* * *

Haeryeon hadn't expected an assignment like this to come down so soon. Given its scale, though, it was urgent. Villains involved with cults like that were usually obsessed with expanding their influence; there was no telling how far they might spread. It was a serious problem that had to be dealt with as soon as it was discovered.

Still, nobody wanted the assignment. It was difficult, and it would take a long time.

["Your team discovered it, so let them have a go. That's how they grow, Haeryeon."]

Dojin's words lingered in her mind. How infuriating. Ever since she'd taken Hyeonyul onto her team, Dojin had been spiteful like this every so often.

As Hyeonyul's silence continued, the other teammates began watching his reaction, too. Everyone knew how much he loved getting off work.

Haeryeon approached him and immediately added, "On the other hand, once this mission is over, you'll get about two paid days off as standard, plus an extra bonus and additional leave."

"That part is nice."

Sinu nodded several times. The rewards were good, in proportion to the difficulty. But it was still difficult.

"So, to summarize the mission, you're saying we have to stay there?"

Hyeonyul emerged from his thoughts to ask. At first, the assignment had sounded terribly unreasonable, but after considering it carefully, he realized nobody had said he had to stay awake for five days.

"That's right."

"If I can step away partway through, am I allowed to?"

He needed to see Jeongmin for a checkup. He had to have time to go to him.

"You can use an eagle. If you're in a situation where you can't use one... Well, that doesn't happen, but anyway, if it does, I'll arrange for Jihwan to come here. You've already seen it, but Jihwan can manipulate space. Of course, that isn't publicly known."

At Haeryeon's words, Jihwan raised two fingers in a V.

"Most people know me as an ice mage."

Jihwan shrugged. Even when they'd first met, Jihwan had been pretending it was ice magic.

"But Hyeonyul, I'd like to give you a choice about this mission."

Haeryeon's tone was serious. She had considered a number of things, but this mission wasn't suitable for Hyeonyul's physical condition. That issue had kept troubling her.

"I'm fine, Team Leader."

Reading her hesitation, Hyeonyul spoke first. Whatever defects his body had, they weren't enough to prevent him from carrying out a mission. If they started getting in the way one by one like this, he could be excluded from other assignments, too.

Besides, this was his problem to handle. Haeryeon shouldn't have to worry about it.

"I know you're concerned for me. But I've already spent countless missions lying in wait."

"I know. But I don't want you to misunderstand. When I leave someone off a mission, it's because I've weighed what makes them suitable or unsuitable for that particular assignment. This doesn't mean you'll be excluded from other missions altogether. I'm simply acknowledging your particular circumstances. As your Team Leader, I can't ignore that, can I?"

Haeryeon spoke calmly. She had to be careful about what Hyeonyul was thinking and how he might misconstrue her words.

"Then will we be fed there? Will we be able to sleep?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm fine."

Hyeonyul nodded. That was acceptable. The conditions weren't bad, either.

"Are you really okay with it...?"

"Yes. Being able to eat and sleep is enough for me."

"... Hyeonyul."

Nayun called his name, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yes, sis?"

"Have you... ever been unable to eat or sleep during a mission?"

Surely not. But she wanted to know. What if she inadvertently made a mistake? This was something they needed to be aware of.

"Yes," Hyeonyul answered briefly.

A moment of silence followed. Meeting the gazes fixed on him, he continued.

"That's simply how things are there. It doesn't mean I'm particularly pitiful or anything."

That was all he could say.

"I can see why you left, Bro."

Jihwan sympathized. A place that didn't feed you or let you sleep?

"A shitty place like that should just go under."

It was enough to make Jihwan's voice rise at once.

"Exactly. It should go under."

Hyeonyul wholeheartedly agreed.

"Then let's do some work today that'll bring down plenty of villains."

Haeryeon stood, walked over to her desk, and brought back a stack of papers.

"Is it too much?"

"No. It isn't much."

Hyeonyul picked up the pen resting on the papers with a practiced hand. He'd done plenty of paperwork, so he was accustomed to it.

