The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 42

The appeal to patriotic pride that I’d pitched to Cheon Myeong-guk had fallen flat.
It had seemed promising enough.
Since editing could raise suspicions, we decided to release the full footage instead.
Still, it was a shame.

* * *

The eyeballs rolling side to side with each movement of my spoon are striking. When I finally tap the very tip, it ruptures—and I scoop the contents onto the spoon.
The deep, rich flavor drawn from the Owlboar’s head, which can rotate left and right, forward and backward, and even a full three-hundred-sixty degrees, coats the tip of my tongue before blooming across my entire mouth. It’s a fantastical taste I want only to know and only to eat.

“How is it?”

The President’s eyes watching me were brimming with anticipation. He’d started treating me informally not long ago, and now he was showing considerable warmth. I took another bite and spoke honestly.

“It’s exquisite.”
“How exquisite?”
“…Would it be all right if I became the youngest son of this household?”
“What? Ha ha ha ha!”

The President clutched his belly and laughed. The First Lady beside him was equally radiant with mirth.
I’d only said delicious food was delicious and eaten it with genuine pleasure—I wasn’t sure why they were enjoying it so much. But while they were laughing, I might as well eat more. I focused on the meal.

“Look at this—my wife’s cooking is finally getting its proper moment to shine.”
“How can he eat with such gusto? I’d love to make it again for him.”
“I understand the impulse, but if we bring out all our secret dishes now, won’t we lose the chance to serve them later? We should go slowly and keep some recipes in reserve—so we can entertain him even after we leave Cheongwadae.”
“That’s a fair point.”

The First Lady, smiling, rose from her seat.

“I’ll need to develop some new recipes for that day. Please, enjoy your conversation.”

Watching her, I realized that not just anyone could be the wife of a politician. She’d recognized that the President had something he wanted to say and was gracefully withdrawing. She had a warmth to her manner, but she was shrewd.

“So, why have you been hiding that skill all this time?”
“Which skill?”
“Your Hunting prowess. The way you took down that Black Wyvern in one strike.”
“You saw it.”
“I saw all of it. I’ve watched it over five times now. I’m not an Awakener, but I’ve always thought I have a pretty sharp eye. Still, every time I watch that moment, I’m left speechless. A friend I had explain it said it was impossible—shook his head and everything. That’s why I laughed. Because I always knew you’d succeed like this. Truly.”

Strange, considering how brutally he’d pressured me back then.
I had to admire politicians’ skill at switching faces. I should learn that trick myself.

“I’m grateful for your confidence.”
“That’s good, then. In any case, that’s lifted a burden off my shoulders. But why haven’t you been Hunting with that skill? If I had it, I’d be chasing down Monsters like a madman. Catch one and the campaign funds materialize! Ten of them and the economy takes off! Isn’t that a miracle?”
“I wasn’t particularly interested.”
“A single one fetches over a hundred billion? That’s quite the swagger. All my life, I’ve watched people who claim to have no greed for money accumulate wealth in secret, but you—you’ve transcended that entirely. That’s a first for me.”

The heart and byproducts of the Black Wyvern combined would be worth over a hundred billion, it seems. I’ve made money.

“The results of the Hunt will remain confidential as you requested. Those trying to diminish the value of our Choi Junho, our Level 8 Awakener, will get a bitter taste. When are you planning to go public with this?”
“During the National Guild Federation meeting.”
“That’ll cause an uproar.”

The President licked his lips and asked carefully.

“Do you really think he’ll show up?”
“Director Cheon will have reported on it. The probability of his appearance is one hundred percent.”
……

The President’s expression hardened.
Surprised at this point? He’d barely bat an eye unless two Tier 8 Hazards appeared simultaneously.

“A Tier 7 Hazard would be driven out. Only a Monster of higher rank could do that.”
“Good heavens. This is serious, deadly serious. The damage will be severe. There’s no way to launch a preemptive strike?”
“How would we attack without knowing where it is?”
“We’ll find it by searching Cheongju, Eumseong, and Goesan County thoroughly.”

Those three regions were candidate locations for the Monster Nuri, Number Eight.

