Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

I went to find Kim Jae-ho with the completed daggers. Kim Jae-ho, who received the weapons from me, was delighted like a child who got a new toy.

I thought handling multiple daggers would be difficult, but he handled the daggers freely without awkwardness, like someone who picked up a dagger set at their first birthday.

He could even juggle them.

“Don’t swing them around recklessly since they’re sharp.”

“Okay.”

I clicked my tongue internally looking at Kim Jae-ho who seemed to barely hear my advice. As I turned my head, I met eyes with Cha Song-jin beside me.

Cha Song-jin who met my eyes slightly lowered his gaze and headed to the corner. I didn’t mean to give him a look… He’s certainly too dispirited since I drew the line.

Moreover, it was embarrassing how our eyes met every time I gave gifts to the other kids. Still, should I give him something proper as the one using him?

—After drawing the line, is that what you think? Didn’t you say you should completely ignore him so he’d be comfortable too?

‘That’s true, but it bothers me since he keeps wandering around in front of me like that.’

—That’s your problem. You’re uselessly sentimental.

‘Sentimental? Where else is there someone who separates public and private matters as well as me?’

If anything, I’m closer to a cold-blooded person without blood or tears, right?

At my words, Ray snorted as if finding it ridiculous.

—Huh! Ha! Huh!

‘What’s with that reaction?’

—If that’s what you think, I guess so. Yeah!

Putting aside Ray’s strangely unpleasant reaction, I turned my gaze to Kim Jae-ho.

“How is it?”

“Good.”

“The dagger will move if you put magic power in. Train only where there are no people since it’s dangerous.”

“Okay.”

Kim Jae-ho nodded.

“You need to be careful because you could get hurt.”

Since I almost got holes in my body too, it’s certainly dangerous. At my warning, Kim Jae-ho nodded with a quite serious face. Still, Jae-ho is so nice. He listens well too.

I’m really bad for having to say such things to this nice kid when I can’t even give him rewards.

I swallowed hard and said to Kim Jae-ho:

“I know it’s petty to take back what I gave, but can you give me back the ring I gave you before?”

At my words, Kim Jae-ho’s eyes narrowed.

I quickly added an excuse:

“The new sword I gave you is very jealous. It’ll make other artifacts useless.”

Moreover, the Vampire King’s Ring didn’t suit Kim Jae-ho who was good at infiltration and stealth. It would be good to have, but no matter what anyone says, that’s an item suited for the vanguard.

What’s wrong with taking back something he can’t even use because of the dagger? I cleared my throat.

“…”

Kim Jae-ho silently glared at me. The longer the silence continued, the more the temperature of my face gradually rose.

Kim Jae-ho took off the ring on his hand and handed it over with a very displeased face.

Ah, right.

“Um, the dagger you used before too…”

My dagger disappeared, so it can’t be helped. At my words, Kim Jae-ho’s lips protruded. Kim Jae-ho who pulled out the dagger strapped at his waist and handed it to me grumbled:

“Don’t give and take back next time.”

The words had a sting.

Tsk, the boss’s dignity has fallen to the ground.

—I’m not sure if you had any dignity left until now.

I silently recalled my past. Certainly, there couldn’t be anything left that could be called a boss’s dignity.

‘Ah, it will be different from now on.’

I hurriedly shook my head internally and just took the ring.

—By the way, why that ring… No, wait. Don’t tell me you?

You’re uselessly perceptive.

—No, you’re not really going to give it to that guy?

‘Even if we’ve become enemies, isn’t it a bit much for us to keep it when there’s someone who can use it best in the world?’

Originally I felt bad about giving it since it was an item stolen by Weltschmerz, but now everything’s been exposed anyway.

No matter what anyone says, this item suits Jeong Ho-san best. It’s true that I said I’d cut ties with him. From now on, I won’t get involved in Jeong Ho-san’s affairs. But I couldn’t completely let go of worrying about that guy.

Having an item like this would make me feel a bit more at ease.

I immediately went to find Han Seo-hyeon with the ring I received from Kim Jae-ho.

At my request to deliver this ring to Jeong Ho-san, Han Seo-hyeon looked at me with a very displeased face.

