I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 63

Chapter 63

A Familiar Face (3)

Moa Bread.

The transcendent with that name only realized the incident when the children, who had been searching for the two missing girls, informed her.

Until they brought the news to her, she hadn’t even realized that the two girls had disappeared.

‘I’ve become rusty. In the past, I would have foreseen such an event.’

Perhaps it was inevitable, considering her diminished capabilities.

The transcendent smiled bitterly at herself, then turned to the children who had called her, asking:

“How long have they been missing?”

“About 10 minutes, I think.”

“But when we went to where they were, everything was destroyed…”

‘So, Isri caused it.’

She could roughly guess what had happened.

In fact, it would be reasonable to assume that such an incident could occur at any time.

The child was created based on the ‘fragments of that man,’ so wasn’t it arrogant to claim she could be perfectly controlled by human hands?

“Moa, what should we do?”

Though the child wasn’t likely to be easily taken down by wild animals, the problem was the child who followed out of concern.

Nella Hart.

A girl brimming with potential but still immature and young, with her powers yet to bloom.

“I understand the situation, but I need to ask one thing before taking action.”

Recalling the girl, the transcendent looked around at the anxious children.

Her sharp gaze made some of them tense up.

“Wh-what?”

“Why did you come to me instead of the teacher or an assistant?”

Typically, a child would inform an adult of the situation and leave everything to them. At least, that’s how the transcendent understood children.

So why did they come to her, a peer, instead of an adult?

“Because you care about Nella the most.”

The answer was unexpected for the transcendent.

“Me, care about that child?”

“Uh-huh. You’re closest with Nella.”

“Nella always goes to you first when she’s troubled.”

It wasn’t just because she was mature and knowledgeable, but because they prioritized ‘consideration for a friend’ over resolving the issue…

Even if there were errors in solving the situation, this reaction was natural for children at their age.

So, she didn’t find their answer strange.

What concerned her was how her actions were perceived by them.

‘Strange, I thought I treated everyone equally, despite spending more time with her.’

It wasn’t a conscious effort, but had she started showing favoritism among humans, excluding her companion?

If that were true, it would be interesting, but now wasn’t the time for such contemplation.

With some information gathered, she needed to act quickly.

“I will go after Nella and Isri. You all go inform the teacher and the adults.”

“Huh? You’re going to search for them?”

“The forest is dangerous, so we must act quickly.”

That was the conclusion the transcendent reached.

A natural way to act as ‘Moa Bread’ in the eyes of others.

If they truly believed she cared deeply for the girl, such actions were only natural, even if reckless.

“…He would be angry if he knew.”

Though she stepped into the forest, she couldn’t shake the awareness that this was a rash decision.

Even if acting was necessary, it shouldn’t come at the cost of her safety.

Once again, she was causing her companion to worry.

“Powerless but reckless. That’s what children are.”

Her actions felt both gratifying and bittersweet.

The more she understood humans, the more she seemed to worry those she cared about.

-Rustle.

As she roamed the forest alone, she heard a noise.

It was more like the rustling of a plastic sheet than bushes.

It wasn’t caused by a wild animal but by an artificial object used by humans.

“…Bread?”

She instinctively called out her companion’s name upon finding the source of the noise.

But she quickly realized it was a misunderstanding.

What she saw was a shabby man in hiking gear.

Sitting on a rock ledge, he was pulling something out of a plastic bag and getting ready to eat it.

“…”

The man froze in his position, staring at her.

How long had they been standing there, staring at each other?

Eventually, the man withdrew what he was about to eat and offered it to the transcendent.

A sandwich with salad and ham, half-wrapped in plastic.

“…What does this gesture mean?”

Still trying to understand humans, she couldn’t help but ask.

The suspicious man answered right away.

“Did you want to eat bread?”

Ah, so he had misunderstood her words.

Though it started as a misunderstanding, the transcendent couldn’t regard the man before her as ordinary.

“What is your name?”

Holding the sandwich, she looked at the man intently and smiled.

Though their initial meeting was a misunderstanding, she couldn’t easily dismiss her interest in him.

Not just their appearance but also the ‘fate’ they shared with her companion seemed similar.

***

And then…

“We will join the search.”

Having learned about the three missing people belatedly, rescue workers who responded to the call looked at me and Anatomy with concerned expressions.

“The forest is vast, and we need more people, but are you sure you’re up for it?”

“We know how to navigate the forest, so you don’t have to worry about us getting lost.”

It wasn’t a lie. In our line of work, we often found ourselves in urban warfare as well as in nature.

Fortunately, the rescue workers didn’t doubt our claim.

However, they still seemed concerned and handed us some of their equipment.

“Just in case, if it gets dangerous, please fire the signal flare immediately.”

“Thank you. Then…”

After parting ways with the rescue team, we crossed the forest for a few minutes.

When we realized we had covered enough distance, Anatomy asked in a serious tone.

“Do you have any idea where they might have gone?”

“Roughly.”

I had already learned how to track targets in the forest.

Moreover, Isri weighed more than other boys and girls her age, so her footprints and broken branches left clearer traces than usual.

“As I thought, I knew something like this would happen.”

As we followed the traces, Anatomy began to gripe.

