Chapter 172 : Career Counseling (2)

After a nearly two-hour train ride, they arrived at a rather large hero agency.

Ho-cheol was slightly impressed by the splendid exterior of the building.

He had heard that the entire building was a hero agency.

“The hero agency's exterior… it certainly has a similar feel to the Sword Demon's agency.”

Min-jeong, who was sticking close to him, chattered away.

“Well, my dad was a sidekick of the Sword Demon and also a huge fan. And this agency was recently nominated for an S-rank upgrade, so they went all out and renovated the interior. It’s certainly sparkling.”

“A fan of the Sword Demon. What’s so good about that guy that he even has fans?”

Even his hero name was Sword Master, as if to show he was a fan of the Sword Demon.

On the first floor of the building, he explained the situation to the employee at the desk.

Guided by the employee, they arrived at the top floor.

The hero office on the top floor.

The door opened, and the one who greeted Ho-cheol was a woman with impressive blonde hair, just like Min-jeong's.

“Welcome, Professor.”

Min-jeong's mother smiled gently.

Ho-cheol also bowed his head lightly in greeting.

“Hello. I am Jeong Ho-cheol, the professor in charge of Min-jeong.”

Min-jeong glanced at her mother and stealthily raised her hand to wave.

“I’m here.”

“Goodness. What kind of trouble did you cause at the academy for your professor to come for a consultation?”

The mother, who had been nagging as a parent would, her eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Da-yeon standing behind them.

“Oh my. Da-yeon.”

“Hello, Auntie.”

In her childhood, when the Sword Demon had practically given up on raising her, it had been his employees who had raised Da-yeon.

But perhaps because of her title as the daughter of an S-rank hunter, kidnappings had been frequent, and in the end, his sidekicks had taken over the childcare.

Of course, the Sword Demon had said there was no need, but Min-jeong's parents couldn't leave Da-yeon, who was the same age as their child, alone, and they had cared for her like their own child.

At their sincere affection, Da-yeon had also followed them like her parents.

No, she just liked them more than the Sword Demon.

Before enrolling in the academy, she had even lived at Min-jeong's house for a week at a time.

“So what's the matter?”

Da-yeon puffed out her chest as if showing off.

“I’m the class president.”

“You were the class president.”

“Anyway. If it's about Min-jeong, it's my business too. So I came along.”

“Ah, right. I almost kept my guests standing. Please come in.”

They sat down on the guest sofa.

“It's about time he finished his patrol in the city. At most, he'll be up within 5 minutes.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Ho-cheol also nodded his head nonchalantly.

Since they had arrived a little earlier than the appointment time, a little wait was to be expected.

Min-jeong's mother approached the coffee pot on one side and asked.

“Well, what would you like to drink?”

“I'll have…”

Ho-cheol thought for a moment and then discreetly looked down at the clothes he was wearing.

His only suit. If he got juice or coffee on it, he would be in a lot of trouble with the laundry.

“Just water, please. Cold water.”

“Yes.”

Had they been waiting for about 20 more minutes?

The door burst open with the sound of someone's urgent footsteps from outside.

“The professor is already here?”

“Why are you so late?”

“I couldn't just come as I was, all sweaty. I showered first.”

Min-jeong's father, the Sword Master, entered the office.

As befitting a former sidekick of the Sword Demon, several swords were hanging from his waist.

“Goodness, Miss Da-yeon is here too.”

“Don’t call me Miss…”

His short, sporty black hair, reminiscent of a chestnut.

Ho-cheol's brows narrowed for a moment.

It was a common style, but he felt like he had seen it somewhere.

His memory was so faint that it was not easy to recall.

And the Sword Master was also staring at Ho-cheol with a similar expression.

“What’s wrong with you?”

He, who had been frozen with his hand on the doorknob, belatedly came to his senses.

“No. Uh. This is the professor who was a villain?”

“Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jeong Ho-cheol.”

As they looked at each other, feeling a strange familiarity but unable to clearly recall, the Sword Master and Ho-cheol shook hands with that sense of frustration.

“Th-then, shall we… hear the reason for the sudden interview request?”

“Yes, yes. About that…”

Da-yeon, Min-jeong, and Min-jeong's mother, who did not know their situation, wondered why the two of them had suddenly become such fools who couldn't even speak properly.

And in this frustration, it was the Sword Master who realized the other's identity first.

His expression instantly crumpled.

“You! You bastard.”

He drew a sword from his waist and swung it hard at Ho-cheol.

A blow meant purely to cut down the opponent, without any intention of threat or intimidation.

Seogeok—!

Everything in the path of the sword was split.

The reception table, the cups on the table, and the sofa.

At least Ho-cheol was able to avoid being split in half with the table by quickly twisting his body to the side.

“Dad?”

“Mister?”

Min-jeong's mother was so startled that she couldn't even speak.

Ho-cheol, who was flustered, was about to argue, but he also belatedly recalled a situation from the past.

