This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 249

Of course, it’s a given, but there was no one who rejected the ‘Girl’s’ proposal.

There was no way they could.

The reason being that those who gathered, having accepted the girl’s invitation, were all notorious ‘Villains’ from the underworld, and naturally, each one had been tracked by the Association at least once.

And what those who had experienced that could deeply agree upon was the Association’s cruelty.

Thus, while they hated the Association, they also feared it.

The reason why even the somewhat more renowned villains and organizations didn’t run rampant was precisely because of that fear.

However, to have a perfectly safe refuge from such an Association?

That meant that if they were chased after cutting loose, they could simply move here to shake off their pursuers.

Of course… though it’s called a refuge, it wasn’t entirely safe.

Even so, it was still a hundred, a thousand times better than being chased by Heroes or agents dispatched by the Association.

Could it be because they all shared similar experiences?

It didn’t take long for those who received the ‘Girl’s’ proposal to calculate such things in their minds.

And among those who wrapped up their calculations early on, one took the lead, resulting in the alliance between the Another and the Villains.

Of course, the feeling of curiosity played a significant role in how quickly the alliance formed between the two groups.

The beings that used to devour humans excitedly looked for someone.

Who were they looking for?

And “why” were they looking?

Such curiosity occupied the minds of those who accepted the girl’s proposal, and some were already plotting to quietly slip away the human that the girl was searching for if the situation called for it.

It made perfect sense, given that the girl, who evidently looked like the head of the Another, was forming an alliance with humans, who were, in her view, nothing more than prey—there must surely be a good reason behind it.

Moreover, it seemed unlikely she didn’t have minions she could order around. The fact she was gathering so many people to solve something she could easily handle herself indicated that the monster wearing a human guise probably couldn’t escape this world.

So even if that monster truly found the human she was looking for, couldn’t she simply pretend she didn’t know and stay silent?

They could just act like they were looking for the human.

Half of those who accepted the girl’s proposal were thinking along those lines, and as a result, discussions between the two groups progressed at lightning speed.

And among those observing all this with trepidation were the spies planted by the Association.

An alliance between the Another and the Villains!

Honestly, just that alone was enough to flip the Association upside down.

But what if, as the girl proposed, the Villains started using this place as their hideout?

Wouldn’t everyone start running wild, as if disregarding the Association’s watchful eyes?

If that happened?

The breakdown of public order would occur in the blink of an eye.

There was no other way; the Association was currently pouring most of its resources into suppressing the recent surge of undetected Rift incidents and the sporadic emergence of minor Rifts that began shortly afterward.

And of course, that resource allocation included personnel involved in maintaining public order.

The reason people didn’t feel the resulting vacancies is simple.

Villains knew from past experiences that stepping forward would lead to even harsher consequences.

In simple terms, the fact that villain-like others kept a low profile out of fear of the Association helped maintain that precarious balance.

But what if the reason for the Villains to fear the Association disappeared?

They’d probably start rampaging as if trying to compensate for all those times they had to live in dread.

If such a situation became reality, just how many lives would be lost?

It was unthinkable.

So that had to be prevented.

Even if it meant that the plans they had been carrying out would come to naught.

And thanks to someone’s resolution, the fact that the Another and the Villains had formed an alliance was urgently communicated to the Association, and of course, upon receiving that news, every one of the Association’s upper management was thrown into chaos.

When that information first reached the Association?

Many were reluctant to believe it.

The reason was simple.

While they could accept that the Villains would turn against them, it was impossible for beings known as the Another, who were untouchable negotiators, to do so.

If Villains were enemies of the Association and normal humans, the Another were the natural enemies of humanity itself.

That was the common perception, and thus when the information first reached the Association, many did not take the contents seriously, interpreting them as some sort of code instead.

Ultimately, the same information reached the upper management not just once, but through numerous reports repeating similar content.

Naturally, the response from the upper management regarding the reports was far from positive.

Even as they were exhaustively deploying Heroes from various branches to suppress the sporadic minor Rift incidents, if the Villains began to rampage, gaps would inevitably form on either side.

And gaps meant human casualties.

Given that trust in the Association was already wavering due to the recent large-scale undetected Rift incident, if Villains began rampaging and casualties ensued?

The level of distrust would surpass mere wavering, possibly putting the hard-earned prestige of the Association itself at risk.

“This is maddening… We haven’t even fully recovered from the damages incurred during the last large-scale Rift incident yet…”

“Exactly. That’s why some branches pushed the qualification exams ahead by several months.”

“That’s right…”

“Well then… since it’s come to this, how about we hold the qualification exams once more? Let those who failed this year’s exam have another chance to take it.”

“What? Once more?”

“We have an absolute shortage of available personnel, so what can we do? We have to ace it somehow.”

At someone’s suggestion, those seated in the meeting room began to murmur.

Perhaps encouraged by the reactions of such people.

The one who initially shouted “Once more!” stood up as if waiting for this moment.

“To speak frankly, I believe the current system has many issues.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What I’m saying is that the standards the Association expects from Hero Candidates are too high.”

Some faces among those sitting grew stern at the words of the woman with dusky skin.

They were known as the fundamentalists within the Association.

“Of course, I understand why the Association raised the hurdles. They must be worried about potential casualties when Heroes are active.”

“Is someone who understands that making such remarks even eligible?”

“Knowing that is exactly why I want to speak out. Because of one principle: ‘No matter what, you mustn’t show defeat.’ We raised the hurdles and limited the chance to one per person, and what happened? We ended up in this predicament, didn’t we?”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

Many were in agreement with the woman’s words.

Even so, no one voiced their consent.

At the moment the woman’s face began to twist with growing frustration, someone who had been silently observing took action.

“Firstly, I have heard your insights, Branch Manager Raharti.”

It must have brought some joy to see someone within their ranks respond positively to her opinion.

The woman’s face, which had been gradually twisting, brightened as if it had never happened.

However, rather than her emotion blossoming completely, the continuation of her speech came out quicker.

“However… I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not an ideal solution for our current situation. As you know, overhauling a long-standing system isn’t an easy task, is it?”

“…”

“We are in a hurry right now.”

“…So what do you propose?”

It seemed she had been waiting for that response.

Despite the sharp retort, the blonde woman smiled, raising the corners of her lips.

“Did you perhaps see…?”

“…Please go on.”

“What I want to say is that, according to the intelligence that caused this meeting, there was quite an interesting piece of information at the end.”