The next morning.
The rain that had been tapping on the window all night had miraculously stopped. Bright sunlight, a rarity of late, poured into the counseling room through gaps in the clouds.
I sipped a warm cup of coffee and reflected on the events of the previous night.
‘The first counseling session…’
For starters, it was successful.
That was my conclusion.
Initially, Jahwa-Yeon was not a mentally ill person. She was simply isolated among fanatical subordinates blinded by power.
A typical case where the surrounding environment constrains the individual.
Therefore, what I did was not particularly remarkable. I merely clarified her situation and reinforced her internal decision with confidence.
I have no doubt that she will become a great ruler in the future.
Of course, the process might be a bit harsh, but at the very least, she will become an excellent ruler who will lead the order in the right direction. I chose to believe that.
It was at that moment.
[Congratulations on successfully completing your first counseling session with a patient!]
A blue system window unexpectedly appeared before me.
This was new. Although I had used the counselor’s abilities countless times before, I had never encountered this message.
[‘Counselor’ special ability partially unlocked.]
[Ability: Pin (PIN) activated!]
[By designating a target through the counselor, you can monitor the target’s condition in real-time, regardless of distance.]
[Currently available slots: 1]
“…Huh?”
Ability. This refers to the unique skills that hunters gain after awakening.
I thought I had none of that.
But there it was.
It was the ability to fixate on a target I had observed with my counselor’s ability and monitor them remotely. I tentatively pinned Jahwa-Yeon.
[Jahwa-Yeon] [PINNED]
[Current status: Deep sleep. Psychological stability 90%]
[Main stance]
[……ZZZ.]
She was sound asleep.
This… is better than I expected. I can observe and care for important patients from afar.
‘Wait a minute.’
Along with the joy, I felt a slightly uncomfortable feeling somewhere. While being able to manage patients remotely was certainly a tremendous advantage.
But, in a way….
‘Am I not being a stalker?’
I scratched my head with a cynical smile. Well, I wouldn’t pry unless it was a critical situation.
The only unfortunate part is that there’s only one slot available. Changing the pin has a cooldown period: 12 hours.
Nevertheless, the fact that I unlocked a new ability was a boon. I had never considered it possible.
I stood up and stretched with excitement.
7 AM.
The sun was bright, but under my eyes, I felt haggard.
It was because I didn’t get to leave work. While talking with Jahwa-Yeon, I had opened my eyes to find daylight.
She left with a very vibrant expression, probably because she had the body of a celestial horse. And now, she was sound asleep.
‘I should have her come again.’
I wasn’t sure why I wanted her to return. Isn’t everything resolved already?
Fortunately, tomorrow is the weekend… If I can just endure today, the week will finally be over.
Dragging my zombie-like body, I headed to the refrigerator next to the small kitchen attached to the counseling room. Jahwa-Yeon had devoured the brownies I baked all night.
I always had to prepare sweet snacks just in case a patient would arrive….
I opened the refrigerator door.
“Hmm….”
An empty egg carton greeted me.
Not a single egg, the most important ingredient, was left.
They never leave me alone.
I strained my neck to check the time.
It was 7:15 am.
The official opening time for the counseling office is 9 am. The grocery section of the department store across the street opens at 8 am.
If I hurry and get ready, I should be able to go shopping and return before 9 to prepare.
I realized I had no time to waste.
Despite the good of saving the minds of hunters… It doesn’t make sense to have no eggs for breakfast.
***
“So, it seems better for you to go to a more relaxed place, rather than a guild that puts pressure on performance and receive proper treatment.”
“I see….”
“Yes, of course, there are people who are motivated through such competition, but for someone like you, it can feel like enormous stress. It’s not that one side is bad; it’s just an ill-fitting garment.”
[Park Soo-Hyung]
[Main stance]
[Feeling pressured by the relentless competition within the guild.]
I concluded the report with a neat signature.
‘Burnout syndrome due to corporate competition…’
The patient who completed the counseling bowed their head towards me with a much more relaxed face compared to when they first walked in.
“Thank you… Counselor.”
“Yes, you did well.”
– Thud.
‘Wow…’
A hollow laugh escaped me. As soon as the counseling room’s door closed, I sank deeply into the back of my chair and pressed my heated temples gently. Through the crack of the door, I could see the waiting room’s scenery.
