WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Newbie Civil Servant Hunts Villains Before Going Home ◈
Chapter 80: Worries (2)
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* * *
“...Are you serious?”
“I am. So choose.”
Haeryeon answered Hyeonyul’s question without hesitation.
“Why are you doing this?”
Hyeonyul found it unfair.
Weren’t injuries sustained during missions unavoidable?
That was the nature of such missions in the first place.
It made no sense to use that against him.
“Your body is yours, Mr. Hyeonyul, but it’s also a Black Eagle asset. Of course we have to look after it.”
“I can continue the mission. Didn’t I show you that?”
“Hyung is stubborn.”
Jihwan readily chimed in.
When Hyeonyul looked at him, Jihwan quickly turned his head and pretended to busy himself with something else.
“I know how well you carry out missions and how impressive you are. I saw your strength and asked you to come to Team Three right then, didn’t I?”
“That is true.”
“If you don’t want to be excluded from missions, receive treatment...”
“Team Lead. I clearly said I always carry my personal emergency kit. Even if the doctor treats me, it isn’t much different from the measures I take myself.”
Watching Hyeonyul and Jihwan’s reactions, Haeryeon confirmed that this was where she had been lacking.
Then she simply had to correct it.
“All right. Then shall we set a standard?”
“What standard do you mean?”
“I suppose I didn’t have a proper standard. Let’s find another way. What do you think is reasonable, Mr. Hyeonyul?”
“I can continue a mission even if I am injured.”
“That won’t do. If Mr. Jihwan is injured, I pull him back too. This is fair to everyone.”
“That is true.”
Jihwan nodded.
Then he pointed at himself.
“I couldn’t go out for about two missions after injuring my arm. I was so happy... Ahem. Anyway, that happened.”
Jihwan had been speaking excitedly before hurriedly clearing his throat.
“...Ah, everyone does that?”
Hyeonyul asked cautiously.
His eyes remained wary.
“I do it to everyone. It’s not just you, Mr. Hyeonyul. However, I can’t help taking your physical condition into account, so the standards are a little stricter. Let’s find an outcome that satisfies you, me, and everyone else.”
“...Then, if my abdomen is pierced, I’ll go to the doctor.”
“Your abdomen has been... No, you don’t have to tell me.”
Haeryeon stopped herself from asking.
It was obvious that it would only make him remember bad things.
Was there no alternative?
“I’ll be as understanding as scratches. That’s the absolute limit. Getting pierced is not allowed.”
“All right.”
Hyeonyul immediately agreed.
In other words, as long as he was not pierced, it was fine.
Haeryeon narrowed her eyes strangely.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is something unsatisfactory?”
“No. You accepted that so readily that it feels suspicious.”
“It is not suspicious.”
“Right?”
“Yes. It is not.”
“Good. Then Mr. Hyeonyul, go home, and Mr. Jihwan, you need to stay.”
“...Really?”
Jihwan reacted as though he could not believe it.
“Team Lead.”
“Yes?”
“May I work more?”
“...What?”
Haeryeon’s eyes shook greatly.
Why was he like this?
Why?
“Why... would you say that?”
Haeryeon felt as though she might break out in a cold sweat.
“I’ll work on identifying Villains for a little while before I leave.”
“Ah, that?”
Haeryeon finally understood.
Hyeonyul had previously helped filter out whether people were Villains by looking at corporate logos and emblems.
She had changed it into work he could do anytime.
“That would be nice. I have something to give you too, Mr. Hyeonyul.”
“To me?”
Hyeonyul immediately became wary.
“The experimental-site records.”
As she spoke, Haeryeon discreetly checked Jihwan’s reaction.
Jihwan had also once been an experimental subject.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then I’ll get to work.”
Hyeonyul bowed and left the room.
After he left, Jihwan cautiously came closer and asked,
“Is there anything I can help with too?”
“You’re fine, Mr. Jihwan. It’s still difficult for you.”
“Still, I need to overcome it. I’ve already gone to experimental sites several times.”
Jihwan confidently patted his chest twice.
“Even so, I’m worried.”
“Then I’ll ask hyung.”
“Mr. Jihwan.”
Haeryeon was smiling sweetly.
For some reason, Jihwan felt his throat grow completely dry.
“Yes?”
“Have you forgotten that you have a mission?”
“...No. Um, couldn’t I take a short break while drinking some water?”
“Unfortunately, you have to go right now.”
“Right now? Without even having a glass of water?”
“Yes, right now. It seems the Managers alone can’t restore the site. You need to lend them some strength.”
When Haeryeon pointed at the door, Jihwan let out a long breath.
Restoring a place a Villain had torn apart was White Sparrow’s job.
Black Eagle occasionally came in only for work they could not do.
They usually asked mages.
“This is why being a mage is exhausting.”
“Hang in there a little longer. You should be able to go home in an hour or two.”
