[Episode 25] #6 The hero steadily deteriorates and becomes corrupted (3)

"Oh my gosh... I'm back~. hmm? "Has Senior Spade come back yet?"

"Thank you for your hard work on patrol. "If it's Mr. Spade, it's still there."

When the club returned to the base after completing patrol, Apple, who was on duty at the time, greeted her.

It appears that Spade, who went out to exercise, has not returned yet. And Apple seems to be working at this time as well.

In fact, some of the work that Apple handles has been left to the club due to laziness.

No matter how shameless the club was, I couldn't help but prick my conscience.

No, but. Since I came from an island and the only thing I learned was fighting... I don't know much about paperwork and things like that.

In addition, Apple does not refuse a request, and recently, they have been kind enough to take care of it, so they end up acting like a fool.

...In the end, it's all my fault.

yes yes. I know. I'm a bad bitch...

That said, I have no intention of doing it sincerely in the future.

'By the way, senior.'

As for Spade, he seems to be coming home late lately... That's how much he likes exercising.

Steadiness and sincerity are behavioral principles that cannot be empathized with by a club that does not fit their personality.

'...Even taking that into account, I think it's too late.'

Obviously the spades would have gone out before the clubs.

Even though the club secretly pulled a trick and arbitrarily shortened the patrol route and came back in due time, it was still bothersome to be delayed this much.

No, but whatever.

Because it's not someone else, but a senior.

Because he is a person who can easily escape alone even if he is ambushed or surrounded by a group of villains.

So it would be useless to worry.

The club quickly shook off its worries about Spades.

"Mr. Apple, I'm going to take a shower and come down. "It's sticky with sweat."

"Yes~ I'll call you if anything happens~."

Apple smiled kindly and sent us off to the club.

...I suddenly felt like the distance between me and Apple had become considerably closer... The club vaguely felt that way.

Now that I think about it, it was only recently that he started taking on tasks for me.

is not it. From the beginning, Apple had been taking her work without saying anything to Club for a long time.

Perhaps the club knew she was uncomfortable...

So, it wasn't long before he started talking to me in a friendly way, offering to help.

Maybe a week or two?

Having good relationships with co-workers is not a bad thing.

I think I felt some discomfort that I didn't know what it was until just recently...

'What... since when... did we become this close...?'

Now, it seems like the discomfort or distance from before has disappeared.

But I couldn't quite remember how we became so close.

...Anyway, when people spend time together, they naturally become closer.

It's probably something you don't even need to think about.

While Club went up to take a shower, Spade, who had gone for a light jog, returned to base not long after.

That night passes by normally, without anything special happening.

On the surface, there are no problems...

* * *

"Hmm."

Okay, No. 13 flipped through the material he was holding in his hand.

What I was holding in my hand were several sheets of paper with various information written on them.

If it had been No. 13, the information would have been collected in a hectic manner and would have been ten times that much, but the staff skillfully organized it and made it so neat.

Just by looking at the data alone, you get the feeling that this talented guy is different.

There are so many outstanding people around me. If you think about it that way, even if you don't like it, you're bound to feel a little intimidated.

However, what was making No. 13's face drop right now wasn't any particular sense of inferiority.

Number 13 is a man with a narrow mind in many ways, as he himself admits, but that does not mean he is a man so narrow-minded that he is jealous of his subordinates.

What makes No. 13 feel upset right now is the content written in this document.

This is because the staff claims that despite various preparations, the outcome of victory or defeat cannot be clearly determined.

The well-organized materials in hand clearly showed what the staff wanted to say,

It forces us to see reality without any room for turning on the hope circuit.

"If you loosen the conditions a little more, you can increase your winning rate."

Even today, I am a neat-looking staff member with shiny silver hair.

The outfit consists of a neat sleeveless T-shirt and shorts that reveal the thighs, an outfit that has a high proportion of skin tone in many ways.

In response to her suggestion, which he still couldn't get used to with his appearance, No. 13 shook his head hesitantly, licking his lips.

As expected, I did not want to loosen the conditions any further.

"no. "This time, I really want to give that woman a thorough beating."

"If that is what No. 13 means, I will just follow."

The staff only smiled slightly at No. 13's unreasonable claims.

――It's been a week and two days since the day I unexpectedly ran into the club.

The plan to attack the club has not yet come to fruition.

According to the original plan, this attack should have been planned a few days ago.

This is because the injury suffered by the club made it difficult to carry out the plan.

Of course, there was a way to heal the injury more quickly, and if the original safe plan had been followed, there would have been no need to wait for recovery.

After witnessing the club in person, and seeing No. 13 get beaten up by her, his feelings changed in many ways.

Because the situation was different from the time of Spades, the original plan was to take a long time and aim for a leisurely, safe, low-risk, low return.

