-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Villain Who Pays Compensation
-----------------------------------------------------------------
300 people.
300 people is roughly the size of an average high school's entire student body.
The fact that so many people were gathered in one place meant a lot.
It meant the space they were in was vast, or that they were packed tightly together.
In this case, it was probably both.
These 300 people were crammed tightly into a large space.
But despite so many people being present at once, no one was speaking.
So was it quiet? No, it wasn't.
Because of the woman in front of me, sobbing as if the world had ended.
"Hoooh-hoooh-hoooh. Hwaaaah-hwaaaah-hwaaah. Hoooh, hoooh-hoooh-hoooh."
Please, stop crying.
*
[She's really sobbing like the world ended OMG]
[Her 7 teammates just got brutally killed, she has every right to cry LOL]
[Is she next? She's pretty, it'd be a shame]
[Are you crazy, you guys? Can't you see the hostages trembling,,,, This isn't a movie.]
[Nah, as long as it's not me~~~~]
[Looks like he won't kill all the hostages this time?]
[I'm worried about the woman, she's crying so sadlyㅜㅜ]
[No, that woman is also a terrorist, you idiots LOLOL]
[This is way more entertaining than terrestrial TV. Live stream is awesome LOL]
*
I glanced back at the chat window to gauge the mood.
I realized there was no point in looking anymore. It was making my head spin...
"Hoooh-hoooh-hoooh. H-h-hic..."
Anyway, she was in more trouble than I was.
Tsk... I needed to convince her to come with me. After all, I held all the cards.
I crouched down and picked up the handgun the woman had dropped.
As I stayed low, my eyes met hers.
When our eyes locked, I offered her a gentle smile and a single line, even as she hiccuped.
"If you keep crying, I'll shoot."
I said, playfully mimicking a gunshot with the pistol—"Bang!"—and she gasped, immediately struggling to stop her tears.
...I felt more and more like the bad guy, but.
At least it was quieter than before.
With her muffled sobs still coming from behind me, I stepped in front of the hostages.
Three hundred people, all huddled and looking up at me, was quite a sight.
Their eyes were generally filled with terror.
I wondered why they were acting this way... then I remembered I'd just killed seven people right in front of them, hadn't I?
How many times in a person's life do they witness someone being shot and bleeding out?
Oh, wait, people in *this* world might have seen it quite a bit, actually.
This was Seoul, Asia's third-largest economic city, and also third in terms of frequent terror attacks.
It was truly the capital of South Korea, home to an unusually high number of superhumans, both heroes and villains.
Anyway, the people were tense.
To them, I spoke in a loud voice.
"Alright, alright. Hello, everyone. I am A-rank villain, Egostic. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Using my psychokinesis to amplify my voice, I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
As my words ended, the atmosphere grew even tenser. I could see everyone's unease. What's wrong? I won't hurt you.
*
[Are we going for a 'kill each other to survive' scenario now? OMG]
*
Looking at the chat window, I understood why they were reacting that way.
Seriously, what do they take me for? I'm not some psycho.
...Come to think of it, I did say something about only the first person to kill surviving on those three ships before. Ugh, fine, it's all my fault, my bad.
So, I spoke kindly to the trembling people.
"First and foremost, I want to apologize to everyone present here. I am truly sorry."
As I spoke, I bowed deeply.
When I suddenly apologized and bowed my head, I could feel the people holding their breath.
Then, straightening up again, I continued naturally.
"Though this was not my doing, I feel a great sense of responsibility for this copycat crime, which occurred due to my previous actions."
The hostages' mouths hung open.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became restless.
*
[??????????]
[What is he even saying?]
[This is... a villain? What have all the villains I've seen so far even been?]
*
The chat window was also in utter bewilderment.
It was like the reaction of parents who, after their son constantly caused trouble, suddenly studies hard for 50 days for the Suneung and comes home with an acceptance letter to Seoul National University.
Regardless, I continued speaking.
"As for you, the hostages, you are not really my concern, so you are free to return home now. For those who incurred damages because of me, I plan to send a small compensation to your bank accounts, so please check them."
*
[???What the hell is this nonsense???]
[Compensation? LOL WTF]
[Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a hostage! Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a hostage! Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a hostage! Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a hostage! Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a hostage! Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a hostage!]
[This is... terrorism? What kind of terrorism have I been experiencing all this time?]
*
"To the three unfortunate souls who perished... I extend my deepest apologies. I will ensure the maximum possible compensation is provided. And don't worry, I have all your bank account information."
I had said it before. That I had a lot of money.
While that wasn't always true, now, what I do best is throw money around.
