The Newbie Civil Servant Hunts Villains Before Going Home - Chapter 43

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Newbie Civil Servant Hunts Villains Before Going Home ◈

Chapter 43: It's Unlocked

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* * *

Jeongmin felt oddly intimidated.

In this world, where most people possessed powers great or small, Black Eagle was practically a symbol of strength.

The best among the best.

The expression was not wrong.

Then what kind of people were Black Eagle’s team leaders?

“Yes, I’m here. What is it?”

Hyeonyul answered.

Juhyeon had been peering inside, but the moment she saw Hyeonyul, she spoke.

“What? You’re hurt?”

Jeongmin tactfully stepped aside, and Juhyeon smiled at him.

“Ah, I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly. It was urgent.”

“It’s fine.”

Jeongmin shook his head, and Juhyeon’s smile deepened.

Just as there were people who admired Black Eagle, there were also those who feared them.

They constantly filed complaints, asking how they were any different from Villains and why they alone received special treatment.

In that sense, Jeongmin’s fear was different.

It was the fear of someone trying to protect another person.

“Doctor, you don’t need to be so afraid. I’m not here to scold Seo Hyeonyul or hold anything against him.”

As though that had been the right answer, relief touched Jeongmin’s lips as soon as Juhyeon finished speaking.

“Is he badly hurt?”

Juhyeon asked Jeongmin.

“No, it’s just...”

“Yes, he is hurt.”

Jeongmin cut Hyeonyul off.

The patient should stay quiet. Why was he chattering so much?

‘...Hmm. The Bomb Maniac’s bombs really are different. One even managed to injure that rookie.’

Juhyeon found the situation strange.

Who was the Bomb Maniac?

A Villain who had completely lost it.

Unlike other Villains, they had no interest in expanding their forces. They were simply obsessed with playing games with Black Eagle.

There was no other way to describe their actions but as games, yet the consequences were far from trivial.

Whenever the Bomb Maniac appeared, there were countless casualties.

There had even been times when entire apartment complexes collapsed.

They did not know the bastard’s face, and there was no organization to track, making them even harder to pursue.

Their goal was always the game, and nothing else.

‘They said there were no casualties this time.’

Juhyeon stared at Hyeonyul.

Perhaps this incident had caught the Bomb Maniac’s interest.

From their perspective, they might have found an entertaining new toy.

Whatever else happened, she hoped nothing so terrible would come of it.

“The Poison King’s phone has been unlocked.”

“It has?”

“Yeah. Tell Haeryeon once your treatment is done. I’ll come by.”

“Ah...”

Hyeonyul remembered something he had missed.

“Ah? Don’t tell me you haven’t told Haeryeon you were hurt?”

“No.”

Hyeonyul rubbed his eyebrow.

He did not understand why he had to mention being injured.

He could not get used to procedures like this at all.

“...Do you know how scary Haeryeon is when she gets angry? Tell her quickly.”

“I will.”

“And get better soon.”

“Thank you.”

“I say that to plenty of people, so don’t be too touched.”

“I will.”

At his answer, Juhyeon chuckled briefly and turned away.

She immediately began fiddling with her phone.

“Then I’ll be going, Doctor.”

She lowered her phone for a moment and greeted Jeongmin.

“Yes, yes. Take care.”

At Jeongmin’s farewell, Juhyeon smiled brightly.

Only after the door closed did Jeongmin let out a breath.

“Why are you like that? She didn’t show any killing intent.”

“...It’s just that you rarely get to see team leaders.”

“I see one every time I go to work.”

“That’s your team leader. I mean the other team leaders.”

“There is Yang Dojin, the leader of Team Two. I see him wherever I look.”

“What? He’s a team leader, and he’s... following you around?”

“That is not the case. I do not see him when I go home. I think he wants me.”

Hyeonyul smiled ever so slightly.

Seeing how pleased he looked, Jeongmin was about to laugh in disbelief when something suddenly occurred to him.

“...Your home!”

“Yes.”

“You said you found a place, right? Did you find one properly? Why didn’t you invite me?”

“My team leader assigned someone to help me. I simply followed them, looked at the place, heard the explanation, and decided on it because it was suitable.”

It sounded as though he had been swept along, but Jeongmin was relieved to hear that his team leader had assigned someone to help.

Hyeonyul was not particularly good at taking care of himself.

For example, he showed no interest even in basic matters like needing to buy clothes.

