Chapter 10: The Hero’s Triumph – Girl’s Side
“Thank you for choosing me!”
With a smile plastered on my face, I uttered words that didn’t reflect my true feelings. I envied the three who had managed to leave early. Despite the charming smile I directed at the Hero, I couldn’t help but lament my own misfortune.
The three I had come to know since taking on this job—Fuku, Sanary, and Jose—had developed a rather deep bond with me. Once freed, I probably wouldn’t be called for a while, so I thought I might summon them for drinks. I needed to think of something to keep my spirits up.
Their job was to serve the Hero.
It was a simple task, really. However, the nature of the job included certain… activities, making it far from an easy gig. Still, compared to the shabby establishment I used to work at, this was a paradise.
No, comparing the two was downright foolish. We had to be ready at a moment’s notice, standing by until called upon, and once summoned, we would prepare and be sent to him immediately. The best part? Just waiting around earned us a salary. And it was a substantial amount, far beyond what I could have ever imagined earning at my previous job. To top it off, if we were chosen by the Hero, the payment would multiply several times over.
Among the women on the nomination list, those burdened with heavy debts were particularly eager, waiting impatiently to be selected.
Honestly, I found this job to be quite peculiar. From the start, it had been something out of the ordinary.
While the identity of our employer was kept secret, it was obvious to anyone that the fact we were serving the Hero had some grand scheme behind it. There had to be some national interest involved.
Since agreeing to take on this role, I had undergone a fair amount of training, but I was still just a simple girl who had been uneducated until recently. Even I could grasp that much. The job, shrouded in secrecy, was an open secret, built upon a massive undertaking surrounding the Hero. The thought of accidentally slipping up and revealing something to him sent chills down my spine.
That said, every participant was grateful for the opportunity to be part of this job. We were all immensely thankful to the individuals orchestrating this endeavor and to our direct employer.
Here, aside from the one in front of me, there were no people who treated others as mere objects, unlike my previous workplace. Moreover, I had been granted beauty-enhancing magic I had never even heard of before, along with ample wages and rewards. Above all, I had been bestowed with the wisdom and knowledge to carve out a brighter future.
During our drinking sessions with friends on our days off, we often spoke about how we had been given a new lease on life, with some even shedding tears over the matter.
With such a significant debt of gratitude, I was certain that none of us would be foolish enough to let anything slip. I was confident of that.
While my job required me to satisfy him as requested, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way out of this. He was self-centered, selfish, and annoyingly persistent, completely oblivious to my acting. He was the epitome of a self-righteous man.
“How’s that!”
“───”
“Hehe, it’s so amazing you can’t even speak!”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t speak; I simply chose not to because it was a hassle. Speaking of self-righteousness, the arrangement of the four women who had been summoned alongside me was laughable.
Two of them woke up before him, while the other two woke up after. This was intentional. They had deliberately left points for him to lecture about, knowing he would eagerly bite. It was the same every time. He never questioned the oddity of someone always oversleeping, and he would pompously deliver his meaningless lectures.
As if that wasn’t enough, he would casually belittle us and our entire world with terms like “ignorant,” “barbarians,” and “backward world.” While I understood that patience was part of the job, I couldn’t help but think that listening to his drivel was far less beneficial than listening to a priest’s sermon. I sighed inwardly, exasperated.
Despite my annoyance, I tried to compartmentalize it as part of the job, recalling what I had thought earlier.
─── Being a Hero comes with excessive stress.
What is this idiot saying? You’re just eating and sleeping as you please!
I swallowed the words that had nearly escaped my lips. It wasn’t just me; it was clear from the expressions of the other three that they were thinking the same thing.
After we were freed from the Hero, our drinking session would undoubtedly revolve around this topic. Sanary, who was great at impersonations, would surely do an exaggerated impression of the Hero. Just imagining it made me smile.
“That expression of yours is great! It’s so enticing!”
At the Hero’s cheerful voice, I regretted my earlier thoughts.
“If only you would acquire a bit more knowledge, I could cherish you even more. Do you understand? Gain some knowledge.”
Having held back for so long, I internally cursed him. Knowledge my foot! You worthless piece of—
My words, stemming from my less-than-ideal background, were hardly refined. Yet, there was a sense of justice in my heart.
No matter how grand the terms like “WIN-WIN,” “Amakudari,” or “secondment” sounded, they didn’t justify your inaction. It didn’t give you the right to take credit for someone else’s hard-earned achievements from afar! You’re a problem even before we talk about knowledge!
If I could, I would have shouted it at the top of my lungs.
Regardless of my inner turmoil, the Hero continued his nonsensical ramblings even during our intimate moments. I wondered if it was about time.
The usual meeting must have concluded by now. Had those three conveyed the Hero’s thoughts and actions to Hilbert properly?
No one should have to suffer misfortune at the hands of such a man. God, if you truly exist, please help that someone.
As I lay entwined with the Hero, I made my silent wish.