How to Live as a Counselor in Another World

Chapter 14

The counseling office has been busy lately.

After Mr. Berian’s interview was published in Today’s Mage, the number of people inquiring about counseling increased noticeably.

Some contacted us through Gipone to ask about reservations, while others came in person.

“A counseling office? How is that different from a resolution office? You do not look for missing people, do you?”

“We do not handle searches for people specifically. It is a bit complicated to explain…”

“I heard that if you come here, your magic becomes stronger.”

“This is not a place that enhances magic. It is a counseling office.”

“A customer comes in and you do not even serve tea? Tsk.”

“We have not prepared anything like that…”

And most of them were what one would call troublesome customers.

Many of them were mages who had only read Mr. Berian’s interview and assumed that our counseling office was some sort of magic academy.

That was the better case. Some simply came “out of curiosity,” or “to see what a counseling office is like.”

I should not simply dismiss them as nuisances. They are not acting out of malice.

They simply do not understand what a “counseling office” is. Because they do not know, they misunderstand. Because they do not know, they become curious.

That is why I could not afford to be irritated.

I did not turn away those who came to the counseling office. I answered their questions kindly.

“So what exactly is this place supposed to do?”

“Well… do you happen to know anyone around you who suffers because of memories from the past, or who suddenly shouts or says things that are hard to understand?”

“There is at least one crazy fellow like that in every neighborhood.”

Of course, almost no one listened carefully to my explanation.

No matter how kindly I explained, most people simply let it go in one ear and out the other.

But not everyone was like that.

“Or perhaps someone who suddenly stops talking, quits what they were doing, and locks themselves in their room?”

“…My daughter has been showing symptoms like that for quite some time.”

“I see. That must be worrying.”

“It is. She does not go to work and just stays at home like that, without any clear reason. I-is it serious?”

“No, it is not serious. Could you bring your daughter here? This is a place that treats people like that.”

One in ten, or perhaps one in a hundred. There are people who truly need my help.

Because of that one in ten, that one in a hundred, I could not stop explaining. If I gave up simply because it was tiring or bothersome, I might pass by the one or two people who desperately needed my help.

Not all newcomers were unfamiliar with what a counseling office was.

From time to time, there were those who came knowing exactly what this place was.

“Is this… a place that looks after mental health?”

“Yes, that is correct. Are you here for counseling?”

“Th-then, is there a more private space than this…?”

“Of course. Please follow me.”

I took such people into the counseling room, spoke with them briefly, and examined them.

“It appears to be depression.”

“What?”

And most of them were, indeed, depressed.

After receiving a diagnosis of depression, the reactions of clients were largely the same.

“Is it serious? I-I can get better, right, Instructor?”

They trembled as if they had been given a terminal diagnosis.

Depression is, of course, quite a dangerous illness. It makes things that once felt effortless unbearably difficult, causes people to quit their work, and can even drive them to take their own lives.

“If you take the medication and rest well, you will recover.”

“R-really?”

Even so, I tried to explain depression in a way that made clients view it as less overwhelming.

“Of course, it is not something that heals overnight. Depending on the case, treatment may take quite a long time.”

“Ah…”

“There will be days when it does not feel so difficult, and days when it feels especially hard. There will be times when it feels like you are getting better, and times when it feels hopeless, as if it will never end.”

At the same time, I did not let them take it too lightly.

“The important thing is recognizing that all of those days are part of the process of recovery. You must believe that it will get better someday. If you do, it will.”

Depression only truly begins to heal when it is recognized as something that will one day disappear without a trace.

If it is seen as an eternal shackle, or an incurable disease that will ruin one’s life, it will not go away.

Depression is that kind of illness.

It must be taken seriously because it seems trivial at a glance, and yet it must be treated as something trivial precisely because it is serious. Only then can it heal.

“Whew…”

I let out a sigh after finishing today’s busy schedule.

There were not that many clients, but today felt especially exhausting.

It was probably because there were many new clients. With newcomers, there was simply more to explain.

I closed my eyes and rested for a moment. Fatigue washed over me so suddenly that I felt like I might fall asleep.

Then I sensed someone nearby and opened my eyes. At some point, Erisa had come out of the preparation room and was staring blankly at me. When our eyes met, she flinched in surprise.

“What are you doing there?”

“Were you not sleeping?”

“I was not sleeping. I was just resting my eyes.”

“I see…”

Erisa nodded, then stood there doing nothing in particular, staring at me again.

I wondered what she was doing, but… this was not the first time she had acted like this, so I let it go.

I closed my eyes again and focused on resting, but once more I sensed movement.

When I opened my eyes, Erisa was pacing in front of me.

“…What have you been doing this whole time? It is distracting. Do you have something to say?”

“It is about what I mentioned before. I think we need to supplement our human resources to run the counseling office more smoothly.”

Human resources to run the counseling office… what?

“Oh, staff?”

“Yes.”

