I Became an Academy Counselor

“As explained beforehand, today’s meeting is about the match that will take place a week from now.”

The female teacher who seemed to be in charge of leading the meeting looked at me.

Perhaps she thought that I, a newcomer who had just arrived, might be out of the loop?

I smiled as if to say not to worry and said:

“Don’t worry. I know well that it’s an annual event. I’ve already grasped the details after reading the materials you sent.”

“…I see. That’s good.”

Far from just grasping, I’ve already milked it more than dozens of times.

Probably no one here knows the content of this match better than I do.

I’ve played it so many times that I’ve memorized the location of the match, the positions of the students, the weapons they use, and everything else.

If the prologue was literally a prologue for the users who are starting the game for the first time, this match is Chapter 1. Its purpose is to let players get a feel for directly controlling their chosen playable character and to showcase the concepts of other playable characters.

That’s why Chapter 1 is the only place where all playable characters appear.

“As stated in the materials, the purpose of this match is to measure the students’ combat abilities.”

“That troublesome time has come again…”

“…Is that something for you to say, Teacher Ian?”

Despite enjoying it more than anyone else, as one of the teachers attending the meeting trailed off in disbelief, Teacher Ian laughed loudly.

“Haha! I do enjoy it a bit! You know, they say watching weaklings fight is quite fun!”

“Sigh…”

“…But it’s true that it’s troublesome. Every year at this time, the students’ morale gets crushed.”

“…”

“It’s troublesome, isn’t it? When kids who were praised as geniuses every day suddenly lose pathetically, and their spirits get broken…”

“That’s…”

Everyone trailed off at Teacher Ian’s bitter-sounding voice.

According to the academy’s setting, they’re all capable students recognized for their talents from all over the empire. Even if they’re represented as weak extras in the game.

Of course, the problem is that the playable characters are too strong, and they’re still quite talented compared to ordinary people…

But such logic can’t solve emotional issues.

Even if you’re 10th out of 300 students in the whole school, if you’re 10th out of the 10 in your class, you’re still last in the class.

When students who have been winning without knowing defeat and have become arrogant experience one big failure, some of them get their spirits crushed.

I know this well because there was a related NPC in a sub-story.

“So, Teacher Ophelia, we’re counting on you. Our expectations for you are high.”

“…L-Leave it to me.”

“Ugh.”

I felt like I was going to retch from the pressure of someone much stronger and more experienced than me who was looking at me with sparkling eyes.

I should have taken some Cheongsimhwan before coming…

***

“…So, you ended up dating that guy?”

“That’s how it turned out, Your Highness.”

“…”

Stella, the second princess of the empire, looked at her friend with disbelieving eyes.

She confessed? Really?

Although she had come after hearing the rumors, she couldn’t believe it even when seeing it with her own eyes.

To her, it doesn’t make sense.

Charlotte Ober, that friend of hers who was a bundle of pride from the Ober family, confessed first? 

The one who showed no signs of confessing, saying it would hurt her pride to confess to a commoner?

…Suddenly?

“W-Well, I’ll say congratulations for now…”

“What do you mean ‘for now’? Don’t tell me you also…”

“No, that’s not it.”

Stella’s character wasn’t broken enough to steal her friend’s lover.

She had been listening to endless love consultations that were out of character for her friend who came asking what to do, so there was no way she would try to steal her friend’s lover. In the first place, it’s not even her type, and as a commoner, he can’t even date Stella due to his social status. 

When she conveyed this, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief, Your Highness.”

“…So? What wind blew for you to confess first? I know better than anyone that you’re not the type to do that.”

As a childhood friend who had seen various sides of her since they were young, she could be sure. That the friend in front of her was not someone who could confess to the person she loved. If anything, she might lose them to someone else after rejecting their confession.

But suddenly she confessed?

…There must be something.

“The item the counselor gave me was helpful.”

“…Counselor? Ah, now that you mention it, such rumors are going around.”

“That’s right. I visited once, half in doubt… But it ended well.”

Is this about the rumored counselor who even tamed the demon-possessed person?

