Chapter 56: What's the Point of Fancy Clothes? Do They Make You Money or Something? (1)
Chapter 56: What's the Point of Fancy Clothes? Do They Make You Money or Something? (1)
—Today, there was an official announcement from the Management Bureau.
—The announcement stated that several Heroes would be expelled due to issues that arose during the handling of the recent Public Enemy incident.
A cold beer and loose, comfortable clothes.
A sofa where I could lie back and just stare at the television.
This was heaven.
I leaned back comfortably and stared blankly at the screen.
—Now, we have Professor Lee Ki-hwa, a Hero expert, here to discuss this with us.
A Hero expert, huh?
A bald man with the grand title of Professor of Hero Sociology appeared on the screen and gave a greeting.
—What exactly is Hero expulsion, and how much legal force does it carry?
—Expulsion is the highest penalty the Management Bureau can impose on an affiliated Hero. The last time it was declared was seven years ago. At that time, a Hero lost his temper and ended up murdering a civilian.
—I see. What does the punishment entail specifically?
—In the name of the Management Bureau, the power one holds as a Hero is stripped away, and the social privileges granted to Heroes are revoked. However, this is merely a penalty from the Bureau. If the incident involves violence against a civilian, as in the case mentioned, the individual will face trial again under the laws of their respective country.
I remembered that case. It turned out the civilian was at fault, and the Hero received a three-year suspended sentence. Some crazy guy had insulted the Hero and even shot at him just because his car got damaged after getting caught in the crossfire of a battle. The court ruled it self-defense, an absurd situation all around.
Once the full details were known, public sympathy for the Hero grew. People said the Bureau’s punishment was too harsh.
Even so, a killing is a killing. The Bureau’s judgment wasn't going to change.
The three-year suspended sentence was just the ruling from the Hero’s home country, the United States.
Ah, but he did end up getting his pension.
I think they said it was the result of the U.S. protesting to the Bureau. When the Bureau ignored them, the government supposedly said they’d pay it themselves.
—Stripping a Hero of their power... is such a thing even possible? I understood that the power remains until the Story is concluded.
—Of course, through normal means, that is true. However, there are loopholes.
—Loopholes?
—The most moderate method would be providing support to conclude the Story quickly. This method is chosen when a Hero has caused a significant public scandal.
—If you call that the moderate method, there must be others.
—Well. Does the host know what happens when an external force, rather than the protagonist of the Story, defeats The Enemy?
—I only know that something terrible happens.
—It explodes.
—Pardon?
—The power possessed by that Otherworldly Being purely explodes. And depending on the concentration, contamination occurs. Distortion of physical laws, Otherworld Erosion... in the worst-case scenario, a hole is torn in the dimension.
And even now, Otherworldly beings pour out of those holes. The Great Barrier was created specifically to block them.
Otherworld Erosion or contamination can be purified over time, but once a hole is formed, there’s no turning back.
Otherworldly Power flows out endlessly through The Hole, and invaders—not the enemies of a Story—come rushing through.
Since the establishment of the Management Bureau, the number of Heroes has increased, making it possible to manage the holes, but in the old days, it was horrific.
We couldn't tell if it was an enemy of a Story or an Otherworldly enemy from a hole, so we’d just attack indiscriminately. Then, the Story enemy caught in the crossfire would explode, causing the concentration of Otherworldly Power to skyrocket.
When that happens in a situation where many enemies have already swarmed out and the concentration is high, there’s a high probability of a hole being punched through.
And it repeats endlessly. A horrific cycle. An eternal battlefield.
While I was reminiscing about the old battlefields, the two men on the television continued their conversation.
—Then, is there no other way besides the Hero’s cooperation?
—Not necessarily. If The Enemy is killed in a location with a low concentration of Otherworldly Power and purification work begins immediately, it can be resolved without issue.
—Of course, because there are unstable factors, the Management Bureau tends to avoid this method if possible.
Those unstable factors are the problem.
What if the concentration of Otherworldly Power at that location is different from the measured value?
What if you thought it was the final enemy, but a hidden boss reveals itself?
What if it’s an Otherworldly Being with an ability that triggers upon death?
Because of those issues, they try to let the Hero handle it as much as possible.
Though, if it were me, there are other ways.
—What is the reason for expelling Heroes despite taking such risks?
—The Management Bureau has only stated that they are expelling them; they haven't mentioned which Heroes were expelled or what their charges are.
—May I ask why?
—It’s simple. The Management Bureau never discloses a Hero’s personal information unless the individual consents. Officially, they say it's because even an expelled Hero has to live their life after expulsion.
