Chapter 58

“It’s fortunate that both of you are unscathed…”

Han Min-ha muttered while firmly gripping the sleeve of my shirt with her fingertips.

“Huh…?”

The silver-haired Hero stared oddly at Han Min-ha’s chest, which was slightly wet from sweat and thus revealing through her thin white blouse, and let out an unusual exclamation.

“It’s just… Your girlfriend… seems to be… well-endowed…”

At this, Han Min-ha’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she lowered her head.

“Though it’s a truly regrettable thing to say… why in the world did you come here alone without a Sidekick? Your type of power needs an assistant who can eliminate the target after you’ve immobilized it, unless it’s exceptionally potent.”

The silver-haired Hero, who had never heard such advice before, stupidly asked back in disbelief.

“Huh? Is that so?”

“Of course. Using vines with mediocre strength will only entangle both you and your opponent, preventing any decisive action. You should consider recruiting a Sidekick skilled in one-hit kills. You immobilize, and the assistant finishes the job.”

“Ah… That’s…”

The Hero scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly.

“I’m the Sidekick, actually…”

“Sidekick? You mean you came here alone on a solo mission?”

“The Hero said he was busy and only sent me…”

Hmm… So they sent the Sidekick alone without considering the Villain’s advantage.

Certainly, such cases are neither unheard of nor illegal…

But had I not been here, this Sidekick might have died.

No matter how most Heroes treat their Sidekicks as expendable, what kind of heartless Hero would do something like this?

“Which Hero’s office do you belong to?”

“The office of Gos Hawk.”

Ah… Gos Hawk, huh…

Of course.

That man is a lunatic Hero closer to being a Villain.

But despite that, he’s extremely famous and has set up numerous branches, hiring that kind of Hero style to amass wealth.

One of his defining features is how remarkably clear-cut he is, which has earned him a manic fan base.

This silver-haired Sidekick likely belongs to a branch that oversees this area.

Still, he doesn’t seem like someone who would fit Gos Hawk’s office.

But I have neither the authority nor the reason to judge him.

“It’s important to consider the Villain’s advantages in combat. Only if you’re strong enough to ignore it would that not matter—but most aren’t.”

“Understood. Professor indeed, your advice is different. Thank you for your help. Without you, I might really have been devoured.”

The silver-haired Sidekick shivered while looking at the halved mutant Villain.

“Excuse me, may I inquire about your name? Since you helped me, I should at least know.”

“Professor Hyun.”

“Professor Hyun… Professor Hyun… What an interesting name. My name is Ivy Runner!”

“An intuitive name. Best of luck to you then.”

I politely pushed away the arm that was holding my shoulder while bidding farewell to Ivy Runner.

“Let’s go, Student Min-ha.”

“Affirmative, Professor.”

People today will likely remember this battle this way: a Hero who approached a giant bio-Villain annihilated it with some unknown technique, splitting it in half.

In that story, the dull gray Academy professor won’t be mentioned.

I had no qualms about it.

If I truly wanted credit, I would have taken control of the scene long before the Hero arrived.

“Professor, truly, do you not know the Sidekick?”

Han Min-ha asked again once in the car.

“I don’t. I just met her today. She seems to work for a branch of Gos Hawk’s office.”

“Gos Hawk? You mean that terrifying Hero?”

“Less ‘terrifying’ and more ‘unpredictable.’ But in the end, I guess they mean the same thing.”

Han Min-ha slowly nodded, her expression unclear.

“By the way, wasn’t it you, Professor, who took out that Villain earlier?”

“I used my Defensive Barrier shaped like a saw blade to crush the Villain’s head. Reducing its thickness to the extreme creates a sharp edge-like effect.”

“Ah… I see. So a Defensive Barrier isn’t just for blocking attacks…”

“As I said before, Aura should be used creatively. It lets you exploit the enemy’s weaknesses and also draw public attention.”

“Understood!”

Han Min-ha took out her notebook once again and eagerly wrote down my words.

Han Min-ha, having been exposed to the summer asphalt for too long, was sweating profusely.

I noticed sweat pooling between her breasts as it trickled down from her chin and neck to her collarbone, so I turned up the air conditioning.

“Check the dashboard; there are tissues. Use them to dry off.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

Han Min-ha took a few tissues and carefully wiped her forehead, the back of her neck, and—while glancing at me nervously—just above her chest as well.

“I’m not looking.”

“A-Yes, Professor! I know you’re not looking…”

Satisfied that I was focused on driving past the deceased Villain, Han Min-ha carefully wiped the sweat further down, closer to the space between her breasts.

“Why aren’t you sweating, Professor?”

