"When did you get here?"

"...Just now."

I let my guard down.

It didn’t take long to tidy up the room, but with my terrible stamina, I had to rest for a bit, and that’s when I started talking to myself.

And she heard it. Of all things, she heard the one thing she shouldn't have.

"But the sign on the door said 'Out of Office'..."

"I thought you were asleep. You looked really tired, so I came in to clean up the mess."

Ah.

I finally realized that everything was my own fault.

I’m the one who decided to reward myself with a gaming all-nighter because I thought I’d been working hard lately.

I’m the one who ended up worrying Eileen because of it.

And lastly, I’m the one who let my guard down, thinking no one would come into the counseling room, and ended up talking to myself.

...I have no excuses.

"So? Where is he?"

"Uh, well..."

There’s no way I can tell her.

Eileen, who has been living her life aimlessly, starts interacting with others because she’s searching for her father’s whereabouts.

If I tell her now, she’ll skip all the events and only get the results.

It’s like cutting out all the deduction parts of a mystery novel and leaving only the reveal of the culprit.

I couldn’t tell her what would motivate her to act on her own.

"So you’re not going to tell me? I figured you wouldn’t."

"···"

Was it time to use hypnosis, something I wanted to avoid if possible?

I tensed up as I prepared to use hypnosis, looking directly at Eileen.

"Eileen."

"Yeah?"

"I can’t tell you where your father is. So..."

The power of hypnosis could be considered almost omnipotent. If you can use it on most people without any conditions, what else would you call omnipotent?

Of course, it doesn’t work on top-tier beings like demons or the principal unless you’ve prepped them or they’re in a weakened state...

But on the flip side, with a little preparation, even the strongest beings in this world could fall under my hypnosis.

...The problem was, I wasn’t ready to accept such a power.

When I first came to this world, I used hypnosis to do all sorts of things.

It wasn’t that long ago, but I’d like to think of it as a time when I was still immature and reckless.

I acted as if I were the protagonist of the world.

But one day, I suddenly realized—I don’t know what I might end up doing if I continue down this path.

I started thinking that I might become just another trash villain drunk on power.

And once I had that thought, it became harder to use hypnosis like I did before.

I’d seen enough stories where people with hypnosis powers did terrible things.

I couldn’t stand the thought of becoming one of those people.

So I decided I wouldn’t use hypnosis unless it was absolutely necessary.

But now, I had no choice.

This was one of those necessary situations.

"You’re going to..."

"Well, if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to."

"Huh?"

"From what I can tell, there’s a reason you can’t tell me, even if you want to. So asking over and over won’t do any good."

"···"

"It’s a waste of time to keep asking the same question when I know you won’t answer, right?"

...Come to think of it, Eileen isn’t the type to like doing things that require effort.

I was about to erase the memory of what I said with hypnosis, but since she didn’t know about my ability, she must have assumed I wouldn’t talk.

"Alright, let me ask you this—will you be able to tell me later?"

"There’s no way I’d tell you something like that."

"Okay. Not now, but later..."

"?!"

"What’s with the surprise? It’s pretty obvious."

Oh, obvious? Really?

I couldn’t hide my shock and ended up rubbing my cheek absentmindedly. Seeing Eileen smirk at me, I realized she had tricked me.

"Right, so that’s how it is."

"That’s not fair!"

"If we’re talking about unfairness, it’s much worse to keep the location of my parents hidden from me for over ten years."

"Ugh...!"

"Well, now I have another reason to keep meeting you besides skipping class."

She sprawled out on the sofa, saying she was sure I’d eventually tell her if we kept spending time together.

"Take your time telling me. It’s not like I’m in a rush to find out where he is."

"...Alright."

Seeing her relaxed response, I decided not to use hypnosis to erase her memory.

It was a relief that she wasn’t the type to get hung up on the details.

She was good at reading people’s reactions, so she quickly realized I’d eventually tell her and decided to wait instead of pushing for answers.

There was no need to use hypnosis to erase her memory.

Instead of waiting for some random encounter, I could just tell her where he was when the time was right.

"By the way, just hypothetically, if you did meet your father...?"

"Why are you asking such annoying questions?"

Eileen responded with a tired look, not even bothering to glance my way.

"I’d kill him."

"...But your father is a Sword Saint. He’s on the same level as the principal."

"I know."

Her reply was cold.

"That’s why I need to start training with the sword again."

"..."

She was exactly the person I thought she was.

Sword Saint.

When people hear that title, they at least don’t think of someone weak.

