NOVEL WEB Chapter 34
At first, I thought it was a bit ridiculous to ask about something like this, but I figured it was worth a shot just this once.
After all, it’s a way to gauge her feelings and maybe get a hint about her affiliations.
Knowing she can lie to me, I doubt I could really uncover her true identity from this.
Still, I asked, hoping for some crumbs of information to drop.
“…Ah, sorry. I didn’t expect you to ask that. There isn’t much to say. A paparazzi got a bit too close during the interview, but they backed off when I scared them off.”
Instead of thanking me for my concern, Blanca replied she didn’t expect such a question, almost as if she was asking why I even brought it up.
Considering the strange kindness she shows me, it’s quite odd.
Of course, claiming she belongs to the Evil Society based on this would be a huge stretch.
That kind of leap in logic wouldn’t just be absurd, it’d be like teleporting logic.
…Or maybe she’s acting this way because she really does know someone’s lurking around?
I couldn’t tell if the paparazzi was real or fake, but with her looks, it wouldn’t be weird for one to stick around.
“You didn’t hit them, right?”
Blanca peeked around to see if anyone was listening before whispering in my ear, “…I did grab them by the collar.”
If it had been another heroine, it might’ve felt pretty romantic, but coming from Blanca, it felt more like a confession of a crime.
“…I hope that person can keep their mouth shut.”
With nothing more to say, I told her to call me if she needed help.
Just standard stuff like, “I’ll always do my best to support you, as a friend,” and left.
This wasn’t really meaningful anyway. I could get her information from the status window eventually and deduce her affiliations by tomorrow.
If she were a spy from the Evil Society infiltrating the Academy, she’d show her true colors by then.
But if the Evil Society was looking far into the future, they might pretend to attack her but ultimately let her go.
Whatever the case, she wouldn’t be seriously hurt.
Otherwise… well.
She might face a life-or-death situation like the other students.
The students and heroines would get hurt or struggle during that ambush… but still.
I just couldn’t picture Blanca getting hurt or struggling at all.
Im Changwon would end up gasping for breath as his magic drained away in the brutal fight, yet I had this odd feeling she’d be just fine.
Was it due to her skill, or her ability? Or was it something indescribable?
I just couldn’t be sure.
——
Yesterday, I wondered if Minho was stalking me because of his question, but that didn’t seem likely.
Even if he wasn’t a paragon of perfect justice, he wouldn’t be the type to do something like that.
Sure, he might pull a few tricks when he can get away with it, but that’s all for a good cause.
So, he wouldn’t do that. He must have been genuinely worried.
I was treating him with a bit of prickly attitude, thinking he might be up to something.
How awkward… and a bit embarrassing.
He’s not the kind of guy I am, so why did I subconsciously consider him on the same level?
Surrounded by voices joyfully cheering excitedly on the field trip bus, I resolved to give him something next time.
Since I’d be taking a lot from him in the future, it’d be like giving him an extra snack out of guilt.
“B-Blanca, are you nervous too?”
“No, I was just looking out the window.”
Lapis asked if I was nervous when I fell silent, but I told her I wasn’t.
“I-I’m a little nervous… If it’s something a Hero does, it means walking around in front of people… in front of total strangers… Eep…”
Lapis seemed pretty stressed about showing herself to random people.
“What can you do, Lapis? That’s part of being a Hero. Whether you want it or not, heroes naturally attract attention.”
“Ugh… I know that, but… people can be scary…”
“How about seriously reconsidering your career path?”
“I still want to protect people…”
What am I to do with this? I couldn’t help but chuckle.
In the end, all I could really say was to try and have a bit more confidence.
Becoming her genuine friend… well, not really my goal.
Yeonhwa was having a blast, as always, surrounded by others, and too far away to see what Ageha was doing.
Seolhwa, sitting in the back, wasn’t overly talkative, and Minho also wasn’t the type to ramble on alone, making the back row peaceful.
It might be fun to run into a Villain occasionally; no, better to have things go without a hitch.
