Hero Association.
Located in the center of the continent, this place is adjacent to the 26 cities of Pangea, and is a place where you can find out about accidents and incidents that happen in Pangea before anyone else.
But the quickest solution isn't always the best.
"It's absurd to bury this case!"
A member of the Hero Association. After hearing the report of the results of the meeting she was excluded from, Seras immediately went to the vice president of the association to protest.
Lately, the villain movement has been strong, so they received orders from the association and took overall command in the field.
So, it wasn't enough to just let the villain alliance's grand invasion happen, didn't he come up with a plan that he couldn't understand?
"It's already been decided."
"It hasn't been done yet, so it can't be overturned?"
"Return? Do you know how easy it is to change a decision made as a manager!?"
"Yes, then you have to be careful with your decisions. It's not like it's happening as carelessly as it is now!!"
A view I would have vehemently opposed if I had.
It must have been because he didn't care about himself at the time of the incident, even though he knew about it. The direct expression of the vice president, who spat the decision only to himself, proves this.
"So, you're saying we need to report this incident on a large scale?"
"Yes, of course... … !"
"This terrorist incident is an unprecedented situation that will leave Pangea in an uproar. If you dig up and report every incident that happened there, public sentiment will be shaken and the government's position will be affected. It will be in danger. Do you really think you will be able to solve the chaos caused by this!?"
Revealing the truth of the situation raises awareness that the leaders are incompetent, and an apology carries with it a lot of responsibility.
The larger the scale, the more you should avoid revealing the truth. Knowing such an obvious outcome, all the association executives, including the vice president, decided to report the incident as much as possible. Seras also nodded in understanding. What he needs to do is guide everyone living on this continent and build and maintain the "rules" for their safety. "... ...The case isn't over yet?" But aren't politicians human, after all? "You mean we haven't eradicated the villains? You know it's a waste of manpower and time to go after some dwarves, right?" "This isn't about villains." "Then what are you talking about?" "People." "..."
"Heroland is one of the places where civilians are allowed to enter, and it is more protected by the Association than any other. As a result of such propaganda, hundreds of people lost their lives that day. Many others lost family members, friends, and neighbors."
As individuals, we have faced hundreds of deaths. We need to hear the pain and cries of many other survivors.
How much would it cost to ignore all these cries and bury the situation?
No, before talking about money, is that acceptable as a human being?
"… It's less than 1% of the total. It's possible to reduce the report."
"Vice President!"
"Ha… …!"
Feeling frustrated, the vice president quickly stood up from his chair.
His flushed face showed that his emotions were wavering, but he finally calmed down and turned his back to Seras.
"Seras. I know you have a strong sense of justice, as if you were a hero."
He is inexperienced, but has a stronger sense of justice than anyone else.
If it were him, he would certainly be able to lead this society in the right direction. When he assumes that he has accumulated experience to the end.
"However... ... If it has been three years since you ascended to the position of executive, please realize. That leaders should prioritize the group, not the individual, and statistics and proportions, not emotions."
"...."
What is Seras trying to say? He quickly turned his back, clasping his hands that were hanging beneath his body.
Okay, I will obey... ...
It was as if he could not even give such a polite answer.
...
3 years.
Enough time to realize the difference between ideal and reality.
-intelligent.
Feeling frustrated, while sighing in his personal office, someone who entered with Knock began to approach Seras.
A striking man with gray hair and narrow eyes that could be seen through glasses.
A similar impression among heroes would be the Ronin Blade.
Of course, only the impressions are similar to the previous one.
Unlike him, who brutally murders the villain on the spot, the person in front of him was an 'ordinary person' who had never gotten into a fight between a hero and a villain.
"Ah... ... This is Mr. Mars."
Secretary to Officer Seras, Mars Hector.
He approached Seras with a stack of papers in the middle, slowly writing in the notebook in his hand.
[What. Work?]
Communicate your intentions in writing, not verbally... ...Communicate your intentions in writing, not verbally... ...It was a means of communication that was considered natural for him, who had a congenital anomaly of the vocal cords.
Of course, this only interferes with communication, but as a secretary, you can help with work and get things done quickly.
Ceres, who had a lot of work to deal with as an executive, was grateful in many ways.
"It's the same old thing."
But is that really true?
Sometimes, in difficult times like now, there was a tendency to depend on him more than necessary.
"You must have heard about the attack on the Land of Heroes, too, right?"
"...."
Mars lifted his glasses without saying a word and nodded.
Seras mocked Mars for what he had written about him.
"For the victims... …. The heroes will go to a consolation performance.
As always."
The shaking of people's hearts is inevitable after the crisis.
Sending idols as a way to subdue it is a very effective way.
Just by opening the festival in style, people's interest increases, and the louder it gets, the more excited they become, and thus they forget their own pain.
Generally speaking, this is the best way to silence the confusion.
'However… …. Recommending this method alone is only postponing the situation in the end.'
As a result, people who die are dead, and shouldn't those who lose them live with a sense of loss for the rest of their lives?
The association's policy was to only prescribe painkillers to such people, but it could never be said that this would cure them.
Furthermore, since the birth of a villain has always started with individual deviation.
'After all, it's hard to get an executive position alone.'
As I clenched my fists, I heard a knock that sounded like a 'tac-tac'.
No, it was the sound of the person in front of me tapping the office desk with a pen.
"Ah, yes. Mars. Please speak."
Seras immediately regained her senses and faced Mars.
After that, Mars handed her a note and looked at the papers stacked beside it.
[This page, the documents?]
