Chapter 180: The Twins (2)

The Hero Association headquarters.

Ho-cheol walked into the building with a leisurely pace.

Although it was already late at night, close to midnight, the lobby was as bright as day.

Many Association employees were bustling around, engrossed in their work, without distinguishing between day and night.

He turned his head back and said to the twins.

“Don’t wander off to some strange place, and stick right behind me.”

The twins, with yogurts in both hands and straws in their mouths, nodded their heads.

Perhaps because of the majestic building and the heavy atmosphere they were encountering for the first time, the two of them were completely intimidated, like children their age.

Ho-cheol headed to the front desk.

“Welcome. What can I help you with?”

An employee greeted Ho-cheol, who had approached, warmly.

Ho-cheol placed both his arms on the desk and asked the employee.

“Can you call the chairman for me?”

The employee's expression, which had been in a professional smile until just a moment ago, instantly hardened.

She asked back, as if she had misheard.

“The… chairman, sir?”

“Yes.”

The employee, who had belatedly come to her senses, responded with a professional smile, as per the usual manual.

“I’m sorry. The chairman is currently out of the office, so it is impossible to meet him without a prior appointment.”

“Ah, well. I suppose so. It’s true that I came unannounced.”

The employee's expression eased considerably.

He’s reasonable.

She had thought he was a troublemaking visitor with some mental problems, since he had appeared suddenly and said something absurd.

In fact, one of them would appear about once a month, and she had a hard time every time.

However, if the employee was mistaken, it was that although Ho-cheol was sane, he was not a reasonable person.

“Then tell him to clear his schedule and come.”

There was no way the chairman wasn't at the Association.

He was the kind of person who would send a clone to his external appointments.

At the very least, his real body would definitely be here.

There was no possibility that he had gone home.

He had known since his villain days that the man lived and ate here without commuting.

Towards the stuttering employee, Ho-cheol added.

“I’ll give you five minutes. Tell him it’ll be better to answer quickly if he doesn't want to move again.”

Shushushuk—

Those words were the trigger.

More than a dozen heroes teleported and appeared, centered on Ho-cheol.

The heroes, who had surrounded him as if to encircle him, all brandished their weapons and exuded a menacing aura.

It was not a surprising thing.

The main headquarters of the Hero Association.

With this level of security, there would be at least this many heroes who could respond immediately, no matter how late it was.

However, Ho-cheol looked around and shrugged his shoulders as if it was unfair.

“Aren't you guys being a little too sensitive just because I played a little prank?”

He didn't know about it if they knew Ho-cheol's true identity.

His face and villain code were classified as top secret.

Even the Association's security team did not have the authority to access such secrets, and even now, the heroes surrounding him had no idea of his identity.

In the first place, if they had known, he would have been caught before he even entered the building.

In fact, this security posture was the sole decision of someone else.

“Shameless to the core.”

An old man strode through the heroes and stood in front of Ho-cheol.

“A prank? Sensitive? Does the person who destroyed the past Association headquarters say such a thing?”

“Ah, what’s this?”

Ho-cheol also narrowed his eyes upon seeing the old man.

“You old man, you haven’t retired yet?”

“With a guy like you wandering around, I can’t even if I want to.”

One of the S-rank heroes who knew Ho-cheol's face.

And he was also the oldest hero in this country.

In terms of career and age, he was on a similar level as the dean of Clington, but that one had already retired.

The old man hugged a sword that was longer than his upper body and glared at Ho-cheol.

Although there was no hero in this country who used a sword and hadn't learned a thing or two from the Sword Demon, this one was an exception.

In the first place, the Sword Demon's teacher was that old man.

In fact, his strength was not at all inferior to the Sword Demon's.

However, his evaluation was quite harsh.

No, in the first place, he wasn't even treated as a hero.

That was because he was so old that his range of activity was limited to this Hero Association headquarters building.

This building was the end.

Even if some terrible incident or accident were to occur just beyond that door, he would never intervene.

In exchange for having a narrower range of activity than any other hero, he was in fact solely responsible for the safety of the Association headquarters.

“Well, it’s a trivial joke.”

Ho-cheol waved his hand.

“I’m not going to cause any trouble. Not yet.”

The wrinkles on the old man's wrinkled brow deepened.

If you were to be relieved after hearing that, that would be a real lack of safety awareness.

“The way you talk is more unsettling.”

“I really just came to talk. I know the chairman only meets people of his level, but aren't I more or less at that level?”

Even while sending a suspicious gaze, the old man lightly raised one hand.

At that, all the dispatched heroes disappeared.

“I’ll pass on the message. Be careful. I’ll be watching.”

“Yes, yes.”

In an instant, they disappeared, and Ho-cheol asked the employee at the desk again.

“Ah, uh, the chairman will be contacted by that old man, so that’s fine. By any chance.”

