Black Badger

Even if we talked about it now, nothing would change.

That’s what I thought, but Yoow ignored my gaze. He dragged over a portable monitor I hadn’t even known existed, then pulled up an Excel file on the screen.

I glanced at the massive, glaring red debt figure—and turned my head away.

Holding out my palm to Milk, I muttered,

“I got another advertisement offer this time. The price is pretty decent too.”

“I’ve heard.”

“You heard?”

Did Kairos already tell him?

I turned my head in surprise, but the strategist simply smiled.

“I arranged it so that advertisement contracts would be reported to me as well.”

“Oh... I see.”

“It’s certainly a good contract. But that amount is still nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to your debt.”

“There’s no deadline, though.”

I protested weakly.

“Yun lifted the deadline entirely.”

“As he should. With your salary, even if you worked for as long as you’ve lived, you wouldn’t be able to repay it.”

...How could he say something so cruel so calmly?

I pressed my cheek against the smooth table with a miserable expression.

Kind-hearted Milk came over and licked my face.

Of course, Yoow ignored me.

He flicked the screen lightly with his finger.

“To be honest, if I sold that original artwork in my vault, I could repay at least half your debt.”

“I can’t sell that.”

I muttered without lifting my head.

The strategist replied calmly.

“I thought so.”

“I said I’d repay part of it, but he refused.”

Kairos spoke casually while looking at Yoow.

“He probably just enjoys teasing the commander.”

“Obviously. He doesn’t need money. He simply has a terrible personality. Still, you can’t just not repay it at all.”

“Once I shoot this ad, I’ll have a lump sum. I was thinking of using half to repay the debt and investing the other half.”

I mumbled weakly.

Yoow suddenly raised his voice.

“Finally!”

Startled, I pushed myself upright.

“So you’ve finally developed a proper sense of repayment!”

“No, I’ve always... Do you have a good investment in mind?”

I muttered, slightly dazed.

“I’m not completely clueless about finance, Yoow. You know that. But investments don’t always succeed...”

“I’ll recommend options from time to time. Keep some capital ready for investment.”

“Alright. I could just give you my account ID and password.”

“I already know them.”

...I see.

I rested my cheek against the table again.

And as I stared gloomily at the numbers on the screen, the topic naturally shifted to Kairos’s presence.

He said that even after releasing it, no kin had come looking for him yet.

“Maybe it’s just because it hasn’t been long?”

Deltei said.

“But your presence is really strong. I thought Hilde’s was loud, but yours is just as intense!”

“Haha. Is that so? My apologies if it’s bothersome.”

“No, actually... now that I think about it, your presence was always clear even back in the Empire. Hilde must feel less lonely now.”

“I was thinking of releasing mine too. What do you think, Commander?”

Igor leaned toward me.

I smiled.

“If you’re not uncomfortable, I’d welcome it.”

“Then I’ll release it tonight?”

“Sounds good. It’ll be nice to feel your presence again.”

“If we just sit still like this, that insolent brat will come crawling on his own.”

Yoow remarked cynically.

“He’s desperate to catch the attention of you two.”

“Would his employer allow that?”

The Third Elder didn’t seem particularly merciful.

Not all subordinates of the Elders followed their masters every step of the way, but approaching people like us would definitely require permission. Only someone at Lee Seunghyun’s level under Yekaterina might be able to meet me without prior approval.

Yoow scoffed.

“He’s not the kind to think that far.”

Hmm.

If left alone, he’d probably die by his employer’s hand within six months.

But I didn’t like the employer much either.

“That Elder.”

“Bradley Stowe.”

“Yes.”

I recalled our first meeting without much feeling.

“Should I eliminate him, or just give him a warning?”

“I would advise a warning.”

Yoow answered coldly but firmly.

“He’s extremely sensitive to power. Well, they all are at that level. But he’s particularly accustomed to resolving hierarchy through violence. That’s why he fears you more obsessively than Erhart does—he fears your raw physical power.”

“And the reason not to eliminate him?”

“He has charisma. He’s gathered his subordinates well. They’re unsavory types, including drug traffickers, but precisely because of that, if his head is cut off, the backlash would be significant.”

After finishing his report smoothly, the strategist paused, then added,

“Of course, the chances of it affecting us directly are low. So if you wish, you may still cut off his head.”

I smiled at Yoow.

I was proud that he was still making decisions from a broad perspective. In other words, killing Bradley Stowe could lead to civilian casualties—not just among our kin, but among people we’d never even met.

A warning would suffice.

I’d pay him a visit soon.

I reached my conclusion.

“Set it up for me, Yoow. It would be good to have Rose’s help.”

“Understood.”

