Black Badger

Chapter 20

It was scary.

"Did you already forget that your recovery is slower?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Or did killing that mushroom give you some confidence all of a sudden?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Ricardo."

Ami, who stood next to Ricardo, tugged at the hem of his clothes.

Ricardo rolled his green eyes and met Ami's gaze.

"Hilde is reflecting on it, so don't scold him too much."

The senior raised an eyebrow. I lowered my slightly raised gaze again. I took in the smooth floor. The flawless floor of the mentor's house... I sat on the sofa in Yoon and Ami's home.

My injured arm was neatly wrapped in bandages.

My cabin couldn't have shattered to pieces.

Cabin... It had been fun for a week...

"No... What are you thinking? Doesn't it surprise you that our wounds heal right away? Or do you keep forgetting that yours doesn't?"

"It's fine."

When I failed to calm Ricardo's anger, Ami turned her attention back to me.

She placed her hand on my shoulder, where I sat stiffly on the sofa like a grave criminal.

"He's worried about you."

"If we spoil him from his newbie days, he'll get bad habits... When he's out there and other badgers are in danger, he'll throw himself in without thinking~?"

"He won't do that anymore. Right, Hilde?"

I nodded vigorously and added.

"I'll keep my wits about me."

Ricardo's eyes narrowed. Ricardo in a bad mood was quite intimidating. I tried not to avoid his cold stare.

The senior, who had glared at me fiercely, said.

"Don't do it again."

I quickly replied to his cold words.

"Yes, sir."

"A greenhorn who hasn't even run the Territory Reclamation War is protecting who...? The only people you should be protecting right now are civilians."

"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

"It's a good thing it hit your arm. If it had stabbed somewhere else, you'd have suffered for a while. I would have been fine no matter where it hit..."

"I was short-sighted."

"And why did you pull it out?"

I had moved so instinctively that even I couldn't explain myself.

But if I said that, it would be a big problem.

I replied politely.

"I'm sorry."

A sigh escaped.

Seeing the mood, I kept my head down, and I felt Ami pat my shoulder with her small hand. I kept my mouth shut in a straight line and stayed quiet.

The cool air after the rain settled in the living room.

Footsteps broke the silence.

"Senior, say something too~?"

Ricardo's gaze turned to Yoon, who had suddenly reappeared in the living room.

The mentor, who had gone to the basement with a pair of butterfly creature wings, turned his head.

Ricardo said to the man raising an eyebrow.

"You're his mentor, after all..."

Yoon looked at us quietly.

Then he approached the sofa. I lifted my bowed head and took in the approaching mentor. It seemed he had handled the aftermath of the cabin and the Lamborghini while Ami treated me and Ricardo scolded me.

"The wound?"

"It's not serious, but it might be good for Samuel to take a look."

Ami answered the dry question.

Yoon nodded slightly and shot a sharp gaze at me.

Dry eyes whose depths were unreadable.

He declared without hesitation.

"Sleep here tonight."

"I'm fine."

The moment those words I didn't even want to think about fell, I jolted up halfway in alarm.

Ricardo pressed my shoulder back down. It felt like a light press, but his grip was heavy. I had no choice but to obediently sink back into the sofa.

Yoon spoke in his usual dry voice.

"Lee Ye-hyeon isn't coming back tonight anyway. Starting tomorrow, I'll get you into the badger dormitory, so sleep in the guest room tonight."

"But..."

"Yeah! I'll make shrimp wonton cheese tteokbokki! Do you know shrimp wonton cheese tteokbokki, Hilde?"

What was shrimp wonton cheese tteokbokki?

I blankly stared at Ami's round eyes.

"...No. It's my first time hearing it. Maybe because most of my memories are gone..."

"Don't fall for it. There's no such food."

Yoon said firmly.

Ricardo let out a small snort. I couldn't tell exactly what part made him snort.

