"Good morning, everyone! Welcome back to A Day as a Sidekick! I'm Peter," a well-dressed man waved toward the camera, his smile as bright as stage lights.
"And I'm Mary. We're here in the studio, ready to take you right back into the action!" the co-host chimed in, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Peter leaned toward the large screen behind him. "Yesterday's mission? An F-rank Gate popped up in the remote wilderness. Monsters spilled out before the Union Defense Committee even realized it was there." He pointed to a red dot on the map and pressed replay. "Three superheroes were sent to handle it—along with our guests, serving as their sidekicks for the day."
"Let's take a look at what happened yesterday," Mary said as she pressed the screen remote and the screen instantly lit up with a scene of damp, misty forest.
Peter pointed as the first image appeared. "And here's Solstice, Level 23, F-rank superhero, youngest of the Pendragon family—yes, that legendary Pendragon family with their inherited superpower: [Excalibur], which turns anything he touches into a sword of light. See? It's cutting through monsters like butter." Solstice sheathed his sword in a flawless motion, leaving a glowing trail in its wake. "And somewhere close by—ah, there—"
Mary jumped in, "Evermoss, Level 27, F-rank superhero, master of plant manipulation. Look at those roots—just one snap of her fingers and the ground comes alive." The close-up showed Evermoss controlling vines that coiled around a monster and dragged it to the ground.
Peter continued as the camera panned left. "That's Inferno Knuckle—Level 29, F-rank superhero, the man whose fists burn hot enough to turn rain to steam." Knuckle slammed his blazing fist into his palm, sparks sizzling in the humid air.
Mary smiled. "Of course, our guests aren't just there for show. Take Lilith Goldvale—Level 7 Raiser, the genius young lady of House Goldvale, champion of contests both in talent and beauty. She's paired as Solstice's sidekick—what a perfect pair they make!" Lilith twirled her magic staff, an orb of light exploding above a cluster of monsters. Mary gave a playful shrug. "Raisers don't have superpowers yet, but with a staff expensive enough to buy a house in downtown Lost Angel, well—money does buy firepower."
Peter lowered his voice as the camera caught another figure. "That's Kai Benjamin, Level 9 Raiser, a combat prodigy. Among the students, he's got another title—Undefeated Raiser! And he's Evermoss's sidekick." The footage showed Kai taking down two monsters in just a few heartbeats.
Mary tilted her head slightly as the camera zoomed in on a distant ledge. "And finally—Mai Goldvale, Level 1 Raiser, top theory scorer in Lost Angel City—yes, top in the whole city!" The shot revealed Mai lying flat on a rocky outcrop, aiming through her scope. "Her aim's precise, deadly from a distance. She's Inferno Knuckle's sidekick for this mission!"
Just as Mary finished speaking, a shadow burst from the brush behind Mai. The camera shook violently as the monster slammed into her position, her rifle flying from her hands.
Peter drew a sharp breath. "Unfortunate."
"It was a fierce struggle," Mary said softly. "One of our guests was injured in the heat of battle, forcing the subjugation team to retreat. But even in the face of adversity, their determination remains unwavering!" she declared, pumping her fist in the air.
Peter nodded gravely. "That's right, Mary! Although they aren't official sidekicks, our guests—being among the most talented students in Lost Angel City—fully understand the risks involved in these missions. However, with courage and determination, they are ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead."
The livestream audience instantly erupted:
[Bruh, she yeeted herself into danger and ate dirt. Courage who?💀]
[Why they dragging this level 1 noob along? She's a walking L.]
[Lilith's out here slaying while someone can't even dodge a hit.]
The chat buzzed with excitement as viewers followed the unfolding drama. Peter and Mary exchanged a knowing glance.
"Each guest has their own broadcast room. Feel free to join the one that interests you. The room with the most views will get a special prize!" Mary announced, her excitement bubbling over as the scene shifted to the live feed. "Let's go on this journey together and see the extraordinary unfold before us!"
