The Bet Is... On Me!
That evening.
"W-wait, that actually happened?!"
"Yeah. I ended up making a bet by accident."
Ego, who had been lazing around and sleeping all morning, clearly had no idea about the chaotic mess that had unfolded during lunch.
So, I explained everything to her from the beginning, step by step. From the moment Chairman Kim Mija suddenly showed up to find us, to the reason I ended up making a bet to keep my position as Baek Seungha’s sidekick.
After hearing the whole story, Ego’s eyes went wide for a split second before she began grinding her teeth and let out a sharp, indignant shout.
"H-how dare they... treat my husband with such disrespect!"
Perhaps it was because she felt outraged that her master had been insulted, even though she was just as much of an obscure, weak Soul Weapon as I was. She stood there with her fists clenched, her shoulders trembling, openly radiating fury.
Seeing her get so worked up for my sake was actually a bit cuter than I expected, so I carefully reached out and patted her head.
"So, husband? What kind of bet did you make with those people?"
Ego asked immediately, her eyes sparkling even as she leaned into my touch.
"Oh? Ah..."
I nodded, recalling the details of the bet made earlier today.
"It’s nothing major. I just agreed to have a light sparring match with Chairman Kim Mija’s sidekick."
"Spar... ring? Does that mean you’re going to fight?"
"Yeah. Originally, the Chairman wanted to go one-on-one with my mentor, but that would have been... well, it wouldn't be strange if someone ended up dead."
What Chairman Kim Mija had initially proposed was nothing less than a 'Competency Assessment.' As the first male sidekick in human history, she wanted to verify my worth by pitting me against Baek Seungha, the mentor who raised me.
At first, I thought they were just posturing. But the moment they shook hands to agree to 'do their best'—
BOOM!
The ground where they stood caved in. A single handshake, half-joking and half-serious, had been enough to crater the earth. That was when I realized for sure: if this kept up, someone was actually going to die!
They were laughing, but... the intensity of their words was insane. Those two are supposed to be heroes, right?
I immediately imagined it. If I left them alone, Baek Seungha’s crotch and Chairman Kim Mija’s lower abdomen would be hit by precise, powerful strikes simultaneously. That would lead to a catastrophe involving ruptured organs.
So, I made a decision. I couldn't watch anymore, so I stepped between them and shouted.
"Wait a moment! This bet happened because of me. So I should be the center of it!"
"Hyunwoo, you..."
"You want to be the center of the bet?"
"Yes! I’ll fight instead of my mentor! So, why don’t you have the Cheongryong Group send out their new sidekick for a proxy battle?"
That was the best choice to ensure all three of us stayed in one piece. Of course... I might get beaten up a bit. But that was better than my mentor getting blown apart.
However.
"H-Hyunwoo, you want to fight in her place?! That’s absurd!"
"Huh?"
"Hey, Kang Hyunwoo! Are you crazy?! A man fighting a woman one-on-one?!"
"Eh...?"
No, excuse me... You sent me alone to deal with bank robbers the other day, so why are you making such a fuss now? Baek Seungha had even sent me off willingly back then, but now she was joining forces with Chairman Kim Mija to stop me.
"Mentor, I even stopped the villain boss inside that bank..."
"That was a situation where you could avoid fighting! This is a deathmatch where one of us has to die!"
"That’s right, Hyunwoo! We were just talking about pulling out the loser’s organs and turning them into intestines!"
...Excuse me?
Didn't you say it was a friendly match just a moment ago? Now, words about turning guts into intestines were spilling out of professional heroes' mouths without a hint of hesitation. At this point, they were more terrifying than most villains.
In the end, I thought my suggestion would be buried, but—
"Hoo... I guess there’s no choice?"
"...?"
I couldn't stand the thought of losing one of them, so I decided to swallow my pride. Yes, for this moment, I had to possess the 'man' of this crazy world... and coax these women.
So, I pulled out the ultimate weapon used by men in this world to get what they want.
Thud.
I sprawled out on the floor, and without caring about my age, I started flailing my arms and legs like a madman, screaming at the top of my lungs.
"Waaaaah! I don't wanna, I don't wanna!"
"!?"
"H-Hyunwoo...?"
"I’ll do it! I don't wanna, I don't wanna!!"
Seeing me like that, the faces of the two women, who had been drawing a firm line with resolute expressions, instantly melted into confusion. Chairman Kim Mija covered her mouth, looking as flustered as if she’d committed a grave sin. She even started fumbling with her clumsy hands to take off the diaper she was wearing, as if she were trying to handle a baby.
Meanwhile, my mentor pulled out her phone to call a fire truck, only to realize we weren't in the US, and just started spamming "911" into the air.
The effect was shockingly effective. But... at the same time, I just wanted them to make a decision quickly. Because a grown man lying on the floor, throwing a tantrum with a baby voice, was pushing the limits of my mental fortitude.
