Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

I brought all the children back to our base.

We decided to refer to them temporarily as ‘Il-ho’ to ‘Shi-ho’ (One to Ten).

Since not a single child could recall their name, I wished I could call them by their actual names.

Though admittedly rather impersonal names, it was the best I could come up with given my lack of naming sense.

When I asked if they preferred different names, they said these would do since they were only temporary anyway.

As for the four children Han Seo-hyeon had rescued, I arranged for them to be sent to different orphanages as soon as possible. 

Because unlike the children from the lab, they were ordinary kids, so it would be better if they didn’t get entangled with us at all. It was probably best for them to part ways early on.

The kids had remained unconscious from the sedatives throughout our journey, so I hadn’t gotten a good look at them.

—What if information leaks through those kids?

Ray had worried, but I shook my head. The only face they had seen was Han Seo-hyeon’s.

‘They’re just children, after all.’

I couldn’t bring myself to do anything about that.

In any case, having unexpectedly taken in as many as ten children, there were many things we needed to prepare. 

After getting the kids settled at the base, I headed straight to the nearby mart. Constantly changing disguises to avoid any potential tracking had left me far more fatigued than usual.

The children required many essentials – clothes first, since they were still wearing the white outfits from the lab. Then food and shelter. I grabbed everything labeled as kid-friendly foods and snacks, cleaning out the shelves.

With our food supplies also running low, it was fortunate timing. I even bought a few game consoles and toys to help the kids pass the time.

Laden with all those supplies, the sight that greeted me upon returning was… an empty base.

“Where did the kids go?”

Our base being so sparsely furnished, it was bound to look empty. But for the children to have completely vanished was definitely unusual.

In response to my questioning look, Han Seo-hyeon pointed towards one of the unoccupied rooms.

“They’re in there?”

“Yeah, they’ve been holed up there and refuse to come out.”

Hmm.

Nodding, I cautiously opened the door. Instead of a proper room, the children were huddled together in what essentially amounted to a storage area devoid of any furnishings.

“Hieek!”

The moment I poked my head inside, the kids scurried to press themselves against the far wall.

Oof, what a reaction.

In contrast, one child – the largest among them – had positioned himself protectively in front of the others when I entered. It was Il-ho, the one I had noticed before.

“Why are you here?” he demanded.

“Why else? I can’t just leave you all like this.”

At my words, Il-ho’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean it that way.”

My reassurance only seemed to heighten the tension. Scratching the back of my neck awkwardly, I realized interacting with young children was clearly out of my depth.

“Are you hungry?”

At those words, a few children glanced my way.

“I bought plenty to eat, so come on out.”

Leaving the door open, I retreated to the living room to wait for them. It would be better if they emerged on their own accord.

Han Seo-hyeon, who had been inspecting the supplies I bought, shot me a bewildered look.

“Why did you buy so much stuff? I thought we were broke.”

“It’s fine, I had enough for this much at least.”

While we were indeed penniless when we set out to raid that place, I had fortunately managed to secure quite a few magic stones and precious artifacts from the scene. If sold on the black market, they would fetch a decent sum.

It would suffice to cover our expenses for now.

As Han Seo-hyeon and I sorted through the supplies, the children cautiously emerged into the living room one by one. Addressing them, I said:

“Here are some new clothes for you all to change into, so pick whatever you like.”

I gestured towards the plain white outfits they were wearing.

“Unless you prefer that color?”

They all stared blankly at the colorful array of clothing, as if seeing such vibrant hues for the first time. But soon the children began timidly approaching and selecting outfits that caught their eyes.

“Well then, I’ll start making some food. Any requests?”

At my question, Han Seo-hyeon immediately raised his hand.

“Sautéed pork!”

“Pork cutlet!”

Hmm, quite a range of demands.

“We’ll have fried rice with eggs, then.”

“If you’re just going to decide yourself, why even ask?”

Truth be told, my cooking skills weren’t particularly great either. I could reheat pre-made meals or follow simple rice cooker instructions at best. Sautéed pork or pork cutlet would be far too ambitious for my level.

But I was reasonably confident in my ability to make fried rice with eggs, at least.

Uncertain how much they would consume, but considering their awakener physiques, I cracked an entire tray of eggs into the pot. I also cooked an immense portion of pre-made rice packets to accommodate their appetites. Prioritizing quantity over quality, a massive fried rice dish emerged.

By the time I finished cooking, the children had changed into their new outfits.

“You all look adorable.”

In their bright, colorful new clothes, their faces appeared far livelier than before. Though my compliment seemed to elicit only awkward fidgeting in response.

Generously piling the fried rice onto disposable plates, I distributed them to the children one by one. Settling down cross-legged on the floor, I gestured for them to join me.

“Eat up.”

“Thank you for the food.”

Following Han Seo-hyeon’s polite gesture, the children mumbled what sounded like mimicry before digging into their plates.

Nom nom.

Even Kim Jae-ho, who had materialized from somewhere, buried his face into an oversized plate of fried rice. As we ate, I addressed the children:

“Don’t forget to brush your teeth after this. I bought toothbrushes in different colors for each of you. Oh, and there are bathrooms attached to the living room area and the main bedroom, so keep that in mind. I also got game consoles and toys, so feel free to play with those if you’re bored.”

In essence – once you’ve eaten and cleaned up, you can do whatever you want.

At my words, the children paused with their rice bowls raised halfway, eyes wide in apparent surprise. Seeing them all together like that, they were actually quite adorable.

After the meal, I swiftly made my exit.

“I’m not very good with kids, so you’re on your own from here.”

