This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 16

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A white liquid spilled over Cuculli’s face.

The liquid dripped down her cheek and fell to the floor, causing Ban’s face to turn pale.

“Sorry! I’ll get something to wipe it off quickly!”

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not a big deal.”

Ban hadn’t even stood up yet when Cuculli tore a piece from the tablecloth with her nails and wiped her face.

While Ban stared at her, surprised, even I, who was about to offer a napkin, halted.

Cuculli tilted her head and looked at Ban.

“So?”

“Uh… so what?”

“Aren’t you going to take up my offer for a fight?”

“If I get a chance later…”

“Tch.”

Thick lips protruded into a pout.

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

After that, Cuculli seemed to lose interest in Ban.

As she focused on her food again, the conversation came to an abrupt end.

I sighed quietly to myself.

‘Are there any normal kids around here?’

Are all geniuses this eccentric?

By the way, there was still no news about the teaching assistant candidates.

It seemed like it might be a good idea to listen to the children’s stories a bit more here.

…Especially since an interesting conversation seemed to be starting in the adjacent seat.

“Have you seen Luke? Did he not come to the party at all?”

“…Luke? You mean that guy? The fierce-looking one. Are you friends?”

“No, not at all. We’ve never exchanged a word.”

“I thought we were friends. But why is he looking for me?”

“I’m curious about what kind of person he is. He’s not close to anyone.”

I listened attentively.

Luke Selsood.

Heir to the Mercenary King, praised as one of the five successors by the Iris of Laplace.

I listened attentively.

“I don’t know. He’s always holed up in the training grounds. Probably doing the same today.”

“Yeah. If we had to rank people you’d never expect to see at a party, he’d be third.”

“Why third? Who’s first and second?”

“First is our professor.”

The kids murmured in agreement.

Ted Redymer’s image was just like that.

“I can’t deny that. But he probably won’t come today either, right?”

“…Doesn’t seem likely. Imagine the professor dancing at the party. Can you?”

“Impossible. So who’s second?”

“He’s here. Didn’t you see him earlier?”

The moment when the curiosity about who the second was grew.

Cuculli, who was wandering around looking for something to eat, suddenly joined the conversation.

“Heh, I really hope the professor shows up. I’ll pretend to be drunk and challenge him. I’ve been itching for a match since the interview.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, um… well….”

Her boldness for wanting to fight the Hero left the kids unsure of how to respond.

“He probably wouldn’t have a match.”

Someone spoke up to counter that awkward statement.

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I looked at the shaking red hair in front of me.

“Oh, I see.”

Cuculli seemed more intrigued than displeased.

Red and blue eyes met for a moment.

“So, what about me and you?”

“Looks like you enjoy hearing the same answer.”

As Cuculli smirked, Leciel turned around.

It was then that she addressed me directly.

“I apologize.”

A white hand reached for the champagne on the tray.

Correction.

Champagnes, plural.

Between her fingers, she held not one but four champagne glasses.

With a casual turn, Leciel, walked towards a corner, leaving the perplexed children behind.

Her cheeks, seen briefly, were as red as her own hair.

“…That’s Leciel.”

“Should I go talk to her?”

“Asera, didn’t you see earlier? The seniors were humiliated.”

After that, the conversation lacked substance.

I slowly left the place.

What was thought to be a light conversation turned out to be a bit headache-inducing.

‘…It would be fortunate if there’s at least one normal person.’

Each one had a strong personality.

There needed to be a way to harmonize them.

While developing individuals’ abilities was crucial, fostering cooperation and achieving synergy were equally important.

Regardless, these would be my future colleagues to stand against the Demon King.

‘Finally, they’re here.’

I stopped my thoughts and straightened up.

A group was entering the party venue – my assistant candidates.

** * **

Graduate students at Rosenstark.

In reality, they were a very rare presence.

‘In the first place, not many students apply for assistant positions.’

The reason was the insane workload.

Nicknamed the graveyard for undergraduates, it was an extreme profession where they had to balance personal research and professors’ requests.

While there were advantages such as gaining extensive connections in the academic world and receiving generous research funding…

‘Usually not a place where one applies without determination.’

As a result, Rosenstark’s graduate school naturally ended up with graduates who had tremendous academic passion, and they often presented surprising research to the world.

‘The continent’s top minds.’

Even my gruff temporary assistant, would undoubtedly be a talent to be sought after, wooed, and respected by guilds once she graduated.

‘The same goes for them.’

I observed the chattering group of graduate students.

Portraits attached to their resumes overlapped in my mind.

‘An assembly of elites, perhaps.’

Most surprisingly, most of those who applied for my assistant position were gathered in one place.

It seemed like my speculation was correct.

Other graduate students didn’t approach them as if there were invisible walls.

Their attire was more extravagant than others.

Amidst the shimmering outfits, there was something unexpected.

‘Why is she there?’

Pia was with them.

More precisely, she was surrounded by them.

In the midst of flashy attires, her plain dress stood out.

