NOVEL NEXT Chapter 225
As the kids were slowly coming to the point where they seriously needed to think about their future plans, answers began to pop up from all over the place.
The first to speak was Minho. He brought up his point without any hesitation, almost as if he had it planned out beforehand.
“I think I’m going to set up an office under Heros Company.”
“Oh, a standalone. But I’ve heard that’s a lot of hassle and pretty expensive, are you sure about that?”
A standalone office referred to an independent office that didn’t belong anywhere other than the Hero Association, and even with those, it was merely a name on the list.
One might think all hero offices are standalone, but that wasn’t the case.
Most hero offices were tied to large agencies or well-known companies, or directly under some association or Heros Company.
It might seem surprising, but that’s how things worked around here. Having connections ensured easier and more favorable requests or assignments in better locations.
So, it was fair to say that being independent would be tough with average skill, capital, and connections.
Competing against offices that got their support purely on the merit of their own efforts wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
While capital support mostly came from the Academy and Hero Association, whether he could handle the rest on his own was a big question…
Even though I had goodwill toward him, I thought that might be pushing it a bit.
“Of course, there will be some hassles. But… I really don’t want a sidekick. I need to make my name known so people will hear my story and follow my lead, right?”
Minho knew it would be tough, but still felt that if he intended to change people’s perceptions, being standalone might actually be the way to go.
“The justice of Heros Company isn’t necessarily my justice, and the less I’m tied down, the more freedom I think I can have.”
“So, I want to avoid sidekicks as much as possible. But…”
“Heh heh heh, Minho? It might be a good idea to open the door before it gets kicked down, you know?”
“I agree.”
Minho couldn’t withstand the heavy pressure from Seolhwa and Ageha next to him, and decided he might just have to consider having at least a sidekick after all.
“Alright, sounds great. So, is it my turn now? I think I’ll be sticking with Minho for a while. I don’t have enough experience to go solo as an independent hero yet.”
Moreover, Ageha added that she felt it was necessary to keep Minho from getting himself into too much trouble.
“…I was going to say the same thing first. I’m going to sidekick Minho too. But now, since Ageha already said it, I don’t have much more to add.”
Ageha fished for victory with a smug look on her face.
“Well then, am I next? I think I will also work as a sidekick for heroes. I want to be a solo hero too, but honestly… I don’t even know how that works.”
Yeonhwa expressed that while money was a factor, her lack of know-how meant she wanted to gain practical experience under existing heroes before running her own office under the Hero Association.
“I want to chase justice. I want to help society regain peace.”
“Jinhyeon, dreams are great, but how about a more concrete plan?”
At this point, I thought Jinhyeon would really be in for some trouble if he remained so clueless later. It was amusing, yet at the same time, I felt a bit sorry for Yeonhwa, who would have to continue to take care of him.
“Ah, for that… I’d like to work as a sidekick for heroes supporting protestors. I want to understand their reasoning.”
That’s an angle right there. In the past, he would’ve simply labeled those supporting protests as villains without a second thought, but now he wanted to work with heroes who backed them.
When asked if he had a reason, he mentioned that he had deep discussions about justice with Justitia, which significantly influenced his decision.
“…I learned that just because a definition of justice is established, it doesn’t mean it aligns with mine. I still feel like my definition has a lot of weaknesses, and I need to enrich it by exploring various viewpoints.”
Although Yeonhwa’s road ahead looked rough, thankfully her state seemed much better than the original.
“That’s quite grand. Still… I’ll cheer you on. You’ve got this. I’m actually curious about what a perfect form of justice looks like.”
Even though my words were slightly sarcastic, I genuinely felt that way. I wondered what a perfectly fine Jinhyeon would turn into.
“Now, is it my turn? I’m planning to run a direct office under Heros Company.”
“In this climate?”
Are you really going to start a direct office with the public opinion of Heros Company being in the gutter right now?
“I know, I know. I can tell it sounds utterly strange. But I’ve got my reasons for wanting to do this.”
Changwon explained that he wanted to try mending Heros Company from the inside out.
“Though it seems rotten, it’s a big tree. Unless the roots are completely decayed, there should still be solid parts left. I think we should try to fix whatever still functions.”
