Black Badger

Jaeyeon slowly lifted the corner of his lips.

“What do you think?”

Hildebert merely raised his eyes and stared at him.

Colton exhaled a slow stream of cigar smoke. The pale haze spread through the theater-dark space.

“I know you somehow had an audience with His Majesty. You carry His Majesty’s memories, after all.”

“Sharp.”

Jaeyeon’s eyes curved faintly.

Was it that he didn’t want to talk to the other party? Or that he had judged proper conversation to be impossible? Hildebert’s yellow gaze rolled back toward Colton.

But before the white-haired knight could speak, Colton did.

“Let’s play one more game.”

The Elder glanced at Luke Lyle.

“The final game between you and me.”

Hildebert let out a scoff.

“A hostage situation?”

“Did you expect me to point a gun at your head?”

Colton replied evenly.

“Even if Lee Seunghyun held the gun, he wouldn’t be able to kill you.”

“So you kidnap a Badger, shove him into another dimension, and call that dignity?”

“I’ve always treated you sincerely.”

The man seated at the pinnacle of human power spoke in earnest.

“I did my best every moment. Pride, dignity—I’d cast it all aside. You’re worth that much.”

Hildebert let out a weary breath.

A faint sound like nerves burning echoed. Chiiiz. The strange crackle of something smoldering mixed with hurried footsteps approaching.

Those who had entered the mansion along the path Hildebert had opened.

They seemed moments away from bursting into the space where they stood, yet no one paid it any mind.

Hildebert looked again at the junior from the workplace of the world of nothingness where he had once spent so long.

Colton broke the silence.

“You could simply go in and bring him out.”

“I’m considering cutting off your head first.”

“Then the dimensional gate will close.”

“Will it?”

The moment Colton answered, Hildebert turned to Jaeyeon.

“You going to close the gate, Jaeyeon? When I’m about to grant your lifelong wish?”

Jaeyeon burst into laughter.

Gripping the back of Colton’s chair, he laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. Hildebert closed and opened his eyes, watching the being who couldn’t even breathe from laughing.

The fox-faced man laughing like he’d lost his mind.

The one who had always stood at Colton’s side since the days Hildebert remembered.

“Finally!”

Jaeyeon shouted.

“I finally get to see this picture!”

Hildebert stared at him.

Meanwhile, Colton drank his Valentine without blinking once. Of course, Jaeyeon didn’t care about anyone’s reaction.

The one who had laughed as though he’d forgotten to breathe finally wiped the tears gathered in his eyes after a long while.

“If possible, give me the head.”

Jaeyeon said, brushing at his eyes.

Hildebert let out a sigh deep enough to sink the earth.

Then he asked no more. Perhaps he recognized that Jaeyeon’s whims were unreliable. Or perhaps he knew that, no matter what that faceless being said, he could never defy Colton’s command.

Whatever conclusion he reached, the knight lowered his reversed eyes and swiftly scanned around Luke Lyle.

Then he took two steps forward and stood at the boundary of the dimensional gate.

He did not set foot upon the ashen ground.

The tip of his blood-soaked sword rested against the boundary line.

“Did you bet that I’d lose my memory again and wander inside this dimension?”

Hildebert murmured.

“Unlike before, Cecil isn’t here—so you assumed I’d go in to save Luke and never return?”

“I can’t explain my entire hand to you.”

Colton said calmly.

“I can only assure two things: I will not stop you from entering to retrieve that Badger. And the moment my head falls, you will never see him again.”

“And what you lot might do while I’m gone?”

Hildebert replied.

“One press of a button and everything could end.”

“Why would I do that when the game hasn’t been decided?”

Colton countered.

Jaeyeon, who had circled behind the Elder’s chair and rested both arms over the backrest, smiled as well.

“Yeah. What’s wrong, Hilde? Lost your edge?”

Jaeyeon lowered his head and snickered.

“And I’m coming too.”

Cigar smoke illuminated his face.

Jaeyeon’s eyes curved into slender arcs.

“A guest’s coming to my hometown after a long time. I should guide them personally.”

“You’re coming too?”

For the first time, Hildebert’s voice was not submerged.

“Leaving Colton behind?”

Bang!

The door burst open.

The conversation broke. People flooded in at once. The air that had sunk into gloom trembled with the bustle of those who entered.

Colton remained composed. Jaeyeon pressed his face against the arm draped over the backrest and let out a scoff.

And Hildebert raised his head to look at those who had entered.

Igor, Rose, and Yoow appeared first. Igor pushed in first. Rose followed immediately behind him.

Yoow rushed in with the other Elders’ hands and feet, his sharply opened eyes capturing Hildebert—who had not gone berserk—before scanning the surroundings rapidly.

Following were Shashinsky and Levi.

The red-haired aide flinched at the sight of the dimensional gate in the center of the space and the Black Badger sleeping within.

Levi did not blink once. Though he clearly saw Luke Lyle, he seemed to judge that it posed no threat to Erich Erhart, turning his golden head instead to attend to the man entering behind him.

Erich Erhart entered, smoothing the creases of his suit.

The platinum-blond Elder ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) smiled the moment he took in the theater-like scene.

“Magnificent!”

His voice brimmed with emotion.

“A composition I never even imagined! Ah, but it’s breathtakingly beautiful. I wouldn’t have conceived such staging.”

“What?”

“Oh my.”

Hildebert wasn’t surprised at Erich’s uproar in the slightest.

