I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

The executive ranks of the Secret Society were composed of S+ level and above, yet many of the Society’s temples and collaborators, spread across various countries, were not ability users.

With their assistance, the Society was dedicated to eradicating darkness from the lowest tiers of society.

Believing in dedication and service as their calling, individuals like Sister Hanielra assisted the Society in caring for children, laying the groundwork for a peaceful world someday.

Because I was part of the Society, I believed in the righteousness of the Society’s methods.

However, there were those who argued against the Society’s methods.

Whether they’re merely contrarians or they sincerely believed it.

“A reeducation camp for thought criminals.”

After inspecting the state of the church and sharing stories on the ground, I was reminded of the old tales villains used to recount while driving on the roads of Pattaya.

“Hye-ra, what do you think?”

“Yes. You know how villains talk. Taking in orphans and raising them, isn’t it essentially just training agents for the Society?”

“Hmph. It’s not as if we’re brainwashing them.”

Yoon Hye-ra, seated in the passenger seat, sorted data on her tablet and responded.

“We simply raise them to be members of society. The brainwashing of thought criminals, that’s what others like Laplace and General Jeokrang engage in.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

“Are you having doubts?”

“Not doubting. Just reminiscing.”

“The past?”

“Yes.”

Perhaps it’s because it’s only been half a year since I embraced the villain life and just three months since the academy semester began, those thoughts still lingered in my mind.

“I wonder how we are perceived from a civilian’s point of view, not just from within the Society.”

Civilian perspective.

This objective view prompted one to consider how outsiders view us, not just as members of the Society or a villain organization.

From this perspective, the Society appeared no different from villains who raised ability children as weapons.

-Eh? But in the end, aren’t they just raising minions for their own Society?

I actually heard this being said last year.

Referring to the Society’s actions of taking in and raising orphaned children, villains called it ‘the brainwashing education of hypocrites.’

“To make all humans fair and just.”

Sounded quite nice, didn’t it?

Somewhere utopian, yet in a way, dystopian.

“It’s an ideal goal. But at least most of society agrees with our goals, unlike the others.”

Yoon Hye-ra sounded tired of explaining.

“Raising children on an island to be private soldiers, or grinding the bones of ability users who don’t comply, all of it just parts of the darkness in this world. Just like Thailand is just one of the countries in the world.”

The actions of villains varied widely.

“There are those who call for the revival of imperialism, and those who create divides based on race or gender. Some truly believe in those ideologies, but the biggest reason is to accumulate wealth and power. Indeed, there are organizations created for that purpose.”

“Where are you talking about? There are so many like that.”

“Germany.”

“The Neo-Nazis?”

“Yes. The ones Do-cheol is currently struggling with.”

Yoon Hye-ra shook her head sympathetically.

“She’s having a tough time trying to eradicate them at their roots, but if it were me, I’d have ended it there. Oh right, weren’t you just a low-rank member when you crushed the Neo-Nazis?”

“I was shocked to hear that the Neo-Nazi organization had been decimated just as I resolved to do something significant.”

It was one week after my possession.

It was a plot device in the original work to demonstrate the greatness of the Society, but also, within a week of possession, it was a message and a realization of the terror of the Society.

-Announcement: Collapse of the Neo-Nazis. The head of the Neo-Nazis, ‘the failed art student’, has been successfully eliminated.

The Neo-Nazis collapsed.

From my perspective, it seemed as if the organization known as Hydra had been completely obliterated.

Neo-Nazis, a term that conjured images of an organization with a reach extending not only across Europe but also into the US and the UN, were decisively dismantled by the Secret Society, which eliminated the head of the Neo-Nazis.

However, the problem lied in the fact that simply removing the head didn’t mean the organization ceased to exist.

“Hye-ra, you weren’t there at that time, were you?”

“No. Do-cheol and Hon-don went. Oh, you know Do-ol, right? Do-cheol was so determined she even called Do-ol for backup to help wipe them out.”

Yoon Hye-ra’s expression momentarily stiffened.

“The Neo-Nazis had established such facilities all over the underground in Germany. We failed to stop them. But with our superpowers, we will prevail. The most superior race in the world is…”

Yoon Hye-ra gave me a cautious glance.

“It’s okay. I’ll try not to care…”

“Not Koreans, but us Germans. Korea is merely fortunate to have had a meteorite fall into its sea, nothing more than parasites.”

“Still shocking to hear, every time.”

The race that the Neo-Nazis envied.

