Chapter 18: The Union Guild’s S-Class Black and White Duo
by Meher[Luna]
[Main Stance]
[A sliver of pride in her identity as ‘Hunter Luna’ has emerged. However, this pride is as fragile as a newborn sprout. It must be coaxed, soothed, and carefully nurtured.]
This was a decent outcome.
It seemed I’d successfully cleared the first hurdle.
The operation to boost Luna’s self-esteem, which had been mired in self-hatred and deprecation, was a success, to some degree.
I had planted the seed.
It hadn’t been easy.
My ability was acting up again today.
It had happened a few times in the past, but I thought the issue had naturally resolved itself as my proficiency grew and the System matured.
Was I wrong?
In any case, my throat felt parched. I downed the iced americano in front of me, the bitter liquid cooling my head.
What now?
It was a good time to end the session. If I finished here, she could leave with a positive experience.
But… to be honest, it felt a little uncertain to just let her go like this.
As the System’s message said, the newly sprouted bud of pride was incredibly fragile.
It could easily be broken by the cold stares of the people from the Empire back at her guild, or by the slightest bit of stress.
And once a sprout is broken, it takes far more effort to make it bloom again.
I needed to build a small greenhouse for it—something to shield it from the wind and rain.
Ultimately, the final goal I had in mind for Luna’s counseling was simple.
I had to guide her two identities into becoming one, whole identity.
So, what about the first identity?
What if I tried to strengthen her identity as a member of the Empire?
‘That’s not a good idea…’
I immediately erased the thought. It was a poor strategy, close to the worst possible one.
No matter how much she acted like an Empire noble or tried to follow their laws, they would never truly accept her, a person they scorned as a half-breed. It would be a cruel path, forcing her to run toward an unreachable goal.
More importantly, becoming an Empire noble didn’t seem like a good path for Luna herself.
Their ways would require her to shun martial arts as vulgar and cling only to magic.
But Luna’s strength as a hunter manifested when her martial arts and magic were exquisitely combined.
Abandoning the path of martial arts would be a great loss.
In short, awakening her identity as a member of the Empire was a poor strategy from every angle.
In that case… what about guiding her to solidify her identity as a beast-human?
“……”
Frankly, it was hard to find a downside.
In this world, beast-humans weren’t targets of aversion but rather… objects of affection and popularity.
Alright, let’s go with that.
The moment I steeled my resolve, a window popped up before my eyes, as if it had been waiting.
[Suitable Answer] [Satisfaction Compatibility: 79%]
[How about instilling pride in her as a beast-human?]
What’s with the sudden question?
It wasn’t the usual command-like suggestion, such as, “Do as you always do.”
Was it just my imagination, or did it feel like the System was trying to coax me because I kept ignoring its choices?
To be fair, my own thoughts were similar.
I met her red eyes and opened my mouth.
“Luna.”
At my call, her shoulders gave a faint flinch.
Her vacant gaze slowly focused on me.
“Yes… Counselor.”
So, what methods were there to instill pride in her as a beast-human?
The answer was to make her recognize the strengths of her race.
To see it not as the curse of a half-breed, but as the blessing of the beast-human race.
“You know, the beast-human race seems truly exceptional. At least, from the perspective of an ordinary human like me.”
“What?!”
Luna’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t expected that at all.
“You said that in the Empire, a beast-human’s instincts are scorned as vulgar. But here, those same instincts are called extrasensory perception—the ability to detect an enemy’s killing intent and predict danger to your comrades. It’s a coveted power that only a select few chosen hunters possess.”
This wasn’t forced praise. It was a genuine thought I’d had while recently studying beast-humans. Extrasensory perception wasn’t something you could obtain through effort alone.
“Th-That’s…”
Luna’s pale cheeks began to flush red. I didn’t give her a chance to object and continued.
“That’s not all. The physical strength and leg power that the Empire calls barbaric are, in fact, the ultimate physical abilities that all hunters envy and admire.”
“No… that’s not…”
Faced with my barrage of compliments, Luna just shook her head, not knowing what to do.
Her cheeks were now burning as red as a ripe apple.
And for the finale.
I needed definitive proof that she could see with her own eyes.
“Moreover.”
I picked up my tablet and played a video I had found last night.
[Title: Hunter Elice’s Fan Service After Clearing a Gate]
It was a video that had recently become a massive sensation, setting the community ablaze.
On the screen was her twin sister, Elice, who had a similar face to Luna but a completely different aura.
Unlike Luna, Elice proudly displayed her long, gray ears and fluffy tail. She was surrounded by fans right after a Gate subjugation.
Her popularity was at its peak, enough to make any idol jealous.
Smiling happily, Elice began her fan service by lifting a little girl and placing her on her shoulders.
But the real reason this video went viral was what happened next.
The little girl on her shoulders, out of pure curiosity, reached her small hand toward Elice’s perked ears.
