Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: What a Commotion!
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Hero Academy.
"Alright. That's training for today. Good work, everyone."
""Thank you, Instructor!!""
The instructor left the training grounds first, followed by the third-year cadets.
Just a few days ago, their conversations had been all over the place.
Hero stories. Villain tales. Sidekick applications. And all sorts of other topics.
But now, the only thing on their minds was one subject.
"Any new updates from Ulleungdo?"
"I heard two of our academy instructors are on the casualty list."
"Really? I was relieved there were no first-year cadets among the dead. Oh no..."
The monster wave that had struck the entire Republic of Korea.
Especially since two fully matured Apocalypse-Class monsters had appeared.
Ulleungdo had nearly been wiped off the map.
"Hey, Ha-gyun. Isn't your sister a first-year?"
And the third-year cadet fielding the most questions.
Seo Ha-gyun, Seo Ha-eun's brother, had to repeat the same answer for days on end.
"Yeah, that's right. I've said it a hundred times already—a hundred times, no exaggeration!"
"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, she's a first-year, right? Heard anything?"
"Some kids got hurt, so their return's delayed for treatment. Plus, things here are chaotic as hell. The higher-ups are holding them back until it quiets down a bit so everyone can rest."
"Makes sense. If they came back now, at least a hundred reporters would storm the academy."
"A hundred? I'd say at least five hundred."
Sounds exaggerated? It's not. That's exactly how many reporters would swarm.
Not just from Korea—reporters from all over the world.
This wasn't just Korea's problem; it was a global sensation.
Everyone would hound the first-years for even a scrap of a story.
"Hey, hey, hey! New video just dropped! This one's insane! For real!"
"What is it? If it's like the last one—just screaming and running away—I'm gonna kill you."
"No! It's the Smiling Man! Someone filmed him up close! Fresh footage!"
"Why doesn't it show up for me?! I've already seen everything on YouXTube."
"My acquaintance's acquaintance took this while vacationing on Ulleungdo!"
Rare footage, in other words. The third-years swarmed in an instant.
No distinction between guys or girls. Everyone rushed to the hottest topic of the incident.
"Play it quick!"
"Ah, stop touching it! It keeps skipping to the next video!"
After a brief wait, the video finally played.
["Kyaah!"]
Like all such videos, this one started with screams.
Far off in the distance, a massive tsunami surged from the sea toward Ulleungdo.
Even watching on video, it was overwhelming. Terrifying.
Fear welled up, an instinctive urge to flee.
The filmer must have felt escape was impossible.
With a sigh, they filmed haphazardly, whatever happened.
In that shaky frame, a man everyone now knew rose into the sky.
"The Smiling Man!!"
The criminal who murdered S-Rank Hero Holy Knight and countless other heroes.
Recently suspected of terrorism, but cleared as a false accusation.
Still, he was undeniably a villain. That fact remained unchanged.
The man drew his sword, facing the colossal tsunami threatening Ulleungdo.
As if he were a hero himself. Stepping forward for everyone behind him.
And moments later.
["Kwaaang!!"]
The screen flashed silver. A blaze of light shot toward the world.
The tsunami split and collapsed, sinking back into the sea.
A single slash. No Mana Threads. No other Ability.
The cataclysm that no one could withstand vanished under the Smiling Man's sword.
["Whoa, shit..."]
"Whoa, shit..."
The filmer and the watching cadets alike.
All lost for words, muttering the same curse.
Inevitable. What they'd just seen was too unreal.
From a villain stepping up to save people.
To resolving a crisis no one else could in an instant.
If anyone could remain unmoved by this, it was one person.
The Smiling Man himself. Yes, only the man in question would stay composed.
"This is real, right? Not some AI deepfake?"
"I'd prefer it was manipulated. What the hell? Why's a villain saving people? Is he a hero? If he's gonna do this, why kill heroes and play the villain?!"
"Hey, calm down. Anyway, thanks to him, all those people—including our underclassmen—survived."
"That's the problem. What do you think people will say after seeing this? Heroes saved by a villain. Is that right? Are we even heroes? That's the kinda crap they'll spew."
