"Oomoto, sit. Do you have something to report?"
Inside the Chairman's office, Aomori spoke to Mr. Oomoto.
Upon hearing the news that Aomori had checked in for work, Oomoto had rushed over in a frantic hurry, looking as though he had urgent business.
Mr. Oomoto sat in the chair across from Aomori, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Chairman, it's like this. Regarding our promotional efforts, I feel we need to make some improvements."
"Oh?" Aomori adopted a listening expression.
"Since the debut ceremony, our Association's heroes have gradually become household names. Many heroes even have their own fan clubs now. I believe this is an excellent trend, meaning, we can initiate the 'Hero Idol Era.' We can make heroes replace pop stars, movie stars, and athletes as the primary targets of public adoration."
"An excellent idea. I believe we've already implemented some measures regarding that, haven't we?" Aomori said.
He was referring to the early promotion stages where they would often feature heroes with good public images to garner support.
"The Chairman is wise!" Mr. Oomoto leaned forward, his eyes burning with intensity. "But that level is not enough. I plan to heavily promote a single hero as the face of our Association for publicity purposes."
A thought circled in his mind that he didn't voice: If you personally stepped out, Chairman, we wouldn't need all this trouble, you'd be an instant superstar!
"Hmm, fair enough. I assume you already have a candidate in mind?"
"The Chairman is wise!" Oomoto flattered him again. "Among the A-Class heroes, there was a man known as the 'Mysterious Mask.' During a mission, his mask was accidentally damaged, revealing an unexpectedly handsome face. More surprisingly, he bears a slight resemblance to you, Chairman. Although he doesn't quite reach your level, he definitely has potential. I believe he will be a massive hit! He's already gaining a huge following online."
"Before coming to see you, I sought him out to gauge his interest. He expressed a willingness to contribute his meager strength to the Association and the Chairman. Therefore, I believe he is perfect as our promotional ambassador."
"Mm." Aomori hummed noncommittally, tapping his finger on the desk. Mr. Oomoto's heart began to thump nervously in sync with that rhythmic tapping.
After a moment, Aomori spoke: "Since ancient times, human brilliance has manifested in countless ways, and the Hero Association has always emphasized individuality. It is difficult for a single person to represent everyone in the Association. Therefore, I think we should create multiple spots."
"For instance, we can establish titles like [Integrity], [Diligence], [Humility], [Hope], [Courage], [Tolerance], and [Justice]. We shall call them the Seven Heavenly Virtues. We'll let the public vote to select the heroes who embody these qualities. Since the Association has been operating for a while now, you must have some moving stories on file. Release them all; show the public their best sides."
"The Chairman is truly wise!" Mr. Oomoto clapped his hands together, praising him with genuine sincerity.
What do heroes value most? Reputation!
The titles of the Seven Heavenly Virtues would be easier to attain than an S-Class rank, giving lower-ranked heroes a goal to strive for and greatly boosting their initiative. Externally, the Hero Association would become the benchmark for social morality. The positive impact would be far beyond what a mere celebrity could achieve. This could become an annual event, a regular project.
As expected of the Chairman!
With just a few words, Aomori had opened his eyes. Oomoto felt like bowing in worship. With this starting point, the rest of the arrangements didn't even need Aomori's input; Oomoto's inspiration was flowing like a spring. "I'll have people start on this immediately! We'll call it the Seven Heavenly Virtues Title Match! We'll start with a general hero primary vote, listing their deeds for the public to choose their favorites, followed by semi-finals and finals. We'll make it a grand event known by everyone!"
Aomori waved his hand. "Think about the details when you get back. Draft a proposal for me to see. If there are no issues, it's best to start execution next week."
"Yes!" With immense excitement, Mr. Oomoto left the office.
Not long after Oomoto left, Child Emperor showed up.
"Child Emperor, have you run into a problem?" Aomori was quite surprised to see him. Child Emperor usually stayed in his lab and rarely came upstairs.
"Not exactly." Child Emperor licked his lollipop as usual. "Have you heard of Dr. Bofoi?"
