Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

“W-what are you saying?”

Facing Jeong Ho-san, Kim Myeong-cheol precisely understood what the expression ‘the sky is falling’ meant.

His sky was falling now.

“I’m really sorry.”

Jeong Ho-san bowed his head politely. But even that courteous greeting couldn’t bring back Kim Myeong-cheol’s mind that had half left the house.

“W-why on earth…”

Uttering dazed words, Kim Myeong-cheol collapsed into a chair. Groans involuntarily came out. If it had been any request other than asking to leave the guild, he would have granted it all. Why did what you want have to be that?

Looking at Jeong Ho-san’s face, Kim Myeong-cheol clicked his tongue.

Because the moment he saw Jeong Ho-san’s eyes, he realized it was impossible to change Jeong Ho-san’s mind.

He had already decided everything.

How can you stop someone with such eyes?

Moreover, the problem is that the path Jeong Ho-san is trying to take isn’t completely messed up. Jeong Ho-san carefully explained his plan. After hearing all that story, Kim Myeong-cheol compressed that lengthy explanation into one line.

“Is it because of that guy you called your friend?”

In the end, Jeong Ho-san chose to leave this guild to save his friend, or at least to honor that guy’s intentions.

He couldn’t help but feel resentful.

Unnecessarily meddling by saying he’d find his friend back then, ruining things like this, and then losing Jeong Ho-san too.

If he had just left him missing, though he would have still made a fuss about chasing after that guy somehow, he might not have talked nonsense like entering the Awakener Crimes Department like this.

No, rather, he would have stuck to the Crimson Hound Guild somehow. Because there’s much more he could achieve as a guild hunter than in the Awakener Crimes Department.

But once he stepped up saying he would conduct investigations that can’t be done as a guild hunter or as an Awakener Crimes Department person, the nameplate of a first-string hunter in a successful guild no longer had any meaning for Jeong Ho-san.

At Kim Myeong-cheol’s resentment, Jeong Ho-san rolled his eyes and said:

“You know. That since then, I haven’t been able to focus on guild work at all.”

At those words, Kim Myeong-cheol groaned once again.

Certainly, since the day Kang Yi-sin was lost like that, Jeong Ho-san always seemed to have his mind elsewhere. Thinking something big would happen if this continued, he excluded Jeong Ho-san from high-rank Gates entirely and didn’t easily send him to low-rank Gates either.

When he heard Jeong Ho-san was continuing high-intensity training cooped up in the training room, he thought it was rather fortunate, thinking he was taking this time as an opportunity to hone himself.

With time, he would be okay again.

He just thought that, but…

During that time, Jeong Ho-san decided to walk a different path.

Is this how a dog that was chasing chickens feels?

Kim Myeong-cheol couldn’t easily utter any words and just repeatedly crossed and uncrossed his arms while sitting.

Looking at Kim Myeong-cheol who was noisily saying ‘I’m uncomfortable now’ with his whole body, Jeong Ho-san slowly opened his mouth:

“You know the reason I decided to enter this guild.”

“Yes.”

Kim Myeong-cheol smiled bitterly recalling the past.

It was because that reason moved his heart that he decided to bet his life on this person, none other than Jeong Ho-san.

“You said you created this guild to save people, Master.”

Guilds formed by hunters each raised different banners.

Some felt exhilaration from conquering Gates themselves, some from the wealth gained through Gates, some to shine their star quality.

Among them, Kim Myeong-cheol was someone who proclaimed he would lead a guild to protect people.

It was right after losing all the family he loved to Gate breaks.

Kim Myeong-cheol cried out to the sky that if he gained power, he would never just watch such things happen again.

Jeong Ho-san was the same.

When he lost his family at a very young age, he resolved. That if he gained power, he would never turn away from the weak. That’s why he wanted to enter this guild.

The moment he saw Jeong Ho-san saying that in front of him, Kim Myeong-cheol might have started thinking of this kid who resembled himself exactly as family.

Jeong Ho-san’s words continued:

“I didn’t think my power was my own. Of course, because it was power I received after making such a resolution. I thought someone, someone watching over me, gave me power. To lend strength to saving this world.”

The Crimson Hound Guild was the most suitable guild for realizing Jeong Ho-san’s intentions. They took the lead first when break phenomena occurred, and they were dispatched overseas where help was actually needed most frequently.

It was also the Crimson Hound Guild that visited disaster sites first.

Certainly, befitting a guild established to save people, the Crimson Hound Guild saved countless people.

“I realized through this incident. That not only conquering Gates and catching monsters, but also finding and punishing those eating away at this country can be a way of saving people.”

“Ho-san.”

Kim Myeong-cheol swallowed hard in frustration.

That’s not your job. Living as a hunter and walking that path are completely different things.

That’s not a path someone good like you, someone with so much talent, should take.

But he couldn’t bring himself to say those words.

Because Kim Myeong-cheol too had walked a thorny path steadfastly holding up his beliefs amidst people calling him foolish.

“Haa, I cherished you so much because you resembled me most. Because you resembled me most, you’re finally leaving!”

At Kim Myeong-cheol’s lament, Jeong Ho-san bowed his head deeply as if he was sincerely sorry.

“Fine, and I told you to call me hyung, what’s with Master? When you said you’re even leaving the guild.”

“Can I keep calling you hyung…”

“Of course! Of course you can. Did you think you’d pretend not to know me forever after leaving the guild? You’re really such a frustrating and stubborn guy.”

At Kim Myeong-cheol’s words, Jeong Ho-san bowed his head deeply. Because he realized Kim Myeong-cheol’s words were permission.

