Chapter 26

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 26

Chapter Title: The Mayor and Starlight

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What is a hero?

Simply a powerful being?

No. There were far too many strong people in the world.

A just being?

Well. The standard of justice varies from person to person, after all.

To Sugar Girl, perhaps making the world sweeter was her own form of justice.

Hanasia's answer was simple.

A shining being.

It didn't have to be a brilliant sun that drives away the darkness.

It was fine if it wasn't bright enough for everyone to see. Even the tiniest light would do.

That was a hero.

Not a being that repels the darkness, but one that doesn't go out even in the darkness.

"The North Star..."

Hanasia murmured. Her voice was hoarse, but the will within it was firm.

"The North Star never goes out!"

Her words became light.

Her will became energy.

Her emotions became reality.

KWAAAAA!!!

An explosive radiance burst out from her body at the center.

Pure white light of incomparable purity compared to before.

It wasn't just bright light. It was light infused with heat.

Sizzle!

The sticky chocolate and sugar syrup plastered to the surrounding ground evaporated.

The sweet aroma turned into acrid smoke. The sweet hell created by Sugar Girl was being purified by the holy light.

"Wha... what?! Why is this happening all of a sudden?!"

Sugar Girl cried out in shock, stumbling backward.

She had thought it was over.

What the hell was that light?

Hanasia slowly rose to her feet.

"Someday..."

She closed her eyes. A certain person's face flashed through her mind.

No, she didn't even know the face or the name.

Just the nickname 'ilruwait', that pervert-like 'eheheh' laugh, and the constant warm feelings directed toward her.

But that was enough.

It was more than enough.

"Someday, I'll become a light for someone too."

Right now, she was still an insignificant little star.

A faint starlight in the night sky that no one paid attention to among countless stars.

But someday.

When someone looks up at the sky, the first star to catch their eye.

A star that shows the way without getting lost, even in the deepest despair.

The North Star. Polaris.

"That's why I can't give up here. I'll keep shining, even alone. Even if no one sees me, even if no one acknowledges me."

Because that was the fate of a star.

That was a hero's duty.

In the original story, Hanasia was a loner.

No one believed in her potential, so she couldn't believe in herself either.

That doubt and mistrust were the chains blocking the manifestation of her potential.

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the current Hanasia wasn't alone.

Thanks to one person, she had finally gained the courage to believe in herself.

'He believes in me.'

Someone was always watching over her, believing in her.

That mister surely wouldn't want to see her crumbling here.

Fwaaaaa!

The light intensified even further.

Sugar Girl sensed the crisis and swung her staff.

"Shut up! Don't act all high and mighty, you D-rank hero!"

A massive cupcake bomb flew toward her.

Pistachio flavor, raspberry flavor, chocolate flavor—all mixed in vibrant colors.

"Ranks don't matter! What matters is an unyielding heart!"

Hanasia no longer dodged. There was no reason to.

She thrust her hand forward directly.

A single beam ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of light shot from her fingertips, piercing the cupcake precisely.

"What?!"

BOOM!

The cupcake scattered into a mere handful of sugar powder.

"No way...! My special recipe!"

"Your sweet nightmare ends here. Too many calories."

Hanasia's body lifted off the ground.

Agility, power—everything was on a whole different level from before.

She became a single shooting star, charging at Sugar Girl.

Sugar Girl desperately created dozens of layers of shields made of sugar crystals, but they were meaningless before Hanasia's starlight.

Krunch!

"Starlight──"

Energy like a condensed star gathered in Hanasia's fist.

"Crush!"

That fist slammed precisely into Sugar Girl's abdomen.

A flash.

A pure white explosion filled the street.

When the light faded, there lay Sugar Girl, charred black and unconscious, and Hanasia standing there, breathing heavily.

Silence fell.

"I... I did it..."

Hanasia looked down at her fist. She couldn't believe it.

"I... I won...!"

At that moment, she realized her live stream was still on.

The camera drone was circling her in the air, filming.

"Ah!"

She hurriedly covered the torn chest area of her suit with both hands.

She looked a mess. Her whole body was covered in sticky cream and chocolate, and her suit was practically rags.

But her face bore the brightest smile she'd ever had.

"Did you see that, mister?! I did it! I won! Yay~!"

She flashed a victory V-sign at the camera.

No sooner had she said it than an explosive notification appeared on her terminal screen.

"Fi... fifty million won?!"

Hanasia's eyes widened. She counted the zeros several times.

Seeing that message, Hanasia's face turned tomato red.

"M-Mister! Really! Thank you! It's all thanks to you!"

She bowed 90 degrees in gratitude.

"With this bounty and donation combined... I can finally buy a new costume! Thank you so much!"

Even as she fidgeted in embarrassment at her exposed skin peeking through the torn suit, she smiled radiantly as if she owned the world.

If she was the North Star guiding lost people.

Then that mister who always came to her, who always believed in her...

Maybe he was the signpost leading to the North Star.

The Big Dipper, perhaps.

***

The epilogue of this tale.

The human brain is simpler than you think, and once it recognizes something as fun, it's hard to stop.

Gambling's like that, shopping's like that, and so is giving unsolicited advice on other people's lives.

Watching a D-rank hero girl's growth under the mask of an anonymous sponsor.

At first, it was just laying the groundwork for my grand impeachment project.

