Part 1 Chapter 10 15

June 30, 2020, 11 PM.

New Seoul Central Bus Terminal was bustling with Heroes cleaning up the trash left behind by the protesters who had been making a commotion around the area for days.

“Making an old man work late into the night, huh. Ugh.”

Pungbaek rubbed his lower back with his hand, staging a silent protest. Despite being an ability user with far superior physical abilities than most young men, the sight of the white-haired old man bending his back made the expressions of those around him turn bitter.

“Old man. Stop messing around and just work. Once all the photos are taken, you’ll be able to use your abilities right away.”

“Ugh.”

Wusa used tongs to put a crushed can into a basket. The two considerably aged veteran ability users unintentionally took the initiative to clean up the trash.

“Doesn’t that guy ever get tired?”

“That’s because he’s young. If only I were 10 years younger…”

“Isn’t it because he’s S-rank rather than his age?”

Unsa, carrying two 100L trash bags in both hands, retorted to their words. Although it seemed like a reprimand or a sharp remark, there was no malice in Unsa’s words.

“Isn’t Fire Fist overflowing with more mana than us? I think it’s naturally more efficient for him to handle a larger amount of trash than us with that mana.”

“Unsa-ya. Originally, you only need to do a mediocre job. There’s no need to work hard on these mobilization tasks.”

“If he’s working that hard with all that overflowing mana, what does that make us?”

“I think it makes us hard-working Heroes.”

Pungbaek and Wusa were speechless. Unsa filled the 100L bag completely with trash, loaded it onto the garbage truck, and then took a new bag and left.

“That one’s got a soldier’s constitution by birth, tsk tsk. Don’t you think so?”

“Are you crazy? If I had a superior like that, I probably would’ve deserted. Where would you find such a by-the-book person?”

“There’s one over there, and another over there, and even the top-ranking senior over there. Uh-huh-huh!”

Pungbaek’s stick pointed at Fire Fist and the Executive Officer passing by Unsa. They were sweating profusely, cleaning up the trash more diligently than anyone else.

“Executive Officer-miss is amazing. She can’t even properly enhance her physical abilities with mana, yet she works like that.”

“Ah, it’s an interview. Old man. We’re done.”

Wusa subtly placed his tongs on the ground. Pungbaek also straightened his back and took off his straw hat. A reporter who had been filming the Heroes extended a microphone to Executive Officer Baek Heea, who was wiping away sweat.

“Um… Executive Officer-nim. Shall we rest a bit before the interview?”

“No. It’s fine to do it right away.”

The Executive Officer adjusted her beret and cleared her throat. Unable to bear the sight, Tempest Lady instantly tidied up the Executive Officer’s disheveled appearance. Pungbaek and Wusa watched from a distance, sipping tonic drinks.

“Yes. Then, the interview…”

“Yes. I fully understand the feelings of those who gathered in the plaza, but please leave the place you departed from beautifully…”

The Executive Officer pointed to the trash left behind by the departing protesters and urged them. There were protest supplies, lunchboxes, boxes with food remnants, and even canned beer strewn about.

“I thought she was a young lady from a good family, but she’s good at this kind of work too. Ugh.”

“Don’t be fooled. It’s all image-making. It’s no different from Seonui Cheol’s underhanded tricks.”

“Heh heh heh, but at least that guy just orders from above, he doesn’t step up and do it himself like the Executive Officer-miss, does he?”

“If they’re both cunning like foxes, that’s better. The Executive Officer is a pain in the ass. If you try to cut corners, one of the three keeps passing by, so how can you rest?”

“That’s true. She’s truly an amazing young lady. Even at this late hour, she takes care of an old man’s health too, tsk tsk.”

The Executive Officer mobilized Heroes to clean up the trash left by the protesters. From the perspective of the Heroes mobilized for work past 10 PM, they couldn’t help but complain, but since the Executive Officer herself rolled up her sleeves and cleaned the plaza, they couldn’t openly express their dissatisfaction.

“…Yes. Shall we end the interview here then?”

“Thank you, Reporter-nim.”

The interview ended. Pungbaek and Wusa were tidying up their cleaning tools to go home when they heard a strange sound.

“You’re truly meticulous, Executive Officer-nim. You literally ‘cleaned’ the plaza. Heh heh.”

“Because an important guest is coming, Reporter-nim. Please take good pictures.”

“Oh, how could I not?”

After excusing herself from the reporter, the Executive Officer called Fire Fist and quietly discussed something with him. Fire Fist even spread mana around to prevent others from overhearing their conversation.

“…Seniors-nim, did you hear that?”

Tempest Lady pointed at the Executive Officer and Fire Fist. The Heroes mobilized for the task one by one sensed an unusual atmosphere. In the plaza, completely empty of protesters, there was no one but the Heroes directly mobilized by the Executive Officer.

“An important guest coming from Seoul…? Old man, do you have any idea?”

“……Is it Haneulseong?”

Pungbaek waved his hand as if he thought it wasn’t true even as he said it. As the Heroes’ atmosphere gradually tensed, the Executive Officer issued a movement order to the Heroes via her watch.

“All Heroes, move to the designated location.”

“……!!”

The Heroes quickly moved to their assigned positions. Lined up in two long rows in the plaza, they seemed to be greeting someone, and also protecting that important guest from external factors.

“Uh… what’s this?”

“A car’s coming too?”

Just as the Heroes were confused, the citizens passing by were equally confused. The murmuring sounds grew louder, and screams erupted from inside the terminal.

“Kyaaaak?! It’s Cheonghwaaa!”

“What.”

The main gate of the terminal opened, and a woman with blue hair and distinctive priestess robes appeared in New Seoul Plaza. The Executive Officer was the first to step forward and greet Cheonghwa.

“You must have had a hard time coming all this way.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It only takes two hours on the last bus. Puhuhu.”

Cheonghwa smiled slyly and began to walk leisurely among the Heroes. Only then did the Heroes realize the real reason they had been mobilized.

“S-Stop them!”

“C-Calm down! We’re trying to calm down too!”

People gathered one by one to see Cheonghwa, and those who heard the news, both ordinary people and ability users alike, flocked to the plaza.

“Haha.”

Pungbaek held out his stick, blocking a middle-aged man who was trying to break through the defensive line and hand over a white paper.

“Why does that young lady suddenly pop out like this without any notice? Haha.”

“What’s the big deal about coming from Seoul to New Seoul? It’s not like I’m coming from a foreign country.”

Cheonghwa brushed past Pungbaek and smiled sweetly. Pungbaek instantly felt a genuine chill down his spine.

“……She’s truly an elusive young lady.”

Click.

The reporter who had been interviewing the Executive Officer followed Cheonghwa, taking hundreds of photos until she got into the car prepared by the Association.

“Cheonghwa-yang! What brings you to New Seoul?!”

A reporter, who had finally broken through the Heroes’ perimeter, thrust a smartwatch forward. It looked as if he was aiming a fist at Cheonghwa, unable to even take it off his wrist, but Cheonghwa, who was about to get into the car, waved her hand, left a single remark, and departed.

“To buy ice cream.”

A moment later.

The Association officially announced Cheonghwa’s visit to New Seoul.

***