That would be incredibly boring, though. A Hero would prefer it to be busy, right?
Like Seolhwa said, a Villain would show up eventually. But it wouldn’t be left as a pleasant memory, like she thought.
This was the first encounter with the Evil Society, showcasing that this wasn’t a hopeful world.
Even Minho, who was forewarned, ended up being overpowered and faced defeat despite having awakened.
…But since I’d taken care of a lot of the modified humans playing the role of fodder, he wouldn’t be awakening.
It wasn’t the senior members who had him awaken but the throngs of underlings filling the streets.
In short, there shouldn’t be any major issues.
No chance for the protagonist to awaken, and no attention from the top Heroes.
…Or will he receive some?
The reason Invictus focused on Minho wasn’t because he showed impressive prowess for a student, but because he defeated an executive from the Evil Society.
Hmm. What was it again? My memory isn’t too clear.
Must be because it’s relatively early in the story.
But really, it doesn’t matter. Getting attention from Invictus will keep happening endlessly anyway.
Whether it’s now or a few weeks later, it’s all the same, isn’t it?
Unless you’re like Jinhyeon and eliminate any chance to meet with a mentor, it’s the same deal.
As I pondered the future developments, the bus quickly reached its destination.
It was the building housing the Justitia’s office I often visited.
The kids, unaware of what awaited them, disembarked the bus, excitedly bouncing off.
“Welcome, future Heroes! I’m the Hero who will lead you today and show you the Hero’s work, Geizer.”
Some students jokingly teased that he was their homeroom teacher, but given the atmosphere, Justitia seemed to roll with it.
“Now, before we get to the patrol duties you’re all anticipating—”
—“Let me show you the real side hidden behind the dazzling façade of a Hero.”
Justitia grinned maliciously and headed towards her office.
And for the next whole two hours, she began explaining the Hero’s paperwork and related laws, things that made my eyes start to droop just listening to.
The contracts with Heros Company. The rules for determining a Hero’s patrol area. What’s allowed and what’s not for Heroes by Heros Company.
Plus, a lot of regulations and tasks Heroes have to be aware of, whether they like it or not.
Even the average students didn’t seem to expect this, and their expressions noticeably sagged.
“Is this boring? Hehe, of course it would be. I was pretty disappointed when I first learned about this stuff too. But this is also a legitimate part of being a Hero.”
“Since you’re aiming to be Heroes, you need to know these things ahead of time.”
Justitia mercilessly hit us with the cold, hard truth while petting the students like they were cute.
“If you’re at this level…”
Changwon was quite visibly disappointed with the students’ demeanor.
“I understand. I felt the same at your age. Now, let’s take a short break before moving on to the patrol duties you’re all so eager for.”
Justitia gently brushed aside Changwon’s words and gave us a moment to rest.
She mentioned how we’d soon watch the patrol duties.
The kids flopped onto the benches or sofas available in the office, seemingly rejuvenated during the brief interval.
Even Yeonhwa, usually lively, looked drained, leaning against me with Lapis and collapsing.
Made me feel like a sandwich.
They both flattened like that, reinforcing the feeling.
Go ahead and rest all you want, though. You’ll soon be facing the most shocking event of your lives.
As the long yet short break came to an end, Justitia called us back and headed outside.
The kids, seemingly refreshed during that brief lull, were chattering excitedly again, quite different from their earlier sluggishness.
“Patrol duties might seem like nothing at first glance, but it’s one of the most important tasks of a Hero. It reassures citizens of our existence, providing them with safety and raising awareness among villains to lower crime rates.”
Plus, if there are Villains, we can perform arrests on the scene, making it truly the highlight of Hero work, Justitia stated.
…So, it must be about time now.
Right about now, I should expect a suit-and-tie guy to pop up. Where are they?
Just as I was lost in that thought.
“So… it’s dangerous, Blanca—”
Justitia was about to take off her sunglasses with a chilling sense.
Time seemed to slow down.
Turning around to see what was going on.
An icicle was hurtling towards me, creating a sonic boom as it flew.