Chapter 17: I Think “Teacher” Would Be Fine, Too

My mind raced, working furiously in that brief moment.

Before me sat a single rabbit, her heart on the very verge of opening.

This was the conclusion I reached: I would play it by the book, like a model counselor.

Unless another option had a significantly higher satisfaction rate, there was no reason to choose it. There was no need to take a risk.

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 80%]

[Would you be willing to tell me anything? Whatever is on your mind, it doesn’t matter what it is.]

I settled on the first choice.

And in that very moment…

[Are you sure you wish to proceed?]

What the hell?

It had been a long time since I’d seen a confirmation message from the System. It was something that used to pop up occasionally back when I was still clumsy with my ability, mostly when I was dealing with Jin Se-ah.

It was as if it were tempting me, testing me. There’s a much easier and faster way. Are you sure you want to take this hard road?

What was I supposed to do? This one had the higher satisfaction rate…

Yeah, I’m sure.

Once it confirmed my decision, the system window vanished.

I focused on Luna, who sat before me. I looked gently into her red eyes and began to speak.

“Would you be willing to tell me anything? Whatever is on your mind, it doesn’t matter what it is.”

In response, Luna remained silent for a long, long time.

She wrapped both hands around the latte mug on the table. Then, very slowly, she took a sip. A white mustache of milk foam clung to her upper lip.

For a second, I was reminded of Ja Hwa-yeon, and an impulsive urge to reach out and wipe the foam away rose within me. I fought it down, tightening my grip on my own teacup.

She set her mug down and, gazing at the distant scenery outside the window, quietly opened her mouth.

Her voice… was remarkably calm and composed.

“In the Empire… there are three things that are loathed and despised.”

Luna continued speaking softly, as if reading from a storybook.

“The first are the vulgar martial artists… who rely solely on brute strength instead of the noble power of magic.”

“…”

“The second are beasts and livestock… who cannot speak and exist only to serve their masters.”

Her voice seemed to tremble ever so slightly before regaining its composure. She took a small breath before continuing.

“And… the last…”

Luna’s gaze finally shifted from the empty space outside the window to me.

“Are beast-humans like us, who possess both of those traits.”

Her voice was empty, dispassionate. That was the first story she chose to tell me about herself.

I simply met her gaze without a word.

“……”

But even as time passed, Luna couldn’t seem to continue. She lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers, looking hesitant.

Guiding the client to open up is also part of a counselor’s job. I decided to open a small path for her, one she could walk down on her own.

“I’ve heard that in the Empire, the ability to use magic is a sign of one’s bloodline, proof of nobility.”

At that, Luna nodded cautiously, a self-deprecating smile on her lips.

“That’s right. In the Empire, using magic is a sign of bloodline, proof of nobility.”

She carefully lifted her hand from the table and opened her palm.

Fwoosh!

Particles of light began to gather in the air above it. They intertwined and tangled, forming a small, cute magic circle.

Luna gazed down at the magic circle on her palm with sad eyes and whispered, “This power… is something I never should have been able to use.”

A beast-human who possessed the power of a noble. It was the greatest contradiction, one I could never find an answer for, even after reading all those papers.

How on earth was it possible for her?

“But despite being a beast-human, I can use magic.”

Then, as the magic circle faded away, Luna began to confess the reason.

“…Because I’m not a pure beast-human.”

Not a pure beast-human?

I looked into her red eyes.

“My father… no, the Count, was the proud heir of an Imperial Count’s family. My mother was his most cherished rabbit beast-human maid.”

That fleeting moment when she called him ‘father’ before hastily correcting herself to ‘the Count’—in that instant, I caught a glimpse of the long agony she must have endured.

“We… that is, my twin sister, Elice, and I…” She paused for a moment. “Are half-breeds, born between the Count and his maid.”

“So… we were beings who should never have been born in the Empire.”

That was the first part of her story. Having delivered her testimony, she was like a prisoner awaiting sentencing, her head bowed, perfectly still.

I answered swiftly.

“No.”

[Luna]

[Main Stance]

[She has confessed all her sins and is awaiting your judgment.]

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 100%]

[Impress upon her that her very existence is a blessing.]

“That’s not true at all.”

I raised the corners of my mouth into a smile and quickly picked up the tablet beside me. It was to play a video—unofficial data I had scraped from the Association’s database last night in preparation for this session.

This video contained the raw, unedited record of an incident.

When the screen lit up, it showed the devastating scene of a city district, half-destroyed by a rampaging gate. Flames and smoke billowed, punctuated by the screams of people.

And through that pandemonium, a white figure and a black figure shot across the screen like flashes of light.

It was Luna and Elice.

The Luna in the video was a different person from the one I knew. Without a hint of hesitation, she cut down monsters with efficient movements and rescued a small child from the debris of a collapsing building.

