We Didn't Do It
It took longer than expected to travel from Pyongyang to Seoul, but I successfully attended the entrance ceremony at Seoul Hero Academy as planned. Still, Black Cell’s influence seemed higher than I’d anticipated. I never imagined Baek So-ah would be waiting for me in person.
I kept my business smile firmly in place and followed her, eventually reuniting with the heroes I had met before.
“Eh?! Headmaster Baek So-ah!! And even Maxwell-nim?!”
“Ooooh! So Black Cell is finally participating in an academy event?!”
“Everyone, Maxwell-nim is here too, so let’s keep it down a little.”
“I’m perfectly fine, Headmaster. In any case, it’s been a while, Solar-nim, Sunray-nim.”
The two women were still overflowing with energy. Their booming voices drew every eye in the vicinity, yet Solar and Sunray paid no attention whatsoever and simply continued chatting with the headmaster.
“Your skin is still so baby-soft, Headmaster, exactly like it was back then.”
“I’m so jealous, just like Solar unnie said~”
“Haah… We have an honored guest with us right now—”
“Who cares! Maxwell-nim doesn’t seem bothered at all! Right?!”
“It actually looks good on you.”
“See~?”
Thanks to their distinctive personalities, Solar and Sunray appeared incredibly close to Headmaster Baek So-ah. Of course, the headmaster herself was in visible agony over her embarrassing former students. The moment their conversation threatened to touch on her superpower, she straightened her expression and shut it down immediately.
“That’s enough. We need to move.”
“Tch, fine.”
“The headmaster’s getting all shy~”
“…Ray, do you want to get hit?”
“Eek?! I-I’ll be quiet!!”
“Haah. I’m truly sorry for my girls’ behavior, Maxwell-nim.”
“As I’ve said before, I’m perfectly fine. Thanks to them, I got to see the human side of our heroes, which was genuinely pleasant.”
After chatting for a while near the auditorium, it was soon time for the ceremony to begin. Baek So-ah, who had to preside over the event, handed me off to Solar and Sunray. The two women continued guiding me, and it looked like an unexpected opportunity was about to fall into my lap.
“Maxwell-nim, would you like to meet our seniors?”
“I’m sure the others are dying of curiosity too!”
“Is that really all right?”
They were offering to introduce me to other heroes. Since expanding my connections with heroes had been my plan from the start, I agreed at once.
Later, while I toured the area in a lighter mood, Solar and Sunray’s expressions turned mischievous—like the old saying that people curse the king when he’s not present.
“Now that you’ve seen our adorable little headmaster up close, what do you think, Maxwell-nim?”
“She seemed to possess the presence appropriate for her position.”
“Aww~ Not like that!”
The two women knew exactly what I meant, which left me rather flustered. Given how passionately they approached hero work, the distance between us felt slightly strange, yet the headmaster’s superpower truly was comedic gold.
“Honestly, no one could have predicted her reality manipulation would manifest in quite that way.”
“Hehe~ Headmaster Baek So-ah’s childhood is one of our legends.”
“Of course, she has a full-blown fit the moment anyone brings it up nowadays~”
As I had just explained, the headmaster’s ability was none other than reality manipulation. But it was so overwhelmingly powerful that it could only be used once. In her youth, before she fully understood her power, she had sincerely wished to become a certain being.
It seemed Solar and Sunray really wanted to hear the story from my own mouth, so I obliged.
“Turning into a magical girl at that age must have been incredibly painful for her.”
“Pffft!!”
“Ahahahahaha!”
It was Headmaster Baek So-ah’s dark history being cheerfully exhumed by these prank-loving heroes. Both my guards and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.
************
Thanks to Solar and Sunray, I learned that the hero community was also a place where real people lived and breathed. After finishing my tour, I reached the VIP seats without incident. Since the ceremony was about to start, they promised to introduce me to the other heroes once it ended. Before leaving, they slipped me one last hint.
“Don’t be surprised later!”
“Hehehehe! This entrance ceremony is going to be really fun.”
“Could you possibly tell me what’s going to happen?”
“It’s a secret!!”
It stopped being a secret the moment they told me, but I still wondered what could possibly warrant that kind of warning. Unfortunately the two had assigned seats elsewhere, so we had to part ways.
I soon looked around. Seated on the third floor, I had a full view of everything below. It was a safe location, so I dismissed my guards for a moment and settled comfortably into my seat.
Because this was Black Cell’s first time participating in such an event, the gazes of the other VVIPs naturally converged on us.
“Why is Black Cell here…?”
