Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

Edward ‘Albatross’ Sihelis, shortened to ‘Eddie’ or called by the derogatory nickname ‘migratory bird’, was a veteran among veterans who had rolled around in the mercenary world for seven years already, starting mercenary work at the age of seventeen.

There were several reasons why he, barely twenty-three, became the most famous mercenary here.

First, Edward’s own ability.

Eddie was born with the talent to decompose, absorb, and release energy flying towards him, and this talent was especially useful when dealing with monsters.

Not only monsters’ magic flying towards him, but even physical energy. He could decompose and make it all nonexistent. No, more than making it nonexistent. Eddie could convert the energy he decomposed into magic power, and he could attack opponents by releasing the absorbed magic power as his own strength.

It was an incredible ability that didn’t discriminate combinations, no, had an advantage in all attacks. Whether attack or defense. With perfect offense and defense, he could work as an all-around problem solver alone.

There was no better ability user for mercenary groups that might face any situation anytime with few personnel.

And second. Eddie had a good eye that could pick out rising and setting suns amazingly well.

Mercenary groups where Eddie stayed always rose to the top position even if they started weakly. And mercenary companies Eddie left collapsed for whatever reason. People who resented Eddie appeared, but Eddie didn’t care.

To begin with, mercenary groups aren’t family or anything. They’re just groups contracted for mutual benefit. There was no loyalty to show to a mercenary group that would soon collapse.

Seeing Eddie change mercenary groups several times, people gave him the derogatory nickname ‘migratory bird’.

Eddie laughed when he heard that nickname. And said. He’s not a migratory bird but an albatross. He didn’t run away avoiding something like migratory birds, but just made this wide space all his stage.

But few people called him albatross. People who called him albatross in front of Eddie always called him by the derogatory nickname ‘migratory bird’ behind his back.

Nevertheless, no one could ignore Eddie ‘Albatross’ Sihelis.

To agencies working in mercenary groups, Eddie was someone to be wary of and at the same time someone to recruit more than anyone.

Being with him was like a guarantee that you could enjoy the best prime at least until he left.

No matter how many notorious reputations he carried, Eddie was still Eddie.

In that sense, it was a very unusual event for Eddie to visit the container of a C-grade mercenary company in this remote place today.

The man in front of him didn’t seem to know that at all.

[What’s the matter?]

Without thinking of answering the man’s question, Eddie slowly examined the man. He was an Asian who looked to be in his mid-20s. With a face that had no distinctive features at all, the man asked with an expression full of irritation:

[I said what’s the matter.]

[What on earth is this.]

[What, you bastard?]

At Eddie’s words, the man immediately started getting angry. Despite that reaction, Eddie steadfastly glared at the man. He hadn’t told anyone, but Eddie had eyes that could accurately see through people, and the man reflected in those eyes was truly…

Chaos itself.

To the point where even the great Eddie Albatross Sihelis was momentarily at a complete loss for words.

* * *

“Ptui.”

I spat looking at the back of the unpleasant guy. I wanted to gather all the phlegm sunk deep in the abyss and spit it out, but I barely held back since it was in front of our trailer.

“Seo-hyeon, do we have salt?”

“We don’t have salt, but we have some ssamjang left…” (tl/n: a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine)

“Ssamjang is a bit…”

I don’t think we should sprinkle that. Yeah, the visuals are a bit. Han Seo-hyeon who heard my muttering poked his head out and asked:

“What happened?”

“Some unpleasant guy came, so I was thinking of sprinkling some for disinfection.”

Actually, I didn’t feel that bad until I first opened the door. That’s because that guy looked quite good.

He was a handsome man who momentarily caught the eye with golden pupils sparkling in brown skin like well-baked bread crust.

Even his red hair dyed haphazardly didn’t harm that face. If only the sound he spewed with that handsome face wasn’t that, I would have treated him a bit kindly.

What on earth is ‘this’. That’s exactly what the guy said to me. He used the expression ‘What’ not ‘Who’. It’s really incredibly rude to speak like that to a person in front of you.

‘That’s clearly racial discrimination.’

Even at my protest, the guy just stared blatantly without caring. As if I was some great spectacle.

In the end he disappeared as if fed up with my cursing, but I felt very uneasy.

“I should have retaliated properly.”

I regretted not being able to beat him up because of the rule prohibiting all conflicts inside this wall.

Does he think we’re circus animals?

“Should I look into his background?”

At Han Seo-hyeon’s words, I shook my head.

“There’s no need to go that far. Let me know if he hangs around here again.”

“Should I handle it myself?”

“No! Make sure to tell me, make sure!”

Nothing was scarier than the words ‘handle it myself’ coming from Han Seo-hyeon’s mouth.

“Make sure to let me handle it!”

I pleaded desperately to Han Seo-hyeon several times like that.

* * *

‘Strange man.’

I’ve never seen such an aura in my life.

It would be better not to get involved.

Eddie made that judgment and left that place. Though he heard the man spewing curses towards him, he deliberately ignored it because he didn’t want to get involved anymore with someone with such a terrifying aura.

‘What a shame, I thought a decent rookie had appeared.’

Still, I’ll pass on getting involved with a guy like that. It’s better to disappear from here as quickly as possible. It would be troublesome if that ominous aura spreads by chance.

Just as Eddie who muttered that internally picked up speed in his steps.

“Hey, wait a moment!”

Eddie turned his head back at the voice calling him.

Eddie immediately scrunched his face after confirming the person’s identity.

“I’m not interested in your proposal.”

Oh Seung-woo made a surprised expression at Eddie’s words cutting him off.

