Chapter 7: Praise

It was a peaceful morning.

Outside the window, the streets bustled with people on their way to work, but my counseling office felt like another world, quiet and still.

It was so peaceful I had nothing to do.

I tapped my fingers on the empty morning schedule.

As expected, there wasn’t a single private counseling appointment.

It was understandable. As I’d thought yesterday, it couldn’t have been easy for them to come all this way.

Of course, this lull would only last until the end of the week, so I decided to enjoy it while I could.

After a brief rest, I got back to my real work.

‘What is the most important virtue for a mental health counselor?’

Empathy? Insight?

Those are important, but not the most essential.

The most crucial element is aftercare.

A patient who walks through the counseling room door has a greater than ninety percent chance of coming back.

It had been the same at the Haetae Guild.

I had a reputation for being a good listener, and many of my coworkers came back to talk to me again.

A counselor is fully responsible for their patient throughout the entire period of their treatment.

And I believed it would be the same for Ja Hwa-yeon.

She didn’t seem to have any mental illness, but that wasn’t the only reason people came here.

She would probably come back sometime next week, or maybe even this week.

“Let’s see…”

Just because a session ends doesn’t mean my work is done.

Preparing for the next session meant gathering information was the priority.

To understand the inner world of an ordinary person, you have to rely solely on their words.

But hunters are different.

Hunters are public figures, subject to more gossip than even celebrities.

Internet forums, fan cafes, even academic papers analyzing their combat footage…

If you were determined enough, you could find a wealth of information about them.

I typed something into the search bar.

[ Hunter Gallery ]

On the Earth I came from—Entropy Earth—I remembered that online forums didn’t have the best reputation.

But it was a bit different here.

This was a gallery for fans who analyzed and researched hunters.

They hid behind the mask of anonymity, but there were some surprisingly impressive people mixed in.

I knew for a fact that actual hunters used it, too.

It was an open secret that officials from the guilds and the Association were lurking there.

I wouldn’t normally look at it, but right now, I needed help.

Hundreds of posts, sorted by most recent, filled the screen.

[Title: Recent Candid Photos of Jin Se-ah, Who Apparently Got Her S-Class Rank With Her Face]

I was curious, but this wasn’t it.

I casually ignored the post and scrolled down.

Finally, I found a post with an interesting title.

[Title: Analysis (?) and Summary of the Recent Azure Sky Alliance vs. Demonic Cult Relationship.]

I clicked it without a second thought.

[Author: Anonymous] [Views: 452,314] [Likes: 3,371]

Seeing the Azure Sky Alliance and the Demonic Cult fighting again, so I figured I had share what I know.

As you all know, back in Jungwon, the Azure Sky Alliance and the Demonic Cult were at each other’s throats.

But the Demonic Cult forces that came over here were so much weaker than the righteous factions that they were apparently getting completely steamrolled.

The problem started when Ja Hwa-yeon, the Heavenly Demon’s daughter, came over.

She used her legitimacy and martial power to unite the scattered Demonic Cult.
That’s when the balance between the Azure Sky Alliance and the Demonic Cult started to even out again.

But here’s the real problem.

The Heavenly Demon herself has stated that since coming to this world, there’s no need for hostility with the Azure Sky Alliance.

However, the faction with the real power is the one that keeps provoking the Azure Sky Alliance and instigating conflict.

So maybe that’s why there’s been some friction lately?

Anyway, just take this as my personal analysis.

And that’s how the post ended.

Who was this person?

To the uninformed, it might have seemed like just another interesting post.

But it was remarkably similar to the intelligence I had heard back when I was with the Haetae Guild.

He called it a personal analysis, but its accuracy was uncanny.

It felt like it was written by an insider who really knew what was going on.

The comments pointed this out, too.

ㄴ Carlson: This is too detailed. You an insider?
ㄴ Anonymous: nah im not
ㄴ Carlson: Say “The Martial Alliance Leader is a son of a bitch.”
ㄴ Anonymous: fuck off

Is he really with the Azure Sky Alliance?

Nah, probably not.

Wondering if there was any more information to be had, I scrolled down the comments.

ㄴ Anonymous: personally i think the alliance leader is better than the heavenly demon, the heavenly demon is too much of a flat ch-

That was enough. It didn’t seem like there was anything more to gain here.

I was lost in thought for a moment.

“She’s going to come again today, isn’t she?”

Not next week. She would probably be here soon.

I got up from my seat and headed to the empty kitchen.

I had a feeling I had need to bake some more brownies.

I preheated the oven and took out the dough I had left to rest in the fridge.

Just as the sweet scent of chocolate began to fill the office…

Click.

As expected, the door opened.

I greeted her with a calm expression, as if I had been waiting.

