Black Badger

The Badgers’ mouths fell open as they watched the whole sequence unfold on the screen.

Yoow, who had been simultaneously interpreting Hildebert’s Imperial language, translated the last line—and then shut his mouth with a complicated expression.

It was Yun who broke the silence.

“I’ve never seen him look that obedient.”

The man grumbled in a voice that rose and fell not at all.

“He can actually bow his head like that without being slick about it. Who knew.”

“What are you talking about, oppa? Hilde’s always so polite.”

“Don’t tell me we have to obey everything he says from now on?”

Sophia shifted her gaze to Yoow and the Titans standing beside him.

A faint crease formed between her pale brows.

“When we stand in front of him, do we have to kneel no matter what? It can’t be like the movies, right.”

[Hilde.]

The Emperor’s voice rang through the control room.

At the only word that needed no interpretation, the conversation cut off.

Everyone snapped their heads back to the screen.

Hildebert, who had been kissing the man’s hand, also raised his head and looked up at him.

The man pulled the hand with the ring mark out of Hildebert’s grasp.

The Emperor looked down at Hilde.

「Have you been here long?」

「Yes.」

「I see.」

Yoow interpreted each exchange immediately.

The Badgers held their breath so they wouldn’t miss a single word.

After a brief silence, the Emperor lightly grasped a handful of Hildebert’s white hair.

「You still have your sword.」

「I do.」

「It seems there is no one here to cut your hair, either.」

People’s jaws dropped.

Hildebert’s expression turned subtle. Yoow’s face, as he interpreted, also became strange—yet Deltei, Kairos, and Rose stared at the screen without looking surprised.

Hildebert answered slowly.

「Hair... grows back if you leave it.」

“Wow. That’s a seriously uncool answer.”

Deltei muttered.

Kairos let out a soft snort of laughter.

But the Titans’ composure didn’t last long.

The Emperor, who had been silently studying Hildebert, murmured.

「Why are your leaf veins such a mess?」

For the first time, Yoow hesitated before translating.

Titans stiffened as they looked up at the screen. The Badgers, confused by their reaction, froze as well the moment they heard Yoow’s interpretation.

Everyone’s gaze shot to Hildebert and pinned him in place.

Every single person in the control room witnessed the focus vanish from Hildebert’s eyes for a split second.

And the way the owner of those golden eyes hurriedly lowered his head.

A small sigh fell from Ska and Rose.

Ricardo and Yun narrowed their eyes as they caught Hildebert’s hand trembling ever so slightly at the question.

The control room held its breath.

In the dark, cramped space, the Imperial language that Hildebert let out in fragments echoed.

「I have no face.」

Yoow, biting his lip, translated Hildebert’s answer.

Ami threw a silent punch through the air, furious.

「I know well I am in no state worthy of meeting you.」

「That finishing is too sloppy to be Clyde’s work.」

The Emperor murmured slowly.

It sounded almost like talking to himself.

Ami finally snapped.

“Why aren’t you denying what he said!”

Tears gathered in her eyes from sheer indignation.

“Why won’t you deny that bullshit about not being worthy?”

Before anyone could react, the Emperor continued.

「It doesn’t look like it was touched by someone who knows nothing... but it seems there’s a lot I’ll need to hear.」

「I am deeply honored.」

Hildebert lowered his head and closed his eyes. In the corner, William Walker muttered a quiet curse.

Ricardo and Yun furrowed their brows.

「That young knight is behind you as well, I take it.」

「Yes.」

Hildebert answered with perfect decorum.

「I left my subordinate knight outside. Would you like me to call him?」

「Igor.」

Instead of answering Hildebert, the Emperor called a name.

A moment later, another person appeared inside the Portal Zone.

Igor walked in with measured steps, then stopped at a proper distance.

In a steady voice, the man said,

「I greet His Majesty the Emperor.」

The blond man looked at the black-haired knight and gave a faint smile.

A subtle amusement colored the next words.

「He still serves only you.」

Only a few people noticed Hildebert’s fingers twitch.

Unlike when the Emperor asked about the leaf veins, Hildebert’s body didn’t tremble, so most didn’t catch it. Only those with unusually sharp senses felt the vibration and narrowed their eyes.

Of course, Hildebert’s disturbance vanished within seconds.

The white-haired man, head bowed, said,

「Am I not bowing my head at your feet like this, Your Majesty. That knight is, in the end, merely one of your countless swords.」

The Emperor didn’t respond.

But he also didn’t speak further about Igor. Even with the black-haired knight standing rigidly there, he didn’t spare him a glance—almost as though he accepted Hildebert’s friendly, wordless plea of ‘I’m sorry. Let it pass.’

「Hildebert.」

Instead, the man called his name while looking somewhere else.

At the firmer voice than before, Hildebert raised his head.

「Yes, Your Majesty.」

「It seems there is someone giving you orders.」

Hildebert’s movement stopped.

The air shifted.

Eyes widened in the control room.

Yoow, who had been interpreting smoothly, stumbled on the last line.

Only the one who spoke remained calm.

The Emperor looked down at Hilde, face still devoid of emotion.

Then, with the hand that wore no ring, he swept Hildebert’s hair back.

The crushed ulnar styloid process was caught on camera.

「Who is it?」

People turned their heads toward Yehyeon.

The Supreme Commander stared at the screen without expression.