“Do you think the Hunters will step back?”
“They won’t. This is their greatest money-making opportunity. But it sounds as though if we just coordinate their interests, we could have it captured for us — is that right?”
“You’re mistaken.”
“It doesn’t feel like a mistake.”

A Tier 8 Hazard leaves nothing to waste from its corpse, starting with the heart. Moreover, individual specimens are so rare that their combined value reaches trillions of won.
The major Guilds would descend on it with gleaming eyes.
The President coveted it too.

“It’s fine to concede the first turn to the Guilds. I want the second turn.”
“You expect the first turn to fail?”
“I hope it succeeds.”
“But you’ll capture it on your turn next.”
“If my turn comes, I will capture it.”

After a moment of deliberation, the President summarized the situation succinctly.

“All of this assumes that a Tier 8 Hazard actually appears.”
“Correct.”
“I still hope it doesn’t, but we’d better prepare anyway.”

A bitter smile crossed the President’s lips.

* * *

Though the Black Wyvern hunt was kept secret, news that the team had left its territory and attacked a Hunting party spread, heightening speculation about a Tier 8 Hazard’s imminent arrival.
A Tier 8 Hazard represents a different tier of threat altogether — just as Level 8 Awakeners are recognized as Superhumans, these Monsters far exceed everything faced before.
That’s why each one is given a name.
A Tier 8 Hazard is a Monster capable of toppling the nation itself if mishandled.
Yet South Korea had already encountered seven Tier 8 Hazards, suffered catastrophic losses at times, but also had hunting successes to its credit.
The securities market was the first to react to news of an 8-level Monster’s appearance.
As foreign capital withdrew, circuit breakers triggered and chaos erupted.
But that quickly gave way to recovery as optimism about hunting the 8-level Monster drove related stocks to their daily limits at accelerating speed.
A Tier 8 Hazard offers first Bidding rights to major Guilds with Level 8 members. And to control Monsters running wild from the disrupted ecosystem, Hunting restrictions are lifted—flooding the market with countless Byproducts in the process.
The Seongsong Guild was among those who’d learned of Nuri, Number Eight, early on.

“An 8-level Monster—finally, prey worthy of stirring the blood.”
“Uncle, you want us to step forward, don’t you?”
“Of course. It’s our chance for greater advancement. Think of the Saya Guild after we caught Number Seven, Daon, last time.”
……

But instead of answering, Lee Se-hee fell into thought.
Baek Gun-seo saw her expression and asked.

“Do you have some other concern?”
“There are a few things that trouble me. First, it’s that Junho seems to keep such a low profile. You’ve heard the rumors too, haven’t you?”

Baek Gun-seo understood immediately. It was the hottest gossip going around these days.

“The half-baked talk? I’ll admit there’s some logic to it when you think about it. Monster hunting does have its obstacles to overcome.”
“It’s a false rumor.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”

Lee Se-hee recalled the presence of the Monster that Choi Junho had displayed. It was a demonstration of skill that would be impossible without exceptional understanding of Monsters. How many Monsters would one have to observe from the sidelines to manage that? She’d abandoned her attempt to mimic it out of curiosity, but one thing she was certain of.
Choi Junho understood Monsters far better than she could even begin to guess. His understanding of Monsters didn’t translate directly into Hunting prowess, yet she couldn’t fathom the notion that he might be incapable of hunting Monsters.

“That’s why I’m being cautious. And as for the Black Wyvern—I suspect Junho was the one who captured it.”
“You said information couldn’t be obtained, didn’t you?”
“Right, there isn’t any. But the information blackout is far too thorough. When information is suppressed that completely, the puzzle actually fits together. He must have requested that the information be hidden. He’s painting a much larger picture.”

There could be many reasons, but the most plausible was bait aimed at those spreading the half-baked rumors.
His very existence was so unconventional that no small number of people harbored jealousy toward him.
Choi Junho was not the type to let such a situation pass without consequence.
If it were a matter of catching them all at once….
Thinking that far, Lee Se-hee trembled. The shockwave alone terrified her. How many heads would be broken?
At least her own wouldn’t be among them.

