The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 51

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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 51

After the donation incident, it made headlines—big ones. What had started as a pure-hearted desire to give had somehow transformed into a calculated scheme to dismantle a charitable organization riddled with corruption.
To anyone reading it, it would look as though I’d laid a trap to destroy them.
It reminded me of the time I’d told Lee Myung-hak to stake his career on it.
Back then, there was room for misunderstanding since I was the one who suggested it, but this time around, couldn’t someone interpret it exactly as it appeared?
Yet not a single article pointed that out.
Instead.

Go Ye-jin was really milking this for all it was worth.
I’d brought up the foundation to my parents when no one was reaching out to me, but.

“We’re not doing it.”

They shot me down flat.

“We’re satisfied with our life as it is, and we don’t think there’s anything to gain by stepping into the spotlight.”
“That’s right. We’re happy here.”

My parents were afraid their activities might become a burden to me. They also pointed out that establishing a foundation would involve moving large sums of money, making us potential targets for Villains.
They had a point. Villains were still lurking in Seoul, after all. I realized my thinking had been shallow on that front. I apologized to my parents.

“It’s fine. We’re benefiting plenty from you as it is.”
“Do what you want to do, Jun-ho.”
“Yes.”

What I want to do—let me think about that slowly for now.
The whole donation thing struck me suddenly and caught my interest. It wouldn’t hurt to think it through more carefully.
The next day, I headed to Shinseong Guild with Berserker in tow.
When Berserker arrived at the Shinseong Guild headquarters—Korea’s top conglomerate and its highest-ranked guild—his eyes went wide as he looked around, then widened further when he spotted Lee Se-hee.

“Welcome, Jun-ho.”

Lee Se-hee, dressed in a white blouse and a sleek black H-line skirt, greeted me warmly.

“Is this the one you mentioned…?”
“Yeah. The guy who’s going to learn Processing Method.”
“I’m Kim Jong-hyun. It’s an honor to meet you, Se-hee.”
“Hello, pleased to meet you.”

Even after I’d warned him, Berserker pitched his voice low and syrupy.
Lee Se-hee, responding in her characteristic flat tone, gestured for us to sit.

“I saw what happened with the charitable organization. I didn’t realize you had such thoughts about donations.”
“I share the same view as Se-hee.”

This guy keeps inserting himself.

“I just confirmed how different your thinking is from mine.”
“Even when wrapped in good intentions, a lot of donations are actually aimed at tax breaks or social reputation. Those charitable organizations were fishing for that kind of blind money. I’m sure you were disappointed, but there really are many people who dedicate themselves to genuine volunteer work.”
“Now that I think about it, doesn’t Shinseong Guild donate as well?”
“We operate a foundation at the group level. But if you’re thinking of donating to us, I’ll have to decline.”

My thoughts had been read.
Lee Se-hee smiled.

“Systems can be trusted, but people can’t. When sudden wealth appears, desires that never existed suddenly crop up. What I’m trying to say is that there’s no need to start big from the beginning. It’s better to begin with smaller amounts, work steadily, and grow it as you prove yourself.”
“Audit authority is out of the question.”
“Of course. Charitable organizations inevitably have operating costs, and if you start questioning every expenditure, even good intentions can be thwarted.”

Even if those costs were reasonable.
Lee Se-hee added that even if she had no such concerns herself, others wouldn’t be so generous.

“I’ll recommend a few trustworthy organizations.”
“Your kindness matches your beauty.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”

Kim Jong-hyun interjected without reading the room, but Lee Se-hee didn’t show any particular displeasure. Perhaps she considered this much within acceptable limits.
Since I’d brought him along and my next engagement was approaching, I began to rise from my seat.

“Well then, I have my next schedule.”
“You’re giving a special lecture, aren’t you?”
“Come to think of it, you’re an academy graduate too?”
“Yes, so is Da-hyun. Those were wonderful days. We didn’t know anything back then—field trips felt like outings, and the competition between the students now seems almost endearing in retrospect. If I come across promising talent, I’ll send them your way.”
“Wasn’t that last part your real purpose?”
“You got me. The kids at the academy will be quite cheerful when you visit. They’re still young, so please be gentle with them.”
“Children need to learn responsibility to become proper Hunters.”

It wasn’t the first time a Hunter with rotten character had abused ordinary citizens with their power.
And it’s still happening.
It was extremely common for those who, still young and lacking life experience, had been recognized for their potential and aptitude, to view the world as easy prey.
I intended to plant a firm sense of responsibility in these youngsters. Cultivating responsibility isn’t difficult—once they’re seized by the thought that failure means death, anyone will see their mission through.
I gestured toward Kim Jong-hyun with my eyes.