In reality, it’s because the founders of the Bureau have deep-seated trauma.
Trauma from what happened to us in the past.
That’s why complete security for personal information was established.
Though kids these days seem to treat it like being a celebrity and reveal everything anyway.
"Senior. What are you watching?"
"The news."
I turned my head and saw my second disciple.
She was walking over, drying her hair with a thick, fluffy towel.
She was wearing a thin robe over her damp skin. It wasn't overly revealing, but seeing a girl walk around like that was an eyesore.
"Go put some clothes on. What is that look?"
An unmarried girl, showing her bare skin to a stranger.
"It's only girls here anyway."
Ah, does she not know?
"I'm a man."
"Pardon?"
"I might look like this, but I transformed from a man."
"Uh... but if you've lived in that body for thirty years..."
"Ah, that thing about the mind following the body's changes? There were people whose genders changed because they got caught up in magic, Otherworldly beings, or Otherworld Erosion."
I even knew a guy who stopped being human altogether.
"But that wasn't the case for me. Back then and even now, I can't tell if anything has changed mentally."
Is it because it's not my actual body, but a Magical Girl transformation?
Even if I wanted to compare, there would have to be someone else like me.
There was a similar case, but I think that person got married after retiring.
"Uh... then, are you attracted to women...?"
She tossed her towel aside and asked a question that wasn't really a question, her eyes darting everywhere.
Is she flustered?
Why is she making such a fuss? Her robe's going to fall off.
"I'm not sure about that either. If I had to choose between men and women, it would be women, but that's probably because my mind remains male."
It’s true that women catch my eye much more than men.
However, the reason I care about A-bin walking around like that isn't because she's a woman, but because a young disciple I took in is being careless.
If The Kid turns out weird, how am I supposed to look your parents in the eye?
Not that I've ever actually met her parents.
"Then wouldn't it be fine?"
"What would?"
"It's not like you'd do anything, Senior, and Si-hyun walks around even more recklessly..."
...Let's not talk about Baek Si-hyun.
That girl would probably sprint through the middle of the city naked with her hammer even if her clothes were completely shredded.
"What are you talking about?"
Speak of the devil. Baek Si-hyun made her appearance.
She must have washed up and gotten ready for bed too, as she was wearing a soft-looking, one-piece outfit.
Lin, Si-hyun’s mascot, was perched on her shoulder, nodding off as if sleepy.
A sleeping robe—well, that was within the realm of understanding.
The problem was...
"Si-hyun."
"Yes! Master!"
"What on earth is that clothing design?"
"It's a dinosaur."
Right, okay.
And here I thought a dinosaur monster had appeared and swallowed you whole.
Why is she wearing a costume?
I'm sure it was just normal pajamas the last time I saw them.
"Si-hyun. I think Senior is asking why you're wearing a dinosaur suit to bed..."
While I was speechless and clutching my head, Han A-bin translated my words for Baek Si-hyun.
From human language to dinosaur language.
Or maybe boar language. Whatever.
"I saw it on my way here and bought it because it was cute."
"Isn't it, well, a bit uncomfortable? Like getting poked here and there while you sleep."
Despite A-bin’s efforts, Baek Si-hyun spoke with the same bright expression.
"The tag said it was soft because it's cloth. The head squishes in like this, too."
As if to prove her point, Baek Si-hyun grabbed the head of the costume and started pressing down.
Just as she said, the head of the plush suit dented inward, then puffed back up after a moment.
I don't even know what to say anymore.
"A-bin. At least you should make sure to dress properly."
"...Our styles are different, but I think I should."
Yeah. For the sake of my mental health.
—Professor Lee Ki-hwa. Thank you for those insightful words. That was Professor Lee Ki-hwa.
"That's about the Hero expulsion that happened this time, right?"
The dinosaur disciple, seemingly unaware that her clothes had been criticized, sat down next to me and spoke.
"Yeah. They said a few Heroes committed wrongdoings on the battlefield."
"Did they say what the crimes were?"
"That's personal information, so it won't come out. They could reveal it if they wanted to, but who would want to announce their own disgrace?"
These days, even if you fall in love with a Mutant and abandon the Story to run away, the Bureau somehow handles it.
Anything more disgraceful than that is obvious.
Like that guy I personally punished, who fled and left the wounded behind.
Or intentional killing of allies or civilians.
Or deserting after seriously injuring a comrade while defying orders—something like that.
There's no way someone would be expelled for simple desertion or disobedience.