He understood such things in his head, but they were always pushed aside by whatever interested him or took priority.

Perhaps it could not be helped, since indifference was his default state.

“If you like it, that’s enough. When are you moving? I’ll help.”

“It is fine. I can do it alone.”

“I want to see it.”

“...I will let you know once it is decided.”

“Okay. Make sure you tell me.”

Jeongmin set up an IV in Hyeonyul’s arm, then stood.

“Doctor.”

“What?”

“There are still many things I do not understand.”

“If you don’t know, you can learn now.”

Hyeonyul smiled at Jeongmin’s answer.

Drugs had damaged the circuits in his mind.

Jeongmin knew better than anyone that he could never think the same way as others, yet he never said so.

“This will sting.”

Jeongmin held up a thick needle.

The injection went into Hyeonyul’s stomach.

A strange sensation lingered.

“Doctor.”

“What?”

“When carrying out a mission, if I must choose between two people, who should I choose first?”

“So that’s why you looked down.”

“I do not understand the emotion of feeling down.”

“Sure, let’s say that’s true. Usually, in that situation, just do what you feel like doing.”

“Why?”

“Because people will criticize you no matter what you choose. So you might as well do what you feel like doing. It’ll make you feel a little better.”

Hyeonyul frowned.

Do what he felt like doing?

That was far too difficult.

“Then choose the one who speaks a little more politely.”

“Is that acceptable?”

“I told you, you’ll get criticized anyway. If you have to choose, it’s better to choose the option that helps you.”

“Then can I pretend not to know about the situation itself, so I do not have to make a choice?”

“...Hmm.”

Jeongmin pondered for a moment.

The complexity of emotions was difficult for Hyeonyul.

It might be better to divide things into people he had to kill and people he could not kill.

“...If you do not get caught?”

“I understand.”

Hyeonyul nodded as though he had finally found the solution.

Seeing him look somewhat relieved, Jeongmin hesitated for no reason.

‘...It’ll be fine, right?’

In any case, Hyeonyul was a clever kid.

* * *

Bang!

Startled by the sound of someone slamming a desk, Hyeonyul stopped in the doorway.

“Team Leader, please calm down. You’re scaring Hyeonyul.”

Sinu tried to stop Haeryeon.

“Hyeonyul, why did I receive the report later than Team Leader Juhyeon?”

Haeryeon held back a breath.

“I am sorry. It was my oversight.”

When Hyeonyul bowed his head, Haeryeon rubbed her forehead.

The back of her neck was throbbing.

“You do not need to bow.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. I almost assigned you another mission without knowing what had happened.”

“That would have been fine. There is still time until I clock out...”

“Hyeonyul. No.”

Haeryeon cut him off firmly.

People were not tools.

If someone was injured, they needed to rest.

His last mission had not been easy, either.

Not only had it required specialized skills, but the opponent had not been an ordinary Villain. It had been the Bomb Maniac.

And he had been injured during it, yet she had not known.

She had been relieved to hear he had returned, and because Hyeonyul always stopped by Jeongmin’s after a mission, she had assumed today was the same.

“If the sound of me hitting the desk scared you earlier, I’m sorry.”

“I was not startled.”

Hyeonyul’s expression did not change.

“It did look that way.”

When Sinu spoke, Haeryeon narrowed her eyes at him.

The threatening look made Sinu turn to Hyeonyul.

“How are you feeling?”

“I am fine.”

“Hyeonyul. That report comes to me.”

Haeryeon spoke in disbelief.

She knew exactly what state he was in, yet his expression did not change at all.

“It is not enough blood loss to require a transfusion.”

“The report does say the blood loss was considerable.”

“My blood does not clot easily. I will be fine again tomorrow, so...”

“...Team Leader, we need to send him home quickly.”

Sinu’s expression changed completely.

They were always getting minor and major injuries, so he had thought it was not serious as long as Hyeonyul could walk.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

He had not expected to hear talk of a transfusion.

“I’m getting happier and happier as I learn more about you, Hyeonyul.”

Contrary to her words, Haeryeon’s eyes curved upward.

She had wondered why Jeongmin had added that note at the end of the report, but it had truly been necessary.

Postscript: Hyeonyul prioritizes missions over his own body, so please keep a close eye on him.

Haeryeon wanted to sigh immediately.

She had thought it would be a difficult mission, but she had not expected him to be injured.