“First, help him adjust. After that, I’ll share the Processing Method with him.”
“Yes, now that he’s joining Shinseong, I’ll look after him.”
“Good.”

I left him in Lee Se-hee’s capable hands and could depart with confidence.
There shouldn’t be any problems.

* * *

Kim Jong-hyun was overjoyed.
Not only had he joined Shinseong Guild, Korea’s most prestigious organization, but now he’d be working alongside such a beautiful superior.
His decision to accept Choi Jun-ho’s offer was the best choice of his life.
But something strange struck him after Choi Jun-ho left.
It was cold.
The air around him seemed to have dropped five degrees—no, maybe ten.
The room that had been warm with heating suddenly grew frigid.
What was this? What was happening? As Kim Jong-hyun puzzled over it, he realized the source of the chill was standing right in front of him—Lee Se-hee.
Her expression had changed completely from moments before.

“S-Se-hee…?”
“First, let’s correct how you address me. From now on, you’ll call me Team Lead.”
“A-ah! Yes, Team Lead.”
“Don’t laugh. Does a craftsman really find things funny in front of his team lead?”
……

Kim Jong-hyun’s mouth went shut under the weight of her serene but menacing tone.
Lee Se-hee seemed pleased with that expression.

“Good, Kim Jong-hyun. There’s something you need to remember. I’ll say it just once, so listen carefully.”
“Yes, yes!”

Cold. Domineering.
The warmth Lee Se-hee had shown before Choi Jun-ho—the gentleness, the devotion, the obedience—had all been a lie.
What stood before him now was a predator that would tear out his throat the moment he showed weakness.
Were all Seoul people like this? Or just Seoul women?
Jung Da-hyun had been that way, and now Lee Se-hee was terrifying him in exactly the same manner.

“First, I am the director of operations at Shinseong Guild. Think carefully about what that means. Second, while Choi Jun-ho brought you here, you remain the head of our guild’s research division.”

The chill that radiated from Lee Se-hee was sharp as a blade drawn across bare skin.
Argument was not permitted.
All Kim Jong-hyun could do was nod.

“Finally, I hope we might both be more cautious with each other. I see you as a promising talent for the company, and you see me as director of operations. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand. I understand, so now if we could—”

The moment he answered, the pressure that had been crushing him vanished without a trace.
The air that had been frigid only moments before now seemed impossibly warm, the heating of the building seeping into his skin like a dream.

“Good. I look forward to a constructive relationship with you going forward. You’re dismissed.”
“…….”

Kim Jong-hyun found himself rising from his seat as if pushed, stumbling out the door. He didn’t regain his senses until an employee approached to guide him to the research division.

“…Seoul women are terrifying.”

* * *

I’ve been getting offers to give guest lectures for a long time. I accepted this one to build a relationship with Go Myung-hak and to keep the academy students on my radar.
Go Myung-hak is a respected former Awakened One despite his retirement, and he’s the academy principal.
What I’ve learned since stepping into this world and engaging in social life is simple: the more allies you have, the better, and the fewer enemies, the better still.
The Lee Chan-taek situation was a case in point.
I had no personal interest in his life, but I observed the circumstances and judged it wise to let him live. That decision made me his benefactor and somehow made Avant-Garde my ally.
So I’m no longer just killing indiscriminately.
There’s also a personal longing for Daehan Academy.
Like other kids, I desperately wanted to attend an academy in Seoul when I was a teenager. Becoming a professor here, even for just one day, stirred something in me I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Now that I think about it, what was my teenage self like?

“Colorless and odorless.”

I was one of those students in every class—the kind no one would notice if they disappeared.
It wasn’t a pleasant period. Let’s leave it at that.
The reason I’m keeping academy students on my radar is because some of them will become Villains in the future.
Villains are society’s poison, pure and simple. If we can eliminate them before they cause greater harm, we should.
For now, I’m just assessing their state. If redemption is impossible, I eliminate them. If there’s a chance at rehabilitation, I’ll work them to death trying to turn them into decent people. Death during the process doesn’t concern me.
When I arrived at the academy, I met with Go Myung-hak first.