At most, it would be a pension cut, a short detention, or the revocation of their Hero name.
Expulsion is reserved for actions that would tarnish the overall image of Heroes if they were made public.
The thing the Management Bureau fears most.
"Wouldn't it be better to inform the public and promise to prevent it from happening again?"
"You mean reveal who the perpetrator was?"
The Bureau will never do that.
In the past, as soon as things like that were revealed, innocent people suffered more times than I can count.
Specifically, damage to the image of Heroes as a whole.
"Not the individual, but I was thinking it might be better to announce what crime a member of the Bureau committed, what happened, and how the incident was handled afterward. People would trust the Bureau more if they spoke officially like that. People are already dissatisfied because the Bureau is so secretive."
Logical words poured out of Baek Si-hyun’s mouth.
I was surprised enough to realize that this girl actually had a brain.
"The Management Bureau is a group that obsesses over Hero image-making. I'm sure your contract had a Conduct Maintenance Clause too."
A Conduct Maintenance Clause that filled an entire sheet of paper.
If my contract was like that, it might be even longer now.
Actually, we opposed it, but Macbeth and the Administrative Staff forced it through.
"Isn't that image of perfection actually what's lowering trust? Maybe it would be better in the long run to have a more friendly image and loosen up a bit. If there's trust, people won't lose faith in Heroes even if an incident occurs."
Trust, huh?
Can society really move forward like that?
A society where the Awakened and non-Awakened respect each other.
I closed my eyes and imagined such a future.
A society where Heroes take off their masks, smile, and boast of their achievements.
A scene where they sit in a classroom and talk about such things with friends.
I couldn't imagine it.
Black stains began to paint over the imagination.
A fishy smirk.
Eyes filled with terror.
A sharp syringe.
Violet culture medium.
Electricity. Machines. Blood.
Words written with a black marker.
It's impossible.
I simply cannot imagine such a society.
Calming my emotions, I slowly turned my gaze toward Baek Si-hyun.
Toward her, peeking her face out from between the dinosaur costume and beaming.
She probably can imagine such a scene.
A Hero who isn't perfect, but friendly. A society where such people walk around.
"You guys try to change it."
"Pardon?"
"The current Management Bureau has been through too much, and their minds have hardened. When you guys grow up, try to change it."
Just as we changed society by committing countless sins.
I turned my head toward the television for a moment.
The news had ended, and a commercial was playing. A scene where Heroes appeared like celebrities, holding drinks and advertising them.
To me, it didn't feel right.
When I turned to look at my two disciples, they had started chatting about what that drink might taste like.
To those kids, that must be normal.
A Hero who isn't perfect, but friendly.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Heroes don't need to be perfect, and being friendly is better.
Maybe they can protect humanity even if they aren't perfect.
But I still think. That only by being perfect can one protect humanity.
That only by having such a spirit can one fight against the Waves of the Otherworld.
We, the old Heroes, are the crystallization of such an ideology.
I looked at Baek Si-hyun.
Then, prove it yourself.
Go ahead and try to change it.
If I'm wrong, then defeat me—the symbol of the old Heroes—with your own untainted power.
I will become the pillar that creates ripples toward the world, staking my justice on it.
If I do not break, then we were right.
With those thoughts, I steeled my heart.
Han A-bin reached out toward me as I quietly calmed my mind.
"What is it?"
I didn't dodge her arm and let myself be pulled along by her guidance.
Standing behind the sofa, Han A-bin hugged my face. Looking to the other side, Baek Si-hyun was also being hugged by A-bin’s arm, just like me.
"Let's go buy clothes tomorrow."
"What?"
What kind of nonsense is this?
"A-bin, I have plenty of clothes."
"No, wear something proper. Those aren't clothes, they're rags."
Yeah, what Si-hyun wears isn't clothes.
Even picking something out of a clothing donation bin would be better than—
"You too, Senior. How can you look like that after criticizing me?"
What's wrong with me?
An oversized T-shirt that reached my knees.
A can of beer.
It was the perfect outfit.
"Isn't this enough? Anyway, I can call my Magical Girl outfit whenever I want."
"If you're going to nitpick other people's clothes, the person saying it should dress properly too. We're going clothes shopping tomorrow, so keep that in mind."
With those final words, Han A-bin released her arms and left the living room.
"Si-hyun. What just happened?"
"She said we're going clothes shopping tomorrow. I'll go to bed early too, then. I shouldn't wake up late."
Si-hyun also bent down, picked up Lin sleeping on the sofa, and disappeared from the living room.
Seriously, what is going on?
