Black Badger

Chapter 107

The interior was just as spartan as I'd imagined.

I let out a hollow chuckle as I looked at the kitchen and living room, which contained only the bare minimum of items. It felt like I'd stepped into a model home or a condo showroom. The space was expansive, but the lack of furnishings made the air feel chilly.

The only thing that indicated someone actually lived there was a book with a bookmark tucked inside.

Lee Seung-hyun poured me a cup of tea.

"No need for small talk."

The man sat across from me, his face unchanged. I couldn't understand how I hadn't recognized him right away.

Even among soldiers, he was known for being taciturn and rigid.

He'd hated preambles back then, too.

"You could at least tell me about your apprentice's recent activities."

"You didn't even remember me right away, and now you're making pointless remarks." Busted...

When he put it like that, I had nothing to say. Colton had recognized me instantly, but I'd failed to do the same with Lee Seung-hyun.

I gave an awkward smile and averted my gaze.

"Sorry. But I've even forgotten that I'm not human."

"I heard about that."

"I still haven't recovered all my memories."

Lee Seung-hyun didn't move.

His piercing gaze was sharp and unrelenting, as if he'd never been one to yield. As I met his eyes, I sank into my recollections.

'How about training them separately?'

A familiar voice echoed in my mind, though I couldn't quite recall the name. It was a close associate suggesting I train this group of soldiers standing before me.

The soldiers lined up in front of me were elite selections from various countries.

'What else can you do right now?'

It hadn't been Colton.

Who could it have been? Not Kyle or Ray—they wouldn't have made such a proposal to me.

But not Eve, either.

Eve.

The scent of barley tea tickled my nose.

"Do you remember Eve?"

Lee Seung-hyun's brow furrowed.

"I only recently started recalling things about her myself."

She had said her natural hair color was blue.

That's why she always dyed her roots blue, but when she got bored, she'd color the underside a different shade. Her favorite was purple.

She liked the subtle harmony it created with the blue.

Eve was a genius genetic engineer.

"It seems you've truly forgotten everything."

The curt reply came back.

Lee Seung-hyun crossed his arms and glared at me.

"I've never met that scientist."

"Was that so? Now that you say it, it feels like that might be the case."

"And forgive me, but I can't tell you much."

My apprentice's voice was utterly businesslike.

"I haven't been authorized to."

"By the Guardians? They seem to want me to recover my memories."

"I haven't received orders to help you regain them."

What a bone-deep soldier this guy was.

I sipped my barley tea and stared sullenly at my apprentice.

I'd thought since he'd readily agreed to the visit and even given me his home address, we might have a decent conversation. But as expected, things weren't going to proceed smoothly without any hitches.

If this was how the talk was going to go, why had he invited me? When I conveyed that sentiment simply, Lee Seung-hyun uncrossed his arms.

"There's something I need to return to you."

"The game?"

I responded reflexively, and Lee Seung-hyun gave me a look like I'd said something idiotic.

"You're still playing that?"

"...You guys really can't view my gaming in a positive light, can you?"

What a bunch of old fogeys.

At that rate, I figured I should compile research papers on how games improved cognitive function into a book and distribute it to the elders. Though they'd probably never bother reading it, given their hobbies like ballet and opera.

Hm?

Wait a minute.

"Then you didn't buy a game for Ye-hyeon?"

Lee Seung-hyun, who had been pushing his chair back to stand, paused.

He looked at me as if I'd said something unpleasant.

"I don't want to discuss personal matters."

"You said you weren't authorized for official topics."

"Then I'll say I don't want to discuss family matters either."

"Well, I'm not in a position to pry anyway."

Back then, I hadn't shown even a shred of interest in his private life.

But that didn't mean I was going to back off just because I lacked the right. I intended to get what I wanted and leave.

Of course, pushing the topic further now would only backfire.

I waved my hand dismissively, signaling him to get up.

"So, what is it you need to return?"

Lee Seung-hyun glanced at me and rose from his seat.

He disappeared into the inner part of the house. It seemed the item was stored there.

I sipped the pleasantly cool tea while waiting for him to return.

The house was remarkably quiet.

Lee Seung-hyun came back soon after, his footsteps noticeably heavier.

The sound of his steps had grown weighty, matching the heft of a sword.

"Ah."

A familiar dagger.

It wasn't one I'd used, but my comrade had carried it. The black scabbard couldn't properly secure the blade, so it was wrapped tightly with worn cloth.

I'd told him to repair the scabbard since it was a good blade and carry it properly. But the sword's owner was an archer, not a swordsman. The dagger had barely been used, and he'd never bothered to fix the scabbard.

Nol. That idiot.

"I received it from one of your subordinates. Take it."

Lee Seung-hyun placed the dagger in front of me.

"I'd been keeping it since I couldn't find an opportunity to return it."

"Is Nol dead?"

Lee Seung-hyun didn't avoid my gaze.

"Yes."

The blunt, clear answer punched a hole through my heart.

I slowly lifted the dagger, blinking. The memories that surfaced each time I confronted something like this were always sharp.

He'd followed me diligently without complaint, so it hurt even more...

"Did I betray him too?"

Lee Seung-hyun's brow arched at my murmur.

I caught a glimpse of him leaning down to peer at my face.

A flicker of puzzlement swirled in the dark eyes of my rigid apprentice.

"No."

A hint of confusion colored Lee Seung-hyun's voice as well.

"Why would I keep an enemy's sword?"

I looked up at him for a long while.