“If that’s your judgment, I won’t push the matter. If we back off, that bastard Lee Chan-taek will come running eagerly.”
“Weren’t you looking forward to him quite a bit?”
“Of course I was looking forward to it. But an owner’s instinct is never something to ignore. You should respect it instead. Your uncle felt the same way. With that instinct, he guided Seongsong Group to this position through the turbulent times. You have that talent too.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“But I’m curious about the details. A guy who mercilessly caught villains actually turns out to have considerable Hunting skill too? What’s the secret behind wielding that much martial prowess at his age?”

Baek Gun-seo regarded Lee Se-hee with a suggestive look.

“If you ask him, won’t he tell you?”
“I don’t want my head broken. You saw how Anna Christine was treated, didn’t you?”
“I did see that. It’s the first time I’ve seen a man coldly stand up a woman that beautiful. Tsk, tsk. If it were me….”
“Anna Christine sure seems to have looked pretty to your eyes. This is going to end with you being headhunted and moving to America, isn’t it? Should I contact Anna Christine and introduce you?”
“Ahem!”

Lee Se-hee smiled as she watched Baek Gun-seo clear his throat in embarrassment.

“I’ll continue gathering information. I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations.”
“All right, thank you. But do you have an appointment today?”
“Does it look that way?”
“You seem different from usual.”

Lee Se-hee was the embodiment of glamour itself. She was a walking luxury goods exhibition with tens of billions of won draped across her entire body.
As the real power behind South Korea’s premier Seongsong Guild and a celebrity, every luxury item she wore sold out that day—her promotional effect was enormous.
But today, unlike usual, she wore modest and composed attire, radiating an unusual innocent charm.
Had he ever seen Lee Se-hee looking like that before?
Baek Gun-seo searched his memory and arrived at the conclusion that it was the first time.

“…Sometimes I like to dress like this too.”

Lee Se-hee offered a faint smile.

* * *

Her parents had come up to Seoul. At first they stubbornly insisted on staying in Cheongju, but once they made up their minds, everything moved swiftly.
The timing was fortunate. With the executioner’s northward march and Nuri being likely to appear in one of several places including Cheongju, arrangements were made to bring them up quickly.

“So Seoul really is nice, isn’t it?”
“It’s not bad.”
“That’s exactly why I said you should’ve come up sooner. Why do you have to be so stubborn!”

The culprit was Father. He wore an awkward expression as he replied to Mother’s nagging.

“We agreed not to be a bother to the children.”
“You said our talented children would figure something out. Look how happy it is to come up here trusting them. From now on, let’s just have a little faith, shall we?”

Where we are now is actually an apartment where my parents live—a Han River view apartment in Yongsan. Though it’s only 340 square meters, the price was a staggering 6.5 billion won; we’d spent everything we’d earned from monsters on this place.
It didn’t matter, since over 100 billion won would come in soon from the Black Wyvern hunting payment.
My parents wandered through the apartment, letting out continuous exclamations of amazement.

“This is really wonderful. Did you arrange all this, Junho?”
“Yun-hee put in some effort. I heard the Seongsong Guild has a department that helps with these things?”
“She was just lounging around the house before, but Yun-hee’s grown up now.”
“She’s all grown up. If she just marries well, I’ll have nothing left to wish for.”
“What do you mean marriage already? Yun-hee’s still so young! It’s fine for her to meet several men first. That way she can pick a good one.”
“Still, she can’t end up with some strange fellow.”
…….

I didn’t mind my parents discussing Yun-hee’s romantic life, but why did they keep glancing over at me?
Were they suggesting I should date? Or did they have no hope for me at all?
It seemed like the latter. Did I really look like someone incapable of dating?
I’d seen plenty of comments on the news saying things like “I love my oppa”—at this point, wasn’t I fairly popular? Though I had no idea why people kept adding those garbled characters after.

“Junho, have you eaten dinner yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s look around a bit more and go get dinner together.”
“Sounds good.”

Since it was five o’clock now, we’d probably head out around six.
That’s when the doorbell rang.

“Who is it?”
“I’m not sure.”

Since nobody was supposed to be coming, I was puzzled—until I saw Lee Se-hee standing at the door.
What was Lee Se-hee doing here?
When I opened the door, her outfit struck me as unusual.
The woman who was always flamboyant looked particularly composed today.
Had something gone wrong with her?

“Hello, Junho. Hello, Father and Mother.”

