Black Badger

Chapter 190: The Song of the Past (1)

A crisp sound rang through the training hall.

And with that, my peaceful plan — to appeal to their pity and harmlessness so their gossip would die down — was completely ruined.

I threw away my pastoral, nonviolent approach.

“There’s only one answer now.”

Smack!

After knocking out the one who had raised a fist toward Hesh, I looked back at my fellow rookies.

“Beat them all down.”

“Huh?”

“It’s the only solution.”

If we knocked out all six of the seniors, their shame alone would keep them from ever telling anyone what happened here.

It was the only way to cover up Hesh’s violent insubordination.

“Make sure they’re completely knocked out!”

“You insane bastard!”

Someone rushed at me from behind just as I was giving Tom instructions.

I turned my arm sharply and slammed the back of my hand into his nose.

At the same time, Tom drove his knee into the man’s side.

Thud!

“Like this?”

“Yeah. But if possible, not there—”

Smack!

Another senior’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

“That spot works really well.”

My fellow rookies learned quickly.

The commotion ended soon after.

The training hall, once filled with curses and yelling, was now drowning in silence. The floor was covered with bodies. All of them lying side by side on the green mat.

The quiet of the old training hall was broken by Tom.

“What do we do now?”

“We run.”

I answered immediately and bolted out of the hall.

“Run.”

We fled the old building.

I told Hesh and Tom — who lived there — to grab their pajamas and toiletries. It was obvious they wouldn’t be able to sleep in the dorm tonight.

They burst out less than three minutes later with their belongings.

I loaded them into my car.

“Let’s sleep at the cabin.”

Without looking back, I stepped on the accelerator.

“We need to give them time to cool off and feel embarrassed.”

We arrived at the cabin quickly.

Tom and Hesh said their missions wouldn’t start until the day after tomorrow. Good — that meant I didn’t need to drive them to the train station or HQ tomorrow.

Hesh, who had been fuming all the way over about the seniors’ behavior, calmed down only after reaching the cabin. Tom, who had been worried about leaving unconscious people behind, also settled down once inside.

We ordered food and played games.

At first, we played an easy co-op cooking game for Tom, who wasn’t good at games. Then Tom eventually said he would just watch instead. As he munched on soy-sauce chicken, I started doing various things with Hesh.

We played From K again.

By now, I had played From K dozens of times.

Tom, watching Hesh play K, suddenly said:

“The BGM is really nice.”

I turned to look at him in the beanbag chair.

“The song?”

“Yeah. From the first stage onward. I wonder if there’s a title or sheet music.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Some of these tracks make me want to figure out the chords and play them.”

“I can look it up for you.”

I set down the juice glass in my left hand and picked up my phone.

Up to that moment, I had no particular thoughts.

Later, when the night got deeper and we shut off the game to get ready for bed, I’d warn him to be careful. That was all I was thinking. To tell him to be cautious — the person who attacked me was malicious enough to prepare the Green Dream.

But the moment the BGM titles appeared on the screen, I forgot everything.

[Track list included in From K BGM]

1. May a fertile road open before your path

2. May gentle wind be with you

3. Until we meet again

4. Until we ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) face each other again

5. May the blessing of the great tree be upon you

6. Blessings hide like light, grace hides in tender leaves

7. Flowing down your bent back

8. Until we meet again

9. Until we face each other again

“...May the blessing of the great World Tree be upon you....”

I murmured the final line of a hymn that had never been finished.

My fellow rookies turned to me with puzzled faces.

But their voices barely reached me.

Memories from the past rushed in. Now I knew exactly what words had to be scrawled across that old wall in the game. I understood perfectly what the hidden Easter egg in From K was.

The grand corridor, the small western window.

Morning sunlight passing through stained glass,

And the slow, low, mournful melody of the hymn we used to chant,

Soft purple droplets collecting on the white veils of the choir.

On the morning after returning from missions, I liked sitting on the oak chair and listening to the melody.

Sometimes, the world had been beautiful.

“Hilde!”

Hesh shook my shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“No.”

Reality yanked me back.

Sharp gazes digging into me. I answered the rookie’s question, then quickly grabbed my phone.

When I opened the contacts app, I had to force my trembling fingers to cooperate.

“I’m going to make a quick call.”

“To who?”

Ricardo.

He had told me to call him before blurting out the answer if I ever solved an Easter egg. He said that since he had shown me Eve’s letter, I had the right to see letters from the other series too.

So I called him.

But he didn’t answer.

“Why are you so worked up?”

“It’s nothing.”

