The event with the black tentacle monster appearing from the ceiling of the main auditorium came to an end.
Dean Baek So-a handled the situation smoothly, and the entrance ceremony concluded as a success.
As they waited for the crowd to gradually clear out of the auditorium —
Solar and Sunray came back before long.
"Maxwell!"
"Hehehe! How did you find it this time?"
"I was genuinely surprised. I had no idea the illusion would be that realistic."
Honestly, if the two of them hadn't warned me beforehand, I might have panicked myself.
In any case, the two women had kept the promise they'd made just moments ago.
They immediately went off to introduce me to the other heroes.
"Oh?! Solar! Sunray!! Is this the person who came from Black Cell?"
"It's so wonderful to meet you!!"
"Let's get along well from here on!!"
"Haha, thank you all."
It was clear the two of them really were top-tier prospects — not only did they know a remarkable number of heroes,
but everyone welcomed me warmly.
Still, I had to keep reminding myself that I was carrying the dark reputation of Black Cell on my back.
Moving as carefully as I could, I expanded my connections with the heroes according to plan.
Then I asked what they needed.
"You mean what we need?"
"Think of it as a field survey, if you would."
"Ah… well, I suppose…"
"It'd have to be that Rapid Recovery Drug Black Cell makes, wouldn't it?"
Solar being in a near-invincible state was the exception.
These were heroes who had to deal with genuinely dangerous situations.
Wanting a spare life in their back pocket wasn't unreasonable.
"Especially — no matter what we do, we keep getting shot."
"Honestly, how did Korea end up like this…"
"That part can't be helped — it's because of North Korea and China."
When North Korea collapsed, the area above the 38th parallel briefly became a lawless zone.
China's extensive involvement during that period flooded civilian hands with far too many firearms,
and by now, countless guns had been smuggled all the way down south.
The heroes let out heavy sighs at the fact that Korea — once an extremely safe country when it came to firearms — had been so thoroughly transformed.
I told them I would report their hardships to my superiors, partly to earn some goodwill.
"Is that really true?!"
"B-but whether they'll actually listen…"
"Consider the fact that I was invited to this entrance ceremony."
Just as I was here, Black Cell was expanding its public-facing activities.
And honestly, this would be a fine proposal for the Director as well.
What would happen if heroes could purchase Black Cell's medical drugs at a heavily discounted price?
Black Cell would gain goodwill and a layer of protection that could completely bury the old rumors.
And I, the one who brought this proposal forward, would earn tremendous favor from the heroes here.
On top of that, the heroes would be getting treatment drugs at a low price — it was a win-win situation for everyone.
Afterward, through Solar and Sunray's introductions, I succeeded in building quite solid relationships with the heroes.
Part of me wanted to blow the whistle on everything right then and there —
but the bodyguards, who were essentially the Director's eyes and ears, were standing right behind me.
They were ability users, on top of that. If I showed even the slightest hint of something off, they'd catch on immediately.
'Looking at the reactions around me… Black Cell is far more powerful than I expected.'
Even if I somehow managed to escape, I wouldn't receive protection.
I'd end up with an involuntary suicide on my hands before long — that much was certain.
These lifelines were nothing but a mirage I couldn't reach, and all I could do was let out a deep, silent sigh.
And that wasn't the only problem.
There was someone strange tailing our group right now.
I glanced sideways, and nearby, a woman with sky-blue hair was pretending to be occupied with something else.
*********************
I wasn't sure why, but —
Frost had been stalking us for a while now.
She'd probably received some kind of order from her boss over the phone.
It looked like she was moving with reconnaissance in mind.
As I'd already noticed, the bodyguards and the heroes had caught on long ago as well.
However, publicly, Frost was a VIP guest sent by a company.
The bodyguards and heroes seemed to view her as a pitiful corporate employee trying to break into a major conglomerate's network.
Solar and Sunray gave their seniors a pointed look.
Nudge, nudge.
Nod, nod.
But had the heroes all reached the same unspoken understanding?
They suddenly made flimsy excuses and excused themselves — and, true to their nature as heroes of the light, they cheered Frost on.
"Maxwell! We have something we need to discuss among ourselves — please excuse us!"
"And it looks like the person over there has been wanting to meet you!"
"Well then, best of luck!"
Naturally, Frost — who was supposed to be conducting covert surveillance — was completely flustered.
But the water had already been spilled.
Now it was just me, the bodyguards, and Frost left in the vicinity.
Another deeply awkward stretch of time passed.
But it felt wrong to ignore the opening the heroes had set up.
In the end, I was the one who approached Frost first.
"You were sitting in the seat next to mine earlier, weren't you?"
"Y-yes! Hello!!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you properly like this."
We'd exchanged greetings now.
We simply swapped business cards and left it at that.
[ Prometheus Co. ]
[ Junior Staff, Kang Seol-ha. ]
Looking at the company name on the card, it was definitely the main villain organization I knew from the story.
But Frost's rank was Junior Staff?
In most companies, general employees and junior staff were considered Junior level.
Associates were Middle, and managers and senior managers were Senior.
That meant she hadn't been there very long.
I felt an odd sense of kinship with her for no particular reason.
And right now, the moment she received my business card, her face had gone as blue as her hair.
I decided to try breaking the tension a little.
"Actually, I'm at the same junior level, so there's no need to be so nervous."
"I-is that so?"
"Truly. An executive at Black Cell gave me a vacation that doubled as a field assignment, which is why I'm here for the entrance ceremony."
