Black Badger

No, that wasn't it.

I stared blankly at Ricardo and explained the circumstances in a bit more detail. It was true that I was a strange guy, and there was no harm in uncovering that.

Thwack!

A flick to the forehead came flying at me.

"Ow!"

A hot pain shot across my forehead. I let out a cry and reflexively clutched my forehead.

Wow. That really hurt.

"Seems like your motivation for life went flying off with your memories, huh?"

Ricardo grinned with a menacing smile.

The moment I spotted that smile, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. This was bad. I hurriedly stuck out one hand to stop the conversation from continuing.

He was angry again.

"No, sir!"

"What?"

"Well, you see..."

I racked my brain for words that might calm him down.

Then I gave up and decided to just be honest.

"Um, me."

"You what?"

His smiling, questioning expression was intimidating. I reflexively swallowed hard.

People passed by behind us, chatting away. It was evening, so the sound of their footsteps was light and carefree. Amid the noise, I carefully chose my words before speaking.

"What if I'm a humanoid creature?"

Ricardo blinked.

A long silence followed. It was the kind of silence that made me embarrassed about what I'd just said.

"Why would you suddenly think something like that~?"

My senior, observing me like I was some alien he'd never seen before, finally spoke after a long moment.

"That sounds like a really dumb idea...."

"Does it? Well, that's a relief then."

"It's so dumb that I'm curious what made you think of it.... Did someone say something?"

"No, not really. I just watched that video."

I briefly explained how I'd seen Lee Ye-hyeon's famous video that morning. I hesitated about whether to mention crying while watching it but ended up confessing that too.

Even so, Ricardo didn't drop the look that said he'd seen the world's biggest idiot.

"Do you know what a humanoid creature is~?"

"No, not in detail.... I just heard that the more humanoid they are, the higher the tier."

"Yeah~.... For starters, that rules you out...."

Ouch, right in the bones.

I had no choice but to nod at Ricardo's assertion that there was no way someone as pathetic as me could be a humanoid creature.

That was a reasonable counterargument.

I shot him a serious look.

"That's a fair point, sir."

"Good thing you get it right away~."

Somehow, that made me sad.

It was a mix of relief and sadness. As I felt those complex emotions, Ricardo looked at me and chuckled. My feelings must have shown on my face.

The green-eyed man removed his arm from around my shoulders.

"The creature left in that video turned to ash after dying, so they couldn't even study it.... I heard that was the only one among the ones we've encountered that could speak human language~."

"That thing could talk?"

My goodness.

My senior nodded and continued casually.

"It's not that there are no creatures that can speak, but that was the only humanoid one that could speak fluently.... But there's hardly any information left.... Pretty much the entire surviving Badger unit rushed in back then, and almost no Badgers saw the end with their own eyes. Just Tvain and Lee Ye-hyeon? The other first-generation members were out of it at the time, from what I heard...."

"What about the person who filmed the video?"

"Dead~."

Oh.

Every time I recalled that video, emotions churned inside me. Ricardo's words eased my mind a little, but the churning didn't fully subside.

It was clear that something in that video was connected to my erased past. I wanted to uncover it—the source of these intense emotions.

Spending half a weekend with a quirky scientist wouldn't magically reveal everything, though.

"Lee Ye-hyeon accepted you, didn't he~?"

His sudden words made me blink at my senior.

"Yes, he did."

"You're the only one in the world now who's faced a Tier 10 up close.... Supreme Commander Lee Ye-hyeon. There must be a reason he accepted you~."

Ah.

Now that I thought about it, asking Lee Ye-hyeon directly would be the fastest way.

The problem was that he was my top superior. If only that cabin hadn't been destroyed. Then I could have casually asked him whenever we crossed paths.

Anyway, Ricardo's points were all valid.

I had no intention of backing out of what I'd told John Mullen, but my mind felt a bit clearer now.

Yeah. If there was really something wrong with me, Lee Ye-hyeon wouldn't have accepted me like this. He even forged the admin records and called all the Badgers to the auditorium.

If I'd been in his position, I wouldn't have so actively incorporated a potential problem element.

Did Lee Ye-hyeon know something?

The thought flashed through my mind, but I didn't show it. There was no benefit to revealing it. I just nodded.

