Chapter 233: I’m Off to School
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 233: I’m Off to School
"I'm off to school."
The members of Black Unicorn are all away on vacation, so why am I the only one this busy?
After clearing the backlog of work, I return to the clan and immediately head into a meeting with Lee Ru-da. I have to report on the support mission in Japan and discuss the New Human Alliance that cropped up there.
Seriously, those guys are a nuisance in more ways than one.
Cursing the New Human Alliance for always getting in the way at the most critical moments, I step inside the clan building.
"Whoaaaa—!"
As soon as I enter, the heroes passing by see me and start clapping.
"The Destruction King is here~!"
"Destruction King! Destruction King!"
Clearly teasing me, the heroes chant the name with wide grins on their faces.
Damn that Japanese media. Stop giving me such weird nicknames.
"It's embarrassing, so please stop."
"Aw, why? Yeon-woo, you're B-8 now, so you're ranked higher than me. You truly live up to the name Destruction King."
The heroes chuckle and tease me a bit more before heading on their way. Even the staff members are stifling smiles; they must be thinking of the nickname too.
"The Clan Leader requested that you come up as soon as you arrived," the receptionist says, her lips twitching with a smile unlike her usual professional demeanor.
"Fine. The Destruction King is going up now."
"..."
Leaving behind the staff member who has her head bowed low to hide her laughter, I head toward the Clan Leader’s office. Lee Ru-da’s personal secretary greets me with calm eyes, congratulates me on reaching B-8, and lets me inside.
That person is always so composed and level-headed every time I see her.
Glancing briefly at the secretary who serves as Lee Ru-da’s right hand, I step inside to find a chilly atmosphere.
"Sit down if you're here."
At the command from Lee Ru-da, who is sitting on the sofa, I quickly take a seat across from her. Unlike her usual self, she is handling paperwork on the sofa. Even after I sit, she continues to scan the documents before sliding them toward me.
"How accurate is the report you submitted?"
The document she’s showing me is the report I filed regarding the New Human Alliance. It details the events in Otaki-machi and the characteristics of 'Object X'—the device the Alliance possesses that can force a dungeon to explode.
"I couldn't verify it physically, but I'm ninety-nine percent certain."
Lee Ru-da stares at me with a sullen expression for a moment before clicking her tongue.
"Another troublesome thing has surfaced."
Unlike the Japan Association, Lee Ru-da doesn't dismiss my words as delusions; she believes me easily. Given what I’ve shown her so far, I suppose I’ve earned that trust.
"There's no definitive evidence due to the loss of combat records in Otaki-machi."
"Yes, the battle was intense... We were unlucky."
"Don't even think about trying to deceive me. It's good that you're keeping your word to others, but I'm also quite tight-lipped."
Lee Ru-da glares at me, grumbling.
"I already heard from Hwa-ryeon. She spoke very highly of you."
Wait, then you should have just said that from the start. You made me feel like a bad guy for hiding things from my own Clan Leader.
As I cautiously watch her reaction, Lee Ru-da takes a sip from the tumbler I’m always curious about before speaking again.
"I don't intend to blame you. The fact that you keep a promise made in such a situation proves you're someone I can trust."
I mean... then just say that from the beginning. You really have a way of messing with people.
"However, it's also true that with the loss of combat data, we lack the evidence to persuade the Association."
"Even if we had the data, there wouldn't be definitive proof. All we found in the hall were signs that heavy objects had been moved, and circumstantial evidence gathered through the interrogation of Victoria and other villains."
"And based on those circumstances, you investigated this far."
Lee Ru-da flips through the report I sent, speaking as if she finds it tedious.
Well, that’s because I already know what it is. Since I knew the answer, investigating how they obtained it was easy.
Since it’s a substance from a meteorite, I just had to search for meteorite falls over the last ten years. Since the government usually takes possession of such things, I just had to look for records of villains stealing them. Knowing the beginning and the end, the story practically writes itself when you piece it together.
Three years ago, a large meteorite fell in the United States. Fortunately, it landed in an uninhabited area. The fact that the media didn't make a big fuss about it suggested a certain level of information control, which meant there was something to hide.
The U.S. established a restricted zone and transported the meteorite fragments to a laboratory. A year ago, that laboratory was attacked by villains. Officially, they claimed there was no significant damage, but some investigative journalists discovered that the researchers studying the meteorite had been kidnapped as well.
There were so many conspiracy theories surrounding the meteorite that it took some time to filter out the false information, but once I knew Object X existed, finding the trail wasn't difficult.
"I've warned my acquaintances. It won't have as much influence as the Association moving, but it should be enough for them to stay alert and prevent damage."
Acquaintances of Lee Ru-da mean a massive network. From the elder Michelle to the Blue Dragon Clan and Hwa-ryeon, her circle is full of heavy hitters. Since I’m not confident in persuading the Association, I should be grateful to Lee Ru-da for doing even this much.
"Anyway, thanks to you, more people are wary of the Alliance and looking to take them down. You deserve a lot of credit for this."
Heh, to think she’d actually praise me. She says it bluntly, but this might be the highest praise she’s ever given me.
Lee Ru-da nods at me and sets the documents aside. After a detailed discussion on measures against the New Human Alliance and the characteristics of Object X, she pulls out another set of documents and hands them to me.
"You've increased your rank at an unprecedented speed."
"It's because of the Dungeon Impact."
"That's part of it, but it's also because you led Black Unicorn well. You boasted that you'd reach A-rank in two or three years, but it looks like it won't even take one."
Black Unicorn was formed around summer, so it’s a tight schedule. Those villain bastards kept interfering, which delayed our dungeon conquests. We made up for it during the Dungeon Impact, but even so, I haven't risen as fast as I expected.
"I was able to get this far because you believed in me, Clan Leader."
