episode_0090

Hooosh-!

Red hair flew. Along with it, slender limbs swung, and her body soared in like a bird of prey or like the wind.

Next, the human-shaped training dummy standing in front was greatly shaken by impacts in several places. It wasn’t broken, but a large crack appeared on one side.

The figure that had flown past the dummy landed, caught her breath, and stood up.

The one who had been intensely training before the dummy for a long time was the red-haired Hero Spade.

Slowly gathering the red magic power swirling around her body, Spade inspected the dummy she had just attacked. Seeing the noticeable traces of destruction left on it, despite it being a dummy made for Awakened training, she felt quite proud. She could feel her growth.

‘My body feels light. The weight behind my attacks has increased.’

‘I feel like I finally understand how unrefined my movements were until now. My magic power, too… I can control it much better.’

She wiped away sweat. Though it had been quite a while since she started training, the sweat was less than she expected, and her breathing wasn’t greatly disturbed.

This was all thanks to shedding unnecessary parts from her movements and being able to control her body more fluidly.

A short while ago, Spade fought her master, Check.

Originally, the two were as different as heaven and earth. A fight shouldn’t have been possible between them.

But surprisingly, Spade fought exceptionally well against Check. To her own surprise, she was able to follow Check’s movements. Of course, Check undoubtedly held back to some extent, but even so, to be able to keep up to that degree… it was truly an incredible feat.

It was all thanks to the teachings she had been receiving regularly until now.

There was another Teacher-nim who had taught Spade how to use her body, how to handle magic power, how to fight, and so on, and it was thanks to that person. Even fighting Mr. Check was thanks to that person….

That’s right. It was all thanks to that person. A truly precious person. Someone she absolutely had to protect. Someone whose words she had to obey unconditionally… Certainly, my very, very precious—

“Excuse me for interrupting your training, Trooper Spade.”

Just as she thought that far, Spade turned her head at a new presence.

Someone entered the training room, which had only contained Spade. A tall woman with long black hair. Dressed in a white uniform, she was Rahye, the Captain of the 7th Squad.

“Heh heh, could we talk for a moment? Sorry for interrupting your training.”

“Hello, Captain Rahye-nim! It’s no interruption at all!”

Spade saluted and greeted Captain Rahye.

Captain Rahye is a busy person. Even within the same base, she’s hard to see unless it’s for a meeting.

Rahye returned Spade’s salute and approached her, then seemed slightly surprised as she looked Spade up and down.

Then she let out a light exclamation of admiration.

“Spade, I saw you training just now. You’ve really become much stronger. When I just saw you in the hallways or meeting rooms, I only thought so, but… seeing you like this, it truly sinks in.”

“Oh… were you watching?”

“Yes. And Check also mentioned it. He looked really happy saying Spade had become much stronger.”

“Ah, hehe….”

At the words that Check, her master-like figure, was so happy and proud of her, Spade felt somewhat embarrassed and gave an awkward laugh.

Since Check has such a blunt personality, he rarely praises Spade directly in front of her. He did say “You’ve gotten stronger” once before, but even that was a big deal. Check always holds back on praise, for fear of her becoming overconfident…

In any case, Spade was overjoyed, as if she could leap, at the fact that she had been acknowledged by Check, and even more so by Captain Rahye-nim, whom she respected more than anyone.

“But it’s surprising. To grow so much in such a short period. Did something significant happen?”

Rahye asked, appearing puzzled. Not interrogating, but purely curious.

Spade considered mentioning ‘that man’ who helped her grow, but stopped herself. For some reason, she felt like she shouldn’t tell anyone about him.

Spade vaguely equivocated, answering only that she was “a little lucky.”

That much seemed to be a sufficient answer for Rahye. Among Awakened individuals, it wasn’t uncommon to suddenly improve in skill.

Furthermore, Spade had made a mistake recently during a mission to clear out the villain organization 『Lesser Rat』. Perhaps that failure served as a good stepping stone for Spade. Rahye decided to think so.

Rahye decided it was time to move on to the main topic.

Watching Spade’s growth was certainly one of her reasons for coming, but she hadn’t come to find her during training solely for that.

“Spade. I have something to discuss regarding the villain organization 『Abyss』. Do you have a moment?”

* * *

The hideout of the villain organization 『Abyss』.

Villain No. 13, who had recently finished brainwashing Check and Coco, the veteran heroes of the rival 7th Squad, was spending his days taking a breather.

