Aile's growing irritability due to academic stress and the sight of Birana and Levi-tan lazing around my lab like freeloaders had become the norm recently.

Then, the boss called for a meeting with the executives. It was the first meeting in months, and unlike the previous ones, many high-ranking members attended. The so-called Four Heavenly Kings of the Evil Organization, the Seven Deadly Sins of the Evil Organization, and even the Six Paths of the Evil Organization were all present.

With six of these powerful figures gathered in one place, the boss let out a satisfied hum.

"Is everyone here? It’s been a while since we’ve had this many people together." "But there are only six of us." "Still, that’s a majority of the eight executives, isn’t it?" "I mean, we’re barely five here…"

I glanced around at the other executives attending the meeting. Galm was already yawning as if bored out of his mind, Aile was dozing off after studying all night, Birana’s eyes were wide and alert, hanging onto the boss’s every word, and Levi-tan was right next to me, uninterested in the meeting and more focused on bothering me.

It was hard to tell if this was an executive meeting or a daycare, but regardless—

Five of the eight executives had gathered. Considering that each of them could easily lead a city or a powerful organization, this was quite an impressive turnout.

"The topic of today’s meeting is the aftermath and results of the recent raid on Z City."

Regalia activated the projector behind her, and a screen descended from the ceiling, showing an overview of the loot acquired from Z City.

The presentation covered the various enterprises Z City was responsible for, the local specialties, the real estate and bonds owned by Omega Industry, and the stocks—all of which had now been seized by Eblis Corporation. Apparently, Eblis had swallowed up 70% of Omega Industry’s operations as a result.

From the perspective of someone from Earth, this all sounded like nonsense. Yet, those present didn’t seem particularly surprised and took it in stride.

But I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer, so I cautiously raised my hand.

"Yes, Scientist?" "I don’t quite understand… We defeated those Omega guys, sure, but what do real estate and bonds have to do with that?"

"What do you mean, what do they have to do with it? We’re villains. Is it wrong for villains to engage in robbery?"

The boss’s nonchalant response and the fact that none of the others seemed to find this odd left me with no choice but to nod in agreement.

After all, even on Earth, wealthy conglomerates and corporations often manipulate the system to engage in legalized robbery. So why wouldn’t Eblis Corporation, which was even more ruthless, do the same?

As I tried to piece together what complicated dealings might have occurred behind the scenes, the boss continued her explanation.

"We didn’t interfere with the illegal activities that were rampant in Z City, but we couldn’t just let them be. So, we dismantled them and broke the organizations down into smaller units. Galm, you’ll be in charge of regularly checking in on them."

"Understood."

"And since the company has grown after absorbing Omega Industry, we’ll need to recruit more personnel. We need three people to handle interviews."

"Pass. I’m not good with that kind of stuff. Leave it to someone else." "I-I’d rather not…"

"Hmm. Then, should I assign it to Scientist, Birana, and Levi-tan?"

As I sat there listening to the boss’s orders, I tilted my head in confusion. Recruiting for a company? Shouldn’t that be the job of a department head or an HR manager?

Wondering why this task was being assigned to us, I raised my hand again to ask, and Regalia looked at me as if I’d asked something utterly stupid.

"Of course, corporate hiring is left to the experts. Do you think I’d leave that to you?" "Then what’s this about?" "We’re recruiting for the Evil Organization. What else?"

"…You interview and hire villains?"

"Of course."

Regalia’s condescending look made me let out a dry laugh.

It was well-known that our evil organization was often seen as nothing more than the Eblis Corporation president’s pet project. And now, I realized just how accurate that assessment was.

[Has Eblis Corporation opened recruitment?] ─It’s up, so I posted it lol 〈Evil Organization XX Year Second Half Official Recruitment Schedule〉

Anonymous: Damn, I got excited for nothing. Anonymous: Why is this part of Eblis Corporation? ㄴ Welcome to the Hero Association: Info) The Evil Organization is a villain group sponsored by Eblis Corporation. It’s said to be the personal hobby of the Eblis Corporation president. Anonymous: I heard it’s not a bad place. Good for those who are strong but whose psychic abilities are kind of useless. ㄴ Anonymous: There’s no future in that. ㄴ Anonymous: Then just live as an unemployed loser lol. The smart ones make some money here while studying for a few months and then move on.

