I’m Not That Villain

52 – A Short Vacation (1)

Originally, you see.

I was going to reveal my name, show my face.

I was going to use the power of the ability holder without any more frustration. Of course, there is still a long way to go in terms of improvement.

But then, suddenly, an unexpected event occurred.

The enforcement agency.

That ridiculous public enforcement agency entered this place.

“What the?!”

I hurriedly searched the internet for the news I had just received. The news about the atrocities of Master Heukgyeong had long been buried…

It was already bustling with news of the enforcement agency and several branches of large problem-solving offices that had already entered.

Scarlett, who was studying human anatomy, jumped at me in her cat prosthetic state.

“Master. Have you ever been involved with the enforcement agency?”

“…Yes.”

This… if it goes wrong…

After coming all the way to Seoul, am I going back to prison again?!

“…Hmmm…”

Lily, who had just finished exercising, took out water from the refrigerator and drank it. She glanced at me and then perched on the armrest of the chair I was sitting on.

“You saw it, didn’t you? That news.”

“You knew?!”

“The first thing I do when I wake up is look for new information.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me…”

“I judged that there was no immediate danger. The government’s urban safety policy is very likely to fail.”

Lily tilted her head and glanced at my phone.

“Seoul’s urban safety policy can never succeed. This place is already occupied by various organizations. Whoever they send from Seoul, they will all be killed. The power Seoul has already exceeds the scope of a single city.”

“…Hmm.”

“The first thing they have to overcome is the giant organization ‘Hundred Eye’ located in Jung-gu, Seoul. There is a reason why a giant organization is called a giant organization. Including various foreign mercenaries, the number of ability holders they have is over hundreds. The individual power of each one is not to be underestimated, they are practically monsters.”

I sank into the backrest. I heard a small knock.

Scarlett sent a remote signal to open the door. Renata, who had just arrived at work, rushed into the office.

“Mr. Lee Seo-jun?! Did you hear?! The enforcement agency has entered Seoul?!”

I stared blankly at Renata, who was catching her breath.

Renata Lyudmila.

The president of Fabrica, with an official business license.

There is nothing more ridiculous than having a business license in an illegal city. But on paper, Fabrica was indeed a legitimate business with an address in ‘Incheon.’

Incheon and Seoul.

Their relationship was ambiguous. Due to the city’s close proximity to Seoul, it could not completely escape Seoul’s influence.

That’s why Incheon is now called the ‘gateway city’ to Seoul.

Illegal and legal.

A city vaguely straddling that boundary.

Therefore, most organizations in Seoul that maintained a facade of ‘legality’ usually had fake addresses in Incheon. Even if the address didn’t actually exist, as long as you paid, you could perfectly pretend to be a legitimate organization on paper.

In this situation, she suddenly felt envious. Ah. A legitimate organization. A place where you don’t have to be scared even if the enforcement agencies come.

“I’m envious…”

“What, what?! Of what?! I’m also involved in this business right now?! If I get caught, I’ll go to jail too!!”

Come to think of it, that’s true.

Besides, I’m a criminal by status. Even if I have a fake identity, if I forge official documents with it…

The chances of getting caught would increase.

“What if I get caught! They say foreigners can’t even communicate in Korean prisons!”

“You speak Korean just fine.”

Staying in Jung-gu, Seoul, doesn’t seem like a good idea.

I stood up abruptly. I looked back at Lily.

“Lily.”

“Yes?”

“Compared to the old me, have I changed a lot?”

“…Well…of course. Do you want to see a picture?”

“Do you have a picture of me?”

“Yes.”

Lily turned on her phone. She displayed an old photo of me.

A normal build with a normal face. But back then, I was rather skinny. My build was much smaller than now. My shoulders were also… quite hunched.

“Is this you, master? You look cool even back then…”

“The hair color before you dyed it suited you well too. White. It was fascinating because it was the same as mine… Seeing it like this, you really have changed a lot…”

A lot has changed.

I pulled my mask and hat down tightly.

“How about now?”

“If you disguise yourself that much, no one will recognize your face.”

“My body shape has changed a lot compared to back then… Hmm… Even if it’s Min Eon-gul, they might think I’m someone else.”

“You look great no matter what you do, Master.”

That was inside Seoul.

There were so many people wearing masks that it could be considered the norm.

Most people were reluctant to show their identity to others.

It felt like, well, like an epidemic had spread. So, practically speaking, there were few people who didn’t wear masks, so my outfit itself wasn’t strange, but…

Hmm… I’m worried.

