Black Badger

“Then I’m the first one?”

Ami asked.

I nodded silently.

A smile spread across her face—the kind of smile she made after eating something satisfying. Her eyes curved like drawn lines forming a gentle mountain, and her lips lifted until they hooked near her cheekbones.

Yun let out a dry laugh.

“Does it make you that happy?”

“Yeah.”

Ami nodded.

That wasn’t the point of what I’d said.

What I wanted to say was that she should be careful. I wasn’t sure if Ricardo had understood my intention properly.

I looked at him but couldn’t read his thoughts.

He wore a sly expression, and the others didn’t seem to take my concern very seriously either.

The senior with green eyes gave me a crooked grin and said,

“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a warning like that since my days in Italy~... Well, it’s not hard, I’ll try to watch my back at night~.”

Please take it seriously.

He probably didn’t believe my theory completely anyway.

Still, the practical and busy ones didn’t stay long in the hospital room. They’d already spent plenty of time waiting for us.

“Commander.”

As everyone prepared to leave, I carefully spoke up.

“I have something I’d like to tell you. Do you have a moment?”

Yehyeon’s eyes widened.

I met that large gaze, unsettled.

Seeing my expression, Yehyeon answered immediately.

“Of course. What is it?”

We decided to talk on the way back to the cabin.

It was Yun’s suggestion. He said he would stay behind a little longer with Ami, so somehow, I ended up driving Yehyeon’s car.

After quickly registering for day insurance, we walked down to the underground parking lot.

Yehyeon squinted, studying me closely.

“What did Yun do to you?”

I gave an awkward smile as I got into the driver’s seat.

“I’ll explain everything, including that.”

The engine started.

There were almost no cars on the road at dawn. As soon as the Bentley entered the main street, it slipped smoothly into autonomous drive. Once I confirmed the setting, I let out a long breath.

Might as well say everything now.

Feeling the weight of his gaze, I forced my mouth open.

When I finished telling the story, Yehyeon stayed silent for a while.

Then he spoke in a voice full of disbelief.

“You buried the entire mansion?”

“Uh, yes...”

“And Yun threw a grenade, and you got hit by the shrapnel?”

“Yes. He blocked most of it, but still...”

But that wasn’t the point of what I wanted to say.

Why did everyone today seem to miss the point?

Was I explaining things wrong? I was still wondering when Yehyeon said,

“You think you’ve misunderstood what’s important.”

“Pardon? Ah... actually, yes.”

“It’s fine.”

Yehyeon looked out at the road ahead.

“You don’t need to feel guilty. You ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) already saw it—what can you do? It’s not like you went looking for it.”

His voice was quiet, heavy.

I bit my lip. I still didn’t know what I was supposed to say.

It wasn’t the first time I’d unwillingly glimpsed someone else’s past. Like with Kudo, I’d learned of others’ histories through a Creature’s power—or magic. Back then too, guilt and pity had shaken me.

But never like this.

Back then...

“I should’ve paid attention to Lee Seunghyun at least once.”

Asked if his child had been born safely.

If they were growing up well. If keeping him close like that wasn’t uncomfortable. Even as a formality, I should’ve said something. Just one question might have changed a lot.

At least the culprits wouldn’t have dared to abuse him.

I’d known the difference between a good soldier and a rotten one.

“You’re not feeling indebted, are you?”

His startled voice made me turn my head.

Under the streetlight’s pale glow, his face looked washed out.

“You don’t actually believe that if you’d spoken to your father, all this could’ve been stopped, do you?”

“It might have been.”

“He wouldn’t have answered honestly, no matter what you asked.”

His reply was firm.

“He’d have given some formal line like, ‘I’m raising him well.’” 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Probably.

And I would’ve accepted that polite lie and moved on.

But if I’d truly cared, things could have changed. That much I knew for certain.

Even the smallest bit of concern would’ve been enough. No one would’ve dared touch a child I was known to care about. People like that were uncanny at spotting those who had no one watching over them.

He must have read my thoughts.

“Then be a parent now.”

My foot almost slammed the brake.

I barely stopped myself, easing the pressure off the pedal.

I turned to him, eyes wide, and Yehyeon smiled faintly.

“Don’t want to?”

“No...”

“Then do it.”

His smile deepened.

He looked back out the window and murmured, almost to himself,

“You won’t be able to rest easy while your godson’s still here.”

I blinked.

I wasn’t sure what he meant.

The mood was entirely different, yet for some reason, I suddenly remembered the prince I had once served.

He had said something similar once—though it was so long ago, I couldn’t recall the details.

I didn’t respond. I simply stayed silent, watching Yehyeon as he nodded off, drowsing against the car window under the glow of the city night.

Regret hit me late.

After parking, I noticed a familiar bottle of medication in the console box—and the guilt doubled.

At the cabin, I buried my face in a beanbag and didn’t move for a long time.

***

When I woke, a package had arrived.

[Games. Sorry I couldn’t deliver them in person.]

So he still had a sense of decency.

Feeling oddly satisfied, I tore it open. The games were tightly packed.

K still hadn’t found the Easter egg.