『That woman must be completely subdued.』

『I really can't forgive you.』

『So help me, Chief of Staff!』

No. 13, whose emotions exploded due to the previous incident, asked his staff to do so and completely changed the plan.

The plan was to end with a result that could be presented to show off at a meeting at the [Villain Alliance].

The policy was changed to completely crush that woman.

As you aim for high returns, the risk inevitably increases.

It is never wise to be swayed by emotions, but it is also the job of a competent subordinate to respond to the superior's unreasonable demands.

In this way, the staff prepared this new operation according to No. 13's wishes.

However, the newly prepared one has a roughly 57% chance of No. 13 losing his life.

"But hey, Chief of Staff. Is the probability of me dying this high? "But didn't we prepare pretty well?"

"If there wasn't that preparation, even a 100% probability wouldn't have been enough. I can't help it. "Dorothy's invention is amazing, but we still lack understanding of the mechanism of this brainwashing."

"You didn't write this to vent your anger that I forced you to change the plan, right?"

"...Number 13. "If you really say that, even the gentlest of me would get angry?"

The staff also seemed genuinely angry at these words.

Number 13 said he had made a mistake and threw up his hand.

"Because I know why No. 13 is so angry. "It's all because of me and Miss Dorothy, right?"

"I was treated like a mess, and Miss Dorothy was targeted without mercy, so it's natural for you to be angry!"

"If you are No. 13, whom I respect, you are more angry at the pain of your beloved subordinate than at No. 13's own injuries!"

"So I don't think it's an unfair request at all. "I don't think so at all!"

The staff member gave me an envious look, saying he was impressed with moist eyes.

What on earth does this guy think of me?

There are no reasons given by the staff, but to be honest, the biggest reason is that I really disliked the club's arrogant attitude...

"Yes, that's right. It's exactly as you said. "I just can't forgive you."

"As expected, you are number 13!"

Since there seemed to be no reason to tell the truth, No. 13 decided to agree by nodding that it was true.

Anyway, the probability of 57% is what happens when all unstable factors are taken into consideration.

A representative example is when brainwashing fails.

So, for example, what if the brainwashing applied to Apple and Spade was undone or not applied properly for some reason?

Or, for example, the club is resistant for some reason and the brainwashing doesn't work.

If that happens, it's really over.

Brainwashing is the only weapon he has now lost his power.

There is some magic power extracted from the spade and stored,

That's barely a consolation, but it's not a hand that can be used against active heroes.

Anyway, if we talk about the current No. 13, it can be said that brainwashing is the one tool, and brainwashing is the only weapon.

Even if you lose that only means, you have a 57% chance of death, that is, a 43% chance of survival, so it could be seen as a good plan.

Of course, you can still change to a safer plan, but...

"Yeah, good. "Let's do it like this."

――Now that it's like this.

――I just wanted to make that arrogant hero cry.

"I'm sorry for making you unreasonable, Chief of Staff. "You didn't like this plan."

"No, there would be no greater joy than this if I could be of help to you, No. 13. "If No. 13 dies, I will kill myself along with him."

"...I want you to live even if I die... But more than that, did the boss say something?"

"He asked me to tell No. 13, 'If you die, I will chase you to hell and kill you.'"

"You can see the boss even in hell. "It's okay."

"I always think, No. 13's love for his boss is quite distorted."

"Leave it alone."

And honestly, I don't think a staff member should say that. This is not what this guy, who dedicates all his loyalty to No. 13 to the point of being distorted, should say.

Number 13, who was counting on that favor right now, couldn't point it out.

"Then the operation will continue like this."

"The due date is tomorrow, when the captain of the 7th division is away and the other members are not around."

The members' minor schedules are regularly reported by Apple, who brainwashed them.

Dorothy was looked down upon as a D-class woman, but she was more useful than expected.

"Then――Please be kind to me."

* * *

The next day, approximately just past noon.

The hero club was scheduled to go out on patrol as usual.

I don't like office work that involves sitting down sincerely because it's boring, but I don't dislike patrolling that moves my body that much.

Of course, perhaps because he is lazy by nature, he does not hate patrol work, but he tries to reduce the workload as much as possible by using tricks.

'I wish they would say that I'm not lazy, but that I'm looking for efficiency.'

'No matter how you look at it, going to a place that doesn't seem to need surveillance is a waste of time.'

I don't think it's right to waste valuable talent's time.

It would be much more useful to take that time to rest a little more and use it when necessary.

Even today, the club tried to go out on patrol as usual, using their own logic.

"Mr Club! This is an emergency! "Please prepare to go immediately!"

"...yes?"

Apple's urgent cry put an end to the usual daily life.