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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Not registered? What do you mean? Do you mean they withdrew?”
[No. They were never registered as heroes in the first place. In other words, there have never been heroes with those names.]
What was this?
Han Min-ha clearly received bonus points for being a child of heroes, but her parents were never heroes?
Should I try searching by their callsigns instead of their real names?
But Han Min-ha didn’t know her parents’ callsigns.
“I understand. Thank you.”
I hung up and immediately searched online for Han Min-ha’s parents.
As expected, there were no results when searching by their real names.
What was going on…?
It was one of two things:
Either Han Min-ha didn’t know her parents’ real names, or there really was no record of them in the Administration.
But both possibilities were zero.
There was no way she didn’t know her parents’ names, and there were no heroes without records in the Administration.
And even less likely was the possibility that Han Min-ha’s parents weren’t heroes.
The hero family bonus points and the survivor’s pension were solid proof that her parents were heroes.
Then, there was a very slim possibility…
That the Administration was denying the very existence of certain heroes.
There was nothing about that in the Administration laws and regulations I knew.
And the same was true in the original story, which I knew the ending of.
Then I suddenly remembered something I had heard from the other professors while we were eating spicy stir-fried pork.
Secreto.
The Administration’s secret organization that Yoo Hee-won’s father supposedly belonged to.
If Han Min-ha’s parents had been members of Secreto, everything would make sense.
The blank space on her family register.
The survivor’s pension despite their disappearance.
The Administration directly arranging Han Min-ha’s admission to the academy.
The response from the Administration that there was no record of them.
Han Min-ha not knowing even basic information like her parents’ callsigns.
It all fit if they were heroes from a secret organization.
Hmm… was that really it…?
Then their disappearance must have been a cover-up for their deaths during some sensitive mission.
What kind of mission could it have been?
More importantly, did this mean I couldn’t find out anything more about Han Min-ha’s parents?
Roughly estimating the timeframe, it seemed likely that their Secreto activities would have overlapped with Yoo Hee-won’s father’s.
Should I subtly bring it up with Yoo Hee-won?
Of course, this was all based on the assumption that Han Min-ha’s parents were indeed members of Secreto.
I had to be careful about bringing this up with the chairman of the Administration’s advisory committee; I didn’t know how he would react.
Secreto…
I searched online, but there were no results.
Even similar words should have shown up, but the blank page suggested it had been intentionally blocked.
Who should I ask about this?
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During the upper-class lecture, Yoo Hee-won kept avoiding my gaze, as if she was angry.
She probably felt uncomfortable around me because of her blunder regarding Han Min-ha’s parents.
People with her personality had a hard time dealing with their mistakes.
And they directed their anger at others, even if it was their own fault.
She might even be resenting me for not telling her about it beforehand.
But I didn’t dislike her.
It was proof that she had at least a minimal conscience.
Near the end of the lecture, a student suddenly raised their hand.
“Professor, I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you an active hero, Professor?”
“No. I retired and became a professor. I’m not active anymore.”
“Then what rank were you? What was your callsign?”
“I was C-Rank. My callsign was Gray Steel.”
[Gray Steel]
A straightforward and unrefined callsign, befitting a steadfast, defense-specialized support hero.
At the mention of C-Rank, a few students whispered amongst themselves.
“Why did you retire? The other professors are all active heroes.”
“For health reasons.”
“But Professor, there are no videos or anything of your past activities. Why is that?”
Of course.
It was common sense for students to research their professors’ backgrounds.
But unfortunately, I didn’t have any publicly available videos of my hero activities.
Because I was a defense-specialized hero, a niche within a niche.
While other heroes fought spectacularly and attracted media attention, I quietly provided barrier support from behind.
That was why.
After my explanation, the students whispered amongst themselves again.
I didn’t know what they were talking about, but it probably wasn’t anything positive.
Most of the upper-class students were either from wealthy families like Yoo Hee-won or had inherited their parents’ talents like Han Min-ha.
Right after the entrance ceremony, they had looked up to me as a former hero professor, but now they had all adjusted to the academy.
How would they see a former C-Rank hero who wasn’t even active and had no noteworthy achievements?
But I didn’t care how the students saw me.
These students would master Basic Defense Studies even without my full effort, and whether or not I gained their favor wouldn’t affect my life in any way.
However, Yoo Hee-won seemed to think differently.
“Shut up! Stop gossiping like rats!”
Her sharp rebuke startled the whispering students, and they quickly dispersed.
“Alright, time’s up. Today’s lecture is over. Good work, everyone.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Yoo Hee-won grabbed her bag, stood up abruptly, and left the classroom.
The other students hurriedly followed her in the tense silence.
Right now, they might look down on a C-Rank hero, but after graduation, they would realize how difficult it was to retire safely even as a C-Rank.
There were countless heroes who had multiple battle videos with millions of views but whose bodies were never found.
Then I suddenly remembered someone I could ask about Secreto.
There was a hero at our academy who held the record for the most battle videos with media exposure.
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“Professor Yoo, do you have a moment?”
“Professor Kyo? What’s up? Coming all the way to my classroom?”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo of Comprehensive Offense greeted me with a slightly surprised expression.
Due to the nature of her subject, he was wearing a well-fitting black dobok instead of a drab suit like mine. [T/N: Dobok: The traditional uniform used in Korean martial arts]
She had a thick belt around his waist, originally black, but now almost white from wear and tear.