After three attempts, I gave up calling and typed a message.

Hesh and Tom stared at me like I had lost my mind.

I hammered the screen with frantic speed.

[I solved the K Easter egg answer. Please call me and I’ll come to your place. Or please come here.]

[Do you know my cabin address?]

[(Location shared)]

[Here it is.]

[It’s fine even if it’s late. Please contact me when you see this.]

[But since the distance is pretty far, I’ll go to you.]

[Please tell me a time and I’ll match it.]

Only after sending a barrage of messages did I regain my composure.

Not immediately — I stood for a long time bracing myself against the sink with my right hand, covering my face with my left.

Only when my heartbeat returned to normal did I slowly lift my head.

“Sorry. I remembered some things I’d forgotten.”

My fellow rookies didn’t seem to understand.

Of course they wouldn’t.

Thankfully, neither of them pried.

“Should we sleep soon?” Tom asked while staring at my face. “A lot happened today... you look tired....”

The red-haired rookie was perceptive.

I agreed. I did feel like I needed sleep. I quickly shut off the game and began preparing for bed. Throwing away trash, arranging the sleeping spots. Hesh and Tom subtly tried not to let me do any work, but I immediately rejected their consideration.

You can’t make guests work.

Once all the lights were off, I said what needed to be said.

“It’s better if he comes to us anyway. It means we can finally catch your kidnapper.”

“It means you need to be careful — the guy who did it isn’t normal. Don’t try to catch him.”

“I have to! You still have the scar! He’s a lunatic!”

“He won’t be caught easily.”

“It’s worth trying.”

Good grief, Hesh Lyle.

Even Ami got taken off guard — how are you going to catch him?

Feeling distressed, I nagged them endlessly about staying safe until they fell asleep.

Please.... don’t do anything stupid.

***

Ricardo replied in the morning.

[I’ll probably be out during the day, so come after 6.]

I replied that I understood.

After sending the rookies home, I launched From I. I needed to suppress the urge to immediately solve the Easter egg in From K.

The clean screen lit up with the From I title.

Immersed in the game, I only stood up when the alarm rang for 6 p.m. I left for the senior’s house.

But by coincidence, I arrived very late.

“Thanks a lot, damn it.”

Stupid Creatures.

The road I was driving on was half-destroyed — because a Creature had appeared. A big one, the kind you couldn’t just ignore and drive past.

Of course I stopped the car and helped the seniors.

Ha....

“You’re skilled. Are you the new rookie?”

“Yes. Thank you. I’m Hildebert Taleb.”

“A good one came in. See you on missions.”

The man, whose body age looked late 30s to early 40s and who had a friendly detective-like vibe, patted my shoulder.

A woman wearing round glasses whistled at my car parked on the shoulder.

“Wow~ nice car for a rookie!”

Not one I bought myself, but still.

After all that, I finally reached the senior’s house — at 10 p.m.

This was seriously rude.

But when I sent a message earlier saying I’d be late, he’d replied curtly that I should just come and ignore the time. So turning back was impossible. If I went home now, he’d chew me out endlessly.

So I parked and walked carefully toward the familiar house.

The front gate was open.

So was the front door.

“Ricardo!”

I knocked on the half-open door as I called his name.

“I’m here!”

No answer.

I waited. Called his name a couple more times.

Still nothing. The lights were on, but there wasn’t a single sound inside.

A chill of fear ran through me.

Nothing happened... right?

Panic shoved etiquette out of my head.

I pushed the door open and ran in.

“Ric!”

Not in the living room.

But the top drawer of the cabinet in the living room was open.

The gaping mouth of the drawer pulled my eyes toward it. The senior with green eyes would hate something like this.

A thief?

Did he chase after a thief? Or was he upstairs, or in the kitchen?

I tore my eyes away from the empty drawer and hurried further in.

To the kitchen—

That was where I found him.

“Oh.”

A sigh of relief escaped on its own.

Ricardo was sitting on a chair at the dining table. Seated and staring down at something in his hands.

He was so focused on it, he didn’t even notice me entering.

I smiled with relief.

I softened my footsteps as I approached him. Thinking how unexpected it was for this sharp, prickly man to have such a side.

So absorbed he didn’t hear someone loudly calling his name — it felt almost like something scientists in the science wing would do.

But such carefree thoughts vanished the moment I saw what Ricardo was holding.

The smile on my face disappeared instantly.

Without thinking, I reached out.

I covered the barrel of the revolver with my palm.

“Ric.”

My voice came out hard, frozen.

“What are you doing?”