Chapter 77 : Ah, I want to be a hero (1)

When I defeated the cockroach monster, there was no one around to witness it.

Perhaps it was because, except for Song Hana and Zero, everyone else had fled to the shelter nearby.

After everything was over, the hero who saved City C was credited to Zero and Carmilla, along with many other heroes and soldiers.

At least, that’s how it seemed to be known to the public.

“Every TV channel I switch to is either about Zero or Carmilla…”

“Well, it was such a big incident.”

“Yeah… Apparently, even the National Assembly is in chaos because of it.”

I was on my way to visit Carmilla in the hospital with Miss Hoshino in a limousine.

Normally, I would go alone, but they said if a man goes into a VIP ward with only a woman inside, he’d be considered like a father or something.

Anyway, that’s why Miss Hoshino decided to accompany me.

During the ride, we lightly talked about the events of the past week since the cockroach incident in City C.

“The number of dead soldiers and heroes has exceeded three digits, but the city is practically in a festive mood.”

“Is it because the number of civilian casualties is zero?”

“Yeah. It’s the first time in Hero City’s history that there were no civilian casualties despite a monster with a threat level of grade A or higher appearing.”

In the National Assembly, they were praising it as a result of the newly restructured S-grade heroes.

Especially the leader of the Progressive Party, who recently enacted hero-related laws.

Congresswoman Avanka, as a “woke politician,” once again made her name known across the city.

“Even if it rains, I’m not bothered. My body isn’t made of sugar.”

…she said those words in front of the gravestones of the fallen, as if paying tribute to them.

Thanks to that, her support for the Progressive Party was rising from the high 70s to the mid-80s.

“Congresswoman Avanka… She’s pretty smart.”

“Yeah. On a rainy day, she went alone, and one by one, saluted in front of the gravestones, right? Honestly, it just looks like a ‘show’.”

“But if it was a vague politician, maybe. But since it’s Congresswoman Avanka, it just looks like genuine sympathy from a good person in the eyes of the public.”

“Yeah. After meeting Zero, I got a little curious and did some background checks on Congresswoman Avanka… and that lady has some serious popularity, huh?”

Even a broadcasting station with a bias against the Progressive Party doesn’t really release any negative articles about Congresswoman Avanka

The reason is that she is practically another hero fighting on the front lines of humanity, dealing with paper and fans.

They know that if they provoke her, they’ll surely get scolded by the whole country.

“From charity work to everything she’s known for, she’s basically an angel! An angel.”

“…Is that so?”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started. The more I look into it, the more it seems like she’s a living Buddha! Normally, politicians would have some dirt on them, but she’s so clean! Honestly, if she didn’t treat Zero like that, she would’ve been my role model.”

“Hmm…”

Come to think of it, Miss Hoshino became an S-grade hero thanks to Congresswoman Avanka, right?

When I first met her at the previous S-grade roundtable, Miss Hoshino seemed to have a fondness for Congresswoman Avanka.

But after reconciling with Lord Makoto and noticing the awkward feelings between her and Zero, it seemed like she didn’t like her that much anymore.

Well, I also had my own discomfort with Congresswoman Avanka, so it was a similar feeling for Miss Hoshino.

“Anyway, I’m an S-grade hero. My mom told me that if you’re an S-grade hero, you should be interested in politics, so I had to force myself to study… But, Jang Hoon, were you also interested in this stuff? That’s surprising.”

“Huh?! Haha… Well, as a citizen who has become an adult, I naturally should be interested in politics. For the presidential election, after all…”

“President? We have a parliamentary system!”

“Oh, yes! I misspoke. I meant for the congress members…!”

“Hmm.”

Anyway, it was getting weird to keep prying.

I asked because I thought it might help with the changed original flow, but Miss Hoshino seemed to know very little about it.

Congresswoman Avanka.

She didn’t even exist in the original story, and the creation of Zero, the homunculus, marked the start of her involvement.

She didn’t really make a big impression until the fifth anniversary event when I was playing the game.

I still had a lot I wanted to know about her, but for now, I decided to leave it at that.

Because there was something more important for me to do.

“Miss, just to check, you didn’t throw away the Bacchus box I brought for Carmilla, did you?”