In the spacious living room, the people gathered at the end of the sofa. The mentor came closer to the sofa and tossed the black bag he held. I looked at the bag that landed next to me. It felt heavy, like something solid was inside.

Ami and Ricardo also turned their gazes to stare at the bag.

Only Yoon didn't look away from me.

"You."

Me?

I turned my head, and a faint smile at the corner of Yoon's mouth caught my eye.

Damn. This was the first time I'd seen this man show any positive(?) emotion on his face.

I dumbly looked up at the mentor's smile, which looked oddly off.

"...Yes?"

"You don't seem like an ordinary civilian."

Yoon gestured with his chin toward the black bag.

I blankly stared at Yoon, then carefully felt the black bag with my good hand. I could feel the shape of what was inside the PVC bag. It was a familiar shape. Anyone could recognize it easily.

It was a kitchen knife.

"You wield weapons too skillfully, even if sporadically."

Yoon chuckled in a low voice as he spoke.

"Like it's ingrained in your body."

"Me?"

When I asked back, Yoon nodded.

My expression must have become even more blank.

What? So, did that mean I was actually a badger? Then having an augmented body made sense too. I didn't know why my recovery was slower... Anyway, I was originally a super strong badger, but due to some incident, I lost my memories and flew into the future.

Something like that fantasy novel setup...?

No.

Wait a minute.

"Would someone like that get hit 34 times by a mushroom?"

"He seems like a pathetic piece of trash normally."

Your words are harsh.

"Anyway, let's watch him a bit more. He's definitely a subject worth studying in many ways. Any questions? If not, go wash up."

"Yes, I do."

The answer slipped out reflexively.

All eyes turned to me. I met the mentor's eyes, who had slightly raised his eyebrows. It was something I'd been pondering alone since Ami skillfully treated my arm and even while Ricardo scolded me.

It was awkward to ask, but it kept bothering me too much not to...

I steeled myself and opened my mouth.

"Um, doesn't it seem like the creatures are only attacking me?"

Silence fell.

It wasn't an illusion after all. The heavy silence wasn't the kind that said 'What is this guy saying?' but the kind that came when someone voiced what they had been trying to hide.

I bit my lip.

Yoon broke the heavy silence.

"Yeah, a bit."

This is driving me crazy.

"That pattern shows up. From the mushroom and the shark, it doesn't seem like all creatures do it. But overall, higher-tier ones and those that seem to come from outside... What are you doing?"

"I'm making a call."

I found 'Lee Ye-hyeon_Private Number' in my contacts and pressed it.

I held the phone to my ear. The dial tone rang. A plain tone without any ringback continued.

Ami tilted her head and asked, 'Who to?'

As I turned to reply, the tone cut off.

A husky voice came through.

[Hilde?]

"Supreme Commander."

At my heavy call, astonishment flashed across the faces of the people around me.

But I ignored their expressions. I really had something to say to the supreme commander. Even if I'd get beaten by Ricardo and Yoon later - How dare a newbie call the direct line like that? - I felt I had to tell Lee Ye-hyeon this.

He had said that if there was something to say, don't hesitate to contact him, even if it was just words.

I said seriously.

"I have something to tell you."

[Yeah. What is it?]

"Did you know that creatures are gathering around me?"

There was a short silence.

[There is a tendency like that. Are you calling to tell me that?]

"Please dispose of my augmented body."

Ami's jaw dropped.

Ricardo squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his brow with his thumb. Yoon narrowed his eyes and scrutinized my face.

Silence arrived. The person on the other end of the phone fell silent again.

Ignoring everyone's reactions, I conveyed my intent in detail.

"My recovery is slower too."

[...And?]

"Because of that, I'm already a burden to the other badgers. And on top of that, I'm drawing creatures. I can't be this much of a bomb."

Plus, I'm a parachute hire with fraudulent employment.

I had a premonition that all these inexplicable traits of mine would eventually harm someone. It was an ominous but strangely certain premonition.