"Pardon? What does a vacation have to do with a field assignment?"
At Frost's question, I said nothing and simply smiled.
She caught the meaning of that smile and clapped a hand over her mouth at the sheer audacity of Black Cell's corporate culture.
But was it similar on her end too?
There was something wistful in her eyes.
As the bodyguards nearby also grew visibly deflated —
the foot soldiers of two villainous organizations shared their mutual sorrow.
*******************
Not long after meeting Frost —
we were able to part on good terms.
Solar and Sunray came right back over.
It seemed they'd overheard what we'd been talking about.
"S-so even a major conglomerate isn't all that different…"
"To think it was a black company in every sense of the name…"
"But the financial compensation is good enough that people keep working there. The benefits are quite excellent, too."
I did a quick bit of damage control, and then our group went back to touring the academy.
Birds were singing, flowers were blooming —
I was just thinking what a place overflowing with dreams and hope this was,
when I was reminded that the brighter the light, the darker the shadow it casts.
Before long, I spotted a female student in the distance, her body covered in injuries.
She had red hair, cat ears, and a tail — a very unusual student.
Considering the timeline we were in —
'Is that Red Cat?'
It seemed I'd just found the past of a future top hero.
Red Cat was a mutant who overcame everything through sheer effort
and became a hero admired by many.
But right now, it looked like she was being treated rather poorly.
Solar and Sunray beside me also seemed to know Red Cat — they let out quiet sighs.
"I'm sorry you had to see something unpleasant."
"I-it's not bullying, so please don't misunderstand."
"But why is she so injured?"
"Well… Se-ra is a bit of a problem student."
Red Cat's real name was Lee Se-ra.
From what I heard, she had entered through a special admissions track for mutants, but —
"Because Se-ra got in under different conditions, she's failed just about every standard exam."
"And her past seems to have been rough, so her personality is a little…"
To put it simply, Red Cat was hostile toward everyone
and was putting herself through self-destructive training.
If things went wrong here, she could break —
or turn down the path of villainy.
Solar and Sunray were deeply worried about their junior,
but from the perspective of someone who knew the future, it was like discovering a brilliantly shining uncut gem.
I looked out at Se-ra in the distance and spoke.
"They say you can't fix a person. But that doesn't mean the chance of a person having a change of heart is zero. That's exactly why I believe in humanity — and by extension, why I admire heroes."
The two heroes looked as though they'd heard something unexpected.
I smiled and continued.
"So keep believing in her. That's what it means to be an adult."
"Pfft — I suppose you're right."
"Mm-mm!! As expected, a genius sees things differently!"
Se-ra, who had been resting on a bench, dragged her injured body up and left again to resume her training.
Even under unfavorable conditions, she was walking the path of glory — a true hero in the making.
******************
Maxwell, having attended the Seoul Hero Academy's entrance ceremony, finished all his scheduled engagements.
He boarded his vehicle, turning over in his mind how he might sponsor Se-ra.
As the school's remaining events wound down and the other VIP guests departed —
the moment the entrance ceremony concluded without incident, Dean Baek So-a collapsed in her office.
Then she heard the sound of a camera shutter and turned to find
her secretary doing something that was practically the behavior of a devoted fan.
"Hehehehe, as always, the Dean is just so adorable today."
"That's a crime, you know."
"It's fine because we're both women."
Baek So-a clicked her tongue at her secretary's nonsensical excuse.
In any case, once she finished sorting through the paperwork, everything on today's agenda would be done.
There was, of course, one additional matter.
Knock knock knock!
"Dean~!"
"It's us!!"
"Come in right now!!"
"Yes ma'am!"
The ones knocking on the office door were none other than Solar and Sunray.
As there are almost no true coincidences in this world, the fact that the two heroes had run into Maxwell in the main auditorium was entirely Baek So-a's doing.
What she had asked of Solar and Sunray was one thing only:
to keep an eye on Maxwell.
"So? How was he?"
"He really did seem to have come just to celebrate the entrance ceremony."
"Maxwell didn't do anything suspicious!"
She'd asked them to do it because Black Cell's recent movements had seemed off.
But not only had nothing suspicious turned up —
when Baek So-a heard what Maxwell had said while watching Se-ra, she was genuinely taken aback.
"There really ought to be more adults like that in the world…"
"You're telling me."
"Anyway, what do you think of Maxwell, Dean?"
"Me?"
Baek So-a took a moment to choose her words.
Her assessment was straightforward and unadorned.
"A truly exceptional person knows far more than others. But what's genuinely difficult is keeping all of that swallowed inside."
"Come to think of it — last time and this time both — Maxwell really didn't say a single unnecessary word."
"Mm… he did seem to have a knack for putting people at ease."
He had attended as a VIP guest of the major conglomerate Black Cell,
yet Maxwell carried himself with a humility that never stopped diminishing his own standing.
Solar and Sunray, the other heroes, and Baek So-a all looked upon him favorably.
"Black Cell really did find themselves an exceptional talent this time."
"We should have snatched him up for our Association."
"But unnie, there's nothing you can do about the money."
"W-well, that's true."
As they chatted away in the office —
an emergency alert suddenly went out on all their phones.
Wondering what on earth it could be, they all checked at once — and couldn't help but be startled.
[ A shootout has occurred near the highway between Seoul and Pyongyang. ]
[ Citizens are urged to exercise caution. ]
Maxwell was currently on his way back — and a shootout had broken out along his route.