The internet’s reaction to the Evil Organization’s official recruitment was rather indifferent. In fact, some people even saw it as an opportunity.

I suppose I couldn’t argue, considering that the pay, benefits, and working conditions here were unmatched, even by Earth’s standards. Other than Galm, who was the only one leading missions with troops, most of the combatants spent their time at the headquarters either working out or engaging in personal development.

After acquiring new qualifications and test scores, these combatants would often move on to better positions elsewhere. In a way, it was almost like a job placement program for the citizens of E City.

‘Something that should technically be handled by a government agency, not a private company…’

It made sense why the Evil Organization had such a positive reputation. With such deep integration into people’s daily lives, it was hard to speak ill of it.

After browsing the internet for feedback on the Evil Organization, I realized that my role as an interviewer wasn’t so much about finding suitable combatants but rather about supporting the welfare of potential recruits.

"So, you’ve had no employment for ten years since graduating high school?" "Y-Yes! But I’m here because I want to try something, anything, with the Evil Organization!" "Accepted."

If someone was trying to get back on their feet after being down, I accepted them.

"You have a record of assault, robbery, and multiple convictions." "Yeah, but this is a villain organization, so it shouldn’t matter, right?" "Out."

If they hadn’t even bothered to find out what this place was about and just applied like some thug, I rejected them.

As I quickly moved through the interviews, Birana and Levi-tan, who were also acting as interviewers, looked at me with surprise.

"Eight, you seem pretty used to this kind of thing." "Well, I am. I’ve played the role of interviewer often enough, mostly helping out friends." "Heh, really? I’d love to meet your friends someday. I’m curious if they’re as otherworldly as you."

I responded to Birana’s comment with a laugh and called in the next candidate. The next person entered the interview room with precise movements and greeted us confidently.

"I’m Sten! It’s a pleasure to meet you!" "Yes, pleased to meet you too."

As I looked over Sten’s resume, my expression tightened slightly, and I glanced at Birana. She looked back at me with a questioning expression.

Leaning in close, I whispered while pointing to a part of Sten’s resume.

"…This guy is a former hero. With five years of experience, no less." "What? Let me see…"

Birana, startled at the mention of a former hero, quickly glanced at the resume and then shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

"He’s E-class. An E-class hero is fine." "Is that so…?" "Yeah. He’s not even from E City. That means he never fought against us, so it’s no big deal."

Birana explained that while heroes are officially recognized, they are, in reality, not much better than ordinary people. She scoffed at the idea of a career where promotions are decided by popularity contests.

In that sense, being a five-year E-class hero meant he had less recognition than the local hardware store owner. Hiring him in the Evil Organization wouldn’t harm the company; it might even be beneficial.

Realizing that the former hero status didn’t matter much, I proceeded with the interview.

"Mr. Sten, what made you decide to leave your hero work and join our villain organization?" "…They told me I was too old to continue being a hero." "I see." "My only real talent was having a body that hardens like metal, but that wasn’t enough. So, I decided to retire as a hero. But I still need to support my wife and kids, and all I’m good at is physical work…" "So your ability is hardening your body. Could you show me?"

"Sure."

Sten hardened a part of his body, making it look almost like metal. If he could move while in that state, it would have been a decent offensive ability, but the increased weight made it impossible for him to move effectively.

After hearing him explain that he was essentially just a stationary punching bag when in that form, I nodded understandingly and sent him off, telling him we’d notify him of the result by message.

After Sten left, Birana, who had been standing beside me, tapped my shoulder cautiously.

"…You’re not, right?" "Sorry? Not what?" "You know, you kind of lit up when you saw that guy. You’re not thinking of taking his flesh to make something, are you?" "…Who do you think I am?"

"Isn’t that something you’d do?"

I looked at Birana with a mix of frustration and amusement. Did she really think I’d take a guy with a metal-hardening ability and start harvesting his body parts to make weapons?

That’s the kind of thing you’d expect from a mad scientist in a villain organization, not from a respectable scientist like me. I couldn’t help but feel wronged by such an assumption.