The Evil Scientist is Too Competent

Chapter 17

*

On the top floor of Evilus Corporation.

Regalia, the leader of the evil organization, was receiving a report about the scientist from her secretary.

“─That’s all.”

“Hmm… I see. Did he show any signs of betrayal?”

“No. It seems more like goodwill towards Niberna rather than an attempt to side with the heroes. In fact, Niberna herself hasn’t revealed the scientist’s identity.”

“Well, that’s good.”

Although Eight hadn’t mentioned to anyone that he had made a suit for Niberna, Regalia already knew all about it without him needing to say a word. It was almost expected.

After all, his house, the building he was running his business from, his identity, even the cards he used—everything came from Regalia’s wallet. Since he was relying on her for everything, including his basic needs, it was impossible to hide anything from her.

Of course, when the scientist suddenly made a suit for a hero, even she was somewhat taken aback…

“If he didn’t intend to betray us…”

If Eight had intended to betray the evil organization and join the Hero Association, it would have created quite a headache. He was fully aware that his technological prowess was extraordinary. Just spilling a fraction of the knowledge he had could lead him to acquire enough wealth to protect himself.

And while our analysis of Eight’s character suggests he wouldn’t attack us—losing access to the vast repository of knowledge he had brought from Earth would have been a colossal problem.

Because Regalia had a dream she wanted to achieve through the evil organization, and she was in dire need of the scientist’s help to fulfill it.

“Then let’s consider this hero Niberna as already half a member of our organization and offer her support.”

“Yes. How should we support her?”

“Let’s get her some commercial endorsements and transition her from a public hero to a freelance hero. It doesn’t feel right to leave someone who has our scientist’s suit in the hands of those Hero Association guys.”

“They probably won’t let her go easily.”

“Tell them we’ll cut the funding.”

After hearing Regalia’s orders, the secretary lightly bowed her head and immediately left the chairman’s office. She needed to move quickly to carry out her instructions.

Left alone, Regalia let out a slight sigh and gazed at the ceiling. A pitch-black ceiling. It was devoid of any patterns, perfect for getting lost in one’s thoughts.

‘…I’m starting to see potential.’

The reason she founded the evil organization.

The possibility of finally achieving that goal she had not yet succeeded in was starting to become visible.

And it was all thanks to the scientist who had fallen from Earth.

The knowledge he held from Earth. The technology that had evolved in an entirely different direction had finally opened up a path that had been blocked until now.

‘Until then, I can’t afford to let him go.’

Until she reached her goal.

Regalia vowed that she would never let the scientist escape, no matter what happened.

No matter what.

*

Even though I set up a store just to pass the time, going there every day was still a chore. Especially on days like today when I really didn’t want to move.

I decided to declare a personal holiday and didn’t open the shop, instead lazing around in the lab. When I skipped my shop duties, lounging in the lab was my daily routine.

While I was taking a break reading a re

“Come in—.”

After receiving permission, the nurse entered, tidying up the messy room and the clothes Vira had thrown around, and then proceeded to massage her body. As the nurse kneaded her limbs to check for discomfort, she pulled out a pill and offered it to her.

“What’s that?”

“It’s something Mr. Scientist asked me to give you. He said to take it before you sleep.”

“Mmm—? Okay.”

Not knowing what kind of medicine it was, Vira tilted her head but swallowed the pill before heading to the bathroom. After finishing her bath with the nurse’s help, she lay down in bed to sleep.

As she leaned back against the soft pillow, she wondered if living this way had any value. Each day was a hell. She was merely a corpse that could not die.

“Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year… I’ll continue living like this as a caterpillar forever…”

As thoughts clouded her mind, she drifted off into slumber, weighed down by darkness that even entered her nightmares.

*

“Grrr…”

For the first time in a long while, she had a dream and felt paralyzed. Every part of her body tingled, yet she couldn’t move a millimeter.

Finally freed from the suffocating paralysis, Vira stretched and, still half-asleep, stepped down from the bed. With only one leg, she was prone to falling, so she had to focus hard to stand…!

Thud—.

“…Huh?”

Vira, who had stepped down from the bed onto two feet, reached out with her right arm to fumble with her left leg, feeling that something was off. There was a leg there. The leg she had lost years ago.

Thud, thud— As she felt the leg with both hands, Vira realized not only had her left foot returned, but her right arm had as well.

“A-Ah…”

At a loss for words facing this unbelievable reality, Vira cautiously looked into the mirror. There stood the perfectly normal version of herself, the one she thought she would never see again.

No grotesque burn scars, no mutilated, misshapen limbs.

Just her former self.

“A-Ahaha— This isn’t a dream… right?”

Cautiously pinching her cheek, she felt a prickling pain, realizing this was not a dream. An unbelievable reality lay before her.

“It’s… not a dream…”

For some reason.

Her vision blurred.

Tears filled her eyes.

Vira discovered she was far more of a crybaby than she had realized. Even back when she lost her limbs, she hadn’t cried like this.

Perhaps the tears she couldn’t shed back then were now flowing freely.

She simply.

Kept crying.