Now that he had to take the twins, he didn't even want to show his face to the chairman.

That's why Ho-cheol thought of another possibility.

“Is there something like a lost and found for children? It would be even better if there was a playground.”

***

The top floor of the Association headquarters.

This place was not connected by an elevator or stairs.

It was a completely independent space that could only be reached by teleportation, and even then, only with the correct coordinates.

It was a completely different level of space, different from a gate or a phase shift.

Even if Ho-cheol were to blow up this entire headquarters, this floor would remain intact.

And this top floor was a space solely for the chairman.

Ho-cheol opened the door in front of him and entered.

The chairman's private office was not as large as he had thought.

The interior was not at all luxurious, but rather on the frugal side.

In the center of the office, the chairman of the Hero Association was sitting in a chair.

With both hands clasped on his cane, his deep-set eyes stared at Ho-cheol.

Originally, the chairman was not someone you could meet just because you wanted to.

Even an S-rank hero would only see his face once at the appointment ceremony, so a private meeting with the chairman had a great significance.

The chairman's lips moved.

“What is it?”

Ho-cheol plopped down on a nearby chair and gestured with his hand.

“The Sword Master is going to submit a villain rank request tomorrow. Just brush that off for now. Since I caught them anyway.”

“To think that the once-so-dangerous villain is now acting as a nanny.”

Despite the chairman's taunt, Ho-cheol didn't care at all.

In fact, he felt sorrier for the guys who thought he would be offended by such a thing.

“What's wrong with this? It’s much more amazing than a villain.”

A person who could reach out to someone who asked for help without any hesitation or calculation of profit and loss.

At least in Ho-cheol's opinion, that kind of mindset was much more amazing than the power to destroy a country.

“But you didn’t just come here for that reason, did you?”

In fact, if it were just a matter of the twins' treatment, it was a matter that could have been handled at the level of the head of the Legal Department without even coming to the chairman.

“Of course not.”

Of course, Ho-cheol hadn't caused this much trouble, knowing full well that he would be nagged by both the dean and So-hee later.

“This is a warning. Don’t get any ideas about my people.”

Just in the case of Ji-an, other directors of the same rank as the head of the Legal Department had immediately crossed the line.

Although he had brushed it off because he had made a deal, the chairman would surely have been in the background.

This was not a suspicion, but a certainty.

That's why he had drawn a clear line this time.

“I’ll only endure it once.”

If you cross it, professor or no professor, I’ll really turn everything upside down.

“Hmm.”

The chairman's eyebrows twitched.

Although his gaze was displeased, since he had a criminal record, he did not easily refute it and answered with silence instead.

“Ah, and one more thing.”

Ho-cheol's atmosphere changed completely.

Although he had been endlessly round and mellow recently, except when dealing with villains, he now exuded the same aura as in his villain days.

A sharp aura that felt as if it would pierce you just by being near it, crushed the entire office.

“What is this? A declaration of war?”

The chairman, who had once gone through all sorts of trials and tribulations as an S-rank hero, was by no means overwhelmed by that aura.

In fact, he showed his displeasure.

“For now, it’s just a warning, but depending on your choice, it could be a declaration of war.”

Ho-cheol leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees.

He glared at the chairman with a sharp gaze.

“Transcendence, the New World Trait Liberation Society, resurrection.”

Ho-cheol brought up three keywords.

Just a month ago, he had tried to control the information to the end, but the situation had changed a lot since then.

Because Ho-cheol had been going around and smashing the other factions, the information had leaked out as much as it could.

There was no way the chairman of the Hero Association wouldn't know.

“If it's them, they would have poked at not only the political world and hunters, but also heroes.”

Most importantly, the executive of the resurrection transcendence faction, whom he had met twice, was the type to not shy away from any means or methods.

In a sense, he was more dangerous than a villain.

Resurrection.

To revive the dead.

Would such guys not be interested in things like eternal life or rejuvenation?

In fact, it would be something they would only get their hands on after succeeding in all those things.

Perhaps it would not have been strange if the two had already been completed.

The powerful.

Even if they could shoot down a flying bird, even if they could accumulate enough gold to cover a country, the past could not be brought back, and youth had disappeared.

So far, there had been tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Traits, but there had never been a Trait that could overcome the lifespan and escape the cycle of life and death.

That's why he couldn't help but be greedy.

The chairman in front of him was already in his triple digits.

In fact, the ones with the highest probability of betrayal were Eclipse and the chairman.

At least, that's what Ho-cheol thought.

“Be careful.”

That's why he had warned him.

“If you want to dye your hair, go to a salon. Don't do anything foolish.”

Leaving this warning was the real reason he had wanted a private meeting with the chairman.

Ho-cheol stood up from his seat.

“I plan to live as diligently and as well as anyone else.”

His voice was gentle and soft, but.

“That’s only when my people, my home, and this society are all okay. I can do anything for that.”