“Welcome, Heavenly Demon.”

Standing at the door was Ja Hwa-yeon. She did her best to appear nonchalant, but she couldn’t hide the excitement and pride brimming just beneath the surface.

A window appeared above her head.

[Ja Hwa-yeon]

[Main Stance]
[She believes what she has done is incredibly grand and praiseworthy. She wants to be rewarded by you with appropriate praise and the exact same black confection she ate last time.]

I smiled and ushered her inside.

“I knew you would come, so I was preparing some refreshments.”

At my words, her eyes widened in surprise.

She quickly returned to her sharp gaze from before, letting out a small cough.

“You’re quite perceptive for a mere physician.”

I placed a freshly baked, steaming brownie on a plate and set it on the table in front of her.

And then, I said nothing.

It was more important to hear her speak first than for me to initiate.

I had to let her boast about her own achievements in her own words.

That would bring her the greatest joy.

As expected, Ja Hwa-yeon was the first to break the silence.

“I wish to speak of my great deed.”

“I have been waiting.”

As if satisfied with my answer, she stuffed a large piece of brownie into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out like a squirrel’s.

Then, she mumbled triumphantly with a muffled voice.

“I appoin’ed Geumgang to the Ten Demons.”

“……”

For a moment, I had to decipher her coded words.

‘I, this sovereign, have appointed Geumgang to the Ten Demons.’ That must be what she meant.

And somewhere along the way, her manner of referring to herself had shifted. She was using the royal ‘I’ of a sovereign. She was beginning to recognize herself as a true ruler.

“An’ I gave ‘im the vacan’ Righ’ Protec’or posi’ion, too.”

‘And, I entrusted the vacant position of Right Protector to him as well.’

A good decision. As the Right Protector, Geumgang would keep the Left Protector in check and maintain balance.

She gulped down the brownie, then looked at me with expectant eyes and grinned.

“What do you think, Physician?”

Like a child begging for praise.

“The Left Protector is no longer my sole deputy. The military and financial authority he held has been split in half and passed to Geumgang.”

“Is this what… no.”

She stopped mid-sentence and corrected herself.

“Is this the ruler you expected me to be?”

I gave a satisfied smile and nodded slowly.

“Excellent, Your Eminence.”

At my answer, the corners of her lips twitched faintly.

A new system window appeared above her head.

[Optimal Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 100%]
[Mention that she reminds you of the previous Heavenly Demon.]

I had considered saying that myself.

I was worried it might be crossing a line.

Apparently not.

Without hesitation, I fanned the final flames of her pride.

“The previous Heavenly Demon would likely have made the exact same decision you have.”

At those words, her eyes wavered again.

In that moment, her transparent, glass-like mask seemed to melt away.

I didn’t miss that fragile opening and continued my praise in a soft voice, as if soothing a child.

“You are already doing more than enough.”

“No ruler is perfect from the start. Just as you are doing now, you simply need to set the Cult right one step at a time, in your own way. So please, do not be too hasty.”

“I… see…”

At my reassurance, she nodded like a child who had been completely put at ease.

For her, the validation of someone who understood her must have been the greatest comfort.

However, a counselor’s role isn’t just to lick wounds with kind words.

After a moment of silence, very carefully…

Instead of throwing cold water on her, I tossed a small pebble.

“However, Heavenly Demon… this might not be the end of it.”

At my words, the satisfied smile on her face hardened ever so slightly.

“The Left Protector… is he the type of man to back down so meekly?”

I asked as if I were purely curious.

She scoffed at my question.

Like an adult listening to a child’s worries.

“Do not worry, Physician.”

She said confidently, setting down her teacup.

“The Left Protector has had his claws pulled. Without my permission, he is powerless to do anything. He is probably reflecting on his foolishness right now. His past loyalty couldn’t have been a complete lie, so all we need to do is watch and wait.”

“…I see.”

I didn’t argue further.

There was no need for me to shatter the young ruler’s naive faith right now.

Urging her to persecute the Left Protector further would be crossing a line.

Besides, the world would soon teach her its lesson.

A single betrayal, experienced firsthand, is a far more effective teacher than a hundred words of advice.

Ja Hwa-yeon was young.

And there was one fact she was overlooking.

People say that people don’t change, but that’s only half true.

People do change.

And especially if it’s for the worse.

“So, that’s enough talk. Bring me more of these confections.”

“As you wish.”

Taking my silence as agreement, she once again demanded dessert with the confidence of a child.

I smiled lightly and handed her a newly baked brownie.

It was best she ate her fill of sweet things now.

Because the reality she was about to face might be a bitter one.

Before long, Ja Hwa-yeon would certainly come looking for me again.

With a face far sadder than the one she wore today.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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