Some cadets immediately questioned the Smiling Man's motives.
A villain wouldn't do this. He must want something.
Like a ploy to undermine heroes' reason for existing.
Stripping public trust in heroes through this, they claimed.
"But honestly, even if that's his intent... isn't this situation different?"
"Exactly. Bottom line, without the Smiling Man, everyone there would've died. Maybe even Ha-gyun's sister. Could've affected the entire East Coast."
"S-Rank Hero Instructor Valkyrie was fighting too, right? If it was her..."
"She was battling in a nearby sea area. Probably couldn't have saved Ulleungdo from that tsunami."
No matter how much they hated or suspected the villain, credit was credit.
Like praising a criminal for saving someone.
In the end, even villains were human—they might step up once.
"Man, he really is strong, though. Hey, what was the Smiling Man's villain rank again?"
"Highest Danger Class so far."
"Only that? Shouldn't it change now? Based on this feat alone, he's Catastrophe Class. Maybe even above the Seven Evils."
"Danger level aside, his raw power is definitely that high."
For reference, two factors mainly determined a villain's rank.
How much power they wielded. And how dangerous they were.
They seemed similar at a glance, but differed.
The Seven Evils were Catastrophe Class for their overwhelming power and massive damage.
They'd roamed the world committing crimes, now lingering in Korea.
The Smiling Man, though powerful, had only killed heroes.
Not that hero murders were minor.
"Countries worldwide are in an uproar right now—not just ours. Villains have whimsically spared lives before, but never stepped up to save thousands, tens of thousands from monsters like this."
"I'd be confused too. A hero-killing villain saves civilians and cadets? Why?"
"Hey, there were heroes there too."
"Right. Whoa, wait—this makes it even more baffling!"
One cadet clutched their head and screamed.
"Arrrgh!!"
And the one next to them screamed too.
"What's with him? You shocked too?"
"Hahaha! This is it! Knew it, Hwiun! Believed in you, damn it!!"
Why the maniacal reaction?
The surrounding cadets checked on him.
Then gasped at the phone in his hand.
"...Whoa."
"Kinda jealous now..."
["Kwaaang!!"]
"Heh heh heh."
Watching the video, the Sword Saint laughed.
Half in astonishment and admiration.
The other half from irrepressible annoyance.
'This guy. He knew how to wield a sword but acted like he didn't.'
Maybe refusing to learn from him was meant that way too?
Already at his level—or beyond.
How could he serve under someone inferior? That kind of loaded question.
Yes, he got it. With that sword skill, arrogance was justified.
But still, a little hint would've been nice.
Not intentional, sure, but it felt like he'd been slighted. Hurtful.
'Never thought I'd feel rivalry and fighting spirit toward someone so much younger. Heh heh heh!'
Embarrassing at first, but he soon laughed it off.
Fine. Who cared what the opponent was? A child, a villain—didn't matter.
If anyone walking the path of the sword could stimulate him.
This body, grown a tad lazy with age and attainment.
Anyone who could urge him onward without pause was welcome!
'...More importantly, what the hell is this.'
overshadowed by other shocking videos.
Reporters obsessed elsewhere, less attention.
But this video was stirring significant social backlash too.
"Heh heh heh."
This crossed the line.
The place his granddaughter had risked her life to protect.
Where his comrades and juniors had etched a glorious victory.
The Sword Saint, who had set down his blade, made a call.
"Oh, long time. Doing well? Sound spry as ever. Heard you became opposition leader. Passed on flowers and congrats but never met up. That's why I'm calling—wanna treat you to lunch tomorrow."
A brief response from the other end.
The Sword Saint could only smile wryly.
"Got it, got it. Politics turned you into a sly fox, huh? Right, I'm calling 'cause I want something. This Ulleungdo mess. No self-correction in sight. You gonna let it slide? Heroes' blood and sweat soaked that place. Think it over."
Beat a civil servant and you'd get a canned responses.
But rough up a lawmaker? Different story.
The Sword Saint knew that well.