Being a Villain is My True Calling

Although there was some resistance, I ultimately ended up accepting this mission.

“Even if I’m assigned the mission, there’s really nothing to do at the moment.”

“…Understood.”

What choice did I have when Astra, who oversees Eclipse, gave the order?

‘Even though we’re executives of the same rank, as a first-year member, there’s no way I could defy her instructions.’

I bowed my head respectfully towards Astra.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll take my leave for now.”

“Ah, actually there was one more thing I wanted to request.”

“Then please, feel free to speak your mind.”

That’s right, no need to overthink this.
As Astra mentioned, if I simply uncover the hidden culprits, carrying out the assault would only take a day.

There might even be a way to delay Alpha’s public reveal.

‘Still, it might be better to give Narin a heads-up, just in case.’

Pondering this briefly, Astra cleared her throat with a sip of coffee before continuing.

“It’s not a major request. If the schedule permits, you’ll be undertaking this mission alongside the Instructor, so I wanted you to pass a message to her on your way.”

“The Instructor?”

If she’s skilled enough to be called the Instructor, then carrying out an assault should be a simple success.
By utilizing her abilities, I could potentially match an A-rank villain’s strength alone.

‘It’s been a while since we’ve teamed up.’

If memory serves, the last time we collaborated was during that parliamentarian’s party where we raided the auction for the Vestige of Mystery ‘Branch of the World Tree’.

Working alongside her on a mission felt refreshingly nostalgic.

‘Her quintessential loser personality is a minor issue, but I suppose I’ll have to handle that myself.’

Still, once the actual mission begins, she does tend to seamlessly transform into a poised professional.
Seeing Astra’s bright, expectant eyes urging me to take her along, I gave a nodding approval.

“Understood. By any chance, do you know where the Instructor is currently?”

“Around this time, she’s probably in her room looking after Irene.”

Unlike her loser-ish behavior, Ahn Ye-ri was quite friendly with the subordinates I had brought along.

Of course, they’re all just kids and minors, and she herself frequently came running to me whining and complaining, so calling them ‘friends’ does seem a bit inappropriate…

‘Come to think of it, her role is more akin to a nanny being bossed around, isn’t it?’

Regardless, now that I knew Ahn Ye-ri’s location, that was sufficient.

“Understood. Then I’ll head to my quarters to rest for now.”

“Sure~ Looking at your attire, it seems you came straight from the field without changing.”

Following her remark, I glanced down at my clothes once more.

A casual furry jacket and jogger sweatpants better suited for Akaoni’s character than Maker’s.
With ashes clinging all over, I probably should change out of these soiled garments.

“Now that I look, my clothes are quite dirty. My apologies for the unsightliness.”

“It’s fine by me. I just thought you shouldn’t stay like that, it could be bad for your health.”

“I appreciate your consideration.”

After briefly bowing my head, I turned and made my way out the door.

‘First, I should bathe and meet with the Instructor.’

Contemplating my next schedule, I strode down the corridor.

The heavy atmosphere in the Korean Heroes Association Chairman’s office.

“…So, what did you say?”

-That, that is…

The Chairman lit a cigarette and exhaled to relieve his throbbing headache.

Chiik- Took…

“Haah…I asked what you said. I’m fine, so just tell me without hesitation.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand English. He simply wanted to confirm once more.
With the Chairman’s sigh, thick smoke escaped from his mouth.

The smoke gradually filled the room.
The interpreter, watching this scene through the video call, hesitated briefly before stammering out the words he had just heard.

-At Tartarus…there has been an escapee. The escapee is the one you’re thinking of, from the 7th floor.

“Haah…”

The Chairman was irritated.
He had asked again, unable to believe what he had just heard.

But in the end, he had heard correctly.

“…Shall I repeat what was said?”

“No, it’s fine. This is classified information from here on, so you may leave. [You over there should also leave, as we’ll only be speaking privately from now on.]”

At the Chairman’s words, the secretary bowed and exited the room.
The interpreter on the other side of the screen also seemed to converse with the person there, before bidding farewell and disappearing from view.

“……”

Seuup. Hwooo…

A brief silence.
Only the faint sounds of the Korean Chairman’s cigarette could be heard for a moment.

Kkwung!!

“[Just what have you been doing over there, Russian Chairman?!]”

The Korean Chairman slammed his desk as he shouted at the Russian branch Chairman on the video call.

“[It’s Alpha, of all people!! A guy with monstrous capabilities, who knows what he’ll do once he’s free!!]”

-[Do you think anyone is free from stress here?]

“[What?!]”

-[Technically speaking, this incident is not my fault, but that of Tartarus’ current warden.]

