Black Badger

I shook my head vigorously.

This was a misunderstanding.

After energetically denying it—trying to insist that I wasn’t Hildebert Taleb but an innocent civilian—I pointed toward the end of the corridor with my finger.

“Oh.”

Ju let out a short sound after watching my gestures.

Before I could even feel embarrassed, Ricardo smiled brightly.

Then, with a smooth motion, he showed me the screen of his phone.

“Hildebert Taleb_62nd.”

Wow, that’s a really cold way to save someone’s contact.

That thought flashed through my mind just as Ricardo hung up the call with his thumb.

Click.

At the same time, the vibration from my phone stopped.

Silence stretched tightly across the corridor.

The seniors staring straight at me...

I’m screwed.

That was the only word echoing in my head.

Completely screwed.

This was so far from the warm reunion I had been simulating in my mind.

Everyone was probably angry with me, but my plan had been to take the initiative—offer a proper apology and soften the atmosphere.

That plan had completely gone down the drain.

I had wanted to greet them somewhere safe, like the command offices...

“Why aren’t you saying anything...?”

Ricardo spoke gently.

“Trying to come up with some impossible excuse?”

Terrified, I desperately searched for somewhere to put my gaze.

It was far too late to pretend I wasn’t Hildebert. If I pushed it any further, it would only provoke their anger.

Should I apologize first?

Or should I explain that I had my reasons?

They absolutely must not shout my name...

Leaving my gaze somewhere random, I fell into deep thought.

But it seemed my eyes had stopped on the cracked wall.

“The wall?”

Ricardo’s sharp, almost laughing voice snapped me back.

“I’ll pay for that, so you don’t need to worry.”

No!

I raised both hands, shaking my head vigorously.

I really mean it!

I shook my head so intensely that I couldn’t even see the seniors’ expressions.

Ju let out a small laugh.

Then Yehyeon’s calm voice followed.

“This level of damage is fine. We can just mark it as a defect and repair it. During sports festivals people smash things all the time and it’s ignored.”

Footsteps approached.

“Actually, thanks for catching him.”

“Why aren’t you talking?”

Thunk!

Jonathan drove the sheath of his sword into the wall as he asked.

My view split in half by the sheath of the katana.

“Should I take off the gas mask?”

I answered reflexively.

“I’m sorry.”

Then, standing under the weight of everyone’s attention, I muttered quietly.

“I wasn’t planning to pretend forever.”

I spoke softly so only they could hear.

“I planned to greet you somewhere less crowded. I swear. I didn’t finish the job perfectly, so I didn’t want other people...”

“That’s not the fundamental issue.”

Jonathan said coldly.

It was the first time I had heard that senior speak in such a voice.

Why did my heart tighten so painfully when people I cared about were angry or disappointed?

Probably because I knew I was at fault.

My heart shrank even more.

I apologized sincerely.

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

If it had been me, I wouldn’t have been able to control my expression either.

Honestly, the seniors were reacting very moderately.

“I know it was selfish. That’s why I tried to wrap things up properly before returning, but I couldn’t.”

My face was hidden by the gas mask, but I raised my head and looked at the seniors surrounding me.

“I’m sorry. But... I’ve come back now.”

Then I studied their expressions.

“Are you very angry?”

Silence arrived.

It was a different kind of silence from before.

The people around me seemed to be processing what I had said.

Unlike earlier, their faces were thoughtful.

But why were they surrounding me like they were detaining a suspect who might try to flee?

I wasn’t stupid enough to attempt escape in this situation.

And I definitely didn’t have the confidence to break through all five of them...

The one who broke the silence was William, standing a few steps away.

“So the cleanup wasn’t perfect?”

Still wearing the gas mask, I nodded.

I could sense people approaching from the far end of the corridor, so I didn’t want to talk any more than necessary.

“That’s why you’re wrapped up like that?”

Nod nod again.

“Did you report it to Ska?”

At Ju’s question, I nodded again.

Ricardo covered his eyes with his hand and let out a grand sigh.

Hearing that heavy sound, I whipped my head toward him and anxiously studied his expression.

“Ah, I see. The protective suit and mask must have been brought by Gilbert.”

The Personnel Director helped me out while I was too busy reading Ricardo, Yehyeon, and Jonathan’s reactions.

He glanced at his phone and relayed the message.

“He says come upstairs with the rookie. Don’t attract unnecessary attention.”

Ska!

I mentally showered the aide with gratitude for changing the atmosphere.

Thank you. You saved my life!

If there hadn’t been so many eyes on us, I might have grabbed both his hands and thanked him directly.

At least I’d survive until we reached the command office.

Maybe it showed on my face that I was thinking that, because a green gaze shot toward me.

Even though my face was hidden behind the gas mask, I hurriedly erased the smile spreading across it.

Scary...

“...I’m glad all five of you returned safely.”

While walking toward the elevator, I murmured quietly under the constant gaze that refused to leave me.

“...Nothing happened while I was gone, right?”

Ricardo smiled and tightly grabbed my left shoulder.

I could feel emotion in the grip.

Other people had finally appeared in the corridor, so I couldn’t even plead for forgiveness anymore. I just trembled slightly while watching the curved line of my senior’s mouth and eyes.

Jonathan stood on Ricardo’s other side with his arms crossed, staring straight through my face.

Yehyeon stood ahead of them, pressing the elevator button. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back at me with an expressionless face.

