Chapter 56. What’s the Use of Fancy Clothes
Hey? Earn me some money, will ya?!
– Today, there was an official announcement from the Association.
– The announcement stated that some heroes would be expelled due to issues that arose during the handling of the recent public incident.
Cold gulp of beer and comfy, loose clothes.
Laying back on the sofa, I could just stare at the television.
Here it is, paradise.
I leaned comfortably back and blankly stared at the TV.
– Then, let’s have a conversation with the hero expert, Professor Lee Gi-hwa.
Hero expert, huh? A bald man with the grand title of a Sociology of Heroes professor appeared on the TV, greeting everyone.
– Exactly what does the expulsion of heroes entail, and how effective is it?
– Expulsion is the highest punishment imposed on heroes by the Association. The last declared case was seven years ago when a hero couldn’t control his anger and killed a civilian.
– I see. What is the specific punishment?
– It strips the hero of their powers in the name of the Association and retracts all social privileges granted to them as a hero. However, this is merely a punishment from the Association. If violence against civilians occurs, it will be judged again under the laws of their country.
For that incident, the civilian was found at fault and received three years of probation. The ridiculous case where a madman shot at a hero out of rage and was declared to have acted in self-defense.
Once the incident became widely known, sympathy for heroes increased significantly, with many claiming the Association’s punishment was too harsh.
Even so, murder is murder. The Association’s verdict wouldn’t change.
The three-year probation was merely a ruling by the United States, the hero’s home country.
Ah, but at least I was able to receive a pension.
They said it was a result of the U.S. protesting to the Association. When the Association ignored it, the government stepped in directly to offer it.
– Stripping a hero of their powers? Is that even possible? I thought their powers remained until the end of the conversation.
– Of course, under normal circumstances, yes. But there are loopholes.
– Loopholes?
– The mildest method is to provide rapid support to finish the discussion quickly. This method is chosen when there’s a huge social uproar.
– So, there are other methods too, I assume?
– Hmm. Do you know what happens when external forces defeat your opponent, and you’re not a party to the story?
– I only know that it leads to something terrifying.
– Boom!
– Huh?
– The power possessed by the beings of that otherworld explodes purely. And according to its concentration, contamination occurs. Distortion of physical laws, otherworld erosion, and in the worst scenario, holes in resources appear.
And out of those holes, beings from the otherworld continue to pour out. The Great Wall was created to stop that.
Although otherworld erosion or contamination can be purified over time, once a hole appears, it cannot be reversed.
Through the hole, the power of the otherworld flows endlessly, and invaders, not just the antagonists of the story, burst forth.
After the establishment of the Association, the number of heroes increased, making it possible to manage the holes, but in ancient times, it was horrifying.
They couldn’t distinguish between story villains and otherworld foes pouring out through the hole, attacking indiscriminately, causing the antagonist of the story to explode, resulting in a rapid increase in the concentration of otherworld power.
If numerous foes swarm out and such a high concentration scenario happens, it’s likely a hole will burst.
And thus, it repeats endlessly. A terrible cycle. An eternal battlefield.
While reminiscing about the old battlefields, the two men on the TV continued their discussion.
– Then, isn’t cooperating with heroes the only method left?
– Not necessarily. If you kill foes in areas with low concentrations of otherworld power and start purification work quickly, it can be resolved without issues.
– Of course, due to the uncertainty factor, the Association tends to avoid this method as much as possible, but…
That uncertainty factor is the problem.
What if the concentration of otherworld power in that area differs from the measured values?
What if the final enemy, thought to be the last, reveals themselves as a hidden boss?
What if there’s an entity from the otherworld with abilities that act through death?
Such issues exist, so they generally allow heroes to handle it as much as possible.
I have other methods, but…
– What’s the reason for expelling heroes while taking such risks?
– The Association merely stated the expulsion, but they don’t mention which heroes are expelled or what their charges are.
– Can I ask why?
