Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The Commotion is Just Beginning
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“Cadet Kang Yuna.”
“...”
“Cadet Kang Yuna?”
“...Huh? Ah, yes!”
When she lifted her head, a flicker of concern passed through the instructor's eyes.
Normally, he would have scolded her for not paying attention.
But Kang Yuna had earned commendations from the recent 'incident.'
She was both admirable and pitiable, so the instructor took that into account.
“If your injuries haven't fully healed yet, you're free to go rest.”
“No, I'm fine!”
The instructor fiddled with his chin at Kang Yuna's spirited reply.
With that, he turned back to the screen, telling her to focus on the lesson.
“Haa.”
It had been three days since the Apocalypse-Class monster appeared at the Hero Academy.
Not a single casualty had occurred.
It was a miracle. Truly a miracle.
A catastrophe on that scale could have easily claimed countless lives!
Even the injured, trapped in the cocoons, had mostly returned to their daily routines.
The life force drain hadn't been fatal—just enough that a good rest would heal them.
Kang Yuna was the same. After sleeping solidly for two days, her body was nearly back to normal.
So why did she keep zoning out during class with a dazed expression?
'The Smiling Man...'
If Kang Yuna were a civilian, she could have just fangirled over him privately.
A villain, but one who seemed to have a backstory. Someone with redeeming qualities.
She might argue about it occasionally with others. And that would be the end of it.
But Kang Yuna wasn't a civilian. She was a Hero Academy cadet aspiring to be a hero.
The Smiling Man was a villain. And villains were the unequivocal enemies of heroes.
Not just any villain, either. He was a criminal who had killed a great many heroes.
It was astonishing that he had no record of crimes against civilians.
The Smiling Man hated heroes. Despised them. Loathed them.
One look at the state of the bodies left at his scenes made that clear.
Articles, photos, videos—she had seen it all, so she knew full well.
'A man like that. Why did he save us?'
This was already the second time for her. He'd saved other cadets too.
Jin Seo-ah. Louise. Even Seo Ha-eun.
Without the Smiling Man, things would have ended in disaster.
They might have lost their lives inside those cocoons before Valkyrie even arrived.
“We'll end today's class here. You all still need more rest. If any cadet feels off after the monster incident, head straight to the treatment room without delay!”
Everyone had nearly faced disaster, yet they all seemed excited rather than subdued.
All the cadets knew an S-Rank Hero had dealt with the monster.
At the same time, they believed fellow cadets like themselves had played a key role.
So they held high hopes that they too could one day do the same.
Fight monsters coolly. Save people from villains.
That's why they came here dreaming of becoming such heroes—they weren't about to cower.
“Yuna!”
Seo Ha-eun approached from the front, giving a small wave.
The one other person who knew the truth about the incident, alongside Kang Yuna.
As if by prior agreement, the two headed to a secluded spot.
Finally, they sat on a bench in a quiet area.
Seo Ha-eun was the first to speak.
“Instructor Valkyrie told me to keep quiet. Just wait for the official announcement.”
“She said the same to you? She told me exactly that too.”
“Yuna, you said you met the Smiling Man, right?”
The public story was that she had resisted the Smiling Man.
In truth, she had fought villains and received help from the Smiling Man.
She wanted to reveal the facts, but everything had already been distorted.
Who would listen to corrections now?
Especially since the Smiling Man had killed an S-Rank Hero, Holy Knight.
“Did the Smiling Man really try to kill you? Like the articles say, did you barely survive until heroes arrived?”
“...No.”
Kang Yuna told the curious Seo Ha-eun the truth of that day.
The secret only she knew—one she could no longer share freely.
Because the Smiling Man was a villain. A criminal who killed heroes.
As a cadet, defending him would be tantamount to suicide.
“I see. So that's how it was. The Smiling Man... What kind of man is he...?”
Seo Ha-eun bit her lip, then shook her head.
She was confused. Kang Yuna understood completely.
A hero-killer saving Hero Academy cadets who dreamed of becoming heroes?
It didn't add up. It wasn't logical or rational.
'...Or maybe it's strange to expect logic or reason from a villain.'
As she thought that, Seo Ha-eun suddenly shot to her feet.
“Ha-eun?”
“I need to go to the records archive.”
“The archive? Why all of a sudden?”
“It has records of monsters' and villains' misdeeds. I'm going to dig into everything about the Smiling Man. Every last detail.”