“Hmm, I haven’t even brought up what kind of proposal yet.”

“Whatever it is, I’m not interested.”

Bewilderment even circled Oh Seung-woo’s face at Eddie’s words. Well, people who treat him like this probably aren’t common. The hunters he managed always rose to people’s lips with the name of the best.

He was undoubtedly the world’s best agency. Eddie just wasn’t interested in him.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I have no intention of joining a guild at all.”

“Even if I say I’ll become your agency personally?”

At those words, Eddie’s footsteps stopped. Eddie who turned back and examined Oh Seung-woo’s face raised the corners of his mouth with a sulky face.

“You should have said that 7 years ago.”

Oh Seung-woo gulped empty air as if surprised at Eddie’s words. After a moment of silence, Oh Seung-woo frowned and tilted his head saying:

“I didn’t know you’d remember me.”

“You’re a hard person to forget in many ways.”

“Haha, I can’t agree with those words. People here really can’t distinguish Asians.”

“I only know your face too.”

Eddie who said that added with a fierce face:

“For the past 7 years, every time I saw you, I chewed over and over the you who abandoned me.”

“Eddie.”

“The ‘Eddie’ who gave you a chance is gone now. So if you’re not thinking of bringing back my past self to make a contract, why don’t you just fuck off.”

At Eddie’s words, Oh Seung-woo smiled bitterly and said:

“You were too young. At that time, our company prohibited contracting with minors and…”

“How old was Taika when you contracted with him? Fifteen? I was seventeen when you abandoned me.”

“Taika was…”

“I know, Taika was special.”

To the point of changing company rules that were said to be absolutely unchangeable.

“That’s why I introduced you to another agency.”

“That person didn’t have good eyes for people like you. He told me he couldn’t accept an incompetent person like me.”

Unlike Taika who shone alone, Eddie couldn’t exert any strength when alone. He soon proved his talent was quite decent too, but by then it was already too late.

It was after Oh Seung-woo had already found Taika Cooper.

“So I found someone else too.”

Instead of heading to the agency Oh Seung-woo introduced, Eddie knocked on the door of a mercenary group. He showed his ability to the mercenary group leader who took him thinking to use him as a meat shield, and from then on it was the era of ‘Eddie’ that everyone knows.

“I’m already doing well here. I’m saying there’s no need to follow you.”

At Eddie’s words, Oh Seung-woo said:

“Put aside personal feelings and think rationally. You can’t live churning through mercenary groups like that forever.”

At those words, Eddie snorted. Who made him become like this.

“Ah, so make a contract with the great Mr. Oh? So what, lick Taika Cooper’s ass or something? Does that guy even need such a thing?”

Oh Seung-woo sighed at those words constantly clinging to Taika Cooper. He wanted to say it’s already been 7 years, but Eddie’s resentment was much deeper than he thought.

“This has nothing to do with Taika. I came here for you. Think about it seriously. Shouldn’t you start settling down now? How long are you going to wander around like that?”

“Ha! It sounds like you’re doing this for me if someone hears. Are you that short on performance?”

Though Eddie shot back like that, he knew in his head that Oh Seung-woo’s words had a point.

‘Certainly my reputation these days isn’t as good as before.’

He changed mercenary groups so many times that now there were hardly any mercenary groups that would accept Eddie. Migratory bird, someone who’ll leave soon no matter how well you treat him, plus mercenary groups got smashed every time Eddie left.

That’s why he went to check out a C-grade mercenary group he wouldn’t have even glanced at normally. Because they were conquering Gates at an absurd speed, so he had a feeling they had something.

But didn’t he decide not to get involved with that man anymore?

He’ll be able to find a place that will accept him even if it’s not that man.

“I’d rather live and die as a free stray dog than wear a guild’s leash.”

Looking at Eddie maintaining his pride, Oh Seung-woo sighed and said:

“Alright, contact me anytime if you change your mind.”

“That won’t happen.”

Oh Seung-woo laughed emptily seeing Eddie flipping him the middle finger.

* * *

After finishing a short rest, I contacted Norman and asked for a Gate connection.

Though Norman doesn’t know, this was the last Gate we would conquer in Utah.

“You all got a lot of what you wanted, right?”

While handling seven Gates, Kim Jae-ho and Han Seo-hyeon were able to gain sufficient practical experience. Certainly, real battles were better than clashing with me even if the level was lower. They could test dangerous techniques too.

Thanks to that, Cha Song-jin’s face turned blue many times, but Cha Song-jin was quite bearable due to my desperate sight-blocking techniques.

We also pocketed a decent amount of monster corpses.

If they investigate the traces carefully, they might notice the number of monster corpses is much less, but no matter how great an investigator, they wouldn’t think we turned monster corpses into undead and smuggled them out.

Even if they notice something strange, it doesn’t matter since ‘Golden Day’ will be gone by then.

My plan was to stop by Las Vegas for one last job after today’s Gate and return to Korea.

After waving goodbye to Norman who dropped us off in front of the Gate as usual, we passed through the green Gate.

As always, the scenery inside the Gate was peaceful to the extreme. Ordinary forest terrain, and clear weather.

As usual, Han Seo-hyeon released sand and I waited for Han Seo-hyeon to provide information.

The person who first realized something was strange was Han Seo-hyeon.

“This place seems a bit strange.”

At Han Seo-hyeon’s words, I asked back “What’s strange about it?”

“Well, I can’t say exactly what, but. Something is very strange.”

And that was the last words I heard from Han Seo-hyeon that day.

‘So what exactly…’

Just as I opened my mouth to ask that, something flashed and flew in from beside me.