How To Use Regressors

23 – Episode 23 – Education Center (4)

“Welcome.”

“……..”

I came here thinking it would be a reception room or an office, but the scene in front of me seemed to be a bedroom, not this woman’s office.

Luckily, there was a table and a chair, but I was incredibly taken aback by the fact that she called me into her personal bedroom.

The woman looked at my expression and smirked slightly before opening her mouth.

“Don’t be too nervous. Make yourself comfortable, relax.”

I suppressed the urge to shout that it’s not possible to be comfortable in a situation like this for four years.

“…. Um… How should I address you…?”

“Mr. Kang Sung Jun explained it at the podium earlier. Just call me Commander Yeon.”

“Ah, yes. Commander Yeon. So, what did you call me here for?”

The woman sat down on the chair, crossing her legs, and spoke.

“Do you really not know?”

It’s not possible. It can only flow in the direction that this woman wants. I had to pull myself together.

I calmed my trembling heart and asked her directly.

“…I’ll be honest. What is it that you want from me?”

The woman chuckled at my question and spoke indifferently.

“Now you have a look in your eyes. Honestly, I was a little disappointed earlier. Your eyes were too timid.”

“…Can you try to see things from the instructor’s point of view? Isn’t it unreasonable to not do so?”

“Well, that’s true. Anyway, I asked what you want, but I don’t want anything. I just called you out of curiosity about you, the new recruit.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

“………”

“Hmm… You don’t believe me, do you? Why would I bother with a newcomer like you? It’s just a personal curiosity about Lee Yoon-sung.”

Nonsense. There’s no way that the value of the status window of someone who just landed here and someone playing at the top of this place is the same.

“…….”

“Mr. Lee Yoon-seong, you’re quite the skeptical type, aren’t you? Well, being suspicious here is a good thing. It reduces the chances of getting blindsided.”

“… Do you really think my worth is equivalent to that of an instructor in my status window?”

If someone were to say I’m selling this woman’s information, they’d be in for a big surprise. I don’t know if she has a clan, but those who stand against her will likely end up with a black eye.

“Oh, for a newbie, your mind works pretty well, doesn’t it? Honestly, I didn’t expect much when I saw Mr. Lee Yoon-seong’s status window. The stats are rather dismal… Oh, if you felt uncomfortable, I apologize. It’s just that I’m a straightforward person.”

“I don’t really care. I’m well aware that I lack talent more than anyone else.”

“Well… Anyway, I hope you believe that I won’t try to exploit you. Well, I won’t go around exposing my status window anywhere, will I?”

“I’m not that stupid.”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Is that all…?”

“… No. I didn’t want anything in the beginning, but now I’m starting to feel a certain curiosity.”

“Suddenly? Just a moment ago, you said you didn’t want anything…!”

Honestly, I thought you’d be pretty ordinary aside from your ability to see other people’s status windows. Oh, of course, Mr. Lee Yoon-seong, your unique feature has a high value. Anyway, your thinking is sharp, and your cautious nature is quite appealing.”

“…”

“Well… Did you properly hear what I do, aside from being an instructor?”

“… No, I didn’t hear. At that time, it was Instructor Yeon who spoke to me in my head.”

“Ah… As I thought. I am the clan master leading the Myth Clan. The Myth Clan isn’t one of the top three clans, but it is a clan that ranks just below them.”

It was unexpected. Honestly, I thought she would be leading one of the top three clans. This woman’s abilities and power were on par with Kang Sung-jun.

‘… Is she hiding some of her true abilities?’

“The clan names might be confusing, right? The clan led by Mr. Kang Sung-jun is the Divine Clan. The clan I lead is the Myth Clan. They have no ~relation to each other, so don’t make any unnecessary assumptions.”

“…I understand. So, what is the reason for suddenly talking about clans?”

“…Honestly, based solely on your abilities, you’re nothing special. But my intuition tells me to capture you.”

‘What nonsense is she talking about all of a sudden…’

I couldn’t understand why this woman was saying such things.

“Why would you suddenly make an offer to me? What did you see in me? If you looked at my status window, the normal response would be the opposite.”

“You seem surprised as well. Well… it’s only been a day, so it’s natural to be confused.”

“Well, thank you for the kind words. But honestly, I don’t understand Commander Yeon’s thoughts. Of course, from my perspective, it is a good offer, but I don’t understand why you suddenly think I have any value.”

“Of course, force is the most important thing on this continent, but it’s not everything. Actually… it may sound arrogant, but I alone am enough in terms of power. I won’t be beaten by anyone wherever I go.”

Arrogant, but true words. If I look at this woman’s status window, I cannot dismiss these words as mere nonsense.

When I think about Kang Sung-jun taking on the position of Chief Instructor, he is considered to be at the top of the top tier. But if I only look at the status window, this woman’s power seemed almost equal to Kang Sung-jun’s.

“I tend to hold those who are desperate or lacking in high regard. This is my personal belief… but I believe that when someone is lacking something, they live desperately, work hard, and give everything they have to achieve something.”

“Do you think I look like someone with deficiencies? Are you talking about powerlessness?”

“Well, the absence of power can also be a form of deficiency. But when I spoke to Mr. Lee Yoon-seong today, it felt more like it’s about you as a person rather than your powerlessness.”

Suddenly, my stomach churned. I barely held back the urge to get up from my seat. But unintentionally, I failed at maintaining my composure and responded coldly.

“… What do you know about me to make such remarks?”

After I spoke, it finally dawned on me.