Was the glint in Seo Ha-eun's eyes born of anger?
Or some other emotion fueling a different desire?
Kang Yuna felt a momentary curiosity, but ultimately didn't care either way.
She herself had grown intensely curious about the villain known as the Smiling Man.
“Want me to help?”
That was her offer, but Seo Ha-eun's reaction was a bit odd.
She whipped her head toward Kang Yuna reflexively.
She seemed about to say something, then closed her mouth and muttered to herself.
Her voice was too soft to make out clearly.
But her expression was definitely different from usual.
“...Ha-eun?”
“Sorry, Yuna. I'll handle this one alone.”
“Uh... okay. Let me know if you need any help!”
That's weird. Isn't the records archive enormous?
The history of monsters and villains spans more than a few months.
Even focusing solely on the Smiling Man wouldn't make it quick work.
Cadets were required to study it. Seo Ha-eun surely knew that.
Two people would be faster. That's why she offered to help.
She had even encountered the Smiling Man firsthand.
So why insist on doing it alone?
'She must hate the Smiling Man that much? He did take down Hero Holy Knight, so it's understandable. Saving us from the monster isn't enough to make up for that.'
Because they were Hero Academy cadets. Dreaming of becoming heroes.
The Clan headquarters, usually abuzz with chaos, was eerily quiet today.
Most of the troublemakers had vanished without a word.
They had likely followed the Seven Evils who left the Clan.
“Pathetic fools.”
The Black Woman clicked her tongue as she sat in the pavilion, savoring the silence.
Villains should confront and eliminate stronger heroes.
What good was tormenting and killing the powerless?
Show heroes and the Union for the useless fools they were.
Plant the idea that villains were the ones worth relying on.
“I'm back.”
The woman with purple bobbed hair. The Clan boss's secretary.
The Black Woman glanced her way as she entered.
“All of them gone?”
“Yes. Confirmed: not just the Seven Evils, but over half the villains have left the Clan.”
“What utter idiots. They think being a villain means rampaging like dogs in heat. We should be targeting heroes—what the hell are they doing?”
Expose the heroes' weakness and the Union's impotence.
That way, the world would bow to villains of their own accord.
Prove that hollow cries of justice were empty echoes.
That ultimate victory came from overwhelming power.
That was true villainy, the Black Woman was certain.
Not obsessing over kills like those brainless defectors!
“I'm not in the best mood today. You should go too.”
“Understood. Rest well, Boss.”
The bob-cut woman left the pavilion and pressed the elevator button.
After much hardship, she had delivered crucial intelligence.
The Clan's fracture. The villains' shifts. Heroes' and Union's responses.
Without prior knowledge, the damage would have been catastrophic.
'With the Seven Evils gone, the Clan's forces are relatively weakened. The boss is still intact, so no one dares touch us recklessly. But those Seven Evils are loose cannons—no telling where they'll strike next.'
No longer Clan affiliates, she couldn't track their movements.
Secretly investigating defectors was impossible now.
She was the Clan boss's secretary. Any unauthorized move would expose her.
How much had she suffered to earn this position? To gain the boss's trust?
There was nothing more foolish than getting caught acting rashly.
*Ding!-*
The elevator doors opened. She stepped out.
“Oh.”
At that moment, the Smiling Man entered and poked his face in.
His eyes were still inscrutable. His smile carried that eerie vibe.
“If it isn't the secretary. Weren't you with the boss?”
“She dismissed me.”
“Heh? Surprising! I was summoned, myself.”
“...I see.”
The Smiling Man. The worst villain, killer of an S-Rank Hero.
She wanted to investigate him, but he was utterly untouchable.
A ghost of a man. Almost everything shrouded in mystery.
Even the Clan boss handled him with caution—that much was clear.
“Head on up. I'm going now.”
As the bob-cut woman tried to exit the elevator—
*Thud!-*
“...!?”
The Smiling Man's arm blocked the elevator door.
It perfectly halted her steps.
“Secretary.”
His face remained wrinkle-free, simply smiling.
No hostility. No Ability in use.
Yet her entire body felt pierced by thousands of needles.
Was the suffocating sensation mere illusion?
“You've worked hard.”
No reason given. Just those words: 'You've worked hard.'
In that instant, a single thought flashed through the secretary's mind.
I've been caught...?