Chapter 93: Consultation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Consultation (2)
Do Han-seong, the instructor for Class B, was in the middle of holding interviews with his students in the counseling office.
Class B was a class with a wide gap in skill levels.
With students ranging from the bottom to the top of the entrance exam rankings, it was nothing short of a headache for Do Han-seong.
While he didn’t refuse requests from scouts, he was, at heart, a professor who wanted the best for his students’ futures.
That was why he had stayed up all night organizing each student’s career path and potential recommendations.
It was more mentally draining than physically.
“Please send in the next student.”
As he finished speaking, the door opened quietly.
A student pushed it open and stepped inside.
Cheon Yeo-wool.
She was the student with the hottest name on campus these days.
Having been promoted to the youngest official Saintess, she was one of the next generation’s top prospects, showing immense potential.
In fact, the word “prospect” was becoming an understatement.
Do Han-seong briefly glanced at her file on his desk.
“Hmm…”
In cases like this, there was often little for an instructor to say.
“Your written test scores have improved significantly. I hope you’ll continue to work on this area.”
Her written exam scores, which had been close to zero during the entrance exam, had risen considerably.
“For the Holy Method, intuition is important, but a solid foundation in basic theory is what keeps you steady in a real fight. Other than that… what can I say? You’re doing exceptionally well. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“…Thank you.”
Cheon Yeo-wool quietly bowed her head.
“As for your future, I assume you’re thinking of The Cult?”
The only offers she had received were from The Cult. It would be big news if she wanted to go anywhere else.
And even if she did, the instructor had a duty to guide her back toward The Cult as best he could.
Cheon Yeo-wool blinked for a moment, then nodded.
“Yes. For now, I believe The Cult is the most suitable path for me.”
An expressionless face.
Sometimes, it was impossible to know what she was thinking.
She had a completely different feel from the previous Saintess, who had always shown a benevolent side.
Of course, that was just a difference in personality. He could accept that.
“Well, I don’t have much else to say. You’re doing too well. Please continue to work hard.”
Do Han-seong organized his papers, looked up, and concluded the meeting.
Cheon Yeo-wool bowed politely and rose quietly from her seat.
And then, the next student.
The one who opened the door this time was Kang A-rin.
Another top-tier prospect, back-to-back.
Do Han-seong casually scanned her face.
Dark circles under her eyes, which were slightly swollen.
“……”
Looks like she hasn’t been sleeping well.
In any case, there was truly nothing he could do for Kang A-rin.
Conduct, personality, grades, and even her career path—she was a perfect student in every respect.
“Student Kang A-rin… I don’t have much to say to you, either. Are you having any difficulties?”
“Difficulties… No. I’m not.”
Kang A-rin stood up expressionlessly and walked out like a zombie.
“What was that about…”
The next consultation was with Yu Hana.
She was one of the students who had garnered the most attention in the team battle of the recent Exchange Match.
As a result, countless organizations and guilds were now sending her offers.
Do Han-seong turned his smart pad around to show her.
“This is a list of the offers that have arrived for you so far, Student Yu Hana.”
Lotus, Cheongpung Sect, Bloomsgarden. Not only were there top-tier domestic guilds, but also prestigious international ones.
Among them, the Cheongpung Sect was the organization run by Yu Hana’s own family.
However, as far as Do Han-seong knew, the family head, Yu Mujin, was not the type to forcibly hold his daughter back.
He seemed like the kind of man who would let Yu Hana choose her own path freely, if that’s what she wanted.
“By any chance… do you have a career path in mind, or a particular organization you’d like to join?”
Perhaps because he’d been meeting with so many high-achieving students in a row, he felt at ease.
If underperforming students had such high aspirations, he would have had to give them a dose of harsh reality, but this student wasn't like that.
Yu Hana, sitting before him, seemed to be contemplating.
She had a classic, traditional air about her, exuding the feel of a child from a noble house.
After a moment’s hesitation, Yu Hana opened her mouth, her expression serious.
“I… want to be a wise mother and good wife.”
“Pfft— You what?”
Yu Hana’s completely unexpected answer almost made Do Han-seong spit out the coffee he was drinking.
What kind of answer is that?
His mind went blank for a second.
At the same time, a private conversation he’d overheard between his fellow instructors a few days ago flashed through his mind.
‘Professor Kim, what on earth are you supposed to do with a student like this?’
‘Why? What’s wrong?’
‘She’s one of my students… Her grades are good, her background is solid, and she’s a great archer, but her career goal is… just absurd.’
‘What did she say?’
‘Her dream is to be a wise mother and good wife.’
‘Pahaha! Seriously?’
‘She said she wants to have as many kids as possible. It made my head spin…’
Do Han-seong hadn’t been part of that conversation, but the content was so striking that he remembered overhearing it.
He never imagined he’d have a student like that in his own class.
He was about to ask again, but then he saw Yu Hana’s expression.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her face was earnest and her gaze was unwavering.
This was no bad joke.
“Um… I… see. Understood.”
It was baffling, but if the student was sincere, he had no choice but to respect it.
Just as he was about to wrap things up, a question slipped out of his mouth.
“Excuse me… if that’s the case… is there already someone you’ve… set your heart on?”
“Yes. There is.”
“Ah… I see…”
Do Han-seong rubbed his face with his hands over and over.
Organizations, guilds—none of that mattered.
She had already decided on the direction of her life.
He quietly closed the file and spoke calmly.
“That concludes our session. Please… continue to work hard.”
Yu Hana quietly stood, offered a parting bow, and left.
Do Han-seong leaned back lightly in his chair and sighed.
A wave of dizziness washed over him.
The next student was… Yoon Chae-ha.
Oh, boy.
