Chapter 13: Lady Nagant
~Ren Y. POV~
[Weeks Later, Naruhata, Hopper's Cafe, Tokyo, Japan]
For the past couple of days, everything has been good as of late. I saw and talked with some characters that I didn't I'd see again.
I've been busy on the straight and narrow while training as much as I can. It gets harder to train without any enemies to fight but I do gain experience doing my part-time job as a cook, cashier, and waiter in the Hopper's Café.
Enough so that my [Cooking] skill has been gaining crazy jumps of increase customers liking the food making business booming. Not only that I had to teach the others how to cook just as well or as decent as I am with my [Cooking] reaching level 65.
But because I had to teach, I also gained a skill with it involving teaching. The skill is called [Pedagogy Mastery].
Skill List.
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Description: Users is a Master of Teaching/training others, helping them to acquire knowledge, skills, techniques, and competence in different fields (martial arts, scientific fields, etc.). Users have an intuitive mastery of the associated teaching skills, speech and body language, expertly sending all the right signals, granting them major leverage in any teaching situation and allowing the user to easily be successful in teaching regardless of who they exert these talents on.
The user is capable of teaching anything to anyone at an understandable level, making them come to the same conclusion regardless of the complexity. This is the ultimate pedagogy mechanism since the user will automatically teach with perfect skill, technique, and timing. The user's full mastery of pedagogy and anything related to pedagogy makes the user the ultimate teacher.
Using this ability, the user can very quickly and easily perform feats such as always making the right choice when it comes to educating their student(s). The user automatically taps into the simplest roots of language and explanations that the student can comprehend and learn from, making them come to the same conclusion regardless of the complexity. Generally, students who were taught by users of this ability will quickly become masters in whatever they were taught.
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Like bruh. With how high my cooking level is combined with my teaching skills, I could literally open up a cooking school teaching the world the joys of cooking –
But before I could end my shift for the day, the boss man spoke in a nervous tone, gaining my attention, "Yo Ren! Some chick is here wanting to talk with you!"
I raised an eyebrow at this. Gaining my attention, I quickly left the kitchen through the front and froze at who I saw, surprised even.
There stood a tall woman with a curvy body. She has long, indigo-colored hair with numerous scattered pink streaks, usually tied in a ponytail with two full shoulder-length strands of hair framing her face. Her eyes are purple with a mauve shade with dark, blue-colored angled eyebrows.
The Pro Hero has long hair wrapped into a ponytail and secured with a hair clip. Her hero costume was a simple dark bodysuit with two plates underneath her chest and knee guards. She also wore a long scouter over her right eye, shaped like a lightning bolt.
[Observe].
[
[Kaina Tsutsumi Lv.? Pro Hero
Description: Kaina Tsutsumi, known by her alias Lady Nagant, is a Pro Hero for the Hero Public Safety Commission. She has been ordered to recruit Ren Yuki with his potential info-based Quirk to be used for their ends.
However, Lady Nagant has been experiencing a sort of depression and guilt over her assassination missions as of late questioning her world's need for heroes and villains causing her to be at her breaking point. Perhaps she needs a little push to finally have a mental breakdown.]
Interesting… Seeing her appear, I asked innocently of her appearance, tilting my head in confusion, "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we have met. I'm Ren Yuki, and you are miss?"
Gesturing at her, she had a smiling expression, explaining herself in a calm tone seemingly forced in my opinion, "I'm sure we haven't met before, but I'm Lady Nagant, the no.6 Hero in the ranking board. I came seeing from a client of mine of an offer…"
Raising an eyebrow, I soon asked the boss man to use one of the private rooms to continue this discussion in a neutral tone, "Right… if that's the case, how about we take it somewhere more private? Hey boss man, don't mind if we use the breakroom to have our talk in quiet!!"
"Sure thing!"
Having the green light, I lead Lady Nagant to the back in the breakroom with everyone busy. I made sure to lock the door so no one interfered or listened to the conversation. I used [Observe] on her body to see that the HPSC was that confident in me being taken in.
