Chapter 94: Effort, Effort, Nooo~ Effort (2)
The sky is clear and the wind is refreshing.
The bright sun, proving that the strength of the otherworld doesn’t affect the present here, shines without distortion.
The breeze, dampened by the grass, flows past and permeates the banks.
Everything makes one feel a sense of peace.
Even the collapse of the Great Barrier that happened in Hokkaido seems unrelated:
Isn’t it just a given? People went through war, and that’s a story from 15 years ago.
It’s dangerous. If something were to happen again, it would be hard to feel the reality of it.
I can hear the laughter of children.
A sound symbolizing peace, regardless of what medium it comes from. It’s not bad at all.
But there is one problem.
While I’m sprawled on a metallic barrier with a beer amidst a makeshift camping setting on a green lawn,
I wonder, why am I in a place like this?
Maybe it’s because I ran my mouth too much.
“Master! Let’s go play in the water!”
“What a nonsense at this hour!”
Clearly, it’s not a peaceful morning. Exactly 10 seconds after I woke up:
Baek Sihyeon busts into my room, throwing open the door and starting a noise pollution frenzy.
“What park? Explain first! Explain first!”
Would my yelling get through to her? Suddenly, Baek Sihyeon, who looks like she flipped a switch off, clamps her mouth shut and kneels down.
“It’s Hangang Park, you see? Master.”
Could you explain a bit more about the information and how it relates to me being in the park? The thought spins around my head, but I’m still half-asleep and can’t spit out such long sentences.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
The short words burst out.
If you mishear it, it might sound indifferent.
Fortunately, Baek Sihyeon seems to have no problem with that and starts talking with energy again.
“As a master, I’d like to see my students resting well!”
What is this nonsense? I have to supervise them relaxing?
Even though they’re all grown-ups?
“Resting is something they can manage on their own.”
Do I have to do that, too?
“Yesterday, Master, you said resting is important!”
So, it’s only right for you to guide us on how to rest properly!
It seems like she’s madly twisting her words to want to join me. Normally, I’d help her with a request like this, but…
“Not happening.”
With that firm rejection, I fling my body back into the bed.
It’s not because I’m sleepy or anything; it’s simply a rejection.
“I suffered so much in Hokkaido! If you grant me just one request, I’d have no wishes!”
“Master!”
But Baek Sihyeon starts blabbering loudly. I can’t even understand her mix of words, and it all sounds jumbled.
Unable to endure the noise, I bury my head into the pillow, but the faint vibrations from her words keep tickling my ears.
“I want to spend time with my Master! It’s about my feelings as a student…”
It seems Baek Sihyeon’s unique focus has ignited in a strange direction.
If I leave it like this, in the worst case, she’ll spend all day bugging me.
I can’t let that happen. Let’s think of it as a service:
“Wouldn’t it be less bothersome if you leave? Just go!”
*
Lately, my students seem to be treating me a bit too casually.
Do they think that I’ll grant their every whim? Should I shout at them to reestablish my authority?
As I ponder these thoughts, the current situation doesn’t seem so bad, and I stop my line of thought.
There’s no need for me to stir up trouble with my students and correct them, and I do have free time, to be honest.
Keeping that in mind, while I’m enjoying the wind and sipping my drink,
“Senior! Stop drinking and splash around with us!”
Han Ah calls out out of nowhere.
Splashing around?
I don’t even have the energy to retort, and in this peaceful atmosphere, I slowly turn my head to follow Han Ah’s lead. I see people splashing around in the water.
But there’s a slight problem.
“Does it seem like I should be splashing around with kids?”
The act of splashing around was meant for middle school or elementary school kids.
“Don’t you think we look similar?”
“Are you seriously saying that now?”
Let’s not even go there. Speaking up would only be counterproductive for me.
“Don’t mind me. You all go have fun. I’m satisfied enjoying this stage.”
Enjoying the vast Han River with a beer as my companion is enough of a break for me.
“So just resting indoors is the same as being here, isn’t it? It’s a chance to go out, so walk along the riverbank and dip your hands in the water!”
I’m perfectly satisfied with this natural environment, but it seems my students want to drag me around for some reason.
“Go with Sihyeon, go with Sihyeon!”
Why are they doing this to me?
I plan to curl up and relax right here on this lawn.
“If it’s Sihyeon, she’s over there causing another commotion, so calling her is a bit…”
At that sound, I spring to my feet.
“Where is she?”
Did Sihyeon cause another trouble?
I’m already worried about whether my management responsibilities would lead me to be blamed for letting the monumental tower fall!
“There!” Han Ah points to the same place from before!
There are no kids splashing around.
And there’s just a youngster running around, making a big fuss among the kids.
She’s smiling, splashing water, and grabbing the kids to throw them into the sky.
Maybe this is what you’d call basic common sense.
Regardless, seeing a pure girl playing with the kids is heartwarming… even if it’s not clear to me at all.
“Should I go get her?”
“Leave her. She looks innocent enough.”
Her head must be filled with fluffy thoughts.
“I’ve been wondering how on earth someone like that could be born in today’s world.
With a personality and skills like hers…”
“Aren’t you the same?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Do I have any similarities with someone so innocent?