After stepping inside, Lee Se-hee gave me a nod, then greeted my parents.

“Oh my, oh my! So this is….”
“Who might you be?”

My parents seemed bewildered by Lee Se-hee’s sudden appearance.
I was quite surprised myself. What was she doing here?

“I’m Lee Se-hee from the Seongsong Guild. I’ve been indebted to Junho quite a bit.”
“She’s also Yun-hee’s boss at work.”
“My, you’re absolutely beautiful.”
“I’m Junho’s father.”
“And I’m Junho’s mother. But indebted to our Junho, you say?”

Lee Se-hee replied with a bashful smile.

“Junho is exceptionally capable, isn’t he? So we’ve been getting help from him on everything—from policy advice to various projects. He’s been a tremendous asset.”
“Our Junho?”
“Yes, Junho is far more remarkable than you might imagine. A Level 8 Superhuman is someone the government manages with the utmost care. In fact, his diplomatic protocol ranking is extraordinarily high, and he serves as a representative of the Republic of Korea among Supermen at international exchange events and…….”

Lee Se-hee answered her parents’ questions in a measured tone.
My parents, who had seemed uncomfortable at first, were utterly captivated by just a few words from her.
Had she used a Gift? I checked just in case, but she hadn’t. She’d won them over with mere words. Lee Se-hee must have noticed me verifying—she winked at me.
What is this situation?
The same things I’d said and gotten lectured for drew a dramatically different response when Lee Se-hee said them.
Why was the conversation warmer when he spoke to her than when talking to his own son?
At some point, Lee Se-hee took the lead in showing off the apartment. She explained details I’d never even mentioned and walked them through all the building’s amenities.
If Lee Se-hee had pressed the matter, the atmosphere was such that my parents would’ve signed the deed on another unit right then and there.
By the time we finished talking, it was already six o’clock. It was about time for dinner, but Lee Se-hee showed no sign of leaving.

“I’ve made a reservation for dinner somewhere nearby. Would that be all right?”
“Dinner too?”
“Yes, there’s a nice place not far from here.”
“Then we should go.”
“I’ll show you the way.”

And so the four of us—including Lee Se-hee—had dinner together.
My father nudged my side and let out a quiet cough.

“Ahem! Our Junho’s all grown up.”

* * *

The emergence of a Tier 8 Hazard Monster made the news. It was the kind of story that shook the entire nation.
The moment word spread, the National Guild Federation convened an emergency meeting.
At this gathering, the response strategy for the monster would be determined, and the competing interests of the guilds would be reconciled.
Occasionally some guilds would assert unilateral claims, but under government mediation, the process had typically reached reasonable consensus.
The National Guild Federation operated like all guild unions in the Republic of Korea, but certain minimum qualifications had to be met—membership required achieving multiple benchmarks: personnel composition, Hunting performance, revenue, and other factors.
This sparked criticism that smaller guilds had no voice, but in an age where monster Hunting is directly linked to national security, such grievances were easily overlooked.
Minor complaints were swept aside without hesitation.

“We’ll begin the meeting.”

With all the major guilds of the Republic of Korea assembled, I attended the meeting alongside Cheon Myeong-guk in my capacity as a Superhuman.
As I took my seat, eyes converged on me from all directions. The gazes were so intense that I wondered if people harbored some primal urge to collect eyeballs. It made me deeply uncomfortable.

“Given the observed ecosystem disturbance and the unusual energy signatures being detected, we can infer that the appearance of a Tier 8 Hazard Monster is imminent.”

All eyes shifted to Cheon Myeong-guk.
Hunting rights for Tier 8 Hazard Monsters were determined by auction, with the Awakener Security Office managing the process.
Cheon Myeong-guk rose from his seat and approached the podium.

“We now face a grave threat. With each passing day, the world is exposed to greater peril from monsters. The government will designate this new monster as ‘Nuri’ as planned, and the first Hunting right for Nuri shall be determined by auction.”