“Who do you think I am? Even if I hate Carmilla, I wouldn’t do something childish like that!”

“Well, just in case, can I check the box?”

“…Sorry, actually, I forgot to take one when we were leaving.”

“Sigh…”

I had been uneasy even before the hospital visit.

Miss Hoshino and Carmilla were officially recognized rivals in Hero City, going beyond my own assumptions.

Oil and water.

Not even WWE, but UFC.

They both knew this very well, so they avoided meeting each other, but now, because of me, they were in the same room.

“Carmilla… I’ve come to visit.”

“Jang Hoon! You’re here with a grand entrance…”

“Aha! I knew it! This lady, acting all prim and proper in front of others, but in truth, she’s a little rascal!”

“Hmph! Weren’t you also enjoying the spotlight on TV by playing the character who doesn’t even know how babies are made?”

“Well, I’ve never done it, so it makes sense I wouldn’t know, you idiot.”

“…Is that so?”

What do you mean, is that so? Hey.

It had only been one minute since the hospital visit started, and I was already dizzy.

But if I got swept up in this kind of atmosphere between these two, the hospital room would be a disaster in no time.

So I gathered all my mental strength.

And to clear up this damp mood as quickly as possible—

“Oh? Come to think of it. Carmilla. Isn’t that outfit a qipao?”

“Ah, yes! You’re right-sa! It’s the famous traditional martial arts outfit, the qipao-sa!”

While hurriedly looking for something to change the subject to—

For some reason, what stood out was Carmilla wearing a traditional Chinese outfit, which was unusual for her.

“Why the sudden qipao?”

“Well…”

And then, her panties… is she not wearing any?

No, the young lady never wears them anyway, so I could understand that, but Carmilla had never been like this before.

It was a bit of a shock.

Whether she knew or not, she replied with a seductive smile, revealing her bare, dangerously exposed legs.

“After I lost to that cockroach monster, I realized how lacking I was!”

“Lacking in what?”

“Yes! I usually fight from long-range. So in close combat, I’m way weaker than the other S-class heroes.”

“Well, yeah, that makes sense.”

Carmilla’s ability was a long-range fighting style where she summons monster-specialized weapons from all directions for a barrage attack.

She said it was a lower version of the “Creation of All Things” ability.

She also mentioned she doesn’t fully understand the power she’s had since birth, but at least she knows her current usage makes close combat difficult.

“So while I was thinking it over, I met a ‘Master’ who could help cover my weaknesses!”

“A master?”

“Yes! She’s an acquaintance of my mother’s, and… was it two days ago? She suddenly came to me and yelled, ‘You’ve got talent!’ and gave me this outfit before disappearing.”

“…? What the heck is that…”

It’s not even a martial arts version of one of those “Do you know the way?” cult guys.

“She said, ‘If it’s you, you can inherit our dojo’s 4,000-year-old martial arts legacy!’ …And then she left.”

“4,000 years?”

“Yes! So, since she’s my mom’s acquaintance, I figured I’d at least try learning it like a basic self-defense course.”

I mean, the history of Hero City just passed 1,000 years.

As someone who knows the setting of this world pretty well, it all just sounded like a scam to me.

This was something I felt I had to stop her from as a friend.

But then—

Flash!

“What do you think, Janghoon-kun? I can stretch my leg all the way to the sky, right?”

Yeah. You sure can.

If you stretch just a little more, I’ll really be able to see everything down there.

Miss Hoshino always visits me stark naked anyway.

Thanks to that, I thought I was immune to this level of exposure.

But maybe because the one doing it now was my childhood friend, not the usual lady?

I felt a little bad for Carmilla, but seeing her in just a qipao with no underwear…

Yeah, I kind of wanted to keep looking.

Must be that unavoidable “instinct” of a man.

So, thinking positively, I decided this was for the sake of gaining more “experience” as a friend!

Yeah, for Carmilla’s sake, I’d pretend not to notice.

Flash!

“My other leg can reach the ceiling too!”

“Yeah. Looks good…”

“…Janghoon. Last heat cycle, I was satisfied just with your underwear, right? But honestly, it wasn’t enough. Can I let it out here?”

“?! No, absolutely not…”