Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Your Hero Academy
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Holy Knight's Day of Death. What Happened.
At the Smiling Man's words, Valkyrie slowly backed away.
If it had been any other hero, they would have taken it as provocation and exploded in rage.
But Valkyrie was different. Because she knew.
Holy Knight. That bastard's misdeeds and filthy hobbies.
"You. How much do you know?"
"Who knows? How much do I know?"
The fact that Holy Knight was an incredibly popular hero?
The part where he asked you out and got rejected, then grumbled about it?
Good lord. Over a ten-year age gap, and he still made a move.
Our Valkyrie must have shown great restraint by not killing him right then!
The Smiling Man moved his Mana Threads as if plucking guitar strings.
Watching that, Valkyrie let out a scoff.
He's just a madman. Not right in the head.
Yeah. What was I expecting from a mere villain...
"Or maybe. That Holy Knight was a thoroughly filthy human unlike his public image? That as an S-Rank, he treated others carelessly, pulled all sorts of power trips, demanded periodic tributes of flesh—which wasn't enough—and even committed crimes beyond that?"
"Hey, you...!!"
This bastard. He knows everything! Valkyrie was stunned inwardly.
These were matters the Union Korea Branch kept hushed up to prevent them from leaking out.
In truth, only a handful in Korea—countable on ten fingers—knew the facts.
Even Valkyrie hadn't sought it out; she'd learned by chance.
The branch had realized it and begged her to keep quiet.
They said if it got out, heroes' prestige would plummet and villains would gain the upper hand.
It frustrated her, but it wasn't wrong, so she gritted her teeth and pretended not to know.
For that matter to be known by someone not even from the branch—a mere villain, no less?!
"Well. Plenty of other reasons to die too. He went rampaging like a dog in heat. And then unluckily ran into the dogcatcher."
"You know more than I thought. Smiling Man. Been digging behind the Union? Why? Planning to go around telling everyone later how rotten the Union is? To build a world for villains?"
Valkyrie sneered. She'd heard similar lines plenty of times.
Villains who saw themselves as revolutionaries, shouting that the world was rotten.
All while killing innocents in their actions—utter scum.
The Union is rotten? Admitted. Heroes aren't righteous? Admitted too.
But. Even so. Villains can never be forgiven. Those who do such things...
"A world made for villains? Hmm. Sounds like it'd be as bad or worse than Holy Knight. Sorry, but I'll pass."
"...What?"
"I'm good with things as they are. What fun would a world full of villains be? And if that's what I wanted, I wouldn't be meeting you like this. Right?"
What is this guy, really? A villain dissing other villains?
Just talk? But his expression. Voice. Gestures. All genuine?
"Smiling Man."
In the end, Valkyrie dispersed her spear. She still held her shield, but that was it.
No will to fight emanated from her opponent.
She could tell, having fought countless battles.
"You. What's your real goal?"
"Does there have to be a goal to take action?"
"What?"
"I was passing by and spotted some trash. Throwing it in the bin—is that something to call a 'goal'? No idea."
Comparing killing an S-Rank hero to tossing out trash.
It was absurd and ridiculous, but she'd seen his skill just moments ago.
Even Holy Knight couldn't have withstood a surprise attack.
"Well then. Shall we end our little meeting? My eyes are hurting from staring at an S-Rank hero too long. Time to go."
"Who said you could?"
"Why, me, of course. If you want to stop me, go ahead."
Of course, if you can.
The Smiling Man leaped into the air.
Then Valkyrie realized the situation she was in.
Good lord. The surroundings were filled with Mana Threads. Not a single gap.
Like a spider webbing every corner.
If she'd insisted on fighting to the end, she might have ended up like Holy Knight?
"How you use the gift I gave you. That's entirely up to you. Hero Valkyrie."
Ah. And then, the Smiling Man added as if he'd forgotten something.
"The owner of these clothes is sleeping in the third stall of the bathroom at the end of the third floor annex."
Go wake him up quick, or he'll get in trouble with someone else if you're too late.
With those words, the Smiling Man vanished completely.
As if he'd never been there, not even a faint trace of presence left behind.
"Jeez."
A hollow laugh escaped her.
Felt like a ridiculous dream. Or like reading a comic.
But it was all real. The memory card in her hand proved it.
How should she process this situation? Valkyrie pondered.
"...For now."
Yeah. First things first—check if that janitor was alive. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Good thing. I was worried there might be a big fight.
A battle with an S-Rank right in the middle of Hero Academy.
Win or lose aside, the collateral damage would've been massive.
"With this, I've planted the seed. Valkyrie."