The screen cut back to the live view—deep forest, heavy mist, and the distant echo of monstrous roars.
On the broadcast screen, a young woman was lying in a small tent. Hair covered half of her pale face.
[Is she still breathing?]
[She only took a single hit from a mere mob, is she that fragile?]
[@above don't need to be so mean, it's a life after all.]
The young woman's breath was weak and irregular. But soon after that, it became stronger and regular.
[Moving!]
[She's moving!]
[Finally!!!]
As she regained consciousness and sat up, the young woman's hair fell away from her face, revealing her beautiful, delicate features, making a small break in the chat.
[Okay, I know she messed up, but let's be real, she's stunning.]
[What's her name again?]
[It's Mai.]
[@above are you for real? Remember what she did!]
[Having a bitch face doesn't excuse her behavior. Shameful.]
As Shadow awoke, she scanned her surroundings with caution, her gaze sweeping across the tent.
Where is this? Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
Weakness coursed through her body, every inch aching to remind her this wasn't a dream — it was all too real.
Suddenly, a huge, red-haired man entered the tent, surprise showing on his face when he saw her awake.
"You're finally awake," he said gruffly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "Do you have any idea how close you were to dying? You need to be more careful."
Shadow nodded slightly, deciding to play silent until she could grasp the situation.
"We are safe for now," he continued, his tone still harsh. "You were lucky we were able to drag you back. Drink this." He handed her a flask of water. "You need to stay hydrated."
Shadow took the flask, grateful for the refreshment. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Don't thank me yet," he muttered, a hint of irritation in his voice. "We used the Cure Kit to heal your wound, but you've got a long way to go before you're out of the woods. Rest now. You don't need to come along today. We'll talk more when I and the others come back at noon."
Despite his brusque manner, Shadow sensed genuine concern in his words. She nodded weakly. The man reminded her of the gruff but kind-hearted companion Berserker, making her feel comforted in his presence.
"I've got the water heating over the campfire. When you're up to it, toss the ramen in and chow down. Left it by the fire. Can't muster up anything fancier," Inferno Knuckle said as he exited the tent. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling unsure about how to care for a teenager. He walked with a troubled expression.
It was a fact that she was weak, but he couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility for her injury, knowing his own shortcomings contributed to it. Taking care of these sidekicks was part of the hero's job, but his combat style wasn't suited for protecting others.
He lamented his luck in being paired with the weakest kid, yet he acknowledged her misfortune in being paired with him. With a heavy sigh, he continued on his path to the gathering spot.
[Inferno Knuckle may be gruff, but you can tell he cares.]
[Why is Mai even on the team? She's just dead weight. Poor Inferno Knuckle.]
[I'm starting to think Mai's playing the weak card to get out of missions.]
[Lilith went out of her way to get her on the show, only for her to chicken out.]
[Lilith did? Why?]
[They are sisters. Bet she shamelessly begged Lilith to do it.]
[Sisters? They look like they're from different planets 👽, not families.]
[Nothing else to see here I guess.]
[Off to watch some real action!]
Shadow slowly rose to her feet, her gaze shifting to her hands as she tried to clench her fist. She felt a strange disconnect with this body, sensing its unfamiliarity.
It's not her own body.
This body felt too weak, though it seemed to have undergone some training. It was certainly not the body she had tirelessly honed over the past two decades.
Shadow knew that her former companion, Necromancer, could summon spirits and place them into corpses to fight on his behalf. However, those were dead souls in dead bodies; they didn't have consciousness, blood vessels, or heartbeats — unlike Shadow and her current body.
Shadow attempted to absorb mana to cure herself, but there was none in the air. She also tried to raise her vital force to enhance her body's regeneration, but she couldn't sense anything.
This was odd. Mana could vary in strength from place to place, but everyone should be born with vital force to some extent and should be able to cultivate it as long as they know how. It's an intrinsic part of being human. It was strange that hers didn't work. Perhaps this body wasn't human, or maybe humans in this strange place were different? She had no way to know.
