Black Badger

For a fleeting instant, a deep emotion flashed through Yehyeon’s eyes.

I wanted to praise him for suppressing it. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how tangled his insides must be.

Of course, seasoned as he was, the large eyes quickly took on a businesslike sheen.

Yehyeon nodded and shifted his gaze to my subordinates.

He looked in turn at Yoow, who was glaring like he wanted to kill someone; at Igor, his interlaced fingers resting on the table; and at Rose, who wouldn’t take her eyes off me.

“If Hildebert is abducted, you will have to follow our side’s instructions afterward. Is that acceptable?”

It was right to clearly establish the chain of command.

I looked at the people seated in a line to my right.

Igor spoke first.

“I’ll just follow Hilde’s decision.”

His voice was mercifully calm.

He was also keeping my request to avoid titles like ‘leader’ or ‘captain’ during meetings.

“I’ve never managed to stop him before.”

“I will follow the decision as well.”

Rose added softly, bowing her head shyly.

Her pale face flushed slightly as she spoke, and then she turned to gaze at me with open fervor.

“How could I dare question an order?”

I pretended not to notice Rose’s... far too passionate stare.

Forcing myself to remain composed, I shifted my gaze across the table and caught sight of three members of the leadership blinking.

They seemed surprised by my subordinates’ reactions.

Having encountered more than enough lunatics in leadership meetings, none of the three were flustered enough to comment directly on Rose’s antics—but still.

Ska spoke.

“I expected more pushback.”

Yoow replied curtly.

“From our perspective, we’d rather let a few faceless Badgers escape on their own. Ideally, I’d like to lock that golden-eyed one up in a cabin somewhere. But I fail every time I try to stop Hildebert, so making a fuss wouldn’t change anything. It’d just tank my reputation.”

This bastard is still sulking at me.

He came along without complaint and behaved more quietly than expected, so I thought he’d changed.

Igor frowned and turned toward the strategist.

But Rose beat him to it.

“Don’t act like a child, esteemed strategist. That won’t make Hilde love you any more.”

Pffft!

Someone sprayed water.

I covered my eyes with my hand and took a moment to collect myself.

Then, just before Yoow could start growling, I gave an order.

“Enough chatter.”

My subordinates obediently shut their mouths.

Holding back a sigh, I looked at the leadership seated across from me.

“My apologies.”

Ska laughed at length, mischief shining in his eyes. Aide Gilbert shot me a look that said hang in there, while at the edge of my vision I noticed Richard Green sharply furrow his brow.

Yehyeon, however, didn’t blink.

“Very well.”

He returned his gaze to the screen and added without emotion,

“Since the superior–subordinate relationship is clearly established, I won’t worry about command confusion going forward.”

“Though there may be some orders I don’t hear.”

Yoow added darkly.

“I tend to miss unreasonable ones.”

Bang!

Dante slammed the table.

“What?!”

“You didn’t need to say that out loud.”

Yehyeon smiled faintly.

Still wearing that slight smile, he looked at Yoow.

“Either way, understood. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Yehyeon was right.

If Yoow truly had no intention of following Black Badger commands, he wouldn’t have added a remark like that. It was a small bit of petulance on Yoow’s part—don’t issue orders stupid enough to be disobeyed.

The others seemed to grasp his meaning as well, because no further argument followed.

Dante appeared to be restrained by the person beside him....

In the first place, it was absurd for an ordinary Badger to argue against something the supreme commander had decided.

From somewhere in the corner, someone muttered, “Is Taleb their leader?” I pretended not to hear.

All eyes returned to the screen.

Yehyeon moved on to the main point.

“First, I’ll outline the general plan.”

A map appeared on the screen.

After scanning it, the commander asked Yoow,

“Before that, there are two things I want to ask. First, whether we have any mages available to mobilize at this time, or whether it’s possible to sway enemy mages. Second, whether you know of a strategy better than sending Hilde to the negotiation site.”

For the first time, Yoow’s face lost its dissatisfaction and mockery.

The strategist wiped his expression clean and looked at Yehyeon.

After a moment, he answered carefully.

“Mages are extremely insular and arrogant. They can’t even imagine living among humans. In short, we have no mages we can mobilize, and persuasion would be exceedingly difficult.”

That was right.

Every mage had sided with Kyle. Not a single one had accepted coexistence with humans—very much in character for them.

Even back in the Empire, I’d never been close with them.

They didn’t enjoy interacting with people and had little fondness for those who relied on their bodies, like knights.

Everywhere, they were treated as precious assets....

As I revisited old memories, Yoow continued beside me.

