Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

Han Seo-hyeon didn’t seem surprised to hear that Director Seol Rok-jin was behind everything.

“I see.”

He merely responded calmly.

“So that person was behind it all.”

Then he muttered that name repeatedly under his breath, as if determined never to forget it.

“How did you find me?”

“I was originally looking for you as well.”

While the term ‘you’ felt a bit rude, I let it slide. He had been searching for me even before this?

“Why?”

“I wanted to ask about ways to earn money.”

“Money?”

“To cure my brother.”

At those words, I was left speechless. He had intended to cure Han Jo-hee? Even I had thought Han Jo-hee was already beyond saving, essentially a dead man walking.

These two brothers must have cared tremendously for each other.

Looking at Han Seo-hyeon, I resolved:

“I plan to cut off Representative Seol Rok-jin and all the other rotten elements in this country. That way, victims like you won’t happen again.”

At my words, Han Seo-hyeon just blinked.

“Why that expression?”

“Your goal is just, too grand compared to my expectations.”

Well, from the current perspective, it did sound like an outrageous goal bordering on impossibility.

I told Han Seo-hyeon:

“Seol Rok-jin has too good of an image right now. Even if we reveal he’s the culprit, no one will believe us.”

“Since everyone currently believes you are the culprit.”

“Don’t call me ‘you.’ Call me hyung.”

At my words, Han Seo-hyeon firmly shut his mouth.

Ah, perhaps that term was inappropriate considering he had only recently lost his brother. I hurriedly searched for an alternative. Calling me ‘ajeossi’ based on the mental age gap felt awkward since our actual ages weren’t that far apart. And I wasn’t his master to call myself that. Hmm, was there a suitable term? (tl/n: the term 아저씨 (ajeossi) is used to refer to a male several years older than the speaker – something like ‘uncle’)

After pondering, I finally spoke.

“How about ‘Boss’?”

“Boss?”

“Well, aren’t we gathering under the same banner of ‘Overthrow Seol Rok-jin’? We’re on the same team. So as the leader of this team, it’s only natural for me to be the Boss…”

“What’s the name of this team? Please don’t tell me it’s that cringy ‘Overthrow Seol Rok-jin’ name.”

“Well…”

I didn’t have a great sense for naming things.

Since I hadn’t expected to gain a team member I could actually converse with, I hadn’t given any thought to a team name.

“I’ll let you know if I come up with something later.”

Rejected.

—Well, you haven’t exactly displayed a boss-like presence.

It’s all because I don’t have a proper base yet.

With a solemn expression, Han Seo-hyeon asked me.

“So what should I do first?”

I replied:

“Are you good at physical labor?”

* * *

Although initially appalled by my words, when I explained it was for constructing the base, Han Seo-hyeon clicked his tongue but still began physically assisting me.

—For a necromancer, he’s not summoning anything.

‘He did turn his own brother into a skeleton, didn’t he? He probably feels a bit uncomfortable summoning his brother.’

Having a deceased sibling serve him, even if the current skeletal form no longer retained Han Jo-hee’s consciousness, must have felt off.

I started dismantling the surrounding trees one by one with a hand axe.

Puk, puk. Swinging the axe with force, my body gradually became drenched in sweat. I had intended some physical training, but I hadn’t expected such intense labor.

Shwik, I lifted my shirt to wipe away the sweat. The abs visible underneath had become quite defined.

Well, it was only natural after such arduous work.

—Why are you gathering so much wood? It’s not even winter yet.

“This will be used for both furniture and firewood.”

While I had brought in the essential artifacts with Professor Geum’s help, there was no way to have furniture delivered as well.

So I had no choice but to make them here myself.

I also gathered dirt to make cement. The sand quality wasn’t great, but it would suffice for leveling the cave floor.

The wood was neatly stacked to one side to properly dry, whether for firewood or furniture construction.

Engrossed in the work, evening had arrived before I knew it. I called Han Seo-hyeon over to eat.

It was instant food again today. Ugh, I was getting sick of it. As I chewed on the bloated noodles like a cow ruminating on grass, it happened.

“How long are you going to just dig around here?”

“Until the base is completed?”

Moreover, I couldn’t just leave Kim Jae-ho in that state either. Fortunately, Kim Jae-ho was slowly lowering his guard towards me. Although he still disliked me, considering how he had previously charged at even my shadow, this was tremendous progress.

Hmm, it seemed I would have to remain here for a few months at least.

As I was thinking that, Han Seo-hyeon asked me:

“Are you really just going to build a house here?”

Having seen me wholeheartedly focused on constructing the base for days, Han Seo-hyeon seemed exasperated.

I wasn’t just holed up here solely to build a base.

“For now, staying here is the best option. You know I’m currently wanted for your brother’s murder, right?”

Despite my explanation, Han Seo-hyeon didn’t seem convinced at all. Was it because he was still young, his emotions so transparently visible?

“So you’re just going to do nothing about the situation?”

“What can I do by going out?”

“Well…”

He had no rebuttal. As frustrated as he felt, this child couldn’t think of any immediate actions.

“But I’m not wanted, so can’t I do something?”