“Isn’t it true that you’re focused on being a hero without a proper hobby lately, and it doesn’t seem like you’re getting rewarded for it?”
“Not that focused.”
“Heh. No one believes that.”
Did my words strike her as funny? Han Ah giggles and wraps her arms around my shoulders from behind.
Her hands, a mixture of firm muscles contrary to appearances, slowly slide down to meet my hands.
“You’re definitely hiding it.”
Her fingers danced past mine, reaching for her pocket and pulling out her cellphone.
“It’s only natural for a hero to be prepared for emergencies.”
As she speaks, I glance at the screen of the cellphone she took out, and I see numerous pieces of information updating quickly.
Free Extermination emergency council update for the heroes, notices by branch.
All of it is valuable information that cannot be overlooked.
“Can you see all this?”
“It’s just a matter of familiarity. I’m on the slow side; the higher-ups related to status do this as a matter of course.”
I can compress data neither with my brain nor with magic.
Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be something to teach to Ahban, too?
“If you’re going for status-related knowledge, you should get accustomed to it. Learning data compression magic beforehand and becoming familiar with it is efficient.”
“It doesn’t seem like they’d accept a hero without any skills, though.”
“If you develop your skills instead, you should be fine. I’ve mentioned it before, but I was clueless at first.”
Even when things weren’t as advanced as they are for them now, somehow, it worked out for me.
As I’m about to mention my past experiences again,
my words veer off course, because that’s not what I want to talk about.
Holding her cellphone beside her face, she points at it with her finger.
“There’s no need to keep an eye on us even on your day off. You’ve told us to rest, so it seems a bit too eager.”
This thought makes me reflect, I wonder how long it’s been since I properly rested.
Even when I had little interest in the world, I was always running around, finding time to do Free Extermination.
“Well, anyway, we’re going off track. I think it’s fine for a hero to work hard.
Now that I know, most of the monsters around the neighborhood have been dealt with by you, right?
Whenever the alarms go off, you disappear and quickly take care of them, don’t you?”
“Of course, it’s part of what I have to do.”
We have the strength, so it’s our duty to help in return.
“Well, that’s one thing, but you’re quite the stickler about it.”
However, there’s one other thing.
I leaned back on my makeshift setup, straining to hear her next words, which take a moment to come.
It’s like she’s picking her words carefully.
“Why, when you’re doing such work, do you have no materials?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why don’t you show yourself off?
At first, I didn’t know, but if you look up, you’ll find that even the librarian you introduced as a friend or the legendary swordsman has their name out there.”
The meaning dawns on me.
“Why, when all your accomplishments are visible, don’t you have anything?”
That’s quite the challenge she poses.
“No, keep going. I’m serious about this.
Even after your achievements in dealing with the last monster, your name wasn’t even brought up in discussions at the end.”
This girl keeps pushing buttons, doesn’t she? Is she trying to nudge me, like Hyunseok?
“Perhaps heroes shouldn’t expect a price in return.
Isn’t that what you were trying to convey? I suspect you feel like you should shoulder the responsibility, more than us.”
“Who says I’m doing this for free?”
“Who’s the one acting like that?”
“Help me!”
Thud.
Just then, loud grumbling and joyous laughter intertwine with various voices.
I hear someone asking for help.
“Out of the way!”
“Senior, I still have something to say:”
I shove past the student in front of me, rushing toward the source of the noise.
Whoosh.
The moment my foot meets the ground, it shatters and swirls in the wind, exploding the grass and dirt into the air, creating a flurry of debris before settling over the clear sky.
With a single kick, the place where citizens used to relax becomes a pile of trash, but I don’t care about that as I rush toward the source of the sound.
People need to avoid damage, so I adjust the area and race as fast as I can.
The kickback causes the ground to tremble, but at the moment, I can’t be concerned about that.
The children splashing around seem unaware of the impending danger, adding more urgency to my stride.
“Warning signs say not to go into the deep water!”
However, there are always people who ignore warnings: especially innocent children unaware of the danger:
Splash.
With my final bound, I leap into the waters, plunging into the depths.
The place where the child had sunk, with broken buoys and barriers meant to stop the entering of people, has been swept away.
But that doesn’t matter right now. What’s important is the life of that child submerged under the surface.
Splash!
As I dive, the murky, contaminated water and bubbles cloud my vision.
Ignoring the filth, I stretch my hands toward the place where I feel life,
A boy, barely alive from gulping down water, seemingly too foolish to take his clothes off to swim.
I grip his body.
Without any response, he is just a lifeless figure.
With a desperate cry for help, the water fills my lungs.
“No way.
I have to keep on the lookout, so he won’t be shocked.”
Wrapping my entire body around the boy, I manage to get us both out of the water.
Once I finally make it to the surface, what greets me are shocked bystanders and both my students.
Back on dry land, I immediately hand the boy to Han Ah.
“He’s got water in his lungs! Help and call an ambulance.”
“What about you, Senior?”
Realizing the situation is dire, I hurriedly perform CPR and administer first aid on the boy.
While Han Ah throws questions toward me on her own accord.
Once again, I prepare to leave.
Thud.
I retreat, keeping my legs back, gracefully avoiding the crowd while ensuring nothing gets shattered this time.
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