First, I looked up the location of the enforcement agency.

Jung-gu, Seoul.

Ah! Life!

Should I confront Cha Seo-yoon later?

“…….”

Moving houses was not an option at all. It was impossible to move the equipment that had been installed so far, and since Scarlett’s main body was the underground facility that had been gradually built, it was not an option from the beginning.

As I was looking at the ground, Lily peeked her head into my view.

“Are you that worried?”

“Of course… The opponent is a mass of public power… And Cha Seo-yoon isn’t here either…”

“If you’re talking about the team leader, it doesn’t matter much whether he’s here or not. I’m an ‘official’ team leader level.”

“…Team leader level?”

“Even if I don’t know about anything else, in terms of combat ranking, I can compete with the team leader. There’s a reason the team leader treats me well.”

“Really?”

I knew she was strong, but to that extent!

“Can you also take down two enforcers at once, Lily?”

“It depends on the opponent, right?”

“…That’s true…”

“Anyway, there’s no need to worry. I’ll protect you in case of emergency. That’s my duty.”

“…….”

The enforcement agency. And the large problem-solving office that supports it.

Is there no way to push them away? It’s unlikely that they would specifically target Jung-gu, Seoul, just to catch an illegal weapons maker like me…

I wish I could go somewhere less noticeable.

“…Wait.”

No, that’s not right.

If you think about it, if the power of Hundred Eyes grows stronger, wouldn’t the enforcement agencies be unable to withstand the pressure and withdraw?

I found myself interested in that huge organization I had little interest in before. What are they doing, huh! Sucking their thumbs while the enforcement agencies come in!

“Scarlett. Can you gather some information? About Hundred Eyes.”

“Yes, master.”

And besides,

For an organization that only controls one district, calling themselves a ‘huge organization’ is a bit…

It’s like ruling one back alley and shouting that they’re the rulers of the world.

Yeah. It’s a bit annoying.

So let’s take a look at this annoying organization. What kind of group are they…

And if I can use this group to get rid of my opponent.

. . .

There are 25 districts in Seoul.

And you know,

Jung-gu boasts the smallest area among them.

To put it nicely, it’s cozy, but to put it bluntly, it’s tiny. That’s exactly how it feels. No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t fit the term ‘huge organization’.

But you know, I later realized why they are called a huge organization. Man, Seoul is overflowing with people…

The population density, including foreigners.

It’s more than 4 to 5 times what it was when Seoul was the capital.

“…In this tiny place… there are 500,000 people living?”

Lily licked her ice cream.

“That’s why there are so many high-rise buildings. But thanks to that, people are interconnected, and there’s a lot of work. The old saying ‘land of opportunity’ is becoming popular again abroad. And it’s true. The more people gather, the more jobs there are. But there are also more criminals.”

Indeed.

Skyscrapers. There were so many buildings that could cover the sky. They could be seen everywhere, including Jung-gu, Seoul.

Apartments are no longer a match. Buildings over 50-60 floors are lined up.

During the day, it’s filthy crowded, and only at night does it feel like a place worth living.

That was exactly Jung-gu.

Managing a population of 500,000, you know. Honestly, it could be called a huge organization. It’s like managing a small city.

But still. The population density is too high compared to what it seems.

The number of people I saw during the day didn’t seem to be that many…

I started by observing the floating population. To know one thing, it’s best to grasp the overall picture.

The reality of Seoul’s Jung-gu, which I examined belatedly. And I realized that it was connected to the outside.

“People… are leaving a lot? Mostly during the day.”

“It’s because of work, master.”

“What kind of work?”

“All the workers who have just arrived in Seoul, or those from companies or enterprises, are all heading towards Incheon. To the factories in the special area of Incheon, where they are laying the groundwork for creating ‘Paradise’.”

“Paradise?”

I raised my body slightly at the word I hadn’t heard in a long time.

Paradise.

That plan, you know. It was very famous. But beyond being famous, everyone also ridiculed the plan itself.

The ‘Paradise’ plan mentioned after the ‘Night of Seoul’.

Those with abilities are special. But that specialness doesn’t always bring good results.

Would it be right to call it reverse discrimination? The power possessed by those with abilities is a symbol of power and authority, the chosen ones in Seoul…

But records of attempts to exploit that power, to use them as pawns, are scattered all over the world.

Weaponization of those with abilities. Stripping them of their value as living beings, using them as mere tools.

