Black Badger

Ye-hyeon ushered me into the house.

Carrying a bag full of apples, I climbed over the fence and entered the living room. The place was just as I remembered it. It had high ceilings and a refreshing scent.

A thin blanket lay on the ivory-colored sofa—the one Ye-hyeon had been using.

He gestured for me to sit in the rattan chair beside the sofa.

"Water or coffee? Both are in plastic bottles."

"I'll have water. Commander, let me get it."

My superior didn't respond. Instead, he shuffled across the living room.

He soon returned to the sofa, wobbling along with two bottles of mineral water gripped firmly in his hands, though his eyes were half-closed.

The kid was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

I snapped out of that irreverent thought.

I politely accepted the offered water.

"Thank you."

"Why'd you pick apples?"

Ye-hyeon plopped down on the sofa and twisted open his plastic bottle.

I briefly explained about the apple wine. Since I'd promised Samuel I'd make some, I mentioned picking the apples from the tree known as Newton's apple tree.

Ye-hyeon chuckled softly.

"Samuel's going to love that."

"I hope so."

"Did you brew it like that before too?"

Nodding at his tousled black hair, still rumpled from sleep, I replied.

"Yes. I'll brew some for you too, Commander. There were plenty of apples."

Ye-hyeon smiled faintly.

He mumbled a thanks and took a sip of water.

I watched him, waiting for the main topic to come up.

He must have had something to discuss—that was why he had invited me to sit here. If it had been just because he was glad to see me, given his personality, he wouldn't have spoken so casually.

"Hilde."

My superior set down his plastic bottle and turned toward me. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"If you're not busy, mind if we talk for a bit?"

"I'm not busy at all."

"I'll have to ask some uncomfortable questions too."

I smiled faintly.

Surprisingly, Ye-hyeon was the one I felt most at ease with when discussing my past. In front of him, I didn't need to hide anything.

"Ask away without holding back."

The drowsiness faded from Ye-hyeon's face.

The morning sunlight of approaching noon filtered through the large windows, bathing the living room. The place had always been so quiet. Stepping inside made one forget the busily passing flow of time.

The fresh scent filled the living room.

Ye-hyeon looked into my eyes with his large ones.

"The Titan I killed—it was recovering by absorbing the surrounding creatures. You can do that too, right?"

Whoa.

He started with a heavy question right off the bat.

I steadied my slightly shaken mind.

"Yes. But I hardly ever used that ability, and even now, I preferred not to unless I had to."

"I figured as much. What's the reason? Side effects?"

"There are some. As you know, if you push that ability too far, beyond limits and for too long, your body starts to break down."

"So, as long as you control it, there's no problem."

I nodded. He caught on quick, as expected.

And that meant he was thinking of using it...

"But why don't you want to use it?"

It was a question I'd been asked countless times.

Not just on Earth, but in the world I came from too. People had endlessly asked why the child of the World Tree wouldn't use its blessed trait. It was a tremendously powerful ability if used properly, yet I refused to touch it unless absolutely cornered.

I'd heard all sorts of stories. Was it sympathy for the absorbed lifeforms? Lack of confidence in controlling it? A desire to escape the Emperor's influence? And so on.

The truth was, none of them were right.

And every time I revealed the truth, I faced difficulties.

I couldn't hide it from Ye-hyeon, though.

He needed to know the details to place a piece named Hildebert in the right position.

My counterpart didn't rush me, so I quenched my parched throat with water.

No matter how many times I told this story, I still didn't know the best way to explain it.

Anyway, I tried.

"The place I was from wasn't very rational. It was a world where violence was everyday life, a class-based society. Like a medieval one with magic and bizarre things."

"Yeah."

"So..."

I hesitated before continuing.

"So, absurd things happened all the time. Especially in areas with little exchange with others—they were unbelievably backward, full of superstitions, and without any laws."

"That makes sense."

"Yes. Have you heard about the World Tree?"

"I heard about it from Yoon."

"Then no need for extra explanation. I arrived at the World Tree, lifted the curse on the Sacred Tree, and gained that ability, commonly called absorption... The problem was, I didn't even know about the ability when I ended up in one of those backward regions."

