Black Badger

Rose helped trim my hair.

I should have killed Yekaterina.

Brushing my now slightly lighter hair with my hand, I thought to myself.

I should have killed her no matter what.

There hadn’t been enough time. But realistically, I knew that regretting it now wouldn’t change anything.

Even if someone else had been put in my place, they wouldn’t have been able to kill her either.

And right now, leaving it to Erich Erhart instead of stepping forward myself was far cleaner and more efficient.

Eric was right. He wasn’t just a lucky politician with bizarre tastes. Twisted though he was, he had the ability—and there was still enough force left for him to corner Yekaterina.

So I had to do my own job.

There was a mountain of things to do. I needed to quickly determine Kyle’s movements. I had piles of questions to throw at the old spider who had been our straw, and I was also curious about the movements of the Black Badgers.

However...

“I was planning to go back.”

Erich Erhart had provided a place where we could settle the aftermath of the battle among ourselves.

Thanks to that, we were able to take care of the most urgent matters quickly.

Apologizing to the startled subordinates, gathering the survivors, confirming the dead.

After that, we contacted the families of the deceased.

Okazaki answered right away.

[ I see. ] 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He didn’t collapse or blame me.

Instead, swallowing his grief, he tried to comfort me.

[ That old man had a thrilling time at the end of his life, so he probably has no regrets. Since he became someone who couldn’t die of old age, he kept saying over and over that he wanted to die in a magnificent way. ]

“I’m sorry I can’t come by right away.”

[ It’s fine. Just don’t carry unnecessary guilt. I made a new menu item this time, so when the time comes, come try that. ]

“A new menu?”

[ Lexic pasta. ]

Sounds delicious.

[ It turned out pretty good, so I’ll be waiting for the day you come. ]

Apologetically and gratefully, the others also hid their resentment beyond their throats.

The situation gradually settled.

After finishing one round of calls with my kin, I opened the messaging app.

I had spoken with Yun earlier, but it had been a while since I checked my messages.

My thumb slowed as it moved toward the inbox that was piled up to the point of bursting.

I’m so sleepy.

I want to take a quick nap.

But I need to grasp the situation a little more...

I stared down at the mountain of messages.

Messages filled with grief from countless people dug into my chest.

“I was planning to return after apologizing for worrying everyone, but it looks like it’ll be difficult for now.”

“Erhart will handle it soon.”

Yoow answered.

“Until then, it would be best if you continue maintaining your current state. Now that she’s more desperate than ever, I can’t say she won’t pour artillery shells on wherever you are.”

I thought so too.

That was why I had tried so desperately to take Yekaterina’s head at the mansion. I wanted to apologize to the seniors as soon as possible. But the attempt had failed, and now I couldn’t face the people who cared about me with confidence.

I didn’t think it would take long...

“Get some sleep. You never know when you’ll have to rush out again.”

“I’ll just check the messages.”

Of course, I couldn’t actually enter the inbox. Someone who was supposed to be dead couldn’t leave a read mark on messages.

So I could only check the last message each person had sent.

[ Bobby Winter : Why haven’t you checked yet? ]

[ Leeho Chang : Contact me when you return. I don’t believe it. ]

[ Asil Fiscer : You’re not an ordinary human like that man. ]

[ Shu Diamond : Cecil is sleeping peacefully again today. ]

[ Tom : When the time comes, could you contact me? ]

[ San : The flowers increased again. ]

[ Ami : I’m the strongest Badger, right? ]

Hm?

I widened my eyes after reading Ami’s casually written message.

There were fifty-eight messages stacked up.

Did something happen?

I stared at the last message Ami had sent and then entered the chat window.

Thankfully, I could check the message windows of those who knew I was alive. They would quietly hide the fact that I had survived.

And there probably wasn’t any Elder right now with the presence of mind to hack my phone and leak it to the press.

[ Ami : I miss Hilde ]

Ah.

[ Ami : Giacomo 🖕 ]

Huh?

