episode_0017

After meeting Snow, I honestly lived in trembling fear for several days.

The worry that heroes might come to the hideout and capture me, or the worry that my life might be in danger again.

But all those worries were overshadowed, and I had no choice but to go outside.

The reason was simple.

“Living expenses are hitting rock bottom.”

As if she had finished sewing the dress, Eclipse puts down her sewing tools and looks at me.

“Hey, how much money did we get? How did we spend it all already?”

Even so, didn’t we take quite a bit?

“…Well, I guess we didn’t take that much.”

“What do you mean by that?”

You’re the one who took it.

I look at Eclipse with that meaning in mind, and she avoids my gaze.

“I took as much as I could… but those people have to eat too…”

“…”

“Ah, maybe we spent a lot of money…!”

Firebringer hastily interjects as Eclipse and I look at each other.

“You see… like, we bought a television…”

Firebringer points to a fairly large television.

“We, we also bought a sewing machine…”

And the sewing machine Eclipse bought to sew clothes,

“We also bought a burner phone and a bed…”

That’s right. A burner phone, essential for villain life, and a bed to sleep in.

A refrigerator for cooking, an air conditioner bought in case it gets hot… and a computer for cultural life…

“A desk… and all sorts of household goods…”

That’s right too. We have to cook and live.

“So, isn’t that why we’re short on money?”

“…”

I look around the hideout.

Honestly, the hideout feels much more like someone is living here than before.

I think it’s all necessary investment.

Thinking about it that way, it seems like we spent a lot, but we spent the money where it was needed.

“Tsk…”

If I had known this would happen, I should have robbed the bank a little more.

If a hero is like a civil servant, then a villain is like a freelancer.

Heroes earn money bit by bit through salary and performance bonuses, while villains’ income is not consistent, but they can earn a lot of money if they hit a big score.

Hatred for the world or strange beliefs?

I don’t have any of that, and you need money to do bad things.

“Where should I rob…”

“Isn’t a bank the easiest?”

“Robbing a bank right now isn’t a good choice.”

I shake my head at Firebringer’s words.

Robbing a bank when we’re making a name for ourselves is too much of an attention grab.

Isn’t there someone we can rob without any repercussions?

“…”

“…”

“…”

While the three of us are racking our brains, news is coming from the television.

The leader of the largest domestic drug organization, Homme, has escaped again. Heroes and the government are tracking him down, but his whereabouts are still unknown.>

“…That’s it.”

“What?”

Eclipse looks at me at my muttering, and I point to the television.

“We’re going to catch the drug organization.”

“Are you even watching the news?”

Eclipse looks at me with a dumbfounded expression after hearing my words.

“How are you going to catch what the country can’t catch?”

“I know how.”

Because drugs have already been eradicated in the hero world.

“Anyway, trust me. Have I ever led you wrong?”

“…It’s been weird, but it hasn’t been unhelpful.”

“Exactly.”

I nod at Eclipse’s words, and Firebringer also looks at me and says timidly.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

In the end, after only hearing my words to trust and leave it to me, Eclipse sighs and is now diligently sewing something strange, and Firebringer starts doing various training with fire in the room.

And I was organizing my memories in a notebook.

“…”

In the main timeline of the hero world, drugs have already disappeared. It’s a problem because there’s another stronger drug.

But right now, I don’t know what the problem is either.

I write “drug organization” with a pen and circle it.

In the story, the drug organization was destroyed by a hero.

It doesn’t say exactly which hero, but it was destroyed, and the location of its headquarters is roughly known.

Right here where my hideout is.

Originally, evil deeds are done in either extremely wealthy villages or extremely poor villages.

And our hideout was in a poor village.

“…”

I know the location, so all I need to do is find some underlings.

Originally, you have to run around to find these things.

“Hey, Firebringer.”

“Yes?”

Firebringer, who was lying down watching television, jumps up when I call her.

“Let’s go.”

“Already?”

“I told you. I can find them quickly.”

Firebringer looks at me with suspicious eyes, but gets up from her seat.

“Well, I don’t have anything else to do, so I’ll go…”

“I’m busy.”

And Eclipse answers curtly and continues sewing.

“I’m doing something important right now.”

Is sewing more important than catching drug dealers?

