Arriving at the Hero Association

A young man and woman sat together on the bus, drawing the attention of the passengers around them.

"They must be a couple." someone commented.

Hearing the murmurs and assumptions about their relationship, both of their faces suddenly turned red.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Nora stammered:

"N-No, we're just friends."

"Yeah, we're just friends." Alice nodded in agreement.

Of course, what they said and what they actually thought were two separate matters.

.....

Thirty minutes later, the bus finally approached the Hero Association. The two of them had to walk a short distance to reach their destination.

As they walked, Alice asked:

"How do you feel? Nervous at all?"

Nora looked up at the sky, scratching his chin before replying,

"I guess I should be. After all, this is my first time applying for a Hero Certification."

"Haha, you only get to apply for this once in your life! After that, you can only take rank assessments. No one gets a second chance at a Hero Certification."

Nora almost blurted out that he had, in fact, applied twice—once in his past life and now again in this one.

But after thinking it over, he decided that this secret was better left unsaid.

After walking for a while, they finally arrived in front of an incredibly grand structure.

To call it "grand" would be an understatement. The Hero Association's headquarters didn't look like a regular building—it resembled a massive fortress built for war, standing tall in the middle of the city.

Not every place had a structure like this; only the capitals of major nations boasted such a magnificent sight.

"Wow!"

Nora was utterly awestruck upon seeing it for the first time. He had heard about this place countless times before, but since it wasn't open for public visits, he had only ever seen it from afar.

Seeing it up close, its grandeur was beyond imagination—it was as if he were standing before a towering mountain.

Seeing the astonished look on his face, Alice chuckled and said:

"Hehe, pretty grand, right? I felt the same way when I first came here. But you'll be visiting this place plenty of times, so you'll get used to it soon enough."

She giggled, then grabbed his hand, leading him toward the entrance. However, she suddenly stopped. Looking at him, she said:

"You go on ahead. I need to take this call—I'll catch up with you in a bit."

From her expression, Nora could tell it was something related to her mission.

Not wanting to disturb her, he simply nodded and said,

"Alright, see you soon."

With that, they went their separate ways. Alice walked toward a quiet corner to answer her phone, while Nora made his way to the entrance.

As soon as he reached the entrance, a security guard stepped forward and blocked his path.

"What are you here for? This isn't a tourist attraction."

Although the Hero Association had already made public announcements, plenty of persistent people still treated their headquarters as a sightseeing spot.

Despite strict security measures, they weren't entirely effective at deterring visitors.

After all, the Hero Association existed to protect the people—it wouldn't make sense for them to harshly suppress civilians.

"I'm here to apply for my Hero Certification. Where should I go?"

Ignoring the guard's suspicious tone, Nora responded politely.

The guard raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his claim. It wasn't the first time someone had lied about this.

"Do you have your identification with you?"

Noticing that Nora looked fairly trustworthy, the guard's tone softened a bit.

Hearing this, Nora was stunned for a moment. He rummaged through his pockets, only to realize he had forgotten to bring his ID.

Alice had dragged him out in such a hurry that he hadn't even thought about preparing it.

After all, while he had some strength, he wasn't exactly a genius with an exceptional memory. Forgetting small things in daily life was normal.

Looking at the guard, his expression became hesitant and slightly awkward.

The security guard's tone turned stern as he said:

"If you don't have identification, please leave immediately. Otherwise, you'll be fined for disturbing public order."

"Well… what if I have someone to vouch for me?" Nora asked.

The guard was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his serious demeanor.

"Even government officials can't vouch for you."

The mention of a guarantor immediately made the guard think of high-ranking figures in society.

Unfortunately, the Hero Association was an independent entity, separate from government institutions. Political figures had no authority within the association.

There was no such thing as someone being both a politician and a hero—each person needed to focus on their respective duties to maximize efficiency rather than trying to juggle multiple roles at once.

Hearing this, Nora was momentarily stunned. He realized the guard had misunderstood him and quickly clarified:

"No, that's not what I meant. I have an E-rank hero friend who can vouch for me. She'll be here soon."

The guard paused for a moment, then, seeing the sincerity in Nora's eyes, he said,

"In that case, you'll have to wait here. Once she arrives, I'll let you in."

Nora had no complaints. It was just a short wait—nothing he couldn't handle.

He clasped his hands together and slightly bowed,

"Thank you."

"No problem. Just doing my job."

With that, the guard returned to his post.

.....

Five minutes later, Alice rushed over to Nora, surprised.

"You still haven't gone in yet?"

Nora looked a little sheepish. Scratching his head, he replied,

"My bad. I was in such a rush earlier that I forgot to bring my ID."

Hearing this, Alice playfully smacked his shoulder and laughed,

"Hehe, you're already becoming a hero, yet you're still so clumsy? Don't worry, with me here, you don't need an ID."

She confidently strode over to the guard, pulled out her hero license, and pointed at Nora with a commanding presence.

"I vouch for him. If there's a problem, I'll take full responsibility."

Nora felt a little strange being protected like that.