‘Ah, disbanded.’
BGM sound effect
Clara was removed from the party by Kamui (Captain)! (Failed B)
‘Uh, this is exactly like the hero network’s prophecy…’
‘She wasn’t even taken home by Kamui; she was sent back to the company.’
‘That future-predicting system is way too scary, isn’t it?’
On the subway back to the company, Clara also received a belated reply from Miss Nangong.
“Sorry, I was in a meeting at noon and didn’t notice.”
“I already have plans tonight, so how about discussing it tomorrow?”
‘Sigh, it seems she really had an appointment with Miss Kamui.’
‘I really don’t get it!’
‘They live together, so they can meet anytime…’
‘Why not tonight?’
‘Is tonight some special occasion?’
‘Come to think of it, why do they live together?’
‘Usually, you wouldn’t think of sharing such a small apartment, right?’
‘What exactly is their relationship?’
‘Is it some kind of sister romance?’
‘Even though their ages are quite different, Kamui’s words earlier were ambiguous, so Clara couldn’t help but think in that direction…’
The rusty iron gate of the old elevator to the Underground Garden made a harsh, grating sound, pulling Clara back to reality.
As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Lucia peeking out from the garden with a blink, leaning sideways with her ponytail falling to her side, looking very lively.
“Senior? You’re back so late?”
“Sigh, I wasn’t planning to come back at all.”
“I was going to discuss the comic website launch with the editor, but she had something tonight, so I got turned away and came back.”
“The comic website is already set up?”
“Yeah, if you want to see it, you can ask Nyx for the URL.”
“Ha, I’ve already seen the drafts~”
Lucia’s appearance dispelled Clara’s disappointment. Coming back to the company near closing time was really just to head back to the dorm with her sister. Clara put on a smile.
“So, no decent requests today either?”
“Yeah, recently, proper requests have been decreasing.”
Lucia drooped her eyebrows, shaking her head with a helpless sigh.
“These days, everyone’s been posting requests on the Hero Network platform~”
“Huh?”
“Requests posted there can bypass the Hero Company’s review process and be accepted directly by the registered heroes themselves, so processing efficiency is much higher.”
‘Is the authenticity of the requests also directly reviewed by the Hero Network?’
‘That system really is all-powerful.’
‘This advanced technology beyond the times probably came from the “God’s Relic” as well?’
‘But no matter where the tech comes from, the outdated old system is always fragile in the face of such technological revolution.’
‘From now on, whether to go to the Hero Company or the Hero Network for requests, the public will vote with their feet.’
‘In the end, it’s likely to become a situation where you can’t get any requests without registering on the Hero Network…’
‘It seems that no matter how much the heroes resist the Hero Network, its popularization is inevitable. As long as the Association withstands the initial public pressure and ensures that the heroes’ information isn’t leaked, the industry will be reshuffled.’
Lucia didn’t return to her own desk but followed Clara to her office, leaned against Clara’s desk, and continued the previous topic.
“After registering, did your view of the Hero Network change?”
Clara thought for a moment and answered as objectively as possible.
“The Hero Network is indeed a groundbreaking invention, but whether it’s reliable or not still needs time to verify…”
Before Clara could finish her answer, the office door was knocked again.
Fufulan pushed the door open and walked in straight, with her lollipop in her mouth as usual.
“What are you two talking about? I thought I heard Hero Network? Slacking off without me? There are only three people in this office, and you two are whispering secrets?”
“I went to the Association and registered today.”
“Oh! You handled it pretty quickly?”
“And I met Alice, she interviewed me personally.”
Fran, who was grinning a moment ago, suddenly had her expression drop.
But she glanced at Lucia beside her and still didn’t pursue that topic.
But Clara knew she would definitely find a chance to pull her aside later.
“By the way, there’s one more thing I want to discuss with you all.” Clara continued.
“Miss Kamui is an independent hero. What do you think about recruiting her to our company? After all, a Hero Company can’t have just one hero, right?”
“Sure!”
Lucia answered readily.
But Fran gave Clara a look that said, ‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘Bringing in other heroes would increase the risk of exposing the Undercover Department’s missions, and we’d have to be careful…’
‘Though it wouldn’t be a problem if we were careful, it would become inconvenient to talk in the company.’
But Fran thought it over and it didn’t seem unacceptable.
‘After all, Lucia doesn’t know anything either. If the Undercover Department has any missions, she’d have to be excluded anyway. Adding Kamui wouldn’t be a big problem.’
“Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
‘Conversely, having a normal hero join the company would also be a good cover. If investigated, we can push Kamui forward and clear some suspicion.’
“Did Kamui say anything? Did she agree to join?”
“…No, not yet. She just said she’d consider it.”
Clara couldn’t let Lucia know that Kamui wanted to meet Squill, so she held back half the truth.
Fran felt that Clara wasn’t telling the whole story, but with Lucia present, she couldn’t call her out either.
‘See, this is the drawback of letting people who don’t know the truth join the “Undercover Company.”’
Since they couldn’t speak freely, Fran directly changed the subject.
“Well then, let’s go eat grilled meat after work!”
Seeing the “siblings’” reluctant expressions due to financial constraints, Fran added another line.
“Don’t worry, it’s my treat!”
Since all three had nothing much to do, they all left work early.
Their destination was the same tavern where they had “accidentally” met Squill last time.
But this time, luck was better, and they didn’t encounter any Naitemel Mutants there for a team-building drinking session.
“Huh?”
Just after the three sat down, Clara’s phone rang.
But it wasn’t a text or a call, it was an email.
It was an email, and the sender’s address was the Hero Association’s corporate email.
“It’s Miss Alice?!”
Clara looked up at Fran, who looked bewildered.
The body of the email:
“Hello, Miss Clara. This is a timed-send email.”
“According to the Hero Network’s near-future calculations, your dinner tonight will be grilled meat with your colleagues. If you are reading this in time, you should be about to take the first bite.”
“If you find the prophecy accurate, please use this email as a basis to invite your friend, Magical Girl Kamui, to register with the Hero Association.”
“Lastly, enjoy your meal.”
The email was signed—
“Mechanical Angel.”