But it seems like it’ll be okay without her, so let’s just go.

“Suit yourself.”

I shrug my shoulders and stand up to go out,

“Wait.”

Eclipse throws something at me and Firebringer.

“…What is it?”

I take what she gave me and check it,

“…Masks?”

I was holding something like a strange mask in my hand.

“It’s not a mask, it’s something that makes your face less visible.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve made it so that you can’t recognize it unless you’re paying attention. I’ve covered it with darkness.”

“Can you use it for that too?”

I don’t think she used that ability in the original story.

“Thanks to someone, I studied hard.”

And Eclipse sighs and starts sewing again.

“See you later. I’ll make dinner and wait for you.”

“Okay. I’ll be back before dinner.”

“Okay.”

We talked like that and went outside the hideout with Firebringer.

“…”

On the way out, when I put on the mask Eclipse gave me, Firebringer looks at me and widens her eyes.

“Wow, it’s really hard to recognize you.”

“I was worried about what to do since my face was already known, but this should be fine.”

Because if you walk around outside with such a unique face, many problems are bound to arise.

Soon, Firebringer also puts on a mask.

“Oh…”

It was as she said. It was really hard to see.

To be exact, you can see Firebringer, but unless you focus on her, it’s hard to know that it’s Firebringer.

It was just like looking at a passerby walking down the street.

If there’s something like this, villains are always hiding their faces and causing accidents.

“Then where are we going?”

“First, we’re going to catch some underlings.”

“Underlings…?”

Firebringer looks at me as if wondering where to catch them.

I look at her and give her a confident smile.

“I have a way.”

“You’re not going to kill anyone, are you?”

“I was just smiling confidently.”

*

Inside a dark alley.

There were more people wandering around in the alley than I thought.

“…Are you sure this is the right place?”

Firebringer whispers to me in a suspicious voice.

“It’s right.”

When she and I enter, the eyes of many people turn to us and then turn elsewhere again.

“…”

Most of the people were just passing through the alley.

Some people were lying down and reaching out their hands as if begging.

But the people I’m looking for are not those people.

I turn my gaze and look at the people I’m looking for.

Some people were shaking their bodies strangely.

I look at the people shaking their bodies strangely, but they shake their bodies without even caring about my gaze.

Their eyes are out of focus, and they’re mumbling incomprehensible sounds, so it seems like normal conversation is impossible.

And these are the people I’m looking for.

I keep a little distance from them and take a seat.

I’m not shaking my body, I’m just leaning against the wall.

“…What are you doing?”

And Firebringer, who was looking at me, asks in a suspicious voice.

“Copy me.”

“Just move like this?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

Firebringer looks at me with a suspicious expression and then leans against the wall with me.

I look up at the sky.

The sun had already set, and only one street lamp was eerily lit, giving off an ominous energy.

“Then what are we going to do now?”

Firebringer whispers to me with her arms crossed.

“Just wait for now.”

“Yes?”

“Until all the people here leave.”

“When will that be?”

“I don’t know.”

“…”

Firebringer looks at me as if she’s dumbfounded, sighs, and leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

“Then I’m going to doze off for a while.”

“Suit yourself.”

Firebringer leans against the wall and starts dozing off, and I just wait with my arms crossed until people leave.

How much time has passed?

The people who were begging also closed up shop and disappeared, and the only people left were the people who were still staggering, me, and Firebringer.

“Wake up.”

“Uh, um…”

Firebringer wakes up with a start when I tap her on the shoulder.

“I-Is it already over?”

“No. From now on, we’re going to mingle with them.”

“Yes…?”

Firebringer looks at me, and without answering her reaction, I stand next to the staggering people and start staggering with them.

I unfocus my eyes, and empty my mind…

“Ah, seriously…”

And Firebringer sighs and starts acting like me next to me.

How much more time has passed?

The sound of a heavy engine and the sound of people’s footsteps start to be heard from somewhere.

They’re here.

Pretending to twist my body, I turn my head slightly and look at them, and some people who look like thugs are looking at us.

“Take them.”

“Yes.”

And the thugs start dragging me and Firebringer and others in a line.

Firebringer turns her head and looks at me, but I just shake my head without saying anything.

As planned.