episode_0058

* * *

“――That concludes my report. Afterward, as instructed, I confirmed that the Lesserats escorted their leader to a safe zone.”

The villain organization Abyss’s hideout, the boss’s private office.

Villain No. 13 was delivering a report on the mission she had just completed.

It was just last night’s work.

The mission was to escort a key figure from the villain organization ‘Lesserat’.

Normally, it would be an organization unrelated to ‘Abyss’, but as it was a special request from the ‘Villain Alliance’, they couldn’t refuse it.

For us, who were already desperate for results, there was no way to refuse. Fortunately, Club was there, allowing us to complete it safely.

The problem, however, was that in the urgent moment, Club was overworked to the point where she still hadn’t fully recovered.

I felt bad about what I did to Club. Even though she’s an enemy, I can’t help but think that.

“Well done. You worked hard.”

A woman with a graceful and neat appearance, beautiful purple hair, cat-like golden eyes, and a distinctive pattern around her mouth that left a strong impression.

To No. 13, who had finished her report, Boss Violet, with her hands clasped on the desk, offered words of praise.

It was a great achievement that No. 13 returned safely and performed the mission flawlessly, without shaming the Villain Alliance.

Violet, too, did not want to hold back her praise.

But…

“Boss?”

“……”

“Boss, are you alright?”

“…Yes… no…”

Although everything had turned out well in the end, Violet’s expression was not good.

“I feel a little suspicious about something…”

Violet tapped the table with her fingers or cast down her narrowed golden eyes, lost in thought for a moment.

No. 13, as a competent subordinate, stood quietly in front of her, waiting so as not to disturb her boss’s contemplation.

Boss Violet is a young boss, younger than No. 13. But even so, she possesses a competence befitting the head of an organization.

Dorothy and the Chief of Staff are also competent geniuses, but Violet, in her own way, has something special that sets her apart from them. It’s definitely there, though No. 13 doesn’t know what it is.

There are too many competent people around.

No. 13, who was quite the prodigy before becoming a villain, had long ago resigned herself to the conclusion that in this organization, the wisest approach was simply to humbly keep quiet so as not to disturb others’ contemplation.

Observing Violet, who was silent and deep in thought for a moment, No. 13 opened her mouth when it seemed appropriate.

“Boss, is something bothering you?”

“…Yeah… it’s just… the Lesserats… something about them bothers me… I wonder why…”

Violet repeated meaningless words as if muttering to herself in an unconfident voice.

A recently emerging organization. She had heard strange rumors about them, and for some unknown reason, the Alliance, which usually maintained a stance of non-interference, had even requested protection for this villain organization.

Honestly, there might be no need to think deeply about it.

In the first place, it was another organization’s matter, and all they needed to do was produce results that weren’t embarrassing to the Villain Alliance.

‘Is this just an unnecessary thought?’

Violet lightly ruffled her hair and stopped thinking.

“Alright, No. 13. You can go. You worked hard.”

“……”

“No. 13?”

Just as she was about to dismiss No. 13 after reaching a rough conclusion, No. 13 stood frozen in front of her desk as if turned to stone.

Violet frowned, wondering what she was doing, when No. 13 cautiously looked her over with a pitiful expression.

“Boss, you’ll give me a bonus for this, right?”

“……”

“I’ll trust you. I trust you? You’ll give me a bonus, right? Really?”

“……”

“Boss? Boss? Please answer.”

After repeatedly pressing and questioning Violet, who seemed to have a distant look in her eyes, No. 13 managed to get a day off.

…She wanted a bonus, not a day off…

* * *

“Hoo~~~~~ah……”

Spade, lying on her bed, let out a long sigh as she stared at the ceiling.

Perhaps because she had slept too long, her body felt stiff and her head ached slightly, but even so, she had no motivation to get out of bed.

Having been on a mission until late last night, she had been told that today she could rest from all other duties, except for the morning report and meeting.

Thanks to this, the 7th Squad finally had a day off.