Then I greeted my green-eyed senior, who was still observing me.

"Thank you."

"For what~?"

"Just, you know, for always.... Have you had dinner, sir?"

"Why.... Hoping I'll say no and you'll have to buy it?"

"Yes."

When I answered confidently, Ricardo chuckled.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket—where he'd stuffed it earlier—and ruffled my white hair.

"What would a fresh chick like you, not even dry behind the ears, do about that~? Go tell John Mullen to reconsider...."

"Chicks get paid too, sir."

"Look at you dodging.... Come on. I'm starving."

Ricardo withdrew the hand messing up my hair and started walking. I hurriedly followed behind him.

All while thinking I'd have to beat him to the bill when the time came.

The corridor, bathed in sunset light, was beautiful.

*

We went to a pasta place on a neat street a little ways from headquarters.

As we ate some amazingly delicious pasta, we ran into familiar faces.

It had only been a few days since I'd last seen him. It was Jason Tvain.

"Oh, if it isn't Half-Pint."

He smirked at me.

They looked like they were finishing up their meal. An unlit cigarette dangled from his mouth. Short-sleeved black shirt. I nodded at the blond man. Good thing I had a forkful of pasta in my mouth—it gave me an excuse to keep quiet.

Tvain thumped me on the back.

Ow.

"Treating the newbie to dinner?"

"Yeesss...."

"Nice. This guy's alright. Half-Pint acts all big, saying he wants to use a sword and all. Take good care of him, yeah? I'll add dinner to your tab."

"What.... I won't turn that down~."

I wanted to decline.

I'd planned to buy dinner. Tvain just said his piece and whistled as he breezed out. I gave a half-hearted wave and focused on my pasta.

Why did that guy rub me the wrong way so much?

Ricardo, who'd responded indifferently, turned his gaze back to me once Tvain was gone.

"Why's that guy suddenly like you...?"

"Surprisingly, it's because I said I'd never seen Lee Ye-hyeon's video."

"Ah~."

Ricardo accepted it readily.

Was that really something to accept so easily? I still didn't get it.

As I twirled seafood oil pasta onto my fork and asked about the reason for Tvain's behavior, a concise answer came back.

"He thinks Lee Ye-hyeon hogged all the credit for killing the Tier 10 creature~."

What a petty guy.

I slurped up the oil pasta, my expression conveying my disbelief. My senior let out a small laugh, finding my face amusing.

"Well, I heard he looked down on Lee Ye-hyeon even before the clash with the Tier 10~. That guy's only got his combat skills going for him.... Off the record, he's pretty mild-mannered.... Oh.... You haven't met him off-duty, have you?"

"Yes. But he seems kind."

"More than kind—he's like lukewarm water~."

No way.

I was a bit surprised by Ricardo's words. In my image, the Supreme Commander was someone with battle-hardened experience in every move. He wielded shape-shifting weapons with elegant grace and drew his greatsword with flawless form.

Ricardo finished his pasta cleanly.

"So that's why Lee Ye-hyeon just smiles and brushes off whatever that guy says off the record.... Don't get too chummy with Tvain—he's not worth much outside of fighting~."

"Yes. Honestly, Senior Tvain makes me a bit uncomfortable too."

"But what's this about a sword?"

A sharp question came back.

I gave an awkward smile. It felt a little embarrassing to tell someone who'd seen me drop out of the portal that I thought I'd used a sword.

But I was honest again this time. Ricardo tilted his head after hearing my answer.

"Yoon allowed it?"

"Yoon handed me the sword. Because of that butterfly back then, I think."

"Ah."

Ricardo smiled cynically, as if recalling that memory. I swallowed hard at his smile, which was evenly edged with sharpness.

"Yeah. The way you pulled that kitchen knife out of your arm was pretty pro-level."

"...I'm really sorry about that."

"It's fine.... So you used a sword again when you went out this time...."

"Hey!"

A loud shout echoed through the shop.

Ricardo and I turned our heads.

We spotted a man waving as he approached our table. Curly hair and a striped shirt. His footsteps had a strangely carefree vibe.

He was one of the first people I'd encountered in this world.

Giacomo Ro.