“I thought it was just someone with excellent counseling skills who had come in…”

Seeing it directly, it was beyond strange, it was bizarre.

Can a person change this much just from a few counseling sessions?

Is that even possible?

“She cast a spell saying that looking at this doll would give me courage. Thanks to that, I was able to gather my courage.”

“…A spell, huh.”

Stella hasn’t dedicated her life to magic like the imperial family’s magicians.

However, as a member of the imperial family, She prided herself on being quite capable.

The doll that Charlotte proudly showed her had no magical treatment whatsoever from her perspective.

It was just a cute penguin doll.

“…There’s no magic on it.”

“Huh? …What, were you thinking about that, Your Highness? Wouldn’t it just be encouragement for things to go well?”

“…”

No.

Stella was certain.

Charlotte gathering the courage to confess from mere encouragement like that?

There’s a limit to how much you can lie. This unnecessarily shy yet prideful childhood friend was not someone who could do that. There must be something, but…

All she had was suspicion. With no evidence, She awkwardly laughed it off.

“Yeah, that’s right. It must have been that.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I should visit once and thank her…”

As she let Charlotte’s chattering voice drift by, Stella fell into thought.

…What method did they use to make this one confess?

That was her question.

‘I should visit that teacher sometime when I have time.’

***

“I see. She…”

“Yes, Observer. Since the other sisters have confirmed it, it seems to be true.”

“…”

In a church beautifully adorned with stained glass.

The beautiful girl kneeling in prayer at the center of the church smiled faintly.

“I never thought that ruffians could be reformed in such a way.”

“Tut-tut.”

“…I’ll be careful, Observer.”

“Yes. It’s not good to speak ill of people carelessly.”

The girl called the Observer laughed somewhat playfully.

Despite the playful laughter, the benevolent atmosphere remained.

“I always believed. Even if a demon resides in that body, human goodness always exists.”

“Forgive my impertinence, but I still don’t understand. Why do you believe in that person so much?”

“…Why do I believe it, you ask?”

A shadow briefly fell over the girl’s face.

But it was only for a moment.

Was it because it disappeared in an instant, or because her eyes were covered with a snow-white cloth?

The believer conversing with the girl didn’t notice this fact.

“Of course, it’s because it’s what we, who follow God’s will, should do. Anyone can become good if they repent for their past mistakes.”

“As expected of you, Observer. I still have a long way to go.”

“…”

The girl mulled over the words that came out of her own mouth.

Yes. If one repents for past mistakes, anyone can become good.

It had to be so.

***

“Yawn…”

The weather’s nice.

The girl, Eileen, used her scabbard as a pillow and lay down on the meadow, yawning widely.

Why does sleepiness hit so hard when the weather is nice?

Nod, nod.

The girl didn’t resist her gradually heavier eyelids.

Well, it doesn’t really matter if I know why…

This leisurely feeling is also quite nice…

“You shouldn’t sleep there.”

“…Is it you again?”

“That’s my line, Miss Eileen. Is it you again…?”

Eileen’s POV

This is such a pain…

The kid who was busy chasing after some demon-possessed person or whatever has now started chasing after me.

Is it because that child started attending classes regularly?

Tch. It would have been better if that counselor or whoever was a bit incompetent.

Being unnecessarily competent…

Now that child has suddenly started paying attention to me.

“I’m attending classes well, give me a break… It’s break time now, isn’t it?”

“If you had listened well during class time, I wouldn’t have said anything. But the only thing you do diligently in class is sleep.”

“…Ah, you noticed?”

“I seriously doubt your mental state if you thought that wouldn’t be noticed…”

Ah, this is such a pain.

I clicked my tongue and raised my drowsy body.

“Good, From now on, can you do everything properly…?!”

“Heh, I can do everything properly even without attending classes!”

“…Stop right there!”

“As if I would!”

Ah, things are going to get annoying from now on.

I smiled bitterly as I moved my feet quickly.

I wondered how long it will take for that child to give up on me.

I hoped it wouldn’t be too long.

TL CORNER:

Cheongsimhwan – It is used to treat various symptoms, such as numb limbs and fit of apoplexy, epilepsy, and others in traditional Korean medicine.