Is This the First Time You’ve Seen a Saint Who’s Also Good at Magic?

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Two days later, at lunch.

Eun-byeol, Ah-reum, and Jae-woo gathered in front of the cafeteria.

After exchanging light greetings, they began their lunch.

As casual chatter flowed in between bites, Eun-byeol suddenly spoke up.

“Hey guys, do you want to check out the guild training after our midterms?”

“What? A tour?”

“Yeah! I got an offer to observe the rookie training at the Dawn Guild. If you’re interested, let’s go together.”

“Hmm.”

Jae-woo took a sip of water and thought.

‘Not a bad proposal.’

Observing the training of a large guild—a rare opportunity indeed. It certainly shows Eun-byeol has good connections.

“Is it okay if we join the observation?”

“Of course! I asked the staff beforehand, and they said it’s fine to bring friends. Ah-reum, what about you?”

Eun-byeol’s question made Ah-reum pause for a moment before responding.

“Just… just observing, right…?”

“What else would we do?”

Eun-byeol looked at Ah-reum as if she were strange for asking. In the end, Ah-reum shook her head slightly and agreed to join.

It’s not a problem as long as it doesn’t conflict with Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s schedule.

Ah-reum also understood this was a rare chance.

“Decision made! No changing it later!”

Eun-byeol smiled brightly. Being with friends relieved her rather than blending into a crowd of strangers.

“By the way, we’re going to a regular E-rank dungeon today, huh?”

“Well, that seems appropriate.”

“True, but… we were told to keep our evenings free, right? Isn’t there still some time left?”

“Hmm… Surely the professor has it all planned.”

Eun-byeol and Jae-woo continued to chat casually about their day. Ah-reum had followed along with her private tutoring out of curiosity, but felt oddly dissatisfied. They could have easily tackled the E-rank dungeon themselves.

After finishing their meal, the trio walked to their meeting spot.

They met up with Si-hyun, who was dressed in casual clothes near the gate.

“Wow, Professor! You look so pretty in casual wear!”

“…Thank you.”

Si-hyun blushed slightly at the sudden compliment as they met. She noticed the student’s charisma was quite impressive, just like at the library and cafe.

‘Well, she does look friendly from the get-go.’

Si-hyun smiled gently and calmly spoke.

“Ah-reum told me, right? We’re going to explore the dungeon until dinner.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll first check your skills, and then we’ll proceed with the guidance.”

“Understood!”

The students responded energetically, and Si-hyun nodded in satisfaction.

Then Eun-byeol cheerfully added,

“And Professor! Please feel free to speak casually with us!”

“…Um, is that so?”

“Yes! We’re counting on you today!”

Accepting Eun-byeol’s request, Si-hyun looked at Jae-woo.

Jae-woo also nodded and said, “Looking forward to it.”

‘It wouldn’t hurt to get closer.’

If they approached her in a friendly way, she could treat them more comfortably as well.

Si-hyun nodded and started walking, with the students following suit.

The four of them soon entered the dungeon without incident.

They were greeted by a typical cave dungeon.

“Try to conquer the dungeon without relying on my presence.”

“Yes!”

The students replied energetically.

They began to prepare smoothly as they usually did during party sessions. Ah-reum used her skills to enhance the entire party. Eun-byeol provided light while Jae-woo confidently led the way.

Unlike before, Ah-reum stood right next to Eun-byeol from the start. Though she hadn’t yet moved to the front, she wasn’t retreating either. She wasn’t trembling with fear.

After the tour with the Wings Guild, Ah-reum had made progress.

She was already capable enough as a support character.

However, her dreams reached much higher.

‘I need to show the professor how much I’ve improved…!’

Ah-reum’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Si-hyun. After seeing her smile, she clenched her fist and returned her gaze forward.

Thus, the group ventured deeper into the dungeon.

“Bring it on!”

With Jae-woo’s enthusiastic shout, their first battle commenced.

“Ke-heh-heh!”

“Keruk!”

Since it was an E-rank dungeon, not many goblins appeared at once.

First, Jae-woo, empowered by Ah-reum’s skills, drew the monster’s attention.

Boom!

Eun-byeol, the party’s main damage dealer, systematically reduced their numbers with magic. If anyone got hurt, Ah-reum’s skills would heal them in no time.

With Jae-woo’s regenerative abilities combined, they were practically invincible for this E-rank dungeon.

Once the goblin numbers dwindled, everyone joined forces to finish them off.

It was a textbook battle method.

Si-hyun watched the scene play out leisurely.

‘They’ve improved a lot.’

Compared to when she first saw them, they had really advanced.

Though it was her first time seeing Eun-byeol fight, both Jae-woo and Ah-reum’s growth since their first encounter was evident.

However, there were still many shortcomings.

‘I’ll wait until this dungeon is over before I decide.’

Making decisions based on fragmented observations isn’t right. It’s better to observe, synthesize, and then judge.

Si-hyun calmly watched the students.

As they progressed deeper into the dungeon, battles occurred consistently.

She made mental notes of the students’ habits and behaviors.

Even their small, unnoticed mistakes or reactions.

After several hours of dungeon conquering, Si-hyun emerged outside the gate and handed out prepared water bottles to the students.

“Great job, everyone. You’ve really put in the effort, huh?”

“Hehe…”

“Ah, thank you!”

“Phew, thanks.”

The students wiped the sweat off their brows as they drank the water.

Eun-byeol gulped down her water and checked the time on her phone. Si-hyun observed this and smiled wryly.

“We still have… more dungeons to explore, right?”

“Y-yeah?!”

“Uh, again?”

“Hmm…”

The students looked at Si-hyun in astonishment.

Unbothered, she continued in her calm tone.

“Well, we didn’t come out here just for fun, did we?”