But at some point, I was genuinely enjoying it. Rooting for Polaris for real.

It felt like playing a beautiful girl raising simulation game.

The fun of watching the character (Polaris) grow rapidly after eating the items I sent.

The fun of grinning lecherously while thinking, 'Ehehe, our Sia is doing great.'

And on top of that, it wasn't even my money. It was city budget. In other words, the blood, sweat, and tears of taxpayers.

A gacha game played with other people's money. What could be more thrilling for a dopamine hit?

The problem is.

My character grew too fast.

"Huh? What's this? Why'd she get so strong?"

Huh? This isn't right?

My plan was to get impeached under the frame of 'shameless corrupt mayor abusing power to give special favors to a specific hero'.

But now Hero Gal's public opinion saw Polaris as a hidden gem, a talented rookie after a long drought.

If I revealed I was the sponsor here, what would happen?

Favoritism turns into investment.

Corruption gets packaged as foresight.

'Mayor Lee Garam's keen eye discovers a pearl in the mud!'

'Mayor Lee Garam's astonishing scouting talent—Hero Association should reflect.'

I'd hear crap like that for sure.

Horrifying. Goosebumps just imagining it.

I quietly closed the gallery window.

Just stay quiet. It's wisest to bury the truth as a secret between me and that girl.

"You look quite serious, Mayor."

A chill like Alaskan cold running down my spine.

There was one more person who knew the secret.

"Oh, hey! This is just checking public sentiment!"

"Oh? So analyzing the gallery's lowbrow sexual harassment comments is your new way of gauging opinion."

Seria glanced at my smartphone and spoke with her usual expressionless face.

"By the way, your eye for talent is truly impressive, Mayor. How did you see Neo Incheon's future in a D-rank girl's thighs? Such insightful vision—I'm in awe."

"No, that was... just a coincidence!"

"From the chat logs, it seems too obsessive and calculated to call a 'coincidence'."

She pulled out a tablet PC from her pocket and shoved it in my face.

The screen bore the horrific title 'ilruwait Chat Log Analysis', densely packed with all my 'ehehe's.

"Buy her favor early with financial support to a pure girl dreaming of being a hero, then approach with lowbrow teasing to form a psychological dominance. Follow up by repeatedly injecting verbal rewards like 'you're special', 'I believe in you' to heighten psychological dependence."

Seria's gaze was now practically a blade.

"Textbook gaslighting technique. Even villains could learn from you, Mayor. What exactly were you planning to make that innocent hero girl do?"

"No! It was just role-playing! I was just acting like a lowbrow cow uncle!"

"Acting, huh. Seems like you think your whole life is an act, Mayor."

"That's not it!"

"Well, your taste was for intellectual, capable pink-haired secretaries. I forgot for a moment."

"Gahhhh!!!"

I screamed desperately, but Seria's expression didn't budge an inch.

"Perfect timing, actually."

Seria changed the subject.

"We're planning a city commendation ceremony to encourage recently active heroes. Polaris is naturally on the awardee list."

"What?"

"If the mayor personally praises and encourages them, the public reaction will be hot. Prime chance to solidify the image of the 'heroic mayor who recognizes heroes'."

***

A few days later.

The Neo Incheon City Hall auditorium buzzed with reporters and heroes.

I stood on the podium, awkwardly smiling as I handed out commendations to the awardees.

And finally, it was her turn.

"C-rank hero Polaris, Hanasia."

With the announcer's call, the blonde girl ascended the stage.

Not her old worn-out suit anymore.

A sleek design in white and navy that fit her perfectly. Small star-shaped metal ornaments on the shoulders. Apparently the latest model costing 100 million won.

"Congratulations."

I handed over the prepared commendation mechanically.

Up close, she looked much younger and more innocent than I thought.

We faced each other in awkward silence for a moment.

Then a sharp poke in my side. Seria.

'Say something praising, at least.'

Her eyes said that.

No, what am I supposed to say? Prepare a script or something.

I racked my brain desperately.

Screw it.

Just throw out anything.

"Th... that little glow-in-the-dark star has become a real twinkling star before I knew it? Congratulations. I look forward to you continuing to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠light up Neo Incheon's night sky."

Hanasia flinched for a second.

"Thank you, Mayor. I'll remember those words for life."

A few days later, I was one with the office sofa again, watching Polaris's stream.

[Justice Live! Polaris Growth Diary! Puppy Scolding Time!]

Her viewer count now hovered in the three digits.

The chat scrolled endlessly, filled with cheers for her.

On screen, Polaris was skillfully handling a C-rank monster 'Blade Wolf' that put D-rank horned rabbits to shame.

A bittersweet feeling, like my personal little idol had debuted major.

Do I even need to sponsor anymore?

But my hand moved habitually.

Familiarly input 1 million won and hit send.

Pababam—

After the battle, she beamed at the drone cam.

It felt like her gaze pierced the lens straight to me.

Of course, just my imagination.

"Mister! Thanks for cheering today too! I'll never forget this kindness."

Yeah, don't ever change that heart.

Grow into a fine hero soon, and come judge this rotten, greedy mayor.

That's the only way to repay me.

Being judged by the apostle of justice I raised myself...

It's ironic, like a tragic scene. Like Oedipus.

Of course, it suits a villain mayor's end.