– It’s simple. The Association never exposes personal information about heroes unless the individuals want it. Officially, they say it’s because expulsion heroes must continue living life after being expelled. But in reality, it’s because the founders of the Association have a deep trauma from our past experiences.
Trauma from incidents we’ve suffered in the past.
That’s why there’s complete security regarding personal information.
Nowadays, kids…
It seems they think of it like celebrities, wanting to expose everything.
“Senpai, what are you watching?”
Turning my head, I saw my second disciple approaching, drying her hair with a fluffy towel.
What she wrapped around her damp skin was a thin gown. It wasn’t overly revealing, but seeing a girl wandering around like that bothered me.
“Put some clothes on. What are you doing?”
She’s not even married, so why is she practically showing off her bare skin?
“Well, there are only girls around.”
Oh, does she not understand?
“I’m a man.”
“That’s how you look; you’ve transformed from a man.”
“Well, um… but if you’ve lived like that for 30 years…
“Ah, so the body changes with the mind, huh? There are beings from the otherworld or those involved in otherworld erosion whose genders have changed.”
Some I know have become completely inhuman.
“But I’m not one of them. There’s no way to know if my mind has changed back then or now.”
Is it because I’ve transformed into a magical girl’s body?
Even if I wanted to compare, I’d need someone like me.
There were similar cases, but that person retired and even got married, I think.
“Um… so are you attracted to women…?”
Throwing aside the towel, she looked around nervously, throwing out a question that wasn’t really a question.
Is she embarrassed?
Why is she making such a fuss? The gown’s gonna fall off.
“I don’t really know. When it comes to men and women, I’d say women, but that’s probably because my mind remains male.”
It’s true that women stand out much more than men.
However, I’m worried about Abin wandering around in such a state not because she’s female, but because she’s my careless young disciple.
If she acts strangely, what face will she show your parents?
Actually, I’ve seen them very little.
“So it’s okay then?”
“What do you mean?”
Facing her directly,
“I don’t think you’ll do anything with her, and Sihyeon’s even more severe.”
Don’t mention Baek Sihyeon.
That girl might run around the city, completely naked with a hammer, even if her clothes get torn.
“What are you talking about?”
They say, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Baek Sihyeon also revealed herself.
Is she clean and ready for bed, or what? She’s wearing a soft, overall outfit.
Her mascot, Lin, perched sleepily on her shoulder, nodding off.
A sleep gown is within a reasonable range.
What might be problematic, though…
“Sihyeon.”
“Yes! Master!”
“What’s the design of that outfit?”
“It’s a dinosaur.”
Oh, I see.
I thought a dinosaur monster had appeared and swallowed you whole.
Why is she wearing a stuffed animal outfit?
The last time I saw, it was just a regular pajama.
“Sihyeon. It seems your senpai is asking why you’re wearing a dinosaur outfit…”
As if to prove her words, Baek Sihyeon started pressing her head down.
As she said, the stuffed animal outfit’s head goes in, and after a while, it puffs up again.
Now, I don’t even know what I should say.
“Abin. At least you should dress properly while wandering around.”
…Though the direction is different, it feels like I should say that.
Yeah, for my mental health’s sake.
– Professor Lee Gi-hwa, thank you for your insightful words. This has been Professor Lee Gi-hwa.
“That? That’s related to the latest hero expulsion, isn’t it?”
The dinosaur disciple who didn’t even notice her weird outfit sat beside me and opened her mouth.
“Yeah. They say a few heroes made mistakes on the battlefield.”
“Did they mention what those crimes are?”
“That’s private information, so it won’t come out. If the individual wishes, they could disclose it, but how many would willingly reveal something so disgraceful?”
Now, falling in love with a monster and running away from this story, the Association will somehow deal with it.
If it’s a disgrace worse than that, it’s pretty obvious.
Like that guy I personally reprimanded who escaped, leaving behind the injured.
Intentional friendly fire against civilians.
Disobeying orders and severely injuring a comrade during the escape, that kind of extent.
Simple escape or failure to obey orders wouldn’t likely lead to expulsion.
At worst, pension cuts or short imprisonment, loss of hero title.