I’d already scoured the game itself endlessly—maybe the hint lay outside the game. The year it was developed, the cartridge’s name, something like that. I’d have to check later.

I’d been so buried in one title that I’d stopped thinking outside the box.

Time to try something new.

I picked up one of the cartridges from the box.

From I.

Who was I?

I approached the TV to start playing.

My next mission outside the Core was scheduled for three days later.

It would be my first assignment with TF. They said we’d go past Zone B into Zone A—territory no Badger had ever reached.

Kyle and Sequoia’s words still echoed in my mind, but staying inside the Core wouldn’t make things any better.

I’d have to ask Yun to look into this “I” person for me.

As I thought that and sat down in front of the TV, my phone rang.

“Tom?”

[Hilde.]

His voice sounded strange.

[Are you home right now?]

I stared at the floor for a moment, listening closely.

He wasn’t alone. I could hear people’s voices—muffled chatter and conversations behind him.

[Literally asking his schedule? Just tell him to come out!]

Suppressing a sigh, I set the cartridge down on the table.

“I’m home. Sounds like someone’s calling for me?”

[If you’re busy, you can say no.]

“Isn’t it the seniors calling?”

I gave a faint laugh and looked for something to wear.

“I’m not busy. Where should I go?”

Tom’s voice on the other end sounded like he was swallowing a sigh. Even through the silence, I could sense his discomfort, which made me smile faintly.

He really was too soft-hearted for his own good.

[The gym in the old dorm building.]

Good choice—nice and secluded.

I’d been lucky with my seniors so far. Apart from Dawson, who Yun handled before it got bad, I hadn’t faced any trouble. Jason Trevain had made snide comments, but he never really cared.

This was the first time I’d had seniors so enthusiastic about hazing rookies.

Or... wait, could it be Dawson himself?

“Well, a place without people works for me too.”

Murmuring that to myself, I headed out of the cabin.

***

But would Hesh be there?

If he was, he’d have already grabbed someone by the collar.

Thinking that, I descended into the basement of the old dorm—and frowned at the sight waiting for me.

A damp, moldy gym. On the green floor stood four or five seniors I’d never met.

And in front of them, two of my fellow rookies stood side by side, being punished.

I swallowed the dry laugh that almost slipped out and quietly closed the door behind me.

The outside noise vanished.

After sealing off the gym from the corridor, I gave a bright, polite bow.

“Apologies for being late, seniors. I’m rookie Hildebert Taleb.”

“Why’re you greeting us like an idiot?”

Someone barked.

“Get over there and bow your damn head.”

Fine. Might as well play along.

I smiled and walked over beside my batchmates. They’d timed this perfectly—checking exactly when the three of us would be inside the Core.

Putting that much effort into bullying rookies, seriously.

I dropped down beside Tom and stretched out on the floor.

Tom murmured quietly, “Sorry.”

I nudged his arm with my elbow, telling him it was fine.

After years of military service, this kind of thing barely registered anymore. But if they dragged my batchmates into this just to get at me, then I’d be pissed.

“Hey, silver hair.”

Obviously directed at me.

“Yes, sir.”

“What’s his name?”

Ah, hell.

I didn’t know any of the seniors’ names.

They were all faces I’d never seen before. Of course, excuses wouldn’t help, so I answered politely.

“I’m sorry.”

SMACK!

My calves stung.

I quickly straightened my posture again, the dull pain spreading where I’d been struck.

Just like old times.

“And his name?”

“I’m sorry.”

SMACK!

I got hit as many times as there were people.

I saw Hesh clenching his fists. I lazily adjusted my stance, checking on my batchmates.

Both were swallowing their frustration.

How long should I let this go?

Honestly, this wasn’t that bad. I was almost surprised it wasn’t worse. Maybe I was just too desensitized—too used to old hierarchies.

Still, tolerable.

“Attention.”

“Attention.”

We stood up.

“Down.”

We repeated it dozens of times until the seniors finally lined us up.

We stood at ease, staring straight ahead.

The one in the middle jerked his chin toward me.

“What were you doing during the reclamation battle?”

“Fighting, sir.”

“Where?”

“I don’t remember the exact location.”

“Listen to that attitude.”

Someone sneered, joining in.

“You don’t even know where you were assigned? Did you even fight? No one remembers seeing you anywhere!”

“If you ask Senior Ami, Senior Ricardo, or Senior Carl Dow, they’ll tell you.”

I explained calmly.

Not that they’d believe it.

“And I was treated in the medical tent midway due to an injury. I apologize.”

A few seniors made strange noises—a mix of mockery and half-understanding.

One snickered.

“Right, forgot he’s half-witted.”

“Why’d they even accept a guy like this as an official Badger?”

“Yeah, everyone else bled for two days straight, and he was just sitting it out?”

The one in the middle stepped forward and tapped my cheek.

Go on, I thought silently. Hit me properly. Leave a mark.

If he did, the bruise would be useful evidence later.

Unfortunately, he didn’t slap me.

Instead, he grabbed my jaw and yanked me closer.

“Look at you, freak.”

Yes, my eyes were unusual.

“Your parents abandon you because of that?”

SMACK!

No!

Hesh punched the senior square in the face.