Episode 93: Counseling (2)
Instructor Do Han-seong, who was in charge of Class B, was continuing student consultations in the counseling room.
Class B had a wide range of skill levels.
With students spanning from the bottom to the top of the entrance rankings, it was naturally a headache for Do Han-seong.
Though he didn’t outright reject scouting requests, he was still an instructor who genuinely wished for the students to succeed.
So, he spent an entire night going over each student’s career path and recommendations one by one.
It was more draining on his mind than his body.
“Please send in the next student.”
As soon as he spoke, the door quietly opened.
A student stepped in.
Cheon Yeoul.
Lately, she had become the hottest name among the students.
Having been promoted as the youngest official Saintess, she was one of the most promising next-generation talents, showing incredible potential.
At this point, the word “promising” wasn’t enough to describe her.
Do Han-seong briefly glanced through the records placed on his desk.
“Hm…”
In cases like this, the instructor really had nothing to say.
“Your written test scores have improved significantly. It would be good to continue building on this.”
Her score, which had been nearly zero in the entrance exam, had increased considerably.
“Sacred techniques rely on instinct, but you need a strong foundation in theory to remain stable in real combat. Other than that… honestly, you’re doing exceptionally well. Just keep going as you are.”
“…Thank you.”
Cheon Yeoul quietly bowed her head.
“You’re considering the Church for your career, right?”
The only offer she had received was from the Church.
If someone like her expressed interest in anything else, it would be major news.
Even if that happened, as her instructor, it was his duty to guide her back toward the Church.
Cheon Yeoul blinked a few times, then nodded.
“Yes. As of now, I believe the Church is the most suitable path.”
An expressionless face.
Sometimes, he really couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
She felt quite different from the previous Saintess, who had always shown warmth and compassion.
Of course, that could just be a difference in personality, and that was perfectly fine.
“Yes, I really have nothing else to say. You’re doing so well. Keep up the great work.”
Do Han-seong wrapped up as he organized the papers and looked up.
Cheon Yeoul politely bowed again and quietly left her seat.
Next student.
This time, the door opened and Kang Arin walked in.
Another heavyweight prospect in a row.
Do Han-seong glanced at her face without thinking.
Dark circles under her eyes and a slight puffiness.
“……”
Looks like she didn’t get much sleep.
But really, Kang Arin was someone he had even less to say to.
Her conduct, personality, grades, and career path — everything about her was perfect.
“Kang Arin, I… don’t really have anything to point out either. Are you having any difficulties?”
“Difficulties…? No. None.”
Kang Arin answered expressionlessly, got up, and walked out like a zombie.
“…What was that.”
Next came Yu Hana.
She was one of the most talked-about figures in the recent inter-school team exchange.
As a result, she was currently receiving offers from countless organizations and guilds.
Do Han-seong turned around his smart pad used for consultations and showed it to her.
“These are the offers you’ve received so far, Yu Hana.”
Lotus, Cheongpoongdae, Bloom’s Garden — not only top-tier domestic guilds, but prestigious international ones as well.
Among them, Cheongpoongdae was an organization run by Yu Hana’s own family.
However, as far as Do Han-seong knew, Yu Mujin, the head of the family, wasn’t the type of person who would forcibly hold onto his daughter.
He seemed like someone 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 any particular organization you’d like to join?”
Having met a string of high-performing students, he felt pretty relaxed.
If a student with poor skills had unrealistic ambitions, he would’ve had to give them a harsh reality check—but this student wasn’t like that.
Yu Hana appeared to be thinking.
She had an old-fashioned aura, the kind that clearly marked her as coming from a noble family.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Hana spoke with a serious expression.
“I want… to be a wise mother and good wife.”
“Pfft—Excuse me?”
Do Han-seong nearly spit out the coffee he was drinking at Yu Hana’s completely unexpected answer.
What kind of answer was that?
His mind went blank for a moment.
Then, he suddenly remembered a casual conversation that had taken place among fellow instructors a few days ago.
‘Hey, Instructor Kim, what are you supposed to do with a student like this?’
‘Why? What happened?’
‘There’s this student I’m in charge of… great grades, strong family background, excellent archery, but her career plan is just absurd.’
‘What did she say?’
‘Her dream is to become a wise mother and good wife.’
‘Pfft! Seriously?’
‘She said she wants to have as many kids as possible, and I just… I couldn’t even….’
Do Han-seong hadn’t been part of that conversation, but the content had been so striking that he remembered overhearing it while passing by.
Still, he never expected to have a student like that in his own class.
He was about to ask again, but then he saw Yu Hana’s face.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her expression was serious and her eyes unwavering.
So it wasn’t some tasteless joke.
“Uh… I see. Got it.”
It was flustering, but if that was the student’s honest wish, then he had no choice but to respect it.
Just as he was about to wrap things up—
A question slipped out of Do Han-seong’s mouth before he could stop himself.
“So… does that mean you already have someone in mind…?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Ah… okay….”
Do Han-seong ran a hand down his face in a dry wash of exasperation.
Forget organizations or career options—
This student had already chosen the path for her life.
He quietly closed her file and spoke in a calm voice.
“That concludes the consultation. Please continue to… do your best.”
Yu Hana quietly stood, bowed politely, and left the room.
Do Han-seong leaned back against his chair with a sigh.
A wave of dizziness washed over him.
Next student… Yoon Chae-ha.
‘Oh boy.’
This time, it was a mage.
And like most mages, she wasn’t going to be ordinary.
He had a feeling this one was going to be tiring, but a consultation was a consultation. It had to be done.
The door opened, and Yoon Chae-ha entered.
“Hello.”
“Yes. Yoon Chae-ha.”
Recently, the Mage Tower had made a public offer to her, treating her like one of their top prospects.
It was practically a declaration: “She’s ours.”
As a result, no other organizations had been able to approach her.
Moreover, Do Han-seong knew that Yoon Chae-ha had already had quite a bit of interaction with the Mage Tower.
So he was about to get straight to the point—
“Um… Instructor.”
“Yes?”
“Um… would it be possible for me to join Vanquisher?”
“Vanquisher, you say.”
“Yes.”
An unexpected question. Do Han-seong paused for a moment.
Then, slowly, he organized his thoughts.
The conclusion—
‘It’s possible.’
Vanquisher was known for being closed off and strict with its recruitment criteria, but if it was Yoon Chae-ha, she was more than qualified.
Considering the upcoming field training as well, it was possible to create a connection.
“Here, this is the relevant information. It’s part of an upcoming on-campus activity.”
Yoon Chae-ha calmly accepted the materials.
As she flipped through the pages, she asked a few brief questions, and Do Han-seong quietly offered her advice in return.
Surprisingly, she was the type to take such advice well.
“Thank you.”
She bowed politely and exited.
Contrary to expectations, it was a very normal consultation.
It felt different from the unusual interviews he’d had back-to-back.
Feeling like his mind had finally returned to normal, Do Han-seong asked the assistant for the next student.
It was the final student.
The name was…
“Jung Haein.”
Do Han-seong raised his eyebrows slightly.
As expected of the last—
He was the most interesting student.
***
Most of the students, including Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chae-ha, had already finished their consultations.
“What did you talk about?”
I casually asked Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chae-ha, who were sitting next to me.
Yeoul was already affiliated with the Church, and had no reason to consider other paths, but Chae-ha was different.
“I just got complimented for improving my written exam scores. Since my path is already set, they told me to keep up the good work~”
“Sounds good.”
Yeoul’s weakness was written tests, and judging by the fact that the instructor pointed that out, it seemed the professor had noticed as well.
I nodded and looked over to Yoon Chae-ha.
“What about you, Chae-ha?”
She’d suddenly dropped a bomb earlier, saying she wanted to join Vanquisher out of nowhere. I wondered if the consultation went the same way.
Yoon Chae-ha answered nonchalantly.
“Same as earlier.”
“Really?”
Just as I was about to continue the conversation, the assistant walked in through the front door.
“Jung Haein~ You’re up next~”
“Yes.”
I stood up and headed to the counseling room.
In front of the counseling room—
Knock knock.
I knocked lightly.
“Come in.”
The instructor in charge of Class B—
It was Do Han-seong.
We exchanged silent eye contact, and I took a seat.
He flipped over a document and quietly said:
“Jung Haein, currently you have no rank, but….”
He turned the document around and showed it to me.
“In truth, the outcome is already quite predictable.”
Before I could say anything, he spoke directly.
“Where would you like to go?”
He picked up a tablet from the side and turned the screen toward me.
Displayed in front of me was the bidding status.
Under the title Bidding War, numbers and guild logos surrounded my name, densely packed.
On top of that, there were official offers as well.
“From the midterms to the exchange matches—you’ve delivered outstanding results.”
Do Han-seong continued in a calm tone.
“For a student like that to still be unaffiliated in their first year… It’s only natural that many would take an interest.”
And this was all without the identity of Silent Ghost being revealed.
“So, all you need to do is choose.”
His tone was composed, but the meaning behind his words was clear.
“You may be just a first-year student… but surprisingly, you’re the one who gets to choose.”
I stared at the tablet screen in silence, thinking.
The problem was… I still hadn’t decided where I wanted to go.
Vanquisher’s old man used to say:
‘I don’t care where you go.’
He didn’t just say it—he genuinely meant it.
Of course, it wasn’t like he didn’t want me to join Vanquisher, but…
Even if I chose a different path, he wouldn’t be disappointed in me.
Then there was Glory.
I’d made a casual promise with Kang Arin about it.
But she probably hadn’t taken it seriously either.
There were others too—the Hero Association, Cheongpoongdae, and large overseas guilds.
There were so many names.
Just reading through them made my head spin.
But still, I hadn’t made up my mind.
Come to think of it, I remembered putting off a similar decision ten years ago.
You never really know what’s best until you’re actually there.
Seeing how conflicted I looked, Do Han-seong let out a soft chuckle.
“You seem to be deep in thought. Of course, there’s no need to decide right now.”
He picked up another document from beside the desk and quietly slid it in front of me.
“In that case, how about experiencing them firsthand?”
“Experience?”
Do Han-seong nodded.
“It’s part of an upcoming official school event. It’ll include tours, participation in simple tasks, and observing real missions.”
I slowly opened the folder.
Inside were a list of familiar names.
Glory, Arcadia, Lotus, the Association, Cheongpoongdae, Vanquisher.
And many more guilds and organizations.
I stared at the document in silence.
Field Experience.
It was one of Gaon’s carefully designed in-school programs, allowing students to experience top organizations directly.
Scheduled right before finals, this experience also served as a motivational tool for students.
In that sense… the timing was perfect.
I closed the document and said briefly:
“Sounds good.”
Experiencing it for myself—
When it’s hard to decide, it’s the most reliable way to make a judgment.