I felt a bitter taste in my mouth despite not having eaten anything, and I hurried into the Association President’s office.
Actually, even until the moment I entered the office, I had no idea what the Association President looked like. If we’re talking about the president of the Hero Association, they must be quite a renowned person, being a famous hero among heroes, but unfortunately, the only newspaper I usually read was the church newsletter, and even that I barely read properly. Since it was a church newsletter, the stories on the front page were either about me or related to me, which made it extremely uncomfortable to read.
Moreover, recently, my name had been popping up slowly in other media outlets besides the church newsletter, so I didn’t really want to look for those articles. Aurora seemed to read those articles diligently, though.
I had never understood why celebrities stay off the internet, but now I did. If I were to delve into other media, I’m sure there would be plenty of posts trashing me. I certainly wasn’t strong enough mentally to look for such things.
Anyway, it was my secretary who scheduled the appointment, and it was my first time seeing the president even after arriving here, but I had constructed a sort of image of them in my mind.
Like, I imagined they would be somewhat like a principal.
A large build, prominent lines of wrinkles on the face, and a vibe that could crush bricks with their fists. That’s how the principal of the Hero Training Academy was, so I thought it only made sense for the head of the heroes, the president, to be even more impressive or at least of a similar caliber.
“……”
However, it seemed like no one was in the president’s office.
How strange, I distinctly heard a voice responding from the inside just moments ago.
The room I was now in bore all the hallmarks of a space frequented by high-ranking individuals I had come to recognize through my encounters. It was a spacious and elongated room, with a table surrounded by sofas, one wall occupied by a bookshelf, and in front of it, a large desk that was clearly made of expensive wood.
And that desk was piled high and densely packed with documents; if someone were sitting behind it, they wouldn’t be visible.
Actually, if it were someone like a principal sitting there, perhaps only the top of their head might be seen.
“Welcome to the Hero Association.”
A voice suddenly came from nowhere, startling me. It was the same female voice I had heard outside the door. It was a high-pitched voice, but not grating—more like it sounded slightly tired.
I had thought it was the secretary’s voice.
The voice seemed familiar somehow. This was the second time I was feeling this sense of déjà vu since arriving. The staff member I had met just earlier was someone I had encountered before, so could it be that I had seen this person once as well?
“Ah.”
The owner of the voice realized that they were still hidden behind the stack of documents. There was a scrape as a chair was pulled out. I was beginning to suspect that perhaps this person had an ability to turn invisible, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Living in a world where such abilities existed would be too uncomfortable.
I heard the clack of feet on the ground, but still, no one was visible behind the pile of documents.
“……”
As that moment passed,
“I greet you again. My name is Anais, the president of the Hero Association. Nice to meet you.”
Emerging from behind the stack of documents was someone who looked nothing like what I had imagined.
At first glance, I could tell that the person was a cat-human. They had neatly arranged short black hair and large cat ears perched atop their head. The ears drooped slightly, as though lacking energy, but moved a little at regular intervals.
With white skin and large eyes, Anais had deep blue irises that exuded a mystical aura.
It was hard to gauge her age just by her appearance. She was shorter than Aurora and had a slim figure. To be honest, if she were wearing a school uniform instead of business attire, it wouldn’t be strange to think she was a student at the academy.
To put it another way, she seemed like one of those characters from light novels that have the excuse of being “older but don’t look it.”
It was understandable that she was hidden behind a pile of documents.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve come out to greet you…”
At that statement, I remembered that this person had cleared their schedule to meet with me today. It seemed that even with a clear schedule, it didn’t mean they had time to spare. After all, how big could the one remaining country truly be? There would certainly be countless heroes active throughout the nation. Even if they only reported on the most significant incidents from all that was happening, it would take all day to finish their work.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed some dark circles under her eyes. It was said that cat-humans often required a lot of sleep and tended to be nocturnal, so I wondered just how little rest she had managed to get. Perhaps those marks were the result of makeup barely concealing her fatigue.
“No, it’s my fault for not being punctual.”
In reality, it was indeed my fault. Should I have taken refuge in the cathedral, which wasn’t far? Or perhaps there was also a route to the cathedral where Rina stayed. That place would have been closer.
