The educational video is surprisingly well-crafted.
If there is a defined world, the foreigners from that world directly contribute and help with the video production.
It provides information on how these foreigners can quickly adapt to this unfamiliar world. The association actively reflected such information.
The quicker a foreigner adapts to this world, the better it is for everyone.
Therefore, the video that Seol Yuwol is currently watching was also specially produced for her, a foreigner from the Central Plains.
[Hello, martial artists of the Central Plains! I am the precious daughter of the Sichuan Tang family, Tang Hee-ran!]
A youthful and beautiful girl dressed in bright green clothing appeared on the screen and introduced herself.
“hee-ran…?”
Seol Yuwol’s eyes widened as she looked at the monitor. She got up from her seat as if enchanted and gently touched the woman’s face on the screen.
[Oh? I was sure the Poison Butterfly had disappeared… But here it is right in front of me? Hahaha…]
[It’s quite a chaotic and dizzying situation right now, isn’t it? Just a little more patience, and if you follow our guidance, you will soon understand everything.]
“I was sure… it had disappeared…”
Seol Yuwol’s blue eyes shook dramatically. It seemed that they had some sort of acquaintance.
Her expression improved.
Exposing a celebrity from the home world in a video is likely a very effective psychological approach. A celebrity thought to be missing, or someone she knows, appears on video, showing their face and explaining?
It would naturally provide a sense of relief deep within her heart.
Just then.
[- Whoosh!! Bang bang bang!]
Tang Hee-ran on the screen waved her hand in a blink of an eye. Dozens of silver needles shot from her hand, quickly embedding themselves into a nearby wooden board.
[- Ssssss….]
The spots where the needles were embedded turned jet black and slowly began to corrode, eventually crumbling into powder.
[This is not an illusion; it’s the real Tang Hee-ran. You can trust me.]
Tang Hee-ran on the screen playfully stretched her cheeks and smiled. The most reliable way for the people of the Central Plains to distinguish someone is through their unique martial arts skills, so this seemed to be a way to prove it.
After a few explanations, Tang Hee-ran stood firmly on her feet.
[Alright! The person before you is Shin-ui (心醫)! He is the physician who will help you adapt, so listen well and I hope you can adapt quickly!]
With Tang Hee-ran’s introduction of me, the story on the screen came to an end.
“She’s… alive… Hee-ran…”
Seol Yuwol nodded slowly. Though her expression didn’t change, her psychological state seemed notably stabilized.
It appeared she had some acquaintance with Tang Hee-ran. I didn’t know when she crossed over to this world, but in her original world, she might have been reported missing or declared dead.
Seeing her alive right before her eyes was naturally a source of comfort.
And then came the next person.
“……”
This person was someone I also knew.
I continued to observe Seol Yuwol, focusing my gaze on her reactions rather than the screen.
The next star of the video was the leader of the Changcheong Alliance, Lee Seo-ryeong.
[Hello, martial artists of the Central Plains. I am the leader of the martial alliance, Lee Seo-ryeong.]
Her mother spoke with a gentle smile on the screen.
[Um, should I follow the name of this place? I guess I’ll have to call myself the leader of the Changcheong Alliance.]
At that moment, Seol Yuwol’s reaction changed.
“Er… Mother…?”
The faint smile that had been on her face while watching Tang Hee-ran gradually hardened. Her outstretched hand toward the screen slowly retracted.
I hadn’t specialized in psychology, but I had certainly made efforts.
At least I wanted to be capable enough so that the job of a counselor wouldn’t be a source of shame for me.
Thus, I had an understanding of the reaction Seol Yuwol was displaying.
She blinked her eyes in anxiety, halting all movements. Her whole body began to curl up, and she slowly started to move away from the TV. She likely wasn’t even aware of it herself.
“……”
It seemed like a good judgment to prevent Lee Seo-ryeong from entering this room.
[If you ever get out of the facility in the future, please come to the Changcheong Alliance. The martial artists of the Central Plains will help you adapt to this world.]
As Lee Seo-ryeong’s words ended, her video came to a close.
Furthermore, various explanations from other people followed. However, there was no improvement in the nonverbal behavior reflecting Seol Yuwol’s psychological state.
The fortunate point, nonetheless, was that Seol Yuwol appeared to be absorbing information, such as the reason for her coming to this place and what a Hunter was.
The video ended that way. The screen turned black, and silence returned to the room once again.
After allowing her ample time to digest all the information, I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Are you feeling a bit calmer now?”
Her shoulders twitched ever so slightly at my voice. She slowly lifted her head to look at the transparent glass wall blocking me.
