Hero Academy (4-14)
As I headed to the security department early in the morning, I got a message from Armonia.
Good thing you prepared those orbs in advance.
Yeah... If I hadn't had alchemy, I wonder how I'd have lived with all that anxiety.
By now, Go Choong-shin probably had a rough idea of where my dorm room was.
It was no problem at all when I was resting in the dorm normally.
No matter how much he possessed a fly and sneaked in, I could spot it with my Disposition window and burn it to death with magic right away.
But when I left the dorm, that was a different story.
No matter how well I hid things, once he figured out I had some secret, he'd definitely try something shady.
Now there's nothing important or risky left in my dorm room, so go ahead and look all you want... Nah.
…?
I frowned as I entered the security department office.
The moment I arrived, I ran into one of the staff members who had just finished the dawn shift.
"Ah, good morning, sir."
"Yeah... Good work."
It was Go Choong-shin.
Just thinking about that filthy fly bastard sneaking into my room makes me fucking sick.
….
I needed to figure out a way to make damn sure that creep couldn't even get a single hair in my room.
..
..
There was only one way to stop Go Choong-shin from breaking in.
Whenever I left the dorm, I had to plug every single hole.
Having to do this every time I head out... It's a real pain in the ass.
Why not just set up a simple trap?
His body might be a fly, but his mind's human. No way it'd get caught.
Even if he got lucky and triggered it, he'd just release the possession and be done.
From what I'd seen, he even returned to his original body automatically if the fly died, so undoing it wouldn't be hard.
Still, even though it was annoying work every time, it didn't feel all bad.
Choong-shin-ah... Your girlfriend is fucking amazing.
….
Yoon Ji-ah did whatever I told her to.
She'd throw a little tantrum at first, refusing verbally, but the moment I stuck it in, her eyes would glaze over and drool would start flowing.
She'd handed over a girlfriend like that to me, so I was willing to forgive this much.
I stuffed a rubber plug into the bathroom drain and muttered,
"Fuck, this is such a hassle. Go Choong-shin, I'm gonna kill you someday."
….
It didn't take long for forgiveness to turn back into murderous intent.
I amplified my killing intent as I plugged every hole in the dorm room.
Once everything was sealed, I stretched big and looked out the window.
The cloudless sky shone with the sun, slowly signaling our appointment time.
"Nice weather for a date."
Hard at work, Saturday morning had arrived before I knew it.
Weekends were beloved by cadets, assistant instructors, and instructors alike.
Everyone except the security guards...
"They're all working hard."
As I walked across the campus toward the embassy exit, the guards bowed their heads in greeting.
"Ah, good morning, Manager!"
"Keep up the good work."
Even though it was the weekend, none of them showed any dissatisfaction in how they treated me.
No, far from it—they were extremely polite.
The reason was simple.
They all want me to give them a shot...
VR headgear.
I'd suggested it to the principal before, getting permission for security staff to borrow VR headgear too.
But only twenty units were approved.
I gave one to Go Choong-shin ahead of time, and lent the rest to the more experienced guards.
And I told them:
(If you all work hard, you might get benefits for yourselves. Keep that in mind.)
That had two meanings.
Opportunity and deprivation.
Want the opportunity? Show me your best side. Don't want to lose the opportunity you barely got? Show me your best side.
In other words, suck up to me.
Give benefits, but keep holding the authority over those benefits. Wise management.
Just as Armonia said.
People start thinking benefits they're getting continuously are just entitled to them.
But keep reminding them that you hold the authority over those benefits, and they'll bow to the one who does.
I'd been a bit bummed when the principal said he couldn't approve them all, but it ended up bringing even better results.
Choong-shin-ah. I'm doing all this for you. Step it up and entertain me more.
Humming that to myself, I entered the magic department building.
As expected for a weekend morning, the campus was quiet, and the building packed with classrooms was downright deserted.
Walking down the empty hallway, I thought as I approached the classroom I was in charge of.
I booked a nice spot for dinner... Movie in between should be fine, right?
Solid plan. Considering your relationship with Seong Sua, a standard date course is best.
Trusting Armonia's advice, I carefully opened the classroom door and stepped in.
And there she was...
"Ah, Instructor Seong Su-ho."
Wavy hair flowing like waves, a gray flare skirt, a crisp white blouse contrasting with a pale khaki cardigan.
Above all, she was wearing sunglasses and stockings, different from her usual look.
Seong Sua, who always dressed neatly and cleanly, had dolled herself up so stunningly that I couldn't look away, flashing me a fresh smile as she spoke.
"Take good care of me today."
..
..
The date with Seong Sua went smoothly.
But the happiness I felt from that smooth flow was infinite.
We just watched a movie, ate pasta, and chatted at a café—nothing fancy—but I couldn't stop smiling the whole time with her.
The reason was simple.
Pretty girls are just right.
….
There was no way being with a woman like Seong Sua could be boring.
Especially fun were the stares from around us.
Seong Sua, all dolled up with sunglasses, drew gazes not just from men, but women too.
I was the one who found those stares burdensome, not her.
Seong Sua was pretty famous.
Even with sunglasses, people might spot us together and start rumors.
But while I worried and felt uneasy, Seong Sua calmly enjoyed the date with me.
I learned why she was so calm from Armonia's explanation.
Heroes really get the VIP treatment. Can't just reveal their faces willy-nilly...
Especially famous heroes like Seong Sua seem to have even stricter control over privacy exposure.
