I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Assembly (2)

Shadow.

He is the second-in-command of Ouroboros, an ‘assassin’ who operates without a specific unit.

Not just any assassin, but the best of the best.

His barely existent form can appear anywhere, and he erases all traces of his presence with ease.

As a result, people in the light are unaware of his existence, and those in the shadows regard him as an urban legend unless they’ve met him directly.

Such was Shadow, whom I had observed from afar as a grunt.

-It’s been a while, Anatomy~ How have you been?

…But who is this boyish voice expressing joy?

“I’m always doing well~ But what about you, Shadow? What have you been up to before I arrived?”

-I was waiting for everyone I contacted.

“Haha, arriving first and just waiting. Our Shadow is still a friendless nerd, huh~”

-Hehe.

Shadow chuckled at Anatomy’s petting.

His upper body was only visible in shadow, but he raised his head and accepted the petting like a young boy.

Could someone really laugh at being called a loser?

To take such an insulting comment so lightly… Where did that cold and ruthless assassin go?

“By the way, is there anyone who arrived before me?”

As the dissonance between perception and reality began to settle, Anatomy met Shadow’s gaze.

Shadow answered without hesitation.

-Just one person.

“Haha, I think I know who it is.”

-But who are the two behind you…?

“They’re special guests prepared for this occasion.”

-Special, guests?

“I’ll explain when we get there. Let’s move, Shadow.”

-Oh, okay!

After finishing the conversation, Shadow’s body began to twist.

In that instant, his boyish form expanded, eventually losing any human shape.

It was like a curtain spreading wide to cover a window.

The shadow spread over Anatomy, Boss, and me.

The pressure made my body instinctively shrink, but only for a moment.

“This is…”

“Welcome to the Secret Area~”

When the black curtain lifted, Anatomy spread his arms wide and smiled.

Following him, I looked around and realized we had arrived somewhere entirely different from the empty room.

Beneath my feet was a sophisticated, elegant carpet.

The tables were adorned with gold and jewels, and the chandelier illuminated the room brilliantly.

Though small, the decorations were fit for VVIPs… No, beyond that.

This was the place we arrived through Shadow’s ability.

“Don’t be too surprised. It’s a vault room prepared for high-ranking individuals.”

“A vault room…?”

“Many of them have secrets, so they created a space to share those secrets even on a luxury cruise.”

Anatomy glanced around the opulent room.

The exit was lined with multiple locks.

The door was so thick and massive that it resembled a wall.

“The passage is designed to be very inconvenient, and access is strictly forbidden even for crew members. But the freezer is stocked with preserved food and drinks, so we can have a feast without any issues.”

Anatomy pointed to a wall lined with freezers.

Luxurious wine labels and beer cans filled the slightly open gaps.

With external access completely blocked and a stockpile of food, it was practically a bunker inside the ship.

“…You managed to rent such a room.”

“With enough money, anything is possible in capitalism. Even if it’s a privilege for the high and mighty, using money can get you temporary access.”

Despite hiding his identity, he managed to rent such a room.

I couldn’t help but respect his audacity as a fellow villain.

Indeed, only by being this brazen can a villain become a major shareholder.

“Now, we’ve safely entered the vault room thanks to Shadow’s ability…”

Anatomy approached the table with high-end canned goods and wine from the freezer.

He raised his sunglasses and looked at the person already seated.

“Let’s have a chat with the early bird while we wait for the others.”

A woman of East Asian descent, with white hair tied back, sat elegantly.

Her cold demeanor was palpable.

Seolhwa.

Former Ouroboros executive and current leader of Pandemonia, one of the worst villains.

“…Anatomy.”

Of course, she would attend this gathering.

After all, she was tracking the organization connected to him.

“Long time no see, Noona~ How have you been!?”

Anatomy greeted her energetically, but the problem was that his opponent was too hostile.

-Frost.

Frost formed on Anatomy’s face as he greeted her.

For her, who could steal one’s warmth with her heat-stealing ability, it was an easy feat.

“…You haven’t changed, calling me by that ridiculous nickname.”

“Why are you like this? I cutely shortened Snow (Seol) Spraying (hwa) Monster (ter) to SiSTER.”

“Do you think I came here to listen to such nonsense?”

Seolhwa spread her killing intent, unaffected by his antics.

Anatomy chuckled and wiped the frost off his face with his fingers.

“Of course, you came to get information.”

“Yes, you know well. Then…”

“But you wouldn’t just take the information by force with your respected person watching, would you?”

Anatomy smirked and glanced at Boss.

Following his gaze, Seolhwa’s head turned towards Boss…

“Ginger Bread, why are you…?”