“It’s a farewell gift.”

“You really won’t meet that person anymore?”

“Yeah, I’ll live completely cutting off any concern.”

“Really?”

Why does he distrust people so much?

—Well, it’s not like you’ve only been obsessed with Jeong Ho-san’s affairs for a day or two.

“…I won’t meet him again.”

“Even if that person is in mortal danger?”

I wanted to say no, but Han Seo-hyeon spoke first.

“Should I remove all surveillance?”

“…Leave just a little, very little. Just enough to know if he’s really in danger.”

“I knew it.”

At Han Seo-hyeon’s words, I raised my voice.

“But I don’t intend to recklessly go find that guy or contact him like before.”

I understood Han Seo-hyeon’s anxiety. How pathetic must I have looked, the boss forgetting his purpose and just going on about his friend?

“I won’t forget what’s important anymore. What’s important to us.”

Han Seo-hyeon’s voice became chilly.

“…Getting revenge on that damn Assemblyman Seol Rok-jin.”

I nodded at those words.

“Right.”

I intended not to forget what’s important until all that is over.

* * *

Jeong Ho-san made a complicated expression looking at the delivered ring.

Though it looked ordinary on the outside, according to the letter, this red ring was the Vampire King’s Ring that Weltschmerz diverted from the auction a few months ago.

It was surprising that they kept this without selling it until now, but handing it over to him was beyond surprising.

‘It must be worth quite a bit…’

Surely he didn’t steal it from Weltschmerz’s warehouse and give it to me.

As if reading Jeong Ho-san’s thoughts, the letter Kang Yi-sin sent with the ring said ‘I’m sending this with permission so don’t worry unnecessarily’.

Kang Yi-sin repeatedly emphasized in the letter.

That this is really the last time. That he’ll never contact me like this again.

That this is a kind of ‘farewell gift’ for taking good care of him and being his friend until now.

“It’s too much for a farewell gift.”

Jeong Ho-san smiled bitterly while fiddling with the ring.

Did he really get permission from Weltschmerz’s leader? If so, what kind of treatment do you receive in Weltschmerz? Do you really think of that place as home?

Jeong Ho-san still had many things he wanted to ask Kang Yi-sin.

Do you really think of Weltschmerz as home?

He remembered the leader’s stiffly hardened face. That leader who created an ice wall separating them.

Do Chae-hee said he was Weltschmerz’s leader. But it was clearly Kang Yi-sin who ordered the retreat at the scene.

‘Does the boss trust Yi-sin that much?’

The Kang Yi-sin Jeong Ho-san knew was certainly an outstanding guy, but not a strong ‘hunter’. If Weltschmerz’s leader trusts Kang Yi-sin, it must be because he saw his other abilities.

Despite working harder than anyone at the academy, Kang Yi-sin ultimately couldn’t become a ‘hunter’.

People’s gazes towards Kang Yi-sin were as harsh as that disgraceful title, Babel’s Shame. Though Kang Yi-sin pretended to be fine throughout his time at the academy, he finally broke down when no nominations came to him even at graduation.

Having watched Kang Yi-sin more closely than anyone, Jeong Ho-san knew Kang Yi-sin’s despair better than anyone.

Jeong Ho-san couldn’t fill that despair of Kang Yi-sin’s with any words.

It was ironic. Kang Yi-sin who received no one’s acknowledgment at Babel Academy was quite acknowledged in the villain Weltschmerz.

You’re acknowledged only after becoming a villain, not a hunter.

At the same time, it was bitter. Is that why you chose them?

Jeong Ho-san took out his mobile phone and checked the last text message Kang Yi-sin sent.

「I won’t worry about you anymore.

I won’t come to see you again either.

I decided to be devoted to this work while I’m in Weltschmerz.

So forget me. Your friend Kang Yi-sin doesn’t exist.」

“You shouldn’t send such a text and then send such an amazing artifact, you idiot.”

But don’t die no matter what happens.

Jeong Ho-san clenched his fist as Kang Yi-sin’s worry like that was conveyed.

If only he could tell him, he wanted to say he felt the same.