“Eh? Ehh?”

Han Seo-hyeon seemed to belatedly realize I was leaving the children under his care, staring at me with a stunned expression. But I had already closed the door behind me by then.

“Phew.”

Only then did I finally relax. Enduring those little munchkins’ gazes had been unexpectedly taxing. As I wandered aimlessly, Ray spoke up.

—I’ve been wondering about something – mind if I ask?

“What is it?”

—Why did you go so far as to report it yourself?

“Ah, about that.”

Ray had raised a fuss at the scene as well, but with so many people around, I couldn’t provide a proper explanation then.

“It was so this incident would be made known to the public.”

If I hadn’t made that report, the administrators running that facility would have simply erased all traces. The fact that those children had undergone horrific experiments there, the identities of the perpetrators behind it all – everything would have been buried.

And that wasn’t what I wanted.

—Was it for the children’s sake? Well, reporting it is one thing. But why did you leave your own signature behind? Wasn’t the report itself enough?

“If I hadn’t left Weltschmerz’s mark, the focus would have shifted entirely onto the children instead.”

My reason for deliberately leaving the ‘Weltschmerz’ signature at the scene was simple – to divert attention.

I wanted this incident to be publicized, but without any harm befalling the children. However, the key details involved were far too provocative. Children under ten years old, barely even ten, being kidnapped, physically modified, and forcibly awakened.

No matter how this was reported, the sensationalistic nature of those details would inevitably cause a media frenzy.

If word of this got out, the news coverage would undoubtedly be filled with incendiary, provocative language.

And the one who would exploit that publicity better than anyone else would be none other than Seol Rok-jin.

Under the pretext of ‘rescuing the children,’ he might persistently pursue their whereabouts.

But by incorporating Weltschmerz’s name into this…

“Even if this leaks to the public, people will focus on the name ‘Weltschmerz’ as the perpetrator instead. Especially coming so soon after the auction incident, it will draw even more attention. ‘Weltschmerz, that bastard took those children! Just who is Weltschmerz?’ That’s how everyone will react.”

Amidst that uproar, the children could safely slip away unnoticed. Weltschmerz would become a shield protecting the children.

—You really thought that far ahead?

“It’s one of the few things I learned while under that man’s employ.”

—Ah, I see. You did mention promoting the Weltschmerz name as your reason for that audacious debut.

For Weltschmerz to become a true, formidable villain group, we needed an imposing image. Something that would make people think ‘Ah, if Weltschmerz is involved, then of course this happened’ and accept it without question. Building such an untouchable, monstrous reputation was crucial.

Actual capabilities were secondary – image was paramount.

“In any case, this way, even if the children suddenly ‘disappear,’ it won’t seem too unusual.”

—Disappear, you say?

“I can’t just leave the children in that state indefinitely, can I?”

A few days might be fine. Perhaps even a few weeks. But beyond that would be unacceptable.

I had no intentions of raising these children myself.

With the path I intended to tread for the sake of ‘saving this world,’ I would undoubtedly commit many misdeeds along the way.

I had already taken several lives – let alone Kim Jae-ho, perhaps even Han Seo-hyeon would end up harming others eventually.

Having already dragged two minors into this (good grief, even Kim Jae-ho was just a kid), making me no better than a child killer, did I really need to involve more children?

“Our time together with those kids can only be temporary. Temporary.”

So I absolutely must not grow attached to them.

* * *

I opened my eyes with a start.

“Hehehe!”

The sound of a child’s laughter coming from outside woke me up. I was certain the rooms would be soundproof. Puzzled, I raised my head.

The child who had been trying to sneak into my room made direct eye contact with me.

“You…”

“Uwaaah!”

The child who had locked eyes with me let out a scream and ran outside. Was that Sam-ho? Yawning, I headed out as well.

Outside was utterly chaotic.

Toys were strewn everywhere, and the children were running rampant through the spacious living room as if it were a playground.

“Stay right there!”

“No!”

—What an utter mess.

Ray clicked his tongue at the scene.

The children had stopped minding their manners after just two days. Initially, they had been too preoccupied watching me cautiously even to look at the toys. But now they were shamelessly horsing around day and night.

“Bossssss!”

Hearing a cry, I turned to see Han Seo-hyeon approaching me zombie-like, his head covered in stickers.

“Uhh! I’ve completely lost my mind.”

“It certainly seems that way.”

“Save meeee!”

“This looks fun, though.”

With those words, I ignored Han Seo-hyeon’s plea.

A child who had been stalking Han Seo-hyeon took the opportunity to pounce on his back. Then, without any restraint, the child began plastering stickers all over Han Seo-hyeon’s face using the ones clutched in their hand.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Even after enduring such horrific ordeals, children would still be children. Our base was filled with laughter.

Even Kim Jae-ho, who had previously only loitered around the base, was now actively interacting with the kids.

The only issue was that the children seemed utterly terrified of Kim Jae-ho’s massive physique.

“Huhuhuheng!”

“Save meeeee!”

While Kim Jae-ho claimed he was just playing, the child being chased by him was shrieking in apparent terror.

Kim Jae-ho scratched his head with an awkward expression.

Who would ever imagine that same person had once crushed others’ skulls with those very hands?

Shaking my head, I called out:

“Let’s eat.”

“Food!”

Seeing the kids swarm towards me at those words, I announced in a solemn tone:

“We’re having fried rice with eggs again today.”

“Uweee!”

“No, I don’t want it!”

Their reactions drew an involuntary laugh from me.

I truly enjoyed teasing them, these brats.