This was her fault.

“Hyeonyul, do you want to take tomorrow off?”

Shouldn’t he rest?

But seeing how he still insisted he was fine, Haeryeon did not know if he would agree.

Even when he was moving, he had said he had barely any belongings and refused to take time off.

At Haeryeon’s question, Hyeonyul’s eyes shifted.

After all this, you want to take time off?

That was how it sounded.

Was Haeryeon disappointed in him?

“No. I am fine.”

‘...As expected, he won’t rest.’

Haeryeon hesitated.

“Then I will assign you to different missions starting tomorrow.”

“...?”

Hyeonyul’s eyes widened.

Was he being excluded?

“What is it? Does it hurt?”

Sinu reacted just as strongly.

“Am I being excluded...?”

Hyeonyul asked hesitantly.

“Excluded?”

Haeryeon was startled.

What on earth was he thinking?

“No, it is not that, Hyeonyul. Only for the time being. I mean I will move you to easier missions until your injuries have fully healed.”

“You do not need to do that.”

Hyeonyul found Haeryeon’s actions strange.

Was giving him easy missions that did not suit his abilities not exclusion itself?

How was this any different from using someone after working them hard, before throwing them away?

Bang!

At the sudden sound, Hyeonyul looked at Haeryeon.

“Stop digging yourself into a hole, Hyeonyul. You are not a tool. You are a person. When you are hurt, you need to rest. That is the right thing to do, but since you do not want to rest, I am only moving you to easier missions for a while. Do you understand?”

“...Yes.”

Hyeonyul answered hesitantly.

He felt as though Jeongmin were scolding him.

Only then did Haeryeon smile.

“That is a relief.”

“It’s okay, Hyeonyul. It happens. Since this is your first time experiencing this, it’s understandable.”

Sinu comforted Hyeonyul while holding back laughter.

Because things were happening differently from what Hyeonyul had experienced before, he seemed to have misunderstood.

Quite badly, at that.

How often had he dug himself into a hole before?

The thought made Sinu laugh for no reason.

“Hyeonyul. The team leader is not treating only you specially. She treats all of us that way. You do not need to feel burdened.”

“...Is that so?”

“Yeah. This is just the baseline.”

Sinu nodded at Hyeonyul.

He still seemed not to understand.

Still chuckling, Sinu stood.

“Then I’ll head out on a mission. See you tomorrow, Hyeonyul.”

Sinu greeted Haeryeon and Hyeonyul before leaving the room.

“I want to send you home right away, but it seems Team Leader Juhyeon has something she wants to say. Could you wait a moment?”

“She said the Poison King’s phone had been unlocked.”

“...The Poison King’s phone?”

“Yes. That is what she said.”

“...That is big.”

Haeryeon let out a long breath.

If only it had been something simple, so Hyeonyul could go home without worry.

“Yeah. Juhyeon, you can come over.”

Haeryeon contacted Juhyeon.

* * *

“...Haeryeon. I unlocked the Poison King’s phone.”

“I heard.”

At Haeryeon’s answer, Juhyeon immediately glared at Hyeonyul.

“Team Leader Juhyeon, that glare is nasty.”

“I did not think you would blurt it out so completely.”

“You did not tell me it was a secret.”

“...Pfft.”

Haeryeon burst out laughing.

“...Haeryeon.”

“Hyeonyul is right. You need to say it is a secret.”

Haeryeon spoke while holding back laughter, and Juhyeon narrowed her eyes.

“Anyway, we found transaction records.”

“Can you trace them?”

“We are tracing them.”

“There were also many messages, but this is the most suspicious one.”

Juhyeon held out her phone.

[...Yes. You must have it your way.]

[You must. I will devote everything I have to helping make it happen.]

[I am yours.]

Everyone who read the messages fell silent.

“I do not know who they were sent to. The data appears to be damaged. It looks like restoring it will take some time, but this is the important part.”

Juhyeon tapped the messages.

“...Someone is behind the Poison King?”

At Haeryeon’s answer, Juhyeon nodded.

“Right. It means there is someone above even a major player like the Poison King.”

“That is impossible.”

Hyeonyul denied it.

“Isn’t it?”

The corners of Juhyeon’s lips rose.

She had been thinking the same thing.

“It is impossible. That Villain, the Poison King, has someone they serve.”

As she spoke, Juhyeon looked at Haeryeon.

Haeryeon’s expression hardened.