Black Badger

He’d stepped away from the office at a bad time.

That was the first thought that crossed Ska Owen’s mind the moment he returned.

The moment he came back to the executive offices, an unexpected problem was waiting for him.

Gilbert muttered,

“The Commander really felt your absence. He said you would’ve handled this far better than he did. Knowing that, Falcon probably let Jaeyeon loose at your side.”

“So even that was part of their calculations,” Ska replied.

Letting his gaze fall on the price graph floating on the screen, Ska sank back into his chair.

After staring at the screen in a daze for a while, he murmured,

“And the Commander?”

“Meeting with Chairman Choi Hyunjun in ten minutes.”

Ska let out a small groan.

It didn’t seem like a mere meeting would resolve the current situation.

Yehyeon must know that too. Still, he’d probably summoned Choi Hyunjun to headquarters in the hope of grasping even a straw.

Crises really were coming one after another lately.

Opening the reports submitted by General ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Affairs and the Planning Office, Ska sighed.

“I heard Hilde still isn’t back in full condition.”

Gilbert said it while flipping through the reports.

Ska let out a quiet breath.

“That’s right.”

He wasn’t hovering between life and death like a few weeks ago anymore, nor was he hooked up to an oxygen respirator.

But his stamina had dropped sharply. His immunity was so strangely low that he kept running low-grade fevers at the slightest provocation. The doctor said hospitalization wasn’t necessary, so they discharged him, but warned them not to put him under excessive workload.

“Still, it’s a relief he was discharged safely,” Gilbert muttered.

Ska replied heavily,

“Don’t even get me started. Everyone had one foot in madness back then.”

He recalled the scenes he’d witnessed at the hospital.

They weren’t pleasant memories. He never wanted to see Hildebert again with tubes and devices hanging all over him, wearing an oxygen mask, or muttering deliriously while burning with fever.

Nor the sight of Badgers who couldn’t even bring themselves to sit down, standing in the hospital lobby and in front of the ICU.

Back then, Ricardo and Jonathan had barely exchanged five words over the course of an entire day.

Ami had curled herself into a ball and refused to leave the hospital, forcing Yun to practically drag her home.

Carl Dow and Sophia Kalak had managed to keep their composure—barely—but even they had been reluctant to leave the hospital. Ska had seen Sophia’s lips torn raw.

The Elders had each sent their own agents to check on Hilde’s condition as well, so there was no need to elaborate on just how bleak the situation had been.

Hildebert himself didn’t know any of this.

Thinking of Hilde, who still couldn’t walk properly even by the time he was discharged, Ska lightly furrowed his brow.

“If this keeps up, then all the suffering Hilde went through will have been for nothing.”

“That’s exactly the point that’s enraging the Commander the most right now,” Gilbert replied.

“If Choi Hyunjun doesn’t have an answer, what does he plan to do?”

“He’s considering retrieving core devices from unnecessary Cores.”

Gilbert continued,

“And he’s also summoned Hildebert. Looks like he wants to explain the situation face-to-face.”

***

I received a summons from Yehyeon.

Maybe accepting reality had actually worked—just three days after facing Kairos, I managed to get discharged.

Samuel had repeatedly said I wasn’t fully recovered, but I figured being able to sleep in the cabin instead of eating hospital food was something to celebrate. Riding home in Yoow’s car, I was in high spirits.

While replying to the messages I’d missed.

[Yun: Contact me when you reach the cabin. Tomorrow at 8:50 p.m., come to the Commander-in-Chief’s office. I’m returning your sword, and there’s something I need to tell you.]

[Sophia: Stay quietly holed up in the cabin until your sick leave ends.]

[Deltei: Hilde!!! As soon as you’re back, get rid of Igor!!!! Please!]

[Ami: (sparrow dancing emoji) (sheep grazing emoji) (multiple sparrows scattering flowers emoji) Are you sleeping at the cabin today? The cabin?]

[Tom / Rookie Chat: That’s a relief. Still, take it easy for a while.]

[Hesh / Rookie Chat: Make sure you’re resting properly!]

[Daeja: If your condition isn’t good, please don’t push yourself and let us know.]

[Jonathan Kudo: Are you really fully recovered? The doctor said you weren’t.]

[Ricardo: Throw out that frozen gnocchi you sent a photo of yesterday. Why did you even buy that? If you want gnocchi, just say so.]