“[And you’re telling me this now…!]”

The Korean Chairman pinched the bridge of his nose as his blood pressure spiked.

Alpha.
His formidable power is still vividly etched in memory, even past the age of sixty.

A man who could be defined in a single word: monster.
Countless villains were apprehended by his hand, making the small nation of South Korea gain global recognition.

‘And now, infuriatingly, he harbors immense resentment towards us.’

After letting such a man slip through their grasp, the only thing the Russian Chairman could say was that pathetic excuse!
Rage boiled within the Chairman.

-[Now is not the time to point fingers. We need to think of countermeasures.]

“[Haah…Fine, let’s set that aside for now. What was your purpose in contacting me?]”

-[First, in preparation for any potential incidents, I’m in the process of informing the Chairmen of various nations about this development.]

The Korean Chairman, with the mindset of at least hearing him out, puffed on another cigarette as he looked at the Russian Chairman.

-[And I’m requesting each country to secretly assemble an investigative team to search for him.]

“[So you’re asking us to form a team to find Alpha as well?]”

-[Shamelessly, yes.]

The Korean Chairman lit his cigarette, eyeing the stiffly seated Russian Chairman.

At this sight, the Russian Chairman’s eyes began to flutter anxiously, but he quickly regained his composure and flashed a formal smile.

-[And personally, I do have some expectations from South Korea.]

“[Expectations from Korea?]”

“[Alpha was a Korean hero, after all. Having spent so many years in prison, wouldn’t his homeland be more appealing than some unfamiliar foreign land?]”

At those words, the Korean Chairman let out a derisive laugh.

“[I didn’t know the Russian Chairman could be so romantic? A fugitive returning to his homeland solely for old memories?]”

Hwooo…
Once again, smoke filled the room.
The Korean Chairman inwardly mocked the Russian Chairman, who seemed unaware of Alpha’s true nature.

“[That guy would never come here for such a trivial reason. He’s a vicious one…]”

-[Puhahaha!! What an amusing statement.]

Just as the Korean Chairman was about to fully explain Alpha’s disposition, the Russian Chairman abruptly cut him off with laughter.

“[…? What’s that about?]”

-[It seems the Korean Chairman has misunderstood my words.]

Suppressing his chuckles, the Russian Chairman added a clarification to avoid any further misunderstanding.

-[Wouldn’t his homeland be more appealing for revenge?]

“……”

Revenge.
At that word, the Korean Chairman’s body trembled slightly.

-[Wouldn’t it be easier to exact vengeance when those he despises are gathered there?]

“[…It’s not like we were the only ones at fault.]”

-[But it is his homeland, is it not? The sense of betrayal would be far greater there than anywhere else he had trusted.]

The Russian Chairman, now taking the lead, gloated as he mocked the Korean Chairman.

-[So instead of treating it as someone else’s problem, I’m asking you to investigate with utmost diligence. Both you and I have incurred Alpha’s resentment, after all.]

“[Kkeung…Understood.]”

With his very life potentially at stake, he could hardly afford to be careless.
The Korean Chairman resolved to step up surveillance efforts moving forward.

Additionally, enhancing his personal security detail and reinforcing the safeguards at his residence would be advisable as well.

-[And this matter should progress with utmost discretion, unknown to the citizens as much as possible. The Tartarus incident is also being suitably reframed as we speak.]

There was no need to unnecessarily alarm the citizens, and given Alpha’s former hero status, any public support or advocacy on his behalf could escalate into a major issue.

Considering these factors, swiftly apprehending him while avoiding civilian detection seemed the most prudent approach to mitigate potential variables.

-[I’ve already issued a gag order at Tartarus. Rumors tend to spread unexpectedly fast, so please refrain from divulging information to anyone beyond trusted individuals and those assigned to the investigation.]

“[…Understood.]”

-[We’ll discuss the finer details during a subsequent meeting.]

Beep.
With those words, the video call with the Russian Chairman came to an end.

“…Hah!”

Afterward, the Korean Chairman dispelled his forced smile, contorting his face in frustration.
Overwhelmed with vexation, he flung every object on his desk across the room.

Wudangtangtang!!

“They’re all such a vexing nuisance…!”

Not only that clown from Eclipse, but now the specter of the past as well.
Why did such a troublesome incident have to arise while he was serving as Chairman?!

“Aaaargh!!”

Kwang! Wudangtangtang! Kwajik!!
Driven mad by stress, the Chairman unleashed a raging tantrum within his office for quite some time.

“…I’ll need to replace the furniture again.”

And the secretary, overhearing the commotion, let out a small sigh before waiting patiently outside until the Chairman’s stress had fully dissipated.