Wasn’t it said that a day that begins on a Friday feels like bad luck? The number of patients today on this Friday would surely surpass the total of patients from Monday to Thursday.
With bloodshot eyes and a spinning head, I barely held on with strong coffee. The worst condition for me resulted in the best patients pouring in.
– Whirr.
I brewed another cup of coffee and quietly opened the door to the room.
“Next patient, please come in.”
With that phrase, the sense of time began to blur.
A C-rank tank pondering issues before moving to another guild. A B-rank mage suffering from trauma due to a failed dungeon raid. A retired hunter still struggling with PTSD.
Dozens of patients went in and out of my small counseling room. I continuously poured coffee, delved into their hearts, analyzed, and prescribed.
Before I knew it, the sunlight outside had turned to dusk, then gradually faded into darkness.
I spaced out, merely watching.
How long had it been? I finished the diagnostic report for the recently departed patient and practically mechanically pressed the intercom button.
“Next patient, please come in….”
“……”
There was no response.
Could it be…?
“… Next patient?”
Still no reaction.
Is it finally over? I stood up slowly, feeling as if crawling, and staggered towards the counseling room door.
It was empty.
The darkened waiting room was silent.
Just as I exhaled a sigh of relief and was about to close the door, it happened.
“……”
In the corner where the chair was positioned, naturally becoming a blind spot if the door opened, I felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort. The space seemed to ripple like a heat haze.
Something… something is there.
I closed my eyes and opened them again. At the same time, a system window appeared before me.
[Warning: Recognition degradation (C rank) is disturbing your vision.]
C rank? That’s manageable.
[Status abnormality: Resisting recognition degradation. Attempting forced release.]
[Cloaking forced release successful.]
My eyesight is fairly good. At least there are not many beings I can’t perceive near me.
Unless it is something around S rank.
The noise undulated and revealed its form. A woman was sitting there silently like a shadow.
With hair so white it felt unreal and dyed with red highlights in between. Her pale cheeks held no color, and her hollow red eyes were vacant.
‘… An outsider.’
An obvious outsider.
Outsiders like her stand out. They give off the feeling of just having stepped out of a fairy tale.
Upon realizing that her cloaking had been undone, she jumped in surprise and touched her body.
“Uh…? Uh?”
The cloaking lifted.
She wore an expression of disbelief.
I asked softly.
“Are you a patient…?”
“Ah… no…! I’m just…!”
She let out a scream, got up from her seat, and bolted out of the counseling office. She disappeared at a speed that made it hard to follow even with enhanced reflexes.
I watched her leave silently, ruminating.
‘What was that?’
According to theory, this seat is the deepest position. It is supposed to be seated quite early to be here.
Unless she intentionally changed her seat….
So, was she contemplating whether to enter the counseling room while cloaking?
I opened my eyes wide again. Then her status window appeared before me.
As soon as I read the content, chills ran down my spine.
“Damn…!”
I immediately kicked off the ground and dashed down the corridor. But by then, she had already vanished.
“Hah….”
I missed her.
[Luna]
[Main stance]
[Pondering the direction of life.]
[Suitable response][Satisfaction response rate 100%]
[Catch her as quickly as possible.]
“Luna… Luna.”
Her face looked familiar… I should’ve recognized her immediately. She is an outsider.
Her presumed rank, of course, must be S rank. There was no way I could catch an S rank hunter when they dashed.
One fact flashed through my despairing mind like a lightning bolt.
‘Right. The pin.’
I hurriedly opened the system window in the air.
[PINNED: Jahwa-Yeon]
There was no time to hesitate. I immediately released the pin I had set for Jahwa-Yeon.
And.
‘Luna.’
[Luna] [PINNED]
[Current status: Moving at supersonic speed. Psychologically unstable. However, no immediate danger detected.]
[Main stance: Feeling extreme self-hatred and confusion upon realizing her cloaking has been deciphered by the counselor.]
“……”
I squinted and read the newly updated status window.
So she is feeling hurt because her cloaking was detected by me?
Something… feels off about this. Her rank itself was only C rank.
I understood her special skills were not magic-related.
“That’s fine, after all.”
She’s psychologically unstable. Thank goodness, according to the pin, it doesn’t seem like there’s a major issue.
After all, Luna belongs to the Union. And my first royal visit is also with the Union.
“Let’s meet again next week.”
Whether she likes it or not, we will meet again.
