I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Chapter 241: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (1)

What was the best way to address the unrest that erupted in Phuket, Thailand?

It might seem unnecessary to tidy up, but if I were to briefly summarize the events of the night, it would be ‘the collapse of a dictatorship.’

The dictator’s secret military training was exposed.

The dictator attempted a coup but was thwarted by an ability user.

A hero who had allied with the dictator was ‘executed’.

-Indeed, it’s the Goblin!

People cheered for the Goblin.

Had the Goblin not revealed the truth, people would not have been confronted with the myriad of sordid truths hidden behind the regime.

Just one day.

The military’s top brass committed suicide, and those who were puppets of the military were too preoccupied with watching their backs in this situation.

Amid the chaos in Phuket, the Goblin suddenly disappeared.

-Where is the Goblin, and what is he doing?

This question was on many people’s minds.

-After causing such chaos in Phuket, where is the Goblin now, and what is he doing?

-The regime has been toppled; he should take responsibility, not just deal with the perpetrator and leave.

That’s what people were saying.

To this, the Goblin always responded with the Secret Society’s answer:

-Now it’s up to you.

Like that.

Irresponsible?

It might seem irresponsible.

But you couldn’t really fault that irresponsibility.

Because.

I was a Villain.

Thailand’s capital, Bangkok.

Almost 700km in a straight line from Phuket, but the capital was in turmoil due to the unrest in Phuket.

“Starting from the crack of dawn, it’s been chaos. Isn’t that right, Hye-ra?”

“…….”

Yun Hye-ra sipped on a fruit smoothie with a weary appearance.

Her face still groggy, she couldn’t quite come to her senses, and I adjusted her slipping sunglasses and tidied her tousled hair.

“Tired?”

“You’re really strange, oppa.”

“What is?”

“Isn’t it supposed to be the woman who gets energized and the man who gets drained?”

Yun Hye-ra grumbled at me.

She had certainly had her share of trouble dealing with me alone the night before, and even after sleeping, she was still not in good shape.

Tired?

No.

She was still lost in the sensation of the magical power she had indulged in last night, whether Phuket was in turmoil or not, savoring the feeling of magic filling her up.

“If I had known this, I would have dragged it out a few more days.”

“Forgot the motto of the Secret Society? Handle the work quickly and then rest afterward. You know that.”

“I know, but do you even realize how long we’ve been in Thailand?”

“…What, has it been 72 hours?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Not even three days had passed since the incident had ended.

Even just counting the time after arriving in Thailand, it hadn’t been three days yet since breaking the illusion created by the demon known as Hyangdan, based on the information obtained from the Zenros escort ship.

The day we arrived, I met with Nguyen.

The next day, we caused an explosion in Phuket.

Now, having rested for a whole day, we are out on the streets enjoying brunch at a cafe, reaching the morning of the third day since arriving by plane.

“Now we can finally relax a bit. Both of us are slowly recovering our magic power and enjoying it. Why do you say that? You talked as if we were going to have a great time for the remainder of our stay.”

“I always feel this, but when I have to handle it alone, it can be really tough…”

“Yet you say that and still don’t call for any other support.”

“…Hehe.”

Yun Hye-ra laughed softly, leaning over the table.

“If I call someone else, then the time I have with you will be taken away. Why should I give up my time?”

“You were just saying you couldn’t handle it alone.”

“Even if I can’t handle it, I’ll enjoy it all by myself. Even if it kills me, I’ll eat to my heart’s content.”

“You’re going to stretch your stomach by overeating?”

“I wish I could stretch it, but it’s not possible.”

Yun Hye-ra patted her stomach.

Although being model-thin was certainly not just talk, her body was so perfectly shaped that it seemed non-human, with everything in just the right place.

She possessed S+ level power.

Due to Yun Hye-ra’s unique trait where her body was composed of magical power, the aesthetics of her body were maintained as long as the magic supported it well.

“Hye-ra, it seems like your chest has shrunk since before you left.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.”

“…Didn’t you refill it overnight?”

“I didn’t use any mana yesterday.”

Yun Hye-ra frowned while looking at her mana pouch that was placed on the table.

It’s a bit sad that her pride in her mana pouch was gone, given that she had a relatively large amount of mana compared to other officers.

“Ah. The difference between men and women really is something.”

“It’s more about the difference between you and me, isn’t it? Gwang Ik Gong probably feels the same, right?”

“…Should I ask?”

Yun Hye-ra tapped on the Taeguk Watch she brought from the bunker in Bangkok.

“It’s not polite to ask a man about such things.”

“So what? You might end up in the same situation as Gwang Ik Gong.”

“…That won’t happen to me. I’ll survive to the end.”

I would cling to life until I could bring these stories back to my original world.

“And even if it does happen, it won’t reduce the size of the baseball bat.”