Manipulating the Mana Threads, the bones and muscles of his face twisted in an instant.
His half-closed eyes stayed the same, but everything else changed.
From janitor to Smiling Man. Back from Smiling Man to janitor.
He lightly hopped between buildings and arrived right in front of the annex.
Then slipped in through the bathroom window at the end of the third-floor hallway, which he'd left open beforehand.
"I hope you make the right choice."
S-Rank Hero Valkyrie. A real hero, unlike Holy Knight.
In the original story, she fought against the corruption in the Union Korea Branch.
She proclaimed that heroes must act like heroes to deserve the name.
In the end, she stood at the center of the heroes' reflection and self-purification.
It was a tough fight. Evidence was scarce to begin with.
She knew the Union was hiding something, but not what.
Even if she wanted to investigate, she was essentially field personnel.
Not desk or office staff, so she couldn't grasp internal workings.
Above all, her own status as a hero was too big a hurdle.
"Oops."
Don't forget. I'm the janitor whose clothes were stolen.
Mid-cleaning the bathroom, suddenly clocked from behind and knocked out.
Wakes up, clothes gone, hastily putting on pants.
Shirt? Not yet. Put it on by the time Valkyrie arrives.
That way the timing matches perfectly.
Thud thud thud!-
The sound of someone sprinting madly echoed from down the hall.
Valkyrie. Coming to check if he was really okay.
But. This is the men's room—surely she won't come in?
She could just send someone to check...
Bam!-
Whoa. She's actually coming in.
"In here! Janitor? The guy who got my autograph earlier!"
"Th-this is the men's room! What the—!"
"Oh my god. You really were here!? You okay?! Why's your uniform like that... He took it and left it, huh! Come on, follow me. We need to check for any injuries first!"
"N-no, I'm fine! I was cleaning and suddenly dozed off... Y-you can't do this. I'll get fired!"
The Hero Academy infirmary. I'd love to take a look.
They say it can heal any wound short of death.
But curiosity is just that. Going now risks exposure.
Yushin adamantly refused, putting on the most pitiful face he could.
"Just get checked out."
"I'll get fired! Please, spare me."
Do you know the woes of a day laborer!? He reminded her.
As Yushin predicted, Valkyrie backed off without pressing further.
"Visually, no injuries... Fine. Go on, then."
"Keep it secret that I dozed off cleaning!"
"That's not the point right now! Ugh, so frustrating!!"
As if. The truly frustrated one is me.
The Smiling Man was right in front of her, and she didn't notice a thing.
The muscles forming his face's foundation. The bone structure. All different.
He'd completely concealed even the fundamental aura that defines a person.
Slipping out of Valkyrie's grasp, Yushin strolled the academy.
Heroes are always champions of justice. Villains, apostles of chaos and madness.
The citizens' perceptions were solidified by none other than the Union.
Heroes and the Union shared a symbiotic relationship.
But doesn't every power-wielding faction inevitably corrupt?
The heroes' collective enforcing justice—the Union—couldn't escape it.
Prioritizing Union's gains. Covering up heroes' crimes.
As time passed, both Union and heroes decayed.
So why did no one speak out against it?
Because it's the Union. Because they're heroes.
Exterminators of villains. Monster slayers. Beacons of hope for citizens.
The moment that's denied, the fragile order crumbles.
In people's memories, the Union must remain a bastion of the righteous to the end.
Heroes must stay as real-life knights of goodness.
Valkyrie had agonized over it for ages and would continue to.
"The worries she's having right now. I'll blow them away cleanly."
He didn't expect her to openly fight the Union from the start.
A bit earlier. A bit stronger. That would suffice.
Then there'd be someone to catch her when she quietly tips over.
Enemy-to-Ally Action Code Number Three.
Show subtle goodwill to those who will become allies.
Nothing's free. This was all investment for later.
Swoosh!!-
"Hm?"
He turned. A scabbard entered Yushin's view.
First thought: Why is this here?
Next: Wait, I can't dodge this?
Right now, he wasn't the Smiling Man—he was an ordinary janitor.
A civilian dodging that in this street made no sense.
"Haa... No choice here."
Smack!!-
He took the scabbard right to the forehead.
As he toppled backward, people soon gathered.
"Kyaa?!"
"Someone's down! Breathing? Is he breathing?"
"Get him to the infirmary now!"
Infirmary, huh. Ended up like this anyway. Hahaha.
Yushin could only smile wryly.
But who was it? Who threw this thing?
As he was carried off, he checked the embossed name on the scabbard.
That damn family—grab a sword and their eyes go feral. Just like always.