…No, she looked at me first.

Well, it’s not that surprising.

She must be curious why a small fry like me is at a gathering of executives.

“Don’t worry too much. I know I’m not someone important enough to be part of an executive meeting.”

“Ah, yes… I suppose.”

Even my response seemed unsatisfactory as Seolhwa turned her gaze with a grimace.

Then she faced Boss in my arms.

“Long time no see, Seolhwa.”

Boss, nestled in my arms, waved at Seolhwa.

It was an act of genuine greeting, but Seolhwa responded with a sigh, not a greeting.

“Damn it, I hoped you wouldn’t notice…”

“Indeed. I thought Boss was dead until I met her at school. If you knew, you should’ve given me a heads-up.”

“Put your hand on your chest and think! With the children around, who knows what you might do…”

“Haha! Don’t worry~ I’m not interested in humans!”

“Who’s talking about your twisted preferences!?”

Seolhwa uncharacteristically raised her voice in frustration.

As the two bickered, someone quietly approached them.

-Uhm…

Shadow, who had brought us here with his ability.

But despite being the best assassin, his voice trying to intervene was incredibly timid.

-You two, please calm down. It’s not good to fight after meeting after so long. Try to get along…

“Shadow, I’m sorry, but I came here for information, not for a casual chat.”

“You’re being too harsh on Shadow. You know he’s a loner who hasn’t made a single friend in half a century.”

-Uhm…

“If you hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have come to this. And do you realize you’re being more disrespectful now?”

“Haha~ Blaming others for your dirty personality. You sure are a villain.”

“This isn’t about being a villain, it’s about being a human! I’ve always doubted if you’re even human like me.”

“Oh, thanks for the compliment!”

“You really…!”

As the two bickered, Shadow slumped.

Was he feeling dejected?

Is he really dejected?

“Everyone, calm down. I understand why you’re here.”

After a prolonged argument, Anatomy restrained Seolhwa, who was creating frost in her excitement.

Finally calming down, Seolhwa sighed and looked sharply at Anatomy.

“Anatomy, as I said, I came here to negotiate information about my work, not for a casual chat.”

“Yes, yes, I get it. After the organization fell, everyone is living their own lives.”

Nodding understandingly, Anatomy reached into his shirt pocket.

“But as a fellow member, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to gather once. It wasn’t easy to bring you all together. I spent money and time on this…”

“Just get to the point.”

“The result of that effort is this.”

With Seolhwa’s prompting, Anatomy took out something from his hand.

A memory chip was between his fingers.

“This chip contains all the information you want.”

But his next words were something she could never ignore.

“It has the transaction records of the remaining executives, distribution routes, and other assorted data… It may not be organized, but it probably includes the prototype recipe for ‘Rank-Up’ drug.”

“…You’ve prepared quite a lot.”

“I had to. To show you that I’m not involved with them anymore.”

Yes, he was openly offering what she wanted.

He emphasized that he no longer had any ties with them.

But no matter how unnecessary it seemed to be hostile, the opponent was a cunning snake.

Given the caliber of the villains he was summoning, it was only natural to be wary of his easy offer.

“What’s the price?”

Of course, asking for something comes with a price.

Seolhwa was straightforward in such matters, willing to accept reasonable terms if the conditions were fair.

“Haha, it’s obvious what I’d ask for in this situation.”

So the question was, what would Anatomy want from the worst villain?

Given his misanthropy, his crimes were different from other villains.

What would a severe misanthrope want from someone like her?

Terrorism? Assassination?

Maybe he wanted to rejoin Ouroboros.

Until he poured two bottles of alcohol into cups, I thought so too.

“Come on, have a drink!”

“…What?”

Seolhwa stared blankly at the sudden proposal.

Anatomy handed her a glass, unconcerned.

“Anatomy, what is this…”

“Bottoms up, bottoms up~”

Clapping, Anatomy urged Seolhwa to drink.

When she stood there, he tilted his head and asked.

“Why the hesitation? At a drinking party, you should drink.”

Indeed, this was unexpected for her.

Faced with invaluable information, the price was just to down a bomb shot.

“Are you playing games with me…”

“Hey, Lee Yunseol.”

It’s awkward to say this after all my doubts…

If he’s doing this here, I should acknowledge it.

“I know him well. He’s serious.”

“…What?”

“He really just wants you to drink.”

“…”

Seolhwa looked back at Anatomy with wide eyes.

Holding his glass, Anatomy shrugged.

“Why do you all see me as a villain? I just want to drink with old colleagues.”

Damn lunatic.

Who would believe that the worst villains just want to have a drink?

End of Chapter