Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: A Few Loaches
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A tourist trap price even the Smiling Man and the Black Woman couldn't dodge.
This over-the-top rip-off wouldn't spare them just because they were Hero Academy cadets.
"So this is the famous Dokdo shrimp."
"The color is so pretty. As fresh as the seafood back in England."
The three of them poked and prodded at the shrimp in front of them with childlike wonder.
With smiles blooming across their faces, they truly looked like students out on a field trip.
"Um..."
"Hey..."
In contrast, Kang Yuna and Seo Ha-eun fidgeted uneasily, sensing something was off.
If they weren't seeing things, something was seriously wrong here.
'Dokdo shrimp at 50,000 won per 100g...? Is, is this price even possible?'
'This feels really, really wrong.'
Their heads spun. It was a price they'd never even heard of.
For the two of them, who had lived average lives as ordinary citizens of Korea, it was a total shock.
"What's wrong with you all?"
But Jin Seo-ah, Louise, and Jeong Ye-bin saw it a bit differently.
"Well, it's just... isn't it too expensive?"
"This is an island, right? Limited supplies and people—it's a special environment."
"Exactly. Like how oxygen tanks on Everest cost more than on flat ground."
"Cadet Louise? You can't sell anything on Everest in the first place. Not even our Hwiun group could."
"It's a metaphor, a metaphor."
Rather than calling it a rip-off, they were considering the island's circumstances.
And all three had grown up without any material worries.
With no need to think about money, it was natural they'd be desensitized to it.
"I get it. I know what you two mean."
Jin Seo-ah nodded as she gently twisted the well-cooked shrimp.
It was expensive, no doubt. Even they could feel that.
But this was an island. Ulleungdo, of all places.
Lots of people visited, but only during strictly defined seasons.
Typhoons. Bad sea conditions dragging on.
Heavy snow forecasted.
Tourism took a hit from any of those.
No one knew when disaster would strike. The fear of "what if" loomed.
And humans were made to buckle under fear.
Only those who could overcome it earned a place in history as heroes.
"We have to understand. These folks need to make a living too."
"But still, this feels too much."
"For this quality, it's pricey but not impossible. Looks like these are real flower shrimp, the kind called Dokdo shrimp. And freshly caught too."
Jeong Ye-bin had a sharp eye for judging "merchandise."
With her confirmation, even Seo Ha-eun finally closed her mouth.
"By the way, Cadet Jeong Ye-bin? I figured you'd be used to stuff like this."
"What do you... Oh. Ahh."
At Jin Seo-ah's words, Jeong Ye-bin waved it off as if she got it.
She must have assumed the owner family of Hwiun ate lavish meals every day.
Especially since it was that Hwiun group, of all places.
"Not at all. I hear that a lot, but chaebol don't live like royalty. I love ramen and tteokbokki, and I order delivery too!"
"My goodness. I thought the Hwiun owner family lived differently. Like our British nobility."
"Absolutely not. We have money, sure, but we don't splurge or party wildly! With our shares to manage, how hard do you think we study?!"
So yeah. Half the public's imagination about chaebol is pure fiction.
See? She's eating this Dokdo shrimp with wonder too.
If this showed up every meal, the chairman would throw a fit.
He'd say maintaining face and indulging in luxury are totally different.
"Anyway, dramas and movies warped the image of chaebol?!"
"Calm down..."
"They show all this weird power-tripping! Always the bad guys! Sure, some do it! But the moment they do, the company value tanks and investors revolt! Chaebol aren't kings!"
Jeong Ye-bin suddenly raised her voice, getting worked up.
She must have built up a lot of frustration from misunderstandings about chaebol.
The others finally calmed her down.
After that somewhat satisfying—but a bit questionable—meal,
the five cadets walked along the nearby coast, chatting.
It started with each sharing their own stories.
Then, at some point, the topic unified.
Villains. Specifically, the Smiling Man.
"...I see. I knew something felt off."
Kang Yuna recounted her first encounter with the Smiling Man.
She hadn't fought him—she'd actually been helped by him.
Jeong Ye-bin clenched her fist, as if she'd expected as much.
"You didn't know the truth either, Cadet Jeong Ye-bin?"
"It was an official Union announcement. About heroes and villains—who's going to question that? Even if they could, they'd be super passive about it."