The identity of this strange sense of déjà vu, he finally remembered.

And he realized.

This was screwed.

No matter how he thought about it, it was a situation he couldn't get out of.

Looking at the frozen Ho-cheol, the Sword Master continued his attacks even more fiercely.

At least he seemed to be holding on to a sliver of reason, as he was refraining from wide attacks.

“Die!”

The blade grazed the tip of his nose, and Ho-cheol, who had dodged by tilting his head back, held out both hands.

“First, calm down.”

Sweeeek—!

Of course, it was ineffective.

“Ah. Good grief.”

Ho-cheol's brows narrowed as he looked at the sword that was coming straight for his abdomen.

What a hassle, coming here for a consultation.

With a sigh, he raised his foot and pressed down on the tip of the sword.

Although he was a hero who was likely to be promoted to S-rank, in the end, didn't that mean he wasn't even an S-rank?

Even a decent S-rank couldn't even share a table with Ho-cheol.

Let alone a candidate.

The sword, which had been shot with a fierce momentum, was blocked by Ho-cheol's foot and could not move an inch.

Ho-cheol glared at Min-jeong's father with his eyes narrowed.

“You’d better calm down when I’m still being polite.”

At the same time, he raised his aura.

Sweat flowed down his forehead at the blatant pressure.

In that short lull, Min-jeong shouted urgently.

“Dad! What are you doing to the professor!”

The Sword Master's expression changed strangely.

“……Professor?”

He had lost his mind when he had realized Ho-cheol's identity, but he belatedly understood with what qualification the man in front of him had come here.

“You didn’t target me by taking my child hostage?”

“You have an overinflated ego.”

Only when he was in a situation where he wouldn't be hit by a sword did Ho-cheol sit down on the sofa again.

He still used polite language since he was a parent.

“Who would have imagined that the chestnut-headed guy from back then would be my student’s parent? Most importantly…”

Ho-cheol discreetly gave Da-yeon a look.

She, who had understood Ho-cheol's inner thoughts, immediately grabbed Min-jeong's arm.

“Min-jeong. Let’s go out for a moment.”

“No, I don’t understand this situation at all! I want to listen too.”

Min-jeong, who had been grabbed by Da-yeon, was dragged out of the office and disappeared.

Ho-cheol thought for a moment and then said honestly.

“And it’s not like our skill levels are so close that I would need to take a hostage.”

A vein bulged on the Sword Master's forehead.

But from the short exchange just now, he could also feel it.

The difference in their capabilities was clear.

“In the first place, how could a major villain like you get out of Zero Chain and become a professor at Clington?”

“I'm surprised too. Well, if you were to ask for a reason, it's because the higher-ups thought it would be helpful in maintaining their power. What other great reason could there be?”

“……If the Master knew, he would come to cut off your head right away.”

Ho-cheol chuckled.

The Sword Master's master would, of course, be the Sword Demon.

“In the first place, the Sword Demon also knows that I’m working as a professor here. So I’m still well-attached like this.”

“……He does?”

The Sword Master asked back, genuinely flustered.

The Sword Master also knew well about the relationship between the Sword Demon and Ho-cheol, their ill-fated connection.

He had just not acted because he was in prison.

If he had known that Ho-cheol was working as a professor at Clington, he would never have left him alone.

No, most importantly, the fact that he was Min-jeong's supervising professor meant that he was also the supervising professor of Da-yeon, who was in the same department.

Had the Sword Demon really tolerated that?

Something that he didn't know was going on.

The Sword Master could not help but think so.

He barely managed to catch his breath.

After downing several cups of cold water in a row, he glared at Ho-cheol.

He decided to inquire about Ho-cheol's treatment with the Sword Demon and the Association, and he said.

“Haa. So what was your business?”

If the Sword Demon, his master, had left Ho-cheol alone, it would be difficult for him to act carelessly either.

“Ah. Well. To finally get back to the point…”

Ho-cheol called Da-yeon and Min-jeong, who had gone out of the office, back in.

“Your daughter, she wants to be an idol, not a hero. And I support that decision.”

“What? An idol?”

He shouted, even more surprised than when he had realized Ho-cheol's identity.

“Is that really true?”

The Sword Master turned his head sharply and glared at Min-jeong.

Naturally, Min-jeong was intimidated and shrunk her neck.

She answered in a crawling voice.

In front of Ho-cheol, she had acted so confidently and shamelessly, but in front of the Sword Master, she couldn't even speak in her usual voice.

“Yeees…”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

At that sight, Ho-cheol let out a sigh inwardly.

The Sword Demon too, his parenting is a mess.

Ho-cheol stood up and stood in front of Min-jeong.

“A coercive and hierarchical education method. This is not just different, it's wrong. Most importantly…”

Ho-cheol warned in a low voice.

“Don’t yell at my student.”