“No. 13-nim, this part of the report is incorrect. And this part has weak explanations. Please redo it.”

“……Damn it….”

Correction. He was spending his days in a suffocating manner.

No. 13 lay face down on the table in his room, as if burying his face, and sighed.

He was currently writing a report on the subjugation of Check and Coco that had occurred recently.

The Strategist next to him was helping him write the report.

Normally, he wouldn’t have such headaches. After all, he usually pushed off these annoying tasks onto the Strategist.

The Strategist didn’t refuse, and in fact, seemed happy, thinking, ‘If it helps No. 13-nim…!’ so it was a win-win relationship.

The problem was that the Boss found out, and consequently, furiously rebuked No. 13.

-‘The Strategist is doing ten times more work than you, a useless punk who can only do odd jobs! Aren’t you ashamed?!’

No, it’s not wrong, but.

The Boss’s words are definitely right.

Still, saying it like that felt a bit disheartening. After all, he risked his life on the field and even saved the organization from a crisis, wasn’t he the greatest contributor?

…Of course, most of it was thanks to Dorothy’s brainwashing tool, and the Strategist planned the operation, and he himself felt like he just got a free ride from what was given to him… but still.

“I’m sorry, No. 13-nim. I would have been perfectly fine doing it for you….”

The Strategist said that with a sorry expression. Nevertheless, pointing out typos and problems strictly was because she had been ordered to do so by the Boss.

Currently, No. 13’s paperwork ability was disastrous, so having someone guide him next to him was at least permitted.

His immediate goal was to one day be able to write a perfect report by himself.

Considering he was being forced to redo this trivial report multiple times, it was hard to say when that would actually be possible….

The Strategist didn’t seem to want to go this far either, and in a different situation, she would have somehow shown leniency.

Unfortunately, in front of the Boss’s ability, not even the Strategist could lie. So, even if she wanted to provide some convenience, she couldn’t, and was forced to be thoroughly strict.

‘If I keep the Strategist tied up for too long, she’ll probably complain again. That damn woman…’

“Ah, No. 13-nim. Please fix this part too. It’s hard to read when written like this.”

“Yeesh….”

By the way, just sitting here makes him restless. He needed to move around a bit. Such paperwork simply didn’t suit his personality at all.

He should just leave such things to someone good at them. Of course, the Strategist was busy, so she couldn’t do it, but wouldn’t it be nice if a new person appeared who could be entrusted with it?

Like, for example…

“Someone like Apple would probably be good at this kind of work. They said she was a clerical officer in the 7th Squad too. Should I entrust it to her?”

“…Even if she’s brainwashed, you’re going to entrust our organization’s confidential documents to a hero?”

“Just light tasks, not confidential ones…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to decide a bit more carefully?”

The Strategist seemed skeptical. Well, her concern had a point.

He understood, but still, this couldn’t go on. He wished for more comrades who were smart, good with computers, and skilled at paperwork… Recruiting new members was urgent.

“……This won’t do.”

“Huh? Oh? Strategist, are you perhaps giving up on me? Are you abandoning me?”

Suddenly, the Strategist muttered that, and No. 13’s mind snapped awake, and he lifted his head.

Was she giving up because his work was too terrible? Or had the Strategist lost the will to teach due to his lack of motivation?

No. 13, worried that this shouldn’t be happening, anxiously turned to look at the Strategist.

“I think you need a short break, No. 13-nim. If you’re too busy, your work efficiency drops.”

Before he knew it, the Strategist was lifting and removing her top. The mint-colored underwear she was wearing underneath was fully revealed.

This was truly troublesome. When had the Strategist become so sexually open?

“…Strategist. No matter how I think about it, this seems a bit too careless. Even between you and me, this is still a bit…”

“What are you talking about, No. 13-nim? This is just ‘to change the mood,’ that’s all. So there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Change the mood…?”

No. 13, despite being a villain, wondered if this was okay, weighing ethics and various other things, but.

However, with the Strategist’s subsequent words, such miscellaneous thoughts were pushed away and disappeared. Change the mood. Right, under that pretext, he and the Strategist had done various things until now.

“If you say it’s fine, Strategist, then let’s do that.”

“Yes. If it’s with No. 13-nim, I’m perfectly happy. Get a good change of mood, and then let’s continue with the next work.”

With a meaningful smile, the Strategist finished taking off her remaining clothes.