Chapter 107
Chapter 107
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Truth Always Sets Hearts Racing
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As the warmth of spring faded and the sweltering heat of summer drew near...
The Republic of Korea was experiencing a day hotter than ever before.
Sometimes it was celebrities. Sometimes politicians. Sometimes even heroes.
But not this time. The star of this fever was someone else entirely.
Smiling Man here. Smiling Man there. The whole world was buzzing with the Smiling Man.
It all started with the cadets' press conference, where they revealed the truth so far.
The one who saved the Academy and countless cadets from an Apocalypse-Class monster.
The one who took down a hero no one dared touch despite his crimes.
The one who protected heroes and nearby civilians on the brink of death during an operation.
The one who defended Hero Academy's sacred ground, Ulleungdo, from yet another Apocalypse-Class monster.
The one who helped when Jin Ga, Korea's greatest pride, was attacked by a villain.
And most recently, the one who wiped out even the Seven Evils for the sake of the cadets.
News shows. Debates. Even variety programs.
There was no place where the Smiling Man's name wasn't mentioned.
And online, where even more opinions flew back and forth, it was even worse.
The past terrorist attacks targeting civilians...
But those incidents had already been proven not to be the Smiling Man's doing.
The hero murders were also gradually coming to light.
Holy Knight and Light Dagger, and now Blader too.
Every hero killed by the Smiling Man had their own 'reasons.'
So, he should be considered a hero. Just a very aggressive one!
Of course, not everyone saw the Smiling Man in a positive light.
Some for rational reasons. Others just because they wanted to oppose him.
They called the Smiling Man a societal misfit who disrupted order.
If he really wasn't a villain, he should turn himself in for real.
Pay for his crimes, reflect, and then become a hero!
That was the logic of those who viewed him negatively.
So, where was the Smiling Man, the center of all this storm?
What was this enigmatic figure at the eye of the hurricane doing?
The world eagerly awaited his next appearance.
Reporters craving even more sensational stories.
Government officials hoping they might sway him.
Everyone wanting juicy drama.
But a week passed, then two weeks, then a full month as the midsummer heat arrived.
Still, the Smiling Man never showed his face.
At the same time, Yushin was meeting with I-bora.
The meeting spot was the café used for his surrender a month ago.
It had suffered horrific damage from the Black Woman's appearance back then.
From Yushin's perspective, it was unfair—he'd had no such plans.
He'd intended to surrender quietly, but who could've predicted the boss crashing the party?
Fortunately, repairs had restored it to its former glory.
"I hear S-Rank Hero Valkyrie personally compensated them out of her own pocket."
"Hahaha. Is that so? As expected of a righteous hero!"
Actually, it was the money I passed to Valkyrie, but hey!
This drink suits my taste perfectly. I'd be heartbroken if it vanished!
"More importantly, I heard you had something to say. Secretary."
Today's strawberry yogurt frappe is delicious as always. Hahaha!
I-bora quietly watched the happily sipping Smiling Man.
She still couldn't believe it. That this man before her was so incredibly strong.
Grinning for no reason. Cracking absurd jokes now and then.
Even drinking a beverage that didn't suit his image at all!
"...Lately, the Union has been setting a new narrative."
"A new narrative, you say?"
"You know they tried to use you, the Smiling Man, to heighten fear of villains, right?"
"I'd have to be an idiot not to."
The bigger and stronger the villains, the more secure the Union's position.
Darkness must deepen to highlight the light. And in doing so, the shadows grow thicker too.
Posing as light, they could hide anything in the shadows.
That was the true order and future the Union dreamed of.
"But every time, you acted unpredictably, Smiling Man. In the end, it eroded the Union's trust while you stole all the spotlight. A villain getting mixed reviews means he's no longer just a villain."
The heroes killed by the villain turned out to be unworthy of the title.
The Union was revealed to have covered up those heroes' misdeeds.
Someone had schooled the untouchable child of a Union executive.
It wasn't a hero preaching justice. It was a villain the world pointed fingers at.
Good and evil. Order and chaos. Everything began to twist and shake.
People started seeing beyond black-and-white logic, viewing things more diversely.
From the Union's perspective, nothing could be more terrifying.
"They're subtly attacking Korea."
"...Oh?"
The Smiling Man—and Yushin too—were unmistakably Korean.
And Koreans had a peculiar trait.
Neighbors badmouthing and fighting. Gender conflicts reaching extremes.
Regional rivalries leading to near-murderous brawls.
But at the mere mention of 'our country,' they united as one in an instant.
Attacking Korea? In front of Koreans?
"Secretary, I think I need a bit more detail."
I-bora nearly instinctively activated her Ability.
It was an illusion, but the monster seemed to be sitting right there.
"...Don't misunderstand. Not a physical attack."
"Hahaha. I figured that much. But they're up to some shady tricks again, aren't they? Am I right?"
"Lately, there's talk of coaxing you, Smiling Man, to fight alongside heroes—even if not as one."
"A minority opinion. As if that's even possible."
"The Union is clinging to it. Like we're in the 21st century calling for a penal legion revival or something. Forcing a former villain to fight?!"
With public sentiment turning sour, the Union changed tactics.
If they couldn't divide, make them divide themselves.
Villains must be punished. No deals, no conditions.
Precedents are dangerous. Leniency leads to disaster.
Stoking this provoked a gradual public reaction.
Now, 'Smiling Man is a villain' wasn't the point.
If he wasn't an enemy, what then?
Punish him like other criminals? Treat him differently?
Opinions split, conflicts arose, and conflicts bred greater strife.
Strife swallowed all drama, growing ever larger.
Meanwhile, the Union quietly gained space to retreat.
Time to cut off tails and clean house internally.
But one truly tragic fact for the Union...
"Hahaha."
The man sitting here was none other than the Smiling Man.
"This is something."
...was that Yushin knew the future and what to do about it.
"Penal legion, huh. They always go for that comparison. Our Union friends, that is."
Slandering an enemy-turned-ally like that?
As a true grinning character, I can't tolerate this.
"Secretary. You said you're from an orphanage, right? Oh, no offense. Absolutely not meant as an insult!"
"...Mentioning a well-known fact like that makes it sound suspicious."
"Hahahaha!"
I-bora sighed and nodded affirmatively.
Raised in a Union-funded orphanage, then awakened her Ability.
Immediately conscripted and secretly trained as an agent.
Treating the orphanage like a factory. Kids like soldiers.
This horrific truth remained unknown to the world.
"Secretary. You love those orphanage kids more than anyone, don't you?"
But from now on, everyone would know.
"I'll free that orphanage from the Union. The kids might smell a bit, but I'll save them all anyway."
"...Really?"
"In exchange, there's a condition."
Yushin leaned forward slightly and whispered to I-bora.
A moment later, she asked if that was really all.
The condition seemed trivial from her perspective.
"Not a big deal anyway. I'm not like those shady merchants ripping people off! Hahahaha!"
True grinning characters don't make unreasonable demands.
That's the rule. That's my romance.
Oh, and I'll make a simple request to the Union too.
Just die. How's that? Super easy, right? Hahaha!