“Thank you for accepting my request. A special lecture from an Awakened One of Choi Jun-ho’s caliber—we’re all quite excited.”
“I’m sure I’ll fall short compared to your faculty. I’ll mostly just highlight a few issues I’ve noticed from working in the field.”
“The voice of practical experience is always invaluable. Our professors are excellent, of course, but the sense grows dull when you leave the field. That’s why our faculty go on hunts or visit guilds during breaks—to keep their instincts sharp. Your insights will be tremendously beneficial to the students.”

The class I was to lecture today was Class A, where the academy’s highest-performing students gathered. These would also be the ones who would compete in exchange matches if a diplomatic delegation visited.
The future of Korea’s Awakened Ones, they called them.
I recalled the information I’d gathered beforehand.

“I heard there are a few problem students in Class A.”
“…Haha!”

Go Myung-hak smiled awkwardly.

“Looking at the record of incidents, it’s difficult to dismiss them as mere childish pranks.”
“That’s precisely what causes me trouble so often.”

The era of First Generation Awakened Ones, when there was no background to speak of, had ended, and as the transition came to the Second and Third Generations, factions that had established themselves began to make their mark across generations. Family bloodlines and guild origins made academy professors hesitant to intervene.
It was the emergence of a new aristocratic class, much like the conglomerates before monsters appeared.
But nobility eats and defecates the same, and their blood runs just as red.

“…….”

The fact that I remembered them meant they were either people I’d killed or people I should kill. Future villains certainly showed outstanding character flaws from their teenage years.
Still, I was quiet during my youth.

“Do you truly believe people change, Dean?”
“I don’t believe they do. But I think that with the right catalyst, anything is possible.”

But Go Myung-hak’s response was to lower his head in supplication.

“…….”

I paused to consider, then made my decision.

“That’s more than enough. Thank you.”

The perfect type for students to take lightly. I could easily picture it: the kids running wild, Lee Hye-ri looking exasperated.
When we arrived at the classroom entrance, it was precisely time for the lecture to begin. I stepped inside and saw roughly thirty teenage students.

“Today’s special lecture will be given by Choi Jun-ho, an Awakened One. Everyone, let’s give him a round of applause.”

Clap, clap, clap!

I took my place at the lectern to unenthusiastic applause. Despite the halfhearted clapping, their eyes fixed on me sparkled with curiosity.

Which was also part of the problem.
Give strength to young things without discipline, and they kick up their heels without knowing their place. The best way to hand out power is to keep them firmly under your heel to prevent misuse.

“I’m Choi Jun-ho. Some of you might not know my face.”

“That’s right!”

A chorus of students cheered at someone’s cry. So this was the nation’s future? Better than the Jagalchi Villains, at least.

“Today’s special lecture covers the correlation between Force Utilization and Gifts…….”
“Excuse me, Professor.”

A brash voice cut through my words without permission.
I turned toward the sound and found a kid dressed so conspicuously it was laughable, grinning wickedly. He looked more than twenty years younger than the face in my memory, yet I recognized him.
Yang Ju-hyuk — in the future, he would be called the Clown, a notorious Villain.
He was the only son of Yang Gil-soo, master of the mid-tier Howeol Guild, and had gained renown for his exceptional talent, stirring up all manner of trouble before his descent into villainy.
The reason I remembered him was simple.
He’d boasted about becoming a Second Blood Species, and when he came looking for me, Berserker beat him black and blue before handing him over to Howeol Guild.
In short, he was a fashion Villain. Still, I recalled Berserker saying he had decent enough skill.
When I thought about it, he was an oddity—one of the few who’d survived Berserker’s hands.

“Professor, I’ve already taken this lecture before. Could you teach us something different instead?”

He actually dared interrupt a professor of my stature.
I’d learned something from the national guild federation meeting: people hold a common misconception about me.
That I wouldn’t lay a hand on them.
Especially minors in this country—they’re thoroughly protected by law.
Did he really think I couldn’t touch him because of that?
If so, that was a grave mistake.
If people like Cheon Myung-guk and Jung Ju-ho had heard such an assumption, what would their expressions have been?
One would look extremely displeased, the other would clutch his head in exasperation.

“What do you want to know?”
“How to deal with Villains, sir! You’ve faced countless Villains up to now, haven’t you? When we become Hunters later and encounter Villains during hunts, we’d like to know how to respond.”

He smirked the whole time he spoke—it was clearly a jest.
If he was going to joke without knowing his place, I’d dance to my own rhythm.

“That’s not a bad idea.”
“Right? I’ve given it quite a bit of thought.”
“Come here.”
“What?”

I watched confusion flicker across his face.

“You want to learn how to deal with Villains? Stand right here.”

I pointed to the space beside me.

“You’ll play the Villain.”

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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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