*
[But it's a bit cheeky to just pay compensation and call it a day... Is that it?]
[???Actually, Egostic didn't even kill them, so isn't it weird for him to be giving compensation in the first place?]
[Is that so? Still, passing it off as death compensation is a bit...]
[No, I'm telling you, he didn't kill them in the first place LOLOLOL]
*
Seeing the chat window in an uproar, I knew I'd hit my mark. I mean, how else would my name get talked about and my recognition soar if I didn't pull off such outlandish stunts? If this kind of incident was going to happen, I had to milk it for all it was worth.
How would I know their bank accounts? Wouldn't Seo-eun, the genius hacker, take care of it? I just had to trust Seo-eun, probably.
[....Sigh...]
I thought I heard a sigh through my earpiece, but it must have been my imagination. Definitely.
Having said all I needed to, I turned around again.
Behind me, the female follower was still trembling.
...I'd kept her alive because she seemed valuable as an assistant, but what now?
[Hyung. Just bring the woman with you.]
Suddenly, Seo-eun's voice came through my earpiece.
Bring her? Kidnap her? Right here?
But I couldn't ask 'why' out loud.
Hundreds of people were watching me; muttering to myself would look pathetic...
[She seems to have completely lost it anyway, so it's probably better to just bring her here now and then convince her to join us. Probably.]
"Hmm..."
Yeah, that might not be a bad idea?
Even though it sounded like a rather wicked plan coming from Seo-eun, who was only in junior high, I decided to go with it. There was always the suspension bridge effect, after all.
"Alright. Miss? You're coming with me."
"Hieeeek?!"
I picked up the woman, who was still making strange whimpering noises, and held her in my arms.
Holding her as she squirmed in confusion, I looked at the people staring blankly up at me and bid them farewell.
"Well then, farewell."
As I spoke, I spread my cloak in front of me, and vanished.
*
[Wait, is the stream over?]
[The ending was a bit anticlimactic... 6/10 from me.]
[Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo! Free Kim Seon-woo!]
[Seeing that spam, I've decided Kim Seon-woo should be executed.]
=== [Broadcast Ended] ===
*
And with that, I finally shut off this headache-inducing broadcast.
***
[Villain Takes Responsibility, Pays Financial Compensation? Hostages' Accounts Verified. Egostic, Who is He? In-Depth Report.]
[Editorial: Is a Villain Who Kills His Own Terrorist Followers Justified?]
[Egostic's Latest News Dominates 9 PM Broadcast Again Today... NEWSTREE]
*
[Author] Anonymous
[Title] So this is actually true?
So, the guy who took out an A-rank villain suddenly kidnapped three ships, said 'kill each other to survive,' but when no one died, he bolted, and then the next day, when his followers caused a terror attack, he showed up himself, killed them all, gave compensation to the hostages, and let them go? And all of this was broadcast live?
=[Comments]=
[Anonymous1] Nah, no way lol
L[Anonymous2] For real, lol
L[Anonymous3] Who in the world would do that? (He actually did)
L[Anonymous4] And hijacked a public broadcast? Must be a lie (It wasn't)
[Anonymous5] Seriously, I've never seen a villain like Mangostick in my life. He's etched into my brain after just two days.
L[Anonymous6] Who's Mangostick now? LOL
L[Anonymous7] Mangostick, holy crap LOL
L[Anonymous8] How can a villain's name be Mangostick, lol
[Anonymous9] Honestly, he kills villains, stops terror attacks, and frees hostages... Isn't he basically a hero?
L[Anonymous10] A hero (who kidnapped ships and tried to bomb them)
L[Anonymous9] Oh, so did anyone actually die then, huh? LOL
L[Anonymous11] I support Mangostick, the Dark Hero of the Shadows!
*
***
For two consecutive days, the villain Mangostick had etched his name into the minds of the entire nation.
...No, Egostic. She shook her head, correcting herself internally. She figured she'd spent too much time on online communities gauging public opinion; her brain felt a little fried.
"Haru, what are you doing?"
"Oh, Unnie."
Inside a cafe, Shin Haru, a university student, was working on an assignment with her senior.
When operating as a hero, she always concealed her name and wore a perception-dampening filter, so no one knew she was a hero.
This allowed her to enjoy a normal university life.
By day, she was Shin Haru, an ordinary university student; by night, she was Stardust, the hero, living a double life.
"Haru, you seem to be having trouble concentrating. Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing. Just thinking about something for a moment."
Waving her hand and repeatedly assuring her senior that she was fine and would focus now, she picked up her pen to resume her assignment.
But her attention was elsewhere.
Just what kind of person was this Egostic, anyway?