“Could something be changing inside the company?”
“Their movements are worth watching.”
Every prominent figure in the world was looking this way. But they were staring at the shadow of Black Cell, not at me. I ignored their eyes and waited for the ceremony to begin.
Some time later, a majestic melody filled the air and the entrance ceremony officially started. When the senior heroes offered their congratulations, the students walking the glorious path beamed with bright expressions.
The teachers appeared in turn, and the event itself flowed smoothly—until I casually turned my head and saw her.
A woman with light blue hair and an icy demeanor sat right beside me.
My heart dropped.
Wait… why is she here?
She still carried a trace of youthful softness, but there was no mistaking that face. In the future she would become a high-ranking executive in the main villain organization, standing at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from the flame-wielding Solar. An ice-using superhuman.
Frost was sitting right next to me.
She was probably attending under the same kind of corporate disguise Black Cell used—posing as a pharmaceutical firm. But had she come to launch a terrorist attack during the ceremony? That seemed unlikely. Not only was Headmaster Baek So-ah present with her magic, but the auditorium was packed with heroes. Any attack here wouldn’t be terrorism; it would be suicide.
For some reason, Frost kept stealing glances at me as well. She seemed extremely conscious of my presence, so I signaled my guards just to be safe. A heavy tension stretched between the two distant yet uncomfortably close villain organizations.
Yet even as the ceremony neared its end, nothing happened.
Why?
Was she waiting for the relaxed closing ceremony to strike?
Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I turned my head—only to find her doing the exact same thing.
“………….”
“………….”
Our brief eye contact created an incredibly awkward, delicate atmosphere. Frost, however, was sweating buckets. Her pupils trembled like a frightened animal’s.
In that instant, a spark of understanding flashed through my mind.
There was still plenty of time before the main story began. If I analyzed Frost’s current state…
The main villain organization might still be operating at the level of a small-to-medium enterprise. Moreover, she seemed to know Black Cell’s true identity through some unknown means. And above all—
Right now she’s probably just a low-ranking member, not an executive yet…
Although she would one day become a major villain, at this moment she and I were in similar positions.
***************
Villain organizations naturally have hierarchies. But the fact that the promising Frost feared me so intensely proved that, within Korea, Black Cell occupied a nearly unrivaled position among such groups.
Which means I absolutely cannot leave until that self-destruction event occurs.
When exactly would that incident explode? It was good to have plenty of preparation time, yet the worry still felt like a mountain.
As I sighed over the thorny road ahead, a deafening roar split the air.
BOOOOOOM!!
I whipped my head toward the sound, only to find Frost staring at me with an expression that screamed ‘Yes!! You people finally did it!!!’
That meant it wasn’t her side. Naturally, Black Cell hadn’t moved either. Then what on earth was this commotion?
Looking down, even the freshmen wore bewildered faces.
“Did a fire break out somewhere?”
“That sounded more like an explosion, didn’t it?”
“But the teachers look completely calm.”
“What is going on?”
Their reactions told me this wasn’t a regular occurrence, yet the heroes illuminating the event showed no panic whatsoever. Solar and Sunray in particular looked positively thrilled.
Suddenly I remembered the words they had given me earlier.
Don’t be surprised later!
Hehehehe! This entrance ceremony is going to be really fun.
They had definitely known this was coming. Which meant…
KWAAAAAANG!
CRAAAAASH!!!!
SCREEEEEEECH!!!
“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!”
“What the hell is that?!”
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
A colossal black tentacle monster burst through the ceiling, plunging the auditorium into pandemonium. Freshmen and guests below screamed and fled, but the academy staff and watching heroes looked positively delighted. Even the VIPs remained calm, confirming that most of them had been tipped off in advance.
I turned to my bewildered guards.
“The academy is currently conducting the Freshman Initiation, so there’s no need to worry.”
“““Ah……”””
This was the Hero Academy—utterly serious about pranking its new students. It was a clear reminder that the side of justice was every bit as formidable as its opponents.
*************
Given the bizarre situation, the freshmen quickly realized it was all a prank. The giant black tentacle monster vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, and the auditorium swiftly regained its composure. Headmaster Baek So-ah stepped onto the podium.
When she honestly confessed the purpose behind what had just occurred, the hall filled with sighs and grumbling. Yet there had been a reason for preparing this event.
Clap clap clap clap clap!!!
Headmaster Baek So-ah’s speech concluded the entrance ceremony on a high note. For me, however, it was only the beginning. In the distance, Solar and Sunray were already approaching with faces full of expectation, eager to see my reaction.