I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain - Chapter 250: Manufactured Heroes (2)

Erasing a personality was akin to killing a person.

I had come to think this way because, as I observed those who transformed into new individuals after their personalities were erased, such thoughts invaded my mind.

“Oppa..”

Yun Hye-ra approached me from the side.

“You’ve worked hard. You’ve erased the memories of about 70 people.”

[I just swung a bat. The real hardship is borne by the caregivers and the children.]

In a room hidden from view, resembling an auditorium, we peered down into the conference room through a glass window.

Women with vacant expressions, their heads tightly wrapped in bandages, sat neatly on the floor, each clutching a booklet on their knees, waiting in perfect posture for someone to take the podium.

[It begins.]

Step by step.

Tai Sanggung made her way to the podium.

“Ah.”

Without a microphone, she projected her voice to everyone in the conference room by infusing it with mana.

“Until now, you have lived as villains.”

Soft music filled the conference room.

Accompanied by the sounds of birds, the gentle strumming of a gayageum left the women staring blankly ahead, their mouths slightly open.

“God has given you all a chance. Those who willingly fell into the pit of evil have all perished, but you, who were pushed into despair by others, have been saved. Forget your vile past selves and be reborn anew.”

Upon hearing Tai Sanggung’s words, the women began to cry.

Something within them resonated, though it wasn’t in their memories.

“Forget everything about the past. Accept it. Losing your memories is a blessing, and soon you will realize that it is a gift from God, meant to bless your new life.”

Even if memories were sealed and erased, the body remembered through scars, the memory of touch, and even taste.

Yet, the experiences of life ahead will surely overshadow those memories.

“From now on, you will all live a life dedicated to others. Shedding your ugly selfishness, you will live altruistically, serving others. You will all adopt the title ‘Big Mother’, discarding your previous names and living under new ones.”

They were all ordinary names.

So ordinary that if you searched for such names on the street, you could find about ten people within an hour with each given name.

Some may be called Susan, others Jeannie, Charlotte, or Maria.

“The duty of a Big Mother is simple. It is to nurture infants. To feed bottles to children abandoned by their parents from birth, to hold and care for them whenever they cry.”

Many have had children but never truly raised them.

If this could be called a punishment, then it would be to spend their lives nurturing children.

“You will all be sent to various places around the world. Some to orphanages, some to temples, some to churches, and others to social welfare facilities. To care for children who are abandoned on the streets every minute, you will contribute to humanity with love across the globe.”

Some may not call it a punishment.

There were those who say that only death was a punishment, and indeed, many within the organization held such a view.

But even they agreed.

“We must borrow even a cat’s paw.”

To not send those who were deemed deserving of death, whose personalities had been killed and brainwashed, to the lower strata of society, would mean that children would continue to die under cold walls.

The organization couldn’t manage everything, as the world created too much darkness and evil.

“Someday, if you ever find yourselves again. If after a long time, you manage to recover your past selves from the swamp of memory.”

Even if you found yourself in the deep underground of an island, having seduced men and killed children, the memories of living as a Big Mother would cover it all.

“Though not all misdeeds can be covered by good deeds, at least minimal atonement is possible.”

For a lifetime.

“The end of your life dedicated to nurturing other children will come in due time.”

Until they fell in love.

“Big Mothers will care for children until their dying breath.”

Or until their bodies aged and could no longer function.

“From this moment on, you are mothers, nannies, matrons, and heroes to these abandoned children.”

A little later.

Yun Hye-ra and I checked into a different hotel in Bangkok, transformed back, and took a rest.

“A machine that works solely for the public good.”

It’s not a machine, but if a human acted like one, perhaps they should be called as such.

It’s not about delving into philosophy, but that’s the reality at the moment.

“Brother, think simply.”

Yun Hye-ra handed me a glass of wine, winking.

“The world forces us into this, and we’re choosing the quickest path to dismantle it.”