A race that ignited fury among nationalists worldwide, now emerging in an era marked by extreme national pride.

“Neo-Nazis jealous of us, haha.”

“Well, it’s not wrong, is it? Consider how many ability users have emerged in Korea since the meteorite impact. It’s natural for them to feel envy and jealousy. Think of ability users as the new oil.”

“Comparing people to oil feels odd, but it somehow makes perfect sense.”

Though we hadn’t discovered oil in this land of golden mountains and clear waters since the time Dangun Grandfather founded our nation, we had become a hub for ability users 4,333 years after a meteorite impact.

It might be a jest, but people around the globe, whether in jest or earnest, referred to Korea and Koreans as ‘a nation and a race blessed by God.’

“The reality is just like that. How many S-classes have officially emerged in Korea? Thirty. Including those who died, became villains, emigrated, and others, that’s a staggering thirty S-classes that have surfaced. What about other countries? Japan has the most, with ten.”

In a world where S-classes were abundant in one country, while other countries struggled to produce even one S-class.

“Brother, it might sound strange, but I think Korea has become quite arrogant now. It’s because Armored Taejo is dubbed an S-class detector, but in another country, those who are A+ could easily be considered S-class, and Korea is teeming with them.”

The whole world was brimming with national pride, but from a villain’s perspective, the appeal of national pride was equally potent.

“Just look at Singapore down below. An A+ who was defeated by Armored Taejo and immediately emigrated became Singapore’s sole S-class.”

“Right. When you think about it, Korea has indeed produced a significant number of S-classes.”

In Korea, they were overshadowed by Taejo, but in another country, they became the unparalleled S-class?

Such stories weren’t merely the plots of light novels; they were reality.

In this world, that’s the way things were.

Korea’s prominence and the Korean Wave were unparalleled globally.

In this world engulfed by national pride, all logic was dictated by it.

“But why bring this up now? Especially coming all the way to Thailand. We’ve accomplished what we needed to. Are you thinking of working overtime?”

“Not exactly overtime, just concerned.”

“About who? Ah, Laplace’s children?”

“Yes.”

People who only recognized the world as a sanctuary beneath God.

Even those with a bit more knowledge couldn’t make the transition across the bridge.

They had an official name, but to distinguish them, people referred to them as ‘Laplace’s children.’

“Taking care of children who have spent their entire lives as weapons in an orphanage wouldn’t be feasible. A separate facility would be necessary.”

Scattering them across various Thai locations and teaching them in orphanages managed by the Society seemed like a good idea, but having seen it firsthand, I realized it was impractical.

“If grouped together, they’ll form cliques, and if left alone, it will feel like being thrown into an ocean. Exactly… like being dropped alone into another world.”

“That’s true. It’s like moving from the world of God’s sanctuary to the world of Earth.”

My situation was similar yet different.

Even though I was an adult capable of perceiving and accepting changes in the world, it would be an entirely different sensation for them.

And the most frightening part of that confusion was that these children were not just ordinary kids—they were ‘ability users.’

“I hope I don’t have to call Yumir or step in myself. If the kids lose their mental balance, they become demons.”

“…….”

It’s a world where even toddlers could turn into demons.

That’s why everyone was extremely cautious with ability-user children, but Laplace and General Crimson used them as weapons regardless of whether they turn into demons.

“How can we solve this issue with the kids? It seems too difficult for the Secret Society to intervene right now.”

“Isn’t there a way?”

“Huh?”

“Brother, are you hoping that I’ll build up to telling you? Since it’s awkward for you to say it directly, you want me to say it for you, right?”

“…….”

Perhaps what Yoon Hye-ra was saying might actually be true.

I hadn’t thought about it, but perhaps I subconsciously found the right answer.

“How to reintegrate children who were brainwashed back into society as its members. That’s what you’re thinking about now, isn’t it? ‘Rehabilitation.’”

“…….”

“Mind bleaching by the Sephirot Knights.”

“…….”

Screech.

I stopped the car.

It just happened to be right in front of our destination, and I stopped the car at the red light and turned to Yoon Hye-ra.

“Hye-ra.”

“Yes, oppa.”

“Would it be cruel to kill the personality that lived as a weapon and overlay it with the memories of an ordinary human, or…”

One thing.

There was a definite way.

“…would it be more cruel to subject them to marine-style boot camp training for two years?”

Currently.

Heading towards Thailand.

Intelligence had come in that men in red hats were boarding a plane and flying here.