Black Badger

I’d braced myself for it, but it was still depressing.

As I was thinking that, Ami poked her head out this way, inch by inch.

Cute.

I let out a small laugh, then asked my kin for their understanding and walked over to the seniors.

I’d planned to talk to them anyway before we headed to the cabin.

As I crossed the control room, the seniors’ gazes flew straight at me and pinned me in place.

The one who spoke was Kai.

“So you’re taking a leave of absence, then?”

I nodded with a bitter smile.

“I’ve been told to file it as medical leave. It’s not exactly a lie that I’m a Badger who can’t be used right now.”

“And after all that, you don’t even get to rest, you just keep babysitting that being?”

Ricardo asked, arms crossed.

“I’d rather be stuck doing grunt work at the shelter....”

“Well.... You did spend a while locked in the executive lounge keeping watch over me back then, didn’t you, senior?”

It was hard # Nоvеlight # to believe that memory was already from years ago.

I remembered how, when I wasn’t allowed to step outside the lounge, Ricardo and Ami had come to see me without fail.

Neither of them had looked particularly uncomfortable at the time.

It had stayed with me as a peaceful memory.

I’d never told them that, somewhere along the way, I’d grown attached to them on my own.

“Back then all we had to do was bring you food, right~?”

That’s true.

“And you were so well-behaved, it was easy to keep an eye on you....”

“Yeah. Hilde was super docile even then.”

“...Was I?”

Thinking back on how green I’d been made me feel embarrassed.

I hadn’t done anything stupid, right?

Back when all my memories were wiped clean, my common sense must’ve gone with them. The worry suddenly hit me, and when I asked, Ami’s eyes went wide while Ricardo let out a snort.

“Oh, not at all!”

“No....”

The senior who spoke slowly added lazily,

“You just ate really well....”

“...Did I?”

“Yeah. You ate so well it actually felt rewarding to bring you food.”

Ami’s words made me embarrassed in a different way.

Just how much had I eaten for both of them to say the same thing?

As I made a futile effort to recall how I’d eaten back then, Ami rose up on her toes in front of me, bobbing slightly.

“Ami?”

“Can I go see the Emperor sometimes?”

It was a question only she would ask.

“Is it too dangerous? Is it not allowed? Would it make things harder for you, Hilde?”

“Hmm.... I’ll give you an answer depending on the situation.”

I explained that Yehyeon had given explicit orders to prevent that being from coming into contact with modern technology.

The seniors nodded as they listened.

Of course, not everyone accepted it without question.

“How far do you have to go for him?”

Sophia asked.

“You’re not saying you have to kneel every time in the cabin, are you? He’s got arms and legs—he can eat, sleep, and take care of his business on his own, can’t he?”

“Does he even know how to use a modern toilet?”

Ami muttered to herself.

I pretended not to hear the innocent doubt of the senior with the round eyes.

“Kneeling every time is obviously not necessary. There is etiquette appropriate to each situation. We can’t apply all of it exactly as it is in circumstances like this, but.... He isn’t someone completely lacking in flexibility.”

“Are you planning to get rid of smartphones and TVs too?”

“Yes. Especially those. There’s just too much information.”

“What about the massage chair.”

Igor suddenly appeared behind me and spoke ominously.

“And the heated floor mat.”

“...Let’s think about that a bit more.... We’re not even using the heated mat right now anyway.”

“So basically, Hilde has to stay glued to him almost twenty-four hours a day?”

“For several reasons, we can’t leave him alone.”

“Living together with Commander Yehyeon twenty-four hours a day?”

Sophia murmured to herself.

“I’d rather desert.”

I let out a hollow smile.

At the same time, I pictured the layout of the cabin, counting what items were inside the not-so-spacious structure.

I should put him on the second floor.

I’d have the Emperor sleep in the bed up there, and I’d spread a blanket on the first-floor floor and sleep there. I’d send Igor, Yoow, and Deltei out. Of course, if I stayed attached to him the whole time, both the Emperor and I would get worn out, so I planned to accept help from my kin—but I didn’t intend to have them sleep in the cabin.

I should ask Kairos if Igor can use the room he’s been using.

Fortunately, Yoow and Deltei each have their own places.

They can just stop by as needed....

“It’s okay to be disappointed.”

I turned to look at my kin.

Deltei and Yoow, who hadn’t taken their eyes off me the entire time I’d been in the control room, flinched.