Ye-hyeon's brow furrowed slightly.

But he didn't interrupt. He just looked troubled and waited for the rest of the explanation.

He seemed to have guessed already, but I needed to say it straight.

With an awkward smile, I explained.

"I was young and exhausted... To cut to the chase, I got captured and went through a pretty unpleasant experience. It was a long time ago, but I still struggled with using the ability even now."

"Did they experiment on you or something?"

Ye-hyeon's voice was filled with distress.

I gave a wry smile but didn't respond.

The silence was affirmation, I supposed. Shock and worry mixed into his pale face. His lowered black eyes trembled faintly.

That was the usual reaction, which was why it was hard to bring it up...

But it was something I needed to tell Ye-hyeon eventually. Especially since he'd witnessed the danger of Ray using that ability with his own eyes. He'd want to know exactly how powerful it was when used, and the best ways to employ it.

To calm my shocked counterpart, I added.

"It's an old story. Unless I tried to use the ability, I didn't even think about it normally. And I did use it when I was on the brink of death to recover, or when the Emperor's orders came down. So, if you want me to use it, just give the order without worry."

"Some things don't get better just because time passes."

Ye-hyeon murmured in a distressed voice.

He looked at me with eyes like he was seeing a subordinate in the intensive care unit.

"Let's not use that ability if possible."

"But the ability itself isn't at fault. It's extremely powerful. As you know..."

"We can win without needing to use it."

My superior spoke in a thoughtful tone.

In fact, he fell silent for a while after that. I sat quietly in my seat until he broke the silence again, keeping my gaze on his gentle eye corners.

Maybe I should have softened it more.

The Emperor didn't even blink at stories like this. Kyle would just urge me to get over it quickly. Swordsmanship aside, how powerful was it? Don't be a fool clinging to the past and miss the chance to grow stronger.

Actually, not just them—most people reacted that way.

It was an era without concepts like trauma or mental wounds. I didn't even understand my own aversion, so I didn't blame them.

Of course, being stubborn, I chose to hone my swordsmanship instead of listening.

Lost in such thoughts, Ye-hyeon's voice pulled me back.

"We're doing the Territory Reclamation War soon."

I nodded.

"Yes."

"The moment the Center Core opens marks the start of the reclamation battle. Since part of the barrier is thrown open, our defenses drop sharply during the battle. We're building defensive walls along the boundaries of the reclamation zones, but they won't hold as firmly as the Core."

"I understand."

"You'll be taking the bait role, as you probably expected."

"Yes."

"Four kids who know your identity will stick by your side and carry out the mission with you."

This much I had anticipated.

The Territory Reclamation War, where everyone in the Core tensed up. Daily life halted during the battle. Commuting, school, street travel—all forbidden.

It was a semi-wartime state until the Core closed.

A massive operation mobilized not just Badgers but all military and police. They set up positions in the Core's open areas, preparing for the chance that the Badgers might be routed by Creatures.

Nearby hospitals were cleared out to receive the injured.

Unmanned combat vehicles, combat drones, and various missiles were on standby.

That was why, as the reclamation day approached, everyone suffered under heavy workloads. According to Ami, it was a deadly time for people from the Portal Corporation and A-Tac affiliates.

The reclamation happened on Closed Heaven Festival, the day the skies were sealed after the First War ended.

Did Kyle even know about this reclamation battle...

"And me too."

I nearly spilled the water I was about to drink.

"Yes?"

"I'll be with you too."

"Have you lost your mind?"

The retort slipped out reflexively.

Ye-hyeon blinked his large eyes.

The old me would have paled at my own words.

Not anymore.

"You should be in the safest spot possible—why say something like that?"

"Then our forces would be too weak."

Ye-hyeon replied.

If Yoon had said it, I'd have called it an unlucky remark. But coming from him, it just sounded like stating a fact.

Even so...

"You chose me as bait."

"Yeah."

"Then why attach yourself to my side? I'm not questioning your leadership or planning a mutiny. But normally, generals don't take bait roles—common sense."

I tried to be as polite as possible.

But I must have failed at controlling my expression.

