“…Aaah, what should we do?”

[About what?]

“You know, Author-nim. Übermensch.”

[Aah… Right. You said we need to reduce their numbers…]

“Sigh.”

I had no idea what to do.

I have to cut them down to just four.

…How am I supposed to do that?

There’s not much time left. The end-of-term ceremony is coming up soon.

Just four.

Four should be enough.

Dorothy, Siwoo, Amelia, and me.

It would be best if each of us handled one.

“…No matter what happens, there will be an attack during the end-of-term ceremony, right?”

[Yes! That’s the plan! Mmm, but I haven’t decided how strong to make the villains yet.]

“Hmm…”

How should I go about this?

…No, should I just kill them all before the ceremony in the first place?

“Author-nim, do you have any other villains in mind besides those guys?”

[Why would I?]

“…”

I shouldn’t have asked.

I knew very well that the Author didn’t think much about these things.

Even if the Author says this, more villains are bound to be added.

We had no choice but to prune the villain groups because there were too many, but we’ve barely gotten through half of the 1st year.

To move the plot forward, new obstacles need to be created.

As I mentioned, the academy novel genre is about presenting trials, overcoming them, and feeling catharsis from seeing the protagonist’s growth.

Of course, we could keep those guys alive and use them somehow, but then the Author’s readers would make a fuss.

They would ask why we didn’t kill the enemies and let them live.

If they complained like that, would the Author be able to handle it mentally?

…I was doubtful. The Author I’ve seen so far doesn’t seem like she could endure something like that.

[Why don’t we kill them all like last time without overthinking it?]

“If it were that easy, I would have done it already.”

The Author’s stance was that there would be no problem if I killed them all and returned like before.

But it wasn’t such a simple issue.

People’s eyes and ears were already focused on the villain group called Arachne.

“Can I kill the detective, Lee Ha-Yul?”

[Ugh, it would be such a waste… A detective chasing villains, that’s so cool… D-do we really have to kill him?]

See?

The Author didn’t want to kill off the detective. It probably fits her tastes or something.

Well, I can understand. There’s always something that catches your fancy.

…The problem is, I feel like Detective Lee Ha-Yul will get in the way.

Killing him would be the quickest solution. He’s a supporting character who won’t appear in the main story.

I don’t need to concern myself with those who can’t even make it onto the main stage, but…

It’s a different story if it’s someone the Author cherishes. There’s no point in me insisting that I should kill him.

Even if I somehow get rid of him, it will severely strain my relationship with the Author.

…If that happens, what will become of me?

A chill suddenly ran down my spine, and I stopped thinking.

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think…

Before I knew it, I had dialed a number saved on my phone.

[The call is being recorded.]

“It’s me.”

[Arte-nim…! Please wait a moment!]

Clatter clatter.

Such noises could be heard from the other end of the phone.

…I didn’t call the wrong number, did I?

I lifted the phone and checked the contact again.

It’s correct. Association executive.

“The outcome is certainly impressive.”

[Ahem! It’s all thanks to my competence!]

“…”

C-competence…?

No, well, they’re indeed competent.

There’s a reason the Association’s higher-ups are so subservient to me. It’s because of the Author.

‘Arachne has deeply infiltrated the Association.’

The setting that I asked to be put in because Lee Ha-Yul was being annoying.

It was just a setting casually thrown in, but I never thought it would be used like this.

[Please tell us. We are ready. Do you plan to purge all the villains?]

“…Ah, that’s not it. I was just curious about something.”

[I-is that so? Please ask us anything!]

What the hell is with these guys?

They’re supposed to be traitors of the Association, pawns of Arachne.

Through the phone, I can hear the breathing of multiple people, not just one. Did they gather everyone just now?

I thought there would only be one…

… I’ll have to probe. It seems the empty background has naturally changed due to the setting.

“By the way, it feels strange. To think that the Association, which hates villains, is conversing with a villain like this.”

[…A villain, you say? That’s going too far.]

“But the Association has designated Arachne as a villain organization, haven’t they? A very dangerous organization at that.”

[While that is an unavoidable action for the Association, you know very well that we do not consider your organization a villain group.]

The middle-aged man’s voice naturally rose as if boasting with pride.

[The system of society cannot kill villains. Because that’s the law. As a result, citizens suffer, and even if criminals are caught, they just rot in prison for life!

Moreover, most of them can even go free through plea bargains! All because we lack manpower!]

“… That’s right. But most of them fail and die on the battlefield.”

[Trash of society does not deserve human rights. Those bastards have forfeited it! Isn’t it ridiculous for them to assert it when they have violated the rights of others?

