Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Meeting
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"This is bad."
"Yeah. I thought three would be enough to handle it safely."
"We realized too late they were an organization. No helping it. They were stronger than we thought. We underestimated them. And of all people, the first one to die had to be that guy."
"Marmo was a bit weak, yeah."
A dimly lit conference room.
The empty chairs around the table emblazoned with twelve animal emblems caught my eye.
It was usually bustling with everyone here.
Was I the only one feeling it? Somehow, everyone seemed quieter than usual.
"...So? Has the boss not arrived yet?"
"She told you not to call her boss. Don't you remember?"
"Come on, whether it's the Twelve Branches or the executives, this organization was built by her. What's wrong with calling the boss the boss?"
"It's not wrong, but didn't I ask you not to? She wants to be treated as an equal."
"...Ah, here she comes. Boss."
"Sigh. You never change."
They say if a tiger hears you mention it, it appears—but the boss is a dragon. The tiger's just sitting over there.
As I was lost in silly thoughts, the boss approached her seat, her iridescent horn gleaming beautifully.
I figured she'd sit down as usual. So why wasn't she?
"Boss? Your seat's right there."
Ignoring the question entirely, she walked to the window and suddenly flung the curtains wide open.
"What are you all, children of the dark? Get some sunlight."
"Aaaah, my eyes! Boss, we're villains—we're supposed to be children of the dark! Close the curtains quick!"
"...Is that so?"
As everyone writhed in agony from the sudden sunlight, the boss gave an awkward smile and drew the curtains again.
The boss was still picking up useless habits. Things we didn't need. I appreciated the consideration, but this was unnecessary.
The commotion lightened the heavy mood, but the moment she sat down and spoke, silence fell over us.
"Four of us are dead."
"..."
"Man, I didn't realize how empty it'd feel with just a few missing. Getting used to things is scary."
"...Boss."
"I know, I know. We're villains. We could die or get arrested anytime, and it wouldn't be strange."
Staring briefly at the empty chair, the boss explained why she'd called this emergency meeting.
"Listen up. The plan's gone off the rails."
"Yeah, it has. So what now, Mir? Weren't we going to raid the academy?"
"Right. ...No changes to the plan. We're pushing forward as is."
"What? But that's..."
"You figured it was doable assuming full strength? I know. But you know our goal."
"...The goal. Yeah, I know it well."
Who wouldn't?
The secret room mentioned in the notebook of the academy's founder, which the boss had stumbled upon by chance. And the artifact slumbering within.
That was the key to our organization's ultimate objective.
"We need that to achieve our goal. That's why everyone was thrilled when we lured that kid in. We thought it'd be an easy path."
"And in the end, they died without even getting seduced."
"Sigh. Yeah. If they'd just stayed alive, it would've been great."
Sighing at the other executives' words, the boss declared to us all.
"We have to find the artifact hidden inside the academy. It's the only way to fulfill our wishes. We can't delay the plan any longer."
"...It's because of Arachne."
"Exactly. Those pests. They really hate villains."
And they had good reason to.
Villains were criminals, no matter how you spun it.
Not just any criminals, but ones so overwhelmingly powerful that victims couldn't fight back or seek revenge.
The authorities barely even tried to catch Arachne, except for a few.
Tch. Aren't they villains too? Why aren't they making a move?
Because it's convenient? Probably the highest likelihood.
Damn convenient, having someone else clean up the hard-to-handle troublemakers.
"It'd be best to wipe them out first and then raid the academy, but..."
"No. Too much damage. That many got wiped out. We'd need everyone together. Think the authorities would let that slide?"
"...No chance."
"Full assembly on the day of the raid is enough."
The tiger and the boss's voices buzzed in my ears.
They were surely debating the best path forward for the organization.
Other executives' voices chimed in amid theirs, but I shut my ears and bowed my head.
I wasn't good with complicated stuff like that.
The boss would handle it. She always did.
I was the boss's loyal hound. Staying by her side was enough.
"...Annie. Annie!"
"Ah, Boss."
"I told you not to call me boss... Anyway, you fell asleep during the meeting again. I said it was important."
"But I don't really get that stuff."
"Sigh. What am I going to do with you."
Even as the boss sighed, I felt nothing but contentment.
Her waking me meant she had something to say.
"It's decided?"
"...Yeah. We're raiding the academy."
"When?"
