Black Badger

The cabin was intact.

For a moment I wondered if the chaos might have drawn a third Elder here. Thankfully, while I’d been unconscious, Choi Yun had reinforced the cabin’s perimeter.

That didn’t mean it was impossible to break in. It meant I’d know if someone did.

He hadn’t sealed it off completely. There wasn’t much here worth stealing anyway.

The painting was currently stored in Kairos’s personal vault.

Apparently, it had been moved there on Yoow’s suggestion while I was in a coma.

Anyway, after confirming nothing was wrong, I went inside.

It was fully dawn now.

I poured Kairos some tea.

“Milk. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Piik.”

The thief snowflake poking its head out from behind Kairos’s neck half-opened its eyes before hopping down to the floor.

Looks sleepy.

The fluffy creature stretched its mouth wide in a yawn, then curled up on the living room carpet.

“...Huh.”

I blinked.

“Is it okay for him to sleep?”

“Hmm.”

Kairos folded his arms and looked down at his familiar with a faint smile.

“I’ll wake him when we’re ready. Though he’ll probably wake on his own.”

“It worked faster than I expected, though.”

I knew that from experience—I’d hidden and released my own presence before.

Fortunately, the process itself was simple. In some ways, it was far better than the methods nobles and assassins used back in the Empire.

The drug reminded me of Green Dream.

You just had to take it.

There was also an injection method, but Yoow said he always used the pills.

“Do we need to go get it?”

“I left it in the kitchen drawer. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Kairos’s place was only about five minutes away round trip.

“Will Igor be asleep?”

“At this hour, he’s usually either asleep or not home.”

Still wandering as always.

“He’s probably asleep.”

“Should I wake him?”

“Is there a need?”

Kairos said, heading toward the door.

“You’re not releasing your presence, after all.”

“Still, you two get along pretty well now.”

Living together wasn’t easy, no matter how big the house was—especially when one person was busy and the other had a habit of wandering.

But Kairos and Igor hardly ever crossed paths.

Igor used to hate familiars, too.

Yet somehow, they’d never clashed even once. Neither of them were the type to lie about something like that, so it had to be true.

They’re both pretty easygoing...

Kairos placed his hand on the doorknob and smiled.

“Not something worth waking someone from a good sleep over.”

“Well, if you say so.”

I shrugged.

“I’ll wait. Take your time.”

While Kairos went to get the pills, I changed into my usual sleep clothes.

Then I sat down next to Milk and checked my phone.

There were a few messages.

I hesitated over whether to reply to Ricardo Sordi, who was asking about my condition.

In the end, I decided not to wake a senior at this hour and reply in the morning instead.

Then I opened Yoow’s chat.

[Kairos is about to release his presence.]

I sent it, assuming he’d see it tomorrow morning.

My phone rang.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

I blinked, startled, and answered.

[What happened?]

Instead of responding, Yoow fired the question sharply.

I checked the time.

2 a.m.

“Staying up this late isn’t good for you.”

[Answer me first!]

“No casualties. No property damage either.”

After giving the most important part first, I briefly explained what had happened.

By the time I finished, Kairos had returned. He entered after /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ punching in the code, saw me, and immediately grasped the situation.

Smiling, he sat across from me.

I gestured to him with my eyes and continued.

“So Kai’s right in front of me now.”

Yoow let out a long sigh.

[I see. Understood.]

“Will it be a problem?”

[Not anymore. If anything, it’ll be more convenient to release it now.]

“Do you want to release yours too?”

It was something I’d wanted to ask for a while.

Yoow didn’t answer right away.

When he did, it was slow.

[I’m actually more comfortable like this.]

“That makes sense.”

I agreed immediately.

I didn’t want him to feel like he had to match me.

“Honestly, we all found it inconvenient. That’s why the royals and mages hid it so carefully.”

[...Still, I’ll release it when necessary.]

“That won’t happen.”

I answered softly.

“I’m planning to deal with the one who attacked us soon anyway. Go to sleep. We can talk about the Elders tomorrow.”

[I’ll be hearing about Kyle too.]

...What?

How does he know that?

I blinked in surprise.

[I heard everything from Ami. Even about your heart.]

“I didn’t know you two had gotten that close.”

[Not by choice.]

For a moment, Yoow sounded genuinely exhausted.

[I’ve already cleared over forty rooms. Do you know that? And they were all easy paths—now it’s nothing but dirt-filled ones...]

I didn’t really understand what he meant.

Some kind of game terminology?

“...Sorry. I don’t follow.”

[Just finish up and go to sleep.]

He replied dryly.

[I’m going to bed.]

“Yeah. Get some rest.”

I hung up.

Kairos, sitting across from me, smiled.

“You contacted him?”

“I sent a message and he called immediately.”

“That reminds me—you should’ve received an advertisement offer.”

Kairos opened the transparent pill container.