[ Ami : Giacomo 🖕🖕]

Did she fight with Ro?

[ Ami : Ro 🖕🖕🖕]

[ Ami : Komoja Ho is stupid! ]

[ Ami : I hope you come back soon ]

[ Ami : Jack’s been down lately ]

[ Ami : Milk is sulking too so I comforted him this time ]

[ Ami : Are you eating well? ]

Ami’s message window was filled with muttered monologues mixed with messages directed at me.

I’m glad she seems to be doing well.

Smiling as I read them, I checked the next message window.

Ricardo, Jonathan, Jack, Yehyeon, Yun, and Walker.

First, Ricardo’s message...

...just one?

[ Ric : Grenade? ]

I began trembling with fear.

Because I immediately realized it was the word I had shouted when I went to Ricardo’s house.

He was angry.

He was definitely angry.

There was no way he wouldn’t be.

[ Sorry... ]

I hesitated while trying to reply.

I had no idea where he was or what he was doing, so I couldn’t send a careless message.

I should contact him once things were confirmed.

If he was in a situation where he could receive a call, he’d see that I had read the message and immediately contact me back...

[ Jonathan : Take care of yourself. ]

Jonathan had also left only one message.

The neatly placed period at the end was very like him.

I smiled apologetically. I knew that night he had chased after me on a motorcycle, even bringing out a sports car to try and stop me. He must have been worried and angry to do something like that. Everyone was already busy with their own work.

There were no additional messages from Yehyeon.

Probably because of his position.

Even if he had stepped down from the Supreme Commander’s seat, the reputation he had built over decades—and the authority that came with it—wouldn’t disappear.

He even knew the faces of the raccoons personally, so sending a single message would have been difficult.

Yun had said Yehyeon was currently in another Core.

If I called Yun, I’d learn exactly where Yehyeon was.

Yun...

[ Yun : Is that you? ]

What on earth did this guy install on my phone?

The moment I scrolled down to check Yun’s message, a new message appeared.

A chill ran down my spine as I stared blankly at the screen.

He did this last time too.

What the hell did this guy put on my phone?!

[ This is a violation of privacy... ]

[ Yun : Then it must be you ]

The reply came back before I even sent the message.

Holding the phone with trembling hands, I muttered darkly to myself.

“The moment Yekaterina gets caught, I’m reporting that I’m alive and replacing this phone first.”

“Huh?”

Igor arched his eyebrow and looked at me.

“Your phone broken?”

[ Yun : Call me when you finish checking updates ]

My mentor sent another message as if it were nothing.

[ Yun : You’re busy anyway ]

I know!

For a moment I almost squeezed my finger too hard in anger.

But I barely regained my composure and checked the remaining messages.

There were no notable messages from Walker.

I had sent him outside the Core with Lin just before entering here.

Even though the area was covered by the Core, we didn’t know what could happen, so I told them to get as far away from Zone X as possible. But I hadn’t heard from them since. Lin hadn’t contacted me either, and anxiety gnawed at my insides.

It was impossible to confirm casualties caused by the bomb dropped in Zone X.

The bodies of my kin, including Georges, had burned away in an instant.

I had promised myself I would give them a proper funeral later before rushing into the mansion.

But forget a funeral—there wasn’t even a scrap of clothing left to bury.

Still, I had no time to dwell on that.

Everything later.

My subordinates were checking whether Lin was alive or dead...

[ Your movement is suspicious ]

Huh?

I blinked after reading Kairos’s message.

Was he worried about hacking?

The strange message the handler had sent stared back at me. It was written in the Imperial language’s pronunciation using the alphabet. The strangely broken Imperial sentence had been assembled with letters.

[ Looks like you’re preparing to head toward the border ]

[ I can sense creatures moving in groups, so I sent a report over the radio. ]

[ To your mentor as well. ]

Without hesitation, I pressed the call button.

Yun answered immediately again.

“Yun!”

[ Did you win this time? ]

His calm voice came back.