He quietly watched Hildebert, who couldn’t answer, then walked toward the screen.

Yehyeon pressed the speaker button on the control panel beneath the screen and brought the microphone to his mouth.

“Can you come in for a moment?”

A husky voice echoed through the Portal Zone.

Hildebert lifted his head, looking toward the speaker.

「Go and return.」

The Emperor understood the summons.

Before standing, Hildebert pressed one more kiss of obedience—then rose and walked out of the Portal Zone.

***

“Do we have to keep acting like that in front of some guy called the Emperor?”

Sophia spoke the moment Yehyeon’s broadcast ended.

“I said it earlier—he isn’t the Emperor anymore. He’s just a man who used to be your boss.”

The Titans standing behind Yoow turned their heads toward her.

Yoow stared at the speaker with catlike, piercing eyes, and Deltei’s eyes went round in shock.

Both of them looked as though they’d lost the ability to speak at the outrageous claim.

Rose wore an expression that screamed, ‘How does someone even make that leap?’ while sending a glittering gaze—

But the one who answered was Kairos, smiling bitterly.

“It’s not wrong, but even if the Empire is gone, the Emperor’s authority doesn’t suddenly crash to the ground.”

The man softened his orange eyes as he looked at Sophia.

“He was revered as a sage king, and because of that, he’s someone who can still secure the support of many of our kin. He’s also a formidable powerhouse you can’t ignore. He’s a mage, and at the same time, a swordsman. If he truly is the Emperor, that is.”

“Does that go for Jack too?”

Ami murmured.

Kairos turned gently to his aide.

“Yes, sunbae?”

“If that man is really the Emperor... does Jack have to go kneel like that in front of him too?”

“Of course.”

At the breezy answer, Ami looked genuinely shocked.

Kairos gave a short laugh at his senior’s stunned face.

“I’m still one of the ones who was favored. Hilde too. Those who weren’t favored—or who wanted that favor—ended up with calluses on their knees from throwing themselves flat in front of the Imperial family.”

Ami’s jaw dropped at the pointed remark from her aide.

Still smiling, Kairos added,

“Of course, being favored doesn’t mean the leash around your neck disappears. The leashes on mine and Hilde’s are relatively thin, but they’re still plenty enough to chafe the nape.”

“Hhk....”

“Is he really the Emperor?”

Carl Dow was the one who changed the subject.

“I don’t know the details, but didn’t you say there’s a chance he could be someone else?”

“Does your sixth sense pick him up?”

Ska cut into the conversation.

The aide with braided hair looked at Yoow.

“I figured that would at least be a rough way to tell.”

“We can’t detect the Emperor’s presence.”

Yoow answered darkly.

“He always hides it with magic. From the moment one is appointed Crown Prince—and in worse cases, from the moment they’re born—the Imperial line hides their presence and lives that way their entire life. Once they’re old enough to use magic, they place the spell on themselves without relying on other mages. If they didn’t, the Imperial line would have fallen. They’d have been dropping dead left and right to assassinations.”

“What, so you’re saying you can’t feel him right now?”

At Ska’s question, Yoow nodded slowly.

“That’s only natural.”

“Can’t we just ask him to lift the spell for a second?”

At the casual question, Yoow and Deltei’s mouths fell open.

Kairos’s smile stretched longer, and Rose shot a look like, ‘Not this method again?’

But Yoow couldn’t answer the aide’s question.

The control room door opened.

Hildebert and Igor stepped inside.

“Hilde!”

Ami shouted.

Hildebert, who had entered with a blank face, raised his head.

A faint smile curved on the white-haired man’s face.

The gentle smile they all knew.

“Ami.”

“Hilde.”

Yehyeon, who had been leaning both hands on the control panel with his head lowered, straightened.

Everyone’s gaze converged on Yehyeon and Hilde.

They were waiting for an official response.

The Supreme Commander turned his body and looked Hildebert straight in the eyes as he removed his armor.

“I still think that man might be Jaeyeon.”

“I also think it’s not impossible.”

Hildebert replied.

His voice was calm, with no sign of agitation.

A voice that held none of his emotions at all.

“If you ask how he knows the Emperor, I have no answer... but I can’t say for certain he is the Emperor himself. I also can’t say for certain he isn’t.”

“Did you see him die with your own eyes?”

Deltei asked very carefully.

Hildebert turned only his eyes to the Saint.

He looked at her with eyes that revealed nothing, then answered.

“No.”

“But if he looks like the real thing... and if there’s a chance he ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ is the real thing, then we have to confirm before we leave.”

Yehyeon pulled the conversation back on track.

Hildebert turned his gaze to Yehyeon again, still wearing a face that gave nothing away.

People stared at his golden eyes with heavy feelings.

Even Yehyeon’s eyes wavered for a moment as he met the gold of the white-haired man.

But the Supreme Commander quickly reined it in.

He looked at the Black Badger who was still classified as a rookie.

Then he asked,

“Right now, whose orders do you prioritize?”

In that instant, the golden eyes shook.

The blankness and neatness of his face crumbled, and unmistakable anguish bled through.

The sense of dissonance of standing between two camps.

As Hildebert answered slowly, those emotions dripped from his voice in heavy drops.

“Commander.”

He murmured in a voice full of pain.

“Is it possible for me to take leave?”