"It's alright. The path of a hero is never smooth sailing; setbacks and skepticism are part of the journey."
Even after hearing Bang explain the circumstances, the girl didn't show a hint of anger, though she did look a little dejected.
But once she finished speaking, her expression turned serious.
"Although Alice doesn't mind, Alice does not want everyone to have misunderstandings about Auntie Herta. Auntie Herta is a truly wonderful and great scientist!"
Was she not upset for her own sake, but because of this Ms. Herta?
Silver Fang didn't view this as some pre-programmed sense of "loyalty."
Whether it was mere code or genuine sincerity—perhaps others couldn't tell, but could a martial arts master, one hyper-sensitive to aura and presence, fail to see the truth?
He had long since stopped looking at people only with his physical eyes. Therefore, even if the person before him was a machine, he could still sense that distinct, human-like emotion.
Atomic Samurai probably felt the same way.
Even though he had never intended to go through with the plan in the first place, Silver Fang spoke up on behalf of everyone.
"Of course. Not just to you, but our decision to cast Ms. Herta as an antagonist without any prior understanding was, without a doubt, a sign of disrespect toward you both. Please convey our apologies to her when you see her next."
"Okay!" The girl nodded, a smile finally returning to her face.
Off to the side, Metal Knight remained silent.
Not to cast someone as an antagonist without understanding? It is precisely because we don't understand them that we must prepare for the worst!
Wasn't our plan created for the very purpose of understanding them? And yet, at a critical moment like this, they're all...!
If things truly reached a point of no return, they would be defeated without a shred of resistance, having zero knowledge of this Herta. Metal Knight was absolutely certain of that.
That was an existence that even he and Child Emperor combined couldn't get the upper hand against—a being who had even caused them significant losses in return.
Aside from the robots she threw out into the world, almost everything about her remained a mystery. How could Metal Knight not feel wary?
He was a firm believer in taking precautions; once Herta truly turned hostile, it would be too late.
However, no matter how much he worried, the outcome was set. Looking at the now-relaxed atmosphere, it was clear that the heroes were taking the "failure of the plan" very well.
"Bang shouldn't be the only one apologizing," Puri-Puri Prisoner added after Bang finished. "I'm sorry for not telling you about this right away, little Alice."
"I never had any intention of going along with such a foolish scheme," Atomic Samurai said with a lazy tone, devoid of any remorse.
As a swordsman, he would never let his heart be clouded by dust, so he wouldn't make a judgment based on confusion.
"I'm sorry... this plan was partly my doing..." Child Emperor bit his lip.
He was indeed the youngest S-Class hero, but he shouldered far more burdens than most, often harboring the secret fear that he was "the darkest of all heroes."
He hadn't been the main instigator, but he had been a firm executor of the plan, even though he knew in his heart it wasn't right.
Following the confessions of the three, Zombieman and Tanktop Master also voiced their apologies. Pig God didn't say a word, having been busy eating the entire time, but he silently pushed his burger toward Alice.
As expected, everyone here is a kind and firm hero. Superalloy Darkshine remained silent as well; he had no intention of taking action anyway, so he excluded himself from the list of people who needed to apologize.
The others felt much the same, mostly there to see what the other heroes would decide.
As for what kind of people his fellow S-Class heroes truly were, no number of meetings could reveal the truth as clearly as this plan had.
With the plan discarded, many heroes could now express their goodwill toward Alice in a straightforward way.
They weren't primitive people; they knew how to use smartphones, they read the news, and even the old-school types still kept up with the papers.
As long as they kept tabs on the outside world, it was impossible to be completely ignorant of Alice.
Furthermore, for the sake of this mission, they had received the files and combat footage on Alice compiled by Metal Knight and Child Emperor.
"I know this might be a bit shameless of me to say... but I actually really like the way you act as a hero."
Child Emperor's face flushed. It wasn't the shyness one feels toward the opposite sex, but the shame he felt for his own actions.
In fact, had it not been for this incident, he would have liked to get to know Alice and become friends with her.
He was also a young boy who held heroes in high regard. It was precisely because he admired the back of Blast—the hero who had saved him—that he joined the Association to become a hero himself.
But in this situation, he felt embarrassed to voice such thoughts.
"Alice is very happy that you like her!" The girl naturally wouldn't hold a grudge against a child. Even if his IQ and analytical skills surpassed those of an adult, he was still just a little boy.
Seeing that Alice held no hard feelings, Child Emperor felt even more ashamed. "Anyway... I still have to say I'm sorry. If you ever need help in the future, I'll do my best to assist you!"
He didn't add the usual caveat of "as long as it doesn't harm society."
It was impossible for him to be completely free of suspicion regarding the Herta behind Alice, but he was willing to believe that Alice wouldn't ask for something like that.
"Ho ho ho." Watching the interaction, Bang let out a chuckle filled with the wisdom of his years. Given his existing fondness for the girl, he naturally admired her ability to let go of past grievances.
"You're welcome to visit my dojo whenever you like. With your strength, if you could master martial arts, you'd surely become even stronger."
"Oh! Alice can learn new skills!"
Seeing the girl brighten up again, Genos's expression finally settled. He looked over at Saitama, only to find that he had somehow reverted to his usual dull, vacant expression.
"Is there any tea here?" Saitama muttered, sitting in a slouch.
Genos was just about to ask the staff outside when he was interrupted.
"However, we must all acknowledge one fact: we know almost nothing about Herta." Just as the atmosphere was becoming more peaceful, Metal Knight spoke up.
His cold, synthesized voice caused the warming atmosphere to freeze over again. Child Emperor understood the old man's personality well enough, but surely this wasn't the time...
"The purpose of our gathering wasn't just for this 'plan.' More importantly, it was because of Madam Shibabawa's prophecy," Metal Knight continued.
"We cannot overlook any possibility that might lead to the fulfillment of that prophecy. That is why I want more information on Herta, or, perhaps, a meeting."
"Metal Knight..." Puri-Puri Prisoner frowned at him, his eyes filled with disapproval.
Genos narrowed his eyes as well.
But the voice that rang out next wasn't theirs—it was Alice's.
"There's a spaceship coming! From outer space!"
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL