The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 5

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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 5

The Public Hunter examination that year caused quite a stir.
Im Haecheol, a 6th Rank official examiner, had been thoroughly beaten by an applicant during the practical test.
Having reached Level 4, he was a promising candidate with promotion to 5th Rank already assured for the following year.
Yet he’d crumbled without putting up a fight.
Choi Junho, who had emerged like a comet, had already subdued the Unlock Gang that raided the bank, and was now continuing his connection with Jung Dahyun of the Villain Subdual Division.
The arrival of a talent estimated at Level 4, capable of reaching Level 5 depending on circumstances.
He was only twenty-five years old.
For a government struggling with talent drain every year, acquiring him was an absolute necessity.
The ethics portion of the Public Hunter examination was designed to assess a candidate’s minimum sense of justice and the direction of their pursuits. It had never played a decisive role before.
But now it was threatening to do exactly that.
The reason for the conflict among them was simple enough.
It came down to Choi Junho’s essay answer regarding the prioritization of citizen safety versus the elimination of Villains.

“Should we really pass him?”

One examiner, unable to contain himself any longer, held up the answer sheet Choi Junho had written.

[The duty of a Public Hunter is the safety of the maximum number of citizens. If eliminating one Villain protects at least a hundred citizens, then eliminating as many Villains as possible directly leads to the protection of citizen safety. Given that the harm caused by a Villain who has succeeded in a crime and undergone the Awakening of Malice grows exponentially, it is desirable to prioritize Villain elimination even if some collateral losses occur…….]

“This isn’t the mindset a Public Hunter should have! No, this mindset shouldn’t exist in corporate-affiliated Hunters either! This is extremist ideology—literally the thinking of a Villain!”
“Why speak so extremely? It seems the applicant wrote his answer to protect as many citizens as possible.”
“What are you saying? You want to pass someone who casually dismisses the sacrifice of a few?”
“And if we don’t pass him? Once we reject him, the corporations will snatch him up without hesitation—you know that.”
“Let them!”
“You want to let a talent who’s come into the national fold slip away?”

The examiners’ opinions showed no sign of narrowing.
The ideology contained in Choi Junho’s answer was that extreme.
It was a middle-aged man quietly observing from the corner who brought the heated debate to a halt.

“The National Guard Bureau will take responsibility and recruit him.”
“……!”

The imposing man was Jung Juho, the Director overseeing the National Guard Bureau.
He was among the top five most skilled Public Hunters and held the highest position in this room.

“A well-forged blade serves differently depending on how it’s wielded. I understand Choi Junho’s ideology is dangerous, but according to Jung Dahyun, he accepts counsel from those around him and possesses a burning sense of justice. We’ll take him to the National Guard Bureau and sharpen him into a proper blade.”
“…….”

With Jung Juho’s words, there were no further objections.

* * *

An hour later.
Jung Juho, returning to his office, spotted Jung Dahyun approaching him as though she’d been waiting.

“Director, how did it go?”
“How did you know the answer sheet would be a problem?”
“I didn’t know for certain—I just thought his ideology was a bit unusual and could potentially cause issues. Looks like I was right.”
“We did say we’d bring him into the National Guard Bureau.”
“That’s good.”

Jung Juho sank back into his chair like he was burying himself in it. Then, with weary eyes, he looked toward Jung Dahyun.

“Jung Dahyun, Jung Dahyun.”
“Yes.”

Jung Dahyun answered, her smile fading.

“I’ve seen your answers. You’re not a normal one.”
“I know. I saw how you subdued the Unlock Gang.”
“Can you handle it?”
“I can. And you know as well as I do that the number of Villains keeps growing. With our current procedures, it’s impossible to reduce their numbers further. So…….”

Jung Dahyun paused, her eyes blazing with intensity.

“You need a sharp blade. Even if my hand gets cut in the process.”

Jung Juho shook his head at the madness lurking beneath her words.

“If that’s what you’re determined to do, who am I to stop you? Just don’t let it consume you.”
“Of course not.”
“And don’t wield it recklessly.”
“Do you really think I would?”
“Yes. I think you will.”
“I’m different now than I was before.”
“Different enough to go fetch that sharp blade?”

Under Jung Juho’s piercing gaze, Jung Dahyun turned away.

“It’s too good to leave lying around elsewhere.”
“Either way, I’ve done what I could. The rest is up to you.”
“I understand.”

* * *

“You actually passed?”
“Yeah.”
…….

The bizarre expression on Yoon Hui’s face triggered an urge to take a screenshot. If I film this on my phone right now, she’d absolutely lose it. Maybe I should try.
While I seriously considered the thought, she kept mumbling in stunned disbelief.

“My entire sense of reason is collapsing. How did you pass with an answer like that…….”
“Guess it matched their taste.”
“No matter what, even if you’re a Public Hunter, they shouldn’t have overlooked such an extreme response.”
“Anyway.”

There’s no point dwelling on it further. I already passed, didn’t I?
I’m officially a Public Hunter now.

“You passed the exam, so let’s go eat something good. What do you want?”
“Even a ghost who’s eaten before dying looks radiant, so we’d better eat. I want beef short ribs!”
“Fine, let’s get that.”

My sister and I went to a nearby beef short rib restaurant and had dinner. At first she couldn’t believe I’d passed, but somewhere along the way she shifted into acting like I’d only passed because of her—which made me bite my tongue.
After the meal, we had coffee at a café and were heading home when she spoke up.

“Oh yeah, and help me prepare for the exam.”
“The exam?”
“Yeah. I thought I had plenty of ability to pass, but the results didn’t turn out well. If you help me, it’d be a huge help, right?”
“I’ll help you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. With your ability, you’ve got more than enough to pass. Just pick up a few tricks and you’ll be fine.”
“Really? If I pass, you’ll treat me to something delicious.”
“I will.”

My younger sister—in a past life, she never got to bloom because of me.
I’m determined to help her pass the exam as repayment for that. It’s the least I can offer as an apology.

“Why that expression? It’s creepy.”
…….

This must be how my sister shows affection.

* * *

“I’m Choi Junho, the new hire.”

On my first day of work, I dressed in formal attire and reported to the National Guard Bureau.
I’d thought it a rather stiff introduction, but the response came back warm.

“Oh! A new recruit!”
“Finally, some fresh blood for our team!”

Some welcomed me with open arms.

“Is that him? The guy who made Im Haecheol look like an idiot?”
“Looking at his face, you’d never think he’s that skilled.”
“Maybe it was just luck?”

Others eyed me with skepticism about my abilities. What should I do in a situation like this? Should I grab each one of them and beat some sense into them to prove my worth? I ruled that out—I had a feeling I’d end up destroying the National Guard Bureau itself in the process.
While I was considering how to earn their respect, a grating voice bored into my ears.

…….

“I’m Choi Junho.”
“A new hire’s proper place is to stay quiet, observe, and not draw attention. Don’t show off. Treat your seniors’ words like gospel. That’s all you need to do.”

“Is that what a Public Hunter does?”
“What they do? Well, yes, they do. Whether you call yourself a hunter or whatever—in the end, you’re still a public servant. A Public Hunter means belonging to an organization, obeying your superiors. Isn’t that right?”

I couldn’t recall ever meeting him before, yet his name felt oddly familiar.
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.

“Oh! Jung Dahyun, administrator! Are you trying to disrespect your team leader by siding with this parachute hire?”
“I’ve shown no disrespect.”
“No? Then why do I feel disrespected?”

“Fine, do whatever. Anyway, rookie—remember what I said. It’d be good for you.”
…….

I stared at Wang Juyeol for a long moment before following Jung Dahyun as she tugged my arm.
Wang Juyeol, Wang Juyeol.
Outside of family, there were only two kinds of people whose names stayed with me.
Those who died by my hand, or those who deserved to.
I followed Jung Dahyun, exchanged greetings with the National Guard Bureau staff, and we moved to a café inside the building.
As I sifted through my memories, I found myself watching Jung Dahyun. Even with virtually no makeup, her beauty shone through.
She could have gained wealth and prestige without ever working the front lines. I was curious what drove her sense of justice. Especially in a situation like this.

“You and Team Lead Wang don’t get along?”
“Watch what you say.”

Jung Dahyun, rarely caught off guard, glanced around and lowered her voice.

“Team Lead Wang’s standing within the National Guard Bureau is considerable. So you need to be careful and choose your words.”
“I know there’s no one around. That’s why I’m saying it.”
“As you can see, that’s the problem. He doesn’t like that I poke around in things.”

Wang Juyeol reeked of corruption—I could tell at a glance. I had a rough sense of what kind of man he was.

“If he’s corrupt, arrest him.”
“…There’s no evidence.”
“Can’t you arrest him without evidence?”
“That’s the rule. Without evidence, he’s not a suspect—he’s still your superior.”

