Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain-Chapter 64: The Expedition Start

— Morning —

Unbeknownst to the trouble he had caused for Strauss, Maximilian, wearing the Glasses of Ordinarity, had arrived at the Rust Gate bar in The Fringe.

Dressed in a long black coat, black pants, leather shoes, and a white shirt, Maximilian looked more like a mild-mannered salaryman, or perhaps a doctor who couldn’t even kill a mosquito, thanks to the effects of the Glasses of Ordinarity.

The moment he walked into the bar unescorted, several thugs immediately took notice. A few stood up and began approaching, clearly thinking he was an easy target.

"Leave him alone, you dipshits. He’s my client," a familiar voice called out, halting the thugs in their tracks.

They turned to see a woman with a ponytail, a black metallic military-grade prosthetic right arm, and two gun holsters at her sides. The faint red glow of her cybernetic eye shining behind her bangs made them involuntarily shudder and retreat.

"Ah, Ms. Switch, thank you for your help," Maximilian greeted her with a smile.

Switch made a complicated face as she looked him over like he was a harmless sheep, then sighed heavily.

"Haaa~"

"What’s wrong, Ms. Switch?" he asked with his usual polite smile.

Switch looked at his face again, feeling a bit worn down by Maximilian’s obliviousness.

"Hey... Mr. Client, next time try carrying some heat, okay? People around here aren’t exactly friendly to unarmed sheep like you," she said with a tired sigh.

"Thank you, Ms. Switch. I’ll keep that in mind," Maximilian replied with the same gentle smile.

Switch’s lip curled into an awkward expression before she turned around. "Follow me. Everyone’s waiting."

She led Maximilian into a room on the first floor, designed as a special prep space for expedition teams. It looked more like a large garage than a meeting room, complete with an armored vehicle stocked for a short expedition trip.

"Hey! The client’s here. Stop what you’re doing," Switch called out to the crew, who were busy checking equipment and supplies.

Once everyone turned to face him, Switch gestured toward Maximilian for introduction.

"This is our client this time: Max Sterling Graham." She turned to him. "Do you have anything to say to the team?"

Before Maximilian could respond, a voice cut in.

"You!" Dragon Fist pointed at Maximilian and marched forward. Switch immediately tensed, her hand drifting toward her holster.

"What is your relationship with Maximilian Sterling Graham?" Dragon Fist demanded, eyes sharp.

Maximilian recognized the guy. He was the first one Maximilian had beaten up just a few days after transmigrating into this world.

"Oh... he’s my brother," Maximilian answered.

"Where is he now?" Dragon Fist pressed.

"That... I’d like to know that too," Maximilian replied, faking concern.

"Don’t you dare play with me!" Dragon Fist growled as he grabbed Maximilian by the collar. "He’s your brother! Don’t you know where he is!?"

"Oi!" Switch shouted, aiming her gun at Dragon Fist’s head. "One more move and I’ll put you out of your misery before your rabies spreads."

Dragon Fist looked at Switch, then released Maximilian with a shove and backed away, returning to the group, though he continued to glare at Maximilian.

"Now, do you want to say something?" Switch asked.

This was both a formality and a confirmation, clients often had last-minute thoughts or changes in mind. Better they speak now than make requests in the field that could derail the plan.

Expeditions were no joke. Timing and terrain had to be considered carefully. For instance, if they lingered beyond their planned window because a client wanted to scavenge something off-contract, they might miss their scheduled retreat time.

If that happened and rain began to fall, rising waters could attract aquatic Leviathans to roam closer to shore. That would increase the danger significantly, so much so that whatever payment was agreed upon likely wouldn’t be worth the risk.

Maximilian nodded, then turned to the expedition team.

"For this expedition, I’ll be relying on all of you. If there’s anything I can assist with, please don’t hesitate to ask," he said with a polite smile, fully reverting to his former salaryman self from his previous life on Earth.

"There is," Doc called out, raising a hand. "Can you increase the payment on the contract?" he asked with a chuckle, earning an approving smirk from Radio, who looked at Maximilian like he was a fat sheep.

Seeing this, Switch’s eyes narrowed, while Honiahaka, the expedition leader, shook his head.

Maximilian didn’t reply, but his eyes briefly sharpened. If not for the enchantment on the Glasses of Ordinarity, the others might have noticed a brief sudden change in his demeanor.

