Villain Professor of Heroes

“If it wasn’t registered, what exactly do you mean? Did they resign?”

“No. They were never registered as a hero to begin with. In other words, a hero with that name has never existed.”

What does that mean?

Clearly, Han Minh-a is a candidate for hero extra points because of her parents having been heroes, but there’s no record of them?

Perhaps I should investigate using their call sign rather than their real name.

However, Han Minh-a doesn’t know her parents’ call signs.

“I understand. Thank you.”

After hanging up the phone, I immediately searched the internet for information about Han Minh-a’s parents.

Of course, there was no way they would show up under their real name rather than their call sign.

What’s going on here…

It’s one of two things:

Either Han Minh-a got her parents’ names wrong, or there’s really no record with the Organization.

But both of those scenarios are impossible.

There’s no way she could have the wrong names for her parents, and there are no unregistered heroes with the Organization.

Especially since her parents aren’t even heroes in the first place.

Hero extra points, survivor pension.

These two elements alone prove that Han Minh-a’s parents were heroes.

So if there’s any possibility at all, however slight…

It would mean the Organization is outright denying the existence of a specific hero.

But there’s no such provision in the regulations and laws of the Organization that I know of.

And even in the original work, where I know the outcome, it’s the same.

Then, I suddenly remembered the story I heard during a chat with the professors over a meal at Bumakjang.

Sikrito.

The secret organization of the Organization that Professor Yu Hye-won’s father was said to have belonged to.

If Han Minh-a’s parents were part of this Sikrito, everything would make sense.

The family relations section being blank.

The survivor’s pension being given despite their disappearance.

The Organization directly facilitating Han Minh-a’s admission to the Academy.

The reply from the inquiry call that they were unregistered.

Han Minh-a not knowing even basic information like her parents’ call signs.

It all fits for a hero in a secret organization.

Hm… Could it really have been that way…

Then, their so-called “disappearance” must have been a cover for being martyred during some kind of sensitive mission.

What kind of mission could it have been?

And more importantly, does that mean there’s nothing more to learn about Han Minh-a’s parents?

Judging by the rough timeline, it does seem like it could overlap with the period when Yu Hye-won’s father was active with Sikrito.

Should I casually ask Yu Hye-won?

Of course, this would all have to be based on the assumption that Han Minh-a’s parents were indeed part of Sikrito.

Since there’s no telling how the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Organization would react if I were to bring it up, I need to be careful.

Sikrito…

When I searched it on the internet, not a single result came up.

Given that even similar-sounding words didn’t appear and it came back as a complete blank, it was likely intentionally blocked.

So, who should I ask about this?

***

During an upper-level class lecture.

Yu Hye-won kept avoiding my gaze like she was angry about something.

She seemed to be feeling uncomfortable around me probably because of some unintentional remark about Han Minh-a’s parents.

People with such temperaments tend to find it hard to tolerate their mistakes.

Moreover, even if they were at fault, they would direct their anger at others.

It’s possible that she might be secretly blaming me for not telling her about this beforehand.

Still, I wasn’t upset with her.

It was proof that she had at least some sense of conscience.

As the lecture was nearing its end, a student suddenly raised their hand.

“Professor, I have a question.”

“Please ask.”

“Are you an active hero?”

“No. I retired and became a professor. I’m no longer active.”

“In that case, what rank were you? What was your call sign?”

“I was C-Ranked. My call sign was Graysteel.”

Gray Steel.

A straightforward and slightly clumsy call sign befitting a dogged, defense-specialized supporter.

When they heard the “C-Rank” part, some students started muttering to each other.

“Why did you retire? All the other professors are still active?”

“It was for health reasons.”

“But professor, why are there no past videos of you? Why is that?”

It would be natural.

Of course, students would pry into a professor’s life.

However, alas, I don’t have any official hero activity videos available to the public.

Why?

Because I was a defense-specialized hero, the epitome of the non-mainstream among non-mainstream heroes.

While other heroes were putting on flashy performances to capture the media’s attention, I was quietly providing defense support from behind the scenes.

Hence, that’s why.

That explanation caused the students to mutter amongst themselves.

I wasn’t sure what they were saying, but it likely wasn’t anything positive.

Most of the students in the upper-level classes were either silver-spoon types like Yu Hye-won or those who inherited their parents’ talents like Min Ha.

Initially, when they found out I was a former hero, they probably looked up to me, but now, after settling into Academy life…

How must a former C-Rank hero who’s no longer active and with no remarkable accomplishments appear to those kids?

But how the students perceive me doesn’t matter much.

After all, these students will eventually master basic defense, whether I teach them directly or not, and teaching them doesn’t significantly impact my life either.

But it seems Yu Hye-won isn’t like that.

“Shut up! Stop gossiping like little mice behind my back!”

With a cold, sharp rebuke, the chatting students were frightened and quickly dispersed.

“Alright. Time’s up. That concludes today’s lecture. Good work, everyone.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Hye-won grabbed her bag and stormed out of the lecture hall.

In the awkward silence that followed, the other students hurriedly followed her out.

Now, a C-Rank hero seems laughable to you.

But after graduation, you’ll realize how difficult it truly is to retire without losing a limb, even having several combat videos with over a million views.

Just as there are countless heroes who, despite possessing such celebrated combat videos, met their ends with their bodies never found.

At that moment, someone came to mind who might know more about Sikrito.

There is one hero at our Academy who possesses the most combat footage available in the media.

