WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Newbie Civil Servant Hunts Villains Before Going Home ◈
Chapter 82: What a Ruckus (2)
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* * *
“You found them already?”
Hyeonyul’s first thought was, ‘How?’
He had only just heard about it from Juhyeon, so he had thought it would take time.
“They weren’t directly involved in the internal informant incident, but we kept an eye on everyone who had even dipped a toe into it.”
Haeryeon looked at them as if she had expected this.
They might have slipped away back then, but things were different now.
“They probably thought they were lucky not to get kicked out back then. At the same time, they must have resented you. They probably thought some loach had crawled in and muddied the water.”
Haeryeon grew irritated even as she spoke.
How could they leak internal information outside?
“Do you remember the cult case we wrapped up recently?”
After taking a deep breath, Haeryeon turned to Hyeonyul.
“I remember.”
“They’re the White Sparrow agents who were embedded in that mission.”
“Is that so?”
Only then did Hyeonyul look at the three of them.
He remembered their faces, but it had been difficult to confront them.
“They repaid kindness with enmity.”
Haeryeon briefly clenched her fingers.
Hyeonyul had noticed their condition.
Had Hyeonyul not noticed, what might they have done while under a Villain’s control?
Who would want that?
“Team Lead.”
“Yes.”
“I spoke with Team Lead Ye Juhyeon a short while ago.”
“Team Lead Juhyeon said she wanted to explain it to you herself.”
“I came here after confirming one fact with Team Lead Ye Juhyeon.”
Hyeonyul did not take his eyes off the three.
He continued staring at them.
They showed fear toward Haeryeon and contempt toward him.
The difference in how they treated the strong and the weak was crystal clear.
“I was told that the former Black Eagle agents currently gathered together are Villains. Then what should we call those three, who gave them my information?”
The question, sharp as an attack, pleased Haeryeon.
“Internal informants, I suppose.”
“Then please deal with them according to the punishment handed down last time.”
“Wait a moment! Internal informants?”
“That’s right. We only told them because people we knew from before asked us...”
“No one told you to speak.”
Haeryeon lightly told them to shut up.
“An announcement went out saying not to touch the newbie. You’re the ones who failed to read it.”
She slowly approached them.
“If you’re expelled for being internal informants, remember this well. The moment you breathe a word about anything that happened here, you could die. You remember what you signed before joining, right?”
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked.
“Go on, then. They’ll be waiting for you.”
“This is unfair!”
One of the White Sparrow agents spoke up and glared at Hyeonyul at the same time.
“...Unfair?”
Haeryeon doubted her ears.
“We only told them the truth. He is a Villain, isn’t he? I don’t understand why you’re going so far to protect someone who came from Villains!”
“You leaked internal information outside, and you still don’t understand? You’ve got some nerve.”
Haeryeon was dumbfounded.
It was irritating enough just to explain it.
“Team Lead, I’ve devoted six years to this place. I considered supporting Black Eagle my livelihood...”
“Get out. Now.”
Haeryeon did not listen any further.
She had nothing to say to someone who did not even understand the price of speaking so carelessly.
“...Ha. I devoted six years to this place, and you’re defending someone who came from Villains?”
The White Sparrow agent exhaled sharply while looking at Haeryeon.
Their expression changed completely.
“You’ve devoted six years to this place and still can’t distinguish what you should and shouldn’t say? Then getting kicked out is exactly right, isn’t it?”
As Haeryeon provoked them, the White Sparrow agent could no longer hold back.
Black Eagle was not the only organization with powered people.
When Hyeonyul tried to step in, Haeryeon held out a palm, telling him to stay still.
“You want to fight?”
“Even if I’m leaving...”
Before they could finish, Haeryeon smiled lightly and threw a punch.
Her fist snapped the arm the White Sparrow agent had raised, then struck them directly in the face.
KABOOM!
The other White Sparrow agent, who had started to move as well, froze upon seeing their colleague embedded deep in the wall.
They turned to look, then recoiled with a shriek.
“You should come too, shouldn’t you?”
Haeryeon curled a finger at them.
She only held back for the sake of her dignity as a Team Lead. If they came at her like this, she would gladly welcome it.
“M-Me...?”
Just as Haeryeon seemed to shift her feet, she appeared before the bewildered White Sparrow agent and drove up her knee.
Smack!
The instant their face was struck, the White Sparrow agent shot upward and broke through the ceiling.
Hyeonyul looked steadily at Haeryeon as the person dangled there.
‘I didn’t feel any power.’
Had she been born with that speed and strength?
“It’s doping. An alchemist’s privilege.”
Haeryeon smiled at Hyeonyul.
Only then did Hyeonyul nod in understanding, before tilting his head slightly.
“Are there no side effects?”
“It was made specifically for me, so it’s fine.”
“Ah...”
“First, let’s get them cleared out and continue talking.”
Haeryeon walked to the door and opened it.
Several people entered and looked around.
They calmly arrested the remaining person, then pulled the other two out of the wall and ceiling.
“We’ll restore the rest.”
