Being a Villain is My True Calling

The day after Eclipse’s retaliatory Purge Day activities and stress relief mission, the majority of participating members requested a day off, ushering in an untimely vacation atmosphere within the organization.

-Combat Unit 3rd Platoon Member 22, requesting leave. Reason) Worked hard yesterday.

-Combat Unit 2nd Platoon Member 91, requesting leave. Reason) That crazy Instructor struck my head. This is workplace harassment, seriously.

-Combat Unit 5th Platoon Member 60, requesting leave. Reason) The weather is too nice.

-Temporary Research Unit 3rd Platoon, former Z-Biotech Senior Researcher, requesting leave. Reason) Everyone else is taking one.

Some requested leave to recover from yesterday’s fatigue.
Others sought rest to heal from injuries sustained.
While others still, neither of the aforementioned reasons, simply followed the crowd in taking leave.

With leave approvals steadily trickling in, Eclipse collectively took a day off today.

‘Why can’t I take one too!?’

‘You’re part of the Research Unit!’

‘No way!! I can’t be left behind like this!!’

‘…I guess research needs to be done?’

Kkuaaaaaahk.
Of course, there were also those denied leave.

“Sigh”

“Sighing invites misfortune, Astra.”

I was currently in Astra’s office.
While I had secured leave, I figured I should properly report on yesterday’s events, prompting this brief visit.

“…Cut me some slack, Maker. Honestly, I have too much on my plate…”

Astra briefly regarded me with weary eyes before slumping onto her desk with a thud, groaning in an uncharacteristic manner.

“…Not only must I address various issues and incidents within Eclipse, but I also have to monitor other villain organizations’ movements and coordinate to prevent conflicts during missions, among other tasks…And now, I’m acting as an intermediary on top of that…”

“So the members will be conducting transactions through Eclipse?”

“Well, the commission fees are lower…”

Spoils acquired during Purge Day belong to the individual who obtained them.
Most members choose to sell their plunders for cash.

However, items prone to individual association or with strong organizational ties, like the research facilities we raided, cannot be easily disposed of in such a manner.

‘Save for expensive lab equipment or research-grade enhancers, personal data or thesis papers are difficult to offload directly.’

Illicit substances and goods are typically traded on the so-called Villain Market.

But distinctly personal research materials, even if salable, are subject to exorbitant commissions from intermediaries.

Hence, instead of handling matters individually, the members opted to have Eclipse facilitate multi-party sales of their acquisitions.

“Aaahh…I must have been insane…! Insane enough to retaliate by sanctioning a Purge Day…!”

“Astra does have a penchant for creating unnecessary work.”

‘Inviting hardship’ might be a more apt description.
Despite most members being on leave, Astra was still toiling away alone.

“Have you been getting proper sleep at all?”

“Sleep is for when you’re dead.”

Raising her head slightly from her slumped position, Astra deadpanned her response.
Regarding her brazen nonsense with bewilderment, I fixed her with an incredulous stare.

“Surely you haven’t been completely sleepless since the helicopter incident?”

“…Huhuh.”

Averting my gaze told me my suspicion was accurate.
Astra’s deteriorated state suggested she might collapse at any moment, prompting an instinctive sigh from me.

“This won’t do, Astra. Come here for a moment.”

I beckoned Astra towards the sofa I occupied.
Casting me a puzzled look, she nonetheless approached without hesitation.

“Why? Are you about to lec-”

The moment she sat beside me, I seized her shoulders and gently guided her head onto my lap.

“…Huh?”

“You seem utterly fatigued. Rest your eyes for a bit.”

Astra blinked slowly.

One second…Two seconds…Three seconds…

“Wh,What…?”

Then, belatedly comprehending the situation, Astra’s face flushed crimson.

“M,Maker…?”

“Yes, Astra.”

“Am, Am I really resting my head on your lap right now…?”

“You appeared in dire need of repose.”

I smiled softly at Astra.
Flustered, she began squirming restlessly.

As she hurriedly tried to rise, I lightly restrained her by pressing against her forehead.

“M,Move, Maker!”

“I cannot. You must rest sufficiently.”

“But I have work to attend to…!”

“There’s nothing urgent requiring your attention today, is there?”

“B,But still!! There’s such a thing as preserving one’s dignity…!”

For some reason, whether due to secretly enjoying the situation or genuine embarrassment, Astra seemed unable to utilize her psychokinesis.