It was very different from what I knew. When I was a Villain, crimes I never committed were added to my record.
I still remembered Oh Jongyeop trailing me, cackling as he called me “Blood-Drinking Hong”—some nonsense about appearing east and vanishing west, like Hong Gildong who drank blood. The name was ridiculous.
He’d say there was hardly any difference between a hundred prior convictions and a hundred and one.

“Understood.”
“You’ll be moving with me for a while. If you have any questions or run into something you don’t understand, ask me.”
“Understood.”
“And there’s a welcome gathering planned for today.”
“A welcome gathering?”
“You’re a new recruit after all this time.”
“It sounds like people really don’t want to come here.”
“To be honest, yes. The Villain Subdual Division is extremely dangerous.”

She studied my expression. I didn’t need to say anything—I’d already learned from Yoon Hui that the National Guard Bureau had high standing, but its criteria for accepting internal personnel were very strict.
They would only accept someone if there was an actual vacancy; anyone falling short of the standard never even got a foot in the door. Add to that the grueling workload and the danger, and it all made sense.

“I apologize for not warning you in advance.”
“It’s fine. I knew it would be dangerous.”
“Really?”
“It’s a division that arrests Villains, so of course it would be.”

Naturally, any Public Hunter assigned to this place had to be skilled and driven by a sense of mission to apprehend Villains. And among Public Hunters, such talent was rare.
That’s what I thought, but Jung Dahyun seemed to have been genuinely worried.

“I’m relieved you understand. Phew!”
“I look forward to working with you, Dahyun.”
“Yes, Junho.”

After finishing our coffee, we headed up to the office where I began familiarizing myself with my duties. Starting with simple documents and moving on to the National Guard Bureau’s internal structure and organizational charts, the time slipped away until quitting time arrived.
Right after a clean punch-out, I found myself at a high-end Korean beef restaurant.

“Well then, let’s welcome our new recruit.”
“Cheers!”

The gathering erupted in festive chatter—a welcome party for me, held in the safest heart of the city.

“…….”

I watched my colleagues quietly, their vigilance loosened, drowning in drink and merriment.
To eat and drink freely without constraint — this was foreign to me, always hounded, always estranged from the city’s glitter.
Ironically, this very observation made me realize I had crossed a threshold into this world.
Jung Dahyun approached me then.

“They’re good people.”
“Yes, they are.”
“The basic pay is inadequate, the incentives meager. The work is grueling, the danger constant. Yet they burn themselves up in the name of duty.”

I saw it clearly — they were moths drawn to flame. They conformed to the organization, acted out of justice, burning bright and brief.
I had no contempt for them, but neither could I feel kinship. In the end, Jung Dahyun was the same — she came at me out of conviction and died by my hand.
Without that belief, she would never have stepped forward, knowing the odds were against her.
I became a Public Hunter to exist within the framework of lawful authority. I wanted no more of that relentless pursuit, that grinding away of my sanity.
But I never know when the beast inside me might rise and show its face. For now, I want only to live an ordinary life.
The mood threatened to turn grave until Jung Juho, the chief administrator of the National Guard Bureau, appeared.

“Why so serious, everyone? Come now, newcomer — have a drink.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. You’re going to work hard for us, after all.”

With a flushed face, he poured a generous cup for me.

“So, since this is a welcome gathering for our new member, why don’t we get to know them better?”
“You want to know about me?”
“Exactly! You’re going to be watching each other’s backs, so you ought to know one another. What are you good at?”
“What am I good at.”

I fell silent for a moment. Everyone’s eyes had turned toward me.
When I thought about it, I had been intoxicated by ambition, driven to madness, failed to protect my family. My shortcomings are clear — I lack patience.
So what are my strengths? What am I good at? My experience with blood species had become my advantage. I gathered my thoughts and opened my mouth.

“I’m confident in pursuit, survival, and evasion. My eyes are sharp — I can identify villains. But what I’m most confident in is…….”

My gaze met Wang Juyeol’s just then.
For some reason, I smiled.

“Elimination.”
“…….”

Taking a life — that is my truest gift.
What I’m least confident in is capturing an opponent alive without injury.

“Finding and killing villains — I’m more confident in that than anyone. Please trust me with the work, sir.”
“…All right.”

Jung Juho’s flush had vanished without a trace, his eyes hardening as he held out his cup.
I smiled and clinked glasses with him, then drained it in one.
But I noticed everyone’s eyes were still on me.
What did I do wrong?

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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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