WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Newbie Civil Servant Hunts Villains Before Going Home ◈

Chapter 21: What Am I Supposed to Move?

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* * *

‘...This is driving me crazy.’

For the first time, Hyeonyul understood that feeling.

The mission he had just received was as follows.

「*Case Begins

- This kindergarten is an extremely important place that gathers and educates children with powers who have lost their parents.

*Case Progress

- Since Villains learned of this kindergarten, they have begun targeting the children.

- There are already signs that several children have been kidnapped.

- Security was tightened after the kidnappings, but there has recently been a report of someone suspicious.

*Points of Caution

- Do not forget that the people you are protecting are children.

- Do not frighten the children.

- Do not let them know they are being targeted.」

This was not an ordinary kindergarten.

As the case report said, it was a special kindergarten run by Black Eagle.

This was a world where many different powers existed.

Most people were born with powers, which were categorized and divided into grades.

Those with higher-ranking powers often struggled to control them, so they received instruction in special facilities. This was one such place.

The fact that these children had no guardians would make them even more appealing to Villains.

‘I understand why they need protection, but do I really have to do this?’

Hyeonyul found the situation thoroughly awkward.

Children were far too distant a concept for him.

When he went to kill other Villains, all he had seen were bodies strewn across the ground, or people weeping helplessly in terror.

This was the first time he had seen children alive, smiling so brightly.

Both then and now, they looked so fragile that even a little pressure from his grip might kill them.

“Friends! You remember big brother from last time, right?”

Jihwan spoke to the children with practiced ease.

“Yeees!”

The children answered energetically.

“This big brother is here for the first time today. He doesn't know much, so if he gets lost, you need to show him around.”

“Yeeees!”

As if they were competing, they shouted even louder, nearly at the top of their lungs.

The noise made Hyeonyul’s ears ring.

Why were they shouting so inefficiently?

What was there to compete over?

Faced with beings whose very nature he did not understand, he found it hard to even open his mouth.

Jihwan smiled at Hyeonyul, then faltered for a moment.

His expression was far too grim.

“...I'll look around the area.”

After giving it some thought, Hyeonyul decided that he could not act like Jihwan and should not remain near the children.

The more he looked at their brightness, the more it felt as though they lived in a different world from his.

“What about Mr. Ye Jihwan...?”

“That will be difficult.”

Jihwan shrugged at Hyeonyul’s suggestion.

It did not take long for Hyeonyul to understand what he meant.

The children suddenly crowded around him.

“What’s your name, big brother?”

“Are you good at playing house too?”

“Big brother, are you good at eating vegetables?”

“Can you fly?”

An endless flood of questions poured over him.

Hyeonyul froze, while Jihwan burst out laughing.

It would be good if they caught a Villain, but actually apprehending one was usually difficult.

Even so, their presence here served as a warning. Black Eagles were guarding this place, so Villains should not dare make a move.

There were dedicated guards as well, so their job could be said to be playing with the children.

‘If they ask me to play with them, I might actually faint.’

He knew he had to endure it, but judging by his expression, it seemed impossible.

* * *

Only after fleeing from the children did Hyeonyul finally feel relieved.

‘...They’re so small. How are they alive and moving?’

Whenever he answered a question, another one came pouring in.

“Have you ever put a snail up your nostril?”

“Penguins! Penguins are friends with crocodiles!”

He heard other nonsense that he could not make sense of.

‘The mission itself is simple, but who knew it would have an ambush like this?’

He only needed to catch the suspicious person and wipe them out so this could never happen again.

Several children had apparently already been kidnapped, so there had to be traces left behind.

Yet the mission, once opened up, turned out to be playing with children.

‘Maybe I acted like Mr. Ye Jihwan in my past life too.’

The drugs had changed many things in his ruined mind.

His way of thinking, for one.

Like Jihwan, he had been undergoing rehabilitation because he could not escape the aftereffects of the drugs.

‘The dead really are easier.’

The dead did not speak, so there was no need to share emotions with them.

At that thought, Hyeonyul reached into his inner pocket and chewed a pill.

Crunch.

‘The medicine must be wearing off if I’m having pointless thoughts.’

Without the medicine, his head rang noisily all day, like an alarm going off.