"All right, team? The meeting's over. Take a leaf out of Hyeonyul's book and get going on your assigned work."

"... Yes. We should get going. We should, but today I'm a little—more than a little—jealous of Hyeonyul."

Nayun rose, looking at him enviously. She didn't want to work.

"If you're jealous, you've lost. Get moving."

Haeryeon waved them away. Plenty of people were waiting.

"I've lost."

Sinu stood, shaking their head.

"Me too."

Jihwan looked at Sinu and nodded. Sinu nodded back, and they bumped fists. Nayun shook her head at the pair, then smiled at Hyeonyul.

"Hyeonyul, I only meant I'm jealous. Don't take it too seriously."

"I know. I've been jealous when I've seen you go home early, too."

"Right? You want to finish early and go chat at a café, don't you? Ah, I'm itching to talk."

"...?"

"Oh! Hyeonyul, you like cake, right? I'll send some places in the chat later, so tell me which one you like. Let's go eat together. Anyway, I'll be off."

Nayun rattled on so quickly that she left Hyeonyul dazed, then waved and departed.

"..."

His pen hand stopped. Just like that, he had plans.

"Sis, I want to vote, too! Every place you recommend has great food!"

Jihwan ran excitedly after Nayun.

"Bro, let's meet at the café another day, not today. I'll be back."

'... One more?'

"Nayun's recommendations really are good. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be back."

'Another?'

Hyeonyul watched Sinu leave with bewilderment in his eyes, then immediately turned to Haeryeon.

"... You can look at me like that, but I'm coming, too. Those places are amazing. Why else would Juhyeon cling to Nayun's trouser leg begging to be taken along?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what?"

Haeryeon's eyes widened.

"Is it all right for you to go with me?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know."

"Then come along first and think about it afterward. You'll definitely enjoy it."

"This place is a little... strange."

"That's how it is here. Our teammates are the people who'll watch my back, after all. You protected all of us a few days ago, too, didn't you?"

Haeryeon chuckled. Looking at him like this, he seemed so gentle.

"Do you mean the poison the Poison King released?"

"That's right. Sinu, Nayun, and Jihwan have no resistance to poison. That's normal, of course, but it's still frightening and unsettling. In that sense, you saved everyone. That's why they're all happy."

She never got used to sending her teammates into places where they might die. She had to do it time after time, and every time she was plagued by guilt. Thankfully, Hyeonyul's arrival in Team Three had given her more options when planning missions.

"Is that so?"

"It is. Now, let's work."

Haeryeon returned to her desk. Hyeonyul glanced at her, then drew an X as he studied the company logo printed on a sheet of paper.

One sheet, then two. As the papers gradually piled up, he quietly called to her.

"Team Leader."

"Yes?"

"Do you find many experimental sites?"

"Not... many. They're the most carefully hidden places, after all."

"I'll share the information I've uncovered with you."

"Huh...?"

Haeryeon blinked. What did he mean, all of a sudden?

"Isn't what they did at an experimental site more important than the fact that a site exists there?"

"... It is."

She swallowed involuntarily. Her heart was already racing.

"I've discovered several experimental sites, and I have information from them."

"Were you trying to find something?"

"Yes."

Hyeonyul rolled up his left sleeve.

REX―03333.

The moment she saw it, Haeryeon's expression grew grave. It was his test-subject number. Ordinarily, someone would have had it removed, but it was still etched there.

"I want to know who the bastards who made me are."

Identifying companies established by villains had reminded him of yesterday. Of those fuckers who'd taken part in the experiments.

"If you discover another experimental site, would you tell me?"

"I will. I promise. No, I'll check the sites we've already found for this number."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"May I kill them?"

"... I can't give you a definite answer on that."

"Understood."

"... Well, Hyeonyul."

"Yes."

"I really will do my best."

"Thank you."

Hyeonyul bowed his head. Perhaps Haeryeon would be different. He allowed himself the smallest hope.

"Hyeonyul. On the day we went to see the Poison King, did he say anything to you in private?"

"He did."

"What did he say?"

"He told me not to trust the Empire."

["That's why I'm kindly warning you, isn't it? Get out quickly. The deeper you become involved, the more bitterly you'll regret it."]

"I thought that was the sort of thing any villain might say."

"Anything else?"

"He said he coveted me. Because I'm a successful test subject."

"... That must have been hard to tell me."

Merely speaking of it would make his anger surge. There was no way he could give a proper report in that state.

"Has something happened?"

"He tried to recruit you before, remember? I wondered if he'd been spouting that nonsense again."

Haeryeon clenched her fist. Hyeonyul had a tendency to shoulder everything alone. Unless she asked like this, she doubted he would tell her first.

"Even if I receive an offer like that, I'll refuse."

"You will, won't you?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Good. That's the spirit to work in."

"By the way, Team Leader."

"Yes?"

Haeryeon looked at him with bright, attentive eyes.

"When do we begin the infiltration?"

"... Tomorrow?"

"Understood. I'll prepare."

After answering, Hyeonyul resumed his work. He didn't want anything to happen while he was briefly away. First, it would be best to silence one mouth.

'I'll have to go there first after work.'

Hyeonyul gripped his pen tightly.

'For now, let's catch them all.'

Hadn't he learned today that the investigation would proceed even if he did nothing? Then his only course was to keep catching villains, one after another.

* * *

The Poison King startled as a hand suddenly emerged from thin air.

"... Where is it?"

Hyeonyul seized him by the throat and demanded an answer without preamble. The Poison King stared at him, his eyes still wide with shock.

Haeryeon had prevented the Poison King's poison from leaking out, but apparently the staff didn't trust her work; proper repairs still hadn't been made. Naturally, the security cameras weren't working.

"... Ha."

The Poison King let out an incredulous laugh. Did he know where he was? Coming here while he was a Black Eagle? Was this bastard insane?

Those thoughts rose to the Poison King's throat.

"Are you incredulous?"

"When I ask a question, you should answer properly..."

Hyeonyul's grip tightened hard.

"I know you can regenerate. What do you think I'm going to do?"

Hyeonyul had chosen the fastest route. The Poison King owned many places. Other villains were no different. Like a multilevel marketing network, like sprawling tentacles, they spread out countless companies. Only one among them was the real thing.

Investigating all the way to that location was a waste of time. Why do something so foolish when the owner himself was right here?

"Can you regenerate even if your head is cut off?"

Hyeonyul was genuinely curious now. A dagger rested in his other hand.

"Then do you... regenerate?"

"Yes."

Hyeonyul smiled.

"I was created for experiments. Isn't that only natural?"

It was dangerous, though. He didn't bother saying that aloud.

"As you know, I'll try it. If you die, it'll merely be a shame."

As Hyeonyul's hand moved, the Poison King spoke urgently.

"Wait!"

"Yes. Go ahead."

"You don't know what you're doing right now."

"I know perfectly well."

"You know what repercussions this will have?"

"What repercussions should I consider when I'm reducing the number of villains?"

Hyeonyul tilted his head slightly.

"Don't brand us as villains."

"Oh, I've heard the claim that the Empire created these powers. Is that why? Did the Empire do something to you?"

"..."

The Poison King fell silent, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Never mind. That's not what I want to know. If you don't want to die, start talking."

Hyeonyul looked at the Poison King and smirked. No villain in the world would want to have their own head cut off.

* * *

In an instant, something glittering plunged into someone's throat. They couldn't even scream.

The lights were hurriedly switched on, but a man in a rabbit mask stood there.

Shh.

Hyeonyul raised a gloved index finger to his lips. He held up his phone, making the words scroll like an electronic sign.

「Nod if you understand.」

Everyone standing there nodded.

The room was filled with corpses, and blood stained it red. All the executives who had been meeting were dead.

Who could possibly refuse to surrender?