The Height of Unscientific Madness
I had even sponsored someone else’s money at the academy.
Thanks to that one-on-one meeting, it looked like I’d be able to keep a good connection with Red Cat.
All that was left now was to hand this briefcase over to Principal Baek So-ah, and I’d be done.
Fortunately, not many important guests had shown up for this closing ceremony, so I was able to meet the principal right away.
“You truly went above and beyond this time, Maxwell.”
“I hardly did anything. Principal Baek So-ah and the academy handled all the preparations.”
“Thank you for saying so. And….”
Her ears perked up.
“That rabbit mutant girl was called Victory, wasn’t she? It’s nice to meet you again.”
“Ah, h-hello….”
Victory was still the type to get terribly shy around strangers, and she seemed awkward all over again.
But with ten-year-old Victory standing beside her, Principal Baek So-ah’s build stood out even more.
To be honest, the principal looked like an older sister three years Victory’s senior.
Of course, her childlike appearance was a major complex for her.
So I was trying not to poke at the feelings of a powerful magical girl any more than necessary.
Click!! Click!! Click!!
Then, all of a sudden, I heard the sound of a camera shutter from somewhere.
Wondering what the hell was going on, I turned toward the source of the noise.
The principal’s secretary was busily taking pictures of the principal and Victory with her phone, a distinctly sleazy look in her eyes.
When I shot her a look that clearly asked what she thought she was doing, the secretary only smiled sweetly and answered, “It’s fine. They’re both women.”
“Ah… I see….”
I’d already known she was that kind of person.
Seeing it in person, though, made it feel even more uncomfortable somehow.
Maybe that was why the principal had such an embarrassing secretary to drag around in public.
In the next instant, tiny glittering stars drifted along the principal’s fingers and flew straight into the phone the secretary was holding.
Crack!!
“Ah, noooooo!!!”
“I’m very sorry, Maxwell. Secretary An is a little out of sorts today.”
“I can tell the two of you are quite close, so it’s fine. More importantly, what you just used was magic, wasn’t it?”
It was one thing to witness superpowers, but magic—the very height of the unscientific—was astonishing to see up close.
Victory’s eyes were shining too, apparently utterly fascinated by the principal’s powers.
“Wh-what was that just now?”
“You mean this?”
Whoosh!
Apparently deciding this was the perfect chance to get friendly with Victory, who possessed acceleration powers, Principal Baek So-ah promptly put on a dazzling display of her magic.
Little stars spilled from her small hands and clung one by one to the walls of her office, until the room itself seemed to turn into outer space.
Then, as if gravity had simply vanished from the office, our bodies drifted lightly upward.
Faced with that brilliant sea of stars and the Milky Way, Victory’s face lit up with a smile.
It seems to be illusion magic, at least. But to think she can do this much without even transforming….
Just how powerful must a magical girl be in reality, and not just in a comic?
It was a genuinely fascinating thought.
I had briefly wandered off course during my meeting with Principal Baek So-ah, but Victory had clearly enjoyed herself, so that was fine.
Of course, the principal apologized right away for stealing my time because of her own whims.
“I’m sorry for taking up your precious time.”
“No, no. I had a wonderful time getting to experience magic myself. Then shall we continue our conversation?”
“Very well. Secretary An, you heard him?”
“Yeees….”
The secretary, still crestfallen after her phone full of the principal’s many photos had been smashed, brought tea and refreshments, and we began a simple conversation in the principal’s office.
Thanks to the atmosphere loosening up after the magic show, I didn’t bother dragging things out and pulled out the document case at once.
“Maxwell, is this…?”
“Do you perhaps remember that I did some field research at the entrance ceremony?”
As soon as I opened the briefcase, countless cards revealed themselves, eager to announce their presence.
After checking the writing on them, Principal Baek So-ah looked genuinely astonished.
“I never imagined Black Cell would put on such a huge discount event. But why are you showing this to me?”
“I intend to give all of these cards to you, Principal Baek So-ah.”
“R-really?”
Just as Director Park and I had expected, the principal was absolutely delighted.
With these discount coupons, she could hand them out directly to active heroes and strengthen her standing in the hero world.
Heroes would get access to Black Cell’s various medications at extremely low prices.
And Black Cell, even if it had to absorb a little loss, would end up selling more medicine.
Add in the image-building value, and it was practically a win-win all around.
Besides, I still have half of those discount coupons for myself.
Before coming to the academy, I’d split the cards in the briefcase in half, just like Director Park had advised.
Thanks to the remaining wild cards, I’d be able to maintain better connections with other heroes.
After all, give and take was the foundation of society.
Principal Baek So-ah immediately asked what she’d need to provide in return.
“I don’t imagine you’d be giving this to me out of pure kindness. Could you tell me what you’d like from us?”
“When there are injured students at the academy, I’d appreciate it if you would give priority to reviewing the remedies we’ve developed. And when you use any new medicine, I’d like to hear direct feedback from active heroes.”
It was a remarkably simple proposal, one anyone could make.