Hwiun was a massive company, but heroes were outside their influence.
Especially the Union, which could sway public opinion in an instant.
For a business where people meant profit or loss, it was best handled with caution.
"Hmm. Then we should tell Cadet Jeong Ye-bin about that too."
"What else is there?"
The recent academy monster incident.
Officially, S-Rank Hero Valkyrie had taken down the monster.
And these four here had played active roles.
That was what Jeong Ye-bin knew. But the truth was...
"Wait. Hold on. So not only did the Smiling Man corner the monster right up to the brink of defeat, but he saved all four of you here too?"
Jin Seo-ah. Louise. Kang Yuna. And Seo Ha-eun. They all nodded.
This wasn't a joke. No prank. Their expressions and gestures screamed truth.
"No way..."
Why had they kept such massive info under wraps?
No need to ask. The Union must have ordered silence.
Nothing could cause more chaos than a villain helping heroes.
Until now, they'd branded villains as evil and swung the hammer of justice.
The Union had grown strong on the slogan of opposing villains and monsters.
But what if an event shattered that head-on?
'Even if it's just the Smiling Man's rogue act, problems arise. Better to...'
Silence was easier than explanations.
Especially when those involved knew the gravity.
"You all agree with the Union to some extent too."
"The Smiling Man aside, the other villains are all the worst criminals. Psychopathic killers."
"One case, and villain fans would spin it. My home country allowed that freedom, and we had terrorism right in central London from followers."
"True. No matter what, he still killed heroes..."
More importantly, the puzzle pieces were finally fitting.
Jeong Ye-bin pieced together everything so far.
The Smiling Man. He was different from other villains.
No doubt a hero killer, but with one peculiar trait.
He cleverly avoided stoking the public's extreme rage or hatred.
If it seemed about to boil over, he'd appear and flip the mood.
A brilliant mind. She'd recommend him for executive if she could.
"..."
Meanwhile, Seo Ha-eun bit her lip, lost in thought.
The talk had veered to the Smiling Man.
Naturally, the hero killings came up.
She acknowledged he'd saved people in a very un-villain way.
But the crimes were undeniable.
'What do I do?'
From her weekend investigations on foot,
she'd uncovered something.
The heroes killed by the Smiling Man might have had it coming.
S-Rank Hero Holy Knight. A-Rank Hero Blader.
Heroes, but not acting like ones.
Not the kind of thing brushed off with criticism. Clear "crimes."
"Um..."
Just as conflicted Seo Ha-eun was about to speak—
Wheeee-ooooh!
Emergency sirens blared across all of Ulleungdo.
Republic of Korea. East Sea Monitoring Center in Gangneung City.
They were scanning the East Sea as usual when—
"Wh-what is this?!"
They screamed at the chaotic screens.
"This isn't a glitch, right?!"
"Call the detection Ability heroes now! We need to assess!"
People ran around like mad; the center buzzed.
Soon, they realized the worst had hit.
"Emergency! Emergency!"
"Monster appearance! Monster appearance!"
"Rank! Ferocious Class! Ferocious Class monster!"
A Ferocious Class monster emerging in the East Sea.
"Location! Where?!"
"Confirming now!"
"Figure it out fast! And contact Union for hero reinforcements now!"
"Got it!"
The center director gnawed his lip with trembling hands.
Always just Alert Class, and now suddenly Ferocious...
"N-no! Apocalypse! Apocalypse Class! Repeat: Apocalypse Class monster! Number... not confirmed exactly, but at least two entities!"
"Damn it! Location! Give me the location!"
"Location... it's! U-Ulleungdo nearby waters! 17km from Ulleungdo!"
Ulleungdo. Everyone gasped at the name.
"Ulleungdo... Wait. Hero Academy cadets are there right now, aren't they?!"
"Yes!"
"Escort heroes? Any S-Ranks with them?!"
"None reported..."
"Arrrgh!!"
Disaster. The director tore at his hair.
Monsters appear, and cadets are on Ulleungdo of all places.
They had some power, but not against this.
Apocalypse Class. Apocalypse Class! Needed S-Ranks!
"Get all S-Ranks here now! Right nooow!!"
The director's eyes already saw the catastrophe unfolding.