…Had I done that, it would’ve resulted in an even greater feeling of guilt sweeping over me than what I was feeling now, though. It wouldn’t be typical for one of the church’s leaders to show up unannounced at an ordinary small cathedral. The priest and abbot might be pleased, but the nuns would be in a frenzy.
It was a relief I had returned from the military service in that world. Otherwise, I would have never been able to empathize.
“This is Aurora Ranieri, the Saintess Assistant.”
After standing there, blinking for a moment, I suddenly realized I had failed to introduce my companions, and I hurriedly began to make the introductions. Aurora bowed her head as she heard my introduction.
“I am Aurora. Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
The president returned the greeting with a gentle smile.
“This is Linea Vikander, my personal guard. She is affiliated with the Inquisition.”
Rina inclined her body slightly with poise.
“I see. Nice to meet you.”
The president also greeted Rina with a smile.
“Shall we sit down and talk? Please, come this way.”
Fortunately, the table meant for guests was free of documents. After seating us, the president started preparing coffee. I wondered if she possessed the ability to instantly boil water like a principal did; instead, she filled the coffee pot with water and heated it herself.
“By the way, was the person who answered your call the president?”
“You may simply call me Anais.”
I’d rather not use her given name. No matter how much she appeared to be younger, she was part of the government. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to get close to her; it was more that our relationship felt awkward for friendship.
“If that’s the case, will you call me by name, too?”
However, I felt that rejecting her would only make the already awkward atmosphere more uncomfortable, so I asked in return.
“……Ah, well……”
The president awkwardly smiled, unable to respond. I guess it was to be expected. While in terms of age or experience I might be younger, in the grand scheme of things, Anais was in a position that made it somewhat awkward to treat me casually. If the leader of a government agency were to call a saint by name, it could lead to misunderstandings down the line.
“……I see.”
Muttering as if she had realized something, the president offered us a faint smile, as if she understood.
Though it gave me a tinge of guilt, all I could do was nod in response.
“To answer your question, yes, that was indeed me. The president does not have a separate secretary.”
The water in the coffee pot began to bubble.
“You’re aware that many of those working in administrative roles within the association are former heroes, correct?”
“Yes, I am.”
Of course, I had only just learned of it, but I nodded nonetheless.
“Currently, it’s not a level where a secretary is solely necessary, and if a situation arose where one was needed, it would be better to have the position vacant. If I were to hire a regular person for my own convenience, I might miss a visit from someone important that could potentially arrive later on. Is the coffee to your liking?”
As she prepared four cups on a tray and showed us the jar containing the coffee grounds, we nodded.
“As heroes protect the common people at all costs, the Hero Association exists to protect those heroes above all. Thus, unless the workload becomes excessive, we do not employ regular citizens, as that is also part of our regulations.”
Given that the volume of paper piled on the desk was decidedly excessive, it seemed a contradictory statement, dear president.
After setting a cup before each of us with a clink, the president finally took a seat and lifted her own cup.
“Phew.”
As she exhaled softly, the president, seated on the sofa, wore an expression of contentment. Well, I would feel the same after standing upright all day arranging documents and then plopping down on a sofa.
Suddenly realizing we were watching her, the president blushed slightly and straightened up.
“Oh, sorry, did I make a rude impression…?”
“No, it’s quite alright.”
It was probably due to being in a space where many people were of lower rank than herself that she unconsciously slipped into that habit. In a conversation here, sitting back in the sofa would likely be common. It is certainly possible she had increased her work quite a lot and dozed off under the pressures.
Clearing her throat timidly with a cough, the president collected her expression and opened her mouth.
“You mentioned you had something you wanted to discuss…”
“Oh, yes.”
Seeing the president ask me without jumping straight into the main points startled me a little. …Could it be that she asked me to become a hero but hadn’t informed the Association separately?
“Yes, I received an offer to register as a hero after early graduation.”
“……Huh?”
The president’s mouth dropped open. Her fingers resting on the teacup lost their grip, and the cup threatened to spill at any moment. Should I catch it?
“The Saintess…to become a hero…?”