Yoow nodded, then glanced at me.

“How is your condition?”

“The Ice Dragon said it won’t be a quick recovery.”

That was all I said.

“I’ll go get «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» examined soon and let you know the results. Either way, I’m not so injured that I can’t go meet Stowe.”

“It won’t heal quickly?”

Deltei asked, worry in her voice.

“Then shouldn’t you not return to duty?”

“That’s why I’ll go back on leave if the doctor says so.”

I informed everyone seated at the wide table.

“Honestly, it doesn’t interfere much with daily life. So I’d rather not take leave if possible...”

“Why? Being idle is nice!”

Deltei looked confused.

If I stayed idle in that cabin, I’d feel crushed by memories and the endless stretch of time.

But I couldn’t say that, so I just gave an awkward smile.

“It gets boring.”

That was all I said.

Yoow scoffed. Kairos narrowed his eyes and studied my face. Igor leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head.

“If you end up on leave, spar with me every day. The backyard here is perfect for it.”

“Aren’t you going to get a job?”

Yoow looked at Igor flatly.

“You’re the one who should be bored. It’s not like you’re surrounded by people like the commander.”

“He just can’t enjoy his free time because he’s not healthy. What’s there to be bored about?”

“I’m telling you to get employed!”

“I do odd jobs here and there.”

Igor brushed off Yoow’s nagging casually.

I gave a bitter smile as I watched the strategist sigh heavily.

Igor had never liked being tied down. That was why I’d been so surprised when he showed up insisting on joining the Imperial Knights.

He had undeniable talent with the sword and passed the entrance exam easily, but his free-spirited nature had caused problems. He’d struggled because of it. Organizational life simply didn’t suit him.

That’s why I never even joked about him joining the Black Badgers.

Still, he earned his own living, so it was fine.

“By that logic, you’re unemployed too, strategist.”

“I have plenty of money. You could say I’m a full-time investor.”

Yoow replied confidently, then looked at me again.

“Before coming here, I received a request for consultation regarding an entity outside the Core.”

“Ah. The higher-ups contacted you already.”

“Yes.”

I felt oddly proud that they trusted him.

And they should. Yoow was reliable now. He was capable and diligent—he would be useful no matter how he was consulted.

More knowledgeable about magic than Kairos or me.

I thought briefly of the white figure.

“I wonder if we can communicate. It’d be best if this could be resolved through conversation... but that won’t be easy.”

“Hilde, what do you want for dinner? Anything you don’t like?”

“Nothing sour.”

“Who eats sour things for dinner?!”

“What about pizza?”

Igor leaned toward Kairos.

Kairos had already opened a delivery app. Deltei and Igor crowded around his phone.

While they chose the menu, I spoke briefly with Yoow about “that Creature.”

We discussed the higher-ups and the kin living in other Cores. Fortunately, there was nothing particularly alarming. Strange entities outside the Core were nothing new, the Elder factions were fighting at their usual level, and there was nothing urgent.

And thankfully, Kairos didn’t bring up Kyle.

He seemed to understand that I was holding back. He didn’t even look at me expectantly—just ordered the pizza.

After it arrived, we ate while listening to updates about Lin.

I finally saw a photo of the young familiar.

“That look in his eyes is already rotten.”

Igor rarely gave such harsh criticism.

“Does this really require the commander? I could just go and straighten him out myself.”

“He’ll come to us on his own. Whoever finds him first can educate the brat.”

Yoow replied, barely touching his pizza crust.

“But I heard you two and the Black Badger advisor had a pretty dangerous encounter.”

Deltei said.

“That’s more Bradley’s responsibility.”

“Milk was there too!”

“Piu.”

“Long hair.”

I took in the rebellious gaze and shoulder-length hair from the photo while chewing on the cheese-filled crust.

Cheese crust is good.

“Kai. Remember his face.”

“Of course.”

“The exam is next week, right?”

Igor asked, stuffing in his fifth slice.

“What are you going to do until then, Commander?”

***

I came face to face with Nana Dol.

At last, I had the chance to check her swordsmanship.

The problem was—she was trembling like a leaf.

“What did you do to scare her this much~?”

“Isn’t it because of Rick?”

I raised a reasonable question.

“It seems more like it’s because of our second-generation senior, no matter how I look at it.”

“And you didn’t consider that it might be because of that ominous sword~?”

“Besides, Rick was Leeho’s mentor, wasn’t he? The mentor of your mentor—that alone is intimidating.”

“Nana.”

Kairos approached her.

“Are you alright?”

She clearly wasn’t.

And for a moment, I seriously considered whether I should leave... or Ricardo should leave... or whether we should both kindly disappear together.