Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

When we finished conquering even the second Gate in just one day, Norman’s gaze towards me changed.

[You’re really fast.]

[It wasn’t such a difficult Gate.]

Despite my excuse, suspicion mixed into Norman’s gaze.

[Are you really a C-grade mercenary group?]

Isn’t he suspecting too quickly after we just cleared two Gates?

—You didn’t even try to hide it.

‘It’s a place we’ll leave soon anyway. Plus it’s just C-grade Gates.’

Even if he’s suspicious, there’s nothing Norman can do if I insist.

[We’re a C-grade mercenary group that’s rolled around a lot. We’ve cleared countless Gates like this. You would have known if you checked our records.]

[Records not through American agencies aren’t recognized.]

So he didn’t check? That’s unfortunate for Professor Geum who worked hard to fabricate records.

Norman cleared his throat and continued speaking while glancing at me:

[We’ll settle up once the corpses inside the Gate are processed. Ahem, the next conquest…]

[Tomorrow should be fine too.]

[Uh, you’ve already handled two Gates in a row. Don’t you need rest?]

I nodded. What’s there to drag out time for?

I wanted to clear as many Gates as possible before problems arise, and my condition was actually fine.

Norman eventually nodded at my request. Though he said not to overdo it, I could feel his belief that we would easily clear another Gate.

Certainly, clearing two Gates in two days was an impossibly fast speed.

But far from being tired, I actually felt refreshed like I properly moved my body after a long time.

For me, even if I get tired, it’s not a problem since I can recover my body through regeneration.

Kim Jae-ho has monstrous stamina even without regeneration, and Han Seo-hyeon isn’t the type to move his body much so he won’t be tired.

Ironically, the most exhausted in our mercenary company was Cha Song-jin who didn’t do anything.

This is why basic physical strength is important.

—You cleared two Gates in two days. It’s understandable to be tired.

‘Didn’t you say things like you did even worse than this in your time?’

—Still, look at that guy. Tsk, so frail.

Certainly, Cha Song-jin was too weak compared to us.

He absolutely couldn’t keep up with us in mental strength or physical strength. This is all because he didn’t exercise properly. The saying that a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body is right.

‘I guess I need to roll him more…’

Cha Song-jin trembled finely at my gaze.

“W-why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

“What’s wrong with my gaze?”

* * *

After returning to the container, I immediately picked up and put on outdoor clothes.

“I’ll go buy some food. Get up, let’s go together.”

At my words, Cha Song-jin opened his round eyes wide.

“With me?”

“Yeah, you didn’t do much today anyway, right?”

At those words, Cha Song-jin gaped. He looked wronged. Well, there’s no way Cha Song-jin who’s not in the combat team could do anything in the Gate. But it can’t be helped.

This is the only excuse to talk with Cha Song-jin without raising suspicion. At my eye signal, Cha Song-jin gritted his teeth and got up.

As I moved my steps towards the grocery store with Cha Song-jin, I casually opened my mouth:

“Don’t misunderstand what I said earlier. I just said that to bring you out.”

“To bring me out?”

“Yeah, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while.”

At my words, Cha Song-jin’s shoulders trembled. Yeah, this is the problem. I opened my mouth while examining Cha Song-jin’s very tense face:

“You don’t need to be so afraid of us. You know we won’t hurt you, right?”

Still, Cha Song-jin had stayed with us for several weeks. He may still find us uncomfortable and dislike us, but I hoped he knew we weren’t dangerous to him.

“Surely you don’t really think we’ll hurt you? If you thought that, I want to say that’s a misunderstanding. It’s funny to say this after always forcing you to do this and that, but.”

At my words, Cha Song-jin’s stiff shoulders loosened a bit. Cha Song-jin who was glancing at me slowly opened his mouth:

“I know you won’t hurt me either. But still…”

“But still?”

“I’m just instinctively scared. You’re strong, ruthless, so ruthless means…”

Cha Song-jin bit his lip. Cha Song-jin was similar to Nam Ju-hyeon but different. Unlike Nam Ju-hyeon who always said she was scared but soon started treating me comfortably, Cha Song-jin was still deeply afraid of us.

Instinct, huh. Yeah, that can happen.

“But seeing us often, you didn’t… get used to it.”

Cha Song-jin’s expression answered for him. I scratched my cheek.

“I’ll try to restrain myself so you’re not uncomfortable from now on.”

Certainly, too stimulating scenes unfolded in front of someone so timid. How painful must it have been to be forced to watch a gory slasher movie he’s not into from the front row? It was a mistake to think he’d just get used to it someday. I should handle things more prettily from now on.

At my words, Cha Song-jin rolled his eyes.

“Th-thank you.”

“I didn’t say that to hear thanks. There’s something I want to ask.”

“A request?”

“As much as we’re being careful, I was wondering if you could show less that you’re uncomfortable with us.”

I’m not sure if it’s possible, but I had to say it. Not just for my sake.

“Every time you do that, it hurts Seo-hyeon.”

At my words, Cha Song-jin’s expression turned to shock. He must think it’s nonsense. I unconsciously smiled at that expression.

“He may not seem like it, but Seo-hyeon is very sensitive inside.”

Unlike me who became numb enduring Seol Rok-jin, or Kim Jae-ho who’s not interested in others’ thoughts, Han Seo-hyeon had a delicate personality.

He’s only eighteen, and since he’s only been ostracized by others his whole life, he couldn’t form a proper personality. And he experienced his only family being murdered in the middle of puberty.

Han Seo-hyeon came to cherish Weltschmerz, us, because we completely accepted him.

