WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Newbie Civil Servant Hunts Villains Before Going Home ◈
Chapter 44: Here Comes One
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* * *
“...!”
Haeryeon and Juhyeon looked at Hyeonyul with surprise at the same time.
Hyeonyul’s eyes shifted under the sudden attention.
He had not made a mistake.
Objectively speaking, he was the one who should go and ask.
No matter how much poison the Poison King unleashed, it did not affect him in the slightest.
It was simple enough to be almost trivial.
“Are you cra...”
Haeryeon hurriedly closed her mouth.
“It surprised me, but he’s not wrong, is he?”
When Juhyeon laughed, Haeryeon stared at her.
“Unni. Think about it rationally. Among the Black Eagles I know, he’s the only one completely unaffected by the Poison King’s power.”
“Juhyeon. Can’t you see your unni right here?”
Haeryeon curled her lips into a smile, and Juhyeon looked displeased.
“I know your poison resistance is exceptional. It’s one of the best. But poison doesn’t affect him at all. That’s a huge difference.”
Poison had been dangerous in the past, and it remained dangerous even now.
The Poison King was not called the Poison King for nothing.
All they had to do was release poison, and everyone died.
No other power was necessary.
There was no need to refine their technique.
“To be honest, I sometimes wonder if the Poison King had been going easy on us. With that power, they could easily massacre everyone in this area.”
Juhyeon slowly closed and opened her eyes.
The Poison King was different from the other major players.
They could release limitless amounts of colorless, odorless poison.
If that bastard set their mind to it, what could they not do?
Just imagining it painted a horrifying future.
Juhyeon tapped the messages with a finger.
“Seeing this made me think I was right. Someone behind the Poison King was holding their leash and ordering them to wait.”
Hyeonyul did not like the sound of that.
But it was not wrong.
The messages made it clear that a Villain who had maintained only their own faction had joined hands with someone.
He had believed Villains would never cooperate unless they were all facing destruction.
He had been wrong.
‘What is happening? Did the Poison King lose to someone? Or else...’
Perhaps someone had appeared who could become the focal point to fulfill the Villains’ goal.
Someone with enough legitimacy to bring even the Villains to heel.
“I don’t know how this will sound, but the Villains’ goal is not to kill people. From the beginning until now, they have always had only one goal.”
Hyeonyul spoke calmly.
“The Empire’s destruction.”
That was why the Villains had appeared.
There had been people who showed up later to get a free ride, but the other Villains tended to kill those people.
“They simply don’t care about the means or methods. So it may not be wrong to say the Poison King was holding back.”
“If that’s true, it’s a little... disheartening.”
Haeryeon let out a long breath.
If it was true, it was even more demoralizing.
“It does make it sound like everything we’ve done so far was nothing.”
“That’s not true. Black Eagle has quite a fearsome reputation among the Villains. I only said the Poison King may have held back because the opponent was the Poison King. It was different with other Villains. They were wary of Black Eagle and couldn’t do everything they wanted.”
“Should I be happy about having a fearsome reputation...?”
Juhyeon fiddled with her phone and let out a small laugh.
It did not feel entirely bad.
“Thank you for comforting us, Hyeonyul.”
“I wasn’t trying to comfort you.”
Hyeonyul shook his head at Haeryeon’s words.
He had only stated the truth. He had not meant to offer comfort.
“Anyway, that’s all I can tell you for now. I’ll announce it officially at the next meeting.”
Juhyeon finished speaking and stood.
“Then may I meet the Poison King?”
Hyeonyul repeated his earlier question.
Since he was going to meet them, he wanted to do it officially.
He did not want to kill someone in the Special Criminal Detention Center and lower morale for no reason.
Haeryeon considered it for a moment.
Meeting the Poison King would be the fastest way to ask about this.
It was also true that Hyeonyul was safer than anyone else.
“You’ll only meet them and ask questions, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Join me when I go.”
“Understood.”
Hyeonyul nodded.
His goal was to meet the Poison King, no matter who accompanied him.
There was also something he wanted to ask personally.
