Ch. 47 - Did I hear that wrong?

"I-I have to live with you?"Yoo Seo-Eun stammered, quite confused by the idea of living in my house.

"Isn't it natural? It's my job to keep an eye on you. I can't ignore my duties, so it can't be helped. You have to put up with the inconvenience."

"No, it's not inconvenient. It's, uh, how to say it... Are you okay with me being in the same house as you?"

"It doesn't really bother me; I don't care, so don't worry."

Perhaps Yoo Seo-Eun feels unnecessarily guilty for living in my house. I have to pay for her living expenses, so it's a burden.

"...I see. You don't care about me."

Yoo Seo-Eun seemed to be relieved by my words and calmed down a bit.

But her tone also seems to have cooled down a bit. Was she that relieved?

"Anyway. We can talk more about residence later. I'd love to explain what our team needs to do starting today, but first, I have to go to the Awakened Academy."

"You're going to the Academy again? Didn't you go undercover to catch me?"

I shrugged, wondering why I'd need to go to the Academy again after we captured her.

"Me and the heroes entered the academy as transfer students, but what happens when a transfer student doesn't show up one day?"

"Ah, I see. You'll have to explain who you are and why you're here to the students eventually."

"That's right. Of course, we can't tell them that a monster has entered the Academy, and we were there to find you."

The matter with Yoo Seo-Eun will be kept secret. We'll tell the students that the Awakened Crime Division members and heroes were here to experience the Academy.

"The only people who know your identity are the staff of the Awakened Crime Division and a few heroes, so keep those horns hidden when you're out and about."

"You can hide them, right?" Yoo Seo-Eun hid her horns as I asked.

To be exact, she didn't merely hide her horns, she transformed into her original human self.

"......It's been a while since I've been in this form."

"You look good. Let's stay that way all the time. You like your original form, don't you?"

"Yes. I do."

A beautiful woman with long black hair is Yoo Seo-Eun in her human form.

After all, people are most beautiful when they are who they are. We looked at each other and smiled.

"Oh, by the way, Hye-Rim, didn't you say yesterday that you could heal me?"

"I can, but we'll talk about it later when we get home. Work comes first."

I said, "Let's go straight to the academy," and Yoo Seo-Eun nodded and followed me.

"I'm glad we're finally done playing the student. I used to be a student myself, but perhaps because I've been in the workforce for a few years now, the energetic kids are a bit overwhelming."

"Is that so? I was actually quite enjoying it because it reminded me of the old days."

"Unlike Mr. Chul-Min, I've been a hero for a long time, so I'm more comfortable dealing with monsters than with well-meaning villains."

The three main characters gathered in front of the academy.

Baek Shin-Hwa and Shin Chul-Min were chatting with each other, while Jung Ha-Yeon stood still beside them.

"Ah, Ms. Hye-Rim is here!"

Jung Ha-Yeon, who was the first to notice that I was approaching, immediately turned toward me.

"Hye-Rim, what happened to Ms. Yoo Seo-Eun...... Ah."

Only when she got closer did she recognize Yoo Seo-Eun next to me.

"You're Ms. Yoo Seo-Eun, right?"

Jung Ha-Yeon immediately recognized Yoo Seo-Eun in her human form. Her appearance wasn't much different from when she was a monster, so she recognized her immediately.

"...Yes, that's right."

"Ms. Hye-Rim, since she's here, it must mean that everything went well, right?"

"Yes, of course."

Jung Ha-Yeon smiled gently at my confident words. She must be very happy because she didn't want Yoo Seo-Eun to meet a bad end.

I explained everything to the three of them about Yoo Seo-Eun. After listening to me, Baek Shin-Hwa breathes a sigh of relief.

"I see, that's good," she said.

"I'm sure nothing will happen since Ms. Shin Hye-Rim is in charge."

"I apologize for trying to do something bad for you and the students. I... I have no excuse."

"It's okay. To be honest, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if I were in your situation. Five years of wandering in the Demon Realm—ugh, I can't imagine."

Baek Shin-Hwa asks Yoo Seo-Eun what it's like to live in a monster-infested landscape. Yoo Seo-Eun began to describe what she had seen, and Shin Chul-Min threw his arms around her.

"I've always thought that, but you're really amazing, Ms. Shin Hye-Rim."

"What?"

"The strength you have. The way you always handle everything so neatly. To be honest, I'm really envious of you."

Smiling awkwardly, Shin Chul-Min scratched his head.

"I want to make people around me happy just like you, so what would have happened if you hadn't come to my aid in this case? I definitely wouldn't have been able to save Ms. Yoo Seo-Eun."

"......"

I can't really argue with that statement. In the original manga, Shin Chul-Min actually killed Yoo Seo-Eun himself.

"It was the same with the Monster Association attack, and it's the same with this one. Ms. Shin Hye-Rim is a hero in her own right."

"Just call me a good public servant. I'm just doing my job."

"Haha, yes. You are a great public servant. I want to be like you."

'I wish I could be a bright beacon of hope like you......' I heard Shin Chul-Min muttering to himself.