‘An Astra who doesn’t use her powers is merely an infirm office lady.’

Unsurprisingly, without her abilities, she lacked the strength to overpower a fit adult male.

“Consider this punishment for breaking your promise.”

“Promise? What promise did I…?”

“Didn’t you clearly state you would take it easy yesterday?”

I lightly pinched Astra’s cheek.

“Ueeh…!”

Softer than expected, her plump cheek squished between my fingers as Astra wordlessly conveyed her exasperation through gestures.

“(Irhedda handanikka-yo? / I have work to do, you know?)”

“There’s nothing urgent today or tomorrow, is there? Refusing to rest when you can is stubbornness, not diligence.”

Our tussle persisted for quite some time.

“Please rest your eyes, even if only briefly. I intend to monitor whether you actually sleep.”

“…(Arasseoyo / Understood.)”

Ultimately, our struggle concluded with Astra’s resignation being my victory.
Smiling warmly, I stroked her disheveled hair.

Astra’s body twitched slightly at my caress, though her hair seemed relatively clean, likely from a recent shower despite its untidiness.

“Do you understand, Astra? You’ll collapse if you don’t rest occasionally.”

“Yes…”

Her face flushed, Astra acquiesced to my words.

“Proper rest is essential for clear thinking.”

“Yes…”

‘And to prevent additional workload from falling on me if you collapse.’

“Haamm…”

The initially flustered and indignant Astra soon began yawning, betraying her drowsiness.

“Astra?”

“Pffuu…Kohoo…Pffuu…”

Within minutes, Astra had drifted into slumber so deep, she could likely be carried without stirring.
Regarding her peacefully sleeping form, I smiled.

Some time later.

-Heh…So that’s what happened. Sounds fun.

After ensuring Astra’s rest, I returned to my quarters and shared yesterday’s events with Narin.

I primarily recounted the Purge Day proceedings and the research facility incidents.
Narin methodically relayed the occurrences at Vigilante.

-Come to think of it, this is all thanks to me blowing up that helicopter, isn’t it? I pushed it to the brink, causing the explosion that set off this chain of events!

“We typically refer to such scenarios as ‘stumbling into success while chasing a rat’.”

-Huh? Have you ever seen a pretty cow like me?

“Tsk…If you can’t even speak properly.”

Chuckling at our banter, Narin and I continued our exchange.

-So, about that self-proclaimed mercenary claiming to follow your orders – what’s her deal?

“She’s an assistant I recently acquired. Quite perceptive and diligent.”

-She seemed pretty pathetic though?

“Why don’t you flaunt your power before Black Wood or Alpha? She’ll immediately prostrate herself before you.”

-Hmm, that type? Okie-ing~

Accompanying Narin’s laughter was what sounded like a “Heeek…!” from beyond the communication device.

“By the way, is the plan progressing smoothly?”

-We only just started today, so~

Narin is currently assisting Alpha at Vigilante.
And today, Vigilante carried out their first mission on Alpha’s behalf.

-Huhuh, we’ve made monumentally historic first strides today!

Check this out!
Narin sent me a photo from her phone.
In the image, a corpse lay mutilated beyond facial recognition, with Alpha’s signature paper neatly placed beside it.

“You apprehended Blood Liquor.”

-I picked a suitable target from the list Big Bro provided!

The serial killer Blood Liquor.
A villain who freely liquefied his body, utilizing his ability to asphyxiate victims through various means for his amusement.

Without specific countermeasures, as a firearms user, I would have struggled to effectively engage him.

Adept at evasion via his ability and highly cautious by nature, a direct confrontation would have been troublesome for me.

‘Judging by his abilities alone, he’s classified as an A-rank villain or higher…’

Yet Alpha had apprehended such a villain within a single day.

“What about the Hero Association? I recall there being a hero assigned to the Blood Liquor case.”

-They’re still in a state of disarray over there. Since villains occasionally kill each other due to personal vendettas, they don’t seem too concerned yet.

Well, it was the first murder, and the victim was a villain.
They likely assume the paper was left unintentionally, dismissing it as a simple revenge killing.

“But they’ll soon become aware.”

-Yeah, more victims are bound to follow.

Before long, they will realize:
The perpetrator’s identity.
The criteria for selecting victims.

I was quite curious to see how the future Hero Association would respond to this matter.