Metal Knight? Aomori raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of him. What about him?"
"He previously invited me to be his assistant, but I turned him down to join the Hero Association." Child Emperor paused and took another lick of his candy. "Now he's contacted me again. He says he's interested in being a hero and asked if he could join the Association."
Pulling strings, are we? Aomori nodded. "The Association welcomes all aspiring individuals. Tell him to find a time to come see me."
Dr. Bofoi, the king of playing it safe, would probably only send a robot, but Aomori didn't mind. Currently, he was only interested in the technology Metal Knight possessed. It would be great if he could buy some. However, the possibility was low; even if he could, he'd likely only get leftovers.
"Alright, I'll reply to him that way."
Child Emperor didn't leave but continued, "One more thing. That thing? We've finished it."
"That thing?" Aomori reacted quickly. A smile curled on his lips. "Your efficiency is impressive."
"Let's go take a look."
Following Child Emperor to his lab, Aomori saw a giant robot standing in the center, nearly 8 meters tall. If this floor hadn't been specially built by combining two levels, it wouldn't have fit such a massive machine, and transport or testing would have been a nightmare.
It looks like the R&D department needs a larger facility, Aomori thought as he looked at the robot, which bore a resemblance to a Zaku.
"Based on the data you provided, I made a few improvements and built it," Child Emperor said.
"Mm." Aomori could see it too. Compared to the models from his past life, this robot was much larger, likely because Child Emperor had packed it with extra equipment. In his previous life, to deal with agile one-eyed exotic beasts, the robots were built for maximum mobility, so they weren't made this huge.
"Computer simulations show a 97% success rate with no self-destruction or malfunctions. The next step is a live demonstration. Do you want to try it yourself?" Child Emperor asked.
"Of course." Aomori was already itching to go.
"Here, this is the operation manual." Child Emperor handed him a thick book.
Aomori flipped through it briefly and was already confident. "Ready. Let's begin."
"Alright, get inside."
Following instructions, he entered the pilot cockpit through the robot's chest. After closing the hatch, he expertly pressed various buttons. Under his operation, various parts of the robot lit up, accompanied by notification pings.
"Power on successful. All systems normal."
"Initiating transfer. Opening passage."
The robot rotated, turning from the wall to face the opening. The wall slowly slid open, revealing the blue sky and white clouds outside.
"Activating turbo jets. Preparing for departure. Have a pleasant trip!"
BOOM!
Aomori pulled the power throttle without flinching. The turbo jets on the robot's back spewed blue flames, and the resulting thrust launched it out of the Hero Association Headquarters into the open air. In an instant, it vanished into the clouds.
"Aomori, how does it feel?" Child Emperor's image appeared on Aomori's right.
Feeling the vibration of the machine, Aomori said, "A bit bumpy during acceleration, but other than that, everything is fine."
Just as he spoke, he heard a loud explosion. The robot in the air immediately began spinning wildly like a headless fly.
Child Emperor heard it too. He licked his lollipop. "Looks like a thruster blew. We'll need to swap out the materials. This shouldn't be much of a problem for you, right?"
"I won't die, at least." Aomori cut the thrusters and used his psychokinesis to take control. Everything returned to normal.
"Then before it's completely scrapped, try out the other functions."
"Alright."
Afterward, Aomori tested the onboard weapon systems and the joint movements. He didn't return to the Headquarters until the energy was depleted.
"So? Any suggestions for improvement?" Child Emperor asked.
"First, the joints aren't flexible enough. I want it to be able to dance. Also, I feel like piloting from inside the hatch isn't safe enough. We could try switching to remote control; that would save a lot of space too," Aomori said bluntly.
Child Emperor rolled his eyes. "I remember a certain someone insisted it had to be built this way at the start."
"My thinking was too rigid back then. Now I think remote control can maximize its value," Aomori said with a straight face.
"Fine, you're the boss."
Leaving the lab, Aomori returned to his office, only to run into Tatsumaki coming in through the window. She was dragging a dejected Fubuki along with her.
