Being a Villain is My True Calling

Inside Astra’s office.

“So, let me explain in detail…”

In conclusion, I was forced to accept this mission.

‘Oh? What’s this in my hand?’

‘…Isn’t it your contract?’

The contract I had signed before joining the organization as an executive.
A contract stating the various benefits of being an executive and the responsibilities I must uphold.

‘Then what’s this?’

Astra pointed her finger at one particular clause.

[Executives of the organization must carry out missions without refusal once a month.]

‘…So you’re assigning me this mission as the mandatory monthly one?’

‘Yes.’

And so, I had no choice but to accept the mission.
Well, if she had kept insisting, I would have been forced to do it even without the mandatory clause.

“It seems a villain organization has joined hands with a research facility.”

To summarize her explanation:
There was an ongoing experiment at a research facility where they were struggling to find human subjects to use as test samples. To resolve this, they colluded with a villain organization.

My mission would be to steal the results of that research and eliminate those with knowledge of it.

“What exactly are the research results I need to retrieve?”

“Precisely, you need to obtain the information about the research results.”

She used her ability.
With a flick of her finger, her documents hovered in midair.

‘Telekinesis.’

The only long-range ability among the executives in the original story, quite overpowered.

“The research facility has been conducting experiments to restore the human body to its original state.”

Even if limbs were severed, the entire body was burned, the physique was distorted, or bones were shattered internally, they aimed to restore subjects to their original condition, even if they lost their abilities.

Among the documents Astra had casually levitated were blurry, shaky photographs that seemed to have been taken secretly during the research.

“Regeneration experiments might be a more fitting name, wouldn’t you say?”

“It’s for the ‘President’.”

She, once the strongest ability user, had suffered severe injuries from the Hero Association’s all-out attack and was currently recovering.

‘In the latter part of the original story, she made an incomplete yet nearly prime-level comeback and overwhelmed the heroes.’

And that was after the power inflation had already escalated substantially in the later stages.
So if this experiment could restore her, it was essential to participate.

“Our ambitions can only be realized once she regains her prime condition.”

“I see.”

‘If I succeed, I can live a life of luxury under the protection of the strongest.’

The original story had only just begun.
In such a situation, having the boss from the latter part on my side?

The safety concerns I had harbored since reincarnating into this world would be resolved.

‘Of course, there are still issues like the final boss and others, but at least I’ll be safe for a while.’

This is an opportunity I can’t pass up.

“It seems I should have volunteered for this mission myself.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, haha.”

After a brief laugh…

‘Wait a minute.’

Something seemed off.
A question arose in my mind.

No matter how important the mission, if it were simply a matter of retrieving information, would they really need to force me to go?

“But was there a need to assign this to me as a mandatory mission?”

“…Pardon?”

“If it’s just about obtaining information, couldn’t others be assigned instead?”

“……”

She fell silent momentarily at my words.

“It seems there’s more to it.”

What was the reason for specifically sending me, Maker, on this mission?
While my Creation ability excels at generating variables, my combat prowess is questionable at best.

“Is this a precautionary measure?”

“…I can’t fool you, Maker.”

My Creation ability allows me to maintain objects permanently to the extent that I understand their principles, materials, and elemental composition.
Sending me on such a mission is undoubtedly a precautionary measure.

In case the mission fails.
In case the stolen data is taken back or cannot be obtained intact, I can create a sample and smuggle it out.

“Is it that dangerous?”

I looked at Astra.
She then let out a sigh and deactivated her ability.

“Haah.”

The hovering documents descended and piled up on Astra’s desk.

“It seems the research facility got wind of it and increased their security forces.”

“Security forces? Did they hire people from other villain organizations?”

No matter how much they enhance their protection systems, there’s ultimately a limit.
Even if they reinforce the building itself, once it’s breached, all that remains are defenseless researchers incapable of doing anything.

So I assumed they would at least find a way to hire security from the cooperating villain organization…

“No. They’ve brought in heroes.”

“How bold of them.”

“Outwardly, they’re posing as benevolent researchers striving to develop treatments for patients.”

