Hero’s Child C18

Chapter 18

“Well, first I’ll need to clear away the filth clinging to Under Doom. Only until things are properly settled, of course.”

“When you meet him, you should at least try talking it out—and maybe consider his side of things…”

“Are you defending him now? Even if it’s not me, those other two lunatics will be tearing the world apart to find him. You know how it’ll go. Not even a saint could handle that mess.”

Noah’s tone remained cheerful, his voice lilting like grass swaying in the wind.

“But, hey, hyung,” he suddenly said, tilting his head with a faint smile.

“I never said it was Under Doom I was talking about. You already knew. Guess you’re pretty interested in me, huh?”

His tone was low and sharp, almost predatory—as if he might bite down on Uichan’s throat at any moment. Still, Uichan stayed composed, responding as evenly as he could.

“Anyone with a TV would know. It’s on the news all the time… Besides, everywhere I go, all three of the Big Heroes are talking about finding Under Doom.”

“Haha, you’re right. Everyone knows. Maybe that’s why he’s gone so deep into hiding. He must think we’ll capture him and beat him to death the moment we see him. Maybe if I go around yelling that I’ll protect him, he’ll finally come out of hiding.”

“…Wouldn’t know about that.”

There had been times when Uichan had let himself wonder—what if the father of the babies in his stomach was Min Noah?

But then, Noah was the heir to Berta Corporation, a young man with a brilliant future ahead of him—a hero barely in his twenties.

If it ever became known that the child of a national hero like him was growing in Uichan’s belly, Noah’s parents would probably storm the Hero Association headquarters, screaming loud enough to shake the building to its foundations.

And then Uichan, already branded a villain from In the Hell, would become an even greater scandal—a shameless man carrying the child of a boy barely twenty.

Of course, it would never get that far. The other members of In the Hell would kill Noah first. They’d do it to protect their brother, and to make sure the government didn’t interfere. A child born to a dead hero wouldn’t fall under state protection, meaning Uichan could raise them freely—though that only applied to cases where the parent wasn’t classified as a high-risk esper…

And then—

Knock, knock.

Just as Uichan opened his mouth to speak, a firm knock sounded from outside, announcing the start of the mock examination. Uichan quickly gathered his grading sheets.

“My score sheets…”

All examiners and candidates were required to stand together for the opening ceremony oath, so Uichan had to be present in the testing hall. He fastened his examiner badge and stored Noah’s wind ability one more time before leaving.

Watching him bustle about, Noah casually picked up his own exam card and stepped closer.

A tall shadow loomed over him, making Uichan instinctively look up.

“When your ability timer runs out, just glance back at me,” Noah said smoothly. “I’ll come right away. Oh, and… hold on.”

Before Uichan could react, a large hand reached out—then the back of it pressed firmly against his lips. The skin brushed softly against his mouth before pulling away, accompanied by a faint smile.

“My wind ability must’ve stuck to you earlier. I used it while helping you.”

“Ah… I see.”

Uichan quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, feeling the lingering warmth. He’d heard before that Noah’s wind sometimes acted as if it had a will of its own—clinging to people like a stubborn child refusing to go home.

It must’ve brushed against him while Noah was guiding him earlier.

Noah seemed about to say something else when a harsh, impatient pounding came from the door.

Thud, thud!

[Please move now! You need to come out immediately!]

“Yes, I’ll be right there!”

Uichan darted past Noah toward the door, grabbing the handle—but it wouldn’t budge.

Clack, clack! The metal rattled violently, but it stayed locked. Most people would’ve turned to ask for help by now, but Uichan didn’t.

Did it jam? Things like this happened to him often; bad luck was practically routine. He glanced around quickly for something heavy to break the door with. Spotting a fire extinguisher in the corner, he grabbed it without hesitation and raised it—

Thud.

A large hand caught it mid-swing. He could hear Noah’s faint breath over his head, slightly winded from rushing over.

“Ha… another second and you’d have wrecked it. I didn’t realize you were this bold, hyung. But breaking things like that—you’ll hurt yourself.”

“It won’t open. I might as well break it. You can just dock the damages from my pay,” Uichan replied flatly.

