Hairdressing scissors snipped in the air. “Are you sure about leaving this to me?” the orphanage director asked. “Yes,” I replied, nodding as I glanced at my reflection in the large glass window. From over my shoulder, the orphanage director glanced down at me, looking somewhat displeased. “I really want you to cut my hair for me.” “It’s always strange to hear someone express their wishes with such fervor. It sounds like if the wish isn’t strong enough, it won’t come true. Interestingly, a white cloth is wrapped around your neck, and I’m holding a pair of pretty sharp scissors.” “Oh, it gets more interesting when you think that I’m a Class A Hunter and your Class is F.” The director sighed, snipping the air with the scissors for no reason. “It’s not too late to change your mind. Miss Black Dragon Master has called over a professional hairdresser, so it would be rude to keep him waiting. You’re going to a press conference. Trusting an amateur like me is unwise.” “Director, think about it.” “Ah, here we go again...” “If I let you cut my hair, it will make the hairdresser happy. He gets paid without having to work since he’s already waiting outside the door. You say I’m being rude to the Black Dragon Master, but the truth is that I’m besties with her. It’s okay if I’m only slightly rude to her. Besides—” “Okay, okay. Zip it,” the director cut me off, frustrated. “I really shouldn’t have added a debate class in your curriculum when I was teaching you guys. You’re all fools, but you’re Olympic medalists at mental gymnastics.” The Guardian seemed to have finally solved a ten-year-long mystery. —I see. You’re the one responsible for his one heck of a silver tongue... However, since his voice couldn’t reach others, the director continued to mutter, “Kim Hanbija is also like that on TV. It’s as if he thinks he can go to the moon if he keeps running his mouth. When I see him, I sometimes want to sew his lips together.” Kim Hanbija now went by Kim Han-bi. What kind of person was he? He sounded like the kind of guy who would star in a spin-off political drama. He would make a great, vicious politician whose everyday life was filled with threats, violence, and betrayal. “Well, I’ll start cutting your hair now, Gong-Ja.” “Don’t blame me if it turns out ugly.” “It’s not that I’m making you ugly, I’m just revealing your inherent ugliness.” “You’re a bit too harsh.” The scissors moved across my hair as I looked in the mirror absentmindedly. The director was focused on cutting my hair, face expressionless. Seeing his diligence brought back old memories. A smile curled around my lips. I chuckled. “Whenever our hair got too long, you cut it for us.” “The nearby barbershop came to volunteer from time to time, so why did you do it yourself?” “Volunteering isn’t always free. They sometimes ask for documents. And I can’t really do nothing when they come. It made me feel bad. I need to treat them when they come and compensate them for their efforts, especially if the barber shop was far away from the orphanage. In that case, I at least needed to cover their taxi fare.” “I thought it would be better for me to learn to cut hair myself.” After a pause, the director asked, “Back then, were you embarrassed?” I nodded. “Maybe... I think so. A little.” “Because of your classmates?” “Yes. I couldn’t really tell them that my orphanage director cut my hair for me...” “I guess so. At that age, you would have probably been embarrassed even if your mom or dad did it for you. Surprisingly, kids care a lot about their hair,” the director said calmly. “I think I told the other kids that a friend from the orphanage cut it for me.” “Aren’t children cruel?” I asked bitterly. “That’s nothing. People get crueler as they grow older.” “I did think you kids would get embarrassed, so I did a lot of research. It took about two years to get somewhat decent at cutting hair. Well, that’s my opinion, but the fact that the children got their hair cut at the orphanage seemed to have scarred their hearts even more. That’s how all good deeds are.” A black lump of hair fell on the floor. “Gong-Ja, no matter how good your intentions are, they can’t defeat someone else’s embarrassment. Even if you try hard, the other person can’t picture how much effort you put in. Dedication often comes across as awkward, so it’s easier for people to laugh at it.” “Is this a flaw I have to accept?” “No, you just have to be more thorough,” the director promptly answered. It sounded as if silk was being sliced. “I shouldn’t have given haircuts in my office. While a kid was getting their haircut, the others kept peeking through the window, so it was rather embarrassing. I should have cleaned out the unused storage room first, covered it with a fancy curtain, and set up a system where only those getting a haircut could enter. Even cutting a child’s hair requires a lot of thinking; you need to anticipate that the child will feel embarrassed, analyze why the child feels that way, and then come up with a method to root out the origin of their embarrassment.” I blinked. “Ah, that’s why you added that beauty salon room in the orphanage by the time I entered middle school.” “Yeah, I guarantee you that it was the prettiest room we ever had in our orphanage.” I remembered how happy the