It was as if he had anticipated such an incident for a long time.

“I thought the field trip was voluntary, and they wouldn’t send us far from the school. They claimed they could control everything through communication, but now look at this mess. Well, that’s typical of the Association.”

Indeed, it’s common for the Association to screw things up.

Even if an incident occurs, they frequently cover it up.

I had my share of grievances with them, so I didn’t argue with Anatomy.

At least not with his current opinion.

“…Aren’t you worried about the kids?”

However, his attitude wasn’t what a teacher should have.

“Are you asking as a teacher or as an executive?”

Right, being a teacher was just part of his act as a “member of society.”

He taught kids only because it was less hateful for him. In places where he didn’t have to act, his default state was indifference.

That’s what Gray Anatomy, a severe misanthrope, was like.

“You know I won’t step in to save them if they get in danger, right? As a health teacher, I’ll provide first aid, but…”

“Don’t worry, you idiot. I never expected you to.”

Calling him a piece of garbage wouldn’t be fair, as both he and I were villains.

So I didn’t really have anything to say about his nature.

What bothered me was… the fact that, even though the Boss was also in the forest searching for the two, Anatomy wasn’t worried.

“Besides, the Boss will be fine, so you don’t need to worry too much. She won’t get lost in the forest, and she’ll sense and avoid any wild animals.”

That might be trust in the Boss from an executive’s perspective, but I couldn’t easily share his nonchalance.

She was significantly weakened right now.

Though it was unlikely for villains to target this mountain region, there were no guarantees.

“…Then just hang around nearby and go back if you want.”

My voice turned sharp due to my unease, and Anatomy chuckled as if he found my reaction amusing.

“Looks like you and I have different opinions about the Boss.”

His tone grated on my nerves.

It was nothing new, as I had seen this countless times in the organization, but I was no longer his subordinate.

“If you have something to say, say it straight.”

My voice was sharp, and Anatomy shrugged.

“Unless it’s a massive incident like an amusement park getting completely wrecked, I believe the Boss can handle this. But it seems like you underestimate her. Don’t you?”

Maybe that was a valid point.

From the perspective of someone who followed her, worrying about such events could be seen as an insult.

“Don’t tell me you think of yourself as some knight protecting the Boss because you have all her affection?”

“…Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Come on, don’t be shy~ I get it. Playing the father figure, you might have grown fond of her small form. I totally understand…”

“No, not that.”

I stopped tracking and turned to face him.

“The Boss can’t feel love for someone like me.”

What I wanted to correct was not my feelings for the Boss, but the Boss’s feelings for me.

“…What the hell are you talking about?”

He looked annoyed by my words.

Adjusting his glasses, he gave me a disdainful look.

“Do you think I’m blind? I don’t know what you and the Boss have been through in the past three years, but it’s clear you two have feelings for each other. Are you telling me you think you’re the protagonist of some cheesy love story at your age?”

Ah, so that’s how he saw it.

He thought the Boss’s reactions to me weren’t entirely an act and partly genuine.

“Ant.”

But he should know as well.

The Boss isn’t human but a transcendent being, and her inner world is far beyond our comprehension.

“An ant bringing a sugar cube doesn’t mean a human can love that ant.”

She might understand human emotions as she tries to understand humans, but that understanding would only be one-sided, directed from her to humans.

No matter how much time passed, we wouldn’t comprehend her inner world.

Even if her actions seemed human-like, interpreting them from our human perspective would be a mistake.

Love? Is it even appropriate for us to discuss such things?

“…You.”

Anatomy’s eyes gradually changed, unable to ignore my opinion.

Just as he was about to speak.

“Ahhhh!”

We heard a scream from a distance, and Anatomy turned towards the sound, holding his breath.

A familiar voice.

It was Nella’s scream.

“Damn it!”

Realizing that, Anatomy darted off first.

The urgency on his face was evident.

It was a stark contrast to his previous indifferent attitude towards the kids.

“That damn guy, claiming he doesn’t care yet running right away.”

Well, he was never one for half-measures.

If he truly disliked something, he wouldn’t bother with it at all. He might have grown attached to the kids despite his initial indifference.

Of course, if I pointed this out, he’d probably make some excuse about not wanting to face disciplinary action if the kids got hurt.

Predictable.

I followed him into the scene.

And then…

“…As expected.”

Anatomy reached a hill and looked down at the scene below.

As expected, Nella was there, but we couldn’t feel relieved.

She was facing a massive beast, a wild predator commonly known as a bear.

“Ah, ah…”

The bear prowled closer to the helpless girl, and Anatomy was filming the scene with his smartphone.

“Such a majestic stance, with glossy fur and a broad tolerance! I never thought I’d witness such a mature housewife’s charm in the wild!”

“You idiot!”

-Thud!

Grabbing him by the back of the head, I slammed his face into a nearby tree and pulled him back.

“How can you think of taking pictures as a teacher in this situation!?”

“I was going to use the flash to lure it away. And then spend a hot night where no one can see…”

“Just get the flare ready!”

Would he really act this way with the rescue team nearby?

I let go of his collar and dashed towards Nella, who was sitting on the ground.

End of Chapter