Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Truth Always Gets the Heart Racing
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The truth always gets the heart racing, doesn't it?
In the past month or so, there hadn't been a single quiet day in South Korea.
The Union executives' abuse of power. The shocking misdeeds of certain heroes.
And then there was that enigmatic figure whose true identity no one could pin down: the Smiling Man.
Any one of those topics could have been milked for months.
With them exploding one after another, it was only natural.
But at this very moment, a storm had emerged that swallowed even those events whole.
A villain had been killed. A Catastrophe-Class villain, no less. One of the Seven Evils, at that.
Even though it was just one, the key point wasn't that.
The new faces who emerged during the capture of that Seven Evils member were the real story.
"Is it true that Hero Academy cadets actually contributed to taking down a Seven Evils member?"
"I heard they were all first-year cadets! Is that even possible?"
"Some are saying S-Rank heroes passed their achievements onto the cadets to create new heroes. What are your thoughts on that?!"
On the day of the joint government investigation announcement, reporters swarmed with questions.
The Hero Agency Director silenced the barrage and spoke declaratively.
"As previously announced, yesterday, cadets from the Korean Hero Academy played a decisive role in killing one of the Seven Evils. This has no relation whatsoever to S-Rank heroes stealing credit, and we warn in advance that spreading such rumors will result in severe punishment."
I know what you're all suspecting. We couldn't believe it at first either.
But every single S-Rank hero testified that there wasn't a shred of falsehood.
The Director's words prompted some reporters to frantically jot down notes.
"Director, but it was a Seven Evils member. How could cadets possibly win?"
"The killed Seven Evils member was already gravely wounded from a previous battle. The cadets spotted him trying to flee the battlefield and engaged in a desperate last stand to block his escape, effectively driving him to death."
"What were the other S-Rank heroes doing? Why didn't they help the cadets?"
"They were engaged with the other Seven Evils members. Circumstances didn't allow it."
A brief exchange of unimportant, nutrient-poor Q&A followed.
Judging it endless, the Director raised a hand to quiet the reporters.
"I anticipated your immense curiosity. That's why we've brought the cadets here today. We'll take exactly one question per reporter."
The cadets were really here? Reporters' eyes focused intently.
The Director extended a hand, and Kang Yuna cautiously stepped forward from behind.
Then Jin Seo-ah, Seo Ha-eun, and even Louise appeared one after another.
"Now, everyone. Please welcome our heroes with applause."
The Director and officials clapped, and reporters snapped photos.
The cadets were momentarily dazed by the flashing lights from all directions.
Too many. It was a scene straight out of movies or dramas.
"From OO Newspaper! I have a question!"
"Yes. We'll start with you."
"What reason did you have for being at the scene at that time?"
Nothing difficult. The Smiling Man had singled them out during his arrest.
They'd followed the S-Rank heroes and accompanied him to the police station afterward.
That's when the Seven Evils members infiltrated the station, leading to the encounter.
"Next question! From XX Daily! Even if heavily wounded, is it true you took down a Seven Evils member? There's a massive gap between cadets and heroes—and even heroes find Catastrophe-Class villains extremely tough opponents. How was this possible?"
Kang Yuna recounted exactly what she'd felt at the time for this one.
We had no idea it was a Seven Evils member. We just thought it was some villain.
So we fought without any hesitation, and that became our advantage.
The enemy was injured, while we attacked vigorously full of youthful vigor.
Of course, in the end, there was a hurdle we absolutely couldn't overcome...
"Hold on? Cadet Kang Yuna. Did you just say 'impossible to overcome'? Does that mean someone else finished off the Seven Evils member in the end?"
"That's..."
"Now, now. We agreed to one question per reporter. I warned you, yet you're breaking the rules from the start. Q&A ends here."
The Director's sharp rebuke drew protests from reporters, but he stood firm.
They'd broken the rules first anyway, so they had little to say.
As the commotion peaked again, the cadets recalled the earlier discussion.
"I see. The Smiling Man killed the Seven Evils member. Best not to mention that part."
"Yeah. No special reason—just worried it'd lead to unnecessary rumors. It could spin into the Smiling Man using our heroes to kill his Seven Evils rival. Why should we dance to a villain's tune?"
"Regardless, you cadets bravely fought a Seven Evils member, so you're the victors. The heroes. Take pride in that."
The government had requested avoiding mention of the Smiling Man this time too.
This was better than the Union's stunt, though.
The Union suggested the Smiling Man had fake-surrendered to eliminate the Seven Evils members.
His disappearance during the chance created by his supposed surrender was proof.
