Chapter 65

Chapter 65

The Strongest Partner (1)

-Buuuung.

Even though it was a mountainous area, it was still a place touched by human hands.

Naturally, the roads and asphalt were paved with cement, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was easy to drive on.

Just a little beyond the guardrails, there were cliffs waiting, and if a wild animal suddenly jumped out, the risk of an accident was not negligible.

“Driving.”

As I was carefully navigating the road, my companion in the passenger seat spoke up.

“Yes?”

“You’re a pretty good driver.”

The A-rank hero Vanguard, still wearing his mask, was looking out the window.

Was his comment just a pure evaluation?

Or was it an attempt to break the awkward silence?

“It’s nothing special. Anyone can do this much.”

Whatever it was, I welcomed the conversation.

It would take some time to reach the city, and since he had helped me, building some rapport would make my act more convincing.

“Anyone, you say.”

However, Vanguard seemed unsure of my answer, still gazing out the window.

The view beyond the guardrails…

No, we were in a tunnel now. There was nothing but darkness, so what was he looking at?

“Uh… Do you not have a license?”

Even at my question, Vanguard continued to stare into the tunnel’s darkness.

He only spoke once we emerged from the tunnel.

“Five times.”

“What?”

“I tried to get a license before, but I failed five times.”

“…Oh.”

“I get really nervous when I grab the steering wheel. I feel like this huge hunk of metal could become a weapon in my hands…”

Ah, I understand that feeling.

When I learned to drive in the organization, I started by running over enemy villains.

Of course, because of that, I learned how to hit people with a car and at what speed they wouldn’t die, but sharing that past with a hero to console him seemed inappropriate.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Feeling unnecessarily guilty, I apologized, but he continued to look out the window with the same unchanging demeanor.

As the silence stretched on, the only sound was the engine, and my gaze naturally turned to the clock on the dashboard.

Damn it, it feels like we should be there soon, but not even five minutes have passed.

“Moa…”

Feeling the urge to honk the horn in annoyance, Vanguard broke the silence again.

“Yes?”

“That girl Moa… she’s very smart.”

It was undoubtedly a compliment.

But it was more than just a light-hearted comment.

The subject of the compliment was the Boss, after all.

“Yes, it’s hard to believe she just started elementary school. If it weren’t for her, I might still be wandering the forest.”

“Wandering the forest?”

“I got lost while heading to our meeting spot after training in the mountains. I’m not familiar with finding my way… Meeting her was a stroke of luck.”

“Ah, I see.”

I chuckled, matching his tone, but his story was so ridiculous I didn’t know where to start.

An adult getting help from a child was one thing, but training in the mountains?

In this day and age, what hero trains in the mountains instead of a training room?

And to get lost after confidently going into the mountains, it’s almost comedic.

“And she’s very cute.”

But what came next was even more absurd.

“…What?”

“Yes, I really think she’s a cute child.”

I couldn’t understand for a moment and turned to look at him, but he continued speaking in the same stoic manner.

Though his demeanor had been consistent from the start, his even tone began to sound dangerous to me.

No, not just a little, but very much so.

“It seems you’re quite fond of Moa, Vanguard.”

Hiding my true feelings, I smiled and spoke.

Right, calm down.

He’s just evaluating a child. He doesn’t know we’re villains, so there’s no need to be on guard.

And even if the hero society is corrupt, they still uphold ethics and morals, right? He wouldn’t have any inappropriate thoughts about a child…

“I like her.”

-Screech!

My foot twitched on the brake.

I barely prevented the car from crashing into the guardrail and turned my stiff neck towards him.

“What did you just say…?”

“I said I like that child.”

No, I didn’t mishear.

He even said it confidently.

Look at him, still not turning his head away from the window.

Even with the mask, I could tell his eyes behind it were serious.

In front of the girl’s father.

He was seriously telling me he liked my 7-year-old daughter.

“Uh, that means…”

So, is he asking me to kill him right here?

“If I had to choose between liking and disliking her, I like her. She helped me a lot.”

“Oh, in that sense…”

Of course.

If I had been a second slower, I might have crashed into the guardrail and committed a murder-suicide.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?”

Though he remained stoic, he seemed aware that he had made a mistake.

Yes, it would be troubling if a hero didn’t realize the gravity of his words.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable, just that it was sudden…”

“I apologize. I’m not good at interacting with people. I tend to shorten my words, making it hard to continue conversations.”

“I understand.”