‘I should tell Doggy.’
Hyeonyul stared at Haeryeon.
Knowing what he wanted, Haeryeon smiled lightly.
“Go home, Hyeonyul.”
As if he had been waiting for those words, Hyeonyul promptly stood.
“Thank you.”
“You’re sending him home already? Haeryeon, is that all right? It’ll make things harder for you.”
Juhyeon looked at Haeryeon in surprise.
There were still four hours left until quitting time.
“Why not give him some small task? There are always plenty of backlogged missions.”
Hyeonyul remained indifferent at Juhyeon’s words.
She was right.
“No. Hyeonyul is injured, and he’s leaving early today. Go before I change my mind, Hyeonyul.”
At Haeryeon’s words, Hyeonyul bowed to them in turn and left.
“If you do this, you’ll be the one going out on missions. Will you be all right?”
“It’s not something I can’t handle. He’s still a new recruit.”
Haeryeon smiled.
Juhyeon looked sick of it.
She had heard countless times that being a team leader meant volunteering for hardship, but Haeryeon was worse than most.
“Haeryeon. How is he a new recruit? His abilities are insane.”
“Juhyeon. Hyeonyul suffered a lot over there. It’s right to let him adjust slowly.”
“It seems like he’s already adjusted...”
Ding.
An alarm sounded.
“Ah, one moment.”
Haeryeon checked her computer.
A report had come in on the interrogation of the Villains captured during the previous festival incident.
“...The number of new weapons, estimated to have been possessed by the festival terrorists, is estimated to be between twenty and thirty.”
Haeryeon’s gaze stopped there.
Jihwan’s concern had been right.
It was not just troubling. It was alarming.
They had destroyed six new weapons.
Did that not mean the man Nayun had seen had taken at least fourteen of them?
“What is it?”
Juhyeon read the hardened expression on Haeryeon’s face.
“...It seems another major Villain has appeared.”
Had the place the Poison King held been that desirable?
She did not know what could be there that made Villains flock to it.
* * *
“...I’m here.”
At Hyeonyul’s confident words, Kim Yujong dropped the glass in their hand.
Crash.
The realization that this was not a dream made Yujong feel as though they might faint.
This was not the office.
It was home.
One of the many homes Yujong owned.
And Hyeonyul had known that and come here.
‘Crazy bastard! Ruthless bastard...!’
Yujong barely held back the curse rising in their throat.
“Did you find what I asked for?”
“...How did you know about this place?”
At Yujong’s words, Hyeonyul slightly raised the corners of his lips.
“Why are you curious about that? Were you planning to run?”
“No! I wasn’t! Never!”
“I went to the office, but you weren’t there, so I came here.”
He had hacked the computer at Yujong’s office.
He was somewhat less skilled than a professional hacker, but he could do it.
‘...He can hack, too?’
Yujong tried to infer Hyeonyul’s actions from the movement of his eyes.
“I can.”
Hyeonyul answered before Yujong could speak.
“Isn’t that a Villain’s basic qualification?”
Ah.
Hyeonyul almost corrected himself, then stopped.
Why bother announcing that he was Black Eagle?
“I found information on Ahsan... I mean, the Red Witch.”
“I only need to know where she is now.”
“One moment.”
Yujong headed toward the room.
Before opening the door, Yujong looked back.
When Hyeonyul was standing there, Yujong slid to the floor.
“Why... why are you following me?”
“The interior design is nice.”
It seemed to show exactly how a home ought to be decorated.
Hyeonyul was simply curious about how the room had been arranged.
“...What?”
What kind of nonsense was that?
Yujong could not understand what Hyeonyul was saying.
“...I’m not running away.”
Hyeonyul merely looked at Yujong.
“I really am not!”
“Yes. You have diligently gathered information on me. Do you want to kill me?”
When Hyeonyul smiled, Yujong immediately dropped to their knees and slammed their head against the floor.
Thud.
“That, that is...”
“Don’t slam your head into the floor. It’ll cause noise complaints from downstairs.”