Her stomach growled with hunger. Deciding not to think about it too much, she walked over to the campfire.
Coming out of the tent, Shadow looked around the campsite. It was early morning by the forest's edge. There were three strange-shaped tents, including the one she was in, set up around a campfire.
Shadow walked toward the campfire and noticed a small pot of water being heated. She stared in curiosity and amazement at the shiny pot. Unlike anything she had seen before, it was gleaming and smooth. While she had seen fancy items from nobles, like decorated weapons and armor, the polished surface of this pot was a whole new level.
Shadow reluctantly looked away from the pot and picked up the red package labeled "Ramen" that the red-haired man had mentioned. She turned it over in her hands, examining it closely. She was surprised by the smooth, glossy texture of the wrapper and the detailed illustrations on it. She tentatively felt the package, unable to feel the roughness of the ink lines, but only sensing the solid roughness of the contents inside.
Shadow struggled with what to do with the ramen packet. Somehow, she could read what was written on the packaging but had difficulty understanding it.
It seemed that the basic instincts of this body were still intact, but applying them was another matter for Shadow.
Relying on the illustrations and instructions on the packaging, she eventually figured out how to put the noodles and seasoning into the pot to cook. However, she didn't know how long three minutes would be. Scholar had taught her about hours, minutes, and seconds, but most people didn't use them in daily life because clocks were expensive, and the Sun was free.
She vaguely remembered that one second was like counting once, pausing a little, and doing it 60 times would make one minute. So, counting to 180 would be 3 minutes.
Shadow sat counting, and as she got closer to 180, she glanced at the ramen packaging neatly stacked beside her, wondering when the eggs, shrimp, and vegetables shown on the illustration would appear.
She had been confused when she couldn't find them in the packet. She quietly guessed that maybe this was a new magical invention, and they would appear when cooked in boiling water for 3 minutes. She had seen Magician do something similar a few times, like pulling things out of his hat.
No magic happened. Shadow stared disappointedly at the plain yellow noodles floating in plain yellow soup, with a few dry green flakes scattered on top.
In the broadcast room, as the young woman examined the ramen packet, the chat erupted with laughter.
[LOL, is this her first time seeing ramen?]
[This is hilarious, she's reading the ramen packet like it's some ancient scroll!]
[Isn't Mai from the Outer Wall?]
[Even Outer should know about ramen, LOL.]
[Someone said she's Lilith's sister, though? Isn't Lilith from a noble clan?]
[Maybe she's adopted, hahaha.]
The young woman furrowed her brows, turned the ramen packet upside down, and peered inside. She then held it in front of her, examining the print on the front of the packet. After looking at the noodles, she peeked inside again and shook it vigorously.
[What's she shaking the ramen packet for? Hahaha.]
[Maybe she's trying to perform a ramen ritual, LOL.]
[Don't tell me she's looking for the egg and shrimp on the cover, hahahaha.]
[I can't! This is better than any comedy show I've seen lately! Hahahaha.]
[Expecto Patronum, Shrimp Guardian appear, hahahaha.]
After the ramen was cooked, the young woman stared at the plain noodle soup with eyes as lifeless as dead fish, as if she were gazing upon the most disappointing thing on earth.
[She's staring into the abyss of blandness.]
[Poor thing, expecting a feast and getting plain noodles.]
[We've all been there, girl.]
[Related.]
[Related +1.]
[Related +2.]
[Related +ID number.]
As she took a bite of the instant noodles, a wave of surprise and delight washed over her face. Her lips parted into a smile of astonishment.
Her eyes widened, sparkling with unexpected pleasure, as if she had just discovered a hidden treasure. With each chew, her expression softened into pure bliss, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
She emitted a small gasp of delight between bites, her fingers trembling slightly as she eagerly brought the next forkful to her mouth.
Every movement was filled with anticipation and satisfaction, as if each taste was a revelation, leaving her craving more. Her whole demeanor radiated wonder and joy.