The order discussed here refers to the sequence in which guilds will face the monster. Securing the first right means confronting the Tier 8 Hazard Monster on the front lines, and success in the hunt grants full recognition of that right.
This isn’t all advantageous. The sacrifice can be considerable, and by depleting the monster’s strength, lower-ranking guilds can reap easy rewards.
But over time, as Hunting experience accumulated and Hunter capability surged dramatically, guilds with auction rights wanted to face the monster as number one. The government felt the same way.
However, Cheon Myeong-guk announced that the government would relinquish the first position.
He was moving according to my request.
Murmuring swelled through the room.

“In exchange, the government will exercise the second Hunting right, and the first, third, and fourth positions will be determined by auction results.”

The minimum qualification to Hunt a Tier 8 Hazard Monster was to be a guild possessing a Level 8 Superhuman. Currently, only the government and three guilds met this standard.
The commotion intensified at this announcement.
Eyes fell on me once again. Somewhere in the noise, I caught the word “incomplete”—half-baked, in their assessment. I saw disapproving expressions too.
When Cheon Myeong-guk finished speaking, a man shot to his feet and shouted.

“It’s all well and good to determine the second hunting order, but shouldn’t the government first prove it has the capability to hunt at all?”

The one pressing the objection was a rough-looking man with a close-cropped head. In his mid-forties with a muscular frame, his true identity had been documented in classified files.
He was Yu Heung-ryeol, master of the Fierce Tiger Guild operating out of Gwanggyo, Suwon. He’d expanded the guild rapidly through aggressive hunts and notable achievements in a short span of time.
However, the report mentioned frequent disputes over hunting grounds, brewing conflicts, and friction with guilds in both Suwon and Yongin as he sought to expand his territory.
As Yu Heung-ryeol continued, he surveyed the room around him.

“I don’t doubt the ability of those taking on the first hunt, but with insufficient information, they could fail. Then we’d have to pull back the front lines and send the second team to intercept—but the government will handle it? If that line breaks, we’ll be facing a Tier 8 Hazard right outside the city! As a member of the National Guild Federation, I cannot trust an unproven government hunting team!”

Many voiced their agreement with Yu Heung-ryeol. I committed the faces of those actively supporting him to memory. Just out of curiosity.
I caught Cheon Myeong-guk’s eye with a glance.
Perhaps worried the commotion would escalate, Cheon Myeong-guk raised his voice.

“That’s precisely why we’ve prepared footage. Would you all please take a moment to watch?”

The moment of truth had arrived.
On the conference room’s large screen, footage of me hunting a Black Wyvern began to play. It was plain, unpretentious video—no flashy editing.

……

When footage of me striking down a Tier 7 Hazard in a single blow—a monster known to be too dangerous for even major guilds to hunt carelessly—was revealed, the hall fell into stunned silence before erupting into chaos.
What was with the people filming in the background? It was awkward.
Maybe I should have hunted more dramatically, keeping the camera in mind. I’d have to be more careful going forward.
In the meantime, I skimmed through the classified document Cheon Myeong-guk had prepared, reviewing Yu Heung-ryeol’s earlier statements.
“An inexperienced half-wit” was putting it mildly—there were also remarks like “the kind who trembles and loses control in front of a monster,” “if he gets on his knees and begs, I might share some hunting tips,” and “I bet he only became a Superhuman because the president and the Awakener Security Office director have a video of him.” His vocabulary had been quite creative.
The phrasing was rather colorful.

“In a single blow to a Black Wyvern……”

When the full footage, which had run for roughly a minute, ended, all eyes were on me.
Yu Heung-ryeol’s eyes were trembling violently. Getting nervous now, are we.

“That’s something.

It was strange.
He couldn’t possibly not know that I’d reached Level 8 and become a Superhuman.
I couldn’t fathom why he’d forgotten his place and picked a fight anyway.
Was he operating under the assumption that I wouldn’t lay a hand on him?
What confidence was that based on?
That would be a serious miscalculation.

“…I beat Hunters too, you know.”

A few around the room flinched.
I stood up and lightly kicked off the floor, crossing the conference room in a flash to take my place beside the podium—and Cheon Myeong-guk gave me space.
I stepped in front of the podium.

“Good acoustics here. You can hear everything clearly.”

I offered a smile to the guild officials facing me. There would be plenty of opportunities to meet them again.
After observing them, I turned to Yu Heung-ryeol, whose face had gone ashen.

“You were running your mouth pretty well. Keep going.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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