Black Badger

The year that became Adam’s last Christmas.

Adam, a high school student, stood there with his eyes wide, watching his kin enter their designated section.

The work had just ended.

People came in amid a moderate amount of noise, brushing snow from their hair and shoulders.

Most of them were smiling, and blood had splattered onto the hems of a few outfits.

But no one paid attention to the fresh bloodstains on their clothes. They simply tidied themselves up with cheerful ease, preparing to rest.

Some craned their necks, waiting for someone.

Their captain, who would have to come in through the open door....

“Lin!”

Hildebert’s voice rang out.

“What are you doing?!”

Ah. He’s getting scolded again.

“Aren’t you coming in already?!”

Those gathered turned their heads toward the door.

Then they burst out laughing as they looked outside. Buried under their laughter, Adam couldn’t hear the conversation between Hildebert and Lin. From the look of it, Hilde was nagging again, and Lin was probably making excuses, as usual.

Adam stretched his neck to check the entrance.

But in the end, he didn’t see what Lin had done.

Hildebert left Lin behind and came inside alone.

White hair that was strikingly bright and slightly bristly.

Dazzling golden eyes.

There was no sword at his waist.

Adam knew that whenever Hildebert went out to work, he often left his sword with the Saint Deltei. His sword drew too much attention; especially during jobs, he couldn’t carry it with him.

He didn’t know exactly what that “work” was.

He could only guess....

Yvon came in.

“I’ll send them back to their rooms quietly.”

“Alright. Thanks.”

“And what will you do about Eti?”

Yvon asked.

He was a strict knight, honest with his emotions. Adam had always found Yvon intimidating. As he grew older, he got scolded less often, and he knew Yvon was a good person, but—

He didn’t have the courage to approach and speak to him, so Adam waited for Yvon to finish his conversation with Hildebert.

After speaking softly with Hildebert, Yvon gave a polite nod.

The knight turned.

As if he had received some instruction, he walked down the opposite corridor without hesitation.

The loyal subordinate disappeared from sight.

The moment he left, Nol appeared.

“Captain.”

Nol’s characteristically clipped pronunciation tickled Adam’s ears.

“From now on, I will reject all incoming visit requests.”

“Who came?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“Humans.”

At the short answer, Hilde made a face as if he couldn’t believe it.

Adam, eavesdropping, was just as dumbfounded.

Of course it would be humans.

But Nol met Hildebert’s eyes squarely, even as Hildebert looked at him as if to say, “Are you serious?”

“Today is a human holiday.”

“...I know. That’s why I went out to work today.”

“I see no need for you to deal with someone lacking in manners.”

Nol was blunt in a very different way from Igor.

The moment Adam heard the short-haired man’s confident reply, he let out a laugh. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He just didn’t want Hildebert to work any more, that was all.

The tone could easily be misunderstood by others. Of course, Hildebert—who seemed well aware of that side of Nol—let out a small, dry chuckle.

“Just tell me the name, then. I should at least leave a message saying I’m sorry I couldn’t greet them.”

A name was spoken.

Adam watched as Hildebert nodded, pulled out his phone from the inner pocket of his coat, and tapped at the screen with his fingers.

He also watched Yo, Igor, and others he liked brushing snow from their black coats.

The black-haired men chatting as they came inside noticed Adam.

They smiled in their own ways.

“Adam,”

Igor called out.

“What’s the occasion? Staying here instead of going to some party.”

“It’s not like I only ever go to parties.”

“A date?”

“Becky went to see her parents. Same for me. Merry Christmas, Igor.”

“Merry Christmas.”

Igor returned the greeting casually, standing where he was.

“Things going well with your date?”

Adam grinned.

Igor grinned back. It was a smile that lifted even a bystander’s mood.

To Adam, Igor was like a dependable older brother.

The person he’d gone to the most for advice during his teenage years.

And the man standing beside Igor was an excellent career counselor.

Yo smiled quietly.

“Adam.”

“Yo. Merry Christmas.”

“Are you keeping up with your classes?”

The one person Adam couldn’t help but seek out whenever exam season came around.

Looking at the man he could practically call his private tutor, Adam smiled proudly.

“You saw my report card last time, didn’t you?”

Yo’s faint smile deepened.

Adam liked that smile. It was one Yo rarely showed to others. He knew people said, “You’re different when you’re around Adam.”

A small point of pride for him.

Wanting to see that pleased smile, Adam always paid close attention to his studies.