Instead, he noticed Yekaterina entering behind him and let out a faint sound.

The threshold swarmed with aides.

Those in balaclavas. Those in bulletproof suits. Those dressed like ordinary civilians. Through that gathered space, an elegant woman stepped forward.

Lee Seunghyun followed directly behind her.

The Elder who arrived last stepped only as far inside as Erich Erhart had. Maintaining some distance from everyone, she alternated her gaze between Luke Lyle and Colton.

Holding her own elbows, surveying the situation, she then looked at Hildebert—who shot her a look of disbelief.

“I came because it seemed the conclusion was near.”

Yekaterina did not smile.

Her voice was flat, as if announcing a dinner menu.

“What will you do?”

“Commander.”

Yoow cut in.

“Are you going in there just to save that one child?”

Hildebert’s yellow eyes rolled.

Smoke still rose from his body. The faint sound of nerves burning persisted.

A situation where he might lose control at any moment.

Indeed, Lee Seunghyun, Shashinsky, and Levi—standing in the same space—had their eyes fixed not on Jaeyeon or Colton, but on Hildebert.

They were wary of the one who could go berserk at any second. In this room, only Jaeyeon and Colton were not tense. Jaeyeon pressed his palm to his cheek and looked down at those gathered below the step. Colton tapped ash from his cigar into the tray.

Hildebert broke the silence again.

“See the ring?”

Yoow’s brow furrowed.

“I saw it. And it doesn’t matter to me.”

“It’s real.”

“So?”

Yoow shot back.

His unstable voice made Igor—who stood ready to strike Jaeyeon at any moment—roll his eyes.

Hildebert spoke slowly.

“You remember too. What he screamed when his mimicry fell apart.”

“What? The Emperor? Or Kysis? Frankly, I don’t give a damn about either.”

Yoow began panting. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

His pale face flushed red.

“They have nothing to do with us anymore. What did they do? What did they do for nearly a hundred years? Commander, they were dead! Dead! Already fallen!”

“Look.”

Hildebert said in a cracked voice.

“My wretched old friend made an offer that’s hard to refuse.”

In a space where no field was deployed.

In a world where an ashen wind blew faintly, Luke lay peacefully, a dimmed red ring resting quietly in his palm.

And Hildebert stood right before him.

One step forward, and the absorption that was growing heavier would cease instantly.

That would grant Hildebert—barely clinging to the reins of control—a moment to breathe. He could grab Luke. With Jaeyeon entering with him, even if Jaeyeon suddenly went berserk, bystanders wouldn’t be dragged into it.

What if Colton, left alone, pressed a self-destruct button?

As he himself had said earlier—why would Colton Wiseman commit an act that brought him no benefit?

If he self-destructed, only Hildebert and Jaeyeon would survive. But Colton was not the sort to grant others such advantage, even with death at his door.

Therefore...

“Impressive.”

Erich stroked his chin, smiling.

“If it were me, I couldn’t have laid the board so meticulously. This is educational.”

“I put in some effort.”

For the first time since the Elders had entered uninvited, Colton spoke.

“If I hadn’t gone this far, my dear friend’s blade would have taken my head in one stroke. Remember that, Erhart. If you wish to sit in my seat, you must think at least this much ahead.”

“Ha.”

Erich laughed pleasantly.

“I’ll remember. Though whether I can sit there safely is another matter.”

Saying so, Erich rolled his ashen eyes toward the other Elder.

Yekaterina still wore no particular expression.

She observed only Hildebert.

“There’s nothing to gain by dragging this out.”

The Elder with pale green eyes spoke.

“Whichever it is, wouldn’t it be easier to decide quickly?”

“Jaeyeon.”

Hildebert turned his head back.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright. I’m excited!”

“Hildebert!”

“Is there a way back?”

Yoow clutched his head. Igor asked calmly.

Hildebert nodded.

“We’ll use him.”

“Jaeyeon? Will that thing willingly show the way out?”

Igor asked doubtfully, but the white-haired man smiled faintly.

He seemed certain he could coax Jaeyeon into bringing them back, one way or another.

“Don’t worry.”

Hildebert turned to his subordinates and added,

“I won’t make you wait long like before.”

Yoow’s lips parted.

But the one who had looked ready to physically stop Hildebert ultimately failed to do so.

Perhaps because he saw the white breath spilling from Hildebert’s mouth like mist.

Though the room was full of people, it felt as though only three remained.

Chiiiz. Something burned.

The knight of reversed eyes moved.

He did not step directly into the boundary. Instead, he slowly climbed the stairs and stopped before the one he had called his long-standing foe.

The Elder lifted his head and met Hildebert’s eyes.

The knight gave a subtle smile and extended his right hand.

Colton set down his cigar and clasped it.

His right hand turned ashen.

“Wait quietly.”

Hildebert smiled.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time.”

Colton returned a faint smile.

“You might meet a face you’ve longed to see.”

Hildebert did not reply.

Instead, he grabbed Jaeyeon—who had been cracking his neck—by the scruff. “What?” Jaeyeon snapped sharply, but Hildebert dragged him like luggage and descended the stairs.

Then he stood at the boundary of the dimensional gate.

“Don’t try anything stupid. Wait.”

Hildebert smiled at Yekaterina and Erich Erhart.

“I’ll be back soon.”

The knight vanished with Jaeyeon.

***

Choi Yun answered Ami’s call.

[Oppa!]

She shouted, fury spreading through her voice.

[Where the hell are you!]