“So what did you have in mind?”

“Anything.”

I scratched my cheek. While I could have dismissed his naivete, I could also understand where Han Seo-hyeon was coming from.

Well, leaving Han Seo-hyeon completely idle might not be ideal either.

“How about training your abilities instead?”

“Training?”

“Yes. To be honest, one reason I can’t send you out is because I don’t know the extent of your skills.”

I deliberately avoided mentioning his age. Kids tended to be sensitive about such things.

“How many undead can you summon?”

“…Right now, my limit is five mice or one ske…leton.”

“Is it due to a lack of mana?”

“I have enough mana, but it seems my mental energy isn’t sufficient beyond that point. My head feels like it’s going to split open.”

Hmm, stroking my chin, I asked.

“Do you have to control every single entity individually?”

“For smaller creatures, it’s fine with just simple willpower. But for skeletons, it feels like I’m controlling each one from start to finish. My mental energy is completely consumed by that.”

So while he could control smaller animals with basic intent, skeletons were impossible?

For a necromancer relying on overwhelming numbers, being limited to controlling so few entities at once was problematic. Small animals couldn’t serve as effective combat forces either.

“Then the only one you can currently utilize in battle… is your brother?”

“Yes.”

“What about other skeletons…”

“None.”

Damn, this. Through further questioning, it became clear that Han Seo-hyeon knew disturbingly little about his own ability.

It seemed to stem from the fact that using his talent required actual corpses. Come to think of it, he had mentioned trying to earn money for his first ‘practice material.’

I tightly shut my eyes. Ah, I see. I now knew what Han Seo-hyeon needed most.

Proper education.

“Hmm, it seems we’ll need to conduct various experiments to fully understand your ability. Is that okay?”

I carefully asked Han Seo-hyeon.

The skeleton he had currently summoned was incredibly precious, created from the remains of Han Jo-hee himself.

To accurately gauge Han Seo-hyeon’s capabilities, I intended to perform some experiments, including ‘extreme’ varieties.

It was an important matter, as making a mistake could desecrate the deceased, or the skeleton itself could be damaged during the experiments.

In response to my question, Han Seo-hyeon nodded and said.

“The first skeleton I contract is special. Unlike the others, it’s written that it won’t dissipate.”

“You have such an ability?”

“Yes.”

Han Seo-hyeon showed me the message window that had appeared before him.

-[Summon & Contract]-

Contract with the deceased to make them your summon.

The first summon you contract will grow alongside the awakener and will never dissipate. If damaged, it will regenerate over time. Inputting mana can shorten the recovery period.

While still an unfriendly explanation, it provided the necessary information.

So Han Seo-hyeon’s first skeletal summon would never dissipate no matter what happened. Even if damaged, it would regenerate given time and mana.

By the way, ‘contract’?

“If it’s a contract, does that mean you can’t turn just anything into an undead?”

Han Seo-hyeon nodded at my words.

“For mindless small animals it’s fine, but even for dog-sized creatures, some intent is required for the contract.”

So that’s why his first skeleton wasn’t a mere mouse, but the subject of his initial contract. As I understood, a new question surfaced.

“Then your brother…”

Had Han Jo-hee agreed to become Han Seo-hyeon’s skeletal servant?

At my gaze, Han Seo-hyeon’s face contorted painfully, his tightly clenched fists evoking pity. It seemed like a painful memory, so I hadn’t intended to ask directly, but seeing that expression, I couldn’t just pretend not to know either.

“What happened that day?”

Carefully, Han Seo-hyeon opened his mouth.

“As I mentioned, I was following you that day. Summoning mice and birds to gather information.”

When no one else could track me, Han Seo-hyeon said he had almost succeeded in finding me.

And just as he was obtaining information about me, preparing to search for me-

His phone had rung.

It was a call from the hospital.

By the time Han Seo-hyeon frantically rushed to the hospital after receiving that call, Han Jo-hee had already ended up like that.

“They said no one had noticed he was missing. It made no sense. My brother was receiving dialysis three times a day. But that’s what they said. No one had noticed. When I returned, he was like this.”

As if recalling that moment, Han Seo-hyeon clenched his fists tightly and continued.

“And they all said the same thing. That before dying, my brother had uttered your name. So you were the culprit.”

“But you didn’t believe it.”

“Because you never approached my brother.”

Having been tracking me, Han Seo-hyeon couldn’t have believed I was the culprit. But everyone else insisted I was. While a different culprit existed, no one even considered finding the real one.

“So I had to see my brother. Everyone tried to stop me. Saying I couldn’t handle it in that state. That the shock would be too great, that it was better not to see him. But if I had let it go, I would never have known the true culprit for the rest of my life. So I went to see my brother.”

Faced with Han Jo-hee’s remains, Han Seo-hyeon barely managed to keep his crumbling body upright. His brother’s condition was horrific. Not an inch of his body had been spared. He had already been a dying man, having burned through everything for Han Seo-hyeon’s sake, with nothing left but ashes.

Someone had trampled those ashes, again and again. Spitting and desecrating them.

So Han Seo-hyeon reached out towards his brother.

It was their final reunion.