"Ah, this is… … Here is a list of the victims who were dragged away this time. Among them, the association's contacts were selected and collected…"
As he continued to explain, Mars held the document placed on top in his hand.
Are you interested in the name on the document?
"Gingerbread."
Seras brought the name written on the document to her mouth and continued explaining.
"In Heroland
A civilian who helped rectify the attack. If it was originally, it would be worth appreciating their merits and accepting them as members of the
association.
I considered… … Coincidentally, he said he had no intention of entering the
hero industry."
Sure, he can forcibly recruit him for propaganda, but in the first place, isn't he in a situation where he lost his wife in an accident and raised a daughter alone?
From an ethical standpoint, it wouldn't be right to force him to be the focus of attention.
'But someone will try to do it somehow.'
A capable E-class person has not only defeated C-class villains, but has also faced off as an assistant to Spiritas, who was a candidate for the next generation of hope, and has even killed A-class villains.
A person highly coveted by an association that needs at least one propaganda target. He doesn't interfere directly, and someone might be secretly looking for a diversion to lure him into the association.
– Taktak.
Mars, who had meticulously organized the documents with such a person in it, nodded toward Seras.
That would mean he would soon start working as a secretary.
"Ah, yes. Please organize the paperwork, Mars."
Our conversation ended with that. Afterwards, Mars left his office, clenching his jaw, leaving behind Seras, who was in trouble.
- Click.
A hallway outside the office where the door closed and silence settled.
Mars, alone in the center, looked at the documents in his hands.
Gingerbread. A person who was pointed out as a target of propaganda regarding
the events of the Land of Heroes.
However, upon inspection, the gift he hid was only one from Class E,
and there was no special characteristic in his life or the environment
around him.
As for Gingerbread himself.
[Moa Bread]
The only family in the spotlight.
A girl who turned 7 this year and has reached the appropriate age
to enter the academy.
- Click.
Masu's gaze, lifting his glasses, was still fixed on the girl's name.
***
e.
About a month after the terrorist incident that day.
"Brad, look over here."
An apartment located in Shellstown.
After spending some time in the residential facilities provided by the
association, I finally realized that the day had come.
Confronting the boss by looking at his clothes in front of the mirror.
"Is there anything strange?"
"No, it's fine."
The blazer and plaid skirt worn over the white shirt were the designated school uniforms of "Mariss Academy Elementary School", located next to Shells Town.
Since the entrance ceremony has arrived, it's only natural to dress appropriately. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, the boss smiled contentedly and wrapped her hand around her waist.
"Fufu, looking at it from this side, there's no other young lady in this body."
girl.
The reason he emphasizes this word is obviously to prepare for a
big event in the future.
The entrance ceremony is an event for children, so if you don't emphasize your feminine side too much, the people around you will look at you suspiciously.
So, I'll have to pay attention to the superficial at least…
"Ah, boss. There's a button undone."
I reached over to the boss's blouse to fix the part I noticed right away.
After tying each button, take a moment to check if there's any other part that's come loose.
"So...
As if remembering something when he saw me lock the button, the boss
opened his mouth and said,
"You used to change my clothes."
"Oh, yes. Yes, it was."
"It's a pity I haven't had the chance to do that lately."
"... ...hahahaha."
He shrugged with a smile and avoided looking at the boss.
Obviously, the boss wasn't good at dressing herself at first.
So I reluctantly served clothes from this side... ...To be honest,
I'm still a little conflicted.
Should the boss, who wants to experience the daily life of a human being,
be able to do it himself, or should he still be handling
the clothing market like he did when he was in the organization?
"Look, I had forgotten about that."
While looking at the clothes, the boss seemed to remember something
and took something out of the pocket of his school uniform shirt and
handed it to me.
A small pink ribbon. It was the item the boss had been eyeing when he was
shopping before.
"I heard that girls wear accessories like that."
"Yes, yes, but…"
He curled his tail and fixed his gaze on the raised ribbon.
After that, seeing the motionless attitude, I looked back at the boss.
"Fufu."
The boss who smiles and looks at me with meaningful eyes.
Guessing the approximate meaning, he received a ribbon and placed it on the boss's head.
Yeah, I don't know about changing clothes, but I can do it.
"Then let's start slowly."
After that, the boss stands at the entrance with a backpack on his back.
Before opening the door and leaving my seat, I expressed my concerns about the boss looking like an old lady.
"Induction ceremony, are you really okay alone?"
"Okay. There's no need for a guardian to oversee the event such as the entrance ceremony… … Above all, shouldn't you be looking for a job?"
"Yes, but…"
"Don't worry."
The boss, who wears shoes with ribbons, looked at me, tying the straps of her bag.
"Isn't this one of the safest places on the continent where we are now?
What's more, if the tiger pattern was engraved on it, the tiger's den would be safer."
No one doubts who we are, so we can walk with confidence.
But wasn't the Land of Heroes such a place?
The impossible happened, and no one can guarantee that it will never
happen more than once.
Of course it did, but…
"The Hero Association is the force that defeated Ouroboros."
"...."
"If such a force repeats the same mistake twice, wouldn't that
be considered a humiliation in itself?"
Ah, yes.
Although they were enemies in the past, they still have a certain respect
for the forces that defeated them as leaders of the organization.
It would be absurd for me, a pawn, to not be able to participate in that thought.
"Ah, Moa-san!"
Even after walking out the front door with a light heart, I turned my head
towards the cheerful voice I heard from the side.
The next door opened and out came a girl with impressive freckles
wearing the same uniform as the boss.
It was Nella, who lived next door.