As he started to let out a deep breath, Hyeonyul’s eyes shifted to the left.

He heard someone crying.

He pulled out a dagger, ready to aim for their throat, then hurriedly stopped.

It was a child.

He quickly hid the dagger.

“...Mister.”

The child sniffled and called out to Hyeonyul.

Were they not afraid of him?

“Did you come looking for Serin?”

Tears gathered in the child’s large eyes and fell whenever they blinked.

Was their name Serin?

“No. I just happened to find you.”

Why were they here?

The question only lingered for a moment before Hyeonyul stopped caring.

Just as he started moving to search for clues, Serin grabbed the hem of his pants.

Hyeonyul looked down at the small hand clutching him tightly.

“Ask Serin... why Serin is here.”

“Why are you here?”

Now that he thought about it, it was strange.

Why did no one know the child was here?

“...Um. Um. Um.”

Though they had asked him to ask, Serin wiggled their fingers as if deep in thought once he did.

They kept glancing at Hyeonyul.

“Mister, are you a new teacher?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I came here to work. Why did the teacher leave you here?”

“...T-The teacher didn’t do anything wrong!”

Serin’s voice rose on its own.

Flames flickered from their body for a brief moment, and Hyeonyul extinguished them with his power.

‘They can’t control their power.’

Startled, Serin covered their mouth and looked around, turning their head and body as if searching for the flames.

Then they stared at Hyeonyul.

“...Did you see it?”

“See what?”

“The flames.”

“I didn’t see them.”

Only then did Serin relax.

“...You see, Serin is a troublemaker.”

Embarrassed by something, the child covered their face with both hands and shook their head.

“What makes you a troublemaker?”

“Fire keeps coming out of me when I’m happy, and when I’m angry too. So I can’t go near my friends. One of my friends got hurt because of Serin last time. ...Serin is, Serin is a monster.”

“Is that so?”

At his flat response, Serin stared directly at Hyeonyul.

It was not what they usually heard.

Could it be? Could that mister really understand?

“You know, has that ever happened to you too, mister? Doing something bad even though you don’t want to?”

As Serin asked, they gripped Hyeonyul’s pants again.

They did not seem willing to let go until he answered.

Hyeonyul surveyed the area with his Shadow.

At the very least, there was no suspicious person nearby.

Serin seemed to have spent a great deal of time alone.

If he were a Villain, he would certainly target this child.

Powers involving fire were always strong.

“If mister answers, Serin will tell you too.”

“Fine.”

Thinking it was a sensible transaction, Hyeonyul readily accepted.

He crouched down on one knee so their eyes were level.

“I have experienced that too.”

When his power first manifested, he had come to his senses in a sea of blood.

It had felt exhilarating.

His only regret was that he had not killed more.

“...Really?”

Serin looked at him with eyes that seemed to hold stars.

“Did mister really go through that too?”

“Yes. Now answer my question.”

Hyeonyul cut them off sharply.

This was a transaction.

Even children possessed reason.

Serin’s lips stuck out slightly.

But they beckoned for him to come closer.

Hyeonyul knelt down to meet Serin’s gaze.

“...It’s a secret, but a mister said he’d help me. I’m telling you because that mister is like me too.”

“How did he say he would help you?”

A smile appeared on Hyeonyul’s lips.

He had caught them.

Whether the teacher had neglected the child or isolated them to protect the others did not matter.

What mattered was that the child was alone like this.

Seeing Hyeonyul smile, Serin smiled too.

“Do you want to come too, mister? Serin will ask for you!”

“Fine.”

“Shh.”

Hyeonyul nodded at Serin’s words.

The child beamed and spoke.

“My name is Lee Serin.”

“I’m Seo Hyeonyul.”

Serin hugged Hyeonyul’s leg tightly, then ran off somewhere.

Hyeonyul took out his phone and informed Jihwan.

[I don’t know whether this is neglect or protection, but I found a child alone.]

[After speaking with the child, I learned that someone is trying to take them away. I will follow along with the child.]

[Their name is Lee Serin. Please check on this.]

Putting away his phone, he followed Serin.

* * *

Serin slipped out of the kindergarten with practiced ease.