By this time, Shin Chul-Min was thinking about saving many people and leading them to a happy life as his goal, but he was heartbroken because it didn't work out as he had hoped when he killed Yoo Seo-Eun.

But that kind of brooding is a waste of time.

"You'll be able to become the real hero you want to be someday, so don't worry about it."

"I know you're just saying that, but it's still encouraging to hear it."

I didn't just say that; it's actually going to happen. You're going to save the world.

So just be stronger and make my job easier, please.

"Well, since we've said our hellos, let's go inside, shall we?"

At my words, everyone followed me into the academy. We each headed to our respective classes, because now I had to tell the students that the former student was actually a magical girl.

It was morning roll call time. A time when all the students are in their classes getting ready for class.

As I stood in front of the second class of third graders, where I was a transfer student, I could hear students talking from inside.

"Teacher~! Hye-Yung didn't come today!"

"I haven't seen her since yesterday, is something wrong?"

"Oh, so that's..."

The class was already talking about me. Needless to say, my cheerful personality and the ease with which I interacted with other students made me a popular person in the class. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

That's why a lot of things are said about me, but now I have to say everything. That Lee Hye-Yung is actually Shin Hye-Rim from the Awakened Crime Division, and that being a transfer student was all an act.

Thinking that I could go in now, I immediately opened the door and entered the classroom.

"Uh...? Who is that?"

"Huh! That's Shin Hye-Rim, the magical girl from the Awakened Crime Division!"

"The magical girl who single-handedly captured a thousand of those monsters?"

As soon as they saw me, they immediately recognized who I was. I was reminded of how much my face has been spread on YouTube.

"Hey, guys, I bet you were surprised to see me barge in, right?"

I slowly began to explain to the students. When I told them that I wasn't here to find the monster, but simply to experience the academy, their reactions were overwhelming.

"Wow... So I'm in a class with Awakened Crime Division's Team Leader 5?"

"Oh, Unni, I'm a huge fan! I want your autograph!"

"Me too! Please take a picture with me too!"

"Sigh...... If I knew she was Shin Hye-Rim, I would have talked to her more."

"...I was going to confess."

"What kind of nonsense is that, Dong-Min?"

As if seeing a celebrity, the students' eyes lit up, and they rushed over to ask for autographs and handshakes. Jung Ha-Yeon must have finished introducing herself because a similar commotion was heard in the next class.

"Hey, guys, Ms. Shin Hye-Rim is in trouble; calm down."

Lee Jung-Seok stood up and calmed the students in front of me.

To think I'm at a position where I am being treated as a celebrity. I didn't think I'd end up like this.

"Hye-Rim Unni, by the way, who is the person next to you?"

A female student asked, looking at Yoo Seo-Eun, who had followed me into the classroom. I introduced her as a staff member of the Awakened Crime Division.

"Since you are students at Awakened Academy, there are many people who want to become heroes after graduation, but we are also doing good things, so our department is also a good choice."

While at it, I also promoted the department.

The more employees we have, the better. Among them, there might be people who could become prospective slaves, so I shouldn't miss this opportunity.

"Now that I saw you, I knew I wanted to join the department! I definitely want to join Hye-Rim's team!"

"Me too! If I could work with her, I wouldn't wish for more!"

"Haha, is that so? The department is always open; everyone is welcome."

So many dreamers want to join the department after seeing me.

It's good that you want to join the department, but it'll be hard for you to join my team. If you're really sincere, I hope you'll work hard.

I need more slaves to work for me. Yoo Seo-Eun just came in, but she's only temporary.

I need a permanent one.

"Wow, Hye-Rim, you're so popular, I'm surprised."

After coming out of the classroom, Yoo Seo-Eun looked at me like she was looking at someone extraordinary.

"I didn't think you were an ordinary person, but you're more than I imagined, aren't you?"

"I'm just a civil servant. I'm not the only one. There are many great people in our department."

I chatted with Yoo Seo-Eun and waited in the hallway for Jung Ha-Yeon. Just as I was wondering when she would come out, she opened the classroom door.

"Oh, you two are already out, aren't you?"

"Yes. I was waiting for Ms. Ha-Yeon, and then visit Baek Shin-Hwa and Shin

Chul-Min."

"I see. Shall we go then?"

We started walking down to the second grade classroom.

Just as I was thinking that if we went now, Baek Shin-Hwa would be there, Jung Ha-Yeon spoke to Yoo Seo-Eun.

"I'm curious, Ms. Seo-Eun, where will you live? Is the house you used to live in still there?"

"No, I was living in a single room. It's been five years, and the house I used to live in is probably already occupied by someone else."

"Then you don't have a place to stay, do you?"

Jung Ha-Yeon was worried that she might have to be homeless.

"Not really, I've agreed to live with Hye-Rim at her house for the time being."

"Aha, I see. That's good, because you'll be living at Ms. Hye-Rim's house...... What?"

The words stopped Ha-Yeon in her tracks.

"What did you say?"

For some reason, her eyes turned cold.