Black Badger

What is with that expression?

The moment the thought crossed my mind, the Fire Dragon lifted lightly into the sky. The people gathered around Noya let out small sounds and stepped back.

The dragon I had expected to fly away instead drifted closer to me.

From atop the dragon hovering within arm’s reach, Kairos leaned down and looked at me.

He still wore an awkward expression.

“Mm.”

Why does he look like that?

Should I have called him when no one else was around?

Or was the timing simply wrong?

I studied his faintly troubled face, trying to grasp the situation.

Ah.

He must be angry because of something I did recently.

I was aware that I had done something that warranted an apology.

But what exactly had I done?

As I searched my memory, Kairos spoke.

“What is it, Sir Hildebert?”

My mouth fell open.

“What?”

“Ah. I suppose I should call you Commander now.”

The man who had won the Familiar Tournament and become a royal handler.

Since his first victory, he had begun speaking casually to those who were not knights of noble birth, in accordance with court etiquette.

His red hair—belonging to the man unanimously acknowledged as the Empire’s greatest handler—fluttered in the wind.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t congratulated you yet. Congratulations on your promotion to Commander.”

“Ah. Right. Thanks.”

“Did Kyle say he had something to tell me?”

“Kyle?”

No...

Why am I reacting like this?

And why am I the only one feeling hurt?

I could not understand the emotions rising inside me. It wasn’t as though I felt entirely happy. That much was certain. Yet I couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

Guilt. Hurt. Embarrassment.

These irrational feelings were so intense they blurred my reasoning. Only belatedly did I remember why I had come to find Kairos.

By then, the handler was already ascending into the sky with Noya.

“Then I’ll see you again when there’s a chance!”

“Wait.”

I called out urgently—but too late.

Kairos shot upward in an instant. The Fire Dragon pierced the open sky and vanished from sight without so much as a few wingbeats.

A brilliant red against the blue sky.

People murmured in awe at the sight.

I stared blankly at the round stretch of sky the dragon had crossed, then finally came back to myself.

I had come to ask about the creature.

The strange sense of dissonance remained unresolved.

Instead, I was left with an inexplicable sense of lightness.

Something is wrong.

But why does fear creep in whenever I try to identify the cause...?

***

“Were you close with Kairos?”

Kyle asked the next day, eyebrows lifting as though he had heard something.

“Well, we weren’t on bad terms. But close enough for nicknames? I don’t think so.”

“Is that so.”

Still somewhat shaken, I muttered the answer.

I didn’t understand myself either.

There was absolutely no reason for me to feel this hurt. Even if, in some drunken lapse involving plum wine, I had once shortened his name and decided to call him that—and even if Kairos had forgotten that fact—there was no reason for me to be this wounded over it.

How should I describe it?

As though I had introduced Kyle and Rei as my dearest friends to someone, only for them to look at me strangely upon hearing it.

Kyle and Rei had never once looked at me that way, of course...

......

...What?

“Have you ever been disappointed in me?”

“What?”

“Or hated me?”

Kyle, who had been lifting his quill from the inkwell, froze mid-motion.

His golden eyes stared at me.

Seated across from him at the spruce desk, I waited for his answer.

Instead of replying, Kyle set the quill down and pried my eyelids open with his fingers.

He leaned in close and examined my eyeballs.

“What are you doing!”

“Your eyes look normal. Not herbs, then.”

“I said it’s not!”

Even as I shoved him away irritably, I understood why he reacted like that.

If Kyle or Rei suddenly started behaving this way, I would suspect magic or herbal interference too.

I sighed and waved a hand.

“Don’t worry about it. It’ll pass.”

“You’re not having hallucinations or hearing voices, are you?”

“Not that bad—”

[Sunbae!]

The world shook.

My eyes widened.

The shout was heavy enough to rattle the very structure of my perception.

[Sunbae!!]

I straightened abruptly and stared into empty air.

I turned my head, searching for the owner of the voice.

“Hildebert.”

“Didn’t you hear that?”

It wasn’t Imperial.

“Or have I finally started hearing things?”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

Kyle leaned forward and grabbed my arm.

“Cecil said you weren’t under a spell, right? But she’s not a black mage. We should find one from the Imperial Palace.”

“...I went to see Kairos in case it was a creature.”

Who was that?

The voice wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

But neither was it someone I knew well.

I had heard it once or twice before.

■■?

■■’s younger sibling?

No.

The name won’t come—

Only when I felt someone pulling me to my feet did I properly recognize Kyle in front of me.

It happened again.

“Sorry. I should be easing your burden, not giving you more to worry about.”

“Stop thinking in strange ways and go see a black mage.”

Kyle snapped.

“Better to resolve it before it gets worse.”

I agreed.

So I nodded, thanked him, and left the office.

***

It wasn’t black magic.

Which meant it wasn’t a curse either. In fact, they told me it felt like something opposite to a curse had been placed upon me.

Opposite to a curse? What does that even mean?

I asked, but they could not determine anything definite.

I visited the Grand Temple as well, just in case, but they found no abnormalities either. I merely ended up chatting with the High Priest and Deltei, who had warmly welcomed me.

Time passed.

My strange behavior was not severe enough to cause real problems, so life continued peacefully. It did not directly affect the present situation.

Whenever I stood before someone I knew, I was seized by odd emotions. But I did not convulse or collapse.

It did not affect my swordsmanship.

Gradually, I began to grow accustomed to it.