younger kids in the orphanage were when they went there. I said, “The idea was interesting and...” “It showed off my diligence,” the director said with a nod. I was starting to understand where half of my personality came from. Looking through the mirror, I could also see the look of realization on the Guardian’s face. “Remember, Gong-Ja. Good deeds are never accomplished through good intentions alone. Rather, you should approach life as if you are planning to do something really bad.” “When you try to help someone, you have to plan ahead as if you are going to kill them.” “Murder doesn’t just happen. It doesn’t occur simply because you decide to go ahead with it. Never. So what should you do if you must kill no matter what?” “First, I need to prepare the tools,” I answered. “Pick a place to carry out the murder and... choose a time.” “I have to find out my target’s daily routine, so I can know when to catch them off guard. I can kill only when I’m at low risk of being caught.” “Afterward, I have to think about how I’ll take care of the body. Where, how, and when I will dispose of it should be thought out beforehand. I should consider how to avoid the body being discovered and prepare an alibi in advance. Above all, I should think about the expressions, gestures, and words I’ll use when the police come to investigate.” “I also need to consider what I’ll do if I get caught. This includes having a hideout, a lawyer, a defense strategy, and influencing public opinion. It’ll also be a good idea to prepare a document attesting to a mental illness diagnosis...” “Yes. Evildoers put a lot of effort into a single evil deed. Gong-Ja, If you want to do good, you have to be more thorough than criminals.” “Don’t expect the world to make it easy for you to spread your good intentions. Your heart isn’t what creates miracles. Your actions do. The more thoroughly calculated, analyzed, and executed they are, the better. Have you calculated everything thoroughly?” the director asked. “Is there a chance that you unwittingly overlooked other people’s feelings just because you’re too honest and kind-hearted?” “Have you considered possible enemies who will interfere with your plans? Have you simulated how the enemies will act, from the most trivial to the most annoying scenario? Do you know who they are? The press? Public opinion? Your image?” “You should be confident, Gong-Ja.” “Goodness is like water. However, it isn’t a river that flows down from a mountaintop. It’s even less than a waterfall that destroys everything in its path. If goodness is water, it’s more of a well. During a drought, one needs to break the soil and bedrock to draw a bucket of water.” “Kill them,” the director said quietly. “Do good deeds with the determination to kill someone.” “Then, finally, those who will be by your side with you will feel proud.” I nodded. “Yes, Director. I understand that very well. I’ll go off and do something good.” The Inquisitor stopped right behind me. “Ah, Master! The venue preparations are complete! Ha, it was indeed impossible to prepare everything in one day. Still, the Pantheon mobilized all the manpower to get the venue ready!” “Inquisitor, there is a traitor within the Pantheon. You have considered that, yes?” I asked. “Yes! I thought they might use this chance to plant a bomb, so I tried to lure them out. But, mmmmm. Turns out they’re more thorough than I thought.” “Yes, but not as thorough as we are.” The Inquisitor laughed. “Ahaha. Yes, of course!” “Okay, Bambolina. Let’s go.” The Black Witch approached us. “Security is perfect.” “Black Dragon Master.” “I’ll let you in on a secret: the Black Dragon Guild is made up of four groups with completely separate reporting systems. They compete and fight among themselves. I had them check each other’s area in charge. If even one of them found a gap in the other’s designated area, I promised to cut the other groups’ funds in half. Therefore, everyone searched with their eyes wide open, but they didn’t find a single security gap in the venue.” “The way you work is obsessively meticulous...” “So what? That’s just how I do things. You don’t like it?” I nodded solemnly. “I consider myself lucky to have such a reliable friend.” “Oh my. Thank you for being honest.” “Me too, Anastasha. Let’s go.” The Paladin stopped by. “Your clothes are the same as usual. They don’t seem shabby, though.” “Your hair looks freshly trimmed. Are you sure that’s alright? The vast majority of the Tower’s residents will be here this time to see you, maybe to even talk to you or curse you.” “The director cut my hair for me,” I said. “He used to do that a lot when I was young. I’ll bring that up when I get the chance.” “‘This is what makes me feel the most comfortable and confident. The ends of my hair seem to hold the director’s warmth, reminding me of where I came from and where I ended up. I wanted to meet you all in a way that would show my true self the most.’ That’s what I’m going to tell the audience.” “I see... So that’s your plan?” “It’s a good strategy, even better because you’re not lying. It’ll indirectly but strongly show people that you’re from an orphanage. That’s...” The Countess chimed in. “Hmm. Since everyone in the Tower has basically lost their homeland, it’ll probably resonate with them well. It might be offensive to say this, but your origin isn’t actually something to hide. It’s a huge opportunity. Many people in the Tower have lost their families. Losing your homeland is something that all the residents can resonate with, but being an orphan symbolizes the loss of everything from birth. However...” “If I talk about it too much, it may backfire.” “My background should only evoke a bit of sympathy to begin the story. That’s all. If I drag on the orphan story for too long, the audience will become bored of it and even get annoyed. After all, we, the people of the Tower, have lost much but decided to live here in the end.” “Right. That’s a very valid point. Hmm. I thought you were just trying to show off your goodness without any decent plan when you said you were holding a press conference, but come to think of it, you’re not the type of person to do that. I trust you a little more now.” “These people haven’t lost their homes or are here to seek refuge. Calling them the Tower residents is too bland. These people need a proper name. From now on, I’ll call the Tower residents pioneers.” “A person’s life is shaped by what they are called. They deal with everyday life differently. The day someone wakes up in the afternoon and says, ’I’m jobless’ is different from that of someone who wakes up in the morning and says, ’I gotta go to work now.’ These different days accumulate, and they create different people. Countess, we will be pioneers from today onward.” “Your mindset truly lives up to your title,” the Countess said. “That is very Kim Gong-Ja of you, Gong-Ja,” the Paladin also commented. “Let’s go, Patricia. Nisha.” The Sword Star approached. “I’ll be in charge of your safety during the press conference.” “The assistant leader of the Watchmen League needs to go on stage with you and answer questions. So, I’m temporarily back as the league leader and in charge of security at the venue. Since I’m here, don’t worry about any accidents.” “Thank you, Mr. Carlenbery.” The Viper added, “We have also finished scanning everyone watching the conference. Skills are really convenient. I just have to line up the guys who can detect weapons, explosives, and poisons and they’ll scan everyone automatically. Around a hundred thousand people were waiting in line, but we got it done in no time. Haha!” “Things have gotten a lot better.” “The internet will be out of service around here for a while. I spoke with the Broadband Communicator, the Rank 9 Hunter. Even if they try to film secretly, they won’t be able to stream the conference. In other words...” “The conference venue will be like a small uninhabited island. If the Tower itself is an island isolated from the outside world, the conference will be like an island created within that island,” the Black Witch explained. “Hey, hey. Don’t interrupt me. Anyway, yeah, that’s what’s going to happen. Everything from smartphones to camera equipment has been confiscated upon entry. Gosh, people were so annoyed! My sect guys were done with the conference before it even started, man.” “Your sect’s main specialty is brute force, Rao Fan, so they should at least be used to this.” “Huuuuh? Are you asking for a guild war right now?” “Look at you, so arrogant after sparring with Gong-Ja...” “Um, nothing, I just felt good.” The Viper tilted his head in confusion. “Alright! Leave it to me!” “By the way, a lot of people crowded into the conference room. The Babylon Plaza wasn’t enough. They even filled the alleys.” “Wow! Are there really that many people? The Pantheon has been so focused on preparation, so we don’t really know what’s happening right now!” The Inquisitor’s eyes sparkled. “Uh, I think you can just assume that everyone living in the Tower has come. This is on a whole different level compared to the first press conference he held back in the day.” the Viper said with a frown as he tried to remember. I shrugged. “Uhhhh... Well, even regular Hunters are allowed to ask questions this time.” The Paladin sighed. “And there is also the premium feature of seeing all of us in one place. The media is already spreading ridiculous tabloids like how the Five Guilds are trying to merge into one sole guild or something...” “Hahaha. You may feel better when you think of it as preheating the grill!” the Inquisitor said. The Countess flashed a playful grin. “Just in case the conference goes on for a long time, the buildings, accommodations, and hotels around the plaza have been emptied out. Most of them are properties that I own, anyway. Whether it’s half a day or one, two, three, four whole days, talk as long as you want, Kim Gong-Ja.” “We are always ready to help you.” “All preparations are complete. Alright, everyone, don’t forget to smile. Even though this won’t be filmed or recorded, we’re now going to talk to all the pioneers who live in the Tower,” I announced with a smile. “Let’s be polite and respectful. Even if they see us not as humans but as devils, monsters, blackmailers, and instigators, we’ll always see each and every one of them as people.” The Black Witch narrowed her eyes. “You have a way of making difficult things sound awfully easy.” “We can try, can’t we?” I asked. I turned to the Inquisitor. “Okay. Good. Then, Bambolina.” “Please open the door.”