The scene changed, and the rescued child appeared, sobbing in their parents’ arms as they were interviewed. The video even included an unaired interview the Association had prepared for a press release.

[Reporter]: Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?

[Child]: (Sobbing) I was so scared… but then, a white angel appeared… and saved me! When I grow up, I’m going to be a cool hunter just like Luna!

The child in the video was crying, yet they wore the happiest smile in the world.

Luna stared at the screen, as if she had forgotten how to breathe. Her red eyes were trembling uncontrollably.

Without a word, I scrolled down. There were endless videos. Luna herself might not have known it, but she was a diligent hunter who was always the first to appear at a rescue scene.

The next video.

[Student]: Luna… thank you so much….

And the next.

[Woman]: My child… thank you so much for saving my child…. How can I ever repay this kindness….

Every video was filled with heartfelt gratitude directed at her.

“To these people, your very existence must have been a blessing.”

Hundreds, thousands of voices were calling her a hero.

“…Is this… real… truly?” a small, trembling voice, almost inaudible, escaped her lips.

“Yes, of course. It’s all real.”

At my answer, the video ended, and her stunned face was reflected on the dark screen of the tablet.

“This is the first time… I’ve ever seen this. I never even thought to look for something like this…”

“It seems so.”

“I just assumed… I assumed everyone here hated me, too. Just like in the Empire… that they’d call me a beast… an abomination… so, so I…”

Her words dissolved, no longer forming sentences as they scattered amidst a burst of tears.

So, was Luna’s counseling session easily resolved?

Not quite.

She had only just revealed a wound that had been festering for a long time. Considering Luna’s habits, for her to share a story from deep within herself was by no means a common occurrence. The very act of opening that door was part of the counseling process and today’s achievement.

And of course, it wasn’t over. Her fundamental problem remained unsolved. The counseling would probably be a long process.

To check her condition, I activated the System.

[Luna]

[Main Stance]

[She is experiencing a joyous confusion that is diluting the ghosts of the past that once shackled her. Before you, a new ‘reason for being’ is taking shape.]

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 80%]

[Grab her shoulders ‘strongly’ and ‘tightly’.]

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

?

What the hell is that all of a sudden?

The atmosphere is so gentle, why on earth…

But as I looked closer at the status window, I noticed something different. Below the first choice, a line of text was flickering with static, as if folded over.

I focused my mind on that strange part.

Open.

At my command, the folded option slowly unfurled, revealing its hidden content.

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 80%]

[Hand her a tissue and give her time to calm dow—]

Right, this is it. This is the correct answer.

But before I could even finish reading the sentence…

Fzzt.

The normal option that had just appeared vanished as if it were burning away.

And in my vision, the first, bizarre option had changed again.

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 80%]

[Grab her shoulders ‘strongly’ and ‘tightly’ while whispering in her ear, ‘Aren’t you underestimating yourself?’]

It was about time I did something; I couldn’t just wait indefinitely for her crying to subside.

Now, there was only one choice floating before my eyes. All other paths had been erased.

Well… my ability had never led me down the wrong path before, so I had no choice but to trust it for now.

There must be a reason for it…

I rationalized it to myself and steeled my resolve. I carefully reached out to her. My hands touched her shoulders, which were trembling faintly with sobs.

It was in that moment.

[Tighter.] [Satisfaction Rate: 110%]

Is this thing fucking insane?

It really seemed to have lost its mind today.

Luna’s shoulders trembled in my grasp and went rigid.

She looked startled, her tear-streaked red eyes looking up at me. I didn’t avoid her gaze; I met it head-on.

“Luna…”

I held her gaze and continued.

“Aren’t you underestimating yourself a little too much?”

And with those words, I gave a faint smile.

At my actions, all of Luna’s reactions ceased. The sobbing stopped, the trembling in her shoulders stilled. She was like a rabbit caught by the ears, simply staring up at me blankly.

After a long silence, her lips parted, ever so slightly.

“Counselor… sir… um…”

She seemed to be searching for the right word, then asked in a small voice, “What should I… what should I call you?”

The client was asking the counselor to decide on a title for her to use. Normally, the choice of address is up to the client. The fact that she was even asking this was proof of how considerate a person she was.

I was about to give the choice back to her with a light smile.

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 90%]

[Teacher]

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: 50%]

[Counselor]

[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate: ??%]

[Master]

…….

Now it was even giving me unsolicited advice on what to be called.

And that last option…

Something was just really off with it today.

I chose the option with the highest satisfaction rate.

“You can call me whatever you’re comfortable with, but…” I paused for a moment, meeting her eyes. “I think ‘Teacher’ would be fine, too.”

At that, Luna looked up at me and, very cautiously, raised the corners of her mouth. The muscles in her face, always stiff with tension, seemed to have found their proper function for the first time in a long while.

It was the first time I had ever seen her smile.

“Yes… Teacher…” Luna murmured softly.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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