“Everything is for the sake of world peace.”

Cheers.

The wine tasted bitter.

Not that there’s such a thing as non-bitter alcohol, but today, the drink seemed particularly bitter.

“Are there any women in the organization?”

“No. Only those who retain their memories are going outside to serve as ‘witnesses.’”

There were those whose memories remained intact.

These women sought to expose their dreadful memories to the world, not for their own healing, but to unveil the truth.

-The island of succubi was a living hell.

Having former succubi testify about the events on the succubus island was more impactful than exposing it through the organization.

Simultaneously, we planned to utilize them for specific propaganda purposes.

“The succubus island was run by Laplace. And behind Laplace was a demon from Pandemonium. That name is…”

“The demon who calls herself ‘Hyangdan.’”

Behind all these events lurked an absolute evil like Duoexini, a Pandemonium-Upheaval Officer.

It might seem obvious, but no information about Hyangdan was found on the succubus island.

Nor in any dealings with Laplace. Ultimately, we decided to lure Hyangdan out by drawing public attention.

If we revealed that Hyangdan was the real culprit, there would surely be a response from somewhere.

Then, we could act accordingly.

Just like when we caught Duoexini, we needed to create the right situation.

“Hyera.”

“Yes, oppa.”

“Then, slowly—”

Beep beep beep.

Our Taeguk Watches began to ring loudly.

Wondering why they were ringing at this time, I checked my Taeguk Watch, and it was an emergency disaster text sent through the base station by the Hero Association of Thailand.

“What?”

“It seems there was an accident in Phuket?”

We immediately turned on the TV.

Although Bangkok is far from Phuket, the live broadcast was transmitting the situation in Phuket, as it was swarming with reporters.

[…according to sources, the villains have attempted a massive jailbreak…!]

“What now?”

What on earth was happening?

The streets of Phuket were more chaotic than when tanks ran through them.

[Aaahhh!!]

[It’s dangerous! Get away! Damn, it’s the villains!!]

Indeed, because there were entities far more dangerous than tanks wreaking havoc.

[Hahaha! I’m back out! Nguyen, come out now! If you don’t, I’ll grind everyone here to dust!!]

“…….”

Villain Phupatpong, along with other villains casually dressed in prison garb, were wreaking havoc on the streets.

They were causing indiscriminate terror, much faster and more precisely than trams.

[These bastards!!]

Heroes were intervening to handle the situation, but as the battle unfolded in the urban area, civilian casualties were occurring in real time.

“Hyera, I think I just had a crazy idea.”

Yun Hye-ra, who was hurriedly sending messages to Brewer and gathering information, turned to me.

“Tell me.”

“If we go with the mindset of ruining everything, I’d probably be the first to open all the jails.”

“Who would do such a thing with the intention of causing ruin?”

“Obviously, the corrupt ones in this country.”

“Eh, it feels like it’s killing people. Brother, you’re like a ghost.”

“Not a ghost. Just…”

Just.

Such episodes had frequently occurred in the original work.

Not in Thailand, but similar riots had erupted in other countries, resembling those in Thailand.

In a certain city in New York.

The first action taken by a villain group, after seizing control of the city by collapsing a football stadium, was to take over a prison and release the inmates.

“Whether it’s Hyangdan or anyone else behind this… it won’t just end with Phuket.”

[Ah, breaking news! Fire at a Thai prison!!]

“Wow, a serious riot is about to erupt.”

If the term ‘villain’ specifically referred to ability users.

From now on, not only villains but also ‘evildoers’ would begin to flood the streets.

“Oppa. I’ve discovered who’s behind this.”

“Who is it?”

“……General Jeokrang’s personal guard, left in Bangkok.”

Yun Hye-ra covered her face with her hands and gritted her teeth.

“They’ve opened all the prison doors nationwide, intending to bring the entire country to ruin.”

It’s not just villains with abilities that were driving this world mad.