Black Badger

We gathered at the train station at 2 a.m.

It was the first time I saw Ye-hyeon in his combat uniform.

The lingering warmth of summer still hung in the air, so it wasn't too cold. The commander stood in the bluish darkness and scanned us as we assembled in front of the train.

"You've had a rough start this early. Go ahead and rest easy."

With that, he hopped onto the train first.

There wasn't even a chance to keep an eye on Sophia. Ye-hyeon got out of the car with Ami, exchanged greetings, and quietly slipped into the train.

It was his way of saying we'd worked hard getting here, so no need to worry—just sleep.

So I followed him without any worries.

"Commander."

In the dining car, I spoke gloomily from behind him as he pulled out some cocoa.

Ye-hyeon turned his head, unsurprised.

He held out a cocoa stick to me despite my sullen expression.

"Want some?"

"I'm not questioning your leadership at all, but I keep wondering if this is really the wise choice."

It was especially so after getting a reply from Kudo, who was already on the front lines, saying "creatures are pretty visible."

Surprisingly, I'd become someone who exchanged messages with Kudo now. The senior, who had changed in an instant, stayed silent in the group chat with Ska and Ricardo, but he always replied to my messages.

That Ricardo found this change hilarious was secondary.

What mattered now was the content of those messages.

Ye-hyeon examined my gloomy face and chuckled softly.

"That's exactly what questioning leadership looks like."

"Think of it as advice from a coward."

"Thanks for worrying."

Even as he smiled faintly, Ye-hyeon didn't seem like he'd change his mind.

"Go rest up quick. Can't have your rhythm thrown off."

"Yes."

It wasn't going to work.

Realizing my persuasion had failed, I turned away with a bitter taste.

Ye-hyeon, wearing a faint smile, called my name as I turned.

"Your birthday was last time, right?"

I had to think for a moment.

I belatedly remembered that my administrative birthday was August 20th.

"Sorry I couldn't celebrate it. Did you remember your real birthday by any chance?"

"No. I never had a way to know my exact birthdate, so I've never celebrated a birthday before."

"Then let's make it August 20th. It's late, but is there anything you need or want?"

His unexpected words left me standing there quietly.

I had no intention of refusing. In fact, if my heart led me, I wanted to ask him to reconsider sending me to the front lines during the reclamation battle. But that request had already been denied. Asking twice would truly question his leadership.

So I made a different decision.

"After the reclamation battle ends, please tell me why Jae-yeon hates you so much."

Ye-hyeon's eyes widened round.

"If it's something I can hear."

The commander was silent for a long while.

As I waited for his answer, the train started moving. Just like the day I first left the core, the engine revved, and the train slowly pulled forward.

The engine sound echoed in the quiet space.

Ye-hyeon spoke softly.

"Yeah."

His tone was inscrutable.

"It's something you'll have to know someday anyway."

My eyes widened at the unexpected response. But I didn't ask more. I didn't want to disturb that weary man's rest, and I knew asking now wouldn't mean anything.

I decided to just sleep a bit and focus on the reality in front of me when I woke up.

I bowed my head in greeting and headed to an empty train car.

*

A knock on the door woke me from sleep.

Rubbing my messy hair, I pushed the door open to find Ricardo and Ami there.

"Not eating breakfast~?"

"I am."

I tidied my bird's nest hair and stepped into the corridor.

"Where's everyone else?"

"The commander's working, and Kal took Sophia out."

Ami looked up at me with her round eyes and made space for me.

She walked three steps ahead, spinning around with a grin, more eager than I was.

"They're cohorts, after all."

As expected.

The day had brightened now. Early morning light poured through the windows and bathed the dining car in white. Platinum squares danced on the plastic table. The aroma of fresh coffee beans filled the air.

It was a peaceful scene, hard to believe it was the day before the reclamation battle.

"Have you played K or whatever~?"

As I melted into the cozy atmosphere and bit into a double-stacked toast, the senior across from me asked.

I chewed the butter-soaked toast and blinked.

I hadn't expected him to remember this.

"Yes."

Three times.

"I haven't found the Easter Egg yet, but it's a good game."

"What's it about-...?"

Ricardo asked as he sipped his espresso.

Ami, munching on colorful cereal, listened quietly to our conversation.

I checked that we had an hour until our destination and gulped down some milk.

"It's a roguelike game—pretty challenging and not boring. That's why it's rated as the most fun in terms of gameplay among the five From series."

"What's a roguelike...?"

"It's a game where if your character dies, you start over from the beginning."

But that was probably not what he was curious about.

I smirked at my listless senior.

"The emperor is the final boss. You clear stages step by step, kill him, and that's game clear."

Ami stretched her hand out toward me without looking away.

I placed the strawberry jam jar in her hand.

Kal and Sophia weren't visible. Judging by the coffee smell, they'd probably finished breakfast before we arrived. I figured I'd see their faces only after reaching the battlefield.

"Was the emperor someone you knew~?"

"Ah, yes. It was the emperor I served."

I replied casually as I spread peanut butter on my third toast.

Then, sensing a piercing gaze, I looked up.

Ami stared at me blankly, holding her folded toast. Ricardo narrowed his eyes and set down his espresso cup.

"You served Emperor Hilde?"

Ami's voice was dazed.

"There was an emperor?"

"Yes."

I couldn't tell what had surprised them.

"There was an emperor and princes. A world with mages and priests too."

"Whoa."

"Did you kill the emperor?"

Ricardo asked an absurd question.

I barely suppressed a laugh. It wasn't surprising he'd misunderstand. In the last game, I was the protagonist, after all.

But in this game, the protagonist was a skeleton.

