NOVEL WEB Chapter 209
I thought she and Myungho would march right over to Heros Company to confront them, but surprisingly, they patiently waited.
They said that barging in now wouldn’t do any good; it would be more meaningful to strike when they least expected it.
They decided to wait at least until the Sports Festival.
So, while the days went by, not particularly memorable but not meaningless either, I quietly waited for the festival to arrive.
During that time, I hung out with some friends who dropped by occasionally, did what needed to be done, and learned what I had to learn… Oh right, it’s not that I didn’t have at least one memorable moment.
It’s such an obvious and mundane thing, but Harane and Lapiz are both girls. But surprisingly, they had regular periods.
Though it’s obvious Lapiz never suddenly skipped school during the semester, seeing it with my own eyes was a different experience altogether.
Just… that’s how it is.
Anyways, back to the original topic. It was finally the night before the Sports Festival.
Tomorrow, I might just find out the reason my life went off the rails, so I wasn’t exactly in the mood to sleep.
But it wasn’t just me feeling this way.
Lapiz, also restless from anxiety, told me she couldn’t sleep at all, so I stayed by her side to help her relax and get some rest.
I could sleep whenever I wanted, but Lapiz couldn’t just mess with her brain like I could. Plus, she directly threatened me that she’d pout if I didn’t help.
So what could I do? Helping her was the only option.
I wasn’t free of annoyance, but talking with Lapiz was fun, so I willingly went along with it.
“So, how about it? Miss, do you think you can come in first?”
“First place? Of course, I want to say I absolutely can, but, um, I’m not so sure… Changwon and Minho have gotten way too strong. It’s kind of iffy to say I’m definitely going to win…”
“From what you’re saying, you think the other kids are okay, huh?”
“Uh, huh? Is that how it seems…? Well, to be honest, it kind of is, but saying that makes me feel a bit bad for the other kids.”
“What’s the problem? It’s just that you’re strong and they’re weak. Wouldn’t it be a mistake to underestimate them? Ageha and Jinhyeon, if they really fight seriously, could be quite annoying.”
Lapiz didn’t seem like she would lose to them, but they wouldn’t be as easily defeated as I had been either.
They must have grown quite a bit themselves.
“You’re conveniently skipping over Yeonhwa, huh?”
“…Um, please don’t tell Yeonhwa what I’m about to say.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well, it’s because it would upset Yeonhwa if she heard it. Yeonhwa’s ability is… kind of limitless.”
When it comes to mass destruction, she could exert a power slightly less than mine, but that sheer destructive capacity was exactly what was holding Yeonhwa back.
In creative works, fire is often treated poorly, but this world was different. A creature, if it took even a slight hit, could be gravely injured, and no matter how much heat resistance one had, enduring it for long was tough.
Even if Yeonhwa’s ability was pyrokinesis and precise control was no problem, that didn’t mean she could freely unleash her powers without hesitation.
Weaklings would get hurt badly no matter how carefully she controlled her fire, and those who could take the heat could kill her before she could even burn them up.
In many ways, her ability was like a double-edged sword.
“So, in a sparring situation where she can’t leave any aftereffects, she can’t really show her full power. Burns are hard to heal, and she could die before getting treated if things go wrong.”
“Oh, I see.”
As I began discussing more serious matters, Lapiz looked at me with a perplexed expression, as if she hadn’t expected it.
“…What’s more, Yeonhwa’s personality isn’t cut out for it. When she really needs to let the fire loose, she’d definitely hesitate. I’d honestly prefer if Yeonhwa changed her career path to something involving fire use.”
“Um, wouldn’t Yeonhwa hate that?”
“Yeah, she probably would. That’s the problem.”
“…So, what do you think of my ability from Blanca’s perspective?”
Lapiz’s ability?
“Perfect. It’s easy to control the power, and subduing opponents isn’t difficult either. It doesn’t lack in lethality while also having good defensive aspects. Gathering materials to unleash your powers is simple… as a hero, you’re flawless.”
Part of that was flattery, but the rest was genuine. Lapiz could definitely become an excellent hero.