“Please do.”
Haeryeon looked accustomed to this as well.
They waited briefly while the people were removed and the wall and ceiling restored.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all. Then.”
The people bowed in response to Haeryeon’s greeting before leaving.
“They’re the Managers who handle internal affairs. You won’t see them often, so just know that people like them exist.”
After speaking, Haeryeon pointed at the desk.
Once Hyeonyul sat down, Haeryeon slowly took her seat and looked at him.
“To be honest, when I learned about your condition, I did consider trying to make medicine for you. I even have a pharmacist’s license, though that’s all thanks to my ability. Were you disappointed that I didn’t bring it up?”
“No. I never even had that thought.”
Hyeonyul had never thought anyone besides Jeongmin could treat him in the first place.
“I’m not ready yet, either. I’ll consult with Dr. Lee Jeongmin about the details.”
“Understood.”
After answering, Hyeonyul paused for a beat before trying to speak.
“Do you want to investigate this matter?”
Haeryeon’s sudden question cut in.
“I think I do. The fact that they’ve formed a group concerns me.”
“What do you want to do, Mr. Hyeonyul?”
“There must be a reason they gathered as a group. I want to find out what’s behind it.”
“Once things are sorted out, I’ll put it up as a mission.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s so much we need to find out, right?”
Some things had been resolved, but much was still unknown.
Who was making the discarded drug that turned non-powered people into powered people?
Why had the former Black Eagle agents formed a group?
“Yes. There’s a great deal.”
“Let’s take it slowly, Mr. Hyeonyul.”
“...I want to do that too.”
Hyeonyul hesitated before speaking.
How much slower did he have to go?
“Anyway, today’s mission...”
Bzzzzzz.
Both their smartwatches rang at once.
It was an emergency.
“What happened?”
Haeryeon answered immediately.
<S-23 Zone. White Sparrow agents monitoring the vicinity witnessed a Villain administering drugs to someone at the scene.>
“Drugs?”
<After examining the drug, we determined it to be the drug obtained recently. We are currently pursuing them, and the Villains are fleeing. We need support.>
Fleeing.
The moment he heard that, Hyeonyul did not hesitate.
“I’ll go, Team Lead.”
Haeryeon lightly bit her lip.
She had expected him to say that, but she could not help hesitating.
“It’s a drug case. Besides, I only need to pursue them.”
It was not even a major incident.
It was a case centered on the most basic task: pursuit.
“Once you catch them, you must return immediately. I won’t permit any pursuit beyond that.”
Haeryeon made him promise, just in case.
“Understood.”
At Hyeonyul’s answer, given without a moment’s thought, Haeryeon suppressed her doubts and replied.
“I’ll send him shortly.”
<Thank you.>
Hyeonyul bowed his head and left.
‘It’ll be fine, right?’
Haeryeon had given permission, but she still hesitated.
* * *
Since this mission required pursuing fleeing Villains in real time, even the eagle did not know where it was heading. They had no choice but to decide the rendezvous point on the spot.
The place they arrived at looked like nothing more than an old park.
Other White Sparrow agents waited for him in that place where no one would come.
Before facing them, Hyeonyul injected himself with a sedative.
His stomach still churned.
“Please take this.”
A White Sparrow agent handed him a bulky phone.
Even from their voice and expression, Hyeonyul could tell the situation was urgent.
They all looked uneasy.
“You’ll receive the Villains’ location in real time. Press this button to use it like a radio. We’ll continue contacting you from our side. Do you have any questions?”
“No. Thank you.”
Hyeonyul bowed, then ran ahead.
His task was simple.
Catch the fleeing Villains.
His legs gradually picked up speed.
The way he skimmed over the ground made him look as though he were riding a skateboard.
Hyeonyul could see many things.
He could see everything, but trying to see everything made his head ache.
There was only one thing Hyeonyul wanted to see.
The countless living creatures moving at this very moment.
As darkness fell, every living creature’s movements entered his sight.
From small insects, mice, and birds to people going about their daily lives.
Feeling breathless, Hyeonyul adjusted it again.
He singled out the living creatures moving quickly.
‘...I see them.’
Hyeonyul saw people moving at similar rhythms.
There were at least ten in his sight already.
Before he ran out of breath, he focused on the nearest one.
‘Let’s catch them.’
Hyeonyul clenched his fist and raised it.
The darkness became a surging wave, taking the shape of a hand.
Like biting down on prey’s neck, Hyeonyul seized the person by the nape.
Then he slammed their head into the wall.
Smack!
Something seemed to break, but Hyeonyul only cared about one thing.
Whether they were unconscious.
Even after seeing blood drip from their head, Hyeonyul slightly raised his foot when they remained conscious.
“When you wake up, you should tell us what you know. This is a warning.”
After quietly telling them so, he stomped on their face without hesitation.
Crack!
‘One.’
Just as Hyeonyul seemed about to walk forward, he sank into the darkness.
The darkness surged again.
‘Let’s leave only two who can talk.’
Would that not be enough?
