The exorcist let out a sigh of relief and pulled her hand out of her pocket.
When Iris and the antique shop owner saw the pistol she was holding, their faces turned pale.
As if to reassure them, the exorcist removed all the bullets from the gun and dropped them onto the floor.
The clattering sound sent shivers down Iris’s spine.
Taking a step back from the exorcist, the antique shop owner pointed at Iris’s belt—or rather, what was visible of the chastity belt—and exclaimed in surprise.
“My goodness, I wore that chastity belt once for fun and nothing happened. But now a regular customer of my shop awakens her abilities? I’m so jealous.”
“Hmph, awakening doesn’t happen to just anyone,” the exorcist said.
“You seem to know something about this?”
At Iris’s question, the exorcist straightened her back and spoke solemnly.
“That’s right. I’m retired now, but once, I was a hero.”
“No way! So the rumors were true? You’re that famous survivor hero?”
The antique shop owner gaped at her, his small eyes filled with shock.
Iris’s eyes also widened.
Survival Guide to Gyodam City, Chapter 3: ‘To Grow Old Is to Have Survived.’
The elderly of Gyodam City are no ordinary beings.
In a crime-ridden city where incidents occur daily, reaching old age is a feat only those of extraordinary resilience achieve.
Among them, meeting a former ability user is rare—villains should flee, and heroes should be shown respect.
In Gyodam City, where survival rates are abysmal, a hero who safely retired is an extraordinary existence, counted on one hand.
‘So she’s a senior hero,’ Iris thought, her eyes shining with newfound respect.
Knowing the exorcist was a former hero, she figured this would be very helpful in many ways.
‘I remember something about being dragged into a comic book plot… If things go well, maybe I can gain an ally.’
Iris adapted quickly.
Throughout her time in this comic world, she had simulated countless times how she would act once she awakened her powers.
The exorcist carefully looked Iris up and down, then said words that did not disappoint.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a hero awaken through an object. It’s a very rare case. Anyway, congratulations. If you’ve decided to walk the path of a hero, I can help you until you reach a certain level of growth.”
“Growth?”
“Yes. Miss Iris, you’re quite lucky. Awakening powers alone isn’t enough. Without effort, you’ll simply fall behind. I’ve seen it happen often—those who awaken but don’t put in the work quickly become obsolete.”
Simply awakening powers wasn’t the end.
To become a strong hero, it was necessary to polish and develop those powers.
In the comic book, the training episodes had been skipped.
The main episodes focused on hero-villain battles and their feats.
Because of that, Iris had overlooked the natural process of training.
But thinking about it, it was obvious.
She was lucky.
She would get help from Teresa, a senior hero.
However…
“But why? Even if you help me, you don’t really gain anything…”
Though Iris was happy with the exorcist’s words, she chose to remain cautious.
Having lived twenty-two years in Gyodam City, she had developed a strong habit of doubting any goodwill without a clear reason.
The exorcist smiled, as if understanding her suspicion, and continued.
“Because there’s a chance you might be the legendary hero—the one who will defeat the villains and finally bring peace to this city, succeeding where countless heroes, including myself, have failed.”
The exorcist brushed her nose with her index finger.
A legendary hero—that was a title Iris had never encountered even in the comic book.
But it sounded cool, and that was good enough.
Iris copied her, brushing her nose with her own finger.
It felt like a bond of camaraderie had formed—as if a game message would pop up saying, ‘You have gained a new companion.’
The old exorcist, smiling broadly at Iris, bowed her head slightly and introduced herself formally.
“Oh dear, look at me. Since I’ve decided to help you, I should properly introduce myself. My name is Teresa. My hero name was Eagle Woman.”
“Eagle Woman?”
“Yeah. I was carrying a chicken skewer, and a bald eagle didn’t go for the skewer—it pecked my head instead. That’s how I awakened.”
“There are cases like that too, huh.”
Iris was amazed.
