Black Badger

Trevain called me to the area directly above the portal zone, where the lockers were lined up in long rows.

I entered the headquarters building at {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} a slow pace.

Even though the days were long and it was already late, it wasn’t very dark. The night sky, however, was unusually red. Tomorrow would be clear. Ever since I was young, I had liked red night skies that foretold good weather.

I passed people in suits, took the Badger-only elevator, and went down into the restricted area.

The control gate opened.

I walked down the corridor and entered the room the senior had called me to.

Seniors gathered in a spacious locker room.

[Warning.]

He went straight to the point.

[Humanoid Creature detected 1m ahead. Humanoid Creature detected 1m ahead.]

Bang!

I tilted my head and avoided the magazine that came flying at me.

I looked calmly at the one who had thrown it without hesitation. In the wide locker room were seniors who looked like they had just arrived at Center Core a few hours ago. The smell of ammunition, sand, blood, and sweat filled the vast space.

I recognized exactly two faces.

Jason Trevain and Chen Koenig.

The rest were either complete strangers or people I had only ever seen in passing. Surprisingly, all of them were men. Judging by the dirt and bits of flesh clinging to their combat uniforms, they seemed to have been mobilized for a brutal mission.

Were these the rescue team?

Trevain slowly rose from the long bench in front of the lockers.

“Explain yourself.”

He walked over at an unhurried pace.

The seniors leaning against lockers or sitting on the benches in front of them didn’t move, only watching me. Most of them wore no expression.

Trevain walked straight to the center of the room and grabbed me by the collar.

But he didn’t throw a punch.

“What the hell is this?”

“If I am to give an official answer, I am a humanoid creature that opposes humanoid creatures outside the Core, and the Commander-in-Chief is also aware of that fact.”

I replied evenly, without avoiding his gaze.

Bang!

My back stung.

It was because Trevain, still gripping my collar, had slammed me hard into the wall. Cold pain traveled up my spine.

I didn’t dodge. It didn’t look like he was about to throw a punch.

The senior bowed his head, steadying his breathing. His anger carried through the air.

If he swung his fist, I would dodge it, but he’s holding back surprisingly well.

The one who didn’t hold back was Chen.

“That fucking bastard!”

That wasn’t aimed at me. It was directed at Yehyeon.

“Not only does he not kill humanoid creatures, he takes one in as a Badger? And he even has him introduce himself with shameless lies? Has he completely lost his mind?!”

He practically jumped in place, seething.

“Fuck, I ran missions with a creature!”

Even so, he didn’t try to hit me. Probably because Trevain was still gripping my collar and hadn’t moved. The other seniors were the same. Jason Trevain hadn’t finished saying what he wanted to say to me, so none of them could rush in and start shouting.

If Trevain had punched me or told them to beat me up, would they all have piled on?

...Hm. Looking at them, probably not.

But a few definitely would have, and a few others were clearly forcing themselves to hold back. I observed the seniors, then turned my gaze back to Trevain.

Veins bulged along his right arm.

He growled.

“So it’s reversed, huh?”

“Pardon?”

I didn’t understand the near-whisper and asked back.

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t learn swordsmanship from Yehyeon.”

He glared at me with burning eyes.

“Yehyeon learned swordsmanship from you.”

Sharp.

In a way, it was only natural. He was the only person who had seen Yehyeon swing a sword with his own eyes. And this guy had a decent eye for things.

No point hiding it.

Standing there without expression, I nodded.

Crash!

The wall beside my face caved in.

Debris crumbled down with a clatter.

Trevain slammed me hard into the wall again, snarling.

“So it was a setup between you two?”

“No. I can’t judge how much I’m allowed to say, so I can’t tell you everything, but I did not directly teach Yehyeon swordsmanship.”

His grip on my collar was so tight that it choked my neck.

It didn’t seem like I was about to get punched. Because of what Sophia had said, I thought I absolutely shouldn’t get punched, but the distance was too close for a proper punching reach anyway.

“And more than anyone, I was desperate for victory.”

“Sword.”

With the hand that wasn’t gripping my collar, Trevain pressed hard against the hilt of my sword.

His face was right on the brink of losing all reason.

“I thought your sword was too similar.”

If another knight had done this, I would have punched him in the face immediately.

Touching my sword hilt without permission. As a swordsman, it was an unimaginable insult.

But right now, I wasn’t particularly angry.

Part of it was because he was someone far removed from swords, but there was a more fundamental reason.

If this man hadn’t been there at that time, would I have been angry...?

Trevain wrapped his hand around the sword hilt.

“Is this that sword?”

The senior asked as if he were about to draw it at any moment.

“The sword Yehyeon held.”

If you grip it like this, you can’t draw it all the way.

I placed my hand over Trevain’s hand gripping the hilt, then removed his hand from my sword.

“Yes.”

There was no point hiding this either.

“You need to step back a bit to draw it. If you draw at this distance, you’ll get cut.”

“Hey!”

Chen exploded.

“This bastard doesn’t know his place and is threatening us now?!”

“It’s not a threat—”

Wiiing—wiiing—wiiing—

[Assembly order. Standby units and available forces are to deploy to the portal zone.]

[Assembly order. Standby units and available forces are to deploy to the portal zone.]

“What the fuck?”

“Ah!”

“Again?”

