NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52
“Of course, but it makes sense that the Hero Association is practically owned by Heros Company.”
Some high-ranking officials in the association also held positions in Heros Company, but honestly, the structural reasons regarding the heroes played a larger role.
All the work, salaries, and advertising offers given to the heroes came from Heros Company, along with everything they were patrolling and protecting.
Although they were called heroes, they were basically just private guards for Heros Company.
Minho turned down that role in the original story and embarked on the path of a true hero, while Jinhyeon accepted that role in the game version. That’s why I disliked the game version.
Jinhyeon tried to put Minho into order, and in the game version, he succeeded.
…Seeing the Hero Association present itself from afar sparked a sudden thought.
Somehow, I ended up badmouthing Jinhyeon; I wasn’t even trying to do that.
“So that’s the Hero Association… It’s the first time I’ve seen the real thing.”
“Me too. It’s fascinating; feels like I’m looking at a palace where mythological gods live…”
“Isn’t it impressive because it’s so grand?!”
“Though it seems lacking in practicality… Ouch. What’s up, Yeonhwa?”
“Ah, I guess practicality doesn’t matter much…? I mean, it’s the headquarters of heroes, so, um, looking cool is good… I think…”
“Lady Lapiz has a point. For heroes, how they are perceived matters just as much as practicality.”
The kids were chiming in with their excited feelings, each saying a word. Meanwhile, Jinhyeon was being oblivious as usual, but I was no longer surprised by that.
My thoughts? Well, it’s cool, that about sums it up.
In the game, it was just a quest screen backdrop, and although I frequently visited in the novel, it was never a major place, so I didn’t have any big thoughts about it.
Upon arriving in front of the association building, someone who clearly looked like a hero welcomed us with a cape fluttering, even though there was no wind.
“Welcome, future dreamers, those who walk the path of heroes! Today, I will be your special guide… I am Invictus!”
With black hair, blue eyes, and a muscular body that felt more like touching a rock than flesh, he was draped in a unique black and blue suit.
The students’ responses were not just warm but incredibly enthusiastic to see a hero they had undoubtedly heard of before!
Because of that, it took a good ten minutes just to calm everyone down.
It was quite a struggle to suppress the urge to use some calming gas.
Oh, and I also had to calm down Im Changwon, who had been nagging me to maintain dignity.
It was quite satisfying when I pointed out that he told me to maintain dignity, yet he was tossing it aside himself.
“The timing feels a bit awkward, but… I still have to introduce myself. Hello, I am Jion, and I will be guiding you through the interiors of the association today. Nice to meet you~”
“Applause.”
Seeing the kids looking puzzled at the woman who appeared behind Invictus, I ordered them to clap. They began enthusiastically applauding despite being confused at first.
Such moments make wielding power quite convenient.
“Well, I didn’t expect such a warm welcome…!”
“Hahaha, just act comfortably, just like you do with me!”
“Is… is that so?”
“It might be a bit disappointing for you, but Jion will be the one introducing the Hero Association instead of me! Of course, I’ll still teach you, so don’t feel too bummed about it!”
Invictus cleverly shifted the expectations directed at him over to Jion while amiably greeting Justitia as well.
“Ahem, then let’s truly begin. So, future heroes! Nice to meet you! First off, we will provide you with the costumes you personally created! Given the venue, it would make more sense to wear fitting clothes!”
With Jion allowing the kids to cheer freely, calming them down became solely the task of me and Changwon.
Justitia was slightly behind, engaged in conversation with Invictus, almost evaluating our capabilities as class leaders.
I was desperately keeping the excited kids in line while trying to follow Jion, who eventually stopped in a particular spot and cleared her throat.
“…Ahem. Welcome to the Atelier! The place where hero costumes and various support items are crafted for the association. Of course, including your costumes. Now, go say hi to your costumes! You’ll wear them for a long, long time!”
As soon as the kids heard that, they swarmed into the Atelier like Americans flocking to discount markets on Black Friday… well, maybe that’s a bit excessive.
Yeah, they [zoomed] around like kids in a birthday gift shop.
I had no confidence in controlling that chaos, so I just let it be.
The kids enthusiastically darted around until they picked up a suitcase with their names on it and happily headed towards the changing rooms.
Indeed, when they all changed, it would be quite a sight to behold. I thought while searching for my own, but strangely, mine was nowhere to be found.
Did someone take mine? I thought they must have grabbed two, but no, that wasn’t it.
“Eh…?”
What’s going on? Where’s my suit? In surprise, I let out a blur of utter confusion.