“…”

The students’ mouths all shut in unison.

Si-hyun carried on without a care.

“First, tell me. If Jae-woo can’t hold off all the monsters and some get past him, what will you do?”

“Ah-reum and I will distract them with our staffs or attack with skills…?”

“That means you two will have to delay your support, letting Jae-woo struggle even more to hold them off?”

“….”

Ah-reum and Eun-byeol were at a loss for words while Jae-woo awkwardly scratched his cheek.

Though it was currently an E-rank dungeon, such things could easily happen in higher-level ones.

And now it was Jae-woo’s turn.

“Jae-woo, I know you feel the weight on your shoulders, but you’ve developed some bad habits.”

“What? Bad habits?”

“Yes. You’re learning swordsmanship in your major, right?”

“Yeah, I am…”

“Before being a regenerative ability user, you chose a sword as your weapon. You need to utilize swordsmanship properly. At this rate, it would be more fitting for you to pick up a shield instead.”

“….”

Jae-woo fell silent.

As the students all zipped their lips, the atmosphere grew heavy.

‘Did I say it too bluntly?’

Si-hyun tilted her head slightly as she looked at the students.

If they became too downcast, it would be hard to give further advice.

She decided to observe them again to judge what to do next.

‘…Hmm.’

“Eun-byeol, I’ll handle the ones coming towards us!”

“Are you sure? Doing it alone might be tough.”

“N-no! I can do it!”

“Okay, let’s do this then.”

Si-hyun’s expression softened.

They weren’t looking defeated anymore.

They were thoughtfully considering how to act based on her advice.

Such a commendable sight.

Si-hyun gave them sufficient time to think amongst themselves.

When their discussion wrapped up, she added further explanations.

“Aha! That does sound better!”

“Y-you really are a professor…!”

The students clapped their hands in agreement.

There wasn’t a hint of doubt concerning the professor’s advice.

Especially between Eun-byeol and Jae-woo, who had downplayed their feelings about going to the E-rank dungeon at lunchtime.

‘Disappointed? Hardly! This is something we wouldn’t even learn at the Academy.’

‘We’ve been pointed out on things we couldn’t realize ourselves.’

They had somewhat impulsively asked to receive guidance together, and their gratitude for the professor’s willingness to teach was overwhelming.

With sparkling eyes, the students gazed at Si-hyun.

For her, that was enough.

She felt a sense of fulfillment from the students’ lively reactions.

Smiling brightly, she spoke.

“Shall we slowly head to the next dungeon?”

Snap!

Si-hyun snapped her fingers.

At that moment, mana sprinkled around, gently enveloping the students.

Ah-reum had seen it before, but for Eun-byeol and Jae-woo, it was the first time witnessing Professor Jeong Si-hyun use her ‘skill.’

With wide eyes, they felt their exhausted conditions refreshing.

Si-hyun added.

“Oh, and one last thing. Don’t rely too heavily on the status window.”

It was an unexpectedly added piece of advice.

All the students tilted their heads in confusion.

However, Si-hyun simply smiled cheerfully without further clarification. She playfully said,

“I’ve booked three dungeons for today. Let’s get moving!”

“…”

Three instead of just two?

The students followed behind the professor, dumbfounded.

No one forced them; they desired the guidance themselves, so they couldn’t complain.

And thus, throughout the day, they found it impossible to tire out, even if they wished to.

Their minds and bodies had been forcibly rejuvenated.

Thanks to that, they annihilated monsters to their heart’s content.

* * *

After successfully clearing three dungeons, Si-hyun asked the students if they had anything they wanted and bought them dinner.

They chatted animatedly over their meal before heading home.

Only the three students remained.

The night sky had darkened, illuminated by street lights and shop lights.

Eun-byeol shouted energetically.

“Let’s go for Round Two!”

They naturally made their way to a nearby pub.

They ordered their favorite dishes and drinks and began to enjoy themselves.

Eun-byeol rested her chin on one hand and said,

“Wasn’t the professor’s expression a bit off during dinner?”

“R-really…?”

“It looked like she was about to cry or something. Did something emotional happen?”

“Hmm… I dunno…”

All three were puzzled.

They recalled Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s teary-eyed expressions.

How she worked diligently to eat without losing her smile.

Recalling the professor’s manner during dinner, Jae-woo put forth a theory.

“Maybe she was okay with the meal?”

“Aha! That could be it! Honestly, the stir-fried webfoot octopus was delicious. A bit spicy, though.”

“I like spicy food more!”

“You enjoy spicy stuff, huh?”

Eun-byeol chuckled as she playfully nudged Jae-woo.

Ah-reum quietly sipped her drink, observing.

‘Could it be that Professor Jeong Si-hyun loves spicy food, like the spicy webfoot octopus?’

She made a mental note.

She’d need to look for good restaurants on the side.

After all, since the professor took the time to personally guide her, she wanted to repay such small favors.

Imagining the professor’s delighted expression, Ah-reum smiled widely.

“Oh, look at that.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Eun-byeol pointed to the TV in the corner of the pub.

All eyes turned in that direction.

News rolled across the screen.

– Recently, there has been an increase in the occurrence of gates detected as failures. The Hunter Management Agency keeps asserting that there are no issues with the devices.

Following the announcer’s explanation, an expert commentary followed.

– The occurrence of dungeons relies on inventions from American returnees; it is indeed true that device improvements are necessary. Moreover, the frequency of high-grade dungeons has sharply risen recently.

The expert’s expression was grave.

“I wonder what will really happen later?”

Eun-byeol murmured, furrowing her brows.

Jae-woo frowned.

“…We really need to level up our ranks.”

“Absolutely!”

As Eun-byeol sipped her drink, the other students followed suit, downing their drinks.