I smiled faintly.

“If you don’t feel up to it, you can take a break and come back later. Do what you want. I know you genuinely respected the Emperor.”

Tears welled up in Deltei’s eyes.

My bitter smile deepened.

“Del. Why are you crying.”

“I’m not disappointed in you....”

Her muttered voice wavered dangerously.

“I’m not disappointed in you. I’m disappointed in myself....”

Oh no.

I walked over to the red-haired woman who had started shedding tears one by one.

Deltei hates showing herself like this.

She’d told me that no matter how hard she tried to hold it in, the tears always came. She hated being told she was weak, hated crying in front of others so much that she clenched her teeth every time—but it never worked.

Knowing all that, I still made her cry. I was sorry.

I wiped Deltei’s tears away with both hands.

Sniffling, she mumbled,

“I just.... I want to.... I want to steel my heart like you do....”

“Why are you blaming yourself? There’s no need for that. I’m the strange one here.”

“No.... You’re right, but.... I just can’t.... I can’t even imagine....”

“You don’t have to disobey orders. And he might not even be the Emperor, so don’t carry it so heavily.”

When I spoke quietly, Deltei pressed her lips together and forced herself to stop crying.

Then she nodded and looked up at me.

I looked down at her reddened eyes and smiled bitterly.

Once I judged that Deltei was okay, I turned my gaze to Yoow.

The tactician was twisting his face.

“You’re the same.”

As soon as I said it, Yoow’s expression turned even harsher.

“When the moment comes where you have to choose, follow your heart.”

“I hate that attitude of yours.”

Huh?

What attitude of mine....

Why did that suddenly set him off?

“Why don’t you go tell that thunder-brained knight to start moving the luggage first.”

“Don’t worry.”

Igor grinned crookedly and scratched his ear.

“We already agreed to use one of the empty rooms in the handler’s house.”

That was fast.

While I’d been in the conference room with the top brass and Yehyeon, it seemed they hadn’t been idle either. From what I heard briefly, Kairos had already prepared transportation under Gilbert’s orders. He’d been told to take the author back in a small minibus used by the intelligence agency.

Don’t show him the outside.

I nodded, then glanced at the screen.

The Emperor was holding Milk in his arms in front of Kairos....

“Rose.”

“Yes, Captain!”

“Stay away from the cabin for a while.”

I turned to the subordinate holding my armor.

“There’s nothing to gain from showing your face in front of the Emperor.”

“If that’s your order, Captain, I’ll do so!”

“Why?”

Surprisingly, it was Walker who asked.

I widened my eyes and turned toward him, never having imagined he’d ask something like that. The former fixer spoke bluntly.

“That woman looks like she’s loyal to you, not the Emperor—just like that black-haired man. Why keep a trustworthy hand at a distance?”

“Ah, she was a criminal in the Empire.”

He must have been worried about my twenty-four-hour duty.

“She was fairly well-known, so His Majesty might recognize her. There’s no need to take that risk.”

“A criminal?”

“Well.... Things happened.”

“It was a foolish time.”

Rose let out a sigh, still clutching the armor.

“If I’d been able to stay by your side sooner, Captain.... I wouldn’t have wasted so long doing inefficient things like gouging out filthy bastards’ golden eyes and pickling them....”

Horror spread across the seniors’ faces.

I deliberately pretended not to notice their expressions that clearly said, ‘What on earth did I just hear?’

I had no intention whatsoever of explaining Rose’s crimes in detail.

Besides, thinking about her crimes inevitably led my thoughts to Rei. He’d been the one sent to capture her.

Don’t think about it too deeply.

I changed the subject outright.

“Did you all go on a mission while I was gone?”

When I blurted it out, all the seniors looked at me.

I deliberately put a bit more hurt into my voice.

“It would’ve been nice if you’d at least told me.... If the Emperor hadn’t appeared, I wouldn’t have known at all. Honestly, it hurts a little.”

“Are you sulking all of a sudden~?”

Ricardo snorted.

I answered confidently.

“It’s not unreasonable.”

“We talked about you nonstop the entire mission, so don’t sulk.”

Carl Dow said suddenly.

Caught off guard, I widened my eyes.

I hadn’t expected him to exaggerate like that just to comfort me.

Coming from Carl, who always showed quiet consideration, those words hit even harder.

