[Kim Ho: Miss]
[Seo Ye-in: ???]
[Seo Ye-in: (Confused pigeon emoji)]
[Kim Ho: (Polite butler emoji)]
[Kim Ho: Miss, morning has arrived]
[Kim Ho: It is time for you to wake up, Miss]
[Seo Ye-in: !!!]
[Seo Ye-in: (Enlightened pigeon emoji)]
[Kim Ho: Let’s go for a meal]
After a simple breakfast, we set off for the classroom together.
There was something noticeably different in Seo Ye-in’s stride.
Her steps were as usual, yet there was an unmistakable lightness to them.
Moreover, occasionally her steps seemed to blur, leaving a faint afterimage.
This meant she was using [Feather Walk].
Let’s see.
I plucked a leaf from a tree lining the path and gently sent it floating in her direction.
The leaf fluttering through the air was about to land on Seo Ye-in’s head when it suddenly swirled chaotically a mere inch above, as if caught in turbulence, before flying off into the distance.
This was one of the effects of Feather Walk.
“……?”
Seo Ye-in reacted about three seconds after the leaf had passed.
She tilted her head slightly and fixed a curious gaze on me as if to ask, “Why the leaf?”
“I was curious about how much you’ve mastered [Feather Walk]. You’re already at D-rank.”
“Mhmm.”
I had roughly estimated her rank by observing the level of turbulence generated while she was using the skill.
She’s learned it fast. Really fast.
Considering it was Tuesday when she met Ahn Jeong-mi to set her future plans, and taking into account the time it took to acquire the skill book, she couldn’t have had it for more than a few days.
Yet she was already at D-rank.
As I’ve felt numerous times, her talent is genuinely exceptional.
Of course, the talent of the learner is one thing, but the effort of the teacher cannot be overlooked either.
“You’ve worked hard.”
This remark wasn’t directed at Seo Ye-in, but rather at the empty space behind her.
A polite response came back.
“I have merely fulfilled my duty.”
Then, the air shimmered lightly for a moment and Ahn Jeong-mi’s figure was revealed.
She was dressed in her usual suit and was holding a semi-transparent garment in her hand.
She had been guarding Seo Ye-in while concealed with the help of an invisible ghillie suit.
Ahn Jepng-mi bowed gracefully and said,
“You knew.”
“I just have a knack for these kinds of things. I was uncertain, but it turns out I was right.”
“It’s not just a matter of having a good intuition to see through my stealth. It must be all thanks to Kim Ho-nim’s skills.”
Ahn Jeong-mi seemed curious about how I had detected the invisible ghillie suit, but I didn’t really have an explanation to offer.
It’s just something I can tell at a glance.
Since I’m a skilled player, I know quite a few things just by looking at them! Is what I want to say but there’s no way the other party will understand me.
So I subtly steered the conversation back to the original topic.
“It seems like [Feather Walk] has already reached D-rank.”
“Yes, she achieved that over the weekend.”
Pride and admiration were clear to see in Ahn Jeong-mi’s gaze as she looked at Seo Ye-in.
It was akin to the way a craftsman admires their life’s masterpiece.
No wonder she felt proud; the young miss, who was once so stubborn, had diligently followed the training and climbed the ranks just as she was taught.
“C-rank must be close at hand then?”
“Definitely. Given her current pace of progress, I anticipate she could reach it within this week.”
“That’s excellent.”
“The training is also being conducted with a focus on maximizing mobility—”
Ahn Jeong-mi detailed the past week’s training and the upcoming schedule, down to the last detail.
I nodded my head in satisfaction.
It is rare for someone to be this competent.
The curriculum was so flawlessly structured that there seemed to be no need for my interference.
It was immediately clear that this was the result of a plan long in the making, refined over and over again.
The plan had been set, but it must have been on hold until now because Seo Ye-in, the person involved, wasn’t ready.
However, even this seemingly perfect curriculum had one fatal flaw.
“But… don’t you think this is a bit too much of a forced plan?”
The issue arose from the curriculum being so tightly packed that I wasn’t sure whether Seo Ye-in could endure this relentless pace.
Although I attended the mentoring sessions separately from her, I sat next to her in every class and watched her condition worsen day by day, like seaweed wilting in the sun.
Even now, her condition didn’t seem too good.
And since the mentoring had only just concluded its first week, the likelihood of problems arising in the future was significantly high.
“…Actually, I wanted to discuss this matter with Kim Ho-nim.”
“Good. Since the person in question is here, let’s try to find a common ground.”
Turning to Seo Ye-in, I handed her an invisible microphone so that she could speak her mind.
“Please, share your thoughts. How was your first week of mentoring with your butler?”
“Boring.”
Seo Ye-in’s blunt response struck Ahn Jeong-mi like a dagger to the heart.
Ahn Jeong-mi’s body quivered ever so slightly, but it seemed she maintained her composure through sheer willpower.
I decided to turn a blind eye and continued my line of questioning.
“So, you don’t find it fun. Can you specify what exactly you don’t enjoy?”
“It’s always the same tasks.”
At this remark, Ahn Jeong-mi could no longer hold back and interjected in a soothing tone.
“Miss, repetition is the foundation of all training. Did you not also repeat the same actions during your sessions with Kim Ho-nim?”
“The tasks the butler assigns are boring.”
“Then what about Kim Ho-nim—?”
“Kim Ho is fine.”
“?”
“???”
Ahn Jeong-mi and I exchanged puzzled looks.
How could it be that the same training is boring when assigned by the butler, but fine when it comes from me?
The statement was utterly baffling.
