Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Villain and Gate
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"How dare you interrupt my lunch time! Hey, get out of the way right now!"
I glared at the middle-aged man sitting on the bench.
A black suit with a crumpled tie, dark circles under his eyes. The perfect picture of a total loser.
Probably slaving away at some hellish black company. But what does that have to do with me?
Grrrowl─
My stomach growled again. It had already been two hours since my nefarious park conquest plan kicked off. My villain energy was about to hit rock bottom! Don't villains need to manage their stamina too?
I poked him several times, but the man didn't budge an inch.
"Hmph! Resisting with silence, are you? Do you even know who stands before you?"
"Go play somewhere else... Uncle's done for..."
The man's voice was utterly lifeless.
What a pathetic human. If he'd drunk milk every morning and faithfully eaten Everlin's special salad like I do, he wouldn't have ended up like this!
...Of course, I barely touch my salad.
Done for? What exactly was done for?
A foreboding thought flashed through my mind.
I'd heard it on the adult news Everlin sometimes watches. Something called an "extreme choice."
My heart sank. No way... was this guy...?
I couldn't contain the rising anger.
"Done for? You dare say that in front of me! Foolish human! Your life doesn't end until I say so!"
The man looked up in surprise. His bloodshot eyes turned toward me.
"What...?"
Saving someone on the brink of crisis like this—truly, I am a great villain!
...Wait, no. Isn't saving people in crisis a hero's job? Why am I, a villain, doing this...?
Hmm, but thinking about it, this counts as villainy too!
He might escape into freedom with an extreme choice, but stopping him drags out his suffering longer!
Forcing him to slog through this miserable world—that's true evil, isn't it!
"I've faced countless setbacks too! Dozens of world conquest attempts failed, I endured the humiliation of being mistaken for a hero, but did I give up? Never!"
As my passionate cry rang out, a faint spark returned to the man's empty eyes.
"Who... are you?"
"I am the great villain Grimoire! Soon to conquer all of S City—no, the entire world—the great villain Grimoire!"
"Villain...?"
"That's right! A true villain rises again after every setback! Giving up is a word I won't tolerate in my presence! As a future subject, you have a duty to survive and witness my greatness!"
I pulled out my lunchbox from my bag. The faint, enticing aroma from Everlin's special creation tickled my nose. Mmm, just the smell is recharging my villain energy!
"Listen up, pathetic human! Out of my special grace, I'll share this gourmet lunchbox with you! What you lack is the joy of a full belly! Be grateful for this immense favor your whole life!"
I popped open the lid, revealing perfectly arranged dishes.
Heart-shaped rice balls, adorably cut Vienna sausages in octopus shapes, bulgogi wrapped in lettuce, and... even broccoli and carrots.
"Kakak! My loyal maid prepared this with utmost care! Better than any world-class chef! Here, I specially bestow upon you the broccoli!"
"Th-thank you."
He hesitated but took the broccoli.
"It's... delicious..."
A single tear suddenly rolled down his cheek.
"Oh dear, you must have been through hell. Broccoli tasting good? Your head must be messed up. Here, eat some carrot too."
At my words, his shoulders shook. Sobs burst out, soon turning to laughter. A bizarre mix of crying and laughing.
After swallowing his food, the man started spilling his story.
"I... tried so hard to live right... but every day is torture. The company's a total black enterprise... My boss harasses me daily, overtime's mandatory... Even on weekends, I'm called in... I finally snapped and stormed out."
I kept handing him the leftover veggies from the lunchbox while listening.
"How am I gonna feed my family now... How to pay the house loan... It all feels over..."
"What's the big deal! I've failed world conquest dozens of times but never quit! Ending it after one failure? Don't make me laugh! The villain's path is endless setbacks and comebacks!"
"But without a job..."
"Boss? Black company? Who cares! Once I conquer the world, all companies will be mine anyway!"
The man burst out laughing. Genuine this time.
"You're one unique kid. Listening to you makes my problems seem small."
My shoulders puffed up with pride. Of course I'm admired—it's only natural!
"Naturally! Everything looks tiny before my plans! Your boss is scum? Hmph! Once I conquer the world, I'll put him top of my hit list!"
"Hit... list?"
"Ah, no... just throw him in jail or something! Anyway! Your only job is one thing: wait for my world conquest! Hold on till then! It's villains like me who change the world, not useless bosses!"
The man's eyes changed.
"You're right. Quitting after one failure... that really would make me a loser."
He took courage from my words! As expected, I'm a born leader!
He stood up from his seat. Straightened his back and took a deep breath. He looked like a completely different person from before.
"Thanks. If not for you, I'd have made a huge mistake. I'll head home and spend time with my wife today. A good rest, and I can keep going."