“Yes, that was the offer I received…”
One thing was certain: this person had absolutely not received such an offer. It wouldn’t be easy for someone so often buried in tasks that left them exhausted to play along that convincingly. Moreover, the expression she was making now was one of sudden wakefulness—perhaps her mind had fully snapped to attention.
“Ah.”
After staring vacantly at me for a while, the president blinked again, getting her wits about her.
“…You mean to say that such an offer came from the Saintess?”
Again, she asked calmly, and I nodded.
“Did you perhaps receive any formal documents?”
“I did receive an official document, but it seems someone may have altered it midway.”
“You mean it was altered?”
I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then explained how the original document that recommended me for university studies had been switched to a document suggesting I register as a hero. After hearing about discrepancies from the vice principal, I had gone back, and it had changed back to the original.
“……”
Resting her chin on her hand, the president listened to me intently, her expression turning serious as she spoke.
“In that case, it’s clear that someone forged that document.”
“What? But the document itself was obtained through the Ministry of Education…”
“No, not the document itself, but the one that was altered midway—the one that recommended registering as a hero.”
“Ah…”
It was certain that the only person who had seen the real document was Seo-A, my homeroom teacher. If anything was to be forged, it’d have made the most sense to forge that document. Moreover, if they were planning to completely dispose of it, that would only further reinforce the idea.
Things were becoming even more dubious than I had anticipated.
“Could you show me the original document, if possible?”
“I have a copy.”
Upon my prompting, the president slightly bent over and said, handing a document my way.
“If so, could we take a look at that copy?”
“Ah, sure.”
No sooner had I answered than Aurora pulled a sizeable stack of papers from the small briefcase she was holding. Well, it seemed she’d adapted quite well to her role as an aide. She had been with me from the start, so she likely didn’t need any further adjustment.
“Thank you.”
I smiled at Aurora as I received the stack with both hands. The president took out her glasses from the front pocket of her blazer, looking a tad pitiful as she donned them.
“……”
Staring intently at the signature on the first page, she began to leaf through the pages one by one. However, it didn’t seem to go smoothly. It appeared that she struggled a bit, tapping the paper with her fingers to slide it over one by one, and after several attempts, she eventually pinched the edge to turn the page.
Huh?
Oh no, well…I suppose it’s not so uncommon to have such occurrences when handling documents every day. I couldn’t determine her age, but if she was indeed older than she appeared, then her fingers might be quite dry and a little oily from direct contact, making it tough to flip through. If she were constantly signing and moving papers around, her thumbprint might have worn down a bit.
With her eyebrows slightly knitted as she struggled through the pages, it seemed that this was also becoming a bit laborious for her, and she raised her right thumb to bring it close to her mouth—
Before meeting our gaze.
“Ah,”
Seeing the three of us staring intently at her hand made her face turn crimson with embarrassment, and she quickly lowered her hand.
“That…is a bad habit. I’m sorry. I’m trying to work on it, but it’s not easy…”
“Oh, no…well…”
Fortunately, she didn’t wet the papers with her saliva. As she began to bend the documents over quicker, they now were being turned slower and with more care, as if she was attempting to exercise some restraint. At the very least, it was clear she acknowledged that these documents weren’t hers.
…If I thought about it, it also factored in that no one had been there to call her on her actions.
Without a personal secretary, she was likely alone in this office most of the time, and unless she examined the documents closely beyond the passage of time, she would hardly notice if anything out of place slipped through.
Thinking back to the way she sat down on the sofa earlier, it truly conveyed that there was no one to say anything to her at all. It wasn’t so much a case of disregard for those she was with or someone lacking the authority to speak up, but rather no one to speak up because literally no one was around.
However—
The serious expression plastered on her face as she perused the pages one by one gave me pause—there was no way it could be construed as mere playacting.
“Admittedly, just this document doesn’t provide sufficient specifics.”
Content-wise, there was nothing particularly notable. Given that the document was a mere copy, it would have very likely yielded little more than what it currently did.
“I heard that the signature on the cover page resembled the one found on the original document that went missing.”
As I said this, the president adjusted her glasses and continued to closely scrutinize the cover page, shaking her head.
“…This signature doesn’t match any that I recognize. I’m sorry for being of no help.”