A magician this time.
And like most magicians, she was anything but ordinary.
He had a feeling this would be tiring, but an interview was an interview.
The door opened, and Yoon Chae-ha walked in.
“Hello.”
“Yes. Student Yoon Chae-ha.”
The Magic Tower had recently made her a public offer with the highest level of treatment for a prospect.
It was tantamount to declaring, “She’s ours.”
As a result, other organizations couldn’t even approach her.
Besides, he knew that Yoon Chae-ha herself had frequently interacted with the Magic Tower.
He was about to get straight to the point, but…
“Um… Instructor.”
“Yes.”
“Is it… by any chance, possible for me to join the Vanquisher?”
“The Vanquisher.”
“Yes.”
An unexpected question. Do Han-seong paused for a moment.
Then, he slowly organized his thoughts.
The conclusion.
It’s possible.
The Vanquisher was known for being exclusive and having strict recruitment conditions, but Yoon Chae-ha was more than qualified.
Furthermore, considering the upcoming on-site experience, a point of contact could be made.
“Here is the relevant material. It’s an experience program scheduled as part of an upcoming school event.”
Yoon Chae-ha calmly accepted the document.
She flipped through it, asking a few brief questions, and Do Han-seong quietly offered advice in response.
She was, surprisingly, the type to take such advice quite well.
“Thank you.”
Yoon Chae-ha bowed her head and left.
Contrary to his expectations, it had been a very normal interview.
It was a different feeling from the string of bizarre consultations he’d just had.
Feeling his sanity return, Do Han-seong asked the teaching assistant to send in the next student.
It was the last one.
The name was…
Jung Hae-in.
Do Han-seong raised an eyebrow slightly.
Fitting for the last one, he was the most interesting student of all.
*
Most of the students, including Cheon Yeo-wool and Yoon Chae-ha, had finished their counseling sessions.
“What did you guys talk about?”
I asked Cheon Yeo-wool and Yoon Chae-ha, who were sitting next to me.
Yeo-wool was already affiliated with The Cult and had no reason to go anywhere else, but Chae-ha was a different story.
“He just praised me for my written scores improving. Said I should keep working hard since my future is already set~”
“That’s good.”
Cheon Yeo-wool’s weakness was the written exams, and the fact that the professor pointed it out meant he must have had an inkling.
I nodded and looked over at Yoon Chae-ha.
“What about you, Chae-ha?”
A little while ago, she had dropped a bombshell about wanting to join the Vanquisher out of the blue. I wondered if her counseling session was about that.
Yoon Chae-ha answered nonchalantly.
“Same as what I said before.”
“Really?”
Just as I was about to continue the conversation, the teaching assistant came in through the front door.
“Student Jung Hae-in~ You’re next~”
“Okay.”
I got up from my seat and headed to the counseling office.
In front of the office door.
Knock, knock.
I knocked lightly.
“Come in.”
It was Do Han-seong, the instructor for Class B.
We exchanged silent nods, and I sat down.
He flipped over a page in his file and spoke quietly.
“Student Jung Hae-in… you currently have no rank, but…”
He turned the document around and showed it to me.
“Frankly, your potential is already predictable.”
Before I could say anything, he got straight to the point.
“Where do you want to go?”
He picked up a pad next to him.
Then he turned the screen toward me.
Spread before my eyes was a bidding status screen.
Under the title “Bidding Match,” my name was surrounded by a dense list of numbers and guild logos.
And the official offers were just a bonus.
“From the midterm exam to the Exchange Match, you’ve produced truly outstanding results.”
Do Han-seong continued in a calm tone.
“When a student like this, a first-year no less, is still unaffiliated… it’s impossible not to be interested.”
And this was before my identity as Mukgui had even been revealed.
“So, all you have to do is choose.”
Do Han-seong’s tone was composed, but the meaning behind his words was crystal clear.
“You’ve only just enrolled as a first-year student… but surprisingly, you’re in the position to choose.”
I stared at the pad’s screen and thought for a moment.
The problem was… I hadn’t really decided where I wanted to go yet.
The Old Man from the Vanquisher always used to say:
‘It doesn’t matter where you go.’
It wasn’t just something he said; he truly meant it.
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t want me to join the Vanquisher, but…
He wouldn’t be disappointed in me even if I chose a different path.
The second option was Glory.
I had made a sort of formal promise with Kang A-rin there.
But she probably wasn’t taking it seriously either.
Besides them, there was the Hero Association, the Cheongpung Sect, and major overseas guilds.
The list was long.
So long it was dizzying just to look at the names.
But I still hadn’t decided.
In fact, I remembered procrastinating on a similar decision 10 years ago.
You can only know which place is best when you actually get there.
My indecision must have been written all over my face, because Do Han-seong let out a short laugh.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind. Of course, there’s no reason to decide right now.”
He picked up another document from the side of his desk and quietly pushed it in front of me.
“In that case, how about experiencing it for yourself?”
“Experiencing it?”
Do Han-seong nodded.
“It’s an official school event coming up soon. It will be conducted in various ways, including tours, simple practical participation, and observation of actual missions.”
I slowly opened the document.
Inside, a row of familiar names was listed.
Glory, Arcadia, Lotus, the Association, Cheongpung Sect, Vanquisher.
And besides those, the names of countless other guilds and organizations.
I stared at the document in silence.
On-site experience.
It was a well-designed system among Gaon’s school programs, allowing students to experience famous organizations firsthand.
This experience, scheduled right before the final exams, was also used as a tool to motivate students.
In that sense… the timing was perfect.
I closed the document and said simply,
“Sounds good.”
Experiencing it for myself.
When a decision is difficult, that can be the most reliable basis for judgment.