Cases where expulsion becomes certain would involve actions that would drastically tarnish the hero’s public image;
that’s what the Association fears most.
“Wouldn’t it be better to inform the public and promise to prevent such incidents from occurring?”
“Should we say who the offender was?”
The Association would never do that.
In the past, once that got out, countless innocent people suffered.
To be precise, it harmed the heroes as a whole.
“It’s not about an individual; it’s about what crimes a member of the Association committed, what happened, and how the incident was handled. Wouldn’t it be wise to publicize that? If the Association made such statements, people would have more trust. Anyway, the Association tends to keep secrets, so there are those who are discontent.”
Logical words tumbled out of Baek Sihyeon’s mouth.
This girl truly has some thought processes.
“The Association is a group focused on hero image-making. You must have had a clause of dignity maintained in your contract.”
A piece of paper densely filled with clauses for maintaining dignity.
If my contract was that lengthy, it could be even more so now.
We actually opposed it, but Macbeth and the personnel forced it through.
“That flawless image may actually reduce trust, you know? It might be better to have a friendly image and ease up a bit. If there’s trust, people won’t lose faith in heroes even if an incident occurs.”
Trust.
Can we really move towards that?
A society where Awakeners and Non-Awakeners respect each other, and everyone is respected.
I closed my eyes and imagined that future.
A society where heroes take off their masks, smile, and showcase their achievements.
I couldn’t picture it.
Black stains taint that imagination.
A sour smile.
Eyes filled with fear.
Sharp syringes.
Purple culture fluids.
Electricity. Machines. Blood.
Words scrawled in black markers.
Impossible.
For me, I can’t possibly imagine such a society.
I calmed my emotions and slowly turned my gaze towards Baek Sihyeon.
Peeking her head shyly, with a smile between the dinosaur outfit.
She must be able to imagine such a scene.
A hero that’s not perfect, but friendly. A society where such beings roam.
“Change it, you all.”
“The Association has hardened its thoughts after experiencing so much. Change it when you grow up.”
Just like we changed society after committing countless sins.
For a moment, I quietly turned my head back to the TV.
The news ended, transitioning to an ad. A scene where heroes appear as celebrities, advertising beverages.
To me, that doesn’t feel right.
Turning my head to my two disciples, I found them starting to chatter about what the drink might taste like.
To them, that must be normal.
Not perfect, but friendly heroes.
Maybe I heard it too.
Heroes don’t need to be perfect; being friendly might be better.
Even if they’re imperfect, they might protect humanity.
But I think, one must be perfect to protect humanity.
It’s that kind of mindset that allows us to fight against the waves of the otherworld.
We, the old heroes, are like the very essence of that ideology.
I looked at Baek Sihyeon.
Then prove it yourself.
Change it.
If I’m wrong, come and defeat me with your full strength, the symbol of the old hero.
I will become a pillar that creates ripples in the world with my justice.
If I don’t break, then we are right.
With that thought, I steeled myself.
As I calmed down, Han Abin extended her arm toward me.
“What?”
I didn’t avoid her arm and allowed myself to be pulled by her lead.
Standing behind the sofa, Han Abin hugged me tight. Looking to the opposite side, Baek Sihyeon was also ensnared in Abin’s embrace, just like me.
“Let’s go buy clothes tomorrow.”
What is this, a ghost pulling a trick?
“Abin, I have plenty of clothes.”
“No, dress properly. That’s not clothing; it’s a rag.”
Yeah, what Sihyeon wears is definitely not clothing.
No matter where she picked it up from, it’s better than that…
“Senpai too. You scolded me for what I wear while looking like that?”
What’s wrong with me??
A huge t-shirt that covers my legs, with a beer can in hand,
it’s a perfect outfit.
“This is good enough, isn’t it? After all, if I want to, I can just summon a magical girl outfit.”
“If you’re criticizing someone else’s attire, at least the person saying that should dress appropriately. We’ll be going to buy clothes tomorrow, so keep that in mind.”
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