"Don't spout nonsense you don't even mean."
Yes, ma'am...
"You don't need to try and get on my good side. Just flaunt your talent and show the people the image of a majestic hero."
Lee Ru-da’s words weren't just about PR; she was telling me to give people hope. This woman really is a true hero. Unlike other clans that chase money or fame, she truly acts as a hero. Honestly, shouldn't someone like her be the head of The Hero instead of Baek Seo-woo? Well, Baek Seo-woo is an executive, not the head, but still.
"Yes, I'll work hard."
"And, unfortunately, from now on, you'll have to focus more on Relief Activities than dungeons."
Relief Activities is a broad term covering arresting villains, resolving errors, or preventing disasters and criminal acts. But why? It's not that I won't do them, but it's not something Lee Ru-da would usually go out of her way to emphasize.
When I look at her with a questioning gaze, Lee Ru-da smirks.
"It's because you're too damn good."
"Did a request come in from the Association?"
Are those bastards trying to use me again?
But I was mistaken. Lee Ru-da explained it calmly.
There are many hero parties that focus solely on dungeons to raise their rank. However, you have to raise your Relief Activity points to at least a minimum threshold to reach A-rank. I knew this much.
So, unlike us, who occasionally go on Relief Activities, parties that only grind dungeons often just put their names on activity lists as a formality. They use a bit of a loophole to earn points without investing much time, occasionally going out for a day of support just to keep their names on the roster.
I had no intention of using such loopholes, and Lee Ru-da isn't the type of person to allow that anyway.
"As I said, you're too good and rose through the ranks too quickly. At the rate you're going, your Relief Activity points are severely lacking."
I suppose so... We were B-1 when we went to Japan. To suddenly jump to rank 8 without doing any Relief Activities, it makes sense that I'd be short. Now that we're back in Korea and the dungeons have become significantly harder, it'll be impossible to jump ranks as quickly as we did in Japan, but I'll still be short on Relief Activity points.
"If you don't achieve a certain level of results in Relief Activities, it will cause problems later when you're tasked with major operations."
If a rookie commander suddenly claims they'll lead a regiment or a battalion, there's bound to be dissatisfaction. I nod at Lee Ru-da’s words, realizing she’s worried about me.
"Yes, I'll work hard on the Relief Activities."
"Work hard on the dungeons, too."
"Yes, I won't slack off on the dungeons either."
Her telling me not to skip the dungeons might seem harsh, but it was a sign of how much she trusted me. Wow—if Colonel Park had said this, I would've wanted to smack him in the back of the head, but hearing it from someone who trusts and believes in me makes me feel so proud. As expected, the person saying it is more important than the content of the words.
Anyway, I need to find a Relief Activity quickly.
As I’m pondering, Lee Ru-da hands me another document.
"These are operations that would be suitable for you."
I'm touched that she even prepared this. I bow my head slightly as I take the documents she offers. They range from simple investigative cooperation to large-scale operations and error resolutions. The ones with the highest points are disaster situations, but you'd have to be a real piece of work to wish for a disaster just to earn points. In the end, I have to put in the legwork to gather points while steadily conquering dungeons.
"You'll choose for yourself anyway, but the one I personally recommend is on page twenty-four."
If you put it like that, it's hard to refuse. She’s not the type to handle things for personal gain, so she must have picked something that suits Black Unicorn. I flip through the pages and carefully look at the one she mentioned.
It’s a request for cooperation from the police. As I read the contents, my interest is piqued. Seeing the look in my eyes change as I read, Lee Ru-da smirks.
"I knew you'd be interested. It's a secret operation even within the police, so the allocated points are high, and you can root out criminals who directly impact the safety of citizens."
Thinking of both Black Unicorn and the citizens, Lee Ru-da was actively recommending this task.
Drugs, huh...
I'm exceptionally good at sniffing these out. I was once called the drug-sniffing dog of the 1st Corps. Damn, those officers who treated me like a dog are coming to mind again.
If left alone, the aftermath of drugs spreads rapidly, so they must be dealt with quickly. Back in my previous world, I was deployed numerous times because of drugs coming in from China to take down criminals, and I even crossed over into China to secretly kidnap and bring back key executives. It’s an issue the country takes very seriously, and I assume it’s the same here.
My first mission after becoming B-rank... It's a bit embarrassing to call it a 'first mission' when I'm already B-8, but anyway, it was a good choice for a first task.
The problem is that the mission involves going undercover to identify the distributors and wipe them out... I think I know why other heroes haven't taken this on. Undercover investigations like this take a long time. Heroes, who are already busy conquering dungeons and catching villains, would find it hard to commit to this.
And besides, our faces are too well-known now for this kind of investigation.
As I continue reading, I reach the last paragraph and look up at Lee Ru-da.
"Yes, that's why I'm giving it to you."
"It's not a recommendation... I'm the only one who can do it."
"There's the option of using a hero whose face isn't known, but you'd only find those in D-rank. Skill is one thing, but it can also be dangerous, so it's hard to entrust it to those who have just become heroes."
"So in the end, I'm the only one."
"Are you complaining?"
When I ask back, Lee Ru-da glares at me with sharp eyes.
"No, I just wanted to be sure..."
Intimidated by her aura, I sheepishly look away. Lee Ru-da lets out a small sigh.
"That habit of yours, subtly teasing people, never goes away. Yes, you're right. There's no one else who can do it but you. So, will you do it?"
"I need to discuss it with the members, so please give me some time."
Lee Ru-da nods, seemingly satisfied with that answer, perhaps having expected I might refuse.
Discussing it with the members is just a formality; they usually follow my lead anyway, so we'll likely end up doing it.
Hmm... so I have to go to school at this age?
It feels strange, but since it's a mission, I have to do it if told.