I suppose some perks are having my powers kept hidden. Well… I'll feel about this, but it's time to break a puppet's will. And the best way how?
Emotional damage and gaslighting. The deadliest weapon known to man right next to Pornhub and search history.
Having a private conversation confirmed, Lady Nagant began to speak as if practicing her lines in a confident tone, "Ren Yuki. I apologize for intruding on your time, but my boss saw great potential in your Quirk. Tell me, do you wish to become a hero – "
I raised my hand, ending the whole bullshit straight out of the open. I bluntly spoke, interrupting her, "Yeah… I'm gonna take a hard no. Like a real nope from your bosses of the HPSC. Nor will I be their next child soldier dog in this sad cog, and the superhuman society the sheep admire is more fragile than anyone would imagine. Especially if they sent a trained hitwoman like yourself to spread their propaganda bullshit."
She froze up. Ha. I guess she expected me to fall victim, nor would I catch on.
Although the Safety Commission had been trusted by society to keep the peace the organization had an underlying corruptness in its acts to protect society's image of Heroes to maintain the status quo. The original President of the Commission always treated their workers as disposable assets, primarily using people from the underside of society to do their dirty work.
However, when Pro Heroes committing crimes increased and became more organized, the Commission was no longer able to deal with them, and so, turned to recruiting and using Pro Heroes so that they could freely move when going against other Heroes in public. They groomed Kaina Tsutsumi, also known as Lady Nagant, to become an assassin, secretly killing corrupt Heroes and Villains under the people's eyes, to preserve their peace.
Lady Nagant's mental health began to worsen because of also having to keep up the public façade, and when she questioned the morality of these actions and suggested being transparent, the previous President threatened to silence her, resulting in his death, which was then covered up according to the source material.
But here she seemed shocked by my words as I whispered her inner turmoil asking in a genuine tone of curiosity, "Tell me Lady Nagant? Aren't you tired of killing so many? All to keep the people safe in the dark. Say some group was plotting a terrorist attack against pros, or a famous hero team that worked with a villainous organization on the sly. When someone can shake the foundation of this society they can't be tried. They must disappear quietly. That's where the safety commission comes in right?"
She seemed startled as if I was reading her head. But I continued forward, explaining in a neutral tone, staring into her fragile eyes, "The state uses the faith of the heroes while you are just a cog in the machine that upholds that trust. To maintain the status Quo, you became their secret face, killing people and giving them no chance to reform or become better people. You only obeyed, obeyed, and obeyed. So much that the fragility of our world made your mind spiral…"
She began to cry slightly, realizing, clutching her head as my words held the weight of truth to them, trying to deny my words in a panicked tone smiling, "N-No. It can't be – it can't be! Does that mean all those people… no! I'm not a murderer!"
There it is. The innocence she always believed as I struck while the iron was hot in my words, making her listen with her fragile psyche taking hits to her self-esteem, "But you're trained assassin? Tell me honestly, did you seriously not think of doing any research on the targets they gave you? Were you that much of a blind believer?"
Lady Nagant didn't answer. She kept looking at her hands as I whispered in a saddened tone, "Surely you had your suspicions. You're a smart girl, after all, Nagant. You must have realized it was a sham?"
I waited for a while as there was a long pause between us. Probably having to see her hands covered in blood over the guilt of hallucinating questioning her purpose as my words dig deep to her on an emotional level.
After what seemed like a long pause, she finally answered in a dry tone, her head hung low expressing shame on her face, "… Yes. I – I had my suspicions. But I never thought… I never would have…"
She tried defending what little remained of her fleeting self and sanity as I said in a disappointed tone, "And yet you did for what seemed to be for the greater good. But it wasn't for that it was for your superiors that made you this way, exploiting your innocence with their propaganda."