His gaze was not much different from that of his villain days.

***

Taking the twins, the place Ho-cheol went to was the facility where Ye-jin had grown up.

Hope Foster Care Facility

In fact, Ho-cheol had no intention or reason to live with these two.

Ji-an was absolutely dependent on Ho-cheol, and she was hostile to everyone except him, and her social skills were a mess, so he had no choice but to take her in.

No, to be precise, she was not yet a complete person.

So he had planned to at least make her a person, whatever she did.

On the other hand, these twins were much more stable.

Despite being born and raised in a laboratory, they were not emotionally unstable, and their social skills were sufficient.

It was to the point where it was sorry to compare them to Ji-an, and honestly, in some ways, they were better than Ho-cheol right after his release.

Arriving at the orphanage, Ho-cheol rang the doorbell.

Even though it was a late hour, past midnight, and a sudden visit, the director of the facility, Hye-jin, greeted him warmly.

“Hello, Professor.”

“I’m sorry for the late hour.”

Handing her a gift set of drinks he had bought at a nearby convenience store, Ho-cheol bowed his head.

The twins, behind him, also glanced at him and bowed their heads in greeting.

“Hello.”

“Hiyo.”

“These children are…”

Hye-jin rubbed her lips with her fingertips, looking a little troubled.

Of course, he had explained the situation to some extent over the phone before he left, but to suddenly ask her to take in two children out of the blue.

“Are they yours, by any chance, Professor?”

“That’s not it.”

Ho-cheol, who had immediately dismissed the strange misunderstanding, turned around and said to the twins.

“Go play on the playground over there.”

As the two of them moved away, Ho-cheol immediately explained the complicated background of the twins.

As his explanation continued, surprise, horror, and pity appeared on Hye-jin's face in that order.

“……Children created through genetic manipulation. Then their parents also…”

“Yes. Well, it’s not that there’s no base gene, but it’s safe to say there is none.”

Hye-jin let out a pitiful groan.

“Actually, it would be fine for me to have them, but setting aside the fact that I’m not good at childcare, what these kids need is not just a guardian.”

A family that could truly give and receive love.

That was what the twins longed for the most.

And in Ho-cheol's opinion, there was no other person who fit that condition as well as Hye-jin.

“……Alright. I’m indebted to you, and most importantly, I can’t just leave children who need help.”

Ho-cheol gestured again and called the twins.

“We’ve finished talking. This is your home now.”

“Home…”

Dowon muttered the word ‘home’ repeatedly.

The place they had lived in until now was not a home, but a residence, and it was just a place filled with terrible memories.

Ho-cheol took out a bankbook from his pocket and held it out.

“This is for the kids’ living expenses. The password is written inside.”

Hye-jin opened the bankbook without thinking and was so startled that she dropped it.

There were a few more zeros than she had imagined.

“Such a large amount?”

“A large amount?”

Ho-cheol let out a hollow laugh and placed his hand on the twins' heads.

“When you see how much these kids eat, you’ll be wanting to call me for more in half a year.”

Of course, it was a joke.

With this money, even after subtracting the twins' food expenses, there was more than enough to run the facility for a few years without worrying about money.

“So you can accept it without any burden.”

In fact, apart from Ye-jin's case, how many kids had he become close to at this facility?

For personal reasons, he had wanted to help to some extent.

And most importantly, it was not a large amount for Ho-cheol.

Ho-cheol squatted down again and put his face between the twins.

“This thing called a person is quite mysterious. You only know if it will become a butterfly or a moth after you split the chrysalis, but as someone who has only seen moths, you can get a rough idea just by looking at the pupa.”

He declared with conviction, and ruffled their hair wildly.

“You guys will become butterflies. I, a great moth, guarantee it.”

Hye-jin said belatedly, as if she had just remembered.

“We need some paperwork, even if it’s just a formality, so would you like to come in?”

“Ah, yes.”

Ho-cheol and the twins headed to the director's office on the first floor.

The paperwork was just a formality, and there was nothing particularly difficult or complicated about its content.

Ho-cheol immediately filled in the blanks quickly.

But his hand stopped for the first time.

The name section of the twins.

Thanks to asking in advance, he had filled in Dowon and Hwayeon, but he couldn't write their ‘last name’.

Ho-cheol turned his head and asked the twins.

“What do you want your last name to be?”

“A last name?”

Hwayeon leaned over the desk as if to fall on it and looked at the blank space.

She chuckled.

As if there was anything to worry about.

“What’s there to worry about? It’s already decided.”

She snatched the pen from Ho-cheol's hand.

With her tongue sticking out, she wrote a last name in front of each of their names in a crooked handwriting.

“Your name is Jeong Ho-cheol, right, Mister? Then of course ours is ‘Jeong’ too.”

Dowon also nodded his head as if in agreement.

For a moment, Ho-cheol's expression was blank.