Ye-hyeon looked at me and burst into clear laughter.

After laughing out loud for a while, my superior said with a smile.

"You're cursing me out in your head right now."

"Caught me? Yes, pretty much."

"Don't worry. I'll be under your protection and mostly just commanding. And if my life is truly in danger, I'll have an escape route prepared."

"You could command safely from a secure location to begin with."

"There's a high chance Kyle will come for you."

Ye-hyeon said without erasing his faint smile.

"If he starts rampaging like a Tier 10, everything falls apart."

True.

If the child of the World Tree began burning their body, it could repeat the horrors of the First War. That was how powerful it was. Even controlled, it was mighty—what would it be like unleashing everything?

But that was exactly why...

"Who would you leave it to? Yoon's assigned to new Core generation, so I can't attach him. Richard doesn't know Tier 10 traits well and excels too much as a leader, so he'll command some squads. William Walker is perfect for Core machinery defense. Jason Tvain? You think he can calmly face Kyle?"

"You're the Supreme Commander."

"For the Territory Reclamation War, even John Mullen, whom the Center Core cherishes, comes to the front lines."

Ye-hyeon replied without losing his subtle smile.

His voice was more businesslike than ever.

The image of him groggily greeting me had vanished completely.

"It's humanity's total war."

Even so...

No, that was why he should have commanded from a safe place until the end.

Unable to hide my dubious expression, Ye-hyeon let out a small laugh.

He examined my sullen seated form, then straightened his back.

"The Elder's retainers will protect me from the shadows too, so no need to worry that much."

Well, if that was the case...

"One thing I want to confirm: the absorption ability and handling Creatures are different, right?"

"Yes. Many people can handle Creatures. That ability is called summoning."

Ye-hyeon fell silent again for a while.

With his five fingers steepled, he lost himself in thought. I leaned back in the rattan chair.

Would Kyle show up on the day of the Territory Reclamation War?

And with him, others too? I recalled the faces of some I remembered. Those who'd glared at me with hatred when I pointed my sword at them.

Hecate and Ray...

"You were just a kid back then."

Ye-hyeon's murmur brought me back to reality.

And I was surprised to see him back in that state where he looked like a child I needed to look after.

He was watching me with lowered eye corners.

"How young?"

Ah.

I recalled the not-so-pleasant memory.

"Pretty young. Around twenty."

Ye-hyeon inhaled sharply.

I pulled my upper body away from the chair and looked into his pale face.

Placing my interlaced hands on my knee, I checked his complexion and said.

"After I turned over a hundred, I stopped counting years."

"...So?"

"It's a very old story, and normally, I'm really fine. No need to worry that much."

But Ye-hyeon didn't relax his face.

Now I fully understood why Ricardo said this man was too soft in private. I wished he'd inherited a bit of Kyle's or the Emperor's ruthlessness.

Even Lee Seung-hyun's ruthlessness would have been nice.

"I know wounds like that don't heal just with time."

Now he was using formal speech.

"I'm still struggling with something from seventy years ago. You think you're any different?"

"Seventy years ago?"

Did that mean when he was nine?

Yoon's story flashed through my mind.

The explanation about his caregiver being of poor quality.

Frowning, I leaned my upper body further toward Ye-hyeon.

"Were you abused? Did Lee Seung-hyun not know?"

Ye-hyeon widened his eyes at me.

But I didn't regret asking. If it was true, then Lee Seung-hyun, who treated Ye-hyeon this way, was even less forgivable.

Even if Ye-hyeon didn't answer properly, I'd say something to him later.

That crazy bastard couldn't even properly atone to his own child...

Thwack!

Ow!

I got a flick on the forehead.

"Take care of your own body."

An angry voice came back.

"I never look back at my own."

No.

Why was he suddenly so mad?

I sat there dumbfounded, rubbing my stinging forehead.

Until the man who'd been glaring at my abdomen suddenly jumped up from the sofa. Ye-hyeon, without softening his expression, strode toward the fridge, saying I needed to eat something.

Telling him I was plenty healthy now got ignored.

In the end, that day I returned to the cabin cradling a pile of apples and nutritional supplements.