No matter what you do, no matter who you associate with.

Just don’t die.

Then we’ll be able to meet again someday when all this is over.

Putting the red ring on his left pinky finger, Jeong Ho-san resolved once again.

For that future, he had to move busily today too.

Though he changed the plan a bit after learning Kang Yi-sin had entered Weltschmerz, Do Chae-hee and Jeong Ho-san’s goal was still to find illegal Gates.

Do Chae-hee said to Jeong Ho-san with an anxious face:

“Maybe we won’t find anything at this rate.”

There weren’t many days left until Do Chae-hee’s suspension ended.

“We can continue investigating even after you return to the Awakener Crimes Department, right?”

“But once I enter the Awakener Crimes Department, I’ll have to be much more careful with my actions than now. We’ll have to refrain from moving together like this too.”

“Hmm, certainly. It would be nice to have some results before that…”

Fortunately, they were able to get results before that day came.

Confirming the purple Gate that appeared before their eyes, Do Chae-hee smiled brightly.

A Gate that appeared in a space that was said to have been processed for extinction 3 months ago.

“We finally found one.”

Jeong Ho-san’s eyes flashed.

* * *

I called everyone to the living room and explained the future plans.

“For now, Seol Rok-jin will be busy too. He has to rescue the villains of the Top again, and fill Assemblyman Kim Seong-deuk’s vacant seat…”

In many ways, Seol Rok-jin’s side will have a lot to do too. It would be an answer to shake up Seol Rok-jin’s side by taking advantage of this gap, but Xie Haozhu in the country was a problem.

If we commit acts in the name of Weltschmerz, we don’t know what that bulldozer will do.

The leash of Nam Ju-hyeon is so weak it’s embarrassing to even call it a leash. Yeah, that’s right. She’ll tear it off at once and escape. I didn’t want to see that sight.

So the conclusion is one.

“I’m thinking of being active overseas for the time being.”

After spending time quietly for a while, wouldn’t it be good to cause a fairly plausible accident overseas?

When everyone thinks we’re overseas, we’ll secretly return to Korea and face Seol Rok-jin again!

Now that I said it out loud, it seemed like a pretty good plan.

“If there are good Gates, we’ll try conquering them too.”

The damn Gate allocation system in Korea makes it impossible to enter Gates anyway.

“And we’ll find a place to entrust you too while we’re at it.”

At my words, Cha Song-jin’s shoulders trembled finely.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to sell you to some strange place.”

Since his talent is so easy to exploit, we really can’t entrust Cha Song-jin just anywhere.

“So the problem is where we’ll go…”

There’s more than one or two places overseas that need hunters’ help. Honestly, from my standpoint, anywhere is similar.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?”

At my question, Kim Jae-ho’s eyes sparkled.

“I want to go here.”

What Kim Jae-ho showed me was the dragon palace drawn in a fairy tale.

“Uh, that won’t work.”

The next place he brought out was Atlantis drawn in a bookmark. I thought he was completely into underwater worlds since I bought him a dolphin doll last time. Why are all the places he brings out in the sea!

“Tell me places that exist in reality.”

“…Boring.”

What are you calling boring! You’re the one who asked to take you to places that don’t even exist in reality!

Unfortunately, Kim Jae-ho’s opinion was rejected due to my lack of ability.

“Then where does Boss want to go?”

“For now, America?”

America was one of the places with the best mercenary system.

The land is so vast that it’s impossible to defend with only domestic hunters, but they have a lot of money. So the mercenary system has to develop.

At my words, Han Seo-hyeon scrunched his face.

“America is where that guy is, right?”

That guy? Don’t tell me…

“Nah, he’s someone we won’t run into.”

Meeting Taika Cooper in Australia then was close to a miracle.

“Really, if we meet that guy, I’ll put my intestines on my hand…”

—Stop! Stop it!

I closed my mouth at Ray’s urgent words to stop. I also felt chills down my spine from an ominous premonition.

“I was going to say I’d bet on it, but that’s a bit much, right? The earth is round originally. We can meet anyone.”

“…Really.”

Han Seo-hyeon laughed as if finding it ridiculous, and our destination became America.