What an Ironic Coincidence (1)
Three days ago.
The police headquarters was recruiting heroes to join the operation to wipe out the robbery gang.
Conditions: B-grade or higher.
Compensation: According to police regulations.
“Oh? Did you see this?”
“Jackpot. Looking at the details, it looks like even a C-grade hero could handle it.”
“The pay from the police is a bit stingy, but the achievements are generous.”
“How many people are they recruiting? If it’s first come, first served, I’ll submit my application right away.”
“Yeah~ I’m already writing the application~”
“Hey! Don’t use your acceleration ability for something like this!”
At the exact moment Kang Jin-ho’s request was posted.
The heroes, being no fools, all detected the sweet aroma wafting from that request.
Pay was something B-grade heroes could afford to overlook, but a request that let them relax while still racking up achievements was rare.
Of course, such requests should have been snatched up the moment they appeared.
“I won’t be taking this request.”
A cold voice echoed through the lobby of the Eastern Hero Association.
“What? Who’s speaking?”
“Who do you think you are, ordering us not to take it?”
The heroes staring at their phones immediately shot to their feet in protest.
“…A-grade Trace?”
“Ah, it’s Trace-nim? Hehe.”
Upon confirming Trace’s face, they sat back down somewhat awkwardly.
The heroes of Light City were divided into three major categories.
Combat types who fought villains directly to solve problems.
Information types who tracked down hidden crimes.
And finally, utility types who didn’t fit neatly into either but possessed versatile abilities.
Just looking at the names, one might assume combat types ranked highest in hierarchy.
Yet, surprisingly, combat-type heroes were the ones who groveled before the other two categories.
There were various reasons for this, but first, combat types made up the largest number.
Since it was the most common category, it was also the one least respected.
Moreover, combat-type heroes frequently found themselves relying on the other two categories.
Utility-type heroes were called “healers” when they possessed healing abilities, or “construction” when they built things quickly, or “artisan” when they crafted equipment and items.
Healers? If you got injured in a fight, you had to go to them for healing.
Artisans? You needed their help to get better gear or to repair damaged equipment mid-battle.
Obviously, they had to be shown off.
But what about utility types? Well, information-type heroes were the ones who deserved groveling.
The truth was, combat-type heroes and information-type heroes rarely worked together.
At best, it was an information-type hero conducting an investigation while the combat-type provided security.
But the real reason combat types treated information types so well was different.
First, their numbers were small.
Even compared to utility types, combat-type superhumans were fewer and rarer.
And second:
“Here. There are quite a few people who’ve received achievements from me, right? I have one favor to ask. I’ll take this case.”
When an information-type hero located the culprit, and it seemed difficult for one hero to arrest the individual or the group alone, the information-type hero who found them could designate which hero would handle the arrest.
Typically, villains who committed crimes in secret had low actual combat power.
Meaning they could share those sweet achievements with combat-type heroes.
Trace, who had risen to A-grade in a short time, had cleanly resolved countless cases so far.
And no hero in the Eastern Hero Association had been spared her assistance.
So even if she was now being unreasonable:
“Yes, well…”
“Tsk… well… it’s a shame, but we have no choice.”
“Since it’s Trace… this time only?”
With everyone nodding in agreement, they quietly set their phones down.
“Wait a moment. May I ask one question?”
At that moment, A-grade hero Jelly Belly, who had been quietly listening from the corner, spoke up.
“From what I’ve observed so far, I don’t think Trace would take this action just to chase achievements. There must be some reason you’re determined to take this request.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”
“Could you tell me what that reason is?”
“The reason…”
Trace hesitated for a moment, then suddenly smiled faintly and answered briefly.
“I think I need to get an assistant now.”
Back in the Eastern District 7 Police Station.
On the worn sofa in the station, A-grade hero Trace sat with her legs crossed.
Across from her, Park Eun-young, who had brought her a mixed coffee, sat facing her with a bright smile.
“Why is an A-grade hero in such a shabby police station?”
“Shabby? Everyone knows how hard the police officers work. And it’s because Kang Jin-ho Patrol Officer posted the request and came to look for us.”
“Only one person received the request?”
“They all said they were busy. Luckily, I had some free time.”
“Ah~ You must be bored.”
“…Yes.”
Both of their tones and attitudes were incredibly friendly, but Kang Jin-ho swallowed hard for some reason.
Park Eun-young was, after all, a crazy woman, so challenging her here was only natural, and Trace’s expression was clearly worsening.
Park Eun-young’s anger was understandable.
