The Support Ate it All
Chapter 85: 5th Week Mentoring and Duel Battles (8)

It was Tuesday,

During the short break after lunchtime.

I had a conversation with Go Hyeon-woo and Seo Ye-in in a secluded spot.

Needless to say, the topic revolved around the mentoring program that had started the day before.

“So, how’s your mentor?”

“I’m quite pleased, truly. My senior mentor is outstanding, and I see much to learn from the others as well.”

Go Hyeon-woo couldn’t hide his excitement since the morning.

It seemed he had been fortunate enough to be paired with a skilled mentor and capable group members, and it was something that any martial artist would be excited about.

“Really? Who’s in your group?”

“Miss Han is one of the members.”

“Han So-mi?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It made sense now why she had been heading in the same direction the day before.

I wondered if they might be in the same group, and indeed they were.

“That’s good. Try asking for a sparring match with her.”

“I did, actually. But she declined.”

“Already? Why didn’t she want to?”

“She said she doesn’t want unnecessary fights.”

Thinking back, I recall hearing her saying something similar on the train.

“Doesn’t like fights, but won’t shy away from a match,” was it?

If so, it’s understandable why she wouldn’t be keen on sparring.

Sparring isn’t about winning, after all.

Yet, considering she maintains a top rank in duel battles within the disciplinary committee club, she must be the type to step up when it matters.

“Maybe if you ask nicely, she might agree. Perhaps lure her in with something tasty.”

“Hmm, that might work. But I have no clue what Miss Han likes.”

“I can secretly ask Song Cheon-hye for you. She’s in my group, after all.”

“Really? Then I’ll count on you.”

Since Song Cheon-hye and Han So-mi were both in the disciplinary committee club and were quite close personally, always sticking together, they should have a good grasp of each other’s interests.

Though whether she would willingly share that with me is another matter, I had a plan for that.

With Go Hyeon-woo’s recent news seeming wrapped up, I turned the conversation to Seo Ye-in who had been quietly observing us until now.

“How about you? How’s the mentoring going?”

“…Boring.”

I thought as much. It must be boring for her.

I could already envision her mentor struggling.

“Did your mentor not say anything?”

“Wanted to see you.”

“Me?”

“Mhmm.”

What could the marksman mentor possibly want from me?

I was able to hear the answer to that question right away.

“You are here, miss.”

“?”

A strange voice drew my attention, and when I turned my head, I saw a woman impeccably dressed in a suit standing there.

I could intuitively tell from the first glance.

Whatever she’s tasked with, she’ll do at least twice as much as expected.

This person was evidently highly capable.

She didn’t seem to be a faculty member, so it was likely she was a graduate here for mentoring.

Moreover, her use of “miss” when addressing Seo Ye-in meant there was a longstanding relationship between them.

The woman in the suit was the first to bow toward us.

“It seems you two are friends of the miss. My name is Ahn Jeong-mi, and I’ve been assigned as a mentor this time.”

“I’m Go Hyeon-woo.”

“And I’m Kim Ho.”

We responded with due courtesy.

However, the moment she heard my name, Ahn Jeong-mi’s eyes began to emit an intense glow.

It was almost as if lasers were about to shoot out which was slightly overwhelming.

“…. Kim Ho? I’ve heard a lot about you. Would you mind sparing me a moment of your time?”

Go Hyeon-woo quickly picked up on the situation and rose with a smooth smile.

“It seems appropriate for me to step aside here.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Not at all. See you later, Kim-hyung and Miss Seo.”

And with that, he walked away.

With Seo Ye-in’s mentor present, the topic of our conversation was more or less decided.

There was no need to send Seo Ye-in away to talk about things we couldn’t discuss in her presence.

Ahn Jeong-mi then handed me her business card.

“Allow me to introduce myself once again.”

The business card was neatly inscribed with a title and name in meticulous handwriting.

[Team Leader of Strategy Team 2 in the Future Strategy Office of Hye-seong Group]

[Ahn Jeong-mi]

Hye-seong Group, huh.

Hye-seong Group was a large military industry company competing for first and second place in <Dragon Slayer Academy>. It was known for producing various high-rank magical engineering equipment, including magic guns.

If Seo Ye-in was associated with them, it explained how she was equipped with all sorts of high-rank items like the [Optical Camouflage Ghillie Suit] and the [Cloudsteppers].

If someone of a team leader level came personally to address her as “miss”, she must be at least the granddaughter of a high-ranking official.

Moreover, Ahn Jeong-mi seemed to hold more than just the position of a team leader, as her competent demeanor suggested.

As expected, Seo Ye-in pointed to Ahn Jeong-mi and added.

“She’s my butler.”

“Butler? This person?”

“Mhmm.”

“Yes, though it might be too much, I also perform the duties of a butler.”

Ahn Jeong-mi confirmed.

So she was that butler.

I recalled a conversation I had with Seo Ye-in a few weeks ago.

– Do you want anything?

– ……Out of nowhere?

– There should be a balance of giving and receiving.

– Who told you that?

– Our butler.

Seo Ye-in gifting me shoes as a token of gratitude for the special lecture on magic bullets was largely thanks to this common sense she had learned from her butler.

Although I didn’t know who it was before, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect every time the butler was mentioned. And now, Ahn Jeong-mi was that very butler standing before me.

The respected individual got straight to the point.

“The reason I sought you out, Kim Ho-nim, is to discuss the young miss’s future path.”

“I’m merely a student; surely there are better qualified people for class advice than me?”

I modestly stepped back but Ahn Jeong-mi slowly shook her head.

“No, there is no one more suitable than you, Kim Ho-nim. I heard that in just a month, you taught the young miss how to use [Magic Bullet] and [Ejection]. You are a very good teacher because you have accomplished something that not only I but none of the other tutors have been able to do.”