It was fortunate that he’d been born with a decent head for academics. Unlike swordsmanship, he wasn’t lacking in talent when it came to learning. If he put in the effort, he could achieve reasonably satisfying results.

Swordsmanship was another matter.

The three Swordmasters, famous since birth, had all given up on teaching him the sword.

At first, that fact had made him terribly depressed.

But now that he was older, Adam thought it was a good thing he lacked talent with the sword. The moment he became a Swordmaster’s disciple, he realized, he would no longer be able to simply like and admire them with an easy heart.

So Adam was satisfied with how things were now.

Admiring and loving the three men.

The captains he respected.

The gentlest among them finally noticed Adam’s gaze.

The man smiled warmly and walked over.

“Adam.”

A sharp scent of winter wind swept past.

“Are you having a good Christmas?”

Adam grinned.

“Well, I guess so. Hilde, you’re done with work now, right?”

“That’s right. Why? Something you want to say?”

“Yes.”

He grabbed the arm of Hildebert, who hadn’t even changed clothes yet, and tugged.

“If you’re not busy, please come with me for a moment.”

Hildebert didn’t resist.

As always, he simply let himself be pulled along wherever Adam led.

Walking after Adam, Hildebert turned his head and called out, “Good work! I’m heading off first!”

Adam heard the adults burst into laughter, call him popular, shout back that they understood, and call out, “Adam, Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!”

He answered loudly, then hurried inside.

He didn’t respond to Hildebert’s laughing question about what was so urgent.

He walked as if running through a space that felt almost like home.

They passed winding corridors, took an elevator up and down, then dashed into a warm, dim place.

Only after stepping onto the deep crimson carpet did Adam turn back to Hildebert.

A movie theater with only two audience members.

Hildebert stood at the entrance, eyes wide.

“Kyle? Rei?”

“So that’s what this was.”

Kyle, lounging lazily in his seat with his legs stretched out, turned his head and grinned.

“So you were planning to bring him here. I was wondering why you weren’t starting it, kid.”

“You’ve been hard to see lately,”

Rei, seated next to Kyle, leaned forward to look at Hildebert.

“Working even on Christmas? Humans really have it rough.”

Adam smiled in satisfaction at the two Swordmasters.

He also watched Hildebert blink, then approach them.

The white-haired man walked toward them with a refined smile on his lips.

“Yeah.”

Hildebert replied calmly as he took off his coat.

“Looks like you’ve been stuck here all day. Just look at what you’re wearing.”

“You’re the one who’s been running all over the place. Take it easy.”

“It’s Christmas~.”

Kyle answered while turning his gaze back to the screen, and Rei replied as he stretched.

“At least on a day like this, forget everything and rest. It’s a sacred day to spend with family, isn’t it?”

Hildebert chuckled.

The man hung his damp coat over an empty seatback and sat down beside Rei.

Hildebert asked,

“Nothing happened while I was gone, right?”

“Nothing at all. You didn’t get hurt either, I assume.”

“I have my Swordmaster pride.”

Hildebert answered lightly.

“What could possibly hurt me?”

Adam knew their relationship wasn’t what it used to be.

It wasn’t that they’d grown distant, or awkward, or careless with each other.

It was just that they were hiding more and more from one another. On the surface, they were still people who would die for each other—and in truth, they probably still were.

But at some point, something had slipped in between them.

And so a gap had formed.

Adam wasn’t an adult yet, so he didn’t know what had created that gap.

No one told him, and the people involved tried desperately to hide it.

So even after this birthday passed and he became an adult, he probably wouldn’t find °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° out.

That was why he decided to do what he could.

A bit of scheming, cleverly taking advantage of the fact that all three Swordmasters were weak to him.

Adam forced them to watch the same movie together.

“You have to watch it properly and tell me what you thought,”

Adam said firmly as he walked out of the theater.

“You’re not allowed to fall asleep. Got it?”

The Swordmasters responded in their own ways.

Seeing Kyle smirk as if amused by Adam’s audacity and look back up at the screen, and Rei suggest that Adam stay and watch with them, Adam smiled.

He waved at Hilde, who seemed to have guessed his intentions and was smiling apologetically.

“Enjoy the movie!”

He shouted from the entrance, then added as he closed the heavy theater door,

“Merry Christmas!”

After locking the three Swordmasters in one place, the boy hurried back to his parents.

A wide smile hung on his face as he ran without looking back.

Humming carols, Adam ran down the corridor, looking forward to the gifts his parents had prepared.

This was his last Christmas.

A peaceful evening filled with warm affection.

Happy times.

Merry Christmas.