It was something worth considering.

Until now, the number of clients had been small, so just Erisa and me had been enough.

However, with the recent rapid expansion of the counseling office and Mr. Berian’s interview spreading by word of mouth, the number of visitors had increased.

If things continued like this, the two of us would not be enough.

At the very least, we would eventually need to hire a guide.

Someone who could explain to visitors what the counseling office does.

If there were such a person, I could focus entirely on counseling.

A guard also seemed necessary.

As the number of visitors increased, so did the troublesome ones. We needed a guard to maintain order.

I could use my connection with Director Justin to call investigators from the Public Security Bureau in emergencies. If necessary, I could step in myself. But that could not be done every time.

Some visitors caused trouble while skirting the line, making it awkward to call investigators or intervene directly.

And once the inpatient ward became active and expanded, we would need nurses to manage it.

If the scale grew further, perhaps even a caretaker for the entire building.

That was still far off.

For now, the urgent needs were probably a guide and a guard.

“I want to hire people too, but there is no one.”

“No one?”

“I cannot just hire anyone.”

Even hiring a single guide required careful consideration.

“They need to clearly understand what the counseling office is. Only then can they explain to visitors what counseling is and what we do here.”

The same applied to a guard.

The guard I wanted was not simply someone strong. If violence were needed to subdue a situation, investigators or even I myself could do that.

What the counseling office needed was someone who could calm troublesome customers with an imposing tone.

Someone who could maintain order through words and presence, not violence.

“In other words, someone who can create order through intimidation alone. Ideally, someone large and intimidating in appearance, but patient and upright in character, despite how they look.”

Erisa’s gaze burned into me.

“You really are modest. You do not ask for much at all.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“Of course.”

I had no response to that.

“…Still, this is the minimum I should expect. If I am going to hire someone half-hearted, it would be better for me to do it myself.”

Hiring staff requires caution. After all, this is a counseling office.

Among the visitors, there are clients who genuinely need counseling.

They may be sensitive, anxious, or depressed.

Compared to other businesses, this place requires far more careful and individualized interaction.

“So for a while, it will just be you and me.”

“Until we find someone suitable, yes.”

It was burdensome, but for now I could still handle being a counselor, a guide, and even a guard.

It would mean less sleep and more strain on my body, but still.

If I became too drowsy, I could always take a little stimulant.

I absentmindedly touched the stimulant I always carried in my pocket, Dawn’s Call.

Meanwhile, Erisa seemed lost in thought. Then, as if something had occurred to her, her eyes widened.

“Instructor, has that person not been coming lately?”

“Who? That does not tell me much.”

“The one who used to come here often. Big, intimidating-looking. He said he was a hunter.”

“Mr. Draksan?”

Erisa thought for a moment, then nodded.

“That sounds right.”

“Now that you mention it, yes. Mr. Draksan has not been coming lately.”

“Was his treatment finished?”

“No.”

No matter how I searched my memory, I was certain. Mr. Draksan’s condition had not been cured. From the beginning, it was not something that could be cured so easily.

“…Why has he stopped coming?”

A sense of unease crept over me.

***

If a client suddenly stops coming to the counseling office, there are two possibilities.

First, their symptoms have been cured, and they no longer need to come.

People with mild depression often recover like this and stop visiting. This case does not concern me much.

Second, their condition has worsened so much that they cannot even visit the counseling office.

This second possibility is the problem.

Cases where their condition has deteriorated to the point that they no longer have the energy to come.

For example, when depression becomes so severe that the desire for treatment itself disappears, or when anxiety or panic disorder makes leaving the house impossible.

In Mr. Draksan’s case, the latter seemed more likely.

“When Mr. Draksan last came here, his condition had worsened rather than improved, had it not?”

“I barely managed to stop him from attacking you.”

“Yes. Someone like that would not suddenly recover overnight… Something must have happened that prevented him from coming here.”

Mr. Draksan suffers from Intermittent Explosive Disorder.

In a more widely known but unofficial term, it is often called anger management disorder.

What many people do not know is that those with Intermittent Explosive Disorder often also suffer from depression or anxiety disorders.

The public perception of Intermittent Explosive Disorder is poor.

People have seen neighborhood bullies causing trouble while claiming, “I have anger issues,” only to bow their heads submissively when faced with someone stronger.

But those who truly suffer from Intermittent Explosive Disorder are different from such bullies.

They lash out regardless of whether the other person is strong or weak.

Their anger cannot be controlled by reason or circumstance. Because it cannot be controlled, it is called a disorder.

After releasing their anger in an uncontrollable outburst, they may feel momentary relief, but soon afterward depression and emptiness set in.

It is due to the self-reproach of thinking, “I failed to control myself again.”

And when the rage characteristic of Intermittent Explosive Disorder turns inward rather than outward…

At best, it could lead to self-harm or self-injury. At worst, it could lead to an irreversible choice.

“…I should go and check on him.”