Of course, only the subordinate members of the 7th Squad were resting; Captain Rahye seemed busy coming and going from headquarters today.

That’s understandable, given that they let the target villain get away. She must be busy dealing with the aftermath. Spade herself had written a report that was almost an apology during the morning.

‘If only I had captured that woman without issue…’

With a regret that weighed heavily on her heart, Spade let out another sigh, not knowing how many it had been.

The previous night, Spade had failed to capture a villain she absolutely had to apprehend.

Even if there was an unexpected interference, that was one thing and this was another.

As an A-rank Hero, she was so disappointed in herself for failing at something she shouldn’t have, that it filled her with immense self-loathing.

Deputy Captain Check, who was essentially Spade’s mentor, usually had a strict attitude in everything, but surprisingly, he said nothing about this failure.

This was because after hearing Spade’s report and seeing the bruise on her side, he had determined that the opponent’s abilities exceeded their estimated range.

‘I almost wished I had been scolded for failing the mission.’

It wasn’t that she had a masochistic tendency to enjoy being scolded, but since there was no one to strictly reprimand her for failing in such a crucial aspect, it tormented Spade’s heart even more.

Thanks to this, Spade was still languishing on her bed without motivation, even though it was the middle of a bright, sunny day.

She had absolutely no motivation to do anything else.

Ah, she just wanted to die like this.

She wished there was a mouse hole she could hide in.

Come to think of it, lately it felt like a string of failures.

Whether it was with Apple or Club, she had always let Villain No. 13 get away. In Club’s case, she was abducted, and there was no way to know how she was doing now.

And then another failure like this… it was enough to make Spade’s confidence disappear in a flash.

‘Come to think of it, that sniping ability… what was it? It was similar to Club’s.’

‘Of course, it couldn’t have been Club. But still, I felt a somehow familiar magic.’

Seeing the ‘ballistic manipulation’ and excellent sniping ability, Club’s abilities did come to mind.

During the morning meeting, Spade definitively denied that fact.

It was not an ability on a level possible for Club. Spade judged that it was definitely B-rank or higher… and for the final shot, it was close to S-rank.

It wasn’t that she was overestimating it just because she, an A-rank hero, was defeated.

‘Club, is she safe?’

What in the world was No. 13’s intention in abducting Club? And what did she want?

While she was lost in various thoughts for a moment,

Vvvrrrrmm―

Suddenly, the smartphone she had placed beside her bed vibrated.

“…Huh?”

Spade unenthusiastically picked up her smartphone and frowned as she looked at the screen.

A call was coming in. It was an unknown number, but it was saved in her contacts with strange special characters.

She had no idea why she had saved it this way, nor could she guess who the caller was.

The fact that it was saved meant it wasn’t just spam…

‘…What is this number… it somehow looks familiar…’

The thought was puzzling, but thinking for a long time wasn’t Spade’s style, so she quickly pressed the call button and answered.

The caller seemed to be a man.

[Hello, Spade. Are you busy?]

A friendly tone, as if addressing an old friend. But given her circumstances, Spade had no male friends she could casually address.

‘Who is this?’ she wondered. Yet, she suddenly realized the voice sounded extremely familiar.

What in the world? Who was this voice?

This voice… perhaps… definitely…

Spade, tracing her thoughts for a moment, finally reached a conclusion after much deliberation, and her eyes widened.

“No. 13?!”

The caller was No. 13.

The villain who was her sworn enemy, and the very one who had abducted her junior, Club.

The one who had an antagonistic relationship with Spade, the trash villain she had barely missed capturing several times before.

That villain had just called Spade.

She didn’t know why that villain’s phone number was saved in her contacts.

Nor did she know how that villain knew her number.

Simply surprised by the fact that he had called her, Spade froze in bewilderment, unsure how to react.

From beyond the speaker, No. 13’s words continued.

His voice was solemn and serious, low and heavy, but…

Unfortunately, the content was so pathetic it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

[Spade, I have a favor to ask.]

[…Could you lend me some money?]