Black Badger

I felt Yoow’s whole body tense up.

Holding him tight against me, I curled my body and spoke.

Thud!

“Ugh.”

Just as planned, we crashed into Kairos’s arm and rolled across the floor together.

Since I had the transparent wire wrapped several times around one hand, anchored to the fourth-floor railing, the impact wasn’t severe.

Operation successful.

Satisfied, I cut the wire, and people gasped.

“Kyaaa!”

“A person fell!”

“Call an ambulance!”

“Ah, it’s fine.”

Kairos, under me, waved his hand frantically.

“I caught him!”

“I’m fine as well.”

Not wanting to lose to him, I smiled faintly and waved my hand too.

“He was really drunk. But we caught him safely!”

Guests stared at us in shock.

Some of them quickly assessed the situation and let out sighs of relief. On one side, event staff were running toward us in panic.

Now, if we naturally carry Yoow out following their guidance, the plan ends.

Simple, efficient, and perfect. The carrot plan.

Yoow, held in my grip, ground his teeth.

Can’t let him run.

Kairos, angling his hand so the spectators couldn’t see, reached out and grabbed the struggling tactician firmly. I pretended to help hold him while striking the back of Yoow’s neck.

Thud.

Nice impact.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

Kairos answered politely to the security staff’s questions.

“As you can see, we’re completely fine. We’ll take this inebriated gentleman to the hospital ourselves.”

While he explained, I was looking toward the audience seats.

People under the terrace were covering their mouths. The lights were off on the audience side, so it wasn’t an environment where you could clearly see their faces.

Even so, I saw Yehyeon’s face as if summoned by instinct.

Yehyeon was half-risen from his seat, looking stunned.

He looked paler than before. Bright enough to shine alone in the darkness.

I gave the child a small apologetic smile.

‘I’m okay.’

I mouthed it silently.

‘I’m ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ not hurt.’

It didn’t change the expression on Yehyeon’s face.

The child opened and closed his mouth. He looked like he was barely suppressing the urge to run out here.

We needed to get out quickly.

I abruptly stood, hoisted the unconscious Yoow over my back, and ran toward the Glasshouse exit.

Kairos followed.

The event staff scrambled after us in a flock.

“We’ll call an ambulance!”

“Ah, it’s all right. We’re completely fine. We’ll take him to a hospital ourselves.”

“Sorry for interrupting the performance!”

Afraid they’d talk to us again, we hurried out.

The sharp night wind. We headed straight to the hotel next door. Igor was waiting in front of the hotel lobby.

He opened the door and nodded.

We rushed into the hotel room and closed the door.

Yoow woke up quickly.

“Hello.”

Sitting on the bed, I looked at the tactician as his eyes opened and smiled.

“We finally meet.”

Clink!

“Don’t bother thrashing around. Even if you break the handcuffs, you won’t escape Kairos and Igor.”

Igor and Kairos were pinning one of Yoow’s legs each.

They silently stared down at the struggling tactician without speaking or moving. It wasn’t their turn to intervene.

I smiled at Yoow’s hateful glare.

“Shall we talk now?”

“I’ve got nothing to say to a bastard who comfortably forgot everything and joined a group that kills his own kind.”

A harsh, rasping voice came out.

Igor snorted. He still didn’t open his mouth or move.

Since I had my head lowered, Yoow’s face was covered in shadow.

“I’m sorry for forgetting everything. You suffered for a long time.”

Spit.

“This son of a....”

“Enough.”

I stopped Igor.

Kairos pulled out a tissue and held it out. I wiped off the spit and threw the tissue into the trash. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Maybe it was hard for him to spit twice; Yoow cursed instead.

“Selfish bastard. While our people wandered and died, where the hell were you?”

“Sorry. I was too late. Thank you for looking after our people all this time.”

“Instead of mourning those who suffered and perished, you join the Badgers?”

Yoow lifted his chin and screamed.

“Some couldn’t adapt anywhere and died! And you—how is it fair that you lose your memories and live happily?”

“Yes. I made you wait far too long.”

“And if that’s not enough, you take the enemy’s son as your own?”

Hm?

“There’s a limit to how spineless you can be!”

“You mean Yehyeon?”

The softness drained from my voice as I asked again.

“Why is he an enemy?”

Bloodshot eyes flared in Yoow’s face.

He tried to swing at me while spewing curses, but Kairos and Igor subdued the thrashing man without a word.

“Rei!”

Ah.

“Rei’s blood is on that human’s hands!”

“What are you talking about.”

I exhaled a cold reply, frowning.

“Say something that makes sense.”

“How can you accept him as your foster son? Have you forgotten all the years with Rei? All the battlefields? All the moments you fought back-to-back with him?”

“I killed Rei.”

“That man is called a hero of the chaotic age! You can’t not know why. You must have seen that famous footage!”

“Yoow!”

I couldn’t hold back and raised my voice.

“Yehyeon only followed the orders he was given. I’m the one who pushed him into that position.”

“He’s the one drenched in Rei’s blood.”

“No. The blood is on my hands.”

I muttered low.

“I gave the order and put the sword in his hand. Stop aiming your anger at the wrong target.”

The tactician stared at me.

His black hair, tied in one, had come undone. Deep dark circles shaded the hollows beneath his eyes. I looked into the eyes filled with hatred, blame, and grief.

Trying to grasp the ungraspable emotion, I spoke.

