Sela was a hero with blue hair and blue eyes.
People who didn't know her well sometimes wondered if she used ice abilities when they first saw her.
However, her ability wasn't ice or water, but fire.
As she became somewhat famous, she became a prime example demonstrating that appearance and abilities had absolutely no correlation.
She had repeatedly made it clear that not everyone with red features was a fire user, nor was everyone with blue features a water or ice user.
Of course, fellow Awakened Beings and heroes didn't need to be so cautious about this, but since they might someday fight together on the battlefield, the Academy's policy was to recommend this awareness at least once.
Observe your opponent's fighting style and confirm their abilities before engaging in battle.
If you neither reveal yourself nor understand your opponent, there couldn't be a more uncoordinated team.
In situations where people's lives needed immediate saving, if heroes appeared disorganized, it would undermine public trust and faith in heroes—a position that heroes themselves firmly maintained.
If people lost hope in their ability to survive within the Wall, that day might mark humanity's extinction.
"...Ah, it's too frequent. Too frequent..."
Sela looked at news articles on her tablet and grumbled.
Like doctors and firefighters, heroes shouldn't complain about being idle.
Even if they were called tax thieves, their dream was to maintain their positions until complete peace arrived, at which point they would happily become unemployed.
That would mean peace and a future for humanity.
People didn't suggest eliminating heroes just because the Wall hadn't collapsed.
Though heroes might appear to do nothing, only an ignorant minority would suggest such things. Most people were satisfied with heroes simply existing.
It would be nice to live that way, but the world seemed determined not to make life easy, repeatedly destroying the Wall.
After decades of quiet—whether the Strange Ones had lost interest or passed away—they suddenly attacked three times in succession, leaving both citizens and heroes bewildered.
As a hero who fought in every battle, Sela let out a sigh.
As she whined at her desk at Prika Agency, her boss Lignum clicked his tongue.
"Hey, hey. Don't say things like that in public."
"But President, don't you think it's happening too frequently? I even attended the funeral of a hero who died this time—someone I was close with."
"..."
Though he wanted to say "What can we do? This is something any hero might face someday," he couldn't bring himself to speak those words.
In his fifty years, he had rarely faced Strange Ones himself, so all he could think was that this was truly unfortunate.
Recalling the funeral, he squeezed his eyes shut.
The body had been so mangled that proper burial was impossible. Even cremation couldn't be done properly, so all they could do was carefully gather what seemed to be pieces of flesh and bury them in the earth.
Remembering this horrific scene, the hero Lignum sighed and looked around at the other employees.
They seemed to share his thoughts, watching him cautiously.
Confirming this, Lignum heaved another sigh.
"What's there to say? Stop bringing up the deceased and get back to work. Ah, Sela, stay for a chat."
"...Yes."
Sela slightly regretted speaking up, thinking she might get scolded.
Still, she couldn't ignore her superior's request, so she rose from her chair and followed Lignum into his office.
"Sit here."
After the door closed with a click, Lignum pulled up a chair opposite his desk and plopped down in his own seat.
Then he began clicking something on his computer.
Sela sat down as instructed but grew impatient as Lignum continued working without saying anything.
"...Um, may I ask why you called me..."
Worried that he might be upset about her mentioning the deceased hero, she spoke cautiously.
Lignum, seemingly not angry, kept his eyes fixed on the monitor as he spoke.
"Well, this information has already been shared in smaller agencies, so I'll tell you... What would you think if the reason for the Wall's destruction was related to a person?"
"What's that supposed to be? Are you suddenly giving me a human rights quiz?"
Sela laughed incredulously.
But when Lignum's expression didn't change, she grew nervous, placing her hand behind her neck before speaking.
"Well... if it's related to a person, I'd first try to understand their intentions, right? If they're working with Strange Ones, isn't execution the protocol?"
"Wouldn't human rights issues factor into that execution decision?"
"That's why in truly urgent situations, a person's rights can be forcibly adjusted, right?"
"That's right."
Lignum nodded, agreeing with Sela's statement.
But human rights were inherently a person's rights—not something anyone could take away or give. It was just an ugly justification that people, society, and nations imposed for the sake of the greater good.
The so-called protocol was actually nonsense.
Yet people followed it without questioning its existence because they believed it would bring safety.
Like removing something that stirs up mud in clear water to maintain clarity.
Lignum posed a question.
"Adjusting human rights is supposedly for the greater good. But what if that person had no intention of helping the Strange Ones? Could we still execute them? Could we still call that adjusting human rights?"
Sela furrowed her brow at this question.
She tilted her head, confused about how someone could help break the Wall without intending to help Strange Ones.
"Wait, isn't something off here?"
"What?"
"Isn't breaking the Wall itself evidence of siding with Strange Ones?"
"What if they're not breaking it, but helping make it breakable?"
"That's exactly the problem, isn't it?"
"Let's see..."
Lignum traced his finger along the monitor screen as he spoke.
"Inside this Wall, there's something called a Totem, and the Totem helps Strange Ones break the Wall. If this hypothesis is true?"
"So you're saying someone inside the Wall unconsciously created a Totem?"
"That's possible, or maybe not. It's all hypothetical. Nothing's certain."
Lignum shrugged.
"No, something is certain. Who the Strange One has targeted. Whether they're an accomplice or someone who got caught up in this, it's clear the Wall has collapsed three times because of this person. They've been involved three times."
He scrolled down the screen, examining each piece of evidence.
Then he turned the monitor so Sela could see it.
Sela leaned forward in surprise, pulling her chair closer to see the screen better.
The detailed content immediately caught her attention despite the small text.
+
First suspected contact with Strange One. Missing for approximately 5 days after the first Wall collapse.
-Subject claims the Strange One came because they "erased the Totem" and angered it. Also states they were abducted for noticeably discussing a new monster's weakness.
Second confirmed contact with Strange One. After the second Wall collapse, found at the Ramiris family residence, sole survivor during transport.
-Servants traveling with subject died in the accident, but subject survived alone. Subject's sudden visit to the area is highly suspicious. Ramiris family records attached.
Third contact with Strange One. Directly identified by Strange One inside the Academy, followed by voluntary report.
-Subject insisted they are not allied with Strange Ones, but previous two contacts result in extremely low credibility assessment. Even if true, subject may pose a threat to humanity.
+
Sela covered her mouth as she read this information, then looked at Lignum.
In a strained voice, she asked:
"...Is this about..."
"Ah, right. You were at the scene, weren't you?"
Sela had momentarily forgotten this fact, her mind preoccupied with her colleague's death.
But now she suddenly realized who this was about.
"Kanna, Kanna Aurora. A first-year student, and at such a young age."
The ivory-haired girl whom her promising protégé, Yoon Ha-min, had been protecting.
Since Lignum didn't know this detail, he sighed deeply and changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, why didn't that kid you praised so highly come for the field training?"
"...I guess he followed the girl he likes?"
"Is that so...? Things like that happen too, huh?"
Lignum said this as he turned the monitor back around.