Breathing roughly, Hyeonyul emerged from the shadow of someone running between the rooftops and grabbed their leg.
“...!”
Their stride tangled as their leg was suddenly seized. Just as they seemed about to fall, their body lifted.
But Hyeonyul did not simply watch.
He kicked them squarely in the back.
Unable to withstand the force driving them forward, they fell and scraped their face.
Their eyes darted around in bewilderment.
They had no idea what was happening.
Then darkness so intense that it erased even the surrounding light swept in.
“When you wake up, you should tell us what you know. This is a warning.”
With that blunt statement, Hyeonyul kicked them in the face.
Smack!
Their face turned entirely the other way, and their body went limp.
After confirming they were unconscious, Hyeonyul took out the phone-like radio he had received earlier.
“Yes. What is it?”
<Their location has changed. Please confirm it.>
“Understood.”
The information they offered was unnecessary.
He threw it into the darkness and took out a dagger.
Whirr.
After spinning it several times in the air, he caught the dagger.
He had left two mouths to talk, so now it was time to hunt.
Hyeonyul jumped forward as if diving and fell below the building.
The moment he touched the ground, he burrowed into the darkness.
As countless places shifted around him, Hyeonyul stretched out his hand.
Grabbing someone by the nape, he immediately slammed them into a nearby wall.
Bang!
When the Villain’s eyes went unfocused for a moment, Hyeonyul grabbed their hair.
“Who gave you the drugs?”
“Who are you...?”
Hyeonyul stabbed them in the back.
“Aaaagh!”
“Who gave you the drugs that temporarily turn non-powered people into powered people?”
“...I was only following orders... Ghk.”
Hyeonyul’s dagger mercilessly pierced their throat.
If they did not know anything, they were unnecessary.
The night was still long.
* * *
The moment Hyeonyul seized the tenth Villain by the nape, a sharp blade shot out from their body.
Thunk.
But his glove blocked it.
“I suppose I finally found the right place.”
Hyeonyul lowered his hand and caught his breath.
He did not understand why they kept choosing secluded alleys on their own.
Wouldn’t a crowded place be better?
The Villain turned around in surprise.
“Please wait a moment.”
Before they could say anything, Hyeonyul pulled something from the darkness and threw it.
One.
Two.
Three.
The number gradually increased until there were seven in total.
The more the Villain looked at them, the more their expression twisted.
The veins around their eyes even stood out.
“You... you bastard!”
“It’s been a long time since I saw someone regard their subordinates as people. Those bastards must’ve been glad to work under a boss like you.”
Hyeonyul sneered.
They could not truly be angry for their subordinates.
Their pride must be hurt.
“...You, you’re Black Eagle?”
The Villain, who had looked ready to do something at any moment, faltered upon seeing the Black Eagle emblem.
Their eyes were full of suspicion.
“I’m not curious why you went to such lengths in the middle of the night.”
Hyeonyul cut them off.
After all, all they had in their minds was taking over the Empire somehow, by any means.
“I haven’t often seen Black Eagle bastards make such a goddamn fuss.”
Something changed in the Villain’s expression.
Hyeonyul had trouble reading what it was.
Since he did not know, he ignored their expression and asked for the information he wanted.
“Did you buy the drugs? Or are they yours?”
“Why? Want to get injected too? Should I give you one?”
The Villain mocked him.
Hyeonyul did not know why they were so confident.
“I’ve been injected with one myself, so I know.”
“Puhahaha! This bastard is really something. What did you come here for? To arrest me? Should I hold out both hands?”
The Villain pretended to hold out both hands and snickered.
Hyeonyul looked at them calmly and asked,
“It appears you tested drugs that turn non-powered people into powered people on ordinary people. Did you buy them, or did you make them?”
“There are plenty of other fucking drugs too. Need some? Want me to give you some?”
“What do you have?”
“Various things.”
At those words, Hyeonyul briefly took out his phone.
It was filled with a list of drugs he needed to find.
He strode toward the Villain, but they neither stepped back nor showed fear.
“Do you have any of these?”
“...What are you? Why are you so knowledgeable?”
“Do you have them?”
“I did.”
“You did? You don’t now?”
“They were taken a while ago.”
Taken.
Upon hearing that, Hyeonyul could think of only one group.
Lee Seungyu, whom he had set up as a figurehead boss.
Could Lee Seungyu have done it?
“By the Poison King’s faction that appeared out of nowhere?”
“Yeah. Those bastards. They took our workshop.”
The Villain rummaged through a pocket and put a vape to their lips.
“So how much do you need? ...Ha. All kinds of crazy shit keep happening, so that really surprised me.”
“Give me everything you have.”
“Just come normally next time. I’ll remember your face. Why pretend to be Black Eagle and make such a fuss? Even if you don’t do that, first-time customers always get a discount.”
‘...Ah.’
Only then did Hyeonyul understand why they had acted that way.
“It seems quite a few people approach you while pretending to be Black Eagle.”
With his claws tucked away, Hyeonyul asked quietly.
He waited for them to offer up anything.
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