“P-please give me a chance to explain.”
“Yes. Explain.”
“I didn’t gather it. I brought information that had already been gathered.”
“Who gathered it?”
“...The Red Witch.”
The moment Yujong answered, Hyeonyul grabbed their hair.
The Red Witch had acquired information on him, and Yujong happened to know where the Red Witch was.
What else could that mean?
They had made a deal.
It was laughable.
Making a fool of someone right in front of them was so easy.
“Please spare me! Please!”
Yujong begged until their throat gave out.
“I intend to kill several Villains, including the Red Witch. Don’t get yourself added to that list.”
It was a warning.
Yujong knew it clearly.
What else could those chilling words be if not a warning?
“Y-yes. I’ll delete it immediately!”
“Don’t make me smash every house and building you own with my own hands.”
“I’ll never... do it again.”
“Kim Yujong.”
Hyeonyul called Yujong’s name.
Tears gathered at the corners of Yujong’s eyes from the fear washing over them.
“Don’t make yourself my prey.”
Hyeonyul held out his hand.
Yujong stared blankly at it.
‘Is he trying to help me up?’
When Yujong reached out, Hyeonyul slapped the hand away as though disgusted.
“Give it to me.”
‘...Ah.’
Yujong smiled awkwardly, got up, and entered the room.
When Yujong glanced back, Hyeonyul was there.
“It’s well decorated. How did you do it?”
“...I hired a company to do it.”
“Thank you.”
“...You’re welcome.”
Looking embarrassed, Yujong quickly brought over the documents and handed them to Hyeonyul.
“What is the Poison King’s weakness?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked what the Poison King’s weakness is.”
Hyeonyul asked again.
At the sudden question, Yujong stared blankly for a moment before shaking their head.
“There is none. ...There definitely shouldn’t be, but I heard Black Eagle captured the Poison King. It was shocking.”
“Do you know who captured them?”
“I don’t... Everyone is searching for that Black Eagle member. They’re too dangerous to leave alive.”
“That’s true.”
“Are you... after them? Are you planning to kill them?”
Hyeonyul let out a derisive laugh at the question.
Being asked whether he would kill himself sounded absurd.
“That doesn’t concern you.”
“...Ah. Right.”
Yujong smiled awkwardly.
Still, Yujong hoped that mad dog would kill that person.
How strong would someone have to be to capture the Poison King?
The Poison King was someone whose name alone made people tremble.
“How large is the Poison King’s faction?”
“They have established themselves near the capital, so it is quite large. ...You’re not trying to absorb the faction, are you?”
“Would that be a problem?”
“A-are you serious? Dozens of factions might clash over that place right now.”
“Do you know where that faction is?”
Hyeonyul’s question was different from before.
It was chilling.
Yujong unconsciously swallowed.
“...I’ll investigate and bring you the information.”
“Yes. I’ll wait.”
“...Will you kill them all?”
“Does that concern you?”
When Hyeonyul asked, Yujong stepped back and shook their head.
“Don’t concern yourself with it. Focus only on the role you need to fulfill. If you do that, I won’t touch you.”
Hyeonyul walked forward.
By the time Yujong looked up, he was already gone.
‘...Even that crazy bastard can’t do it, can he?’
There was no way it was possible.
‘No! Go charging in and die!’
With that thought, Yujong touched their suddenly chilled neck.
They looked around for no reason.
* * *
The information Yujong had provided contained the location where Ahsan, the current Red Witch, lived and the location of the experimental site she owned.
Since it was information he had obtained by selling his own information, he could use it however he wished.
From the moment he decided to make her pay for making him work on his day off, he could think of nothing but killing her.
He had not cared what Ahsan did, but that changed the moment he saw the experimental site.
He needed to hear whatever information she had.
Hyeonyul confidently walked in through the door.
“Hello.”
At the sound of his voice, Ahsan opened her eyes.
Someone stood in the place where night had fallen.
A familiar voice.
The tangy scent of blood drifted through the air.
Ahsan raised the corners of her lips.
Black Eagle was here.
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