She was slowly breaking down, shaking like a leaf as she cried out in a despaired tone, "You don't know what it's like… with the HPSC, they…"
Gladly having recorded all of this conversation and confession, I mentally smiled. Lady Nagant was making excuses as I cut in a stern tone, "But that doesn't excuse you from killing innocent people, somehow, Lady Nagant? Those people you killed have family, loved one's, or friends that waited and cherished them. They lost a part of their lives from your hands and what's worse about all of this?"
Jabbing my finger poking her chest showing my point looking at my disappointed expression I continued scolding this foolish woman, "Deep down inside your head and heart you know it to be true! Did you think that killing them would improve society?"
That did it. Lady Nagant began to cry, dissolving into a weeping mess and destroying her strings as I put it from the HPSC control. I moved to comfort her, petting her head, shushing her, only to have her cry even harder.
[
Giving her a sense of safety and comfort, she began to calm down. Doing so I asked in a calm tone, "If we don't show people the bad side of things, that's brainwashing by omission. Fooling the people with this pretense… what does the future hold for us? Here's the sad truth. The hero world that everyone admires is a force for good is nothing but an illusion."
She finally calmed down, seemingly taking my words as she replied in a defeated tone, looking up at me with no hope in her eyes, "… If that's true… history will only repeat itself. The citizens will see the infallible public face. While someone else gets crushed by the dirty work. Bright-eyed hopefuls will be chewed up and spit out…"
But in the end, I smiled, cupping her face together in a confident tone, getting her attention as I explained to her, "But that will only happen if you give up. You know their dirty work spread it across for the world to see. You've seen the darkness in this world. So, you know what needs to be brought into the light. It's not too late to give up. I know the heart of the hero beats within you. Take control of your own life."
She looked into my eyes slowly, the dull darkness of her lovely eyes quivered, asking me in a confused tone, "After knowing my deeds… my sins…. Why would you go so far to help me like this…?"
*Swooosh*
Using my [Attract and Repel], adding for the dramatic effect of the wind blowing behind my back, I responded with a wide grin in a confident tone, "When do I need a reason to help someone?"
My words did it. Her dull eyes regained flecks of light as her entire being focused on me, filled with a renewed reverence as she shoved her head into the ground, bowing to me in a determined tone, "I'll do it! Let me atone for my sins. It's the least I could do!"
I knelt and gently patted her fluffy head as my [Massage] skill kicked in, "No need to bow. I know what to do just trust me and these people okay?"
Oh, the HPSC is gonna hate my guts. But having Lady Nagant blow the whistle as I contract Midnight thanks to saving Kazuho would want Nezu to hear about this big time.
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[Days Later, Naruhata, Hopper's Cafe, Tokyo, Japan]
Working again after handing Lady Nagant the confidence, it had been a few days since I explained everything to them about the situation. But soon, my attention was turned towards the news on the TV, "… On the latest news, the HPSC Head President is under arrest for the attempted assassination of innocent people on the HPSC hit list. You heard me right: the HPSC had a hit list of people they wanted going for their profits."
Soon, the news reporter showed Lady Nagant and Nezu as the small rodent spoke in a serious tone, bowing his head down in a sincere tone, "I apologize something like this was hidden from us. However, the efforts of Lady Nagant, being a brave hero to show the darkness into the light, allowed us to capture the HPSC pinning all crimes on him, manipulating her to do her dirty work over the years."
The new HPSC present madam was shown but scowled, bowing her head. Ha. Seems like someone is pissed off but shows a smile of relief seeing her former boss leave.
Good riddance, I say – as I was having a good time, I froze with everyone freezing as Lady Nagant said her peace in a heartfelt thankful tone, "My actions don't excuse me of my past crimes, but I'm willing to pay for my sins by any means. Hence, I'll be employed at UA High School under strict supervision, wishing to pay for my misdeeds and teach the new generation never to become someone like me. And one more thing… Ren Yuki. Thank you for being my light in my darkest hour."
She smiled so innocently as everyone stared at me. The Bossman even held a proud, smug grin as he gave me a thumb-up. Aww… man.
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
That was when I got multiple notifications from my friend of the news. Well… there goes my peaceful life.