Once, in front of Grand Duke Jacques, I absentmindedly muttered, “my godchild,” and received in return, “Have you hidden a child somewhere?”

And when I saw Noel, tears fell for reasons I could not explain.

Still, none of it was disastrous.

What concerned those around me more was my obsessive training.

“Aura?”

Grand Duke Jacques came to the Imperial capital’s forest one day after hearing rumors, and after watching a sparring session between me and Kysis, he scoffed.

“That exists only in legends.”

No.

You saw it too.

The retort nearly left my mouth.

Knowing it would be an abnormal answer, I managed to keep silent at the last moment. As always, Kysis noticed my odd reaction.

But he pretended not to and merely observed me quietly.

“I hear you don’t sleep either. Is a dragon chasing your life?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why drive yourself like this?”

I don’t know.

I only gave an awkward smile. The Duke studied me for a moment, then turned away.

The ever-upright man returned to the carriage where his attendants waited.

“Take it easy. You were promoted not long ago.”

Should I?

There was much to learn, much to adapt to. Yet times this peaceful were rare.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to enjoy it.

I stared blankly into the air and leaned back against a tree.

Just a little...

***

“Aren’t you bored?”

Colton said.

Those standing before the massive screen lifted their heads.

The eyes of those watching the not-quite-closed dimensional gate turned upward. Colton Wiseman looked down at the gathered figures who had come to witness the final game’s outcome.

“No telling how long it’ll take. Are you going to stand there the whole time?”

“He’ll return soon.”

Igor replied.

His black eyes brimmed with killing intent. If he wished, he could cross the distance in a single stride and sever Colton’s head.

But everyone present knew he would not.

Vengeance belonged to Hildebert.

“Enjoy your last drink.”

“I’ve finished it.”

Colton rose from his seat and descended the stairs slowly. The first aides of Erich Erhart and Yekaterina immediately moved to shield their masters.

Colton ignored their overreaction.

What did they think he would do? Rush over and swing a sword like Hildebert?

“A cigar?”

Erhart asked as Colton approached the mahogany desk in the corner of the small theater.

“Thank you, but no. I’ll have coffee.”

“You know how to brew it yourself?”

“I would need subordinates left alive to order. As expected, physically overpowering Hildebert is impossible.”

“You should have let him die.”

Yekaterina said as she watched Colton grind the beans.

“Your greed hastened your end.”

Colton did not grow angry.

A faint smile touched his lips. He focused on brewing.

Only after the cup was filled did he reply.

“Knowing that ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) and still indulging greed—that’s who we are.”

He lifted the cup and turned.

“You as well. Otherwise, why climb to such heights?”

Yekaterina did not answer.

Colton chuckled softly at the gazes fixed upon him. The coffee he brewed after so long was tolerable.

Jaeyeon, after all, brewed terrible coffee.

Occasionally, after devouring someone’s personality, they managed a decent cup—but rarely.

How long until the end?

Colton briefly thought of Jaeyeon standing beside the broken Emperor—he had never been whole since falling into the ashen world—then dismissed the thought.

Patience was essential in all things. But there was no reason to do nothing while waiting.

“Allow me to make a proposal.”

He spoke calmly. All eyes sharpened.

“You are aware that you are standing atop numerous bombs.”

“Planning to detonate them?”

Yoow asked sharply.

“Now that you see the end, will you drag us down with you?”

“Beneath this land lie ordinary explosives. But also nuclear warheads.”

Colton stated the fact evenly.

“And somewhere within this estate lies the key to unlocking the device protecting those warheads. Whoever finds it may claim it.”

Yoow’s mouth fell open.

Not only him—everyone present reacted.

Weapons powerful enough to devour even Hildebert and Kyle, yet so destructive they were unusable.

But if acquired, they would certainly overturn the board.

Colton had spoken the truth.

There was no reason to lie in such a moment.

And now that they had heard it, they could not ignore it.

Colton watched as Yekaterina flicked her fingers, summoning her aides—except Lee Seunghyun—and as Erhart shrugged with an amused smile.

Erhart gestured first.

“Go search. If you don’t even try to seize such an opportunity, you’re unfit to be Elders.”

“Secure it first.”

Yekaterina ordered sharply.

“At any cost.”

The theater emptied in seconds.

Only those necessary remained.

Hildebert’s subordinates. Two Elders. Three of Colton’s closest.

Those fit to participate in the ending.

Even knowing his head might fall within a minute, Colton Wiseman found the situation rather enjoyable.

If Hildebert returned victorious, then he and whoever held the nuclear key would be executed together.

If Hildebert returned dazed, carried back by Jaeyeon, then Erhart and Yekaterina would be executed.

Even if Hildebert chose mercy, once a warhead key was in one hand, one of the two would inevitably fall.

Of the three, only one would survive.

Who would it be?

“Coffee?”

Colton asked lightly.

“It’s better than what my subordinates make.”

He returned to his seat.

***

Choi Yun had hung a Do Not Disturb sign.

It wasn’t strictly necessary, but it would prevent intrusion by incompetents.

Though few were foolish enough to kick open his lab door.

He was deep in thought.

Bang!

The door opened.

“Sunbae!”

“Huh.”

Yun, arms folded, rolled his eyes.

What fresh incompetence is this?

“What is it?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re busy.”

The voice was not foolish.

Clear. Firm.

The only man in Black Badger whose recognition surpassed even Hildebert’s stood gripping the doorframe.

“Creatures are advancing.”

Jack Black said, clearly having run.

“Toward Center Core’s perimeter.”