Can I get my suit back, please? Where did it go?
“…Ah, right. Which student is Blanca?”
“That’s me. But more than that, where’s my suit…?”
Where did it go?
Before I could even protest, Jion apologized profusely as if she forgot and dragged me along deeper into the Atelier.
What the heck is going on? When I demanded an explanation, Jion finally revealed everything to me.
“So, um… Blanca’s request was quite unique, and we couldn’t meet the needs with conventional materials. Oh, it’s not that we couldn’t make your suit! The tech department worked hard on it! It’s just… how do I put this? It can’t fit into any standard case…”
What do you mean a suit can’t fit into a case? I couldn’t understand at all.
“Eh… Please, don’t worry too much! Unique demands from special heroes happen from time to time. So, there’s no need to feel too pressured.”
However, Jion acted like she only needed to say her piece, regardless of whether I understood or not.
“Here we are. Go on inside. Oh, and… um, the old man’s personality is a bit eccentric, so keep that in mind.”
Following her deeper into the Atelier, Jion instructed me to go into a door that clearly looked dangerous.
It was plastered with warning signs all over.
…This should be fine, right?
As soon as I opened the door, I was met with an indescribable, terrible stench that hit me like a freight train.
Old people smell, chemical odor, a burnt scent. What on earth is this place?
In the corner of the room was a shabby cot, where an old man was sleeping on top of a blanket.
“Um… excuse me, sir?”
“Time and budget are… Ah, who are you?”
“…I’m Blanca. I’ve come looking for my suit since I was told it would be here.”
“Suit… suit. Ah, right. So, you’re the one who made that absurd request?”
The old man scrunched his face and glared at me.
No way, am I really being judged here?
You have the skill to create teleports but can’t make just one suit?
“Yes.”
“Tsk, wait a moment.”
The old man said that and went inside, returning with a metal container filled with who knows what.
“What’s this?”
When I moved the box slightly, it jangled.
“It’s your suit.”
This? No way; it’s jangling. How could that possibly be my suit?
The old man handed me a necklace adorned with all sorts of gadgets and told me to wear it.
It looked similar to a necklace worn in laboratories, and I suddenly felt a wave of dread and asked what would happen if I didn’t wear it, but the old man said that meant I couldn’t wear the suit. With no other option, I put it on.
“So, can you explain what this is?”
“At least you have enough intellect to be curious. For making a request like that, you’re obviously a special case. Alright, let me break it down for you. It’s a modified slime.”
The old man opened a sealed steel box.
Inside was indeed a black gooey substance resembling slime.
“No.”
That can’t be clothing! What’s this? What do you mean by this?
“Why is it black? It’s because you requested it to be inconspicuous. So, I added black dye.”
The old man then began listing off the features of the suit with a casual tone as if my feelings didn’t matter at all.
“It’s resistant to strong bases and acids, shows no alteration when exposed to toxic substances, and is practically a second skin; it has excellent ventilation and is skin-friendly.”
Also, it covers your entire body except for your neck, so it should be low exposure, and it can harden to some extent, giving it durability. You should also be able to shape it into a pouch to collect toxic liquids and use a syringe gun to modify the slime somewhat.”
“No, no! Wait just a minute! Hold up! You mean, that’s going to cover my body? Like a second skin? No, wait, you said slime. That’s a monster! You want me to wear that?”
I was at a loss for words from this ridiculousness when the old man answered nonchalantly.
“There was no other way to meet your request. Besides, it’s okay; I removed the core.”
“That just means you killed the damn thing!”
“In human terms, it’s in a brain-dead state. You will replace the function of that brain. As long as the necklace control device is intact, the slime will obey your commands.”
With that much said, I had nothing more to argue about. Well, there was one last thing.
“So, how on earth do I… ‘wear’ this thing?”
“How do you wear it? Just dip your hand in, and it will crawl up your body by itself. Oh, you should take off all your clothes; I can’t stop you if you want to wear underwear, but it will melt.”
No way, is that even something you’d say?
I was speechless.
Melt my clothes? So, I have to take everything off? Plus, if it sticks like skin, it’s impossible for it not to be noticeable!
“It wouldn’t be noticeable…!”
“With that body, you’d stand out no matter what you wear. Just accept it. Now I’ll take my leave. I’ll turn off the CCTV too, so go ahead and wear it. I’ve put time and budget to make that for you.”
The old man, with a look that screamed ‘I’ve seen it all,’ left the room.
All that was left in the room were me and this slime suit.
Life is just… what the hell.