This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 575

The world’s strongest hero has not only graced the country with their presence but is also set to give a lecture to the future stars.

As for the lecture itself, Miss Almighty and the World Hero Association are handling all the preparations, so details about the content remain under wraps. Nonetheless, the fact that it’s a monumental event is undeniable.

Perhaps that’s why there have been substantial jabs from jealous neighbors, particularly from Japan and China.

In China’s case, they openly expressed dissatisfaction, questioning if they were being ignored, while Japan subtly hinted that it’s unfair for only Korea to receive a visit, given they are allies too.

Of course, those complaints didn’t faze the person on the receiving end at all.

All in all, such a grand event being planned meant that the hotel hall designated for the lecture was already chaos from early morning.

What can I say?

Even the process of selecting the venue had its fair share of noise.

This was to be expected, as Miss Almighty’s visit was rather sudden, and the selection of the lecture venue had gone through numerous changes.

The original choice for the venue was none other than the auditorium within a temporary building.

It was only natural for the association to consider that first, especially since there seemed to be no suitable spots available within the building; there was no reason to think about alternatives with a place that fit the bill readily available.

However, the sudden last-minute change was the result of various influences.

No matter how important the lecture might be, an influx of outsiders caused concerns about potential security threats, and the building currently in use by the association had significantly worse accessibility compared to the original venue. This raised questions about how to handle possible traffic chaos that might ensue.

Their protests were pouring in from all directions, seemingly aiming to profit off the lecture, leading the association’s higher-ups to conclude that it was better to hold the lecture at a hotel owned by the association rather than at its headquarters.

While its security level was somewhat lower than the association’s building, it was still superior compared to many other places. Additionally, since it was run for the welfare of the heroes and staff affiliated with the association, it wasn’t that hard to access, making it the best alternative in the eyes of the decision-makers.

The team tasked with setting up the lecture space, following Chae-rim’s direction, was thrown into a frenzy by this unexpected change.

From their perspective, they had assumed the event would take place there and already completed most of the setups.

So when the sudden location change came, cries of dismay began to emanate from all around.

Alongside them, the ones getting busier were none other than the security team.

Had the lecture been conducted within the association building as originally planned, there wouldn’t have been much for the security team to do.

After all, maintaining and checking the security of the association’s building was just a part of their daily routine.

However, due to the unpredictable whims of the higher-ups, the lecture venue shifted to the banquet hall of the association-owned hotel, leaving them on a sudden business trip to somewhere outside their turf.

Naturally, since this wasn’t their usual operational area, they encountered issues from even the smallest details.

Amidst this chaos, Yoonseo, under Chae-rim’s wing, joined as a makeshift staff member.

With so much to do already, having an unexpected influx of help could usually be viewed negatively, but none of the security team members felt that way.

Far from feeling burdened, they were instead jubilant, as if welcoming a savior or a messiah.

To put it slightly exaggeratedly, they looked as if they might burst into tears any moment.

“I’m sorry. I must’ve startled you because of my kids, right?”

“No, not at all. Just being welcomed like this is more than enough.”

Considering she had anticipated some grumbling given her unexpected arrival, Yoonseo felt a bit flustered by this warm reception but did her best to hide it.

After all, it was good to be welcomed, regardless of the circumstances.

“Given the sudden change in the venue and that it’s our first time dealing with kids instead of adults, we’ve been a bit worried…”

“Ah…”

Hearing the remarks from the deputy team leader beside her shed light on why everyone had looked as if they were welcoming a messiah.

Thinking back, it was quite understandable; today’s kids weren’t your average youngsters.

Especially considering that hero candidates, due to their competitive environment, naturally had stronger personalities than most.

So, the thought of needing to manage a few hundred of them must have been daunting for the security team.

“Plus… I don’t know if you’re aware, but the parents can be quite a handful.”

“Is that so?”

“Well, it varies case by case, but for us, having even one of those parents around can make your life difficult.”

“That’s true.”

Even the calmest and most rational people can turn into monsters when it comes to their kids, which is precisely what parents tend to be like.

If the security team had had experience dealing with them, it might have been a different story, but for those with little to no interaction, their worries were only natural.

“If that’s your concern, wouldn’t it be better to ask the team managing the early Awakened for help?”

“We did have discussions about that…”

“You got declined.”

“Yeah… They seem busy over there… And they have a small crew as well.”

With that exchange occurring while being guided through the hotel that was to be transformed into the lecture venue.

Then, suddenly, chaos erupted inside the hotel.

Wondering if something had happened, they rushed to the spot where the commotion was, only to find a group crossing the hotel lobby.

What can I say?

The cause of the ruckus was none other than Miss Almighty, the centerpiece of today’s lecture, along with her entourage.

The association had prepared them for a leisurely arrival, but it seemed something was afoot as they had shown up early.

Were they there to check on the preparation for the lecture?

If it had been a regular person, I would have brushed it off as nothing, but…

‘She didn’t seem that diligent, based on what I heard from my sister.’

With prior knowledge weighing on me, I couldn’t shake the unease.

As if sensing my guardedness, Miss Almighty’s gaze, gliding smoothly among the frozen crowd, suddenly locked onto my face.

As I instinctively jumped back, she rapidly closed the distance between us.

In a situation where I couldn’t retreat or feign familiarity, she took the initiative to greet me.

“Hello!”

A smile that looked as if painted with a brush was a bonus.

“Are you Yoonseo?”

Her appearance, looking like an obvious foreigner, sprung forth fluent Korean, creating a strange gap in my feelings.

Of course, I couldn’t afford to show that I noticed her remarkable proficiency with her standing right in front of me.

Thanks to that, with my mouth agape, it seemed she had no intention of waiting for my reply.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re quite the promising hero, right?”

As she extended her perfectly white hand, I thought to myself how this was a rival more formidable than I had expected.