“That makes sense, plus there’s nothing out there that can replace Heros Company right now.”
“And, the family is always making a ruckus.”
“Ah…”
“Whether I like it or not, we’re tied by blood, so there’s no way to cut them off completely. I envy you guys for the freedom you have.”
While talking like this, Changwon realized he had gone a bit too dark, so he tried to bring some hopeful vibes into the discussion.
“Well, even if I talk like this, if it doesn’t work out, I can always drop out and become standalone. I’m not the captain of a ship after all, I don’t have to stick around if it’s sinking.”
“True. Your effort is admirable, but don’t overexert yourself. It’s pretty much impossible for one person to rebuild a leaning pillar.”
“You won’t know until you try.”
Anyway, believing in abilities and acting cocky hasn’t changed since the start of the semester.
But, this guy might actually pull it off, so I guess that’s okay.
“Now, it’s my turn. I’m planning to live as the lady’s personal maid for life.”
She declared it so lightly that the others initially went along with it, only to later realize and panic, “Wait, for life?!“
Even Lapiz couldn’t help but be surprised.
“Why are you shocked, Miss? It’s only natural, isn’t it? Just where am I supposed to go, leaving behind such a comfortable and great job? I get paid, I’m provided meals and a place to sleep, and I even get to roam outside freely now.”
The kids changed their tune to, “Considering that, it’s not a bad way to go.”
Minho even subtly joked about whether Lapiz would accept a butler duty.
“A butler is a bit…”
“Such a waste.”
“Well, that’s my plan. I intend to serve the lady until I drop dead. I owe her a lot, and I’ve committed some deeds myself.”
After hearing my explanation, the atmosphere shifted to one of understanding and acceptance.
“Alright, now it’s just the lady left. What about you? If you haven’t decided yet, it’s fine not to say anything. You were probably still thinking about it yesterday.”
Lapiz pondered for a moment and then declared confidently.
“I’m going to be… the number one hero!”
“That’s just a dream, Miss.”
“But I still haven’t decided. Hmmm… if I do, I think it’ll probably be a standalone, but I’m not too sure. Hehe, anyway, I just have to figure it out before I graduate from my third year!”
Well, that’s true.
But aiming for number one? That’s quite the grand and ambitious dream. Still, I didn’t feel the urge to laugh it off.
If it’s Lapiz, I’m sure she can do it.
—
Being a maid can be exhausting in many ways. Especially if the lady you serve is a hero.
You have to take care of everything from daily chores, the lady’s makeup and outfit coordination, to styling her hair, and even play a sort of sidekick cum manager role.
Why does the maid have to do such tasks?
I don’t know. It seems I might be the only person who qualifies as a maid in this age. So, no choice really, right?
It’s the job the lady assigned me.
…And it’s something I love doing.
I witnessed the lady work alongside Minho, Seolhwa, and Ageha to defeat a giant villain from the top of an apartment building.
The lady seemed to be struggling a bit, but that was only because she was trying to find a way to subdue it without causing property or civilian harm.
Even now, being the number one hero, she wanted to give villains a chance for rehabilitation if possible.
“But… that looks like a bit of a pickle.”
If things went on like that, the entire city would be left in ruins, so I decided to intervene.
From my right arm, I extracted slime, contorting it like a cannon and aimed it at the giant villain’s nape.
I compressed enough tranquilizer in the bullet to take down ten elephants, then fired it straight at the villain.
The dark projectile sliced through the air and struck true, hitting the villain right on the neck.
The villain’s movements quickly slowed down and he collapsed shortly after.
Minho zipped over to me, perhaps sensing what had happened, and thanked me, but I just shrugged it off.
“What are you talking about? Lapiz already figured it out.”
“She did? Ugh, I’m going to be in trouble.”
“Still, thanks. I really would’ve started sweating otherwise.”
As Minho kept expressing his gratitude, I jokingly told him to wash up more often as I headed down to meet the lady.
As I slid down the building wall, I saw the lady glaring at me, clearly displeased.
“You…”
The lady had always warned me to stay out of sight, but that was just impossible.
After all…
“I’m your maid, my lady.”
Because I’m the lady’s maid.