Seong Sua was famous enough to have the moniker Spirit of Four Colors Sorceress.
Yet her face wasn't easy to find online.
No, you couldn't find it no matter how hard you searched.
Hero photos got deleted immediately upon confirmation, and posters could face severe punishment depending on exposure level.
Damn... Heroes get insane treatment.
There are surprisingly many heroes who moved abroad just because of privacy leaks.
Heroes, the nation's top talent resource.
Naturally, the state strictly banned them from emigrating by law.
After all the investment to raise them, losing them overseas wouldn't be a small loss.
But laws only applied domestically in the end.
Faced with nonstop illegal emigrations, the states raised the white flag, and most countries now made even posting articles invading heroes' privacy illegal.
Of course, achievements could be publicized freely.
Saving citizens, conquering dungeons, etc.
So most people knew Seong Sua's name but couldn't identify her from her looks.
Still, avoid overly conspicuous spots if possible.
As Armonia said, even with media controls and most people unaware of her face, someone might recognize her.
Like people from the Tower or embassy.
If one of them spotted us, we'd both be in trouble.
So we sat in quiet corners at the restaurant and café where fewer people passed, just in case.
Seong Sua chattered excitedly about the movie we'd just seen, oblivious or not to my worries.
After gushing until she was out of breath, she caught it and beamed.
"It's been forever since I went to a theater, but it was so fun."
"Don't you like movies, Instructor Seong Sua?"
"No, I love them. But..."
"...?"
Seong Sua forced a bitter smile.
"No one to go with."
"You, Instructor Seong Sua, have no one to go with?"
"...Yeah."
Seong Sua hung her head powerlessly, giving a wry smile.
I apologized to her.
"Sorry, I ruined the mood with my words."
"No, no! I steered it weird. My fault."
She waved it off with a smile, comforting me instead, even while feeling down.
It showed just how considerate she was.
Looking at her, I said,
"Um... Instructor Seong Sua."
"Yes?"
"Just in case, I booked a restaurant thinking we might do dinner... Wanna join? If it's too much..."
Before I finished, Seong Sua lit up with a smile.
"Sure! I was planning to hang out till dinner anyway. Perfect."
"Phew, glad."
"What time's the reservation?"
"8 PM for now."
"Ah."
It was 3 PM now.
Plenty of time till then.
Seong Sua pondered, then pointed out the window shyly.
Two towering buildings that could be landmarks stood in that direction.
She pointed carefully and murmured,
"Everyca HQ's right there... Wanna check it out?"
"Haha... S-sure, let's go."
Seong Sua... A woman who's dead serious about VR.
I was admiring how many steps ahead she'd planned this date when—
Lewd woman.
...
I couldn't refute that one easily.
Everyca headquarters.
The two buildings stood side by side, connected by bridges for free passage between them.
They towered over surrounding structures, piercing the sky.
The flashy nearby buildings were mere backdrop to Everyca HQ now.
At the entrance of that megastructure, a child who looked like she needed help tilted her head and spoke.
"...Can't meet?"
Her name was Yeriel.
Leader of the Tower.
Yeriel stood at Everyca HQ's entrance, looking up at a woman with puzzlement.
The woman appeared in her forties, much older than Yeriel.
With sharp glasses and a crisp suit, she looked picky and strict.
But that strict-looking woman bowed politely to the young-looking Yeriel and apologized.
"I'm sorry. The chairman said... he doesn't want to meet anyone for a while."
"Me too?"
"...No exceptions."
"... "
Yeriel fell silent, but her expression showed no discomfort.
Just pure curiosity...
"Is he sick or something?"
"No. Medical staff are on constant standby, no issues. However..."
"...?"
"He seems to have fallen into deep contemplation lately."
"...Contemplation?"
Yeriel had come to Everyca HQ to meet the chairman.
Everyca's chairman was her best friend from childhood, a bond unbroken by time or busyness.
He always welcomed her warmly, no matter what.
For him to suddenly refuse a meeting was baffling.
Yeriel pondered briefly, then gave a regretful look and said to the older woman,
"Must be something really important. Can't be helped..."
"I'm sorry. I'll definitely pass on your regards to the chairman."
"Yeah... Take good care of her."
Everyca chairman's secretary.
One of the few people Yeriel trusted.
As she turned to head back to the Tower, the secretary spoke up, stopping her.
"Yeriel-nim."
"Yes?"
The secretary hesitated long, then spoke.
"Recently, someone came to see the chairman."
"... "
"That person..."
"Stop."
At Yeriel's sharp rebuke, the secretary clamped her mouth shut.
Secret meetings between the chairman and someone.
Telling outsiders would be outrageous, but the secretary knew how close Yeriel was to the chairman and was about to spill.
But Yeriel cutely shook her head.
"I'll hear that from her directly. Thanks for trusting me enough to tell, but think of yourself too."
"...Sorry for overstepping."
"Hehe... Next time, I'll call ahead. Take care of her."
"I'll do my best."
With that, Yeriel sent the secretary off and started pondering.
"Finally mustered the courage for an outing, but head home now? ...Huh?"
As Yeriel mulled it over—
Her pupils shifted left, slowly to center, then right.
Once they stopped at the far right, a smile crept on her face unbidden, and she slowly walked toward what caught her eye.
Looking up at the pair that stole her gaze, Yeriel spoke in a soft voice.
"You two, what are you doing here?"