We cannot accept it! Do those creatures really need to have rights?! They are not human!

…But the law cannot punish them, and the suffering of citizens only grows by the day. That’s why we can only rely on you, Arachne! I—]

After the excited voice caused a brief commotion on the other end of the phone, the voice changed.

This time, it was also the voice of someone quite old. It’s only natural, considering they’ve risen to the executive level.

[That is why we support you, Arachne.

The law is always imperfect, and it takes too long to improve it—at least until all evil is eliminated.

Should we inconvenience those who voluntarily act as society’s cleaners? So please tell us. What do you want?]

…Aha.

I roughly understand.

To fill in the setting that “Arachne and the Association have a close relationship,” it seems the setting naturally became that the Association’s higher-ups hate villains.

They frequently clash directly with villains, so they must have witnessed all sorts of dirty things.

So the longer someone has been in the Association, especially those in high positions, the deeper their hatred for villains… I think it’s acceptable to interpret it that way.

To those executives, Arachne is a janitor.

One that washes the filthy city clean.

“Do you know about the investigator chasing Arachne? What is he doing now?”

[That man is currently on leave. Having duties forcibly suspended due to external pressure is a huge shock. He’s probably resting.]

“Hmm…”

Resting, my foot.

He’s the type of person who would persistently suspect me even if I had a solid alibi proving I wasn’t the culprit.

I don’t think someone like that would easily succumb to external pressure. He would chase after me even if it meant turning his back on the Association.

If I can’t kill or kick out such a bothersome leech…

I can just stick him onto the other side, can’t I?

“Reinstate him. Tell him Arachne has appeared and that you need his strength.”

[What? What do you…]

“We have located Übermensch’s position. Their numbers are half of the remaining forces. Four executives.”

[…!]

Actually, that’s a lie.

What location? I don’t know anything.

But there’s nothing to worry about. This world is the Author’s puppet show. I just need to ask her.

If too many props are behind the puppet show, it’s only right to remove unnecessary pieces.

“Their objective is to steal something hidden within the academy.”

[Then that means…]

“They’ll attack the academy at some point, right? Since that’s their goal…”

[…We will strengthen security.]

“That’s not the right way. Do you know when they’ll attack? If you raise your guard too much, it will be harder to grasp the situation.”

That’s a lie.

In fact, I know exactly when they will attack and how many of them there will be.

No matter what happens, they will attempt an attack on the day of the end-of-term ceremony.

…But I have no obligation to tell them that. Because it’s an event that Siwoo needs to experience and grow from.

Simply watching is enough for the puppets that can’t even make it onto the stage.

“Just reduce the numbers to the point where they feel uneasy but still think it’s possible. As for the rest…”

[…I understand. It’s a necessary sacrifice.]

“That’s the idea.”

[We will take care of what you mentioned right away.]

“I’m counting on you.”

I hung up the phone unilaterally.

There was nothing more to discuss.

“Aah, this is so… tiring!”

[Th-that was so cool! A cool villain sweeping away an evil organization from behind the scenes!]

“What’s so cool about it… I’m not a villain, and I’m not an evil organization, you know?”

I brushed off the Author’s nonsense.

Me, an evil organization?

A secret society, maybe.

…Anyway, I’m looking forward to it.

The longer someone is in the Association, the deeper their hatred for villains becomes.

I wonder what the Ha-Yul thinks about villains.

He has seen more directly than anyone else what villains do and how they act.

Perhaps, as the Author said, there’s no need to kill him.

I felt good.

***

“…Crazy.”

“Hic, hic… It’s a good thing I got down on my knees and begged…!”

Lyla and Spira were terrified.

They couldn’t believe what they had heard was true.

“…You, you heard the same thing as me, right?”

“The Master is connected to the Association…?”

“Crazy… We heard it loud and clear.”

They didn’t hear everything.

But they clearly heard Arte giving orders to the high-ranking members of the Association.

Moreover, what did they discuss?

“Half of Übermensch will disappear…”

“…”

Lyla let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, they left the rotten lifeline that would snap soon.

If they had kept climbing, who knows what would have happened to them.

They almost became cube steak.

_______________________________

Author’s notes

Ah, right. There’s one thing I wanted to tell you about yesterday but forgot!

The emoticon rough sketch has arrived! Wow!

The Author(not me) had glasses on… I immediately requested them to remove it…

Off with the glasses!

Also, the emoticon of the Author giving a flick has been replaced with one showing her receiving it and crying.

After already getting hit…!