So he can’t stand people who reject him. It’s like stimulating trauma every time Cha Song-jin gives him that kind of look.

That’s why Han Seo-hyeon dislikes Cha Song-jin. Because Cha Song-jin fears Han Seo-hyeon.

Fear comes from ignorance. There may be many reasons Cha Song-jin fears Han Seo-hyeon, but not knowing each other is probably the biggest.

“Until the incident happened, Seo-hyeon was a very kind little brother. He listened well to his brother, trained hard at the academy, and dreamed of someday succeeding as a hunter and living happily with his brother. And what ruined that dream was…”

“People say it was you. The suspect in Han Jo-hee’s murder case. But that was a false accusation too, right?”

“Yeah. But I’m not completely innocent. So I intend to pay for that sin someday.”

Han Jo-hee ending up like that is ultimately my fault. If it wasn’t for me, Han Jo-hee wouldn’t have died so horribly.

Dying suffering from mana poisoning would have been quite a horrible death too, but at least Han Seo-hyeon wouldn’t have seen his brother’s tortured corpse.

It means my intervention was the worst thing for Han Seo-hyeon personally.

Cha Song-jin was silent at my words. I said to Cha Song-jin:

“Seo-hyeon is an incredibly good kid. To the point of ruining his life to avenge his brother. To the point of still having nightmares from that guilt. You’ve seen it too, right?”

“So you’re saying it’s all your fault he became like this?”

“If it wasn’t for me, he would still be attending hunter academy and living as an ordinary student.”

“That child…”

Cha Song-jin who was about to say something looked at me and said:

“That child still follows you well though. Without any resentment.”

“That’s why he’s a good kid.”

Perhaps what Han Seo-hyeon needs isn’t comrades in a criminal organization led by a half-baked leader like me, but proper psychiatric treatment and a reliable guardian. But I have no intention of letting Han Seo-hyeon go.

I shrugged my shoulders and said:

“I’m a bad person, so even though I say this, I don’t regret bringing him in. Despite everything, I’m always grateful Seo-hyeon is here for us. Instead, I want Seo-hyeon to be happy being with us.”

Because that’s the best I can do for Han Seo-hyeon who I dragged onto this path.

“So I’m telling you. Stop looking at Han Seo-hyeon with that gaze.”

I wonder if my words sound like a threat. I hit Cha Song-jin’s side and said:

“I’m asking. I hope you won’t hurt that child.”

Cha Song-jin who silently listened to my words muttered quietly:

“I understand, I’ll try.”

At those words, I let out a laugh.

“Good, then let’s go shopping now.”

“Are we really going?”

“Yeah! Let’s quickly buy and return before Jae-ho starts yelling he’s hungry.”

* * *

After that, we handled several more Gates without hesitation.

—By the way, you said you’d handle monsters prettily for Cha Song-jin…

‘I froze them prettily, didn’t I?’

—I don’t think freezing them in a star shape is handling them prettily.

‘That was my best effort.’

Of course, getting cursed out by Han Seo-hyeon for freezing monsters in a star shape was a bonus.

But I succeeded in making Cha Song-jin laugh.

Maybe he appreciated my efforts, Cha Song-jin tried his best not to show discomfort after that.

Thanks to that, friction with Han Seo-hyeon also greatly decreased. Though they still don’t talk to each other, their power struggles decreased.

I was satisfied with this much.

‘Hasn’t it gotten better to this extent?’

—Yeah, I feel like I’m going to cry.

The day we came out after handling the seventh Gate, Norman greeted me with a very excited face.

[This is truly an amazing, amazing achievement.]

He made a fuss every time we came out of a Gate until now, but today was worse.

[To conquer seven Gates in ten days. I’ve never seen such speed.]

[It’s possible because they’re C-grade Gates. Hardly any dangerous monsters appear up to C-grade, right?]

Certainly, there were almost no existences that could be called ‘boss’ monsters in C-grade. Just dealing with guys that push with numbers wasn’t difficult for us.

[But still, seven in ten days! With this kind of performance, I think you could challenge B-grade Gates collaborating with other mercenary groups.]

Ah, so this was the main point. I immediately shook my head.

[I’m sorry, but we prefer conquering C-grade Gates.]

[You don’t have any other reasons for avoiding high-grade Gates, do you?]

As expected, we raised suspicion. But I didn’t know he’d ask so directly like this. Well, agencies have great status in America.

—He seems to be completely suspicious.

‘That’s right.’

This is my mistake. It’s just C-grade Gates. I didn’t know we’d receive this much attention for quickly handling mere C-grade Gates in a place with many monstrous talents.

—Hmm, it seems you’ve only seen too amazing guys until now.

Well, even the guys I’ve clashed with recently… were people who enter S-grade Gates like eating rice.

Considering that 7-star grade hunters don’t even make up 1% of the total, the ratio of high-level awakeners around me was ridiculously high.

Anyway, I can’t just let this suspicion pass.

I looked straight into Norman’s eyes and slowly opened my mouth:

[I just want to handle easy Gates. I have nothing to say if I’m pointed at as a coward.]

[A talent like you is afraid of C-grade Gates?]

[There are people like that, right? People who have the ability but don’t want to adventure. I prefer going easy.]

At my words, Norman’s eyes clouded. 

Click, his lock dropped to the floor.

‘Ta-da, problem solved, right?’

—Really.

[Then I’ll take it that you’re declining the proposal.]

Even as he left like that, Norman turned back to look at me with a regretful face several times, but my mind didn’t change.

I muttered looking at Norman’s back:

“I guess we should prepare to leave here soon too.”