I slowly shook my head.

"I'm not the game protagonist. The emperor I knew appears, someone I served, but nothing else felt familiar. I need to play more. I haven't collected all the elements yet."

"The fact it hasn't been revealed yet means, like before, only you know the answer to unlock the Easter Egg...?"

Ricardo made a reasonable point.

I nodded quietly, lost in thought. Who was K? Kyle hated the emperor. But he never touched games. He wouldn't even know what quests or stats were until the end.

He still wouldn't.

So someone else. Not human—one of my kin made the game. Because I'd never told humans about the late emperor.

I'd mentioned his existence, but never his appearance or speech.

He wasn't someone I particularly wanted to talk about.

"Before blindly inputting answers, at least make a call~...."

The soft words pulled me back to reality.

"Since I showed you E's letter, don't you qualify to see letters from the other series~?"

I blinked.

In the swaying train car, I looked at the two across from me.

The man twiddled his long fingers, hooked on the empty espresso saucer. He had his eyes narrowed, waiting for a reply.

I read the intent behind his words.

This senior was worried I'd solve the Easter Egg alone and have a meltdown.

I tamped down my spreading smile appropriately.

"Yes."

If he realized I'd seen through him, he'd get annoyed, so I added casually.

"Since you called me last time, this time I'll call you."

"But Hilde."

Ami, pouring espresso over vanilla ice cream, called me.

"What was Hilde?"

"Yes?"

She was eating well.

"What do you mean?"

"Back then, what was Hilde's job?"

"Ah."

She'd been thinking about the mages and priests.

It was so like Ami. I smiled gently.

"Knight Commander."

A dollop of vanilla ice cream dropped from the spoon scooping affogato.

Ricardo's motion to pull a cigarette from his inner pocket paused for a moment. I didn't quite understand their reactions.

But instead of asking, I just wiped the spilled ice cream from the table with a napkin, thinking the weather was nice.

*

The train stopped.

Ye-hyeon got off first.

"Commander!"

The people gathered around the train shouted in unison.

"Loyalty!"

"Loyalty."

They were soldiers.

Ye-hyeon received their crisp salutes. My expectation of silence shattered instantly.

We had to stand in front of the train for a while, waiting for Ye-hyeon to finish. People kept rushing up from all sides with endless reports.

Normally, I'd have curiously observed the various ranks.

But my attention was completely stolen by something else.

The fortress.

Gray walls encircling the devastated city stretched out. Starting from where my eyes could reach, the walls extended endlessly into the distance. They were clearly built to protect the core devices during the reclamation battle. I'd heard the massive defensive fortress outlined the boundaries of the area to be reclaimed.

I wondered when they had built this.

Lost in thought as I stared, Kal spoke from behind me in a low voice.

"It's built with 3D printers."

Really?

"Usually, you man those walls to prepare for sieges."

Ah.

Siege. Not a welcome word. Though there were countless less welcome ones.

I dazedly gazed at the gray structure, then turned my eyes inside the fortress.

The numerous weapons placed behind it caught my eye.

Especially the fighter jets.

"Want me to take you up later?"

As I stared blankly at the fighter jets lined up in the vast wasteland behind the fortress, Ami asked.

I widened my eyes and looked down at my senior.

"Is that possible?"

"Not these models. They're all unmanned aerial vehicles."

The round-eyed senior explained as she checked her boots and gloves.

"They scramble the moment the core opens. It'll be super loud later, so brace yourself. If you want to ride, I'll take you up in something else next time."

"Oh, yes. Looking forward to it."

"The squad leader says to head to the containers~?"

Ricardo approached and said.

"Go loosen up and rest...."

Containers—what now?

They were container accommodations. Opening the huge container door revealed rough bunks. At the head of each bunk was a locker. A rumpled blanket was stuffed into the locker.

Not far away were container bathrooms and showers. Water tanks.

Barracks with conference tables and chairs.

Cooking appliances like burners and camping chairs....

"Like modern camping."

"Is there a thing called modern camping?"

As I muttered while staring blankly at our area's setups, Kal retorted as he passed by my side.

"Don't space out—go stretch."

It wasn't until lunchtime that Ye-hyeon gathered us in the barracks.

The badgers seated at the table inside the barracks watched wordlessly as Ye-hyeon closed the tent flap. He was even more battle-ready than before. His nape-covering hair was tied in a ponytail, and on his back was something wrapped tightly in cloth.

And in both ears, gleaming silver shape-shifting weapons.

The commander walked to the head seat, apologizing for making us wait so long.

The people stared at him silently.

Sophia, at the end of the table, sent a gaze mixed with burning hatred, but it seemed not to reach Ye-hyeon. Or perhaps he was used to such looks by now.

In any case, he stood at the head with his usual face.

After greetings for the hard journey, he reconfirmed the reclamation battle time.

Then, suddenly, he looked at me.

"First, Hilde."

I'd been on edge sensing the approaching creatures' presence, so I looked up immediately.

"Yes."

"Before we start everything, I want to give you this first."

He suddenly set down what he'd been carrying crossbody.

Wrapped in cloth.

The shape gave me a sense of familiarity for a moment, but I scolded myself not to indulge in foolish sentiments and quickly pushed it from my mind. So I'd been trying not to look at it on purpose.

Trying to ignore it....

Ye-hyeon held out the item bundled in black cloth to me.

"This should fit your hand best."

"Ye-hyeon."

I was so flustered, I forgot to use honorifics with him like a child.

"I'm still not ready for this...."

Ye-hyeon looked at me with a sad smile.

He held out my sword.

He gripped in his hand the sword I'd passed to him.