Her assertive tone suggested that this proposal had been planned well before our meeting.

However, something in Ahn Jeong-mi’s statement caught my attention.

If [Magic Bullets] and [Ejection] were considered very basic skills among the Marksman class, how come no one had properly taught her such skills before?

It couldn’t be that all the private tutors lacked skill, nor that Seo Ye-in lacked talent.

That led me to one conclusion.

“She doesn’t listen well at home, does she?”

“……”

Ahn Jeong-mi momentarily pressed her lips together.

I could tell right away that it was a tricky question yet she seemed to quickly sift through her vocabulary for the right words even in that brief moment.

Her response came within seconds. She was indeed quick-witted.

“……She tends to spend more time on areas that interest her more.”

I didn’t push Ahn Jeong-mi further by asking what those areas of interest were as it would only make her more uncomfortable.

It was pretty obvious that it would be something like napping.

The real message she wanted to convey wasn’t hard to guess either.

Yes, she’s terribly disobedient at home.

The thought that I had been teaching such a person like Seo Ye-in made her curious enough to want to meet me at least once.

I nodded my head in understanding.

“I see. Since she’s also a friend of mine, I’ll do my best as much as I can.”

“Thank you. After checking more precisely yesterday, I found she had raised her Magic Bullets and Ejection to C-rank.”

“Is that so?”

This was a surprise to me too.

I had set the goal at C-rank thinking it would motivate her to work hard but she actually achieved it.

When I turned to look at Seo Ye-in, she slowly raised her fingers and formed a clumsy V sign as our eyes met.

I exchanged glances with Ahn Jeong-mi again.

Surprisingly, we understood each other just by looking into each other’s eyes.

– Is she always like this?

– No, this is the first time I’ve seen her like this too.

But regardless, we were both professionals.

We quickly regained our composure and returned to our conversation.

“If both are at C-ran, I think she has secured enough firepower for now.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

As long as she could continue to hit the opponent with magic bullets and inflict damage, she could take down anyone in the first year.

The important keyword here is “continue”.

Currently, Seo Ye-in’s win rate plummets after two or three missed shots since she lacked the stamina to sustain the battle.

Her burst damage might be impressive, but without the mobility or defense to maintain that power, she would be vulnerable to counterattacks.

So, if it comes down to a real firefight, she would likely be the first to fall.

Take for example the duo of Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Jun-seok in the 2v2 match; they used magic shields to block the snipes and counterattacked by pinpointing Seo Ye-in’s position.

If I hadn’t turned the tables, she would have quickly been worn down and would have been defeated.

To prevent similar situations in the future, the first thing she should improve is,

“Maybe learning a movement skill first would be a good idea.”

“Do you have any skills in mind?”

Ahn Jeong-mi asked.

Learning [Thief’s Step] like other ranged classes could work…

But why not go for something a bit more luxurious?

I suggested a different skill.

“I think [Feather Walk] would be good.”

Feather Walk.

It was similar to Thief’s Step in that it lightens the caster’s body and increases movement speed.

The difference lay in the weak turbulence generated around the caster while Feather Walk was active which helped deflect and divert some of the incoming attacks.

In a sense, it also served a defensive role, albeit to a lesser extent.

Naturally, it synergized well with wind-type skills.

Pairing it with the skills I planned to learn in the future would yield even greater bonuses.

However, there was one notable drawback.

It’s expensive.

Feather Walk skill books were exceedingly rare compared to Thief’s Step.

During my time playing <Dragon Slayer Academy>, the market rate was over a hundred times more expensive, so wouldn’t it be similar here?

It was better than Thief’s Step, but even so, the price was ridiculously high.

Most would prefer to learn the similar Thief’s Ste and invest the significant difference in resources elsewhere.

But she belongs to the Hye-sung Group, right?

For a scion of a conglomerate like the Hye-sung Group, what’s a bit of money for the rare opportunity to learn a new skill?

As expected, Ahn Jeong-mi nodded her head without any hesitation.

“I’ll get the skill book right away.”

I added one more suggestion.

“Perhaps it might be wise to consider changing her weapon for the time being as well.”

While learning the new movement skill, rather than using a sniper rifle that requires one to stay in one place for a long amount of time, why not use a magic gun that offers a little more mobility?

This request was hardly a challenge for the Hye-sung Group.

After all, they had more than enough firearms at their disposal.

“Yes, I will do that.”

With this, Seo Ye-in’s training direction was essentially set for the time being.

The plan was to monitor her progress and decide whether to continue on this path or make changes as necessary.

I spoke to Seo Ye-in in a playful tone.

“Work hard on your skill, and make sure to listen to what your butler says.”

Seo Ye-in looked at me blankly for a few seconds before slowly nodding her head in agreement.

“Mhmm.”

Ahn Jeong-mi’s expression turned strange as she watched this.

Her eyes were full of admiration and respect towards me, but her eyes when she looked at Seo Ye-in seemed to be filled with a sense of betrayal and emptiness.

That’s understandable.

Somehow, I found myself understanding Ahn Jeong-mi’s position.

It was akin to someone who had lovingly cared for a cat for years only to see it show no interest in them but immediately roll over and expose its belly to a stranger.

But Ahn Jeong-mi was a professional through and through.

She quickly composed herself and continued the conversation.

“The mentoring this time is also of interest to the Future Strategy Office. We will not forget the various ways Kim Ho-nim has contributed to the miss’s growth and will ensure we express our gratitude appropriately.”

“I won’t decline. I have quite a few needs, you see.”

“We will prepare something that will surely satisfy you.”

The promise of something rewarding was already in the air.

As expected, Ahn Jeong-mi was a woman with principles.

*******

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