An interview with Dr. Seira, who has garnered significant attention for proving the existence of the soul, was about to start.

“Seira.”

“Yes?”

“It’s Seira, you bastard. How do you mess up the name when you’re here for an interview? And this idiot calls himself a journalist—.”

[Exclusive report! Dr. Seira, ABC Award nominee, hurls insults at reporters… Graduate students reveal they’ve been subjected to her verbal abuse for years…] [ABC Award recipient Dr. Harmon says, “You can’t trust the research of someone so unprofessional.” He also claims that he was the first to discover the soul.] [Dr. Eight, co-author of the research, might not even exist!? The 21 truths about Dr. Eight.]

"It’s a mess, huh?"

"You think so too?"

The news was buzzing with reports about the discovery of the soul. The once-dominant stories about the enemies of the world had all but vanished. Well, it was no surprise. The nature of the world enemies was perfect for the elite to exploit the masses like slaves, wasn’t it?

Those who could influence the news likely wanted the public to forget about the enemies of the world. They might have made deals in secret, but they certainly wouldn’t want people dwelling on the dangerous nature of those creatures.

Proving the existence of souls was a topic that easily captured public attention. After all, wasn’t it a secret humanity had been yearning to uncover for ages? If souls were proven to exist, it could potentially confirm the existence of heaven and hell, as various religions had long claimed.

"So? What are you going to do?"

"Hmm... I think it’s about time I reveal my face."

"That’s not a bad idea."

Humans are naturally inclined to investigate secrets. It’s a fundamental instinct. From discovering the secrets of fire to conquering the darkness, to unraveling the mysteries of agriculture and giving birth to civilization, and finally, to the creation of science itself—humans have always sought to uncover what’s hidden.

The nature of humans is such that they can’t leave secrets alone. They’re more curious than cats. In such an environment, if I continued to hide my identity, there was a chance the fact that I was using a false identity would eventually be exposed.

That would be troublesome.

"Once people know you’re an employee of Eblis Corporation, this whole fuss will likely settle down."

"Indeed. Might as well pick up a degree along the way."

"Good idea. The board’s already been complaining about the hefty salary we’re paying someone without a degree. But if it’s revealed you’re a potential ABC Award nominee, that grumbling will surely stop."

And so, I decided to reveal my identity. The world would finally learn the truth about the genius scientist Eblis Corporation had been keeping hidden.

Once my identity was out—when the world realized that someone with no doctorate, not even a proper academic background, was the partner of the genius scientist behind groundbreaking research—the world would erupt.

[Mystery genius scientist revealed to be a researcher for Eblis Corporation...] [Reports suggest that many of the previously undisclosed results from Eblis Corporation are products of this scientist’s work...] [Did Eblis Corporation really have an alien working for them?]

—Not even a doctor, just someone with a measly bachelor's degree, did all that? Is that even possible? —Looks like Eblis Corporation is trying to manufacture a hero. —Haha, if that’s possible, then I guess I’m a legendary hero wielding a holy sword from my basement.

Once Eight's identity was revealed to the public, the immediate reaction was disbelief. No one could fathom how someone with just a bachelor's degree could have produced such a massive body of work.

After all, even those with doctorates couldn’t fully grasp the content of the papers, let alone the anti-gravity devices and ultra-miniature circuits that had been developed. So, how could a mere bachelor’s holder claim responsibility for it all?

Amidst the endless stream of insults directed at both Eblis Corporation and Eight, the man at the center of it all didn’t seem to care.

"Eight, are you okay?"

"Hm? About what?"

"I mean, doesn’t it bother you that everyone’s bad-mouthing you?"

Birana’s concern made Eight chuckle dryly. If she was worried, why was she even bringing it up? Although momentarily baffled, Eight shrugged it off.

"That’s what Boss and I wanted people to think anyway."

"...You did this?"

"Yes. If the news had been nothing but praise for me, what do you think would have happened? If people started lauding my accomplishments, calling me a once-in-a-century genius scientist?"

"I’m not sure..."

Birana tilted her head, unsure of where he was going with this. But if the news had gone on praising him like that, it would have been a disaster. Sure, it would’ve felt good—but that’s it.

People would have showered him with excessive attention, and too much attention in this world was synonymous with danger. After all, this was a world where villains with superpowers roamed free.

While being a Scholar member would protect him from corporate and governmental forces, as well as the military, their support wouldn’t prevent villain attacks.

"It would be a big problem. If even more people start targeting me, villains would ambush me every time I stepped outside. No matter how skilled you are, Birana, that’d be a pain to deal with."

"That... makes sense."

"Right. Besides, the salary I get doesn’t come from those people bad-mouthing me. It comes from the boss. Why would I care about public opinion? Eblis controls so many markets... even if they boycotted us, it wouldn’t affect sales."

Even if the public staged a boycott in response to this, would it even be possible? The short answer: no.

Even setting aside Eblis’s monopoly over City E, the corporation held dominion over so many markets thanks to Eight’s technological prowess. While regular citizens might refuse to buy from them, corporations couldn’t afford to.

"Still, isn’t it annoying to be insulted?"

"Even successful people will always have critics. Those who want to criticize will always find something to complain about."

"As long as you’re okay with it..."

"Besides—I’m a villain, right? Since when do villains care about being bad-mouthed?"

"Oh, right. I forgot."

Birana let out a small exclamation, as if she had only just remembered. Apparently, she even forgot that she herself was a villain. How could she be so oblivious? No matter how noble the organization might appear, forgetting your roots was never a good thing.

"Anyway, I’ve got to attend another Scholar meeting today. You rest up."

"Another one today?"

"Yes."

"You’ve been busy lately. When will you be back?"

"I’ll call before I return."

"Awesome!"

Leaving behind Birana, who looked excited as if she were on vacation, Eight boarded the car sent by Scholar once again.

Arriving at Scholar—now as familiar as my own lab—the usual faces greeted me.

"—Oh, Lord. Please accept my prayers."

"Ugh, again with this…"

As soon as I entered, Dr. Kuroi knelt and bowed deeply. I quickly looked around to make sure no one else had witnessed this.

Being bowed to by a middle-aged man was definitely something that could cause misunderstandings. No matter how many times this happened, I never got used to it. Knowing that Dr. Kuroi wasn’t apologizing for any misdeeds but was simply bowing out of sheer reverence made it all the more awkward.

As I helped him to his feet and asked why he was suddenly having another religious outburst, Dr. Kuroi gazed at me as though my question was absurd.

"I read the paper you published. Though the public thinks it was Dr. Seira’s work, my unworthy eyes see it for what it is—your handiwork."

"And what of it? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I analyzed the formulas you used to explain the existence of souls. The patterns seemed familiar to me. After careful consideration, I realized they bear a striking resemblance to the circuits you granted to Lucia."

"...Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

Eight was taken aback. The circuitry he had designed for Kuroi’s android was similar to the structure of a soul? This was news to him.

Quickly, Eight began comparing the circuit layout within Lucia’s brain with the formulas he had used to describe souls. At first glance, there seemed to be no resemblance. But when simplified and interpreted through the lens of topological geometry...

Oh... indeed, the circuits he had designed bore a faint resemblance to the structure of a soul.

‘What the hell?’

The implication was clear.

He had unwittingly created a being with a soul.
Dr Kuroi would have been devastated to find out.