[Kai: Congrats on being discharged. Focus on recovery for a while.]

[Ruta Ayer: Thanks for reaching out. I should’ve contacted you first. I’ve got something to say, so get in touch once you’re fully recovered.]

[Shu: Congrats on being discharged. I was really worried.]

[Bobby: Why are you always surrounded by such ridiculous rumors?]

[Leeho: Your body must be pretty worn down. Don’t overdo it.]

[Rose: Captain♡ I’m coming back again♡]

By the time I’d finished replying to all that and came to my senses, it was the next morning.

According to Igor, who’d been sitting in the back seat, I’d been fiddling with my phone in the passenger seat before passing out cold. He said he’d carried me to the cabin bed while I was completely out of it.

I didn’t remember any of that.

Guess my body really was worn out.

I wasn’t used to being this weak.

I’d always had a healthy body, never even catching minor illnesses. Maybe it was because I grew up in a place with especially clean air and water.

Even when the Blue Disease swept through the Empire, I’d been one of the last ones standing, never catching it.

Living with a body like that, then suddenly developing low-grade fevers every three days—it was hell.

How did Deltei even manage daily life like this?

As I was getting ready to go out in the evening, I asked her lightly. The Saint, who’d been crawling around the cabin due to muscle pain, lifted her head.

“You just live a life eternally accompanied by mouth ulcers.”

Someone who didn’t even have time to touch up her roots thanks to Igor’s Spartan training.

She staggered over and pressed vitamin C tablets into my hand.

“From now on, take these every single day.”

I really needed to treat Deltei better from now on.

Feeling firsthand the hardships of those with poor stamina—something I’d never truly realized before—I rode Yoow’s car to headquarters. Ten minutes before the meeting, I came face-to-face with Chairman Choi Hyunjun in the executive lounge.

The chairman of Aitek.

Yun and Ami’s family.

“It’s been a while, Chairman,” I greeted.

“Ah, Mr. Taleb. It has been a while. Are you heading into the Commander’s office now?”

“Ah? Yes.”

Why would he ask that?

Before I could dwell on it, Chairman Choi Hyunjun grabbed my shoulder.

“I’m sorry. You must be quite displeased.”

What?

“It’s absolutely not your fault. The market situation is just... anyway, I’m telling you this so you won’t be too shocked once you go in.”

I blinked.

I had no idea what was happening.

To begin with, why was this man even here? Aitek was a company that produced core devices.

Had something gone wrong with the devices?

I didn’t get a chance to ask. The chairman, clearly busy, left quickly. I was left alone in the lounge, and before I could think much about his words, I was summoned.

Guided by the secretary, I entered the office.

Yehyeon sat in his chair, surrounded by holographic windows.

It was the first time I’d seen his face since returning to the Core.

Taking in the sight of my superior, who seemed unaware I’d entered, I greeted him.

“Commander. Hildebert Taleb reporting.”

Yehyeon lifted his head.

Upon noticing me, he gave a small nod with an expressionless face. I immediately sensed that his mood was at rock bottom.

What on earth happened?

Feeling unsettled, I went and sat in the chair across from him.

The moment I sat down, my superior spoke in a husky voice.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine today.”

“This might take a while, so answer honestly.”

“I really am fine, Commander. I even got some sleep in the car on the way here.”

Even though I answered truthfully, the Commander-in-Chief wordlessly scrutinized my face.

Only after some time passed did Yehyeon slowly break the silence.

“I told you before that Falcon and Sukhoi have been fighting over interests ever since the Territorial Reclamation War.”

Straight to the point.

I nodded.

“Yes.”

“You remember deciding to reclaim that territory because of rare earths?”

“Yes.”

“You know a thing or two about the raw materials market, don’t you?”

“I used to have some acquaintance with industry representatives back in the day, but that was a long time ago.”

“Then you should have a decent grasp of it. I’ll get to the conclusion. The outcome of the rare earths war between Falcon and Sukhoi was decided recently. Sukhoi outplayed Falcon.”

I see.

I nodded quietly. I still didn’t quite understand why he was telling me all this.

Yehyeon tapped the desk with his finger.

“Do you know about the Soviet grain shock of the 1970s?”

“Ah, yes. I know the basics.”