“Erase Yehyeon from your mind. If Rei’s death haunts you, blame me.”

“I can’t do that.”

Suddenly Yoow let out a bitter laugh.

“I can’t forgive that human.”

Boom!

A vein popped in my forehead.

But just as I was about to genuinely get angry, a loud blast sounded from outside the window.

It came from the Glasshouse.

“What?”

“That was from the Glasshouse.”

As I jumped to my feet, Igor lifted the curtain and reported dryly,

“Something exploded inside.”

I asked no further.

I immediately threw open the hotel door and ran. I didn’t look back.

My kin didn’t panic or freeze. Instead, they shouted that they would take care of Yoow so I could run to the Glasshouse.

Thanks for saying what I wanted to hear.

There was no time to wait for the elevator.

I leapt down the stairs five steps at a time, burst into the lobby, ignored the cries of startled people, and ran out of the hotel.

The night street opened before me.

My view cleared, and I saw people pouring out of the Glasshouse.

They were running, pale, looking like they might collapse.

My heart dropped.

“Yehyeon!”

Shoving through the stream of people spilling out like a kicked beehive, I pushed into the building.

“Yehyeon!”

A sharp scent of blood hit me.

The smell of gunpowder. People fleeing. Guards protecting them. The lights illuminated faces full of terror. The chandelier that once shined brightly was half-shattered, and the sound of shoes crunching on glass shards rang in my ears.

I heard no gunshots.

“Please evacuate outside!”

Hotel security guided the panicked crowd toward the exit.

“Everyone! Please evacuate through the front entrance!”

[Honored guests, there are glass shards on the floor, so please keep your shoes on as you evacuate.]

Announcements echoed.

People’s sobs, screams, the noise struck my eardrums.

I ignored everything and ran toward the tree.

The blood scent thickened.

No.

I screamed inside.

Then I stopped in front of a pool of blood. Scarlet liquid had gathered near the conifer tree. There were almost no people nearby—everyone had long since fled. Overturned chairs, tables, and glass shards littered the floor.

And two men on the ground.

Yehyeon and Seunghyun.

Yehyeon was out of his mind.

His pale hands trembled uncontrollably. With those endlessly shaking hands, he tried to support Seunghyun. Kneeling right in front of him, Lee Seunghyun was gripping his wound, gasping for breath.

Ah.

Without hesitation, I ran to Seunghyun.

“Where is he hit?”

Supporting him, I asked Yehyeon.

Yehyeon couldn’t answer.

He only held Seunghyun tightly with trembling hands.

“Yehyeon.”

I gripped the child’s shoulders.

“Yehyeon!”

“It’s fine.”

The moment Yehyeon blankly lifted his head to look at me, Seunghyun replied curtly.

“One shot between the right clavicles, two in the right shoulder.”

I asked no further.

I moved fast. After calling an ambulance, I pulled the blood-injector from Seunghyun’s waistband and injected it into him. Then I shouted to the distant guards to bring hemostatic gauze, and with a syringe containing hemostatic sponge, I plugged the wounds in his shoulder.

Thankfully, help arrived quickly. After temporary hemorrhage control, I laid Seunghyun down and sent him by ambulance to the Black Badger HQ hospital.

Only after finishing everything did I turn to Yehyeon.

He was still sitting there in a daze, motionless.

White hands and cheeks covered in Seunghyun’s blood.

“Yehyeon.”

As I approached and knelt on one knee, Yehyeon flinched.

“It’s okay. Lee Seunghyun will be all right.”

“I....”

The child stammered weakly.

“I... didn’t mean....”

“That’s right. You didn’t do this. Yehyeon, this isn’t your fault. And he’ll be fine, so get a hold of yourself.”

“I just wanted to stop....”

Tears spilled from Yehyeon’s eyes.

He clearly couldn’t hear me. The switch had flipped. I had heard before that he once accidentally stabbed Seunghyun. That Seunghyun, preparing for an upcoming war, had pushed Yehyeon relentlessly, and cornered, Yehyeon stabbed his biological father in anger.

It had become one of his traumas.

That memory was repeating now.

Unable to move, he shed physiological tears one after another.

“I just asked for a little rest....”

Ah.

“I just... I just....”

His hiccuping voice dripped to the floor with his tears.

“Because I wanted to stop....”

Instead of saying anything, I pulled him into a tight embrace.

Then Yehyeon began to cry like a grieving child. He buried his face in my shoulder and sobbed with hiccups and coughs.

I tightened my arms around his trembling body and stood.

“I’m sorry.”

Holding that shaking body, I whispered,

“I’m sorry, Yehyeon.”

I should have looked after him when he was young.

If not, I should have prevented the war. Shouldn’t have put a sword in his hand or created a situation where he’d be driven into hell.

If I had, he wouldn’t have grown up abused. He wouldn’t have been dragged from university into brutal training. He wouldn’t have stabbed Seunghyun. He wouldn’t have had to learn the sword until his palms blistered. He wouldn’t have stabbed Rei and become an unwilling icon of an era, nor the target of warped resentment.

The child who remains stuck in my eyes, full of regret.

Yet despite it all, he grew beautifully. Now he cried silently, then leaned into my embrace.

I held the trembling body like a quaking leaf and whispered,

“I’m sorry.”

Perhaps hearing my murmur, Yehyeon held onto me for a long time.