Pia’s expression was as usual, but for some reason, she seemed quite uncomfortable.

‘They don’t seem to be close.’

I approached to observe more closely.

“Hey, you there!”

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One of them gestured to me.

He was a very skinny young man.

I approached with measured steps and nodded.

“Do you need something?”

“Don’t you see the empty glasses here? Bring more drinks, quickly.”

“What type of beverage…”

“Champagne! Do I look like I’m going to drink beer?”

Sometimes a single word and its tone were enough to gauge a person.

I smiled.

“I apologize. I’ll bring it right away.”

Conveniently, the nearby champagne had also run out, so I had to go quite far to get more.

‘Tsk, there’s no luck.’

I met the gaze of a slender-eyed young man.

“What’s the problem?”

“Problem? You’re quite bold. Hurry up and bring it.”

“Understood. I’ll be back soon.”

Coincidentally, there was an empty spot next to Pia.

I took a seat, facing her and the group.

“Here you go!”

I handed the champagne to the skinny young man, who barely acknowledged me and resumed chatting with others.

‘Interesting.’

I observed Pia, who still seemed out of place among them.

‘Momont Andrea…’

His face matched one of the portraits on the resumes.

Not comparable to Glendor, but impressive nonetheless.

He was from the ‘Andrea’ family, known for significant revenue in the manufacturing sector, including alchemy and forging.

‘Pia mentioned him while going through applications.’

His research achievements were also top-notch.

He seemed to have written in his application about admiring my footsteps as the Hero.

‘A typical heir from a prestigious family.’

Certainly not a type I favored.

Well, to be precise, it was closer to a type I despised.

The friends chuckling beside him were no different.

I was contemplating whether I should go without an assistant for a moment when sparks flew.

“If it weren’t for your mediocre skills, you would be here serving drinks as well. Isn’t that right, Pia?”

I looked back and forth between them in surprise.

It was a very rude remark.

‘What is this?’

However, the other graduate students just turned away with uncomfortable expressions.

It was absurd.

‘…Is this bullying?’

At that age?

Then an unexpected attack came.

“If it weren’t for your mediocre skills, you too, having been pushed to second place, would be wiping tables here if it weren’t for your family.”

The laughter abruptly stopped.

It was quite a remarkable counterattack.

‘…He was the second?’

No wonder they said he excelled in his work.

On the other hand, when Pia didn’t back down and retorted, Momont’s face turned red.

“How dare you mention Andrea with that lowly mouth?”

“…What’s so hard to mention?”

“Well, a woman who screwed up her research can only survive by her mouth.”

…Research?

Pia’s expression, once firm, now stiffened dramatically.

Momont shouted, asserting his correctness.

“If I had failed such a large project, I would be too ashamed to even lift my head. I knew she would fail from the moment she claimed to create such a drug.”

“Unnecessary worries, Momont. Even if you wake up from the dead, you wouldn’t be capable of handling this kind of research.”

“…Be careful with your words. I hit women too, as you well know.”

“I know. You only hit women.”

Eventually, Momont slammed his chair and stood up.

His face was as red as lava.

The thunderous noise drew all nearby gazes toward them.

“This insolent commoner! who knows nothing about the subject!”

Pia, who had been facing him defiantly, was startled as she tightly gripped the chair’s armrest.

Her knuckles were white.

‘Tsk!’

I clicked my tongue.

That’s a learned fear.

It seemed to be more messed up than I thought.

The situation was about to explode.

However, no one stepped forward.

It was probably because of Momont’s family.

Andrea family wielded considerable influence in various manufacturing fields.

Most of the people here were graduate students from the support undergraduate program.

They would need to be cautious as they sought entry into related fields after graduation.

“But it’s still unpleasant.”

Numerous spectators, most ironically, the only ones suffering from the harassment, the victims themselves, were those who ignored Momont.

Their conversation continued.

“Our family has also invested in you… It seems you’ve forgotten that fact. How long do you think you can behave so arrogantly?”

“Our research is still ongoing. Don’t rush to judge it as a failure.”

Momont’s lips twisted.

“Hah, making fun of me while not even solving the side effects. Don’t you remember about the investors meeting?”

“…”

“If there are no results by the end of this month, feel free to expect the consequences. I’ll make you understand what it means to be in dire straits.”

Pia’s head bowed toward the ground.

It was too difficult to watch this drama any longer.

I quickly left the scene.

‘Is there a quiet place anywhere?’

Looking around, I headed into the building.

Since the outdoor party was in full swing, the inside seemed quieter.

After confirming that there was no one nearby, I found the most secluded room.

As I took a deep breath, the familiar image quickly came to mind.

─ Polymorph

The echoing sound of bones resounded on the wall, spreading through the bathroom.

From my fingertips to my body, a surge of energy enveloped me.

The slim servant uniform I was wearing transformed into the form of an exquisite suit.

Shaking my head for a moment, I adapted to the heightened eye level.

“Let’s go then.”

It was time to see if the spoiled rich kid could impress everyone with his impressive background.

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