One of the Frost Emperor’s followers had once been a major player in the commodities market, so I’d learned about it in the process of studying various things.

Yehyeon nodded, looking relieved that he didn’t need to explain from scratch.

“You can think of what Sukhoi did as something similar to what the Soviets did back then.”

“Ah.”

So Sukhoi had cornered the rare earths market.

With rare earths drying up, prices must have skyrocketed.

“The problem is that without those rare earths, we can’t manufacture core devices.”

So that was why Choi Hyunjun had come.

“We’re short on core devices. We don’t even have enough for missions.”

“Didn’t Aitek secure advance purchase contracts?”

“Seems they got complacent, since nothing like this had ever happened before. Aitek has effectively surrendered. Core device production has stopped, and it’ll likely stay that way for a while.”

Not a good situation.

But was it really that critical? It wasn’t like the Black Badgers were preparing for another Territorial Reclamation War right away.

“We’ve planted micro-bombs throughout Kyle’s territory.”

The explanation that followed answered my doubts.

“Just like the Titans scattered seeds of teleportation circles inside the Cores. We planned to use bombs to lure the enemy outside the barrier. After setting up a ring of Cores around the enemy territory, we intended to detonate the bombs all at once and force them beyond the magical barrier.”

“But you don’t have the core devices to build that formation.”

“That’s right. What’s the point of planting micro-bombs inside enemy territory? Even if we draw them outside the boundary, we can’t guarantee victory. Time passes, and the enemy will eventually find and remove all the mines embedded in their land.”

“Can’t we obtain rare earths from Sukhoi?”

“They say they’re all for their own use. No one willing to hand any over.”

Yehyeon replied cynically.

He didn’t furrow his brow even once, but his anger carried through the air.

I understood. Yehyeon was right. The enemy territory was smaller than Center Core, so unlike us, they might actually have the time to locate and remove all the mines and bombs.

“So basically, the chance of defeat is almost zero for them.”

The Commander-in-Chief recited flatly.

“They’re ignoring it, thinking Hildebert and an obedient Commander-in-Chief will take care of the Titan rampaging outside. I warned them that such complacency could lead to disaster, but they’re too absorbed in their own power struggles to listen.”

The man rested his elbow on the armrest and leaned his face into his hand.

“Those decrepit raccoons. If Kyle’s blade were to take all their heads at once, that would be satisfying.”

I blinked.

There wasn’t much change in his expression or volume, but I’d never seen the Commander-in-Chief this full of anger.

So angry that he’d gone calm.

Given that preparations made at great risk were about to become meaningless, it made sense.

Watching my superior, who looked like he was barely restraining himself from flinging documents across the room, I asked,

“Do all the Elders know about Kyle’s movements?”

“They do. But for now, they see each other as the greater threat.”

Yehyeon replied coldly.

I barely managed to suppress the urge to sigh.

If not for the situation, I might’ve been delighted to hear about those two raccoons tearing each other apart. But given the circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to feel good about it.

“Do you know where Core 15 is?”

While I was thinking that there’d be nothing better than them killing each other, Yehyeon abruptly changed the subject.

“No.”

“It’s a small island. A resort for the wealthy. The entire Core is a private vacation space for the rich, and only those with membership can even enter.”

So places like that existed too.

As I nodded, I felt I could roughly guess why Yehyeon had changed topics.

“Are you planning to retrieve the core devices installed there?”

“During the Second War, we moved core devices frequently. But after the war, we never did. Still, that place isn’t land worth protecting with a Core. It’s been controversial for that reason. The members covered the full maintenance costs, so there was no pretext to retrieve the devices.”

So each Core covers its own maintenance costs.

While filing that new information away, Yehyeon continued.

“But now we need to seriously consider whether Core 15 should continue to exist. If its value drops, we’ll retrieve the core devices regardless of what the rich say.”

“Yes.”

“Before that, though, I plan to send you and Samuel there.”

...Huh?

Sending me was one thing, but why Samuel?

“There’s a rumor that a legendary doctor is there.”

That made even less sense.

“Under the pretext of checking Core 15’s condition, I’m going to have you examined by that doctor.”

After saying that, Yehyeon smiled pleasantly for the first time since I’d entered the office.

Not the gentle smile he showed in private, but a cold smile meant for public view.

“Go on a business trip, Hilde.”

***

A week later, I set foot in Core 15.