This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 178

Chae-rim stood forward, leaving behind the one who guided her to this spot, her face reflecting pure calmness.

At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface.

No, perhaps it was not just calm but seemed almost nonchalant.

To put it simply, her expression did not fit someone who had come for a crucial negotiation.

Perhaps it was her unusual reaction that unsettled me.

Or maybe it was the sight of her secretary, still trembling behind Chae-rim, that bothered me.

As the Association Chairman stood still, observing the situation, he finally made a move.

Though, if you could call it a move, it was merely a casual wave of his hand.

And perhaps he had been subtly waiting for this signal all along.

The moment seemed to signify that he had been anticipating this very instance, for the secretary immediately made her exit.

Chae-rim’s smile deepened just a bit right after that.

Indeed. In this moment, Chae-rim appeared incredibly composed, but in reality, that wasn’t the case.

In terms of tension, she was as nervous as when battling against a monster disguised as a girl from the world of Another.

And rightly so.

The monster in question wasn’t just anyone; it was also right before her eyes.

No, perhaps even the term “monster” was insufficient.

The woman in front of her had been an ‘overhuman’ since the day the Anothers first revealed themselves to the world.

Still, she wasn’t as scared as before.

This was all thanks to Dogun.

Though it wasn’t intentional on his part, Dogun’s newly acquired abilities had restored the severely damaged Talent Organ to its former state, giving Chae-rim a sliver of confidence that they wouldn’t face utter defeat in battle.

Anyway, it might have been quite frustrating to maintain such a cheerful smile while keeping silent in a situation like this.

In a sort of silent face-off, it was the Association Chairman who first raised his hands.

“Yeah, I knew you were back from the news, but you look much safer than I imagined, so it puts my mind at ease.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, your sudden disappearance caused quite a ruckus. People were really anxious.”

That was only natural.

However, the way he said it didn’t show even a hint of the real difficulty one would expect after going through such an experience.

“If I had known that, I would’ve tried to return a bit sooner. Well… it might not have gone smoothly even if I tried.”

“Speaking of which, I heard you encountered a unique entity?”

A unique entity, huh?

It seemed the way this person regarded that monster ended right there.

To be blunt, I didn’t like his attitude.

It wasn’t because I had struggled against that monster and nearly got defeated, but because someone in the position of Association Chairman should have a bit more sense of crisis.

“I hear it spoke human language? An Another that can speak? Definitely unusual.”

Thinking back, he always acted like this.

“Maybe those guys have developed in some way?”

No matter what happened, he never reacted beyond a simple acknowledgment.

The reason he could do that was, of course, confidence.

A confidence that no matter who starts what, things would eventually turn out as he wished.

That attitude, which at first glance seemed unbothered, radiated just that.

‘Well, considering…’

It might be expected when thinking about his ‘talent’ and the ‘realm’ he had reached.

“By the way, how did you manage to take that boy from the conference to the hospital?”

Bringing up Dogun so casually was likely part of his plan.

And the moment Dogun’s name slipped from the Association Chairman’s lips, I instinctively sensed it.

He might know about Dogun’s abilities.

“Is it alright to leave him alone? He must be quite anxious.”

As expected, those words rolled out ominously from the Association Chairman.

‘That girl really…’

This must have been while I was internally gnawing over the likelihood that he was the one who leaked information about Dogun’s abilities.

“In that case, how about moving him to a hospital directly operated by the Association?”

The suggestion struck my ears as something I couldn’t overlook.

“Please, let’s not worry about that.”

I brushed it off immediately upon hearing that.

Naturally, this was expected.

The Association Chairman also wasn’t one to back off easily.

“Why? It would be more convenient for Chae-rim too, wouldn’t it? I have no intention of belittling external hospitals, but… honestly, the security level is lower than those directly operated by the Association, isn’t it?”

That was true.

Given the nature of the Association, almost all major hospitals are connected in some way, but nothing could compare to those directly managed.

So, those who could afford to would often prefer hospitals run by the Association.

Of course, that wasn’t a reason to move Dogun there.

Who would willingly do that?

It was clear what kind of predicament Dogun would end up in.

He had saved our lives not once, but twice.

I had no intention of leaving him to that fate.

Absolutely not.

“You’ve been talking nonsense while we haven’t seen each other lately. Are you getting old or something?”

I quipped back confidently and laughed lightly at the nonsensical talk as a jab.

“Hmm, is that so? If you’re going to intentionally choose a difficult path instead of an easy one…”

Even though I had provoked him with a near-challenge, he showed no signs of disappointment. Did he plan to kidnap me if necessary?

Could it be that the man who sat in the representative position of the Hero Association would do something like that? Perhaps if it were this woman before me, she might be capable of just that.

As I told Dogun, this woman was thorough in her calculations; if it meant gaining some advantage for the organization she oversaw, she wouldn’t hesitate to overlook a few misfortunes.

For the Association Chairman, having someone like Dogun, who not only possessed a similar power to talent but could also restore the ruined Talent Organ, was certainly someone she needed to secure and scrutinize closely.

So it was clear she would take action soon.

Maybe the plan to extract Dogun had already begun.

Which meant I also had to move.

“I appreciate your concern, but fortunately, I have plenty of people willing to help, so I don’t think I’ll need your assistance, Chairman.”

The reason I had clutched my mobile phone during the journey here and made frantic calls was all in preparation for this scenario.

“But since you’ve extended your goodwill, could I ask for just one small favor?”

“…If it’s something I can accommodate, anything is fine.”

“Well, considering I was in a state of disappearance just a few hours ago, I feel a bit mentally and physically drained.”

“And?”

“I was hoping to take a short break, if that’s possible?”

Of course, I didn’t expect him to agree.

Given the current situation of the Association, they likely needed every hand they could get.

In such circumstances, would a Special-Class Hero just be left to lounge around?

The Chairman’s nature, which valued the order maintained under the Association’s guidance, meant he wouldn’t grant such a thing.

Besides, if I took a break, it would practically nullify any plans I had to sneak Dogun away.

“Or I could just… retire early and live comfortably; that doesn’t seem too bad, either…”

This was the move I had prepared for just such an occasion.

It goes without saying that I didn’t really intend to go through with that.

Pretending to ponder as if I were seriously considering retiring was merely a build-up for my next statement.

“From what I’ve heard from previous seniors who’ve retired, they say living comfortably post-retirement isn’t too shabby.”

And with that buildup, what I released had an effect much greater than anticipated.

Mentioning the various circumstances that had forced most of the previous seniors to retreat from the field due to the ruin of the Talent Organ made the Association Chairman’s eyebrows twitch considerably.