Chapter 234
- Why me? (8)
#6 Their circumstances: The circumstances of a certain villain boss
“This is the current situation.”
He hands over a thick stack of documents with shaking hands.
Of course, no matter how thick the paper is, it’s just paper. There’s no reason for him to shake just because someone who can use magic is holding a mere stack of papers.
“Hmmm…”
The reason this guy is shaking is precisely because…
“You still haven’t figured out the reason?”
“I’m sorry!”
Mistakes keep happening.
“How many times is this now?”
“T-ten times, sir.”
“It’s more if you include the suspicions.”
The contents shown on the first page of the stack of documents was a report on the recent missing person cases happening.
“There’s a possibility they escaped.”
“That’s probably it.”
The contents written in the documents were complex and full of technical terms, but it could be easily summarized.
<We don’t know where they disappeared to, but it seems they probably escaped.>
In other words,
“You’re incompetent.”
“I’m sorry!”
I look down at the subordinate prostrating himself.
Pathetic.
Even if the missing people were just low ranking members, they were still part of our organization.
I’m not worried about them, but clearly something is happening and he knows nothing about it?
“Do you think someone can secretly escape from this city now?”
“No, sir.”
In the past month, the city gates have only opened once, when that guy, the Hero of Nature Religion, came in. Other than that, they haven’t opened at all.
If merchants came in to transport goods, there might have been a chance for them to escape.
“Do you think there’s a way to escape without using our Darkness secret passages?”
“There isn’t, sir.”
Maybe one or two people could do it secretly, but for over 10 people to disappear in a short period of time, there must be a reason.
“And a hero has shown up too…”
Not just any hero either, but the Dragon Slayer, considered the strongest hero right now.
My evil master, considered an embodiment of evil itself, even told me not to engage with heroes.
And this hero, the pinnacle of them, who even my master said not to engage with, has appeared, yet you want to just brush it off with lazy thinking!
“Throw this guy in the underground prison!”
“B-boss!”
He starts begging me to spare his life, but this isn’t a situation I can be lenient in.
With four or five people disappearing a day, for the guy in charge of the organization’s information to know nothing…
“You’d die either way.”
It’s not like he has to monitor the entire kingdom, just one city, yet he can’t even do that much!
“If the Head of Intelligence was here, this wouldn’t have happened.”
It was such an unfortunate situation that the Head of Intelligence, who was gathering information related to the Demon King in the capital, wasn’t here.
But it can’t be helped.
After the Demon King appeared, the kingdom adopted an isolationist policy and started cracking down on evil organizations to stabilize the interior.
As a result, we had to move here from the capital where we had the most power, and had to leave the Head of Intelligence behind to obtain information from the capital.
“I didn’t know the difference between a Head and Deputy Head could be this big.”
It would be a waste to kill him, so it seemed like he should be transferred to another department.
“Please, this guy must be an idiot… … .”
We need to select a new Head of Intelligence, but the problem is that it doesn’t look like he will be any different from this guy.
“It must be that guy.”
It is clear that the Head of Intelligence was ripping off his subordinates in order to survive.
And as a result.
“It’s devastating.”
I thought I would be able to live comfortably if I became the boss of the organization, but It feels like I have to do even more work as the boss than when I was in a lower position.
“Boss!”
Just then, a subordinate came running eagerly.
“What’s going on?”
The guy running over is the chief of the Defense Unit, responsible for the organization’s defenses. He was a pretty decent fighter, able to use a longsword.
“The enemy has invaded!”
The moment I hear the subordinate’s words, I quickly finish my thoughts.
According to the Head of Intelligence, the royal family had ordered the feudal lords to crack down internally.
So we tried hard to bribe the feudal lord not to fight us.
“That damn feudal lord.”
How much did we pay him, only for him to still draw his sword against us!
“That’s not it!”
“Ugh?”
What!? This is the worst.
If it’s not the feudal lord, then the only one who can come attack our organization right now is the Hero of Nature Religion.
“Is it that damn hero!?”