“...Exactly at quitting time. I’ll do my best.”
With a face that showed no energy at all, Jihwan headed outside.
Haeryeon smiled as she watched his retreating back, then gathered her documents and left as well.
* * *
「Hello, Seungyu.」
At the sight of the phone that suddenly appeared, Seungyu froze halfway through standing, startled, and blankly stared at Hyeonyul.
This was not the company. It was Seungyu’s home.
How did he know this place?
Unable to hide his shock, Seungyu dropped to his knees.
“...You’ve come.”
「Were you surprised?」
“I was.”
「I’ll only say a few things and leave.」
「There was something I couldn’t tell you then.」
「Are you angry that I came at dawn?」
“No. You may visit whenever you wish. Please tell me anything.”
Seungyu bowed deeply.
Anything would have been good.
No, did the fact that Hyeonyul had come all this way not prove his trust?
「You’re looking into the Poison King now, right?」
“Yes. Under orders, I’m searching for what he’s hiding in order to learn who is behind the Poison King.”
「You’re smart.」
Hyeonyul praised Seungyu.
Seungyu had taken care of even the parts he had not mentioned.
“No! It is only natural that I do so...!”
Seungyu’s voice trembled.
The single fact that he had been acknowledged filled his chest with exhilaration.
「Find out whether the Poison King has hidden or traded any drugs as well.」
“Understood. I’ll find out.”
「You aren’t curious about the reason?」
“I told you I would obey anything.”
「Take what you want.」
「Kill whoever gets in your way.」
「You know that well, right?」
“Yes. I know it well. Isn’t that the first thing we learn in this world?”
「Still, if there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s drugs.」
“From now on, we won’t deal in drugs. If we find any, we’ll confiscate the entire supply.”
「Good. Gather what you confiscate separately. I’ll give instructions on how to deal with it.」
“Understood.”
As Hyeonyul was about to leave, he suddenly remembered what the Villains had been saying about him.
「I hear I’ve become famous lately?」
“Of course! That is only right. It must be so.”
The more Seungyu spoke, the more the corners of his mouth rose.
The idea that Hyeonyul would not become famous was absurd.
The fact that he had killed executives alone was thrilling, and Seungyu even felt reverence at the thought that he had captured everyone’s hearts at once.
Every faction would now kiss the ground beneath that person’s feet.
They had to make it so.
‘I’ll make it happen. I’ll...!’
Seungyu clenched his fists.
「It felt good.」
In truth, Hyeonyul felt indifferent.
He felt nothing.
Those who followed him and the factions themselves were all illusions in the end.
The moment they learned who he was, they would surely turn their backs on him. So why should he be pleased?
「You’re wondering how to answer when people ask who I am, right?」
“...How did you know?”
「Then keep it simple.」
Seungyu waited.
He waited and waited to hear what Hyeonyul would say.
「Say that I’m the one who will become your master.」
After leaving behind those plausible words, Hyeonyul asked,
「What about the records?」
“...Please wait a moment.”
Seungyu was so overwhelmed that he felt dizzy.
‘He said it himself. He said it himself. He said it himself...!’
Strength filled Seungyu’s eyes.
He was the one who would stand above them.
The one who would drive out the Emperor in the Empire and sit in that place.
Otherwise, none of this could be explained.
Why had Hyeonyul put Seungyu in this position? Why was he clearing out the other factions? Why was he so hostile toward the Poison King?
All of it was merely a process leading to that seat.
“If it is not disrespectful, what... should I call you?”
Seungyu asked carefully.
He wanted to know.
He had to know this.
Hyeonyul thought for a moment before casually throwing out an answer.
Would this not be enough to give them what they wanted?
「King.」
A deep smile settled on Seungyu’s face as he read the message.
A powerful resonance stirred within him.
‘...The King has named himself.’
Grind.
Holding back the laughter rushing out, Seungyu bit his nails.
* * *
Before going to sleep, Hyeonyul looked through the records Haeryeon had given him.
They had been organized with astonishing care.
It was obvious how much attention she had put into them.
‘Is it really worth this much?’
Hyeonyul thought for a moment as he slowly scrolled the mouse wheel.
He squeezed his eyes shut, counted to three, and opened them again.
For the health of his back and eyes, proper posture, a large screen, and an appropriate distance were extremely important.
After opening his eyes again, Hyeonyul checked whether any locations overlapped with the places he had been taken to, then stopped moving his hand.
‘...Ah, at this rate, I’ll die of overwork again.’
That thought suddenly occurred to him.
He had come this far determined not to die of overwork, yet so much had happened, and he was making more work for himself.
This was not good.
He quickly shut down the computer, walked slowly to his bed, and got in.
As he stared at the ceiling, a thought came over him.
‘Am I being impatient?’
No one could predict their lifespan.
Some people said that this was the prime of his life, the time when he was blooming, but those words did not apply to him.