“To be precise, one the headquarters might approve. My former manager contacted you. Did you see it?”

“Hold on.”

I’d stopped checking messages earlier.

I went through the unread ones.

Ah, there it is.

Clothing brand and perfume brand offers. The message recommended the latter—higher-end image, better pay.

Is that perfume brand famous?

Kairos’s former manager even listed exact rates.

He’d been Kairos’s manager right up until his retirement as a driver. Now he worked at a management company. According to Kairos, he was genuinely a good person.

He’d also been the one to first inform the industry about Kairos’s retirement.

And he was the one who helped carry me when I collapsed with a fever while visiting Kairos.

Still... the pay is ridiculously high again.

“Am I really that effective for promotion?”

I muttered.

Kairos chuckled.

“You’re as famous as I am in Center Core now.”

“That can’t be true.”

“You might even be more famous. It’s just less visible because it’s not the fan type.”

“Is that perfume brand well-known?”

“Fairly. I’ve modeled for them once.”

I see.

I’d need to check with HQ in the morning.

After confirming it was fine to leave a message now, I replied to the manager.

Then everything was done.

I set my phone down slowly and looked into orange eyes.

The dawn was painfully quiet.

“Let’s do it.”

Kairos smiled.

“Alright.”

He opened the container.

At the same time, I stood and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Cold, just taken out.

Kairos accepted it with a smile.

Then swallowed the pill.

I watched his throat move, tense.

If nothing went wrong, the suppression would drop immediately.

Why am I this nervous?

There’s no reason to be...

“Ah.”

I moved to sit on the sofa—

And the effect hit.

“...Whoa.”

“You feel it?”

Kairos asked quietly.

“It’s been a long time.”

I collapsed into the seat across from him.

My legs gave out under the weight of it.

He didn’t move, just watched me.

I stared back at him, dazed.

I could feel it.

He was right there.

Not just visible—present.

It was a familiar sensation.

Something anyone from the Empire would recognize instantly.

A powerful signal.

Back then, when Kairos entered the palace under the Emperor’s favor, he suppressed his presence. But the moment he stepped outside—likely because of Noya—he released it again.

So whenever he ran wild beyond the palace walls, I used to track that blazing presence to find him.

That overwhelming force—

The first to command a dragon.

The Fire Dragon Lord.

“I thought you might cry.”

Kairos smiled faintly.

“But not like this.”

“...When I woke up, I was alone.”

I didn’t even bother wiping the tears.

“Even in that gray space, I wasn’t alone... so...”

“You must’ve been lonely. I’m sorry.”

“No... that’s not it... and your presence... it’s really been fifty years...”

“Haha.”

The Fire Dragon Lord laughed.

“Same as before?”

Through blurred vision, I nodded.

“Yeah.”

His smile deepened.

“That’s a relief.”

“...I...”

I couldn’t finish.

I just sat there, trying to steady myself.

Kairos moved.

“I’ll get you some water—”

“Piik.”

Milk woke up.

Half-asleep, the thief snowflake looked up at Kairos, confused.

“Piik?”

A small, uncertain cry.

“Piiik?”

“Milk.”

Kairos sat back down.

He gently stroked the creature.

Apology and affection in his touch.

“It’s me.”

Milk let out a long cry.

“Piiiiiik!”

It sounded heartbroken.

I’d never heard Milk cry like that—not even when his strawberries were taken.

If he could shed tears like a human, he’d be sobbing.

Through blurred vision, I watched the white creature launch itself at Kairos’s hand.

Rubbing against his palm over and over.

Orange eyes softened.

“Milk.”

Kairos spoke quietly.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Piik! Piik!”

“I won’t hide it anymore.”

“Piik, piik!”

Milk’s kind had always been faint in presence.

A survival trait, probably.

Some even said they were closer to animals than monsters—lacking the instinct entirely.

But seeing this—

That clearly wasn’t true.

Kairos lifted Milk carefully in both hands.

“My proud familiar.”

Still crying, Milk climbed up his arm.

“Thank you for waiting.”

I sniffed, watching them.

We should’ve done this sooner.

There might be side effects, sure—but still.

Seeing how happy Milk was...

Now, even inside the Core, I could feel it.

Not something to fear.

But something to recognize.

Something familiar.

“...I’ll get you water.”

Kairos leaned closer, still holding Milk.

His left hand gripped my shoulder firmly.

“If you put something cold on your eyes, tomorrow—”

Beep beep beep beep!

Click.

The door burst open.

“Hilde. What the hell is wrong with Yehyeon—”

The man froze mid-step.

Kairos. Milk. Me.

And Choi Yun.

Silence dropped instantly.

Four pairs of eyes.

Unblinking.

We just stared at each other—

Until Yun turned away without changing expression.

“Don’t know what’s going on, but sorry for interrupting.”

“Ah, Yun!”

I jumped up.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that—get in here!”

And just like that—

The three of us ended up sitting together.