Damn! I told them not to engage with any hero when they’re outside! Which idiot attacked a hero!
“No, it’s not!”
But I can only feel stunned at the Defense Chief’s words.
“Ugh?”
In this city, we’ve already taken care of all the evil organizations.
And with the city in isolation, no other organization can enter from the outside either.
So, the only ones that can attack us are lords that are under pressure from the royal family and warriors from the Nature Church.
But it’s neither of them?
“Don’t tell me… the Demon King himself came!?”
If that’s the case, now’s not the time.
We need to hurry and escape. There’s no reason to foolishly fight the Demon King, who could be called an apostle of evil itself!
“No, it’s not!”
But the Defense Chief repeats the same words.
“Then who the hell is it!?”
It’s not the feudal lord, not a hero, and not the Demon King, then who!?
“A former member of the Howling organization!”
“Huh?”
What is this nonsense now?
The evil Howling organization. It’s always mentioned when listing the most powerful evil organizations in the empire.
To evil organizations like ours, Howling is literally royalty.
Even just being a low-ranking member of Howling would get you treated like at least a chief in other organizations. It boasted tremendous prestige.
And,
“That place collapsed.”
Its collapse will be 10 years soon.
“So they’re former members!”
“No, not another organization?”
Well, normally those of us at the bottom have similar circumstances. Especially those from Howling that have the same old stories.
Abandoned by their parents and became orphans, parents sold them into slavery when life got hard.
Or parents died in the war, and they committed crimes to survive, getting caught.
There are exceptions of course, but most have circumstances like that which led them to join Howling and become villains. I was the same.
I’m a former Howling member who escaped the organization and created the organization known as Darkness with my own hands.
“They say they’re just former Howling members.”
“Damn! Who the hell are they!?”
So I’m very familiar with the characteristics of those from Howling.
From a young age, they are indoctrinated to pledge loyalty to the organization, almost like brainwashing.
It can’t be helped.
When you take in starving kids and provide them warm meals and beds, they can’t help but pledge their loyalty!
Because they are educated and devote their loyalty to the organization from such a young age, Howling members have no choice but to join another organization after retirement.
They’ve lived their whole lives to become a cog in the organization’s machine, so they have no other options.
In other words, now, 10 years after Howling’s downfall, while former Howling members who survived external missions may have joined other organizations, there’s no way any members who somehow survived under Howling’s name until now could still exist.
“Hey boss!”
But I hear a voice calling for me from afar.
“This is driving me crazy.”
It means this absurd situation is reality.
“Where are the Four Heavenly Kings!?”
Darkness’s strongest four.
They’re lacking for sure, but still at the level of Howling chiefs. I need to gauge the situation with the Four Heavenly Kings.
I don’t think I’ll lose, but just in case.
“They’ve already betrayed us! The Four Heavenly Kings are at the vanguard of the enemy, leading the way!”
“What?”
While their abilities were unsatisfactory, I thought I could at least trust their loyalty.
Just who is this that managed to turn even the Four Heavenly Kings!?
“Ungrateful bastards!”
So this is why Master said you don’t raise disciples, you just have them!
Those guys who were starving to death, I raised them to be useful, and this is how they repay me, with betrayal!?
“Block all paths! I’ll go out by myself and wipe out the enemies!”
“Yes, boss!”
I felt a bit uneasy, but as the boss of an organization, this is the time to demonstrate my authority.
How annoying… I have to use force myself to kill the enemies, and even the remaining Four Heavenly Kings!
“Who is the boss here !?”
Crash!
I look at the blonde brat kicking down the door and entering.
Looking about 20, early to mid 20s. A snow white sword, the complete opposite of my jet black one.
“Me!”
The moment I see him, I size him up.
I can win. The enemy is still a brat.
Of course, some exceptionally talented people do appear that transcend their age.
For example, the students from the Empire’s Yugrasia. Monsters from a den that produce Swordmasters before their 20s. As expected of the Empire’s students who even brought down Howling.
Measured against those monsters, age is just a number, it’s said.
But I too was a possessor of exceptional talent.