Eagle Woman—she grew curious about what kind of abilities Teresa had when she was active.
Since Teresa had offered to help, Iris thought that if they grew closer, she might get to hear some stories from that time.
The antique shop owner, hearing Teresa’s words, muttered in a voice dripping with disappointment.
“Maybe I should carry around a chicken skewer.”
Ignoring him completely, Teresa told Iris to wait a moment, then went to fetch her phone.
As she tapped on her phone, she occasionally glanced over at Iris.
“There are a few things a beginner hero can do. You must be feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, but if you complete missions one by one while training in between, you’ll learn how to use and develop your powers.”
“What kind of work? I was already stressed out from job hunting… It’d be nice if it paid well.”
“There are plenty of well-paying jobs, too. Of course, the missions you can take depend on your abilities… But for now, until you fully grasp your powers, it’s better to be cautious. Just a moment…”
After tapping her phone a few more times, Teresa held it out in front of Iris.
“You should be able to handle this.”
Catch ten black crayfish at the river in Zone 2.
Seeing the words on the phone screen, Iris tilted her head.
Teresa had opened an app where hero missions were posted.
Catching crayfish hardly seemed like a job worthy of a hero.
“Isn’t this something an ordinary person could do?”
“No. Are you new around here? You shouldn’t underestimate Gyodam City! Ordinary people don’t even dare go near the riverside. It’s crawling with thugs. But since you’re a hero, you’ll be able to catch black crayfish even where thugs hang around.”
“Hmm, alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Iris nodded.
It was her very first mission as a hero.
Even though it was just a small task like catching crayfish, thinking that it was something an ordinary person couldn’t do made her heart start to race with excitement.
Seeing Iris’s flushed face, a smile formed on Teresa’s lips.
Looking at her, Teresa was reminded of herself when she first awakened her abilities, and felt an even stronger urge to help her.
With a satisfied smile, Teresa glanced at Iris’s white outfit and asked,
“By the way, what’s your hero name, Iris?”
“…Hero name?”
“Yes. You probably heard it in your head when you awakened your abilities. In my case, exactly a week after getting pecked on the head by a bald eagle, I heard the name Eagle Woman and awakened my power.”
Eagle Woman—such an intuitive name.
If that was the case, Iris figured her hero name would probably be just as straightforward.
She hesitated, then answered weakly.
“Huu… Chastity Belt Girl.”
“Wh-what a… magnificent name…”
“Hey now, no lying. Magnificent, really?”
Hearing their exchange, the antique shop owner, oblivious to the mood, chimed in.
He, too, had once worn a chastity belt for fun, apparently.
If he had awakened powers back then, would he have become Chastity Belt Boy?
The thought of that bald-headed man in a white outfit made Iris shudder.
Shaking her head, Iris pointed at Teresa’s phone with her finger.
“Senior Teresa, can I also install that app?”
“Not yet. That app is only for those who’ve made a name for themselves as heroes. The Hero Association—or whatever it’s called—selects and sends out invitations. In principle, anyway. But if I recommend you, you could receive an invitation… although…”
“Oh! Then could you recommend me?”
Teresa firmly shook her head.
“It’s too soon. For now, I’ll personally assign you missions. In your current state, even if you had the app, it’d be hard to judge which missions suit you.”
Iris nodded.
After explaining a few more things she needed to do going forward, Teresa told Iris to come to her house tomorrow.
She sincerely wanted to guide her, purely as a senior hero helping a junior.
While the senior and junior heroes were having a warm conversation, the antique shop owner, left out like a sack of barley, sighed.
“So jealous… I’ve been running this antique shop for fifteen years and still haven’t awakened any powers. Iris, you’re really lucky.”
“Even if you didn’t awaken, maybe the antiques protected the shop. The fact that you’ve survived this long proves it.”
“Really?”
The antique shop owner’s face brightened at Teresa’s words.
He was a remarkably optimistic, bald old man.