“Why? Isn’t that maintained by mana too?”

“With people around to refill the mana, why would the baseball bat get smaller?”

“Oh….”

Yun Hye-ra’s eyes sparkled.

As if she had an epiphany, she clapped her hands at me.

“That’s just like you, oppa. Such an extraordinary idea. Then it’s also possible to quickly enlarge it by feeding you mana?”

“That’s right.”

I carefully checked Yun Hye-ra’s expression and cautiously floated the idea.

“Yumir has that ability.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Doul learned it last time.”

In whispers.

As it was not possible to speak loudly about it in the middle of the road, I briefly explained the method of mana supply that Yumir had taught and Doul had learned.

“Try contacting Doul later. She’ll teach you right away.”

“……Should I give Doul a day during the remaining time and learn it to break even?”

Yun Hye-ra seriously started to weigh her time and skills.

“Ugh. Still, I hesitate to call.”

“Why? Is that a bit much?”

“No. I just don’t like the idea of losing time with you.”

“…Greedy.”

“If I just know the technique, I can learn it later.”

Yun Hye-ra sucked up the remaining smoothie in one go and leaned close to me.

“…Oppa, can I ask you something?”

“If you’re prefacing it like that, it seems like you’re about to say something serious.”

“Yeah. Are the kids in Korea okay?”

“…….”

I immediately realized what Yun Hye-ra was worried about.

“Are you worried that the kids will be disappointed because I killed Laplace?”

“Yeah. Originally, I was supposed to handle this side. It wasn’t necessary for you to come too.”

“I can’t just overlook the fact that there’s a Pandemonium.”

“Still, their thoughts might change, especially Yumir’s.”

“…….”

I lightly cleared my throat with the coffee in front of me.

“Snow White is fine, she’s seen you killing villains in Korea before. But what about Platinum Sun? Isn’t this the first time since meeting you that she’s acted in a way befitting someone from the Secret Society?”

“You worry about everything.”

“I’m worried because it matters.”

“Even if I’m worried, neither Platinum Sun nor Yumir will become my enemies. Yumir is reluctant to kill people, but she would accept it if irredeemable people die.”

And that’s what I wanted as well.

“There should be no hesitation in killing those who deserve it. If someone else could do the killing without dirtying my hands, I would appreciate it. If it can’t be handled legally, I hope someone will take the emotional judgment, even if they must bear the stigma. That’s when Yumir truly becomes part of the Secret Society.”

“What if Yumir tries to keep her hands clean even after joining the Secret Society?”

“That depends on negotiations with the chairman, doesn’t it?”

“…Right. Given her outstanding abilities, it’s natural that her treatment would be different.”

Yun Hye-ra stirred the leftover smoothie with a straw and smiled bitterly.

“Indeed. That’s how I ended up joining the Secret Society too.”

“…….”

“That’s how everyone becomes part of the Secret Society. Whether they were heroes or villains, if they think the order of the Secret Society is ‘right’… that’s how people start falling into it. …It’s the same with those people there.”

Thump, thump.

The sound of heavy footsteps approached.

Despite having cast an invisibility spell, the ground still vibrated noticeably, indicating that despite the sound being blocked, the ground was shaking significantly.

Was it an earthquake?

No.

This was not a natural earthquake but one artificially created by people.

“Oppa, if Yumir and the others ever ask if ‘just killing people is the end?’ make sure to tell them. The Secret Society isn’t just about recklessly killing villains and wrapping everything up without a plan.”

I was a villain, after all.

It’s enough to just execute villains, and indeed, I had executed Laplace.

“Oppa, you’re an executioner of villains, not an anarchist trying to manage chaos.”

“I know.”

But the Secret Society was different.

I created the situation according to the Secret Society’s plan, and now it’s time for the Secret Society to actively intervene.

“We leave the complex political issues to the politicians within the Secret Society, and we just enjoy ourselves.”

“Wowwwww!!”

Just as Yun Hye-ra released the soundproof barrier, a roar of cheers erupted from the people marching in line behind us.

“The Prime Minister must resign!!”

“Resign!!”

Citizens, wrapped in black from head to toe, filled the streets, protesting.

While most were ordinary citizens, they were being systematically led by collaborators or consultants of the Secret Society.

“The tasks that could be resolved with abilities are all finished. The rest is up to the adults, those who are not ability users.”

Yes.

Yun Hye-ra and I had done our part.

The rest was for those born before the year 2000, a matter for the adults in society.

Our wandering around Bangkok was not just about recklessly causing incidents and having fun.

“Oppa, where shall we go today?”

“…Hmm. How about Pattaya?”

It’s not that we’re flipping the country upside down and then just going on a vacation as if nothing happened.

Absolutely not.

The Goblin was not someone who just wreaked havoc and ran away.