It seemed pointless to probe further as it was unlikely to yield a satisfactory answer.
So, I moved on.
Once again, I handed her an invisible microphone.
“Please feel free to voice any other concerns you might have.”
“Doesn’t let me take naps. Keeps waking me up.”
A slight twitch crossed Ahn Jeong-mi’s face, but she closed her eyes and suppressed the surge of emotion.
Her self-control was almost comparable to that of a monk.
Then, she calmly argued back again.
“Miss, you shouldn’t sleep for more than 4 hours during the day.”
Honestly, that’s true.
Sleeping for more than 4 hours hardly qualifies as a nap anymore.
I would have woken her up too if I were in Ahn Jeong-mi’s position.
Unfortunately, Seo Ye-in held the upper hand at this negotiation table and logic seemed to have no place here.
Thus, I decided to maintain a neutral stance, at least outwardly.
I sent covert nods of agreement and encouragement to Ahn Jeong-mi.
Then, turning to Seo Ye-in, I handed her the invisible microphone again.
“Hmm, I see. So, what could be done to rekindle your enthusiasm?”
“I want to rest. Time to recharge.”
“Time to recharge, you say…”
Ahn Jeong-mi and I exchanged a glance and we started communicating with our eyes.
– Let’s just allow her some rest.
– But the schedule…
– There seems to be no other way.
As Seo Ye-in took her rest, slight deviations started to emerge in the “perfect curriculum” prepared by the Future Strategy Office of Hye-seong Group.
The likelihood that Ahn Jeong-mi couldn’t teach everything she had planned during the mentoring period grew even more.
However as the saying goes, “If you can’t take a small loss, sooner or later you will take the mother of all losses.”
Seo Ye-in’s motivation was already in sharp decline, and failure to meet her demands could lead not only to deviations in the curriculum but potentially to a complete collapse of the mentoring program itself.
If Seo Ye-in, who held the upper hand in negotiations here decided to lay down and declare, “This is boring, I’m not doing it,” what could Ahn Jeong-mi do to continue the training?
If she wanted that, she would have done it a long time ago.
– ……Understood.
With a soft sigh, Ahn Jeong-mi nodded her head and I placed what Seo Ye-in wanted on the negotiation table.
“If you want to rest, you should. How about doing nothing and sleeping all day tomorrow?”
“…….”
Surprisingly, Seo Ye-in shook her head from side to side.
The solution I proposed was not what she wanted.
“What then?”
After gazing at me for a moment, Seo Ye-in slowly opened her mouth.
The word that came out was something neither Ahn Jeong-mi nor I could have expected.
“Downtown. Have you been there?”
“……!”
Downtown.
In addition to students and faculty members, there were numerous other stakeholders on Dungeon Island.
Many worked behind the scenes to ensure the smooth operation of the facilities at Dragon Slayer Academy.
These stakeholders generally lived around the outskirts of Dungeon Island, and where there was a residential area, a bustling downtown area inevitably formed due to the concentration of people.
This area was lined with all sorts of shops and facilities and it offered everything one might need, from goods to food, to entertainment.
For example, the strawberry cream cake that Seo Ye-in and I were lucky enough to find and share at the start of the term came from a bakery located right in this downtown area.
In essence, Seo Ye-in’s request was,
“You want to go out and have fun downtown?”
“Mhmm.”
“I doubt you’d have fun going alone…”
“Let’s go together.”
“Miss, if it’s downtown you wish to visit, I’ll accompany you.”
To Ahn Jeong-mi’s offer, Seo Ye-in immediately shook her head.
“It’s boring with the butler. Not fun.”
“……”
Ahn Jeong-mi’s face fell and she took a few steps back.
If she had a tail, it would have been limp on the floor.
After easily dismissing Ahn Jeong-mi, Seo Ye-in looked at me intently. Her eyes seemed to demand an answer.
Her gray eyes sparkled unusually brightly, seemingly more so than when she had seen the feather cushion from the random box.
Even Ahn Jeong-mi who looked dejected cautiously watched for my reaction.
It seemed she thought it improper to take too much of my time, but she subtly hoped I would agree to join.
I guess I have to go.
I have a fairly large stake in Seo Ye-in’s mentoring.
After all, I was the one who had gently persuaded her to participate in something she initially found bothersome.
Therefore, it only made sense that I take responsibility for the aftercare when her motivation waned.
Moreover, from a practical standpoint, it wasn’t a loss.
Although training time might be slightly reduced, that minor setback could easily be offset by picking up a few hidden pieces from over there.
Conclusion: It is well worth investing in for a day.
To make the exchange clear, I addressed Seo Ye-in.
“Alright, let’s go out together this weekend. But in return, I hope you will continue to listen carefully to what the butler says and perform well this week?”
“…….”
Seo Ye-in swiftly turned her head to gaze at Ahn Jeong-mi.
It was as if she was asking, “Do I really have to stay with her for another week?”
Yet, in the end, she slowly nodded her head up and down.
“Okay.”
Ahn Jeong-mi silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Thanks to the deal I just made with her, we had bought at least another week.
She came closer and whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
“I know it must be a lot of trouble for you to go to such lengths, and I truly appreciate it.”
“It’s nothing. I said I’d do my best to help out a friend, didn’t I?”
It was also a chance for me to enjoy myself in the downtown area and indulge in some good food.
Despite this, Ahn Jeong-mi looked at me as if I was making some noble sacrifice for Seo Ye-in.
She then made a firm resolution.
“I will make sure that Kim Ho-nim’s time is not wasted.”
*******
TN: Bro is taming them left and right XD
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