“However, some of them become extremely craven when their lives are on the line, so if we grab them by the throat and threaten them, we might force a surrender. It’s not common, though. Fundamentally, they’re highly narcissistic.”

“Was the guy who groveled at your feet last time a mage?”

Trevain suddenly spoke.

I widened my eyes and looked toward the voice.

Why ask that?

Puzzled, I still answered the senior.

“No. He was just an old noble.”

“Who?”

Igor raised an eyebrow at me.

I turned to my subordinate.

“Shenton Wheelwobbler.”

“Oh my.”

Rose covered her mouth in surprise.

“He’s still alive?”

“So it seems.”

“That’s surprising. He must’ve just been burning through rations all this time.”

“Are you referring to the humanoid Creature Richard Green reported before?”

Ignoring Igor’s mutter, Yehyeon asked in a curious tone.

I nodded.

“Yes.”

At my report, Yehyeon’s expression turned strange.

He stared at me with an odd look, then asked,

“Did he surrender? I was only informed that the humanoid Creature died. I wasn’t told he surrendered. Did you kill someone who had surrendered?”

“You could call it a token surrender. He had previously received the harshest sentence, so it was surprising the enemy had kept him alive ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) at all. As a prisoner, he had no information to offer.”

“Who killed him?”

The commander narrowed his eyes at me.

I answered truthfully.

“I beheaded him myself.”

Thud.

Something fell.

When I turned, I saw Ami with her phone dropped on the desk, mouth hanging open.

Ricardo watched me with narrowed eyes. Other seniors looked equally shocked.

What exactly were they shocked by?

That I’d killed someone without authorization—or by the method?

As I furrowed my brow, pondering, Yehyeon’s voice came.

“The charge?”

“Human trafficking.”

The commander was silent for a while.

Only after Yun grumbled, “You should’ve brought him in alive,” did Yehyeon let out a small sigh.

In a subdued voice, he said,

“I understand the logic, but next time, bring them in alive if possible.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s return to the topic. You’re saying that persuading most mages would be impossible?”

“In simple terms, yes.”

Yoow answered.

After biting his lip and falling silent for a moment, he added in an unwilling tone,

“And as for the second question, I don’t have an alternative.”

“Then we have no choice but to make a decisive move this time.”

Yehyeon muttered gloomily.

“As they requested, Hilde will stand at the negotiation site. We will not lose Hildebert.”

“You must have a plan that ensures that.”

“Jack.”

“Yes.”

Kairos replied, having worn a faint smile until now.

All eyes turned to the contracted envoy.

Yoow glared at Kairos as if to say you’re the root of this, but Kairos didn’t blink.

Seated in the only spot Yehyeon had designated—closest to the screen—the man began his explanation.

“We’ll use the Remnant Wraith.”

Even hearing it again made my stomach twist.

“The Remnant Wraith is an extremely dangerous Creature sleeping outside the Core. We plan to draw out the enemy leader with it. The enemy won’t be able to ignore the Remnant Wraith. While he’s dealing with it, Hilde won’t be killed. In that window, we’ll release Hilde from his restraints.”

“And what guarantee do we have that you’ll lure it out safely?”

Yoow lowered his voice.

“If you die, there’s a high chance Hilde’s life ends meaninglessly as well. We can’t stake Hilde’s life on your ability.”

“There’s no way to eliminate risk entirely, strategist.”

“At the very least, I couldn’t devise a better operation.”

With that answer, Yehyeon leaned back in the black leather chair reserved for the head seat and issued an order.

“Jack. Give a detailed report on the Remnant Wraith.”

“Yes.”

Kairos replied politely and tapped the tablet in front of him.

The map on the conference room screen zoomed in rapidly.

A barren region without a blade of grass.

Parched land—and at its center, a black pit burned dark, like a cigarette butt scorching the ground.

The screen split in two. On the left, a satellite map; on the right, what appeared to be drone footage.

Watching the drone cross the dry land toward the pit made my head ache.

More precisely, watching the Remnant Wraith slowly stretch within the pit did.

“This is insane.”

A massive black form sluggishly raised its upper body, thrust its chest forward, and gazed at the sky.

It stretched long, then slowly twisted its torso.

An upper-rank monster staring straight at the drone.

Bottomless black eyes.

Seeing the Remnant Wraith on screen, I recoiled in shock.

“The horns are fully formed?”

A plaster-pale, expressionless female face.

Goat-like horns grew from both sides of her head, arcing upward until they met, forming a complete ring.

A completed Remnant Wraith—something spoken of only in legends.

Through the camera, it looked at us.