'Damn it... please, just decide already!'
To me, who was screaming internally—
"Ahem! A-alright! I get it, so... please don't throw a tantrum so adorably, Hyunwoo."
In the end, Chairman Kim Mija, who had been busy trying to put a diaper on me, had no choice but to nod and accept my proposal.
"Instead, if you lose to my sidekick, you’ll have to come work under me from now on. Do you understand?"
"...Yes? Whose sidekick?"
"My sidekick, obviously. This is a bet to test the skills of that American hero and myself, after all. So, we should both give it our all!"
"......I'm screwed."
Wait, I was happy for a second, but the difficulty just skyrocketed. I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
And back to the present.
"So... you’re going to that place where those 'lesser beings' called the Cheongryong Group live tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Honestly, I’m so nervous I can’t even sleep."
After hearing my whole story, Ego looked just as tense as I was. On the outside, she acted tough, dismissing the opponent as 'lesser beings,' but seeing her fingertips trembling slightly and her ruby-colored eyes glistening with moisture, it seemed her insides were more complicated than mine.
If I was an obscure nobody in the hero world, she was at the very bottom of the Soul Weapon hierarchy. Perhaps because we came from the same background, her worry felt strangely poignant.
So, I reached out to comfort her, saying it would be okay, but—
"Kyaaaaa! Hyunwoo-nim throwing an adorable tantrum...! I should have seen that too!"
"Huh?"
"I should have been the one to let you use my lap as a pillow and breastfeed you! Ugh...!"
Ego had clearly misinterpreted the point. She must be saying random things because she’s nervous about tomorrow, right? I decided to believe that.
***
Cheongryong Group.
In the heart of Seoul’s Gangnam district, inside a skyscraper that seemed to pierce the sky. Although it housed only about 5% of all registered heroes in Korea, its qualitative level was overwhelmingly superior to any other group in the country.
With over half the heroes who joined achieving E-rank, the Cheongryong Group was, quite literally, an elite aristocratic collective composed entirely of high-skilled individuals.
And in a space at the top of that building, reminiscent of a martial arts dojo, sat Chairman Kim Mija, quietly drinking tea in a formal seated position, and another person sitting opposite her in a bizarre pose.
She was doing a one-handed handstand, with dumbbells weighing at least 300 kilograms hanging from each of her feet.
"...And that is how you will be participating in the bet tomorrow. Areum."
Her name was Jin Areum. She was Kim Mija’s only sidekick and a figure who had once made a name for herself as a super rookie. Although she was currently a C-rank hero, she had been the most talked-about individual before Shin Yura appeared.
"Can you do it?"
At the Chairman’s question, Jin Areum didn't answer but instead sprang up from that position. She caught all the dumbbells scattered in the air into her arms and landed lightly on the floor.
Then, she smiled at Chairman Kim Mija and said,
"Of course, Chairman! He’s a man, there’s no reason for me to lose."
"Yes, I know. However... the problem is."
"Yes. You’re worried that the boy named Hyunwoo might get hurt, right? Don’t worry."
Having said that, Jin Areum immediately stood up and walked to a display case on the wall. Inside, a spear that looked like it was woven with gold and blue flames was on display. It shimmered like dragon scales every time light touched it; it was the pride of the Cheongryong Group and her very own 'Soul Weapon.'
Jin Areum whispered quietly as she gazed at the spear.
"I intend to give it my all tomorrow. That way, Hyunwoo will... fall for someone like me and join our Cheongryong Group, won't he?"
"Ho ho ho. Yes, that’s right! I’ll even permit you to use your exclusive Soul Weapon tomorrow! Besides, it’s a 'high-grade' weapon, one of only 100 in this world."
"Thank you, Chairman. Tomorrow, I will show that man... no, the man who will soon be my disciple, Hyunwoo, a whole new world with me and my spear... 'Hwang-yeom (Phoenix Flame)'!"
A heartwarming atmosphere enveloped the dojo. At this rate, Hyunwoo would surely join the Cheongryong Group tomorrow.
...However.
"Areum."
"Yes, Chairman."
Chairman Kim Mija, who had called out to Jin Areum as she was preparing for bed, spoke quietly.
"In this world, there is an above and a below."
"That is correct."
She slowly began to lay the groundwork.
"So... even if Hyunwoo becomes your disciple, don't forget that he is my sidekick first."
"...And?"
"So, I’m saying let’s keep to the order when the three of us 'eat' later. You understand what I mean, right?"
Chairman Kim Mija was attempting to set an order for the meals they would share together in the future... no, for a 'meal' of a much deeper meaning. At those words, Jin Areum looked toward her mentor, who was like a mother to her, and replied with a hearty laugh.
"Mentor, I’m the one doing the 'heavy lifting.' Let’s set the order with that in mind."
"Ho ho ho... Areum."
"Yes, Mentor."
"Do you know what I was called back in the day?"
"...Yes?"