Ch.66S-Rank Candidates (1)

A female soldier with short red hair and eyes as passionate as her hair color.

With the help of this woman, who appeared to be the protagonist, the bow monster ceased its rampage.

Of course, it clicked its tongue and fled, but considering a Level 1 monster had appeared, the fact that the situation ended this way was a miracle in itself.

‘Thanks to that, I was able to slip away and return too.’

When I came out of the public restroom.

I saw Miss Hoshino walking back toward the limousine, surrounded by female soldiers.

When she first said she was going to hunt the bat monster, her face had been covered with a dark shadow.

But now, her face was blooming with smiles as she returned.

And there was Makoto, the family head, who immediately ran to her daughter who had safely survived despite the appearance of a Level 1 monster, forgetting all dignity and protocol to embrace her tightly.

“Hoshino!”

“M-Mom?!”

“I’m sorry. It seems I pushed you too hard. Trying to do my husband’s work as well, I almost lost you…!”

“N-No, Mom… If anything, I was being too reckless myself.”

I was anxious that they might return to the dysfunctional relationship from the original story.

However, unlike the original, neither had died, and the relationship between Miss Hoshino and the family head seemed to have grown even stronger, true to their normally good mother-daughter bond.

Just one person.

In the midst of everyone’s joy, there was one who remained gloomy.

“I apologize, Councilor.”

“Zero…”

Only Zero stood before Councilor Avanka with a dejected face, having failed to track the bow monster.

No, since she hadn’t learned the emotion of depression, perhaps she just appeared that way?

“Due to my performance issues, I let the Level 1 monster escape.”

“No, it’s fine. From the moment I heard a Danger Level 1 monster had appeared, I was already planning an operation to recover your corpse. Compared to that, the fact that you returned alive means you did well.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes. Zero, you are a precious material that will support humanity’s advanced future. So please don’t die. Or even if you do die, make sure your ‘head’ remains intact.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

A conversation that seemed cold yet not entirely cold.

Councilor Avanka spoke to the unfocused homunculus as if handling a precious ‘machine.’

‘Zero, a homunculus life form that didn’t exist in the original story… I should keep an eye on her occasionally, just in case.’

I’d like to put Siljongi in her shadow to monitor her while she’s sleeping, but…

When it comes to our Siljongi, how should I put it.

He’s so incompetent that if he went in to spy, he’d probably end up tied up and dragged out instead.

I didn’t want to assign him such a mission.

No, I couldn’t assign it to him.

Meanwhile.

Thump, thump.

“Huh?”

“Princess Hoshino?”

“Zero. I need to talk to you for a moment.”

It was about time to part ways.

As Zero was about to enter the limousine following Councilor Avanka, Miss Hoshino called out to her.

Zero turned around with a tilted head, and seeing Miss Hoshino’s frowning expression, Councilor Avanka stepped back out of the car with interest.

“You… why did you do that earlier?”

“Do what?”

“I’m talking about how you abandoned the soldiers and went after the bow monster alone! We were lucky that the horned mask monster appeared, otherwise everyone there except you and me could have been wiped out! Don’t you understand that?!”

“I do. So what?”

“…What?”

“Oh?”

Indeed, if I hadn’t been there in that situation, the soldiers at the scene, whether extras or protagonists, would have been completely annihilated.

I haven’t had the chance to ask yet, but that red-haired female soldier was only able to achieve what she did because of the opening I created.

Yet Zero responded as if none of that mattered.

“The role of soldiers stationed in Hero City is to support the heroes who come to exterminate monsters.”

“That’s right!”

“Then there’s nothing strange about them dying while fighting alongside a hero. They simply died in the line of duty, fulfilling their responsibilities.”

“Died in the line of duty… Even so, if you can save them, you should! How can you treat human lives so lightly?”

“Because it was more efficient that way?”

“Huh?”

“Hoshino. I understand what you’re saying. But I only understand it. Unfortunately, I’m just a fake resembling a human, so I’m not programmed with ‘compassion’ like you.”

“Y-You…!”

Unable to listen anymore, Miss Hoshino’s right hand rose swiftly.

That posture was unmistakably for a slap.

And not just any slap—one filled with anger, a sincere slap that could break bones if it landed on another hero.

“M-Miss, you can’t!”

I quickly ran forward to grab Miss Hoshino’s raised arm.

However, Councilor Avanka stepped between Hoshino and Zero before I could.

“Princess Hoshino. I understand very well what you want to say.”

“Councilor Avanka! This isn’t right! Combat ability is one thing, but Zero lacks the sense of justice that’s most important for a hero!”