In fact, it was so easy to accept that Principal Baek So-ah’s expression softened into one of measured agreement.
“If we place Black Cell’s medicines here… are you trying to win students over as future customers?”
“We’re a business first and foremost.”
“I never imagined that quiet pharmaceutical company would directly try to grow its slice of the pie.”
“Ten years can change mountains and rivers, they say. We’re just moving with the times.”
As the adults kept trading businesslike remarks, Victory, who had been watching from the side, started to look dizzy with confusion.
The principal noticed quickly and stopped probing any further.
Besides, if something goes one way, something else comes back in return.
“Maxwell, would you perhaps be willing to come with me to the Hero Association?”
“The Association?”
“To be blunt, the place that most desperately needs Black Cell’s strongest medicine is the Hero Association.”
The stage I had wanted most had finally been set.
From here on, through Principal Baek So-ah’s connections, I’d be able to reach deep into the Hero Association.
And the principal would gain the justification that she had broadened her benevolent influence through cooperation with Black Cell, so once again, both sides got what they wanted. A perfect win-win.
With every objective now achieved, I gently patted Victory on the head as she still sat there with her eyes spinning.
The principal, too, began pulling out snacks children would like.
But then the guards in the room suddenly grew noisy.
I was wondering what their problem was when—
Beeeeep!!! Beeeeeep!!!
The emergency tone that announced a disaster blared from the phone in the office.
The principal and I immediately checked the phone, and this is what we saw:
Bad timing, as always.
Another incident had occurred without fail.
It was probably one of the many evil organizations trying to send a message to society to coincide with the academy’s closing ceremony, but this time they’d attacked a large shopping mall right near here.
In other words, if Principal Baek So-ah stepped in, this would end on the spot, so I didn’t think it was really my problem.
But after taking the call that had come in, the principal’s face turned grave.
After a moment of deep thought, she gave me her advice.
“Maxwell, I think it would be best if you delayed your return for the moment.”
“Would you be able to tell me why?”
“The one leading this attack is a villain who has recently become a named threat.”
This was more serious than I’d expected.
When we’d previously returned to Black Cell after the entrance ceremony, we’d been singled out by mutants and attacked.
Of course, because the special agents handled things well, the incident had been brought under control somehow after that.
But Principal Baek So-ah seemed to be trying to prevent a similar situation this time before it could happen.
Still, I had no idea how this would turn out either, so I pressed the device that summoned the special agents, just as I had before.
That should bring Black Cell’s special agents into hiding in Seoul.
Not long after, I saw the head of security nodding at me, which meant the call had gone through properly.
Now that a certain level of safety had been confirmed, I kept patting Victory’s head and asked about this named villain.
“If there’s anything Black Cell can do to help, we’ll help with all of it. Could you give me some information?”
“Ahahaha… I’m truly sorry for showing you such a serious face. Still, I think it would be best if you knew as well, Maxwell.”
As soon as Principal Baek So-ah signaled her secretary, the woman brought over a tablet and handed it to me.
That let me confirm the named villain who had led the attack.
“His current alias is Air Bomb. He seems to possess a superpower that detonates the air around him.”
“From the way you’re saying that, it sounds like you still haven’t figured out whether this bat mutant is a manifestation type or a manipulation type… am I right?”
“Regrettably, yes.”
The bat-headed mutant glowering from the tablet was a villain I knew very well, since he was one of the characters from the comic.
He definitely had that absurd combination of telekinesis and compression, didn’t he?
It was basically fair to say he could scatter invisible bombs wherever he pleased.
And since his original form was a mutant, he was effectively a superhuman type by default.
That meant ordinary methods weren’t going to bring him down in a single blow.
“If he’s handled wrong, the civilians inside that mall will be massacred.”
“...It seems many people have already died.”
“Don’t tell me the villains are carrying firearms too?”
Principal Baek So-ah let out a long sigh and nodded.
There was even talk that the heroes dispatched there had failed to contain the situation in the opening phase.
“Fortunately, the heroes who went out there weren’t killed. But it seems Air Bomb and his followers have only grown more emboldened.”
“Heroes who act with the goal of subduing their targets are naturally at a disadvantage.”
Normally, he’d be crushed by the protagonist with a single snap of the fingers.
But when you tried to face him head-on, he was more troublesome than anyone could imagine.
Once again, I was reminded just how outrageously broken ability sealing really was.
I did, of course, try giving the principal, who could wield magic, a meaningful look.
“I’ve said this hundreds of times everywhere, but magic isn’t all-purpose. Even if I transform, that won’t change.”
One tiny mistake, and a massive explosion would rip through the shopping mall.
With a disaster like that on the line, Principal Baek So-ah, who had too much to lose, seemed determined to move cautiously.
The good news was that I knew the guy’s ability and weakness.
The problem was how to explain that in a way they’d accept.
After thinking it over, I came up with a way.
With that very dangerous villain dealt with in advance, I’d also extend a hand to help the forces of good and return a favor while I was at it.
But then every single person in the office turned to look at me.
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