As the two of them stepped out of the Hero Association headquarters, they spotted Mountain Ape and Eyelashes, both sharp in their suits, waiting right by the entrance.

"Fubuki-sama! Little Alice!"

The burly man and his leaner companion immediately jogged over to greet them.

Mountain Ape held the rank of B-Class, Rank 3. He possessed a massive, towering physique and a strength that verged on the beastly. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Eyelashes, on the other hand, was B-Class, Rank 2. His most defining feature was his lower eyelashes, which were noticeably longer than the average person’s, and he fought using an eyelash curler.

Though they shared the same B-Class rank, there was a vast gulf in strength between the two of them and Fubuki. After all, Fubuki’s true power far exceeded her current standing.

"The business with the Association is all wrapped up. Alice is officially a registered hero now," Fubuki said, letting out a soft sigh.

"Oh wow! That means our Blizzard Group just got a whole lot stronger! I had no idea little Alice was that incredible! To think she could take down a Tiger-level Mysterious Being in a single blow!" Mountain Ape shouted, his voice booming with excitement.

His loyalty to the Blizzard Group—or more accurately, to Fubuki herself—was absolute. He had joined the faction out of pure adoration and reverence for her undeniable charisma.

Of course, that didn’t mean he lacked a sense of belonging within the group. He had been around for so long that seeing the Blizzard Group grow more powerful brought genuine joy to his heart.

Eyelashes, however, didn’t share his companion’s unbridled enthusiasm. While a powerful new addition to their ranks was undoubtedly a good thing, Fubuki didn’t exactly look thrilled.

"The Blizzard Group, huh... Alice, what do you think?"

Fubuki looked down at the young girl standing beside her.

"Huh!? Is little Alice not one of us already!?" Mountain Ape looked utterly bewildered.

"Fubuki-sama never actually said she joined..." Eyelashes muttered, exasperated. "When Fubuki-sama first brought her along, she mentioned that she would only ’be staying here temporarily.’"

"It is a guild invitation! Alice wants to join Fubuki’s faction! Together with my companions, we shall make this the strongest guild ever!"

Without a single moment of hesitation, the black-haired girl, whose locks were long enough to brush against the floor, instantly voiced her agreement.

Her smile was completely devoid of hidden motives or reluctance, and her bright, eager posture caught Fubuki off guard.

Just like that, she’s joining?

"Are you really sure you want to join? You are an A-Class hero..." Fubuki hesitated for a brief moment. Despite her conflicting emotions, she maintained her cool exterior. "Even if you don’t join, I promised that person I would look after you. You can still stay with the Blizzard Group."

"Rank does not matter! Alice wants to be with Fubuki and turn the Blizzard Group into the greatest guild of all!"

Alice placed a hand over her heart. Though she was a robot, her eyes seemed to burn with a passionate, fighting spirit.

"Do you even know what A-Class... No, never mind, that was a foolish thing for me to say."

Fubuki had intended to warn her that moving around with a crowd of B-Class heroes while holding an A-Class rank would likely drag her down. It would invite harsh public scrutiny, and the disparity in handling threats would be glaring.

But the moment she recalled that incredibly mysterious Herta, the words died in her throat.

No... it wasn’t just Herta.

Looking into Alice’s earnest eyes, Fubuki found herself completely incapable of uttering a rejection. Besides, she realized she had just been throwing a silent tantrum of her own.

"Welcome to the Blizzard Group, Alice. From this day forward, we are companions."

Steeling her resolve, Fubuki let a graceful, confident smile return to her face.

Seeing her snap out of her funk, Mountain Ape and Eyelashes beamed as well, stepping forward to offer their own welcomes to Alice.

"A-Class!? Little Alice is A-Class!? Well, I guess that makes sense since she obliterated that Tiger-level monster in one shot! The Blizzard Group is seriously going to rocket to the top now, isn’t it!?"

"In any case, welcome, little Alice." Eyelashes wasn’t quite as loud as Mountain Ape, but a wave of relief washed over him. In the past, whenever they encountered a troublesome monster, Fubuki always had to handle it entirely on her own.

Now, Fubuki-sama wouldn’t have to fight a solitary battle anymore.

"Ta-da! Alice has joined the guild! The bonds formed when everyone unites are the vital strength a hero needs to defeat the Demon King!"

Alice cheered happily once more.

Her innocent, carefree display brought a knowing smile to the faces of the other three as they exchanged glances.

She really is just a child at heart.

Even if she happens to be a robot...

With the matters at the headquarters concluded, it was time for the Blizzard Group to return to their regular operations.

The four of them headed to the train station together, catching a ride back to their base of operations located in L-City.

"Fubuki-sama! We are deeply sorry!"

The moment they stepped through the door of their rented office space, the four of them were greeted by a crowd of men and women in suits, all bowing deeply in unison.

"What’s all this about?" Fubuki asked, taken aback by the sudden display.

"We are so sorry, Fubuki-sama!"

A young girl with a lily flower tucked into her high ponytail, accented by blue streaks framing her face and tips, looked up at Fubuki with tears streaming down her face. "Even though you ordered us to gather five million by this week, we only managed to scrape together three and a half million!"

"Ah... that matter." A look of mild resignation drifted across Fubuki’s face. "To gather three and a half million, you all must have worked an incredible number of part-time jobs. You’ve already done wonderfully."

"But... but it’s still not five million!!" Lily cried out, her face a picture of misery.

It wasn’t just her; the other members of the Blizzard Group felt equally wretched, believing that failing this task meant they had betrayed Fubuki’s trust.

Seeing them wallow in self-reproach, Fubuki offered a comforting word. "Alright, that’s enough. I am a member of the Blizzard Group too. That wasn’t a strict mandate; it was just a target. I had actually earned over two million myself, but it was spent due to some unforeseen circumstances... If we are pointing fingers, it was my own failure that caused us to miss the mark."

"How could that be!?" [shouted the crowd in unison]

Her explanation instantly turned the members’ sadness into a wave of heated protests.

No matter whose fault it could possibly be, it could never be the fault of Boss Fubuki!

Standing to the side, Mountain Ape and Eyelashes knew exactly what had happened. It all boiled down to compensation.

The destruction Alice had caused forced Fubuki to sink all two million of her earnings into damages, and that money had essentially vanished down the drain.

The issue could only be resolved by relying on the Hero Association’s background and financial clout. Unfortunately, because the entire incident had been caught on camera, Fubuki couldn’t shift the responsibility onto the Blizzard Group.

In the end, she had been forced to contact someone she absolutely never wanted to speak to.

With those thoughts in mind, the two men looked at Fubuki with a gaze that grew even more fiercely loyal and filled with admiration.

"Putting that aside, I have an announcement to make to everyone." Having calmed her riled-up subordinates, Fubuki gently pushed Alice forward in front of the crowd.

"Little Alice?"

The crowd tilted their heads in confusion, looking at the girl who had been staying with them for the past month.

"Starting today, Alice, Rank 34 of the A-Class, is an official member of our Blizzard Group."

"Huh!? A-Class!? Little Alice!?"

"No, no, no... Just looking at that massive thing she carries around normally, you should have known she wasn’t an ordinary girl, right?"

"Ordinary or not, that’s A-Class we’re talking about!"

"Fantastic! With an A-Class like little Alice joining us, our Blizzard Group is going to be unstoppable!"

Without a single shred of resistance or exclusion, everyone present welcomed Alice’s induction with open arms.

After all, how could anyone possibly reject someone so immensely powerful, yet so incredibly adorable in both looks and personality?

--+--

T/N: If you want advance Chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL