Black Badger

The dragon did not explain the reason right away.

Instead, he began talking about people he knew.

To beings who lived lives approaching eternity, the names of those who could not even live a thousand years rarely reached their ears. Mere excellence was not enough. One had to shine brightly enough to dominate an entire era, to eclipse the light of other stars.

“For reference, I call humans from the Empire and humans from this place the same—human. I won’t bother distinguishing between them, so you can sort it out yourselves.”

With that, he accepted the cocoa Ami offered and continued speaking.

He talked about those whose names he had known back in the Empire. Vast lands, pristine regions untouched by human feet. In those days, when he lazed about there and had little interest in human lives.

The number of human names he knew could be ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) counted on one hand.

The Emperor.

The oldest archmage.

The first to become a child of the World Tree.

The first to kill a dragon.

A tribal chief who lived in an ice-covered snowfield.

Kysis.

Kairos.

“The first human known to us to have ever subjugated a dragon.”

The dragon smiled as he met Kairos’s eyes.

For the first time, a smile appeared on the lips of the red-haired man who until now had shown little expression.

Kairos bowed politely.

“It is an honor.”

“You lost your eyes to a venom-channel.”

The dragon said it casually, taking a sip of cocoa.

“What were you trying to subjugate?”

“A Remnant Wraith.”

At Kairos’s respectful reply, the Ice Dragon’s hand paused for an instant, the cup still raised.

The being slowly set the cocoa down, still smiling.

“You must have succeeded, if only for a moment—that’s why you lost your eyes. Fitting for the first human to ever subjugate a dragon. There’s a reason your name reached us.”

“Thank you.”

“And the great mage with yellow eyes.”

“Are you referring to Cecil?”

“Yes. And three Swordmasters with yellow eyes as well.”

The dragon looked down at the large mug and finished calmly.

“Kyle. Rei Renyr. And lastly, you. Hildebert Taleb.”

It felt like my name didn’t belong among such heavyweights.

Perhaps that thought showed on my face, because the dragon let out a small chuckle.

“When we heard that those blessed by the World Tree had taken up the path of the sword, you wouldn’t know that we actually arranged a tea time for the first time in ages.”

For a moment, I couldn’t quite grasp what he meant.

“You’re saying the Ice Dragons had tea time... because of us?”

“How many Swordmasters were there in the Empire?”

“Ten.”

Five within the Empire. Five outside it. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Those outside the Empire died one by one before the world was engulfed in corruption and fire. Some disappeared. Some were taken by illness. Some died in duels between Swordmasters. Some were swallowed by the chaos of war.

“Of those, I only knew the names of four within the Empire. The man considered the greatest among Swordmasters, and three with golden eyes. We kept an eye on those children of the World Tree who stood out even among their kind. A Swordmaster can topple an entire nation on their own. The same is true of a child of the World Tree. But then, those with yellow eyes became Swordmasters as well.”

“I had no idea. Shamefully enough, I only learned this time that polymorph was even possible.”

“We disliked interference. Only those rare few without human arrogance, those skilled in magic and monsters, ever realized that Ice Dragons were different from other dragons.”

The cocoa cup was placed on the table.

We listened to the dragon’s story in silence. By now, the seniors’ bodies had visibly relaxed. The tension and worry they’d shown when they rushed into the base were gone.

Still, there was no answer yet to the question Yun had asked.

The dragon spoke leisurely.

“In truth, from that time on, you were the one I paid the most attention to.”

I couldn’t even begin to guess why.

“May I ask the reason? Among the people you mentioned, I feel I’m the least remarkable.”

“The only twisted child of the World Tree. You received its blessing, yet never tried to use it. You were raised in a temple, inherited a holy sword—then used it to cut down the sacred tree.”

Ah. Curiosity toward a uniquely miserable fate?

As I was trying to understand, the dragon smiled faintly.

“That’s how your story was told during tea time. But what impressed me more was the footage of your battles another dragon brought in a crystal orb.”

Really?

My swordsmanship was certainly inferior to Kysis’s.

And compared to Kyle and Rei, my skill had always been roughly even...

“Your sword strikes are beautiful.”

I blinked.

“Like the wings of a pure white bird.”

Blood rushed to my face.

I didn’t need a mirror to know how red I’d become.

I lowered my gaze, struggling to stay composed so I wouldn’t stammer like an idiot.

“Thank you.”

“What I ask isn’t anything difficult.”

As I offered a small bow, the dragon finally revealed his answer.

“Just two things. First—once you’ve recovered, will you show me that sword strike in person?”

I was surprised at how simple the request was.

I lifted my head and answered,

“Of course.”

“Good. I’ve often thought of your swordsmanship. Dragons have different tastes, but yours is my favorite among all the sword strikes I’ve seen in three thousand years.”

I shouldn’t look this happy.

But I was failing spectacularly. It had been a long time since I’d been praised for my sword. My expression refused to cooperate.

I was... happy.

People had told me I was skilled, or reacted in shock when they saw my sword, but most didn’t even understand what swordsmanship truly was.

Only three humans understood now. Lee Seunghyun. Lee Yehyeon. Jonathan Kudo.

The first two were effectively my students—hardly in a position to praise me. Jonathan and I were extremely careful about evaluating each other’s swordsmanship. Our styles were fundamentally different. His sword was far more delicate and refined than mine.

Technique that emphasized sharpness over force. A style never used in the Empire, one that could never walk the path of a Swordmaster. I thought highly of his sword as well. Jonathan was a good swordsman. He never neglected his training, and it showed that he loved the blade.

Because of that, we maintained an unspoken courtesy regarding each other’s swords, rarely speaking of them.

Which meant—it had been a very long time since I’d received praise for my sword.

And to receive such praise from someone who had watched countless sword strikes over three thousand years...

“It’s an honor.”

“The pleasure is mine. I’m looking forward to it.”

“And the second request?”

I forced myself to continue the conversation, determined not to be carried away by the praise.

The dragon smiled.

“Oh, that one’s not difficult either. Will you take a photo with me?”

“...Pardon?”

“That includes posting the photo on my account.”

Huh?

This time, I truly didn’t understand.

I must have looked utterly stupid, judging by how the others recovered first and started asking questions.

Ami spoke up.

“On the DK account?”

“That’s right.”

“Is DK coming back?”

Ami slammed her cocoa down.

“You’re uploading videos again?!”

“I think I’ve napped enough.”

“With the utmost respect—whether we can agree to that request will need to be confirmed after returning to Center Core.”

Surprisingly, it was Kairos who interjected.

When I turned, the red-haired man was standing nearby with his hands clasped behind his back. The handler smiled pleasantly as he looked down at the Ice Dragon in their underage form.

“That’s because the DK account’s reputation needs to be reviewed. I ask for your understanding if this is unpleasant. It’s a mandatory process. Approval from the Black Badger side will also be required.”

“Is that so?”

I blurted out, dumbfounded.

“You have to be that careful? You didn’t ask permission when you posted a photo with him.”

“Posting on an account with a million followers requires caution. Don’t worry. I’ll ask my former manager to check whether it’s okay to post. Reputation management is important. You’re quite famous yourself.”

“I’m still famous?”

“Hilde fan pages exist!”

...What?

I turned to Ami at her shout.

Before I could ask how I, someone who wasn’t a celebrity, influencer, or athlete, could possibly have a fan page, Ami yelled again.

“Over a hundred thousand followers!”

“How do I have a fan page? I don’t even use SNS, and I’m not a public figure.”

When I asked, Ricardo and Yun both let out deep, heavy sighs.

Why.

What did I do this time?

Panicking, I rolled my eyes between the two seniors.

Naturally, neither of them looked remotely inclined to explain.

Both simply stared into the air with expressions that clearly said, Of course he would.

The dragon, meanwhile, wasn’t offended at all.

“My account’s reputation isn’t that bad. Offline shows always sold out too. I didn’t disappear because of any scandal.”

“Is that so?”

Kairos asked Ami.

Ami pressed her lips together and tilted her head.

“I’m not sure.... I just watched sometimes when videos popped up. I only know that he disappeared at some point.”

“Look it up when we get back. There weren’t any problematic issues.”

“Then why me?”

If the goal was publicity, wouldn’t it make more sense to take a photo with Kairos instead of me?

Perhaps sensing the unspoken question, the dragon rested his chin on his hand and smiled.

“I don’t know much about F1. I know that the author named Black Jack is famous enough that even someone like me has heard of him—but I prefer you. The one who threw himself into danger and became famous for saving a small human.”

“...Thank you.”

This was going so smoothly it was almost embarrassing.

“You can give me your answer about the photo after you return.”

To a dragon with no real concept of lifespan, humans were ultimately short-lived.

Even those who did not age were the same. Without ever revealing his true name, the dragon made that stance clear. He liked my swordsmanship. He liked that I saved small lives. So he would help restore my leaf-veins. But that was all.

He’d vaguely heard that the Swordmasters had fallen into internal conflict—but he wasn’t curious beyond that.

“Thank you.”

I bowed politely and stood.

Then, turning to the seniors who were about to rise as well, I said,

“May I go alone?”

The Badgers stared at me.

Meeting the gazes flying toward me, I gave a wry smile.

“It’s not like the pain lessens just because you’re beside me.”

“We can hold your hand.”

Ami said quietly.

“You don’t want us to see you in pain?”

“Yes.”

When I answered firmly, the corners of Ami’s eyebrows drooped.

I wanted to pat her head, but Ami didn’t like being touched that way. So I just smiled apologetically.

The seniors all wore expressions of restrained words.

Kairos turned his head toward me.

“It’s going to be truly horrific.”

“I got a brief taste earlier. It was.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

The handler smiled sympathetically and stepped aside to let me pass into the corridor.

“About ten hours.”

Ten hours?

My vision went distant for a moment.

Isn’t that way too long...?

***

At the words ten hours, Hildebert panicked and insisted on receiving the mana infusion somewhere other than the bedroom.

If he spent ten hours groaning, wouldn’t there be nowhere for them to sleep?

Hildebert kept insisting on moving the bed to another room until Ricardo finally snapped at him in a sharp voice.

In the end, Ricardo shot back,

“So you’re saying we should just sleep while you’re suffering? I can see exactly how you think of us~....”

Hildebert had a particular tendency to be afraid of Ricardo.

The golden-eyed man surrendered immediately.

“I’m sorry.”

Muttering that, he obediently went to the bedroom.

“Then I’ll go receive the treatment.”

Two and a half hours had passed since he went in.

From the beginning, those who came to Antarctica had never intended to grant Hildebert’s request.

Ricardo rose from the chair where he’d been lounging.

“I’ll be back....”

He said it to Yun, and Yun didn’t stop him.

Taking a small towel, the man stepped into the corridor.

Ricardo walked into the room where the dragon and Hildebert were.