To put it bluntly, it didn’t make sense to receive a request from only one person.
And that it was Trace, not a combat-type hero, made it even more nonsensical.
“I deliberately received only this one.”
As Kang Jin-ho stared at her with a doubtful look.
Trace relaxed her expression and smiled faintly, then took a document envelope from her bag and placed it on the table.
“Patrol Officer Kang. I won’t beat around the bush. Thanks to the subway station case you helped with last time, we achieved results. So, after this operation ends, please join me as my exclusive assistant.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Basic salary will be ten times the police salary. I’ll split the achievement bonuses seven to three. The A-grade hero welfare benefits from the association will also come naturally. With abilities like that, do you really need to work as a police officer?”
“W-wait, just a moment. Let’s stop there.”
When Trace made her scouting offer, the first thing Kang Jin-ho checked was Park Eun-young’s expression.
“…”
Expressionless. Her crimson eyes were staring at Trace without any emotion.
“Oh no.”
The conditions themselves were fine.
Working as a police officer would earn karma, just as the status window had promised, and working as an A-grade hero’s assistant would allow handling many cases directly.
The problem was Eun-young.
Eun-young, the villain, was not the type to quietly watch someone else take what she had marked as her toy.
And since the opponent was provoking without noticing, it was a situation where Trace’s neck might suddenly fly off.
“This might lead to a fight.”
If the atmosphere became too heated, Trace and Park Eun-young might actually clash.
And if the two of them fought, Trace would definitely be the one to die.
“W-wait. Rather than that, let’s talk about the operation. I’ll answer the scouting offer after the arrest operation ends.”
Kang Jin-ho hurriedly changed the subject by bringing up the case.
“I received information from a reliable informant that a jewelry store robbery will occur at XX Intersection.”
“I’ve seen the report. To be honest, the evidence part was quite weak… You plan to figure out the details during the investigation?”
Trace answered casually, as if she didn’t even know Kang Jin-ho had just saved her life.
“The report itself was written mainly based on intelligence about possibilities.”
“Well, it’s fine. After all, we’ve roughly identified the culprit and the location, right? I know a lot of heroes. I’ll call some A-grade heroes I know, and when those guys try to break into the jewelry store, we can arrest them on the spot as live criminals.”
Trace said this confidently.
Eun-young, listening to her, immediately countered.
“Is that really the right method?”
“What?”
“If you’ve seen the intelligence, you know that the request to reject the ‘fake doll’ was rejected, right? Since those guys couldn’t create proper alibis, they might have canceled or postponed the crime itself. Are you seriously going to wait in ambush for people who won’t even show up?”
“Then what?”
“After all, the Hero Association already has a rough idea of the Black Snake Faction’s base, don’t they? It would be better to attack there first. There will still be evidence left.”
“Ah~ But it seems you’ve forgotten that I have the ability to see the past. After all, we can just get the evidence from the past, so there’s no need to attack the base right now. Rather, catching live criminals would be more impressive, and it would have more impact when announced to the outside world, wouldn’t it? Just catching the Black Snake Faction would give no achievements, but arresting an organization that tried to rob the jewelry store would count as an achievement.”
“Ah~ Achievements are indeed important. Since you’re a hero.”
“Of course~. You have to earn the money you make.”
“…”
“…”
Once again, a strange silence fell.
Trace, who had an arrogant personality that looked down on anyone inferior to her, glared at Kang Jin-ho, the ordinary police officer, with the emotion of “Why are you talking back?”
Park Eun-young… was thinking.
I won’t describe in detail what she was thinking.
But it was clear that the content was something that couldn’t be described in detail.
“Excuse me, while you two are discussing so earnestly.”
Kang Jin-ho, sensing that things were about to go wrong, slipped in with a slight interruption.
“Both of you are assuming we’re going to exterminate the Black Snake Faction, but that seems slightly wrong.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Please explain in detail, Jin-ho.”
“There’s no need to fight with the criminals. Why would we need to fight? Just go there boldly and arrest them cleanly—that would be the best.”
“Eh? Is there such a method?”
“Yes. Everyone is stuck in the prejudice that criminals must always be subdued with brute force and arrested, so they haven’t thought of the method.”
Park Eun-young’s eyes sparkled as she focused.
Trace’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
Prejudice or not, if such a method existed, they would have tried it first.
Without hesitation, Kang Jin-ho declared in a confident tone.
“Then first.”
“First?”
“Let’s go to the PC Bang.”
Both Park Eun-young and Trace simultaneously closed their mouths.
“…”
“…”
Going to the PC Bang…?