I could even imagine what bad thing would happen. Someone trying to protect my slow-recovering self would get hurt, or problems would arise because of creatures charging to kill me.

"Supreme Commander. Since I'm a rolling stone anyway, please dispose of my augmented body before it causes trouble."

Silence settled in the living room too.

Lee Ye-hyeon was wordless on the other end of the phone. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my arm, I waited for his judgment with a heavy heart.

I could tell the seniors were also quietly waiting for their superior's decision.

After a moment, the cold voice of the Black Badger's highest authority came through.

[No.]

"...You can't?"

[You're under my command now, so your disposal is ultimately my decision.]

The following voice was authoritative.

[Hilde. I understand your reasoning and the basis for your claim is valid. But my decision won't change. You're my subordinate, so you follow my orders. From now on, forget those thoughts and train hard.]

"...Yes, Supreme Commander. I overstepped. I'm sorry."

[You'll do well in the end.]

Lee Ye-hyeon's voice softened instantly.

The authority and coldness in his voice melted away like snow.

[I know more than you right now, so trust me and follow.]

"Yes. I will."

[Good. Who's with you now? Are you alone?]

"Ah, no. I'm with Yoon, Ricardo, and Ami."

[You called this number from next to Yoon?]

Suddenly, Lee Ye-hyeon burst into laughter.

Why are you laughing? As I panicked and lost my words, the superior who had been laughing gave a gentle instruction.

[Switch to speakerphone.]

I quickly pressed the speaker button and turned the phone screen toward the seniors. Ricardo smirked at the screen, and Ami lit up with "Oppa Lee Ye-hyeon!"

Yoon looked at the phone with one hand in his pocket.

"This guy's hilarious."

"I'm sorry. I just had this impulse that I absolutely had to tell you..."

"He's really hilarious... To actually think of calling the supreme commander's private number~. What a bold newbie..."

[He must have been that scared of being a burden to others. It's fine. So, how did it go? The cabin.]

"It's smashed."

Ami said casually.

Since it was the private number, she seemed to be talking to Lee Ye-hyeon without reservation.

"No traces left. Hilde's cabin."

[In the end? Hilde. Sleep at our place tonight.]

Aaaah, in the end, it's like this...

But in this situation, I couldn't even dream of refusing.

I closed my eyes tightly and replied.

"Yes, Supreme Commander. Thank you."

[I'm not coming back, so don't worry. And Yoon, you heard roughly? The kid's having these worries, so make sure he doesn't think stupid thoughts again. Educate him well from now on. If it's too annoying to train him, pass him to some other decent badger.]

"Pass him? I have to keep the research subject close and watch him."

A subtle amusement tinged the mentor's responding voice.

My closed eyes snapped open. The moment I jerked my head up to look at the mentor, Ami and Ricardo's heads turned as well.

We blankly stared at the tall man standing in the living room. The man who usually showed almost no emotions.

He looked at the phone with a faint smile.

"Even if someone tells me to pass him, I won't, so don't worry about that part."

[...Uh. That's not the direction I intended.]

A momentary silence, then Lee Ye-hyeon muttered.

He made a small "Hm" sound and said to the green-eyed senior.

[Ric. Can you keep an eye on Yoon? So he doesn't dissect the newbie.]

"Hm~. If I go up against Yoon, I'd lose..."

I'll try my best. Ricardo replied lazily. I'll watch hard too! Ami added brightly. I stared at their reactions in bewilderment. Recalling the mentor's words from the past that resonated in my mind.

I should look into it when I have time. Look into it, look into it, look into it...

Look into what?

And why did the word dissect come up?

Dissect? What.

Me?

I sat there, sunk in shock for a long time.

Until Lee Ye-hyeon praised the seniors for their efforts in the creature extermination and said he had to go, ending the call. Until Ami ran to the kitchen saying she'd prepare the strangely named tteokbokki. Until Ricardo lazily said he had to train harder to hold you back, and Yoon coolly replied to try his best.

I sat on the sofa, forgetting how to move.