SSS-Knight in a Hero World

It's so cold...

He wanted to go outside for some fresh air, but when he realized it was night, he soon regretted going outside.

Touching his pockets, he felt the familiar shape of a rectangle and pulled it out.

I can't believe this managed to stay inside without slipping off, he thought, a little angry at himself for not taking care of it better.

It's a 5-year-old phone, back then it was considered a budget phone, but now it's...

No, no.

Ferris shook his head, as long as something served him well, he wouldn't abandon it.

Pressing the power button, he saw the time to be exactly midnight.

Which meant he still had plenty of time to move around before going back to sleep.

Such as… changing into something more appropriate.

Ferris instinctively tried to cover his stomach, but his beach-themed outfit was never meant for the cold, dead of night.

His thin shirt barely held in any warmth, let alone retain it.

While shivering, Ferris heard the door behind him open. It was Elizabeth, and compared to Ferris, her clothes were much thicker and covered a lot of her skin.

A snow jacket, and thick cotton pants.

Not exactly the most elegant kind of clothes for her, but Ferris knew that she wasn't the kind of person who would solely use her beauty to achieve objectives.

He only permitted a bit of his jealousy to leak outside, after all, he couldn't ask her to take off and share her clothes.

"I thought you wanted some fresh air," she said, her tone informing Ferris that she knew of his physical predicament. "What happened to your other clothes?" She followed up, showing genuine concern for his fashion choice.

"It's a disguise," Ferris answered.

...a disguise... Ferris echoed that word inside his mind then suddenly remembered something.

I haven't told her about the museum!

Forgetting his cold skin, Ferris began to explain in detail what the bartender said to him.

Elizabeth stayed silent, listening closely to Ferris's words. She showed little reaction, keeping her gaze fixed on him without wavering.

But when Ferris met her eyes with a straight, steady look, she was caught off guard. Still, she chose not to let it show.

Ferris went on, his voice firm.

"That's all I've got. I'm heading to the museum tomorrow—" he paused briefly,

"but I'm leaving Judas behind. Tell that to Miss Asmadeas for me."

After finishing his sentence, Ferris noticed that Elizabeth had a distracted gaze that was seemingly away from him, even though she was staring directly at him.

But suddenly, her eyes lit up. She stayed quiet for around a second before finally making her reply.

"That's good to know, but I've already interrogated every civilian here—including the bartender," she replied.

She paused, holding her breath for a moment. "I just needed to confirm the details with you."

She already knew? Ferris felt a hint of disappointment. All that effort for nothing. But then again, it wasn't like Elizabeth would ever sit still and wait for him.

And the fact that she waited for him to wake up just to confirm the validity of the bartender's words was enough for Ferris to acknowledge her as a good and cautious leader.

That also means she trusts me somewhat, that's good to know.

After that, the two let the air between them sit still. Meanwhile, Ferris redirected his attention to the surroundings.

There were quite a lot of people from the hero faction, though not nearly as many as back at the mall.

"How many people did you bring?" Ferris asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I wouldn't say I brought them. We set out with a hundred, but while you were asleep, another wave of people got kidnapped, so we took them in when we spotted them."

Another wave? Ferris began to worry, the hero examination was already finished days ago.

More official heroes?

Given his encounter with Rainbowman, an officially employed hero in the association, it was clear the villains had the means to capture even more people.

But doing that would be like shooting themselves in the foot, so it didn't seem likely.

Ferris studied the crowd again. None of them looked like heroes—let alone examinees.

Most likely, the villains had managed to capture a few official heroes, but mixed in a much larger number of civilians to drag the heroes down.

If they're going to make us fight in their own turf then stop making it harder for us, Ferris complained inwardly, itching to test his maximized 9th layer.

But that will come tomorrow, for now he had to make up his missed dinner.

Seeing the small camp set up around Fixer's house, Ferris figured they must've prepared a makeshift eatery as well.

"Is there a cafeteria?" he asked, wanting to confirm his assumption.

"There is," Elizabeth replied. "They put a night shift in place, so it should still be running."

Ferris cheered inwardly, though his face stayed calm and composed like a steadfast knight.

"Tell Fixer she has my gratitude," he said, placing a hand over his chest in an informal show of knightly respect.

Technically, Elizabeth had saved his life—and that alone should've been enough for him to kneel on both knees.

But if he did that...

'I might lose face,' Ferris mocked himself.

As he turned to leave, Elizabeth's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Good job," she said simply. Her tone was calm, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than usual.

Ferris didn't reply, only gave a small nod before continuing on.

After parting ways, he quickly found the cafeteria which was a large open tent.

Entering the tent he was met with the smell of grilled meat which entered his nostrils pleasantly, it was as if he maximized his 9th layer all over again.

There was a makeshift kitchen in the center manned by a single person, and a few tables and chairs littered around.

Soon after the burst of excitement, his eyes landed on a familiar figure.

Lionheart?

Seeing him, his appetite dipped instantly, but leaving on an empty stomach wasn't an option.

He scanned the tent. Aside from Lionheart, the place was nearly empty.

Is he slacking off?

Ferris narrowed his eyes. Lionheart stared back, just as surprised.

There were plenty of other empty seats… but.

Step.Step.Step.

Sit.

This alone was enough to show who was in charge.

"Please… pour me something," Ferris said with a calm smile, making it clear he expected Lionheart to serve him directly.