And such situations were found in many places. Moreover, some humans treated those with abilities as mutants, not as people, but as children of demons or Satan.

Even in France, you know. Didn’t an incident happen recently? A clash between the military and those with abilities.

Those with abilities are strong but few. Even though their numbers have increased now, they are still few. The same goes for Seoul, South Korea.

As the development of weapons intensifies, there might come a time when those with abilities are really treated as ‘mutants’. So, those who took over Seoul after the Night of Seoul gathered their will.

A paradise for those with abilities.

The plan was to establish a nation on the sea and live there, that was the Paradise plan.

And the foundation of that is…

The Paradise plan.

A crazy plan to build an artificial island on the sea, completely detached from South Korea’s territorial waters.

Although information about Seoul is strictly prohibited in most cities in Korea, the story of Paradise was very famous. People gathered and continued to try to create a city for those with abilities on the sea off the coast of Incheon, isn’t it strange that it wouldn’t be a hot topic?

But that was only for a while. Eventually, all such efforts, you know, soon disappeared from people’s interest.

Decades after the Night of Seoul.

Nevertheless, the Paradise Plan is still only being attempted and has not been put into practice.

“Is that plan really still ongoing? Wow… It was a story from before I was even born… How is the progress?”

“It still seems to be vague. The progress itself is sluggish, and it is said that it is still undergoing various stages of experimentation. And it’s not just about using all the factories there for the Paradise Plan, but also actively utilizing them in various manufacturing industries. Rather, now the former is a secondary purpose, and the latter can be considered the main purpose. It is also the main source of income for large organizations.”

“I wondered where they were making money… So they were making it there?”

“At the same time, it is also a facility that the government is targeting. It’s one of the reasons they are targeting Seoul. The income generated by that facility seems to be several times the income generated by the entire country of Korea.”

Scarlett rubbed her body against my arm.

“But Hundred Eye is having a hard time managing that factory facility. It seems that they are almost neglecting the management of the shares they took from the original organization.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know the details… But could it be a problem of talent? As a result of separately organizing an investigation into Hundred Eye, the majority opinion seemed to be that they are ‘violent and stupid.’ The fact that they still haven’t firmly grasped public security could also be because they are simply a gathering of lower creatures with only brute strength.”

“Hmm…”

So, to summarize…

Hundred Eye is the ruler of Jung-gu, Seoul.

But they are idiots.

Well, if they can’t even properly manage the existing factories, there’s no way the income will come in properly. If there is no income, it is obvious that they will stagger without being able to support their enlarged body… Their actions so far prove that…

And now, even the enforcement agencies have entered their territory?

“…No.”

It means that the ones who should be my shield might self-destruct while messing around.

Come to think of it, the public security issue and all, it seems like it’s time for some sort of traffic control…

Still, at night, the screams of people echo.

It was not uncommon to see thugs wandering around collecting protection fees.

No. Wait a minute. If they really collapse like this…

“Wait… What happens if Hundred Eye collapses?”

“Other organizations will move to take their place.”

Lily popped the last piece of ice cream into her mouth.

“But the story has changed with the entry of the enforcement agencies. If Hundred Eye collapses this time, the enforcement agencies and large resolution offices will take over the vacant spot without giving other organizations a chance.”

“Then… Then… Will this place become like Busan? Where criminals are caught?”

“That’s normal. But it won’t simply be like that. The moment Jung-gu, Seoul is taken over, other autonomous districts will start to move. But the bigger the body, the slower it moves…”

Lily pointed at me with her empty spoon.

“If Hundred Eye collapses, it might be right to stop the business itself for a while.”

“…That can’t happen!”

Yeah.

No way.

We’re not just cruising anymore, we’re riding the waves at full speed, and you want us to stop now?!

“Who’s going to pay our Scarlett’s electricity bill?!”

“M-m-m-m-master…”

“Who’s going to fill Ms. Renata’s pockets?!”

“M-Mr. Lee Seo-joon…!”

“How am I supposed to expand the facilities and customize various workshops to fill my dopamine, not to mention my hobby life and the artificial intelligence research that makes my entire life so happy, without money?!”

“Isn’t the last part a bit long?”

A criminal, you see.

He really didn’t want to help.

But for my beautiful life, there’s no other choice.

Hundred Eye…

Maybe I can do something for them.

Even if it’s just to reclaim the days when I can walk in the park without worry…!

“The boss there is called Black Mamba…right? Let’s find out what he does first. It’s as important as maintaining my business.”