Instead of answering right away, I tried to catch the sounds around him.

Earlier I had been too distracted to pay attention to where he was.

But now I had to understand what was happening and respond accordingly.

If Kyle was really moving now, as Kairos said...

[ I’m heading toward the Center Core border. ]

My mentor’s indifferent voice returned.

[ By train. I’ll arrive within three hours. I heard a nuke went off in Zone X—looks like you got out safely? ]

“...Yes.”

I answered while listening to the sound of rails through the phone.

“Are Creatures gathering in groups at the Center Core border?”

[ According to the driver. ]

“I’ll try calling Jack—”

[ Before that. ]

Yun cut me off.

I closed my mouth and waited for what he would say next.

He wasn’t someone who talked nonsense.

The moment I fell silent, Yun spoke.

[ Can you show your face and come out? ]

Sharp as always.

“No. I missed one.”

[ Then hide your face and return to headquarters. ]

“What?”

Headquarters?

[ Put on a quarantine suit or something like a gas mask and go in. They’re still doing construction there, so workers are wandering around anyway. ]

“I see. But why headquarters...”

[ Because there’s a portal there. ]

I heard the clatter of bullets.

[ With our current strength, we can’t just fight Kyle—we’d struggle even to hold him in place. The moment we arrive at the frontier, we’ll install a portal device. Whether we use it as an escape route or a reinforcement route, we’ll only know once we get there. ]

“Ah.”

So he was telling me to come.

Understanding the situation, I said I understood and stood up.

“Understood. But there’s also a portal device in this mansion, so there’s no need to go all the way to headquarters—”

[ I know. But headquarters has both a portal and information. ]

Then Yun relayed information he had heard from Aide Ska.

They were fragmentary reports from Core 5.

After hearing the shocking contents, I froze in place.

“Meierbold is there—”

They won’t be able to win with just those people...

[ Listen until the end. ]

Yun cut me off coldly.

[ That bastard just withdrew. I didn’t hear the details either, and the situation still seems to be unfolding, so I’m telling you to find Ska. Something about the whole situation feels strange. ]

Yun was right.

After hearing everything that had happened in Core 5, I decided I had to return to headquarters.

I needed to go and clearly understand the situation before acting.

It might sound arrogant, but I was quite a powerful chess piece.

Depending on where I was placed, the outcome could change.

“Thank you. I’ll return immediately. I’ll be careful not to be discovered. If she finds out I’m at headquarters, bombs might fall on it.”

[ If you want to act paranoid, sure. ]

Yun’s voice suddenly became indifferent.

[ Honestly I doubt it’s necessary. A guy who barely crawled back alive and is being chased ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) by another Elder isn’t exactly in a position to attack immediately. But do whatever you want. Just hope you don’t run into someone with sharp eyes. ]

“Yes. Well, most of the seniors seem to be on the train.”

[ Plenty of them are stationed at headquarters too. ]

“...They won’t recognize me, right?”

[ You’re terrible at acting. ]

That’s harsh!

And also—

“Yun, honestly, if I hadn’t stepped forward then you wouldn’t have found me! And who the hell just lets their wrist get crushed like that while trying to find someone? Seriously, never do that again!”

[ Do your best. ]

My mentor now spoke with a mocking tone.

[ There are plenty of people trying to kill you. ]

Exaggerating just to scare me.

Grumbling, I ended the call.

Then I immediately summoned my subordinates and began preparing for the return.

It really was time to go back.

Even if I couldn’t enter openly.

Touching the hair that had been cut short enough to cover the back of my neck, I finished preparing to return to society.

I cleaned my sword and put it away, changed my clothes.

Then I chewed on a hamburger my subordinates had brought while waiting for transportation to headquarters to be arranged.

Thinking about the seniors who were surely busy with their own duties...

It’s time to return.

To the place where my second life began.

To the place I had grown far more attached to than I ever expected during those three years.

***

“Hey.”

Someone called out to me.

“Stop for a moment.”