“Hahaha. It seems so. Perhaps it’s because this is her first joint operation with others. It appears some ‘errors’ we haven’t seen before have been detected. Isn’t that right, Zero?”

“Yes. If my current state is abnormal, I request an immediate new patch.”

“Very well. As soon as we return to the laboratory, I’ll implant moral standards separately. How about that, Princess Hoshino? Isn’t that sufficient?”

“B-But still…!”

Miss Hoshino lowered her arm at Councilor Avanka’s words.

However, her face, still full of emotion, showed that she wanted to speak with Zero once more directly.

But that was all.

“Princess Hoshino. Zero is currently bound by a clause that prevents her from attacking humans.”

“…!”

“So if you hit her, it wouldn’t be a fight between ‘friends’ but simply ‘violence’ from the stronger party. Do you really intend to continue?”

“N-No… But at least let me talk to her a bit more…”

“Unfortunately, now that an error has been detected, we need to hurry back to fix it. You’ll see each other again soon at the S-rank award ceremony anyway, so let’s save the greetings for then.”

“Ah……”

With an intrigued smile, Councilor Avanka got into the limousine with Zero.

Afterward, she bid farewell and smoothly left B City.

***

In the end, who was that female soldier with the short red hair?

Even though I wanted to ask something afterward, the Hero City soldiers quickly dispersed to begin city restoration as soon as the monster disappeared.

Due to their swift movements, I had no choice but to return to D City where I originally lived with Miss Hoshino before I could ask anything.

Since then, I’ve been desperately trying to find clues about the red-haired female soldier.

But my current occupation is just a college student with somewhat outstanding grades in a hero-related department.

Not even being associated with the hero side, I soon hit a wall.

Just one person.

“Fuhuhu. So that’s why you came looking for me?”

If it weren’t for our capable childhood friend, it would have taken much longer.

“Yeah… You’re the only one I can ‘lean on,’ Carmilla.”

“Ohohoho. That’s only natural! I’m faaaar superior to that beast Princess Hoshino!”

‘Miss Hoshino! I want to know about that red-haired female soldier we met before!’

…If I were to say that straightforwardly to Miss Hoshino.

There would be no “Aha! I see!” whatsoever.

Instead, I’d get a terrifying expression along with “Who is she?”

So, leaving behind Miss Hoshino, who was about to enter her heat cycle and would likely become even more ferocious, I turned to my childhood friend who at least listens to me.

Though she had mixed feelings about me asking for her help, especially when it involved finding some woman.

At least she wouldn’t explode immediately like Miss Hoshino, so I decided to rely on Carmilla.

“A female soldier with short red hair… But why are you suddenly looking for such a woman?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t tell me… your first love?”

“No way! I’m just curious because it’s interesting. I mean, she accurately hit both eyes of a monster from almost a kilometer away?!”

I was currently drinking with Carmilla at a street food stall in D City.

On the condition that I would buy her drinks first, it was around the time we finished our third bottle of beer.

I thought she would have loosened up by now.

When I opened my mouth as if I were interested in another woman, Carmilla’s expression almost turned as ferocious as Miss Hoshino’s.

However, after hearing me out completely, though still frowning, she seemed somewhat appeased.

“I-I’ve always been interested in hero-related work, right? So I’m trying to participate in a weapon development project as a college student, and they’re recruiting ‘ordinary people’ to test it.”

“And that ordinary person is the red-haired female soldier you just mentioned?”

“Y-Yes! I’m trying to create a new prototype firearm, and I’d really like someone as capable as her to test it! That’s why…”

“Hmm?”

Carmilla still had a half-disbelieving expression.

Perhaps due to the alcohol that had risen to her head.

In her tipsy state, she was examining my face more closely than necessary as we sat side by side.

It was the kind of scene that would have immediately sparked a fight if Miss Hoshino had seen it.

But the real challenge was just beginning.

“Empty-handed?”

“Hmm?”

“I… Jang-hoon, I came all the way to D City where you live because you called… and you’re going to take that information from me just like that?”

“Um… Isn’t buying you drinks enough?”

“Do you think I don’t have enough money for something like this?”

Indeed, being ranked 9th among A-class heroes, would she even care about the cost of drinks at a street food stall?

As if indicating she needed something more, she pointed to her cherry-like lips.

“Kiss me.”

“W-What?!”

“That would be enough for me.”

The payment for the information was just one kiss.

She was asking for my first kiss, but was this really fair?

…But perhaps because I was also a bit drunk.

It seemed like quite a meaningful proposal.