But Elice, without even looking at the child, seemed to have instinctively sensed the touch.
-Twitch, twitch.-
Her gray ears danced lightly up and down, dodging the child’s hand.
When the girl giggled and reached out again, Elice playfully evaded by folding her ears slightly forward.
Twitching left and right, again and again.
At the harmless and adorable sight, not only the fans in the video but everyone watching it went wild.
Watching Luna, who couldn’t take her eyes off the screen, I scrolled down to the comment section below the video.
Most of them were friendly and positive comments about Elice.
I would show her everything. To turn the positive feelings she held into conviction.
“Look, Luna. This is how the people of this world truly see you and other beast-humans.”
I held up the screen so she could clearly see the comments with the best reactions.
However, the moment Luna’s gaze fell upon the comments, her face turned a shade of red that was incomparable to before. Her crimson eyes started to spin, and soon, she ducked her head completely.
Unable to look at the tablet screen, let alone my face, she could only fidget with the hands on her lap, at a complete loss.
“C-Counselor…”
She called out to me in a voice that was trembling and breathy.
‘What the…?’
No matter how I looked at it, that wasn’t the expression or reaction of someone who was moved.
At Luna’s bizarre reaction, I quickly checked the comments she was looking at.
[SD_par]: I wanna grab Elice’s ears and just…
[choi_142]: Gotta breed her…
[aqsx95]: The Union Guild’s S-class black and white duo, stacked on top of each other
[room_78]: Those handle covers look so fluffy
Holy fucking shit.
My face went pale, and I almost instinctively snatched the tablet and turned off the screen.
A cold sweat trickled down my spine.
“……”
“……”
Only silence filled the counseling room.
I really wish I could turn back time. It was a perfect build-up, and I’d spectacularly ruined it with my own hands.
I really should have checked which community it was from first.
It was then.
[BWAHAHAHAHA!!!]
You little shit.
The System before my eyes mocked the situation.
As if to say this was what happened for not listening to it.
It was really going all the way today.
What are you laughing at? This is dead serious right now.
However, along with that boisterous laughter, Luna’s current state was revealed again.
[Luna]
[Main Stance]
[She had thought beast-humans were despised animals here as well, but she has realized that on Earth, they are loved in ‘various’ ways—enough to be treated as sexual objects—and is feeling a strange sense of pride.]
‘…Wow.’
Is this for real?
Luna’s more open-minded than I thought.
Still… what a relief.
It seemed their crude sincerity had managed to reach her.
Was sexual harassment their way of showing interest…? No, that doesn’t seem right.
First, I should apologize.
“I’m sorry. I should have checked it more carefully.”
“…It’s okay.”
The reply was immediate. Luna waved her hands, her face still red.
Then, after a brief silence.
“Um… I… have plans with my sister today… so I should get going… I’ll see you next time, Counselor…”
No longer able to look me in the face, Luna slightly lifted herself from her seat, her voice barely a whisper.
“Ah, of course. You worked hard during the session today. I’ll see… you… next…”
Before I could even finish my sentence, she shot up from her seat and practically fled toward the door.
Her face beet red and her head bowed low, she fumbled with the doorknob before hastily exiting the counseling room.
“……”
I watched her chaotic departure with a wry smile.
‘PIN.’
I rechecked the fleeing rabbit’s status.
[Luna] [PINNED]
[Current Status: [Congratulations] All-time high heart rate achieved! Currently fleeing because she’s afraid the Counselor will hear her heartbeat.]
[Main Stance: Has accurately memorized the source of the Elice video (Hunter Gallery).]
“……”
Why the Hunter Gallery…?
Is she perhaps planning to take legal action?
Will Luna even come back?
Honestly, considering what I did today, I wouldn’t have a thing to say if she sued me before she sued the Hunter Gallery.
Whatever the outcome… Luna’s first session was over.
Which meant, all that was left was…
“Hey.”
I spoke into the empty air of the counseling room, my voice low and cold.
“What was with you all of a sudden today? I thought you stopped doing that after you matured?”
But no response appeared.
“Don’t pretend you can’t hear me. I know you’re there.”
At my warning, a translucent system window finally materialized before my eyes.
[This System always presents only the choices with the best possible direction.]
It was resisting.
I furrowed my brow and spoke as if scolding a child.
“You’re really gonna get it.”
[Reflecting user feedback and modifying algorithm. ＿〆(。。) ]
[This System is always for the user! I offer my sincerest apologies!]
[ヽ(●ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ●)ﾉﾟ ]
Seeing it apologize with emoticons like that, the anger I felt just moments ago dissipated, and I even started to feel a bit sorry for it.
Well, I guess… looking back, its suggestions had never led to a bad outcome.
“…Just do better from now on.”
At that, the system window glowed brightly and displayed a final message.
[٩( ﾟヮﾟ)و]
At the cheerful emoticon, I finally burst out laughing.
Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)
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