Saying this, the president handed the document back to Aurora. Aurora quickly packed the papers away into her briefcase.
The promptness of that action seemed to catch the president by surprise, but she soon regained her composure and cleared her throat.
“You’ve come all this way, yet I have little in the way of answers to give. However, I will ensure to track down who orchestrated the recommendation to register as a hero. If that truly came from within the Association, it puts us in a difficult situation.”
Though she didn’t specify what sort of difficulty that entailed, the president confidently stated the intent.
I could have inquired further about what that difficult situation was, but instead of arousing suspicion immediately, I felt it would be wiser to observe things a bit longer.
“No, it’s the president who should be thanked for taking the time from your busy schedule. We’re the ones in indebtedness.”
I said this, simply rising to my feet.
*
After that, the president immediately started making telephone calls, and we headed out to the lobby. While we shot each other meaningful glances during our exit, we refrained from discussing any further topics, just in case.
“Ah, did you have a good conversation?”
The staff member in the lobby spoke. The woman seated at the desk was the same one I had seen earlier. The male staff member who had briefly taken desk duty was nowhere to be seen.
Now that I thought about it, I recalled that my visiting time coincided with a shift change.
I may have arrived much earlier than scheduled and possibly just timed my entrance by accident. At the very least, for that individual, it must have been fortunate that I arrived first.
“Yes, everything went well.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The president is a good person. I’m sure you had a great conversation with the Saintess as well.”
Upon hearing that, I felt a tangle of emotions.
Did the president position this person here as a calculated measure? Perhaps it was to leave me with a favorable impression?
…I knew better than to think such thoughts in front of someone who had lost their legs, but they came to mind regardless.
“…Saintess, are you alright?”
Ah, it seemed I had gotten lost in my own thoughts. Blinking a couple of times brought the worried expression of the staff member into view as she looked up at me.
And I noticed the wheelchair she was seated in.
“…Um,”
Without realizing it, I opened my mouth. I wasn’t sure how much she knew, but I was well aware that I couldn’t carelessly use my powers before applying the power of miracles. Even now, I had a fair understanding that my body might not completely break apart, but back then, I only knew of the concept of ‘breaking’ without comprehending everything about it.
But now, it was different.
Had I never met that person, even if I reflected on the situation later, I wouldn’t have been able to keep the promise I made to myself back then.
Yet now, that is no longer the case.
The person from back then was standing right in front of me.
“About your legs…”
But I found it hard to voice my thoughts.
People honored me as the Saintess, but in reality, all I wished was to escape to the farthest away place and live a life free of worries. I yearned to be like a trust fund kid.
The more miracles I performed, the further I strayed from that dream.
And although I couldn’t quantify it accurately, creating functioning legs for another person would require no small amount of miraculous power. While it might not be the level to resurrect someone, I would still be creating “proper legs for a living person.” While my body wouldn’t shatter, I was sure my hands would bleed. Moreover, the pain would intensely hurt—something that even Baal’s powers wouldn’t be able to stop.
If I helped one person, the grounds for not helping someone else vanished. If someone else came up and asked, “Why did you help that person but not me?” I would have nothing to say. If it continued that way, using the powers of miracles over and over again…
I felt worthless for pondering how a person’s future hinged on such trivial matters. No matter how I looked at it, it wouldn’t do justice for a Saintess.
While I got lost in my thoughts, it felt like someone grasped my hand.
“It’s alright.”
The one who held my hand was the employee who had lost her legs on the battlefield.
She was grabbing my hand over the desk, smiling as if she understood what I was about to say.
“I’ve already received a great gift; I don’t expect anything more. To live a single life already granted me one miracle. There’s no need for you to feel pain for not being able to give me anything more.”
She looked up at me as she spoke.
“There’s no need for you to shoulder the burdens of others. Sacrificing yourself ought to be the responsibility of those like us adults, not something you should take on, Saintess.”
She held my hand firmly as she continued.
“Please take care of yourself. That would be the greatest gift and miracle you can bestow upon everyone.”
“……”
I had no clue how she knew what I was about to say. Perhaps she noticed that the troubles weighed heavily on me as a Saintess.
“……”
In the end, I found myself unable to voice any sort of reply.
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