During my time as a top trainee at Howling, I was never out of the top 5 rankings, and even after becoming a full member, I was known as one of Howling’s prodigies.
In my early 20s, with magic skills not lacking to be called a Grand Mage, and sword skills that didn’t fall short compared to knights at all, I became a Magic Swordsman.
The only ones who could block my path were Master and my peers who shared the same Master.
In other words, no matter how talented the enemy is, I can’t see their talent surpassing mine.
“Come at me, brat.”
So I was overflowing with confidence.
What’s most important when two people of similar talent fight?
Of course, it’s experience. The cunning to read the opponent’s mind games, and the judgment to deal with unexpected situations.
Even if your skills are lacking, if you can gain the advantage after a few fights, you can win, and with similar skill levels, there’s no need to even mention it.
“Is that so?”
I laugh back at the brat smiling arrogantly.
But… something feels off.
What is this? I’m clearly seeing him for the first time.
“Have we met somewhere before?”
His smile is so familiar.
“No way.”
That’s right. We’re clearly meeting for the first time. But why does he seem so familiar?
That face, that expression, and that snow white sword.
“Instructor told me that…”
“Huh?”
Golden blonde hair, blue eyes. And a snow white sword?
Where have I heard of that combination so many times? Where did I hear it? Where was it…?
“The reason enemies waste time talking is because…”
I’ve heard this somewhere so many times.
Ah right, Master said something like that.
But there was no one like that around me?
“It’s because they have a plan!”
“This crazy bastard!”
In that moment, a golden sword light bursts out from the sword, slicing through the air. And the instant I see that sword light, I realize it.
“You’re a hero!”
When a swordsman awakens to magic power, they awaken to sword energy, and by progressing further, Swordmasters can use sword light.
And the colors are extremely varied.
Even if they’re siblings, even if they share the same master, completely different colored sword energies and sword lights appear.
But there is one exception. Heroes.
The golden sword’s energy and light is proof that they are the warriors chosen by the gods!
“Damn scammer!”
I twist space to dodge the sword light and draw my sword while firing dozens of magic bullets at him.
“What scam!”
“A hero deceiving us by pretending to be from Howling!”
It was an incredible deception tactic.
Up until he used the sword light, I couldn’t see through the enemy due to his words about being from Howling. The rest of the organization was probably the same.
When news came that a warrior from the Nature Church entered, I showed all the members a portrait of the warrior, yet he breaks through with this absurd deception!
“I’m just a former Howling member!”
“You’re not embarrassed to lie before the God of Nature!?”
Shamelessly impersonating Howling, it was not something a warrior should do at all.
“God of Nature my ass, what’s that bastard ever done for me!?”
“Huh?”
But the reply that comes back stuns me for a moment.
Thanks to that, half of the 20 spells I was preparing got canceled, and I nearly got hit by the sword light.
“Oh, is that so?”
But more important than that was the enemy’s identity.
There’s no way a warrior called an apostle of God would say that, right?
“Then, screw the God of Nature!”
I speak while preparing magic, thinking it could still be the enemy’s deception tactic.
“Screw the God of Nature!”
“Huh?”
But the instant reply that comes back prevents me from completing my magic again.
“Kgh!”
Thanks to that, I got quite a big injury after blocking the sword with my own.
“Cough… Just what are you!?”
Even though it was the same sword light, the power was completely different.
Blood flows from my mouth.
The tide had already turned against me. My loss.
But… This was something I had to ask.
“Just what the hell are you!?”
He looks exactly like one of the God of Nature warriors, but uses a golden sword light! And curses at God of Nature without any hesitation!
So what on earth is this guy’s identity!?
“This guy’s identity is… my disciple and…”
“Huh?”
Hearing the familiar voice, I freeze up.
What is this? Huh? What the hell?
While he had aged quite a bit, it was an unforgettable face.
And the man with the unforgettable face said this.
“Your junior.”
“Ah…”
The moment I hear those words, I realize it.
Yeah, that’s right. Don’t know what it is, but.
“I’m screwed.”