"Closing ceremony. Security will be lightest then."
"Got it."
"...Annie, you never question anything."
"Because you—er, Mir—have always been right."
I burrowed into the boss's bittersweet embrace as she smiled wryly.
I was the boss's loyal hound. I just followed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [Total attack on closing ceremony day!] "...Huh?"
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [Übermensch! Total attack on the academy on closing ceremony day! Burning academy!] "Are you insane?"
Oh no. Slip-up.
I'd accidentally voiced my thoughts out loud.
Lucky thing was that Writer-nim seemed startled by my intense reaction.
I tensed, fearing she'd get mad, but thankfully, she didn't.
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [Why, why...?] "What kind of academy novel has the academy burning on closing ceremony day? No vacation event?"
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [Nah, it won't burn! The protagonist will coolly stop them all!] She's talking nonsense. How's one guy supposed to take on eight? Crazy?
No choice now—I had to push hard.
The key was convincing Writer-nim.
...I'd lose against eight executives too. No doubt.
Even taking down three barely worked with bluffing—what shape would I be in now?
And Yoo Siu has to face them all at once? You kidding?
A total assault means all the strong villains will show up.
Yoo Siu hasn't grown that much yet.
I could see him getting stronger bit by bit, but...
Not protagonist-level miraculous growth.
"Impossible. The protagonist hasn't grown enough for that yet."
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [But... wouldn't it be possible?] Possible my foot. She's spouting impossibilities.
"Sure, if Yoo Siu suddenly gained some phoenix immortality power out of nowhere. But Writer-nim, you can't do that."
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [W-what?! N-no, I can't! Yeah! Lacks plausibility!] ...What? Why's she so shocked? It's common knowledge.
Plausibility is the most important thing in novels.
In real life, you might just grieve if someone dies randomly in a hit-and-run, but novels can't do that.
The moment the lead dies in a random hit-and-run, readers explode.
That's why novels need even more plausibility than reality.
That's also why Writer-nim isn't omnipotent. She's the one writing the novel.
She can't just go, "I wish the protagonist was OP!" and stuff him with three or four powers.
Setting is one power per person, so favoritism by piling on abilities destroys plausibility.
Powers can evolve gradually into new ones with enough buildup, but otherwise, impossible.
"No helping it, Writer-nim. Does it have to be closing ceremony no matter what?"
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [I wanted to have him coolly catch villains on closing ceremony day, then write tons of daily life parts during vacation...] She had a plan?
I thought it was just idle talk.
It seemed pie-in-the-sky, but since moody Writer-nim had made a plan, interfering felt tricky.
I could already see backlash if I forced it as unfeasible.
...It's not like a space spaghetti monster came to destroy Earth. Maybe leave it here.
There were solutions anyway.
"Final exams soon. Then a bit later, closing ceremony, right?"
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [Yes!] "Let's think how to thin out the villains in the meantime."
⚙ WRITER-NIM ⚙ [Okay...] No time.
The four executives had to be taken out before closing ceremony, no matter what.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ow, what are you doing? Try again."
"Ah, Arte...! Wanna go hang out with me?"
"No confidence! Again!"
"...Hey, Amelia. Do we really have to do this?"
Siu shot Amelia a resentful look.
What the heck was this even?
"Might as well search for the secret room..."
"I saw you weren't focusing at all! Practice this! It seems more promising anyway."
"..."
What was with Amelia's baseless confidence?
Siu suddenly wondered.
"Hey, Amelia."
"Yeah?"
"Hypothetically speaking. If Arte isn't actually into me, what then?"
Amelia started to scowl and say something, so he hurriedly added.
It'd probably be the usual "of course it's love" spiel. He'd heard it a million times.
"If! Just if!"
"Do I really have to answer that?"
No, did I say something wrong?
Is it really love? She hasn't even once suggested hanging out.
He'd doubted it at first, but second thoughts were natural, right?
Amelia answered his question like it was obvious.
"Even if Arte doesn't like you, no problem."
"...Why not?"
"We just make her like you."
Siu was speechless.
What gave Amelia this confidence?
"So get ready again! One more time! Natural!"
"Sigh..."
No choice.
He'd upset Amelia by imagining Arte's feelings, so it was his fault.
More arguing would just make her blow up, so he went along.
"Arte, wanna go hang out with me?"
"Oh, that's better. Again!"