“I do sweat. I just don’t sweat much.”

“I see… I start sweating profusely even in slightly warm weather, making summers especially tough.”

Han Min-ha folded the used tissue and gently dabbed the little sweat on my forehead.

“Thank you. Please fasten your seatbelt.”

“Already done!”

When I turned to glance, I saw that Han Min-ha really had her seatbelt on.

It’s just that her chest appeared to be slipping out of view, correcting my mistaken impression.

Ivy Runner waved at us as we passed the dead Villain’s corpse.

Han Min-ha waved back to her.

“Do Sidekicks occasionally fight Villains alone?”

“Sometimes. If a Sidekick is skilled enough for solo missions, it’s possible. But that Ivy Runner doesn’t seem ready for such a task yet.”

“Why did she come alone?”

“Probably because the Heroes and Sidekicks at her office were busy. Gos Hawk’s people have that kind of tendency. If you’re considering becoming a Sidekick after graduation, avoid Gos Hawk at all costs.”

“Understood! Gos Hawk… I won’t join… He’s a bad person…”

Han Min-ha dutifully recorded this in her notebook.

“By the way, have you not received any calls? Yu Hye-won might have called by now.”

“Eek! Yes, you’re right! Just a moment, Professor?”

Han Min-ha frantically searched for her phone, moving around while her heated body emitted a pleasant aroma.

Even with all the sweating, it smelled like flowers.

She gasped once she located her phone.

“Eep?! What do I do, Professor? There are many missed calls…”

“Make the call. Explain the situation and that you’re on your way.”

“Understood… Ah…”

Shaking slightly, Han Min-ha called Yu Hye-won, and through the phone, I could faintly hear Yu Hye-won’s scolding.

“Sorry… because of the Villain… What? No… That’s not true… I’m on my way… No! I didn’t do anything! I swear! Why do you suspect me…?!”

Han Min-ha fumbled awkwardly before ending the call.

“Phew… Hurry up, please… She’s waiting to have lunch and seems to be getting cranky because of hunger.”

“Indeed. It’s already this late. Let’s go quickly. What exactly did she suspect?”

“Ahh?! Professor, please don’t ask that!”

In response to my question, Han Min-ha let out an odd sound and turned her gaze to the window.

Though I don’t know exactly what happened, based on her now bright red ears, Yu Hye-won must have said something ridiculous.

She likely thought we were up to something suspicious because of the delay.

In any case, Yu Hye-won is funny sometimes.

* * * * *

“Wow… Is this the Organization’s headquarters?”

Han Min-ha exclaimed in awe at the sight of the fifty-story tall headquarters, its facade completely covered in glass.

“A Hero just entered through the roof!”

“They’ve probably finished patrol duties in the area.”

“Wow… how many Heroes work inside there?”

“No one knows. We might never find out.”

“Amazing…”

Han Min-ha continued chattering excitedly as she noticed government buildings, the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters, embassies, and even the headquarters of major corporations she’d only seen on the news.

Was she usually this talkative?

In my memory, Han Min-ha was quiet, reserved, and somewhat introverted.

Perhaps that wasn’t her true nature but just her restrained side.

Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a were, after all, relatively social personalities.

“Wow! This is rich neighborhood!”

As we approached Yu Hye-won’s neighborhood, Han Min-ha blurted out her thoughts bluntly.

The area was home to the mansions of company tycoons, the residences of long-standing wealthy families, and the official residences of high-ranking government officials and diplomats.

Yu Hye-won’s house was located here.

“Our house seemed nice before… but next to this, it might look like a container box.”

“Hehe.”

The navigation ended at an estate surrounded by high walls like a fortress.

“Seriously? This is… her house?”

Han Min-ha leaned forward in the front seat, craning her neck upward.

Honestly, even I was a little surprised.

I knew Yu Hye-won was wealthy, but not to this extent.

I roughly estimated that the administration and research buildings of the Academy could fit inside here.

The gate, which looked like a castle entrance, slowly began to rise as if they were already aware of our arrival.

Instead of a garage beyond the gate, there was an entrance road leading inward to the mansion.

The entrance road was wide and long, resembling an underground passage, with bright lights illuminating the ceiling.

“It doesn’t feel like a house… more like a secret research facility.”

“Indeed. We might get lost, so stay close.”

“Hehe… Understood… I’ll stay close.”

Han Min-ha giggled at my joke, though it wasn’t particularly funny.

Once we cleared the entrance road, Han Min-ha whispered softly.

“Professor… there’s Yu Hye-won over there…”

Ahead of us, Yu Hye-won stood with her arms crossed, watching us approach.