***

“Professor Yu. Do you have a moment?”

“Professor Gyo? What is it? You came all the way to my lecture room?”

Professor Yu Hyun Ju, specializing in General Attacks, looked somewhat surprised as she greeted me.

Given the nature of the subject, unlike my drab suit, Professor Yu wore sleek black martial arts attire.

Her thick waist belt, originally supposed to be black, was so worn out that it had almost turned white.

The General Attack Lecture Room wasn’t really a lecture room at all—it was more like a mixed martial arts dojo.

There was a hexagonal ring in the middle of the spacious room, surrounded by various training equipment like punching bags.

Here, freshmen learn the basics of martial arts and, as they improve, their lessons move to outdoor areas where they begin practicing lethal offensive techniques infused with aura.

“Did you come to ask about Han Min Ha?”

“In passing, yes. How is she doing?”

“She’s always the same. Today, her belt came undone and caused quite a commotion.”

“Why is that?”

“While trying to retie it, her top opened up… you get the picture?”

Ah, I see.

The contour of Han Minh-a’s fit body must have been revealed beneath a thin cotton t-shirt.

It must have been quite a stunning sight for the male students.

“Besides that, there’s nothing unusual. She beat up the punching bag all day as always.”

“Is that so… Anyway, Professor Yu, I’m actually here to ask something else.”

“Ah, I figured. Come, sit.”

Professor Yu Hyun Ju brought over two backless plastic chairs.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I want to ask about Sikrito you mentioned last time we had bulgogi. There’s no one else I know who might know more about it.”

Professor Yu Hyun Ju was an A-Ranked Hero and quite well-known before becoming a professor.

Even now, if you search online, you can easily find her battle footage with over a million views.

“Sikrito? I told you already, nobody really knows. It’s all speculation.”

“That speculation is more than I have from anyone else.”

“Hmm…”

Professor Yu Hyun Ju crossed her arms, looked at me for a moment, and asked:

“There’s a special reason, isn’t there? This is the first time I’ve seen you so interested in something.”

“I need to find this out for something related.”

I have a specific reason for coming to Professor Yu Hyun Ju instead of asking any of the many B-Ranked or higher professors.

Professor Yu is quite friendly to me and very trustworthy, someone who would keep things private.

Moreover, someone who wouldn’t just overlook efforts made by an academic advisor for their guidance student.

Though, if it concerns information acquisition and operations, the adept Mr. Heo Tae-hyun would be the obvious choice, but I can’t trust him.

After all, spies are known to deceive even their own allies.

“You know Han Min Ha is a hero-privileged candidate, right?”

“I do. Her aura is at a completely different level from other kids.”

“Both of Han Min Ha’s parents are dead.”

“Both of them were heroes, I assume? It’s tragic but, unfortunately, it’s not strange for them to die since it’s a dangerous profession.”

“They didn’t simply die fighting a villain.”

At my words, Professor Yu Hyun Ju slightly tilted her head.

“Then?”

“They’re recorded as missing. Han Min Ha receives survivor’s pension and was admitted to the Academy through the Organization’s recommendation.”

“Hmm…”

“The family section on her documentation is blank. When I inquired with the Organization, they said there were no records of a hero by those names.”

“What were their names?”

“Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a.”

“I’ve never heard those names either… So, you’re implying that Han Min Ha’s parents might have been part of Sikrito?”

“Yes.”

“Indeed, if they were Sikrito members, what you’ve found out so far would fit perfectly.”

“That’s why I’ve speculated as much. But I can’t proceed further from there.”

“What does it have to do with you? Do you think Han Min Ha’s mediocrity is somehow connected to her parents’ disappearance and you believe finding this out might lead to a solution?”

“That’s correct. I feel that Han Min Ha might have developed trauma from her parents’ disappearance. For instance, during the initial assessment, she fainted after watching a video of a hero dying, and despite having a strong aura, she refuses to use it. It seems like she’s rejecting her role as a hero.”

“But why stay in the Academy? If she doesn’t want to be a hero, why doesn’t she just go to a regular high school?”

“She said it herself. There’s nothing else for her to do outside. Moreover, considering her situation as someone who lost both parents, it’s likely the Organization suggested she enroll in the Academy, so she did so without much thought. One reason she hasn’t withdrawn might be because I persuaded her, and another reason might be because she’s worried about being alone if she leaves. That’s my guess.”

“Umm…”

After deliberating for a long time, Professor Yu spoke.

“There does seem to be validity in your theory about the trauma from her parents’ disappearance. And since she receives survivor’s pension, Min Ha probably doesn’t think her parents just disappeared ordinarily. Yes, that seems plausible.”

“So, that’s why I’m trying to find out.”

“If the parents were indeed unregistered heroes, it has to be Sikrito. As far as I’ve heard, Sikrito operates by treating its members as if they didn’t exist from the start. Besides, if they didn’t register and worked anyway, there would be no survivor’s pension.”

“Is there any way to find out?”

“Honestly speaking, there’s no way for a single professor to pry into what the Organization is deliberately keeping secret. They might even devise some scheme to make you give up.”

“Of course, this presumes the existence of Sikrito and the assumption that Han Min Ha’s parents were indeed its members.”

And again, Professor Yu remained silent for a long duration.

Though I wasn’t feeling anxious thanks to my mental barrier, it still felt like quite some time had passed when she suddenly said:

“But it’s not entirely impossible.”

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