‘...I can’t believe there was a hole in the wall.’

It was narrow enough that only a child could barely squeeze through, so it was understandable that no one had noticed it.

A forest stretched out behind the kindergarten.

After searching for the kindergarten, Hyeonyul found that it did not even appear in the results.

It seemed they had intended to conceal the kindergarten within the forest.

Hyeonyul watched Serin’s movements from behind.

He wondered what they were following, then noticed small ribbons tied at Serin’s eye level.

An adult would have to look down, so there was a high chance they would miss them.

‘Have they done this several times already?’

Hyeonyul watched the child’s little feet patter forward as Serin hummed.

They seemed quite used to this.

“Have other children come here too?”

“That’s right! That friend went ahead of me to get fixed. They said they couldn’t fix me right away.”

‘Nonsense.’

Hyeonyul saw through the Villain’s scheme.

“Did they tell you not to tell the teacher about this?”

“How did you know? They said they wouldn’t fix me if I told the teacher. So, so I didn’t say anything. They kept saying they couldn’t fix me, but this time they said they could. Serin is really happy that mister came with me today!”

Serin spoke innocently.

They did not seem capable of judging what was wrong.

‘...As expected, they used that method.’

He had once heard various things from a company coworker who was more loose-lipped than expected.

The best way to lure a child away was to use another child.

They said a child’s wariness quickly crumbled around someone their own age.

It seemed they planned to leave this child for last and wait until the kindergarten’s guard had relaxed before making a move.

‘In other words, if I lose them here, I won’t catch them.’

Hyeonyul quietly covered one ear and began searching for them.

They had to be nearby.

“But, mister.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can mister use powers well now?”

“I can.”

“How did you get good at it?”

“I made... many efforts.”

Hyeonyul hurriedly changed his wording.

No matter what, it did not seem right to tell a child that he had endured countless experiments.

“You made efforts? Then did mister eat vegetables, go to bed early, and, and greet people nicely too?”

As Serin walked, they kept looking back at him.

“...?”

Hyeonyul could not understand the stream of questions.

What did that have to do with controlling one’s power?

After thinking for a moment, he realized it was the sort of comfort a teacher had offered the child.

People sometimes planted illusions under the excuse of comfort.

“Yes.”

“Then what other efforts did mister make?”

Perhaps it was Serin’s first time having a conversation like this. The child chattered excitedly.

‘Efforts...’

Hyeonyul thought for a moment.

After gaining powers through various experiments, his body had begun to collapse.

He could not tell whether he was Shadow or darkness, and he could not even retain a human form.

In that state, he had examined the bodies of those he killed one by one to become human again.

He believed that if he could get a feel for what their bodies were like, he could maintain his original form.

‘I can’t tell a child to touch corpses.’

Just as Hyeonyul was troubled by the question, he reached out and grabbed Serin.

He could hear voices and footsteps ahead.

“...What’s wrong, mister?”

“Is it hot when you release fire?”

“Not at all!”

“If anyone approaches, you may release fire. Ah, except for people with this mark.”

Hyeonyul pointed to the eagle insignia sewn into his clothes.

“...Mister, you’re Black Eagle?”

Serin’s eyes changed.

They were filled with something close to admiration.

Serin looked so excited that they seemed ready to scream, so Hyeonyul immediately placed a finger over his lips.

Serin covered their mouth and nodded.

“Sit down like you did in the bushes earlier. Do not approach anyone except me and people with this mark.”

“Yes! Serin can stay put!”

Serin shouted quietly.

Hyeonyul watched Serin crouch down, then moved toward the Villains without hesitation.

Jihwan was already rushing over, so Serin would be fine.

As he took a step, Hyeonyul pulled on his fully formed helmet.

It resembled a motorcycle helmet, but looked much thinner and lighter.

When Hyeonyul vanished and reappeared, he was already behind one of them, burying a blade in their neck.

“Did you need more experimental subjects?”

Hyeonyul addressed the Villains without moving from that position.

Their eyes widened in shock.

Then their gazes shifted to the eagle insignia stamped onto his arm.

“Looks like you didn’t expect us to show up after pulling this shit.”

Hyeonyul did not hide the irritation rising within him.

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