Only William remained calm—the same man who had looked at me first instead of my supposed will after everything happened.

Even the Personnel Director’s expression looked strange...

“What did you expect?”

Ju asked brightly.

“Hm?”

That’s a sufficient answer...

Until we reached the second office—prepared by Ska, far from the Supreme Commander’s gaze and soundproof enough—I kept my head bowed, quietly acknowledging my sins.

This time, they joked that I wasn’t going to run away again with that long-legged stride.

***

Igor and Yoow had arrived first.

They were sitting in chairs beside Ska’s desk, their protective masks tossed aside.

The two men pushed their chairs back and stood up the moment I entered with the seniors.

Both of them examined me carefully while I stood awkwardly among the seniors.

“So you ran away when you heard the seniors were coming and got caught anyway, Commander?”

Igor snorted.

“I wondered why you suddenly burst out of the lab.”

“...No...”

Still wearing the gas mask, I replied gloomily.

Then I glanced sideways at Yoow.

The strategist raised his eyebrows as he met my gaze.

I wanted to tell him what Martin and John had said. He seemed like someone who might have already thought about it.

After all, he had built a life on Earth during the fifty years I was trapped inside the portal.

There was no way someone far smarter than me wouldn’t know about this.

But it wasn’t an urgent topic, so when Yoow’s expression silently asked Do you have something to say? I just shook my head slightly.

Later.

Ska jerked his chin toward a chair.

“Sit. Close the door.”

William shut the door firmly.

“It’s a reunion after a long time, but the situation is what it is. I can’t give you much time to catch up. Sorry.”

No one complained.

Everyone quietly took seats in the chairs filling the small office.

Even after everyone sat down, Ricardo and Jonathan’s gazes kept landing on me.

I stayed silent, feeling even more like a criminal.

Once this urgent meeting was over, I’d apologize again.

On the way here everyone had spoken to me at least once.

But Yehyeon hadn’t addressed me even once.

That fact made me even more uneasy.

He wasn’t even looking at me.

He simply watched Ska and my subordinates with that indifferent profile he used when sitting in the Supreme Commander’s seat.

He’s angry.

Feeling miserable, I wondered how I could possibly apologize to everyone.

Then Ska cleared his throat and changed the atmosphere.

“Hilde.”

My head turned.

“Finally calling you by the proper name. Well, only inside this office, I suppose. Anyway, take off the gas mask. You must be suffocating.”

On his desk lay the masks Yoow and Igor had worn.

Two pairs of latex gloves rested beside them.

“Let’s see your face again.”

He really was the kind of person who must be popular—but in a completely different way from the Personnel Director.

Thinking that, I reached up to the gas mask.

After removing it, I lowered the hood of the protective suit covering my head.

The suffocating pressure disappeared immediately...

“Huh?”

Ju and Ska spoke at the same time.

“You cut your hair?”

Everyone stared at me.

The intensity of their surprise made me a little embarrassed.

“Yes.”

Rose had trimmed it neatly, so it didn’t look strange.

Rubbing my neck awkwardly, I said,

“Is it weird? I think it looks fine...”

“Why did you cut it?”

Yehyeon’s question startled me.

I widened my eyes and carefully studied his pale, expressionless face.

“It became inconvenient for various reasons.”

I chose my words carefully, not wanting to mention Kyle and upset him.

“Wasn’t my hair like this when I was a complete rookie?”

“I hope it’s not some kind of declaration of resolve.”

Ska said.

“Though it’s funny to say that just because you cut your hair.”

I smiled bitterly.

Then I closed my mouth.

Since I had answered, I sat quietly.

Ska moved the conversation forward.

They began explaining what had happened in Core5.

With a troubled mind, I listened carefully to the information Ska and the seniors shared.

The Eternal Chaser Ju had cleverly planted was still inside Core5.

They had also attached a listening device, but it wasn’t working properly. It was active, but it only picked up strange humming sounds.

Still, it seemed the enemy had gathered in part of Core5 as if they were waiting for something.

According to GPS, the location was an area filled with remote logistics warehouses.

It was too dangerous to send people to investigate, so Ska said they would deploy surveillance drones instead.

They were also trying to enhance the Imperial language audio captured on the action camera. Once the audio file was ready, they wanted me to analyze the contents.

I nodded quietly.

Then an unexpected question came.

“Hilde.”

It was Ska’s heavy voice.

“If you faced Kyle right now, could you win?”

All eyes turned to me.

Yoow and Igor looked complicated.

I met Ska’s clear gaze and smiled faintly.

“It wouldn’t be easy.”

Even though I had finally learned aura.

“Even in the First War we couldn’t determine a winner.”

“But now as well?”

Yoow asked.

The strategist had learned during our return trip that I had awakened aura.

“I don’t think the odds are hopeless...”

“Kyle always reached enlightenment faster than I did.”

It had always been that way.

Kyle advanced ahead.

I was slower but built a stronger foundation.

And eventually we would reach equal skill.

Rei had become the youngest Swordmaster only because he was a few years younger than us.

In truth, we reached the Swordmaster realm in the same year.

And the fastest among us...

The one who refined his sword first...

“Was it Kyle?”

Yes.

Among us, the most aggressive and warrior-like one always stepped into new realms first.

“So this time as well, I’ll have to stake my life.”

Because you were always an opponent I had to face with everything I had.