Ro sat down naturally next to me.

"Long time no see, you. Doing well?"

"Yes. Long time no see, sir."

"Oh, perfect timing~ Ro, why don't you talk John Mullen out of it?"

Why was John Mullen coming up all of a sudden?

I looked at Ricardo with round eyes as he addressed Ro in that just-the-guy tone. Ro, who was leaning crookedly in his chair, also widened his eyes and looked across the table.

"What's that jerk up to now?"

There was an odd irritation in Ro's voice.

"Why should I have to rein him in? What for? If he got dragged to the hospital after holing up doing nothing but research like a plant, that's not my problem."

"John got Hilde's number."

Ro's jaw dropped. I buried my head in my plate, glancing at the senior next to me.

Ricardo waved his fork as he gave Ro a brief rundown of the situation. Ro didn't move a muscle while listening.

Once the explanation ended, he turned to me and said seriously.

"What are you gonna do?"

"...Why...?"

"That guy's obsessed when he latches onto something."

He reached over and smoothly took the garlic bread sitting on my pasta.

The man chewed my garlic bread as if it were the most natural thing.

"This is seriously fucked. That guy taking an interest in someone? Hey. What are you gonna do?"

"...So, what kind of person is John Mullen that everyone's reacting like this...?"

"I told you, when he fixates on one thing, there's no stopping him. Ah, thinking about it pisses me off again! Anyway, you're screwed. Our place has all sorts of weird shit rolling around. Oh. What if you end up in our bathtub later?"

"Our place?"

"Share house. He barely comes around, so I pretty much have it to myself."

So that's why Ricardo told Ro to rein him in.

But bathtub? Why would I end up in a bathtub? Was John Mullen that much of a mad scientist?

I started to fall into a belated minor panic.

Whether I did or not, Ro said what he wanted to say.

He looked oddly amused.

"But that'd be hilarious, huh."

"Sir. Are you enjoying this by any chance?"

"Yeah. A bit. Hey, what if I look up one morning while eating breakfast and there you are?"

"Stop yapping excitedly and try talking him down~?"

"Ah, that's tough."

Ro suddenly wiped the smile off his face and replied.

He shook off the garlic bread crumbs from his hand and looked at Ricardo's green eyes.

"I told you. Once he starts obsessing over something, there's no stopping him."

"Figures.... Hilde~. Just go to Yoon and ask him to save you. He said he'd help, right? Don't act all stubborn and end up dissected in Giacomo's share house bathtub~."

"So why the bathtub.... You don't mean like, dismembered and soaking in it, do you?"

"But why'd you say yes?"

Ro smoothly took the last piece of garlic bread from my pasta plate as he asked.

I stared seriously at the curly-haired senior munching on the oil-smeared garlic bread. Ro and Ricardo fit right in at this place.

A pasta shop with vintage paintings on the worn wallpaper. Wine bottles neatly lined on shelves against the walls.

The aroma of savory pizza wafted from the kitchen.

I slurped down the last of my pasta.

"In case I'm a humanoid creature."

Ro stared at me piercingly until he'd finished the garlic bread.

He brushed the crumbs off his striped shirt before breaking the silence.

"You look human, though?"

That was a fair point too.

At a loss for words, I gulped down some water.

Soon after, we left the shop. Surrounded by Ricardo, who wanted me to back out, and Ro, who said it was too late now, I was in big trouble, but there was nothing he could do.

I didn't know. I'd figure it out somehow while training and adjusting to life here.

Having decided not to think about the video anymore, I returned to the dormitory.

*

The long-awaited weekend.

I let go of my worries and headed to the lab.

Unlike before, the lab was nearly empty. There, John Mullen stood like an old tree, immersed in research. Long lab coat and black turtleneck.

Mullen whipped his head around the moment I entered.

"Hello, sir."

"What'd you have for breakfast?"

That was his first words.

I slowed my steps. Once I came to a full stop, I quietly took in the scene before me.

The quiet weekend morning lab.

This man standing there like an NPC. From what I'd looked up online during the week, he was a genius scientist on par with Albert Einstein, acknowledged by all.

"Cereal...?"

John Mullen drew my blood.

As he did, he said.

"Shall we meet on an empty stomach next time?"