Even so, for shady individuals to bring in heroes?
It’s like terrorists entrusting their bombs to the police.
They’re either completely insane or protecting something that important.

‘Or there could be heroes cooperating despite knowing the truth.’

Not everyone in the association and among the heroes is virtuous, after all.

“Alright, I understand. When does the mission start?”

“Tomorrow night. The location of the research facility is in D District, as stated in the documents.”

“Quite a distance, isn’t it?”

“What’s with that remark after carrying out terrorism in E District?”

Astra chuckled as she stood up from her chair, walked past me, and briefly paused, glancing back.

“Follow me. I’ll introduce you to your partner for this mission.”

I followed her down the corridor.

A seemingly endless corridor.

“Who are we going to meet?”

Growing bored of blindly following her, I tossed a question at Astra.

“A fellow executive. Aside from me, you haven’t met any other executives, have you, Maker?”

“No, that’s correct.”

While I had seen them all appear in the latter part of the original story, meeting them in person rather than in text form would be a first.

Either way, having a fellow executive as a partner should at least ensure safety during the mission.

Even if I failed to retrieve the data, as long as I could somehow see and create the information, the mission would be a success.
I would only need to make a safe escape.

“In a way, you could say they’re similar to you, Maker.”

“Similar to me?”

“Yes, their ability isn’t exactly suited for combat either.”

If Astra referred to them as a ‘kid’ and their ability wasn’t suitable for combat…
I had a vague idea of who it might be.

‘The Instructor, perhaps?’

The Instructor.
A female character who exuded an air of quiet coolness and emphasized her sexiness with her form-fitting outfit that exposed her cleavage.
Her unorthodox and diverse weaponized martial arts, utilizing her ability, had overwhelmed numerous heroes – a scene I had personally enjoyed in the original story.

“We’re already here. Over there, Maker.”

Astra extended her arm and pointed her finger towards a particular room.

‘I wonder what she’s like in person?’

In the original story, I could only see her during combat scenes, so I was curious about what the Instructor would be like in her daily life.

With anticipation swelling in my heart, I waited for Astra to knock on the door.

Knock knock

“Instructor, are you in there?”

-Heh, heheh!

…?

…Heheh?

Did the Instructor just say ‘heheh’? The stoic-looking Instructor?

It seemed quite different from my expectations.
And as Astra opened the door, the image I had of the Instructor shattered completely.

“It appears she’s in. I’ll go inside.”

-Oh, sis, wait! Just, just a sec…

Creak…
With that sound, her door slowly opened.

“……”

“Ah, uh, sis… ahaha… ahahaha…”

In a single word, her room was messy.

Snack bags and comic books littered the floor.
The trash can had long been overfilled, rendered useless, while various clothes, blankets, and game consoles were strewn about, leaving no room to walk.

Amidst the clutter sat a woman with a somewhat gloomy expression, awkwardly grinning.

“What is… this?”

Astra’s icy tone seemed to lower the surrounding temperature.
The Instructor, realizing this, fidgeted nervously.

“…Instructor.”

“Uh, yes sis… I’m, I’m sorry… I, I…”

Woooong-

“Hieek.”

The objects inside the Instructor’s room began to float upwards.
The Instructor trembled even more, anxiously watching Astra’s every move.

Wooooong-!

The objects and trash scattered around the room drifted about, reflecting Astra’s emotions as they moved rapidly.

“I…”

Astra finally extended her open palm, and then…

Whap!

“Oww!”

She started swatting the Instructor’s back repeatedly.

Whap! Whap! Whap!

“Ow! Ow! Owww!”

“……”

I blankly watched the scene unfold.
Despite not seeming to hit her that hard, the Instructor’s eyes were already welling up with tears.

What’s going on?

‘Where is the charismatic, sexy female executive, and who is this hikikomori?’

“I’m, I’m sorry, sis!”

“I can’t live like this!!”

‘…What?’

Is this really the Instructor?
The one crying and whining while being hit by Astra for not cleaning her room?

‘…Is that even the Instructor? Is that even an executive?’

Where did all her charisma go?

“Owww! Owww! Heeeng…!”

“……”

I gave up trying to make sense of it.