The Eternal Empire’s emblem—the World Tree—stood as a symbol of change, planted by immortal elves. Those who beheld it knew that something significant had shifted, though they couldn’t immediately grasp what it was. For the moment, they accepted it as a good thing. After all, the rampage of the ancient tree, which had demolished much of the city with its supersonic roots and branches, had finally come to an end.

With the chaos subdued, police and heroes flooded the city, eventually reaching the base of the World Tree, where they discovered two collapsed figures—Stale and Flower. Both were wanted villains with bounties on their heads.

“There’s Flower!” “What? Arrest her! Now!” “Be careful—that woman killed every agent we sent after her without leaving a trace—”

As the heroes approached with bloodthirsty determination, Stale forced his battered body to move, lifting his communicator. He had to ensure the deal he was promised.

“Scientist? The heroes are here. Open a gate. I need to escape with her…”

[What? Why should I?]

“…Why? Are you planning to break our deal?”

[What deal?]

“You promised to clear Flower’s name! If she’s captured like this—!”

[Ha.]

The scientist’s voice carried a faint, mocking laugh, as if amused by the idea. Stale froze. Was the scientist really going to betray him? True, the deal wasn’t officially documented, nor was it a magical contract, but…

[I promised to ensure no one would hold her responsible for what happened because of the Beast, not to absolve her of everything.]

“Then help us escape!”

[But she was already a wanted villain before the Beast. Why should I stop them from arresting her now?]

“……!!”

Stale’s mind flashed back to his last night with Flower. Even then, she had been a fugitive with dozens of charges against her. While she wasn’t considered an S-class villain at the time, she was undeniably a criminal.

Hearing the scientist’s words, Stale’s eyes widened. The scientist wasn’t breaking any promises but had never intended to let them go free.

“Was this your plan all along?”

[I’ll keep my word. No one will connect her to this incident. But my part ends there.]

“Poetic justice, is it…”

Stale muttered bitterly, pulling Flower into his arms as if shielding her like a mother bird protecting its chick. He glared at the approaching heroes, though he knew full well he couldn’t handle even one of the A-rank heroes among them.

Even at his peak, this would have been impossible. Now, having expended all his strength fighting Flower, his reserves of seemingly infinite vitality were utterly drained.

“Damn it.”

He slumped onto the ground, staring up at the bright sun and clear blue sky. It might be years before he would see such a vast expanse of nature again.

Moments later, the heroes reached them and swiftly placed both Stale and Flower under arrest.

The city of N, known for its grand natural landscape, was left half-ruined by the villain’s rampage. However, it wasn’t entirely destroyed.

The massive ancient tree, once the city’s centerpiece, had been replaced by the World Tree, possibly the largest tree in the universe. The nature-obsessed residents of N City welcomed the change.

“The planet has recognized our devotion…” “The ancient tree became an eternal tree.” “Well, at least we can see the new one better!”

True to its eccentric reputation as Flower’s hometown, N City’s residents, who seemed borderline delusional to outsiders, began enthusiastically rebuilding their city around the World Tree.

The destroyed city evolved into something more environmentally friendly. As survivors, they adhered to nature’s law of the strong, pushing forward with resilience.

Hearing this, Eight chuckled and gave an order to the AI.

“Temporarily lift the resource token restrictions for N City residents.”

[Understood.]

This was the extent of the humanitarian aid Eight was willing to provide. Too much interference would undermine the people’s independence. Like animals raised without ever hunting for their own food, too much support could turn them into helpless burdens.

If the city’s residents were willing to stand on their own, his role was simply to give them the foundation to do so.

‘In a way, it’s a blessing. In times like these, falling apart might be…’

Many cities were on the verge of collapse, their aging infrastructure groaning under the weight of neglect. But tearing down old facilities and rebuilding them required astronomical resources, which most cities simply didn’t have.

For N City, the destruction of their outdated infrastructure had been resolved “for free,” and the sympathy from other cities ensured they would receive support for reconstruction.

Technologically, the current era, with AI-optimized construction methods, was the perfect time for rebuilding. N City was poised to become one of the most advanced cities in the world.

“Scientist?”

“…Huh? What?”

“It’s time.”

Aile’s voice snapped Eight out of his thoughts. Checking the time, he realized it was almost time for the executives’ meeting—a rare moment when the villain organization actually functioned like a villainous group.

Throwing on his lab coat, Eight followed Aile to the meeting room. As expected, the other executives, most of whom had little else to do, arrived punctually.

Once the boss entered and took their seat at the head of the table, the meeting began.

“Well, has everyone been well? Today—”

As the meeting proceeded, Eight found himself distracted, his gaze drifting to the corner of the room rather than paying attention to the boss’s words. His blatant inattention did not go unnoticed.

“Scientist? Is something wrong?” Regalia raised their voice, eyeing Eight.

“Huh? Oh—no, nothing.”

“Is that so? Then focus on the meeting instead of daydreaming…”

“Hmm… is it just me, or does anyone else see that?”

“See what?” Regalia asked, frowning.

Unlike his usual compliance, Eight gestured toward an empty chair in the meeting room—a chair that no one was sitting in.

Everyone turned to look at the seat, then exchanged puzzled glances, all looking back at Eight.

“What are you pointing at?”

“Hmm♠ Even magic shows nothing there.”

“Maybe the scientist is overworked…”

As the others dismissed his behavior, Eight stared again at the sixth executive’s seat—the one that had always been empty.

“Could it be… you see me? Hello there—”

The sixth executive, The Six, waved cheerfully.

The villain organization had eight executives in total. Among them, the first, The First, and the sixth, The Six, were enigmatic figures Eight had never seen.

Their names weren’t even proper names, just temporary titles Eight had given them—better than simply calling them by numbers.

Since no one ever spoke of The First or The Six, Eight had assumed they were retired or honorary positions, belonging to long-dead figures who had once served the organization.

That wasn’t the case.

Furrowing his brows, Eight stared at the figure standing before him.

“Why are you staring so intently? Am I too dazzling? I know I’m pretty, but still…”

“…The Sixth?”

“Yes! The Sixth Executive of the villain organization. Call me The Six, please.”

The Sixth introduced herself with an inexplicable cheerfulness. Eight couldn’t comprehend it. How could someone’s name be The Six? Everyone else had proper names.

‘Oh, right. I’m Eight…’

Reconsidering his earlier thoughts, he stopped himself. But still, Six was… too casually named.

“So, Six? Why are you here?”

“Because you can see me, of course.”

“That’s what I want to know. Why can’t anyone else see you?”

“I was wondering the same thing. How can you see me?”

“…Excuse me?”

Six tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve met someone who can talk to me.”

“Has this happened before? Is that why you’re part of the organization…?”

“What? No. I could talk to everyone before! What do you take me for? I joined this organization because they promised a good salary…”

“Oh. Uh, okay…”

After a brief conversation with her, Eight found himself at a loss. He couldn’t figure out what kind of person—or being—he was dealing with.