‘Or have too many things happened at once?’
He had seen much and experienced much since becoming Black Eagle.
When he had been a Villain, he had not realized how small the fence around him had been.
He had been forced into it as well.
‘Don’t think about anything. I’ll do the thinking, so do as you’re told.’
He had heard those words from the bosses countless times, and Shin Daeho had been no different.
However, according to what the Poison King had said, the difference between those people and Shin Daeho was that Shin Daeho had not ordered the killing of ordinary people.
‘...Sleep. Day and night have been switched around. This isn’t healthy.’
Hyeonyul put aside his thoughts and was about to close his eyes when his gaze shifted.
Bzzzz.
He curled a finger and brought his phone over.
“Yes, Doctor.”
<You’re not working again, are you?>
“I’m in bed now.”
<Then before that?>
“I’m in bed now.”
Jeongmin’s sigh came through the phone.
There were no CCTV cameras, so Hyeonyul wondered how Jeongmin knew every time.
<Hyeonyul. What did I say you need to do while we’re changing your medication?>
“You said I need to rest.”
Jeongmin had said that even a small change in medication could cause cracks in his body.
Hyeonyul had wondered whether actual cracks could really form, but they did.
<You know I wasn’t just saying that, right?>
“I do. That’s why I’m lying down.”
<I know there are things you want to do, but you must restrain yourself.>
“Yes. I understand.”
Hyeonyul answered with a little more firmness in his voice.
“I lay down on my own just now because I didn’t want to die of overwork either.”
He added that so Jeongmin could feel reassured.
Would this not be enough?
<The tremors are gone now, right? No, has your palm healed properly?>
“Yes, there are no tremors, and when I checked today, it had healed except for a very faint scratch.”
Hyeonyul looked at his palm.
That too would surely heal completely today.
<Tell me immediately if anything is strange.>
“Understood.”
<You have to tell me immediately, Hyeonyul.>
At the repeated words, Hyeonyul forced open his increasingly heavy eyes and asked,
“Sometimes, Doctor, it seems that you do not trust me. I believe that is considerably contradictory to the matter of trust you spoke of.”
<What contradiction? You’re at fault for hiding things. Is this the first or second time? When was it? Back when you were a Villain. You didn’t say a word about going on some mission, then came back with your abdomen pierced. When I asked, you said you had caught a Villain leader. I had clearly changed your medication that day, so I told you to be careful...>
Thud.
The phone slipped from Hyeonyul’s hand.
His breathing deepened.
<See? You never listen to me, so I can’t help being suspicious. Right? ...Hyeonyul? Are you listening? Hyeonyul? Are you asleep?>
Sound came from the phone, but Hyeonyul did not wake.
<...You always fall asleep whenever I talk. Fine, sleep. Sleep. Sleep deeply, and don’t even dream.>
The call ended with an incredulous voice.
* * *
“...First, I would like to apologize.”
The Team One Lead, Hadongu, bowed deeply as they entered the meeting room.
Perhaps their belt was slightly tight, because they tensed their stomach.
“After checking again, it is true that all the White Sparrow agents assigned to the mission were affected by a mental-type ability. During the process of confirming it, we did not send them all back at once. We sent them back in turns and erased the power that had dominated their minds.”
Hadongu raised their head and looked around at everyone.
“You insisted it was not the case, and now that it has proven true, you finally lower your head?”
Bong Hyeonho of Team Four looked at Hadongu with displeasure.
Their eyes narrowed like a snake’s.
Thanks to Team Three’s mission results, it had been revealed that a large number of White Sparrow agents assigned to that mission had suffered mental domination.
How was this any different from a second internal informant incident?
At first, Hyeonho had not believed it either, but after checking with magic, Hyeonho had learned that Haeryeon’s claim was correct.
“You hold that position because of your mental-type ability, don’t you? What happened?”
Hyeonho continued attacking Hadongu.
“If not for Team Three, the Nest might have been completely taken over. Explain what happened.”
Hadongu lowered their head deeply at the continuing accusations.
“Team Three’s rookie is quite capable.”
Yang Dojin, the Team Two Lead, laughed heartily.
At that laugh, Haeryeon looked directly at Dojin.
“You’re scary, Haeryeon.”
“I know you’re not scared.”
“...Well, anyway, isn’t it fortunate that we found out now?”
Jeong Narin of Team Six fiddled with the long bangs that hung low enough to cover her eyes.
She had an extraordinary amount of hair.
“That is true. You could have had a hard time, unni.”
Ye Juhyeon of Team Seven glanced at Narin while idly moving a thumb over her phone.
Narin lowered their head at those words.
They seemed quite embarrassed.
“Anyway, I called everyone here urgently because of what we discovered through this mission.”
Haeryeon looked briefly at Team Five’s empty seat before turning to everyone.
“I call them former Black Eagle agents. The people who were driven out have begun forming a group.”
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