21 Can I have your number, Mizuki?

- Mizuki Pov -

I was going about my business as a Hero, which consisted of battling various monsters, when all of a sudden, I was taken aback by the appearance of a mysterious man dressed in a strange suit.

I could tell the man was wearing a battle suit because of the armor on his hands, feet, and chest, and it appeared that he had come to help me when he saw me fighting this lizard monster.

I'm not sure if this person is a hero or not, but the last thing I need is for him to get involved in my fight. Because of this, I've been trying to convince him to back away from the fray, but he continues to be defiant and instead pushes forward.

'is this man going to be okay?' I said in my heart.

Because, to tell you the truth, even though the battle suit he's wearing looks cool and refined, I'm still not sure about his abilities. This is because, recently, I've come across a lot of heroes who wear strange clothes, but their strength is weak.

*splat

However, it appears that I was wrong, as this mysterious man was able to put an end to this lizard monster with just one punch, which is an impressive accomplishment in my book.

After that, I approached him and said, "wow, I didn't expect you to be so strong," while also giving a friendly pat on his shoulder.

This man's response, however, left me a little taken aback, "I didn't expect this monster to be so weak."

When this man spoke, I did not detect any hint of arrogance in his tone. Instead, I got the impression that he was just feeling disappointed.

"Yeah, this monster is so weak. I tried to make it my sparring opponent, but in the end, you killed it. Too bad," I said as I walked towards the corpse of the lizard monster in search of something.

"Didn't you look like you had a hard time fighting him?" After I had found the bag I had been searching for, the mysterious man asked me a question that left me a little bewildered as to how I should respond to it.

I tried to divert my attention elsewhere while awkwardly scratching the back of my head and saying, "Ahh, about that, I'm just holding back because I don't want to end it so quickly."

What I said is true because, to be honest, I haven't put all of my strength into the fight just yet. This is because whenever I face an opponent who is weaker than me, I make it a point to make the most of the opportunity to improve my fighting skills.

But based on how his stunningly beautiful red eyes are staring at me, this man doesn't appear to believe it. His eyes seem to be trying to decipher something from the way I'm conveying my expression.

"I trust you," but to my surprise, this man readily believed my words, and I didn't know how to respond when I saw his gentle smile. I didn't know how to react.

However, after a few seconds, I simply broadened my smile and responded with "thank you."

Because not many believed me when I said that. The other heroes looked down on me. They just thought that I was trying to cover up my embarrassment by making it up.

'But at least this guy doesn't think so,' I thought to myself.

- My Pov -

After some idle chitchat, I finally introduced myself by saying, "My name is Kaiser, and what's your name?"

Mizuki seemed to be in a better mood when she was chatting with me now. She even started to extend her hand when she introduced herself to me, saying, "My name is Mizuki, class B hero rank 71." Perhaps this is a result of what I said earlier in the conversation.

After that, I gave her a firm handshake, and as she did so, Mizuki's face lit up with excitement.

Because Mizuki is taller than average and has a slightly muscular build, so she towered over me when we stood shoulder to shoulder.

Mizuki then pointed her finger at the dead body of the lizard monster that was lying by the side of the road and said, "Because you basically defeated this monster, you can take all the credit, Kaiser."

But all I could do was shake my head and say, "Take all the credit for this weak monster. I don't need it."

"What do you mean by saying that?" Mizuki asked confusedly while making a thinking pose and tilting her head towards me.

"Because I'm not a hero...," I explained. Mizuki interrupted me in the middle of my sentence with a shout, and she appeared very surprised by what I had to say.

"Are you telling me that you're not a Hero?"

"No," was the brief response I gave.

"But, if you're not a Hero, how come you're that strong?" This time, Mizuki seemed curious, but I continued to respond casually.

"You know, there are still a lot of powerful people in this world who don't want to become heroes," Mizuki simply nodded her head as she thought deeply about what I had just said.

Mizuki said to her in a cheery tone, "What you said is also true, but I think it would be a shame if you didn't become a Hero. I believe your strength can help many people," and she went on to tell me how her dream to help many people once she decided to become a hero.

When I looked over at Mizuki, who was standing in front of me, I couldn't help but let out a snort, and even my gaze became a little chilly as a result.

'what true hero, huh.'

'really boring' people who call themselves heroes just want to satisfy their ego, pride, and greed in the end.

'A true hero does not need to call themselves a hero, let alone join an organization in order to get a monthly salary,' I said to myself.

"Of course I don't want to get involved in this world's boring hero drama," I muttered under my breath.

"did you say something, Kaiser?" Mizuki asked in surprise, but I simply gave her a gentle smile and remarked, You'd better contact the Hero Association's headquarters immediately."

"If you insist, fine," after sighing, and then Mizuki immediately dialled the number for the headquarters of the hero association and began reporting this incident without mentioning me at all, which of course, is something for which I am grateful.

-

"Can I have your number Mizuki?" After she finished typing the report, I asked Mizuki for her phone number, and she gladly gave it to me without being the least bit wary.

"The next time, we can go monster hunting together, or if you have a problem, you can directly contact me, and I will immediately assist you with it." I attempted to conceal the wide grin that was forming on my face by saying it with a warm smile, but it was impossible.