And if not for the need to complete this system quest to establish his second persona, he might’ve excused himself to the restroom, taken off the glasses, returned as Maximilian, and beat the crap out of them.

Sigh~

Honiahaka approached and extended his hand.

"I’m Honiahaka, the expedition leader," he said with a friendly tone. "As you can see, I’m a Wildwalker. For this mission, I’ll be serving as the main scout. Mr. Graham, you only need to stay safely inside the APC we’ve rented. That’s all we require from you."

"Oh! Thank you very much, Mr. Honiahaka," Maximilian said, shaking his hand.

Afterward, Maximilian entered the APC and took the passenger seat. Switch sat at the turret and monitoring console, while Radio positioned herself near the communications console.

Doc was the driver, with Honiahaka seated beside him. Dragon Fist took the rear passenger seat behind Honiahaka, to keep him from causing any more trouble for their client.

The APC rolled through the busy streets of The Fringe toward the fortress zone, where UEC military forces were permanently stationed to defend the city from external threats.

Inside, Maximilian curiously examined the monitors projecting the outside view. The APC had no windows for protection, but was instead equipped with numerous cameras feeding live footage to the console screens.

Noticing Maimilian interest, Switch subtly adjusted her seat to give him a better view. Maximilian noticed the gesture and gave her a slight nod of appreciation.

"What’s wrong, Switch? I’ve never seen you spoil any client before," Radio said with a mischievous tone. Her voice, filtered through her mask, carried a teasing hint. "Or... could it be that bald bartender’s nonsense is true? You’ve fallen for him?"

Switch shot Radio a glare that screamed, What the hell are you blabbering about?

"No? It’s not?" Radio continued to tease, then turned to Maximilian, who was still focused on the monitor view. "Too bad, Mr. Client. She’s not interested."

Maximilian, of course, heard her. But he kept his eyes on the monitor, pretending he hadn’t.

[Oh? Pretending not to hear? That’s fine. But I bet ten bucks she’s into you. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this mindful. (´～｀)] Aetherna chimed in.

Maximilian could only sigh internally. He still didn’t understand why Aetherna had issued this quest. Weren’t girlfriends supposed to get jealous if their boyfriend showed interest in other women?

"Shut up, Radio, before I put a bullet in your ass," Switch snapped, glancing at Maximilian, relieved he seemed oblivious to the conversation.

The APC continued through the fortress zone, passing multiple checkpoints and inspections by UEC soldiers, until they reached the city’s massive outer gate.

They queued for the scheduled opening.

This was standard security protocol. Scheduled gate openings ensured no surprises, as the military always sent out sweep teams beforehand to ensure no mutant beasts or raiders were lurking near the city.

Eventually, the gate opened. A long line of vehicles, whether it’s UEC patrols, merchant caravans, and other hunter expedition’s teams, rolled out in an orderly manner. Within minutes, it was Maximilian’s team’s turn.

The APC passed through the colossal 50-meter gate built into the more-than-80-meter-high wall. A bridge spanned the moat, leading out into the Wildland... the vast, dangerous world beyond the city, where mutated beasts, mutants, and countless other threats awaited.

Not far from the bridge, there was a small outpost situated just outside the city. This outpost served as the entrance to the SCS Highway, which directly connected to two major destinations frequently traveled by many.

One was the Pacifica city-state on the West Coast; the other was the Triune city-state in the South, which acted as a major trading hub between Arkadia, Pacifica, and the city-states located in what was once Mexico.

The APC continued driving along the old road toward the ruins of old Manhattan, where their expedition site was located.

By this time, Maximilian had stopped watching the monitors and closed his eyes in silence, appearing to be asleep. His seemingly relaxed state earned a scoff from both Dragon Fist and Radio, who assumed he was just another soft-bodied client with no nerve for harsh situations.

But that was fine... because the 20-kilometer radius surrounding the city was considered relatively safe due to frequent patrols and the UEC military’s periodic sweep squads, which regularly cleared out any dangerous elements.

Unbeknownst to them, Maximilian wasn’t sleeping at all. He was fully focused on his system. In his mind, he was currently viewing a 3D map that displayed the area within a one-kilometer radius around him in vivid detail.