Seeing the appreciation in my words, Lapiz seemed pleased and buried her face deep in her blanket with a giggle.
“Hehe, I want to talk a little more, but yawn… I’m feeling a bit sleepy…”
“I’ll stay by your side until you fall asleep, so feel free to keep going.”
“That’s nice… Um, where was I? Oh yeah, we were talking about abilities, right? Um… Blanca, how would you think your ability would fare if you assume you were a hero?”
“There’s no way I could be a hero.”
“Just, pretend that’s the case…”
“What a stubborn girl you are.”
If I were a hero… well, I’d be somewhat decent as one.
I could kill or save with equal ease. Even if distinguishing between friend and foe was tricky, that could be handled with antidotes or countermeasures prepared beforehand.
My fighting skills wouldn’t falter either… theoretically, I was perfect.
“…Except for my personality, which is absolutely not heroic.”
If saving or killing was up to me, I’d undoubtedly choose to kill without hesitation, and that nasty nature made becoming a hero impossible.
No matter how much heroes are allowed to kill villains, it’s still better to save them whenever possible.
“In that regard, I’d be disqualified. Well, I could technically still be a hero, so maybe it’s not an issue.”
Though it wouldn’t matter since Lapiz was already fast asleep and wouldn’t hear me.
I decided to stop lamenting to Lapiz, who was sleeping soundly, and properly covered her with the blanket.
Just in case some bugs came and messed with her condition.
Now, I suppose it’s time for me to catch some sleep too.
—
Coming outside after such a long time felt refreshing yet strangely unsettling.
A good amount of time had passed since then, but the substantial scar I left on society remained.
Some saw me as a brave whistleblower who exposed the veil of lies, while others treated me like a lunatic who suddenly threw poop on a life going well.
Heading to the Academy alongside Altera’s family felt a bit awkward.
“Ma’am, is it okay for someone like me to be around?”
“What reason do you have to say no? The more you try to hide, the more people will want to take a bite out of you. Stand tall. I haven’t forgiven your sins, but you shouldn’t stain this family’s name.”
Altera urged me to stand tall as ‘the returnee’s attendant.’
“We’ve embraced you, so who would dare to make a fuss? Be at ease. But don’t get too comfortable. This will be your first official exposure to the public.”
Harane said the world would be watching, so don’t be scared.
“Who would interfere when someone sincerely wants to repent?”
Minho spoke strangely supportively before getting elbowed by Altera.
“I think it’s okay…”
Harane’s husband seemed even more intimidated than me.
Being told to stand tall, I resolved to do just that.
When we arrived at the Academy and I stepped out of the car, shutters went off like crazy, making it almost hard to keep my eyes open.
Especially since they seemed to be focused solely on me, it felt like a barrage of flashing shutters aimed straight at my eyes.
I saw a few reporters trying to approach, but they were stopped by rising barriers, so none of them could come close with their microphones.
I expected this, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent.
Still, I had to be a bit shameless about it. If I got scared, those who wished to take a bite out of me would rush in.
Whether it was good or bad, as soon as I entered the Academy, the number of people who recognized me or approached decreased dramatically.
There were still some who recognized me and approached, but they quickly tucked their tails and ran after seeing the people surrounding me.
As I thought about what might have happened if I hadn’t entered as a servant for Lapiz, I decided it probably wouldn’t have ended well and cut the thought short.
Without a second thought, I headed toward the Stadium.
“What’s that…?”
Upon arriving at the Stadium entrance, I noticed security checks that hadn’t been there last time.
It seemed security had truly tightened because of me.
“I’m here to watch the match of student Lapiz.”
“Ah, yes! I’ll guide you…”
The guard became very respectful when he recognized Harane and Altera, and then he raised an eyebrow when he looked at me.
“Which would you prefer, the front seats or the rear seats?”
“To ensure my daughter can hear my support, the front seats would be best. Let’s go for those, shall we? Mother?”
“Sounds good. You okay with that? Then it’s unanimous.”
Even though one person was missing, seeing them announce it as unanimous made the guard’s expression grow just a bit somber.
However, he didn’t say anything more, and we were able to head into the Stadium without any incident.