He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. Hmm, pretty fancy for a wage slave.
"Uncle's Seo Jin-ho. If you ever need help, call me."
Help? For me? What a joke!
"Hmph! I have no need for a pathetic wage slave's help. But after world conquest, I'll send your minion appointment via this number! Look forward to it!"
The man laughed.
"Got it, Grimoire. Thanks again."
He straightened his tie, fixed his hair, gave one last thankful bow, and left the park.
I finished the remaining lunchbox with a satisfied smile. Just the meat dishes left! Villains really need meat for power!
Plus, I saved a despairing human and turned him into a future minion. How villainous!
"Kakak! Another perfect day of evil deeds!"
Today's park conquest was a flawless success.
Bench? Occupied!
Pigeons? Loyalty sworn!
Paths, pond, playground—all under my rule.
Plus, I led one kid down the path of evil and recruited a despairing office worker as a future minion!
"Kakak! The plan's sailing perfectly! This park is officially 'Grimoire Park' now!"
A passing pigeon saluted my declaration. Oh, sharp angle for a pigeon!
A faint gray glow emanated from my horn, tinting the surroundings. Proof my evil is growing stronger! My horn definitely grew 0.1mm!
The day the whole city kneels at my feet isn't far! S City first, then Korea, Asia, and finally the world!
Imagining that glorious future made my lips curl up.
Time to head home and brag to Everlin. With her yogurt cake in front of me, I'll recount today's great feats—she'll shower me with praise for sure.
I turned toward the park exit...
"Hey, Grimoire sis!"
I turned at the familiar voice. The lost boy from earlier and his mom were running over.
"We meet again! Our benefactor!"
"Benefactor? No, I'm a villain! And I wasn't helping with the lost kid—I was the kidnapper!"
I clearly said villain earlier—why the misunderstanding? Is my evil not getting through?
Should I show how terrifying I am? Maybe violently!
"Mom! Buy sis ice cream!"
"Yes, may we offer a small token of thanks to our hero?"
Ice cream? Ice cream?
My villain pride clashed fiercely with the temptation of sweet ice cream in my head.
A mini devil-Grimoire whispered from within.
'Can't resist real ice cream? And it's free! Villains don't pass up freebies!'
On the other side, mini angel-Everlin's voice chimed in.
'Master, never accept food from strangers.'
I pondered. Everlin's always right. No one worries about me like her...
'This is different! It's not just given—it's an offering to me!'
'Still, a villain's dignity...'
Mini Everlin shook her head slightly.
'Dignity? Extorting food for free is perfect villainy! Accepting tribute from the masses is the world ruler's duty!'
Hmm... fair point. A nefarious villain must plunder the citizens' wealth!
Mini Everlin had no rebuttal.
My logic is always flawless!
"Fine, I'll graciously accept!"
We headed to the colorful ice cream truck at the park entrance. It had a "Happy Ice" sign.
"The most villainous flavor fit for me!"
"How about dark chocolate? The most intense and 'evil' taste."
Perfect suggestion! Matches my vibe exactly!
"Kakak! Excellent choice for a great villain! I praise your taste!"
While the boy's mom paid, I struck a victory pose.
First tribute from loyal subjects—such a moving moment.
"This proves how successful my villainy has been!"
The clerk was about to scoop the ice cream onto a cone.
BOOM──!
A sudden roar and tremor erupted from the park's center. The ground shook, and people screamed in panic.
Plop─
The shock made the clerk's hand slip, and my beautiful dark chocolate ice cream splattered on the ground.
"My ice cream!!!"
Rage boiled up. How dare it take my ice cream! My free ice cream extorted from someone else's money!
Then, a blue vortex swirled up in the park center, warping space.
Screams and fleeing footsteps filled the park.
A monster emerged from the blue gate. Toad-shaped overall, but irregularly studded with eyes all over its body, slimy tentacles wriggling around it.
"Grumpy Toad? Bad name! Toads are cute—this is just a gross blob!"
The monster lumbered toward the ice cream truck, swinging a tentacle.
The "Happy Ice" sign shattered into pieces, letters scattering in the air.
A second tentacle shot toward the lost boy and his mom.
Stupid humans! Freezing up in a crisis—what good are you?
Power surged through my body. Gray light enveloped me.
In an instant, I launched myself, landing in front of the boy and mom.
As the Grumpy Toad's tentacle reached out, my right leg sliced through the air.
Slash-!
The tentacle cleanly severed, green slime spraying everywhere.
"How dare you... take my dark chocolate ice cream—no, invade Grimoire-sama's territory! I'll deal with you myself!"
Time to exterminate this lowly intruder on my land! For ice cream revenge and defending Grimoire Park!