The woman, in response to my reaction, chuckled and replied.

“Well, your reaction just now is evidence, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“Hmm, I guess I was a bit rude. It’s been a while since I took an interest in a newcomer… I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m done here. You can go now. Take your time to consider the offer. Well, I might change my mind later too.”

“Then I’ll be on my way. I’ll think about the offer… Thank you.”

“Oh!”

As if she remembered something, the woman blurted out, and I forced myself to swallow the urge to curse silently.

I turned my gaze back to her, and she spoke.

“In the future, call me ‘nuna.'”

“…. What?”

Yoon Yeon spoke with a mischievous expression.

“Privilege, it’s a privilege.”

‘Crazy girl.’

“… It’s not necessary.”

Thud.

I closed the door and left her room.

******

As I stepped out of Yoon Yeon’s room, my breath caught for a moment. It was because Seo Yooju was standing in front of me.

“………”

“… Miss Yooju?”

“… Why are you coming out from there?”

‘What’s going on? Did she follow me?’

I didn’t sense any presence when I came here. No way…

‘Did she deliberately hide her presence and follow me? Wondering where I was going?’

My brain froze in the sudden situation. Despite knowing I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt a strong urge to say something.

“There, there’s… the Captain called for me to tell you something.”

“…. Yoon Yeon, that girl?”

“Yes?”

‘Did I… mishear it…?’

“No, Captain Yoon Yeon called for Yoon Sung. At this hour? In her own bedroom?”

“…I didn’t know it was her bedroom until I entered. But… we just sat on the chair and had a conversation.”

“What did you talk about?”

‘Damn, I didn’t do anything wrong, why…’

“That… I can’t tell Yuju…”

“What did you talk about?”

In that moment, I took a shallow breath.

I felt like a mouse in front of a snake.

‘Damn it… I have to… I have to speak…’

“….. Um, about the clan offer… proposing to me…”

“… You didn’t accept it, right?”

“Yes, yes… Just saying I’ll consider it…”

Suddenly, the tension in the air dissipated. The intense anxiety that had gripped my entire body vanished in an instant. Struggling to adapt to the abrupt change in atmosphere, she spoke with a slight smile.

“You did well. You should always consult me on such matters. We’re colleagues, right? Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“What the hell was that just now?”

“Let’s go back to our accommodations together. Everyone is still resting.”

“Yes, yes…”

With the situation resolved for the moment, Seo Yooju and I returned to our accommodations. Once we arrived, everyone gathered in the living room instead of retreating to their individual rooms.

“Oh, Yoon Sung, why are you here now? We were discussing our future plans…”

“Haha… Sorry, Hyunjin. So, what were you talking about?”

“Of course, it was about our upcoming training.”

“Hyunjin, you think too much. They’ll handle the training on their end.”

“What? Hey! Come here! This…”

“Yikes! Hair! Stop yanking my hair and talk!”

They were running around the living room with boundless energy.

“Those two are only twenty-six and twenty, yet…”

After seeing their behavior, Yurim firmly lectured Yuhyeon.

“Yuhyeon… You must never behave like that when you’re older. Do you understand?”

“…. Yes, sis. I don’t want to be like that either.”

Hohwon sighed deeply and covered his face with his hand as he listened to the conversation between Yurim and Yuhyeon.

When the situation calmed down a bit, Seo Yujoo gathered everyone’s attention and began speaking.

“Well, well… I have something to say. Yoonsung has received an offer from the clan.”

Upon hearing Seo Yujoo’s words, everyone’s expressions were filled with surprise.

“What…? Hey, Yoonsung. Is it true? Already?!”

“Wow… Yoonsung hyung! Is it real?”

“… Is she trying to use others to provoke my emotions and make me reject the offer? It seems she really doesn’t want me to join the Myth Clan.”

It seemed that Seo Yujoo didn’t want me to join that place, as she openly talked about the offer to everyone. I was the only one who had received an offer from the Myth Clan.

“… No, it’s not certain yet. I only discreetly received the offer, and I just said I would think about it.”

“Hyung! But where did you get the offer? That Clan Master must have realized how amazing you are! So, which clan is it?”

“… It’s the Myth Clan. It’s slightly below the top three clans, but it’s still a pretty significant clan right beneath them.”

“Hey, Yoonseong. Are you… thinking of joining that clan? Should we aim for that one too?”

They seemed to naturally assume they were going along with me. Their response lifted my spirits a bit. It meant they valued me that much.

I shook my head and said, “No, we still have three months to go, so it’s not too late to decide after seeing what offers everyone receives. There’s no need to make a fuss this early.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Oh… by the way, use formal speech or informal speech, just pick one. Honestly, we’ve been through life and death situations together, and you’re still being so formal… Isn’t it a bit too much? Just keep speaking informally like now.”

I couldn’t keep using formal speech with Kang Yiseohan forever, and now seemed like a good time to let go of it. I nodded in agreement.

“… Okay.”

“Much better… Anyway, I don’t mind that I received a clan offer. I want to go with all of you, so it’s all good.”

My words seemed to deeply touch Hyunjin, Yurim, and Yuhun. Seoyuju was looking quite satisfied when she glanced at me.

Honestly, just a moment ago, it was truly frightening in front of Yun Yeon’s bedroom.

“… I felt like one wrong word could have led to something bad happening.”

Seoyuju, watching our close-knit group, quietly smiled and spoke.

“Tomorrow, I think we will have time to record our professions before receiving education. It’s getting late today, so everyone should go to sleep. Thank you for your hard work.”