I smiled easily for the first time in a while.

“Thank you, even if it’s just words.”

“Don’t stay on leave too long.”

Next to Ami, who muttered, ‘It’s not just words, though,’ Sophia added,

Her ever-sharp eyes pierced straight through me.

“Sorry to remind you of unpleasant things, but if you’re gone, there’ll be people who think you ran away.”

“I don’t mind that, but I’ll try to be back as soon as possible.”

If that thing was Jaeyeon mimicking the Emperor, I’d quickly draw Jaeyeon out of him. If he was the real Emperor, I’d confirm his position and then respond appropriately.

Either way, his memories were clearly intact, so if I could extract useful information through this process, it would be ideal.

“I won’t be going far, and I can still be contacted, so if anything happens—or if you’re bored—please reach out.”

The seniors each expressed agreement in their own way.

There was no way they hadn’t noticed my earlier hesitation.

I felt immense gratitude, and at the same time guilt—not because of them, but because I’d made this decision thinking about my kin’s safety first.

I barely managed to hide that feeling before parting ways with them.

Resolving that, now that things had come to this, I’d pull information useful to victory out of the Emperor.

And feeling frustrated at the reality that I couldn’t do it without Kairos’s help.

***

I returned to the cabin.

With the Emperor.

I still couldn’t believe it....

As I opened the minivan door and helped the Emperor down, I indulged in a brief escape from reality.

Even when I was a knight-captain, I’d never stayed this closely attached to someone.

Would I really be able to do this without making mistakes?

If our relationship soured, I wouldn’t be able to hear what I wanted. As I stood there dazed at the future unfolding before me, the Emperor suddenly flung the cabin door open.

Snapping back to my senses, I realized I hadn’t been the one to open it for him.

I was screwed.

「Your Majesty. I humbly apolo—」

「There are many curious items here.」

I rushed over, but the Emperor had stopped in the entryway.

「What is this?」

Huh? 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

「It doesn’t seem to be a decoration or a hinge....」

A switch.

The living room switch! And the bathroom switch! I stared at the switch, then froze at the sight of the Emperor reaching out toward it.

I’d grown so accustomed to this world that I’d completely forgotten how little I’d known when I first arrived.

That’s right. We had to start with switches.

We had to start adapting him from there. Cars were actually fine. He seemed to think of them as a derivative of magically enchanted carriages.

But a switch mounted on a wall?

Hadn’t I been fascinated when I first saw one too?

「Ah, so it’s connected to the lights.」

The Emperor clicked the switch.

「But it’s quite far away. How does pressing this make the lamps on the ceiling light up? Do you know the principle?」

「Uh.... No. I don’t, really.」

I couldn’t answer that. I wasn’t Yun.

If I asked Yun, he’d give me a look like I was pathetic and then rattle off the entire principle, but I had no intention of asking. Once he started explaining, it would never end.

I had to set the baseline properly from the start.

Realistically, I couldn’t explain everything or indulge every question.

「I’ll guide you inside for now.」

Sensing the presence of Kairos, Yoow, and Deltei following us, I stepped to the Emperor’s side.

「It’s a humble place, but....」

Fortunately, the Emperor didn’t ask further questions.

Rather than satisfying his curiosity one by one, he seemed to choose adaptation first.

As a result, we finished the cabin tour faster than expected and managed to carve out time for conversation. The fact that the cabin wasn’t large enough for the tour to drag on helped as well.

Choosing a cabin like this on purpose, to make surveillance easier, really had been the right call.

The Emperor might have been surprised by the cramped space, but at the very least, he didn’t show it. He wasn’t the kind of person to show such things.

Instead, the man adapted quickly to the changed circumstances without losing his imperial authority.

After sitting for a while on the bed that had been Yoow’s and, for the past few weeks, mine alone, he looked down at me as I naturally knelt before him and spoke.

「You’re going to have a hard time.」

「It is my pleasure.」

「I appreciate that you haven’t forgotten proper etiquette, but I’d like to hear about something else first.」

A hand brushed my hair back behind my ear.

「About your damaged leaf-vein, to start with.」

That topic was expected.

The problem was what came after.

「And about Rei Renyr, whose presence I cannot sense.」

Ah.

「I can sense Kyle’s presence, but Renyr’s presence eludes me.」

I hadn’t expected that question....

「What happened to him?」