This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 134

“What? Is there such a thing?”

“Yes, it exists, but…”

I could understand why the female officer trailed off her words.

After all, that system must have been practically obsolete for a long time now.

So, she was probably thinking, ‘What? How does he know about that?’ in her mind.

Noticing her strange gaze directed at me, it seemed that was indeed the case.

Well, whatever the officer thought, it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the Lightning Lady.

“Then we can do it that way, right?”

Having been hit on the back after dozing comfortably, perhaps I wanted to resolve the current situation as quickly as possible.

With someone of such high status saying, ‘Is that enough?’ what could I possibly say to that?

I could only nod along.

That’s what I thought, but it turned out this officer also had a few things to say.

“If you think about it, this could be applicable to the current situation, so that’s fine… but that would mean all we’d get is a trophy and a small reward.”

No, rather, was she worried about what the Lightning Lady might think if she later learned the truth behind that system?

Regardless of the truth, the officer glanced at my and my senior’s faces with a look as if to say that wouldn’t be satisfactory.

And her gaze lingered just a bit longer on me than on my senior.

Well, it was only natural.

If we proceeded as I suggested, the reward would hardly seem worth it, especially since it would likely all be given to my senior.

This was because my senior was the only “hero candidate” present at this table.

“I’m okay with that.”

Even knowing that, I replied like that.

No, it was because I knew that I gave such an answer.

“Honestly, if you hadn’t been here with me, I couldn’t have held out on my own.”

Of course, as a person, I felt this opportunity was too good to waste.

After all, a special-class hero, one of only three in Korea, was practically being pushed to take full advantage of the situation.

So, if I set my mind to it, it wouldn’t be difficult at all to gather a hefty reward from the Association.

I believed that I could do it.

However, considering my senior?

I shouldn’t do that.

That was why I chose to take a reasonable amount and step back.

I didn’t know before, but now I understood.

For my senior, being a hero was not a goal but a means, and she desperately needed that means.

But what if I went for a full grab of benefits from the Association this time? And what if that attempt succeeded?

Whatever the case, the Association would inevitably have to bear some costs, and they would definitely record that.

And if things went that way, this record, which would simply reflect actions taken after suffering unfair treatment, could have a significant negative impact on my senior.

“No group looks kindly on those who try to oppose them.”

It might not be certain, but since this was a test to select heroes, I assumed they would review every detail in the paperwork.

But during that process, if a record of having taken advantage of the Association popped up on the interviewers’ radar…

Surely, I would start the test with a mark against me.

Rather than allowing that, it made more sense to settle for a reasonable amount, even if it was a bit disappointing.

And though that sounds reasonable, receiving a trophy from the Association was still not a bad deal in itself.

In the first place, the reason that system had become practically defunct was that the Association had established that winning such awards wouldn’t impact qualification tests, but honestly, how strictly could such things really be enforced?

No matter how strict the interviewers might be, they were still human after all.

In that sense, if I could legally add a line in the interview paperwork stating that the Association had awarded me a trophy, it would stand out positively.

The problem was that everything was so chaotic that I hadn’t yet discussed this matter with my senior…

“And I’m sure that would be sufficient for my senior. She wouldn’t have done it with the expectation of a reward, right?”

That was why.

I made the first move before my senior could.

“Uh, right? Oh, yes.”

At the same time, I carefully grasped my senior’s hand under the table so that the two sitting across wouldn’t see it… Fortunately, that seemed enough to convey our intention.

My senior, initially flustered due to the sudden shift in the conversation, quickly regained her composure and chimed in with my words.

And that was where the conversation ended.

Since it was apparent that the key parties, me and my senior, felt that was enough, there was no need to discuss it any further.

Oh, by the way, the teachers who had failed to fulfill their duty to supervise the students because of drinking since evening would also face appropriate consequences for their actions.

Thanks to that, the second day of the training camp flowed much more peacefully.

The Association left two observers on-site, so whether they were heroes or teachers, everyone was busy keeping an eye on them.

Especially, the teachers who were to face future punishment were even more proactive.

Of course, that didn’t mean the students’ ill feelings had healed after they had sunk so low.

It couldn’t be helped, given that the events of that day had spread widely among the students through the student council members.

Teachers who generally had a good reputation were treated with the thought, “Given the circumstances, it couldn’t be helped,” while the others, well… they got what they deserved.

Amidst this seemingly peaceful yet tense atmosphere, my senior and I were doing something…

“By the way, I can’t believe it. Who would’ve guessed that the Principal’s daughter is the Lightning Lady?”

“Exactly what I’m saying.”

“If I had known, I should’ve tried harder to get at least one autograph. You may not know this, but Yoonseo was absolutely obsessed with Lightning Lady since she was little.”

We were taking a break from the reality of the training camp.

It was probably a measure taken because we had suffered through something somewhat like a disaster.

“…Really?”

Unlike me, who was overly eager, my senior seemed a bit uncomfortable, as if she felt guilty for putting her responsibilities onto someone else.

But looking at it from my perspective, I thought that it was better than nothing to rest like this.

I knew better than anyone how hard my senior had been working until this point, so that thought was even stronger.

“I really wish we could have taken a picture together; that would have been something I could brag about for ten years… What a shame.”

Then, while we casually exchanged such conversations, my senior suddenly appeared to hesitate.

I wondered if she had something urgent to say, watching her curiously, when—

“U-Um… Thank you.”

Out of the blue, she expressed her gratitude.

“Huh?”

“About what happened yesterday morning. It was because of me, right?”

“Ah.”

I wondered what she meant and then realized it was about that.

Trying not to place any more burden on my senior, I chose to deny it, but her gaze was too intense.

No matter how much I denied it, it didn’t seem to have any effect.

So, I could only give a wry smile.

“Eh, I mean, I wouldn’t have received anything anyway since it didn’t concern me. It wouldn’t mean anything to receive some award. So, I should just gather what I can, right?”

“Still—”

“Well, how about this? If you really feel bad about it…”

What should I say?

What could I say to lessen the burden on my senior?

After a brief moment of contemplation, I suddenly thought that maybe it was all pointless and just laughed while speaking.

“If there’s a reward money, you could buy me something delicious with it.”

I said this half in jest, but my senior’s reaction was quite intense.

“Really? Should I?”

As soon as I uttered those words, her eyes lit up brightly.

“Are you sure? Because I’m thinking of asking for something expensive.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

It was as if she had been waiting for those words to slip from my mouth.

“So… when do I get it?”