I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Taejo was handed a model and guided to a room where he could take a moment to rest alone.

Except for being slightly small, the room resembled a suite in any hotel. Taejo dragged his tired body to the bed and lay down.

Beep beep.

The Taeguk Watch, handed to him as he entered the room, began to flash.

He wondered if he should answer the call, but it was probably okay since the watch had been given to him.

[Captain, are you okay?]

At Kiparang’s voice of concern, Taejo couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m fine.”

[Where are you now? I’ll come to pick you up!]

[Are you sure you’re really okay?]

“Yes. The mission is completed. Up to the ‘obstruction.’”

Kiparang’s deep sigh of relief could be heard from the other side of the receiver.

[I was really worried. Sigh. When I woke up, all that was left was a piece of paper, and the only people in the compound were me and Ssangeo Palace. I even checked the underground tunnel to see if you had escaped, but all I found was some weird sticky mucus…]

“I took care of everything and brought them separately. Rest assured.”

[That’s a relief, but, what was it… that…]

Kiparang’s voice became as quiet as an ant.

[How did Hessed and the Platinum Sun come to support us?]

“…….”

As Taejo pondered how to answer, he was momentarily surprised by how convinced Kiparang was that it was indeed ‘Hessed.’

As expected of Goblin.

A man more thorough than anyone in keeping his identity hidden.

If he ever revealed his true identity, it would be because revealing it would bring some benefit—

It must be because there was ‘trust’ that his identity would not be recklessly exposed.

“It seemed like they were sent by Gwang Ik Gong.”

So Taejo decided to just follow Goblin’s lead and shifted the credit to Gwang Ik Gong.

[Then, could it be that Hessed, the Sephiroth Knights, and Gwang Ik Gong are somehow related? Maybe they’re trying to accept even the Sephiroth Knights from the future as members? Or could one of the Knights be the future Gwang Ik Gong?!!]

“Are you a novelist?”

[Well, my dream is to be a novelist. No, but really, if Gwang Ik Gong is in a cooperative relationship with the Sephiroth Knights…]

“Let’s not think too deeply about it. Even though we have some time now, we need to move quickly.”

Not wanting the conversation to drag on, Taejo swiftly cut off Kiparang’s imaginative musings.

“All agents will withdraw at exactly 04:00 tomorrow. Ten minutes before withdrawal, you and Ssangeo Palace will use the explosives in the lodge to destroy the mine, then join the freight train at Shinuiju Station to move to Kaesong. Got it?”

[I’ll follow the instructions. If an enemy appears, we will abandon—]

“That won’t happen, so just join the train after the explosion. You’ll know it’s the train you need to board as soon as you see it.”

[What?]

“Let’s end the call. I have some things to handle for the retreat preparations.”

[Ah, yes! I’ll see you shortly!!]

Beep.

The call ended.

After checking the time on the Taeguk Watch, Taejo calculated the remaining time until the agreed-upon hour with Kiparang.

“…Plenty of time.”

He confirmed the structure of the model, then manipulated the metal lump based on it to create an identical copy.

Except for the fact that it’s large, this was no problem for him.

What just bothered him was Goblin’s proposal.

“…….”

In the mirror, his hair was black.

As he lightly twisted his hair with his fingers, the charcoal-black soot fell away, revealing the sparkling blonde underneath.

His blonde self.

He covered it again with soot, hiding himself within.

For someone who has lived with a dual personality for years, he was offered a proposal to live as himself.

As Taejo himself.

“…….”

Taejo fiddled with the Taeguk Watch and pressed the phone app.

A bit scared, a bit fearful, but he had no choice but to ask.

Beep beep.

[What is it?]

The person who answered the call spoke with a somewhat cold voice.

[Calling at this hour. Shouldn’t you be hanging out with a four-member idol group in Kaesong right now?]

“Sis.”

[…Huh?]

The sharp voice carried a tone of surprise.

[You…?]

“It’s me.”

[……What’s with the suddenness.]

The woman’s voice momentarily softened, and the sharp edge in her tone eased significantly.

[Are you on a mission?]

“Yeah. I think I’ll be back once it’s over.”

[I see… You’re not hurt, right?]

“No. I’m not hurt, but I have something I want to talk about.”

Taejo brushed his bangs with his hand.

Soon, the soot fell away, and his blonde hair began to shimmer.

“Can I… live as myself?”

[…That’s not something you need to ask permission for. It’s your decision.]

