Being a Villain is My True Calling

“Hi~! Here I am~!”

“Welcome, aunty.”

“Au,Aunty…!”

Two days after his conversation with Maker, at Vigilante’s hideout.
Narin casually greeted the mercenary, Haru, who had barged in energetically.

Dissatisfied with Narin’s address, Haru shot her a look.

“Not aunty, unni (older sister)! Come on, say unni!”

“So, did you complete the task, Mercenary Aunty?”

Ignoring Haru’s demand, Narin swiftly changed the subject.

“You were supposed to spread rumors, right? As requested, I’ve thoroughly disseminated the serial killer rumors across the slums! At this rate, both villains and ordinary citizens will become aware.”

“Well done~ While I can manage online, the real world is a bit trickier for me.”

“Hehehe! See?…No, not that! I have a pretty name, Haru, you know!”

“It makes me think of a mayfly’s lifespan!”

“Hey!”

True to Haru’s boasts, within a few days, rumors of a serial killer punishing evildoers began circulating.

“Huhuh, how’s that?”

While initially seeming meek and inadequate, the very mercenary hired by Z-Biotech to infiltrate Eclipse proved quite capable after all.

“Good.”

“So what’s next?”

“Now that the spark has been lit, I should fan the flames a bit.”

Satisfied with Haru’s performance, Narin nodded approvingly.
Additionally, she employed her own specialty to further accelerate the rumor’s spread.

Tadak. Tadatak!

[Have you guys seen this?]

[Apparently there have been some recent murder cases.]

[(Trigger Warning) Repost) This is supposedly one of those recent murder cases, scary as hell…]

Narin anonymously shared Alpha’s gruesome crime scene photos across various online communities.

Moreover, she subtly swayed public opinion, indoctrinating the notion that the current serial killings solely targeted evildoers.

Tatak!! Tadadatak!!

“Ooh…Going hard, aren’t we?”

“Establishing the initial narrative is crucial. Otherwise, future counternarratives could sway public opinion in the opposite direction.”

Through Narin and Haru’s combined efforts, they successfully publicized the murders and shaped public sentiment before the Hero Association could intervene or take action.

This was achieved a mere five days after the first killing, during the aftermath of the sixth murder.

“…Phew. This should prevent any major public opinion shifts for the time being.”

“Really!? So I’m done now? I can go home?”

“No? There’s more work to be done, Aunty.”

“What?!”

With hopeful eyes, Haru’s expectations were promptly dashed by Narin’s amused rebuttal.

“We should periodically monitor in case public opinion does shift.”

“…Th,Then for how long do I have to assist?”

“Hmm…Probably until this whole affair concludes?”

“Ueeeek!!”

Clutching her head in dismay, Haru let out an anguished screech.

“Damn it!! I should’ve known better than to accept those dumbass researchers’ request!! Just because I made one mistake, I have to waste away for days like this!!”

“…Hmm.”

For a fleeting moment, Narin considered bluntly informing Haru that if she proved useless, she might not simply be sent home, but meet a more permanent end.
However, she refrained from delivering such a harsh reality for the time being.

“Ueeeeeehng!!”

Thus, Narin observed Haru’s one-woman performance for a while longer.

Uuuung- Pit.

“No matter how I look at it, this is just too unfair…”

“Unni.”

“Huhyaaahk!!”

Haru’s solo act came to an abrupt end with Gayeon’s sudden appearance.

“Ing? Why are you here, Gayeon?”

“Big Bro wants a situation report.”

As composed as ever, Gayeon paid no heed to the startled Haru sprawled on the floor, retrieving a notepad and pen from her pocket instead.

“Why didn’t he come get it himself?”

“He’s busy with something else.”

“That busy, huh?”

“I’m not sure, but it seems so.”

“I see, can’t be helped then.”

Swiftly accepting Gayeon’s explanation, Narin proceeded to brief her on their progress.

“First, instilling a sense of crisis by dealing with evildoers is progressing smoothly. Additionally, I’ve taken preemptive measures to accelerate the rumor’s spread…”

Narin fluently detailed the tasks completed and additional steps taken to fulfill their mission, as well as future plans.
Gayeon summarized Narin’s account without difficulty.

“Is this sufficient?”

“Yes, this should be enough.”

After some discussion, Gayeon nodded and returned her notepad and pen to her pocket.
As she did so, Narin suddenly turned to survey her surroundings, struck by a thought.

“By the way, where’s our adorable maknae Lily?”

“She’s with Chicken Unni. She probably doesn’t even know we’re on this mission right now.”

While Maker had briefed Narin and Gayeon on this plan, he had not informed Lily.
Considering her young age, her ability to respond to unexpected situations might be lacking, risking unintentional information leaks.

Of course, her excessive youth also played a significant role in this decision.

“I see? That’s a bit of a shame. I’d like to go on a mission with Lily sometime.”

“She’s still a baby. It’s too soon for her to work with Big Bro and me.”

Gayeon shook her head in disagreement, prompting a chuckle from Narin.

“For someone so tiny to act all tough just because she has a little sister…Aren’t you the one who still gets carried around by Big Bro?”

“I’m steadily growing up. And if I went to school, I’d be in middle school, while she’d still be in elementary.”

“Aye, if you say so~”

Narin and Gayeon engaged in friendly banter for a while.
Eventually, Gayeon paused their squabble to voice a concern regarding their current mission.

“Unni, can I ask you something I’m curious about?”

“What is it?”

“I understand we’re supposed to draw the Association’s attention for the upcoming terror attack, but what if they can’t take it anymore and reveal the culprit’s identity?”

Maker had tasked them with heightening the Hero Association’s alertness in preparation for a forthcoming terror attack.
During this process, Alpha’s identity must not be disclosed to civilians.

Currently, they were successfully executing his orders without leaving direct traces, while only the Association, aware of Alpha’s escape, could slightly suspect his involvement.

“What if they outright expose and apprehend him?”

“Admittedly, that would complicate matters somewhat.”

However…

“But I doubt they’ll ever do that.”

“Why not?”

Narin’s confident assertion prompted Gayeon’s puzzled inquiry.

“If the Association reveals that Alpha Grandpa is alive, the first question they’ll face is undoubtedly ‘why’. Why is a former hero presumed dead 40 years ago suddenly alive, and why is he only emerging now to cause havoc?”

“They can’t explain each detail. It would expose their own flaws.”

“Exactly. If they reveal Alpha’s identity themselves, they’ll likely face utter chaos for weeks.”

To unravel the current tangled situation, they would have to provide a comprehensive backstory – a time-consuming endeavor the proud and stubborn Hero Association would never undertake.

“And they can’t be certain whether the serial killer leaving these cards is truly the culprit they suspect.”

If the Association publicly identified Alpha as the perpetrator, only to be proven wrong later, they would have instigated an even greater uproar through their own actions.

“In conclusion, unless we directly reveal Alpha Grandpa’s presence ourselves, they have no choice but to remain tight-lipped before the public.”

“I see.”

Well, the upper echelons might be discussing matters among themselves, but that was a concern for later.
For now, Narin could only express gratitude towards the Association’s silence as they proceeded with their mission.

[The nation has become too terrifying…]

[Lol from now on, all you wrongdoers better watch out! The Dark Knight is coming for you~!]

[The state of this nation is appalling. People are dying, yet others are celebrating, showing their true colors lol]

[Only evildoers are dying, why are you complaining? If you haven’t done anything wrong, just stay put lol]

Chuckling, Narin observed the firestorm raging across the online communities displayed on her monitor.