The seniors lifted their heads, listening to the assembly order echoing through the building.

Deep fatigue settled over their faces.

Murmurs followed. Exhausted sighs. Standing among them, I grabbed Trevain’s wrist—the hand that had been gripping my collar.

Slowly pushing his tensed hand away, I spoke.

“I think I need to go.”

A vein bulged on Trevain’s forehead.

“I’m sorry, but the rest of this can wait until—”

Crash!

A hole appeared where my face had been.

I twisted aside and avoided it, so I wasn’t hit. But the fabric at my chest was grabbed. Trevain shoved me roughly toward the center of the locker room. I staggered backward, catching my balance as I nearly fell.

Trevain stood with his back to the door, panting heavily.

“You cowardly bastard.”

Veins stood out on his clenched fist as well.

“So you’re saying you didn’t even fight directly. You stayed back and let the humans do all the dirty work. Was that nice? Huh?”

“No, sir. I was fighting elsewhere, and the reason I handed over the sword was—”

“Where the hell do you get off talking back to me so neatly?!”

Trevain cut me off, veins standing out along his neck.

“Did I tell you to explain yourself to me?!”

“...I’m sorry.”

I answered calmly, then looked at the exit he was blocking.

I needed to get to the portal zone.

Nothing would change if I stayed here and absorbed his anger. He had no intention of listening to my explanation, and even if I gave one, he wasn’t the type to accept it.

Should I ignore him and go?

I took a step toward the exit.

“Senior.”

Trevain stepped toward me as well.

“I’m sorry, but the rest can wait until after the mission—”

“This bastard.”

He grabbed my clothes and dragged me toward the exit at a run.

“Trying to slip away, are you?!”

Crash!

We rolled together with the door.

If he’d just grabbed me and thrown me, I wouldn’t have rolled across the floor, but Trevain shoved me with his own body. The two of us tumbled out into the corridor along with the door.

Since I was caught between the door and Trevain, it hurt a bit.

I narrowed my eyes, holding back the urge to sigh.

Scattered hinges, a corridor stretching out ahead.

The senior’s ragged breathing.

What should I do.

Should I shove Trevain off and head to the portal zone? Or should I endure this for now and join the mission once he burned himself out?

As I was thinking, someone stopped near my head.

A shadow fell over both me and Trevain.

“What are you doing?”

A familiar voice spoke.

“Did you not hear the assembly order?”

Richard Green.

The steadfast war hero of the Black Badgers. Always rigid, endlessly strict. He looked down at us coldly, his gaze devoid of softness. His eyes held the same severity and firmness as ever—and a clear sense of exasperation directed at us.

Perfect timing.

I got to my feet.

“I’m sorry. I’ll head out immediately.”

“Where do you think you’re running off to, bastard?”

Trevain grabbed me and hauled himself up as well.

“You think I’ll let you run? A mission? Fuck, if you go, I’m going too!”

“Move. Quickly.”

Richard Green paid no attention whatsoever to our conflict.

Without asking why I was rolling around in the corridor with him, or why the door had come off its hinges, he strode straight toward the portal zone.

He moved away quickly, already in full combat gear.

As Richard nearly ran down the corridor, he suddenly shouted.

“Can’t you run?!”

Chen, who had come out into the corridor, hurriedly retreated back into the locker room.

Probably because he’d come out intending to expose my identity to Richard Green, then panicked at the thought of getting dragged into duty again. In any case, I was glad Green had appeared. I quickly apologized and ran down the corridor.

Ignoring Jason Trevain, who was running alongside me, spewing curses.

As Trevain ran, he muttered,

“I’m not done talking yet, so don’t think you’re going home after the mission.”

Yes, yes. Of course, sir.

***

We entered the portal zone.

Together with Richard Green and Jason Trevain, I stepped into the pale space. There were already people there. They turned their heads to look at us as we came in.

I flinched instinctively.

Ah.

Jonathan.

“Hilde!”

Tom was there too.

“So you were at headquarters.”

“And you weren’t?”

Looking at my red-haired peer, I gave a bitter smile.

Then I shifted my gaze to the senior standing beside him.

It had been a while, but he hadn’t changed at all. The man stood in pitch-black combat gear, waiting expressionlessly for the portal to open.

Someone I hadn’t run missions with since our relationship had soured.

Jonathan Kudo’s gaze flew toward me.

I gave a faint, bitter smile and greeted him quietly.

“Good evening.”

Jonathan’s eyes narrowed.

“Senior Kudo.”

The arm he’d been resting on his sword hilt twitched.

Does he dislike even being greeted by me?

Thinking it would be wiser to simply stay out of his sight from now on, I moved to stand beside Tom. Next to Tom, who was properly greeting Richard Green and Jason Trevain, I checked my gear.

Trevain didn’t return Tom’s greeting.

Instead, he kept glaring at me, then spat out as the countdown began.

“Creature bastard.”

Tom blinked in confusion.

“Must’ve been real fun. Pretending to be human and deceiving your seniors.”

“Senior Trevain?”

“Let’s see out there. Just how fucking good you really are. Huh?”

[1.]

“Stop yapping and get in!”

Richard barked in a stern voice.

“Move in! Prepare for combat!”

I ran after the man charging ahead.

The sensation of being pulled in.

A familiar feeling.

As dizziness surged up, we were sucked into the portal.