“…….”

[Whether you return to your original self or give everything to that cursed… cough… that person, I’m still your fiancée.]

“Then… ah, 3 minutes.”

[What are you talking about? You’re on the phone with me.]

“True.”

Taejo smiled faintly and placed his hand on the Taeguk Watch.

“I’ll see you when I get back.”

[…I guess I should prepare both a farewell and a welcome party. I’ll be waiting.]

“Yeah.”

Click.

The call ended.

After taking a deep breath, Taejo sat down at the desk and looked down at the train model in front of him.

“…Disassemble.”

Click.

The parts of the assembly model were dismantled one by one and floated in front of Taejo’s hands.

He examined each part, repeatedly assembling and disassembling the train several times.

“Golden Train….”

Knock knock.

There was a knock on the door from outside.

Wondering if there was something to be conveyed, he opened the door and stepped out to find a red-haired woman in a hanbok holding two boxes.

“Sir Goblin asked me to deliver these items to you.”

“…….”

It was…

A toy-like train that would likely cost at least 20 million won.

“And if there is one thing he wanted me to relay as advice.”

“What is it?”

“He said, don’t obsess over each part, just make it move. He’ll take care of the rest.”

“……Understood.”

As soon as he received the boxes, the brewer left, and Taejo immediately opened one.

“……Golden Train, huh.”

Gulp.

Taejo looked at the parts inside the case, licking his lips at the picture drawn on the box.

“Even if I have to go back in, I have to make this.”

Just…

For the development of his abilities.

They say Hitler had a Golden Train.

What that meant was that there was a legend that the Nazis secretly loaded gold onto a train and hid it somewhere.

Whether it actually existed or not was unknown, but if you looked through human history, there were many such cases.

A Ruler Who Hides Gold.

Given that gold was universally valuable, it was natural for all humans to go crazy when they saw it.

‘The amount of gold left in the mine is more than I expected.’

Enough to create a whole Mugunghwa train, or if he was exaggerating a bit, even link four carriages.

If it’s an endless vein of gold, just leave the root part and turn the rest into a train.

Create the Golden Train, paint its exterior, set it running on the tracks, have it follow the train with the agents leaving Shinuiju, then after it crossed south of the DMZ, dispose of the massive Golden Train, and then Taejo could decide the course of his life.

“…That’s the scenario. How does it sound?”

“Surprising.”

“What’s surprising?”

“That you explained it to me and asked for my opinion.”

I guess she thought I would only inform her about the plan to send the train full of gold to Busan.

“My opinion is that anything you decide is okay with me.”

“Even an intern can give their opinion, right?”

“If I had to add my opinion, I’d say… hmm, I just wonder about the part you haven’t explained yet…?”

“What is it?”

“Cheonma.”

Yumir pointed out the weak point in my Golden Train plan.

“I understand that you’re sending Rasputin and the Russian villains to the border defense force through ‘resocialization.’ The same goes for the illegal border-crossers from China—those with bad crimes will be turned into ‘Guardians’ or something like that. But there’s still a small number left, including Cheonma. What will you do with them?”

“What do you think?”

“…Send them back with this?”

Yumir took out a photo of the exhausted mine, and I snapped my fingers at her.

“Exactly. Cheonma will be sent back.”

“Why? Because she’s a real S-class beauty?”

“Do you think I favor all S-class women? Rasputin and Cheonma have different professions.”

“Professions… ‘Hero.’”

“Exactly.”

Rasputin was a villain.

She was a villain in Korea, and she was a villain in Russia.

Whether she went missing or not, Russia couldn’t openly complain.

But Cheonma was different.

“China spent a ridiculous amount, 500 trillion won, to buy an S-class ability user. If such an ability user went missing in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula? The People’s Army would immediately invade.”

“There’s no People’s Army.”

“They can make one. Isn’t the world all about playing tricks?”

The opponent was China.

“Cheonma will be sent back. But we’ll make sure they can’t covet the underground resources of the northern Korean Peninsula anymore.”

“How?”

“With overwhelming power.”

If there was one truth that had always worked.

“Can a small country stand against a big country?”

The overwhelming power difference became plausible.

“With Gwang Ik Gong’s ultimate move, we’ll send Cheonma flying to Manchuria.”

I extended my fist to Yumir.

“Become Gwang Ik Gong’s punch.”

“…But Gwang Ik Gong’s ultimate move isn’t a punch.”

“Tch.”

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