this was a thinly veiled threat. After all, Blue Prison was preparing for the U20 tournament he was involved in… a blatant attempt to poach guides.

Caesar nearby felt even more bitter.

Despite his higher compatibility, due to international complexities, there was no sentinel law that could offer him full legal protection.

He put his sunglasses back on, hiding the terrifying glare that was about to explode with rage.