There are all kinds of people in the world.

Even someone like Anatomy is living well, so I can overlook this much.

But even considering that, he seemed quite unusual for a hero.

“It’s interesting. Most heroes enjoy being in front of people, but you’re not good with social interactions.”

Most heroes are attention seekers.

Not all of them are, but a hero isn’t just about beating up villains.

They do PR activities with corporate sponsors, build wealth through their fame, etc.

The Association even gives bonus points for such activities in rank evaluations, so even if they have power, they can’t escape low ranks without recognition.

High-ranked heroes are usually attention seekers.

But the man beside me didn’t show any signs of that.

Even though he claimed to be an A-rank hero.

“Have you heard my name before?”

His sudden question seemed natural.

I answered after a brief thought.

“No, not at all.”

I could have lied out of courtesy, but that’s not what he wanted.

“Yes, that’s expected. I’ve never revealed my activities publicly.”

Never revealed his activities publicly. Now that’s interesting.

A hero who lives off attention, yet distances himself from it.

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m not proud of it.”

“Not proud…”

“I’ve done many shameful things to get here.”

Why is that?

Though his tone was as dry as ever, there was a hint of bitterness in his words.

No, that atmosphere had always been there.

I just hadn’t realized it until now.

“…You must have your reasons.”

Isn’t it ironic? A hero, afraid to reveal his true self to the public.

Wearing a mask even when not on duty, avoiding the topic of his past…

I had many questions, but I decided not to ask them.

We might meet again, but for now, there’s no need to continue this connection.

“Still, it’s not good to bottle up everything. You’ll face many challenges in life… It’s good to find someone to share your burdens with.”

Maybe it’s because it didn’t feel like someone else’s problem.

I found myself giving advice that wasn’t light-hearted.

Trying to handle everything alone without relying on others…

It’s something I’ve experienced and still do.

And he’s a hero, not a villain.

Heroes should meet public expectations but also learn to rely on others.

Like the one I once knew.

“Well, it’s a bit strange for me to say this, having just met you…”

I tried to wrap up the conversation with a vague smile to lighten the weight of my advice.

“You remind me of someone.”

He broke the silence.

“What do you mean?”

“Moa… Your daughter said the same thing. That it’s not good to carry everything alone.”

So, the Boss felt the same about him.

But I felt surprise rather than camaraderie.

She usually just acted like a young girl in front of others, but she gave serious advice to someone she barely knew.

“Though I didn’t talk to her much, her words left an impression. She gave me something to think about.”

“A problem, you say?”

“It’s just a child’s words, but I plan to think deeply about them.”

With that, Vanguard turned back to the window.

What I initially thought was discomfort now seemed like deep contemplation.

Was he that affected by the Boss’s words?

I was curious about their conversation, but I felt more at ease dealing with him.

Despite being a hero.

For whatever reason, he too received the Boss’s favor like Nella.

“We’re almost there.”

Finally, we reached the tollgate at the end of the mountain road.

Passing through, I felt the bustling city around us.

Is this the end of my connection with this man?

I thought of taking him to his destination since we came together.

Just as I was about to speak.

-Bang! Bang!

Explosions pierced through the ambient noise.

I instinctively hit the brakes and looked out the window.

“What the…”

The explosions didn’t come from one place.

Simultaneous, large-scale explosions occurred all over the city.

There could be many reasons, but one thing was certain.

‘This isn’t an accident. It’s intentional.’

“Bread, please evacuate.”

Vanguard, realizing this, opened the car door and grabbed his gear.

He adjusted his mask as well.

“You’re going now?”

“Of course. I’m a hero.”

The conversation ended there.

Vanguard ran down the road without another word.

Seeing him respond immediately in the face of danger showed he had a strong sense of justice.

“I wish he’d think about the people around him, though.”

Holding my yet-to-heal neck, I turned to the approaching footsteps.

Boom, bang! Explosions still echoed, and screams filled the alleys.

Masked men and women chased fleeing people.

Some of them noticed me and turned their attention towards me.

“Come quietly.”

They held no obvious weapons.

But their hands sparked with light and electricity.

“If I come quietly, will you buy me a meal?”

-Zap!

An electric bolt flew past my head as a young villain aimed at me.

He charged his power, sparking fingers pointed at me again.

“This is your only warning. Come quietly.”

“…Why are villain minions these days so rude?”

Clicking my tongue, I wiped the blood from my burned skin and prepared to confront them.

End of Chapter