At this point, she was merely looking at the glass wall rather than at me.
But that was sufficient.
After all, what I was showing was the same.
“If you still have doubts, that’s perfectly fine. We can bring in Hunter Tang Hee-ran, yes, we can bring in Hunter Tang Hee-ran. If you have any questions, you may ask.”
I offered a suggestion that would most reassure her. I refrained from mentioning her mother, the leader of the martial alliance. It didn’t seem like that name would be beneficial for her at the moment.
However, Seol Yuwol slowly shook her head.
“No. I… understood.”
Her voice was hollow, empty.
“I understand that I was not captured by a demon. And that this place is not the Central Plains I knew.”
“I don’t know everything yet, but I understand that the martial artists of the Central Plains are establishing the Changcheong Alliance and the Cheonma Shinkyo, living a new life in this world… I understand it all.”
She seemed to grasp this reality to a certain extent.
“If that’s the case… then I.”
Seol Yuwol’s blue eyes reflected my figure.
“… I.”
She asked with a fractured voice.
“What happens to me now?”
That wasn’t the question I had anticipated.
“What happens?” The question itself didn’t make sense.
While she had seen it in the video, this world was free. It possessed technological advancements that were worlds apart from the undeveloped Central Plains.
Then, if she maintained the bare minimum rules and fulfilled her duties as a foreigner, without abandoning her responsibilities, Seol Yuwol could become whatever she desired in the future.
She could join the Changcheong Alliance and become a respected Hunter. Or it would be fine to join the Cheonma Shinkyo as well. After all, the Cheonma Shinkyo in this world was just a name; it wasn’t much different from a Hunter Guild.
If she didn’t want that, living an ordinary life would be acceptable too. Ultimately, it was Seol Yuwol’s freedom.
Therefore, it was crucial for me to grasp the intention behind her question.
Several candidates emerged in my mind.
However, this time it was my turn to use my abilities.
[Seol Yuwol]
[Main Stance]
[You have lived desperately for a goal set for you by someone else your entire life. But that person has vanished, and now that goal has disappeared too. With everything gone, you are unsure about what to do alone.]
[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Suitability 90%]
[What do you want to do in the future, Seol Yuwol?]
[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Suitability 70%]
[How about trying to live a new life as a Hunter?]
[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Suitability 0%]
[Would you like to ask your mother?]
“……”
The phrase about someone setting a goal for her weighed heavily on me…
Nonetheless, according to the status window, it was reasonable to assume that Seol Yuwol was in a state of burnout due to having lost her goal.
I also had previously encountered clients with a similar condition.
Typically, when working with clients who are experiencing burnout, it is standard practice to present them with a new goal or guide them to find that goal for themselves.
Thus, in that context, options 1 and 2 were quite excellent. They could be considered standard responses.
However.
The responses my ability provided visible effects in the form of suitability ratings.
As such, I could predict how effective those responses would be.
Consequently, I could also foresee how poorly they could be received.
The suitability rating of the last option was 0%. That was undoubtedly the worst question for her.
Therefore.
“What do you want to do in the future, Seol Yuwol?”
I asked her.
“What do you wish to do?”
Seol Yuwol’s blue eyes slightly crinkled in response to my question. She tilted her head, seemingly in contemplation.
She appeared to be someone deep in thought.
After an extended silence, she finally spoke.
“… I don’t know.”
Her voice was still shaky.
“I’ve never thought about it.”
I quietly nodded at her answer.
“That’s alright.”
Then, I smiled and said, “That’s exactly why I’m here.”
At that moment.
– Beep beep beep.
A message appeared on a small prompter in the counseling room where I was, which Seol Yuwol couldn’t see.
[※ Counselor! I think that’s enough for today! It seems the subject’s basic awareness of reality has been established!]
They must have determined through the camera that Seol Yuwol was regaining her composure. The camera was a measure to protect the counselor, as they needed to understand the internal circumstances.
Of course, they couldn’t hear the sound.
[※ For the next session, would it be better to have her meet her protector, her mother, or other foreigners to help establish social bonds?]
My smile froze as soon as I saw that prompter.
“……”
[NOPE.]
Yeah.
I thought so too.
– Crackle.
I turned off the prompter’s power as if there was nothing more to see. Then slowly opened my mouth.
“Apologies for the late introduction.”
I turned to glance at the CCTV before looking back at her beyond the glass wall.
“Seol Yuwol, I would like to officially introduce myself. I am Yoo Seon-woo, the counselor in charge of your counseling.”
And slowly lowered my head.
“Thank you for your effort in coming such a long way.”
Now, it was time to truly begin the counseling.