Even when he was being swung at with a sword, he had insisted on using polite language just because he was a parent, but not now.

“A parent may not be a role model for a child, but they should not be a negative example. Especially if they're a hero.”

The Sword Master was momentarily at a loss for words and shut his mouth.

Ho-cheol wiped his face.

“I didn't mean to be so stiff with a parent. My head got hot again. I'm sorry. Anyway, it means you should respect your child, so please understand.”

“N-no, Professor. Show them even more!”

In fact, Min-jeong, who was standing behind Ho-cheol, grabbed his back and whispered softly.

Her voice was filled with a faint sense of expectation.

Honestly, if she were alone, the probability of persuading the Sword Master would have been close to 0%.

And even if Ho-cheol had lent his weight to the persuasion, she had expected that 0% would not change.

But the current situation was somehow different.

At least so far, Ho-cheol was in firm control of the situation.

And if her mother, who was somewhat on her side, helped her?

Maybe?

Don't tell me?

Really?

It was natural for such a faint hope to arise.

“What's ‘ppitppi’?”

“Whatever!”

Her voice was cheerful, but the hand that was holding his clothes trembled.

The vibration was enough for even Ho-cheol, who was being held, to feel it.

Right. I have to do it.

Muttering to himself, Ho-cheol continued to speak.

“In any case, my point is simple. A parent can certainly give advice and interfere in a career path. But the decision is entirely up to the person. After the decision is made, the best role for a parent is to stand a step behind and cheer them on.”

“……If it were you, could you cheer on your child if they were to quit being a hero and become an idol?”

Ho-cheol couldn't bring himself to say yes and just scratched the back of his head.

Min-jeong answered instead.

“No, dad. I can really do it.”

“What kind of celebrity are you! If you really want to be a celebrity, then switch from being a hero! If you become an idol after getting an A-rank, agencies will be lining up with business cards!”

In fact, the Sword Master's words were the sound argument.

In modern society, there were often people who made a name for themselves as heroes in the media and then switched to being celebrities, rather than just being simple idols.

Since Min-jeong also had enough talent as a hero, her chances of debuting would be much higher if she took this route.

But Min-jeong was firm.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not.”

She raised her voice for the first time.

“Because people won’t acknowledge me! Because I’m the girl who debuted through her dad! Because people will chew me out behind my back! In middle school! In high school! When I enrolled in Clington! Until I become a hero! Continuously! The same! The Sword Demon’s connection! Because they say you have to be the servant of a minister's house to be a minister's servant! Because that damn label will be stuck to me!”

The cry, full of resentment and anger, echoed loudly in the office.

Not only Ho-cheol, but also the Sword Master, Min-jeong's mother, and even Da-yeon were at a loss for words and froze.

The one who came to his senses first was Ho-cheol, who was the most outsider to the shouting just now.

He patted Min-jeong's head as if to comfort her.

“I always thought you were just a delinquent who was always smiling, but you must have had your own troubles. I'm sorry I didn't know at all.”

“Uh, no, Professor. That’s not it…”

To be honest, compared to the other students, her past was quite trivial.

However, it was just that the cases Ho-cheol had experienced or seen so far had been so extreme.

Of course, even a ‘normal’ conflict like this was bound to leave a residue.

Just as the Sword Master, who had been parting his lips for a long time, was about to say something.

Wiiing—

Wiiing—

The light on the office wall flashed red with a siren sound.

A villain disaster alarm.

At the same time, a voice came from the walkie-talkie on the Sword Master's waist.

It's a grade 2 villain disaster.

Three hero teams that have been dispatched have been annihilated.

“What’s the exact location?”

It's the Gold Tower.

“I'll be there right away, so stand by.”

Yes.

The Sword Master turned his head and looked back and forth between Min-jeong and Ho-cheol.

“We’ll talk about the rest when I get back.”

Ho-cheol nodded his head.

It wasn't a big accident, just a grade 2 villain disaster.

The Sword Master was more than capable of handling it on his own.

He would only step in if there was a situation where there were no heroes around and a problem arose.

“Ah, well. Let’s do that.”

“Min-jeong, you too…”

The Sword Master's voice trailed off for a moment.

He bit his lip and turned back again.

“I’m sorry. I’ll solve it quickly and come back, so let's talk then.”

“……Yes.”

The Sword Master picked up the walkie-talkie again.

“So, what’s the situation?”

Um, two villains are causing a rampage.

But they are…

The voice on the other side of the walkie-talkie hesitated.

“Why are you trailing off? Reports should be concise and to the point.”

Um, the age of the villains is a bit strange.

There are reports that they look to be just about 15 years old.

And they seem to be twin siblings.

“They could have just changed their appearance with a Trait, so tell the field not to be complacent.”

Yes.

Just as the Sword Master was about to leave for the dispatch.

“Wait.”

Ho-cheol suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

“I need to go with you.”

And Ho-cheol's expression was more serious than ever before.