“I’ll leave behind everything I received from this guild.”

“How much is it anyway. Just take it with you.”

“What?”

“I said it’s fine, just take it with you!”

The artifacts Jeong Ho-san had weren’t things cheap enough to just give away like that. But if he refused even this, it seemed he would completely try to hold him back.

“And whenever you want to come back, if you ever feel like you’re not needed in that world. This Crimson Hound Guild will always welcome you.”

Kim Myeong-cheol said with tears welling up in his eyes:

“If you go to another guild, I’ll really be angry then, okay?”

* * *

I frowned at the news that Jeong Ho-san and Do Chae-hee met.

Why on earth are those two meeting? If it was like before, questioning him as a witness about my case, I would understand, but Do Chae-hee meeting Jeong Ho-san at this timing was definitely not a positive signal.

My legs just trembled at that news. Unfortunately, since the place where the two met was a franchise cafe where entry was almost impossible for Han Seo-hyeon’s ‘Rat’, I couldn’t know what the two talked about inside.

And at the news that followed soon after, I was appalled.

They say Jeong Ho-san left the Crimson Hound Guild.

To move together with Do Chae-hee.

“Are you crazy?”

Hearing that news, I stiffened up.

—Oh, it seems your friend really wants to find you.

I didn’t even have the mind to react to Ray’s words mixed with laughter.

With what kind of heart did I cut ties with that guy, and now he’s throwing away the guild he was doing well in to enter the Awakener Crimes Department?

The Awakener Crimes Department was in Seol Rok-jin’s grasp.

The moment he enters there, Jeong Ho-san will become that guy’s target. A very delicious target at that.

To be honest, the reason I don’t dislike Do Chae-hee that much is because of a subtle sense of guilt towards her.

Because Do Chae-hee was an excellent shield who would draw all aggro at the forefront and bait to draw out Seol Rok-jin.

She’ll go through all sorts of hardships in the future, and countless things that can’t even be called trials will happen to her.

Since she’s completely fallen out of Park Cheol-wan’s favor with this incident, it’ll only get worse, not better.

I knew that and was planning to leave her be.

Why?

Because Do Chae-hee’s existence would be helpful to me.

But Jeong Ho-san stands beside her?

That can’t happen.

Jeong Ho-san entering the Awakener Crimes Department that should become the front line fighting against Seol Rok-jin in the future? That’s nonsense.

Yes, this is really nonsense.

Why did I cut ties with that guy and am doing this?

If I only thought about surviving alone, I would have pulled out long ago.

The reason I started making a fuss about trying to save this world from destruction in the first place was to save the people I care about.

And the first among them was Jeong Ho-san. My one and only childhood friend.

To create a happy life for that guy who died miserably because of me.

But does this make sense?

Jeong Ho-san, I did all this trying to save that guy, but in the end, he’s entering his own place to die again because of my actions?

“Boss?”

Han Seo-hyeon looked at me with a bewildered face.

I absolutely couldn’t manage my expression. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart, my breath stopped, and everything went dark before my eyes.

Why on earth?

Why is that bastard trying to throw away his life for me again?

What am I, really.

I need to stop him.

But how?

Should I appear in front of that guy and say what you’re doing now is idiotic? Will he listen to me then?

No, can I even stand in front of him?

Aren’t I already just a criminal to that guy? I killed people, did even worse things, did all sorts of things.

The good friend ‘Kang Yi-sin’ that Jeong Ho-san remembers no longer exists in this world. Yet you’re telling me to stand in front of that guy?

I can’t.

“Boss!”

But if I stay like this, that guy will walk into the hell where that bastard will take his life.

Again, again.

My stomach churned.

“I didn’t ask for much, just, just…”

I muttered like a crazy person.

I only wanted that guy alone to be happy.

Jeong Ho-san should be happy. He must live a happy and splendid life. He should have become the successor of the Crimson Hound Guild, kept receiving love from Master Kim Myeong-cheol, and shone as a wonderful hunter representing this Korea.

Dying miserably like in his previous life, that can’t happen.

“Why on earth are you doing this?”

I shook off Han Seo-hyeon’s hand holding me.

“Boss?”

I could see Han Seo-hyeon looking at me with a surprised face, but right now, I didn’t have the capacity to care about that guy.

I didn’t want to face anyone right now.

I backed away from Han Seo-hyeon, crawled into my room, and slammed the door shut.

“Huk, ughh.”

As I wiped my sweat-drenched forehead with the back of my hand, Ray’s voice was heard.

—What on earth is going on? Why are you suddenly acting like a crazy person?

“The problem was that I bragged about regressing in the first place. Believing I could change anything itself was wrong.”

—Why are you suddenly saying such weak things when you’ve been accomplishing everything perfectly?

“Ha.”

If Jeong Ho-san wasn’t involved, I could have done that.

But not that guy.

Not Jeong Ho-san.

Because that guy absolutely must not go wrong.

Curses came out from frustration.

“Isn’t it just a matter of pretending not to know me and looking out for his own interests? He could just live happily under the guild master who dotes on him. If he just abandons me, he could be happy.”

Why is he doing all this saying he’ll find a friend like me?

—He must care for you that much.

My breath caught at those words.

“I don’t have even a bit of value for that.”

The Kang Yi-sin that Jeong Ho-san cherished is already dead, already long gone trampled by someone.

Past events came to mind.

Seol Rok-jin’s voice dug into my mind.

“Ah, damn it.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The nightmare I thought I had long forgotten vividly resurfaced in my mind.