I tried to sort through the swirling memories. Nol had definitely been a Titan. I'd stood with him on the battlefield. He was a stubborn but skilled archer.

He was also the one who'd nodded, ready to plunge into pitch-black darkness with me.

But someone Lee Seung-hyun didn't consider an enemy.

That meant...

I wanted to verify the hypothesis that made my stomach churn, but I didn't have the courage yet.

So I asked a slightly tangential question instead.

It was something I'd meant to ask anyway.

"About my sword."

"Yes."

"Why did you give it to Ye-hyeon?"

My apprentice, who had been peering at my face with his head slightly bowed, straightened up.

He wrapped himself in his usual irritable, authoritative aura and crossed his arms again.

"Didn't Lee Ye-hyeon handle it properly?"

Good lord.

I caught the note of displeasure in how he pronounced Lee Ye-hyeon's name and opened my mouth.

"Hey, no."

I hurriedly corrected the misunderstanding.

"You saw the video too. His swordsmanship was perfect. You trained him well enough."

"The draw is a bit slow."

"The sword's a little heavy for him, that's why! And it wasn't slow enough to be a problem."

This guy was driving me crazy.

That video had turned the nameless Ye-hyeon into a hero of the chaos, and here he was nitpicking it. I knew what Lee Seung-hyun meant to say. But it hadn't been an issue at all. The attack had succeeded perfectly in the end.

Because Ray had hesitated upon seeing my sword...

For a moment, my breath caught, but Lee Seung-hyun filled the silence.

"If someone whose face was known to me or my comrades—the Titans—had wielded that sword, it wouldn't have had the desired effect."

"...Yeah, there's a high chance of that."

"So we selected several candidates and trained them. He was simply the most outstanding among them."

"Ye-hyeon?"

"Yes."

So Lee Seung-hyun hadn't arbitrarily handed the sword to Ye-hyeon and pushed him into the fray. Ye-hyeon had just been the one with the highest chance of success.

I stared blankly into space and apologized.

"Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For pushing your son into the jaws of death."

Lee Seung-hyun didn't answer immediately.

The man looked down at me with an inscrutable expression. Only after I ran a hand over my face and let out a sigh did he uncross his arms.

"Back then, everyone was in the line of fire."

It wasn't wrong.

"In fact, accepting your sword guaranteed he'd survive until the final battle."

That wasn't wrong either.

"It was a time when everyone was risking their lives. You were prepared to go down with Kyle in mutual destruction, weren't you?"

Huh?

Me?

"You headed out with that resolve, but your whereabouts became unknown afterward. The same went for Kyle."

The unwavering gaze that fixed on me stung.

In the vast space, sharp eyes met over wooden swords.

If Lee Seung-hyun had been a resident of the old world, Kyle would surely have placed him among his subordinates. The one like a black lion had favored those with brilliant talents like Lee Seung-hyun.

"If Kyle had joined the fight, we would have lost."

I didn't move for a long while.

I tried to contain the emotions bursting forth. Even hearing this, I still couldn't recall my own actions.

Instead, other memories surfaced. I trained various soldiers, including Lee Seung-hyun. Colton showed me the soldiers. Jae-yeon stood beside Colton, mocking the troops.

Ah, Jae-yeon.

I would confirm the facts on the 26th.

I slowly closed and opened my eyes, then looked up at Lee Seung-hyun.

"Apprentice."

"...What is it?"

"Actually, I have a favor to ask."

The man, who had frowned sharply at the term of address, narrowed his eyes at my next words.

He scrutinized my face with suspicion.

His response came belatedly.

"Speak."

I stated my request to him concisely.

And just as Yoon had warned, I nearly got my face pummeled by my old apprentice that day.

A barrage of fury-filled punches.

*

"Year-End Party!"

Ami's clear voice echoed through the corridor.

"Year-End Party!"

Yeah.

I was just glad to have survived and made it to the year-end party.

I walked down the chilly headquarters corridor.

The reason was simple. The year-end party was held on nearly the top floor of headquarters.

That's right. The Black Badgers didn't hold their year-end party at some ordinary venue. They cleared out a vast, empty floor, brought in a catering service to set up, then sent them away before starting the festivities.

The reason? Drunken badgers could be dangerous.

Tom and Hesi were drinking for the first time since receiving their augmented bodies.

"What if we break something?"

Tom asked worriedly.

Ami looked up at him with a face full of happiness.

"It's fine! Everyone's lenient with new recruits' mistakes because they're cute!"

Then she wiped the smile from her lips and added,

"The ones who aren't are trash, so tell me about them."

Surprisingly, Yoon was attending too.

He said he'd wrap up his research in the research wing and come straight over. It was shocking that he'd join such an event.

When I asked why, my mentor replied curtly.

'Need to collect Choi Ami.'

I didn't ask anything more.

It was nearing evening. I rode the elevator with Ami and her cohort mates. The high command would arrive thirty minutes later. It was customary for them to make rounds through all the cores, showing their faces, before returning to headquarters last.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened.

Noise poured out.

"Ami!"

"Kiddo!"

"Oh, the newbies are here."

The heads of those already there turned toward us all at once.

A dizzying number of people threw comments our way as they looked at us. The year-end party wasn't mandatory. Some were on duty today, and others couldn't attend due to injuries, so it made sense that it wasn't required.

Even so, there were really a lot of people.

So many unfamiliar faces that it was disorienting.

"Hey! Even that famous white-haired kid showed up!"