The Comprehensive Offense classroom was more like a mixed martial arts gym.
There was a hexagonal ring in the center of the spacious room, surrounded by sandbags and various training equipment.
Here, freshmen learned basic combat techniques, and as they progressed, they moved to the outdoor training grounds to learn deadly, Aura-based attack techniques.
“Did you come to ask about Han Min-ha?”
“That’s part of the reason. How is she doing?”
“Same as always. Today, her dobok belt came undone, and it was a mess.”
“Why?”
“Her dobok opened up when her belt came loose, and you can imagine what happened next.”
I see.
Han Min-ha’s prominent figure, clad only in a thin t-shirt, must have been exposed for all to see.
It must have been quite a distracting sight for the male students.
“Nothing else out of the ordinary. She spent the whole class hitting the sandbag again today.”
“Is that so… Actually, Professor Yoo, I came to ask about something else.”
“I thought so. Come and sit.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo brought two plastic chairs without backrests.
“What are you curious about?”
“About Secreto, the organization you mentioned while we were eating spicy stir-fried pork. Can you tell me more about it? You’re the only person I know who might know something about it.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo, sitting in front of me, was an A-Rank hero and had been quite famous before becoming a professor.
Even now, I could easily find her battle videos with millions of views online.
“Secreto? I told you, no one knows anything for sure. It’s all just speculation.”
“You’re the only person I know who might even have some speculation.”
“Hmm…”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo crossed her arms, looked at me for a moment, and asked,
“There must be a specific reason, right? It’s the first time I’ve seen you, Professor Kyo, take such an interest in something else.”
“There’s something I need to know about that’s related to it.”
There was a reason I had come to Professor Yoo Hyun-joo instead of the numerous other B-Rank and above professors.
She was quite favorable towards me; she was also discreet, trustworthy, and someone who keeps secrets.
She wouldn’t dismiss a fellow professor’s efforts to properly guide their student.
Honestly, Professor Heo Tae-hyun of Information Acquisition and Operations would have been the best person to ask, but I couldn’t trust him.
Spies were known to deceive even their own allies.
“You know Han Min-ha received bonus points for being a child of heroes, right?”
“Yes, I know. Her Aura is on a different level compared to the other students.”
“Han Min-ha’s parents… are both dead.”
“They were both heroes? That’s unfortunate. Though it’s a profession where death is always a possibility.”
“They didn’t die in a typical fight against villains.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo tilted her head slightly.
“Then?”
“They were declared missing. Han Min-ha receives a survivor’s pension and entered the academy through the Administration’s arrangement.”
“Hmm…”
“But the family section on Han Min-ha’s profile is blank. I inquired with the Administration, and they said there was no record of heroes with those names.”
“What were their names?”
“Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-ah.”
“I’ve never heard of those names… So, you’re saying you think Han Min-ha’s parents were part of Secreto?”
“Yes.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo stroked her chin and slowly nodded.
“If it’s Secreto, everything you’ve found out so far makes sense.”
“That’s why I came to that conclusion. But I can’t seem to find out anything more.”
“What does that have to do with you? Do you think there’s a connection between Han Min-ha’s poor performance and her parents’ disappearance? And you think you might find a solution if you investigate it?”
“That’s right. I think Han Min-ha might have a trauma related to her parents’ disappearance. She fainted during the basic evaluation after watching the video of heroes dying at the hands of villains, and despite having a strong Aura, she can’t use it at all. I think she might be subconsciously rejecting the idea of becoming a hero.”
“But then why did she enter the academy and why is she still here? If she doesn’t want to be a hero, she could just go to a regular high school.”
“She said it herself. She has nothing else to do outside. And in her desperate situation after losing her parents, she probably entered the academy on a whim when the Administration offered her a place. The reason she hasn’t withdrawn is because I persuaded her to stay, and she’s probably worried about being alone again if she leaves the academy. That’s my guess.”
“Hmm…”
Professor Yoo nodded for a while before speaking.
“Your theory about her having a trauma related to her parents’ disappearance makes sense. And since she’s receiving a survivor’s pension, she probably doesn’t believe her parents simply disappeared. Yes, I think you’re right.”
“That’s why I’m trying to find out more.”
“If her parents were definitely heroes but aren’t registered with the Administration, then they were probably part of Secreto. I’ve heard that Secreto treats its members as if they never existed. And if they weren’t registered, she wouldn’t be receiving a survivor’s pension.”
“Is there any way to find out more?”
“Well, to be honest, it’s impossible for a mere professor to dig into something the Administration is intentionally hiding. And they might even take measures to make you give up, beyond just hiding the information. Of course, what I’m saying is all based on the assumption that Secreto exists and that Han Min-ha’s parents were part of it.”
Professor Yoo fell silent again.
Thanks to my Mental Barrier, I didn’t feel anxious, but after what felt like a considerable amount of time, she suddenly spoke.
“But it’s not entirely impossible.”
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[T/N: Hey guys, I might have messed up the gender of Professor ‘Yoo Hyun-joo’ in the previous chapters. Don’t worry, I will fix everything I can find so that those who read it later probably (hopefully) wouldn’t notice. But sorry to those who have already read the previous chapters.]
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