[...]
[She makes even instant noodles look like a gourmet meal.]
[I need some ramen in my life right now!]
[BRB, raiding my kitchen for instant noodles.]
[Okay, I'm sold. Ramen for dinner]
In the grand hall of the Goldvale estate, the family rested after breakfast, watching the livestream on the large screen.
On the screen, Lilith appeared in a lush, misty forest. She stood tall, her long curly blonde hair catching the light, framing a gentle, lovely face. Her figure was small and delicate, almost doll-like, yet carried a quiet grace. In her hand, a silver staff encrusted with gems gleamed brilliantly. With each wave, a burst of pure white light erupted like fireworks, coalescing into radiant arrows that shot straight into the horde of monsters.
Her every movement was fluid, like a dance, each motion flowing seamlessly as bursts of radiance arced through the air, turning the battle into a mesmerizing performance. Solstice, with platinum hair, strikingly handsome features, and dressed in a white superhero suit adorned with golden patterns beneath a flowing golden cape, stepped forward. His glowing sword sliced through the creatures like paper, its brilliance merging with Lilith's radiant bursts to create a dazzling spectacle.
The duo stood side by side, like figures from a mythic painting—Solstice, the young Pendragon, and Lilith, the lady of Goldvale. They were so perfectly matched that the camera seemed to linger on them deliberately.
Mrs. Goldvale leaned forward, a satisfied smile on her face. "Perfect," she whispered.
On the screen, Lilith flicked her wrist, tracing a large circle of light in the air. It bloomed like a flower before cascading onto the battlefield, reducing the monsters to ash. She gave a slight smile, her lips curving as if she'd just finished a performance for an adoring audience.
Seeing the endless stream of praise for his daughter scroll across the screen, Mr. Goldvale's eyes gleamed with pride. "Raised to perfection under our care," he said.
At the mention of raising children, Mrs. Goldvale's gaze faltered slightly. "Switch to Mai's feed."
Their youngest son whined, wanting to keep watching Lilith, but the eldest reluctantly switched the screen to Mai's livestream.
There was Mai, sitting by the campfire with her back straight, her delicate face calm in the glow of the flames. For a moment, Mrs. Goldvale felt a flicker of relief—at least the girl looked presentable. But then Mai tasted the noodles, her eyes lit up with surprise. She leaned forward slightly, eating a little too quickly in her eagerness.
Mrs. Goldvale's expression tightened. While most comments debated the brand of ramen Mai was eating, her gaze lingered only on the occasional malicious remarks. She muttered, "No manners at all. Delighting in a packet of noodles as if to advertise how poor she is. She shouldn't have been put on this show without proper upbringing first."
Mr. Goldvale added, "Well, she did grow up in the Outer Wall. We'll hire someone to teach her properly when she's back." He frowned. "But why are there so many hateful comments? The point of her being on this show wasn't to tarnish our family's name. Victor, have the media team look into it."
Victor, the eldest son, gave a vague nod and pretended to send a message on his phone. In truth, he did nothing—he was the one who had ordered the media team to add those comments beyond what had been planned. Public shaming had never been part of the family's design, but Victor didn't care. To him, tarnishing the Goldvale name wasn't a real risk; all the blame could be shifted onto the old man who had taken Mai in. What did it have to do with the Goldvales?
Watching Mai slurp the last of her noodle broth on the screen, Victor felt a twinge of guilt. But then he recalled Lilith's resolute yet sorrowful eyes when she learned of Mai's existence, and his gaze hardened.
Though Lilith was adopted to fill the void left by Mai's disappearance, she was still the little sister he'd cherished since childhood. The thought of her pain, knowing she was just a stand-in, and her cautious demeanor around the family twisted his heart. Mai was used to life at the bottom; a bit more infamy wouldn't hurt her. Only if Mai seemed inferior would their parents continue to see Lilith as the family's pride, allowing her to feel at ease in their home. As for Mai, Victor figured he could make it up to her later with a little extra attention.