What's the situation? Did Fubuki get cocky and try to show off to Tatsumaki?
Seeing the uninvited, furious Tatsumaki, Aomori decided to strike first. "Tatsumaki, Fubuki, you're just in time. I was just about to look for you."
"Uh." Hearing this, Tatsumaki, who was about to lash out, swallowed her words. "What do you want us for?" she asked suspiciously.
"It's like this." Aomori's mind raced, and he quickly found an excuse. "Oomoto just came to see me. He wants to promote you two sisters as the promotional icons of our Association. He wanted me to ask for your thoughts."
"Hmph, boring." Tatsumaki crossed her arms and refused without a second thought. Fubuki, however, looked up pitifully, her expression suggesting she was interested.
"Yeah, I thought so too," Aomori nodded in agreement. "Wasting effort on such useless things is just a waste of time. Your focus should be on how to kill monsters and save the people."
"So, I gave him a stern lecture. Alright, that's all. You two can go back and continue working on today's missions."
"Oh." Tatsumaki flew out the window with Fubuki. She paused for a moment before it finally clicked.
"Wait a minute! I came here for something else!"
Having been interrupted by Aomori, Tatsumaki's momentum wasn't as terrifying as before.
"Hmm? Is there something?" Aomori asked calmly.
"I'm asking you, did you agree to let Fubuki join the Association as a hero?" Tatsumaki flew directly above Aomori, a head higher than him, her anger flaring.
"Yes. Fubuki possesses the qualities of a hero. I see no reason to refuse."
"No! I don't agree!"
"Why? Fubuki said she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her outstanding sister because she admires her. Right, Fubuki?" Aomori shot her a look.
"Ugh, yes," Fubuki said, bracing herself.
"See? Do you have the heart to refuse such a sister? Why not let her be a hero?"
"I don't care about being 'admired' or whatever." Tatsumaki's cheeks flushed slightly. She shouted, "Shut up! I said no, and I mean no! Fubuki is too weak; she isn't qualified to be a hero at all!"
"Onee-chan..." Fubuki bit her lip, saying unwillingly, "I'm a B-Class hero! I'm stronger than a lot of other heroes!"
"B-Class?" Tatsumaki sneered. "What can B-Class do? Help old ladies cross the street? Those weaklings are just there to make up the numbers. You'd be better off finding another job; you'd contribute more to society that way."
"..." In front of Tatsumaki, Fubuki couldn't find a retort to such an interrogation.
"No, Tatsumaki. They play a much larger role than you think," Aomori countered. "To date, B-Class heroes have hunted 3 Demon-level monsters, 58 Tiger-levels, and 114 Wolf-levels, accounting for 34% of the total. They are the backbone of the Hero Association, not 'numbers' like you claim."
Being slapped with data by Aomori, Tatsumaki looked a bit embarrassed. She lifted her head and said, "I don't care! I'm the older sister, I have the right to stop her from being a hero!"
"Sorry, Fubuki is an adult. You don't have that right," Aomori argued firmly. "On the contrary, I am the Chairman of the Hero Association, and I have the right to let Fubuki be a hero."
"Sensei..." Fubuki was moved.
"Oh? Trying to pull rank as Chairman on me? Do you remember who saved your life?"
"One thing at a time. I will repay you for saving my life later. But if you try to use that to threaten me, I will have to question your character as a hero."
"So, you're determined to stand against me to the end, then?" Tatsumaki narrowed her eyes, staring at Aomori.
"From where I stand, you're the one being unreasonable. I'm simply stating facts and logic." Aomori met her gaze without fear.
"Fine. I heard you're Fubuki's 'Sensei,' right? Let me see what kind of backbone you have to be teaching my sister." A powerful aura began to gather around Tatsumaki. Her hair floated upwards, moving without wind. She looked ready to fight Aomori then and there.
Aomori licked his lips and said with a smile, "I've also been wanting to see the true depth of your power, Tatsumaki."
"Let's find a place and have a spar."
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