As a low-ranking office worker, he was used to paying for repairs himself. Heroes, after all, had their own rule: if you break it, you pay for it. Of course, if his employer—Noah—covered the cost, that would be ideal.

But instead, Noah laughed softly, set the extinguisher aside, and grabbed the handle.

“I locked it myself. Used my wind to hold it shut—didn’t want anyone interrupting us. Honestly, I thought you’d just ask me to open it, not try to smash it.”

Click.

“There, all done. Next time, just look my way, okay?”

Still holding his little clenched fist, Uichan hesitated awkwardly as the door swung open. He turned the knob a few times experimentally, opening and closing it in mild wonder.

Noah chuckled under his breath and opened the door for him properly.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah… yes, right.”

Embarrassed, Uichan lowered his head and followed him into the hallway.

The mock hero examination took place in a massive, 5,000-pyong training complex—an arena built for large-scale joint simulations.

Seonghwa University held these exams four times a year, each themed around a different crisis scenario to train students for various real-world situations.

This season’s theme: Urban Warfare.
Candidates would navigate a destroyed cityscape, rescuing survivors and distinguishing allies from villains in the chaos.

[“Wow, look at that crowd today! From bright-eyed hatchlings to fully fledged hens—our rookies are all here! You can feel the energy buzzing in the air! Those candidates better straighten up quick!”]

The host’s booming voice echoed through the arena as the scene was broadcast to the audience screens.

While waiting for the principal’s opening speech, Uichan reviewed the profiles of the three examinees assigned to him—two short-haired boys and one long-haired girl. All were high school hero students.

He reached for their information sheet—only to find his pockets empty.

I’m sure I put it right here.

He searched every pocket, but the sheet was nowhere to be found.

Glancing around, he decided to retrieve it before the ceremony began. Slipping quietly out of line, he hurried toward his waiting room, scanning the floor as he went in case he’d dropped it along the way.

So focused was he that he didn’t notice the oncoming figure until his forehead collided squarely with a broad chest.

“Ow—! I’m so sorry, I was looking for something—”

He rubbed his forehead and apologized, but no reply came. Straightening up, he looked ahead—and froze.

A tall, well-built man stood before him, silent as stone. His face was ordinary enough—so unremarkable that one might forget it instantly after passing him on the street.

But Uichan recognized him immediately. Or rather, he recognized the faint bottle-shaped birthmark at the corner of his eye.

He was one of Mother Ship’s “Dolls.”

“…Mother Ship?” Uichan whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching.

The man smiled faintly, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and guided him into an empty waiting room nearby.

“H-Hey, wait! If someone sees us—”

[My youngest.]

The moment the door shut, the man’s mouth opened—not with his own voice, but with Mother Ship’s, soft and elegant, yet tinged with urgency.

[I’ve found it. Finally, I’ve found it. I completely forgot you were going to Seonghwa today—of all days, it had to be today…]

“Mother Ship? Did something happen?”

[No time for that now! Listen carefully, my youngest. You need to get out of there, now. Remember what I said about Aengak looking for something? I just confirmed it—he lent that item to one of his subordinates.]

Uichan stiffened. He’d already heard rumors that Aengak was searching for some mysterious object. But…

“I thought it was stolen?”

[Not stolen—taken. Taken by a hero.*]

The chill that ran down his spine was instantaneous. If Aengak discovered who had taken it, he’d stop at nothing to reclaim it.

And in this place, there was only one hero capable of doing such a thing.

[That hero—]

Before she could finish, the ground shook violently with a thunderous boom.

The floor split open with a deafening crash, then another, and another. Uichan looked up toward the direction of the noise—the training field. The tremors rattled the walls, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The Doll wrapped his arms around Uichan’s head and shoulders, shielding him as debris fell around them.

When the shaking subsided, Mother Ship’s voice burst out again, furious.

[I knew it! I told that idiot just to lure them out—what’s he doing, blowing everything up instead?!]

Her voice softened immediately after.

[Listen carefully, my youngest. You need to leave there now, before you get caught in the crossfire.]

“Who’s the hero?” Uichan demanded, gripping the Doll’s arms.

There was a brief pause before Mother Ship sighed.

[It’s Noatis. The hero who took that item… was Min Noah.]