They'd sent someone implying compensation from the Union if framed that way.
"...".
Suddenly, Kang Yuna felt something was off.
The Smiling Man's actions so far could rightly be called villainous.
But behind them hid intentions that weren't exactly villainous.
Judging corrupt heroes. Helping righteous ones.
Careful not to harm innocent civilians—even saving them.
Yet the world insisted on labeling the Smiling Man a villain to the end.
Or at least, they wanted focus on heroes over him.
She understood. It was deemed better for order and stability.
But they couldn't ignore the truth forever. Nor should they.
"...Ha-eun."
Seo Ha-eun turned to Kang Yuna, who had called her name.
Her eyes held conviction. Resolve to act.
Seo Ha-eun gazed at her friend for a moment, then nodded.
It meant she thought the same. Of course she agreed.
Sensing it, Jin Seo-ah supported Kang Yuna's decision.
Finally, Louise let out a small sigh and nodded in assent.
"Excuse me."
As the standoff between reporters and the Director intensified,
Kang Yuna cautiously gripped the mic and spoke.
"Hold on! Everyone, quiet down! Be quiet!"
"Shut your mouths! Can't you hear?!"
The room fell silent in an instant, and she continued slowly.
"It's true we fought the Seven Evils member and even pressed him briefly. But in the end, we were all overwhelmed and defeated by his superior power. The one who saved us—and ultimately executed the Seven Evils member—was someone else."
Reporters murmured. As expected, they thought.
Yeah. No way S-Rank heroes just sat on their hands.
One of them must have shown up and saved the cadets.
They'd given the cadets credit since they'd suffered too...
"The one who helped us was..."
Who? Valkyrie? Guardian?
"The Smiling Man."
The Smiling Man. The Smiling Man. The Smiling Man...
Kang Yuna's voice spread through the mic across the press room.
Hearing it first, every reporter momentarily lost their words.
No wonder—it was a name no one had expected.
"...?"
"What did she just say?"
"Huh?!"
The Smiling Man had helped heroes again?
This time, not killing monsters but executing a fellow villain?
The perpetrator who'd ambushed the Union branch just recently?!
"Cadet Kang Yuna?! Is what you just said truly factual?!"
"Yes. All true. If not for the Smiling Man, you might be writing headlines about four cadets slaughtered by a Seven Evils member."
"Then! Why wasn't this in the joint investigation results?!"
"That's..."
At that moment, Seo Ha-eun grabbed the mic instead of Kang Yuna.
"That's because higher-ups decided it was unsettling to promote someone dangerous whose intentions are unclear. We initially agreed somewhat, but as aspiring heroes and cadets, we believe revealing the truth is right. That's why we're telling you now."
The Smiling Man. Again. That bizarre villain again!
No. Calling him a villain is getting ambiguous now.
He'd saved heroes. Saved cadets. Saved civilians.
What is his true identity? Why does he help us?
"He's too dangerous. Regardless of his intentions, he's a criminal who killed with his Ability, right? That's what we call a villain. Depending on perspective, this could sound like defending a villain."
A reporter who seemed primed for sensational headlines opened fire.
What answer would the cadets give this time?
"I understand the reporter's question perfectly. Villains must be treated with utmost caution. I acknowledge that. After all, the Jin family—my own—was recently attacked by villains and suffered massive damage."
Jin Seo-ah clenched her fist, as if rage still surged at the memory.
"The Smiling Man is far from the kind of hero you imagine. But if you call him a villain, then you reporters here need to know this."
The time had truly come. No more hiding.
"Without the Smiling Man, we wouldn't be here today—and Ulleungdo might have vanished from the South Korean map beforehand. Thousands could have died. We wouldn't have saved those heroes and civilians. The Jin family might even have been wiped out by villains."
The Jin family? So the Smiling Man had helped them?
"And one more thing. A horrific tragedy might have struck Hero Academy at the start of the semester."
The Apocalypse-Class monster outbreak at Hero Academy a few months back.
Until now, nearly everyone believed it was resolved by the heroes' efforts.
But now, the truth would reach the whole world.
"The Smiling Man saved us all—twice—from that Apocalypse-Class monster."
That day, every media outlet's news flipped upside down.
"...This is a problem."
Yushin wore a wry smile while watching the news.
The protagonists, huh. It was a cake I handed over for you all to enjoy among yourselves.
How am I supposed to feel if you publicly name the one who made it feel too guilty to eat?
This is embarrassing for me, you know? Hahaha!
"Stop messing around and play. It's your turn."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yushin obediently continued his match against the Black Woman.