The Sword Saints I knew of were all incredibly strong people... in the game, at least.

Ahem. Anyway, the Sword Saints in this world aren’t much different.

Just your average Sword Saint.

Though I’m not sure if “average” is the right word to describe a Sword Saint.

That man was called to war by the royal family when Eileen was young...

And then, he just disappeared.

What do you mean by that?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. He vanished as if he never existed.

Eileen’s main quest is about tracing the steps of that vanished Sword Saint.

He was her idol and a loving father.

But one day, he suddenly disappeared.

All he left behind were the words, "I’ll be back soon."

Eileen and her mother waited. For a day, two days, ten days, a month... they kept waiting.

And then, one night, six months after he said he’d be back soon, Eileen buried her face in her pillow and knew.

Her father wasn’t coming back. He had abandoned them.

That’s when she stopped practicing with the sword.

People thought Eileen had lost her drive and become lazy after losing her father, but it was the opposite.

Eileen had always been a lazy child who hated doing anything bothersome.

She only practiced with the sword because her father liked seeing her do it.

Her father’s happiness made her happy. His praise made her work harder.

That’s why she was able to keep practicing.

But when her father disappeared, so did her motivation.

It didn’t take long for her admiration to turn into hatred.

If she ever heard news of her father, she probably vowed to kill him herself.

And now, having heard from me about the Sword Saint, it was certain she’d start training again, sharpening her skills to kill him.

"I see. I always thought the Sword Saint was someone impressive."

"He’s just like the Leo student imagines. But heroes tend to neglect their families."

To become a Sword Saint, you inevitably end up distanced from your family.

You can’t build a reputation without going to dangerous places, and you can’t take your family with you to such places.

"But why are you telling me this?"

Leo asked, puzzled.

It was only natural. He was summoned here unexpectedly, and I suddenly started talking about someone else’s family.

Not something a counselor should be doing.

But this wasn’t just someone else’s family for Leo.

"Are you taking good care of that relic?"

"Huh? ...Yes, I am. It’s something my savior gave to me, so I’m trying to keep it in its original condition as much as possible. But why...?"

"That relic belonged to the Sword Saint."

"...What?!"

The boy hastily looked down at the relic he wore.

As if staring at it would change anything.

"It means Eileen’s father was the one who saved you."

If we go by the timeline...

The Sword Saint left his home, disappeared during the war, saved Leo, and then vanished again.

"But I’ve even talked to Eileen before. How could she not recognize her father’s belongings...?"

"It’s been over ten years, and she really hates her father. She probably worked hard to erase him from her memory. Besides, it’s just a piece of armor, right? It’s strange to expect her to recognize it."

"W-What should I do? I should return it to her..."

"No need to do that."

What has this kid been listening to?

Eileen hates the Sword Saint.

Is there any point in telling her that you have his belongings?

"What I’m trying to say is this."

Eileen’s quest to find the Sword Saint.

The main antagonist of this quest is none other than Leo.

Is it because they’re both connected to the Sword Saint?

...When I think about this, I can’t help but feel sorry for Orca.

The other kids are connected by quests, even if only a little, but Orca is isolated.

She’s always treated like an outcast.

"Don’t you want to find the Sword Saint’s traces as well?"

I didn’t need to hear his answer to know.

What boy wouldn’t want to seek out traces of the person he admired as a child?

Leo’s response was clear from the determination in his eyes. He didn’t need to say anything. The question alone had been enough to ignite something within him. The desire to find and understand the person who had saved his life, the Sword Saint, was now a mission that Leo couldn’t ignore.

Even though Eileen's relationship with her father was complicated and filled with pain, Leo was driven by a different kind of motivation—one fueled by respect and gratitude.

As I watched him process this new resolve, I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and dread. The path he was about to walk would inevitably lead to difficult choices, and I had just set him on it.

But that’s what being a counselor in this world meant—guiding these kids, even if the path was rocky. Whether they found peace, closure, or something else entirely was beyond my control.

"Then, I’ll leave it to you," I said, my voice firm but encouraging. "Find what you seek, but be prepared for what you might discover."

Leo nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the task ahead.

As he left the room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were set in motion that couldn’t be undone. The Sword Saint’s legacy was about to resurface, and with it, the hidden truths that Eileen and Leo would soon confront.

I sighed and looked out the window, where the sky was already darkening.

The calm before the storm. That’s what it felt like.

But no matter what happens, I’ll be here to guide them through it. Because that’s what I’m here for—to make sure they don’t lose their way.

No matter how daunting the path ahead may be.