Black Badger

Chapter 222: Orientation (1)

While we were exchanging pointless chatter, Sophia and Kai walked in.

Almost nothing about them had changed. Kai, whom I hadn’t seen since the day we killed the dragon, gave me a short word of praise saying I worked hard. Sophia still glared at me with that visceral disgust in her eyes.

Nothing I said, nothing I did, would ever soften that hate.

I met her burning stare and simply nodded.

“Everyone’s here, I see.”

Before long, the Personnel Director arrived.

He had clearly left work at four and come back—his clothes were extremely casual, like a college student.

But he still drew people’s eyes in that strange, unmistakable way.

He closed the door and took the seat of honor.

“Have you all been well?”

He exchanged brief greetings with the seniors.

These were greetings meant to check whether any problems were brewing.

His greeting with Ami was very short. His greeting with Kai was not long either. With Yun he spoke a few more words, and with Ricardo he exchanged an even slightly longer greeting.

With me, he sighed about my fame.

“You have no idea how many interview and broadcast requests related to you came in~. You know there were tons of reporters trying to sneak into HQ? I had to fend them off and calm that boiling public frenzy. I don’t even remember how many nights of overtime that took.”

“I’m sorry. Thanks to you, I’m living a bit more comfortably now.”

“Jonathan must’ve had a hard time too. There was a huge wave of interest in your sword style, and the attention spilled over onto Yehyeon and Jonathan as well.”

“They even went after Jonathan-sunbaenim?”

That I didn’t know.

Of course Yehyeon had drawn attention. It was impossible not to notice—people had gone wild because they found the way Yehyeon used baldo and the way I used baldo identical.

People called me “Yehyeon’s kid.”

When Yehyeon learned that, he had shown up at night looking pale.

‘It’s the opposite.’

‘Opposite? And why is your face so pale? Are you sick?’

‘I learned from Hilde, not the other way around.’

Yehyeon slumped in the cottage chair, clutching his head.

‘I don’t even know how to perform a slash like that....’

I had laughed despite myself.

After calming myself, I smiled at him while he stared at me with those eyes that insisted he was serious.

‘Want me to teach you? You can definitely do it.’

‘Thank you for the thought, but I don’t have the physical time.’

‘True. Then just say you can do it, Commander. You’ll learn if you really want to.’

‘My father can’t do it. How am I supposed to?’

‘If I’d trained Lee Seunghyun one-on-one for a long time, he would’ve managed too. I’m serious. It’s hard for others, but you can learn it.’

‘Then teach me after I retire. Promise.’

‘What? No, don’t retire.’

The conversation ended with Yehyeon whining about whether he was supposed to live this kind of life forever.

I eventually soothed the panicked kid whose abilities had been unintentionally exaggerated. His expression never brightened.

Anyway, I really should apologize to Jonathan.

I murmured in a troubled voice:

“I should visit him and tell him I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault though.”

The Personnel Director said mildly, then shifted targets.

He turned to Sophia, smiling brightly.

“Is it unbearable?”

Straight to the point.

Sophia didn’t answer—she only glared at him.

Naturally, Kang Ju’s smile never wavered.

“Looks like you can endure it for now. Good. Choosing to face it head-on rather than avoid it doesn’t seem like the wrong choice.”

“We’ll see. I can’t promise anything. Who knows when I’ll lose control and aim a gun at that thing and at the Commander.”

“Then after today’s talk, let’s see if you still can handle it.”

Ju smiled, fresh and bright.

You’d think a demon in a beautiful form might look like that.

I knew what topic he was about to raise today....

“I’m here to talk about the new recruit being hired.”

Kairos.

Otherwise known as Jack Black.

They had debated a great deal about whether to hire him. Of course. His regeneration was weak too. Hiring another one like that could cause major problems. Many would refuse to accept it, suspicion would rise.

But Yehyeon had decided to push it through.

Because releasing Kairos outside the Core would bring benefits far greater than the disadvantages of suspected hiring corruption.

As the Empire’s greatest court sorcerer, Kairos would drastically reduce the fatality and injury rate of the Badgers.

“And eventually he will greatly assist in striking down the enemy’s leader.”

Ju pulled his gaze away from Sophia, who had forgotten to even breathe in her fury.

Then he looked at me.

“What’s his name?”

“Kyle.”

I answered briefly.

“He has no surname.”

Ever since he regained his senses, I had never once failed to feel his boiling hatred.

Sometimes, when I couldn’t sleep, I lay down and argued silently with his emotions.

I know.

You don’t need to scream it in my ear.

“Of course Jack won’t join TF immediately. Since suspicion of corruption might arise, he will go through every single step that a new Badger must take.”

“So he’s going to fake the enhanced-body adaptation period?”

Ami widened her eyes.

“He’s going to pretend to adapt? Can he hide that?”

“He seemed quite good at it. He’s very good at the kind of embellishments that matter.”

Ju said this while glancing at me.

I gave a faint smile.

He was right. Kairos could outperform anyone in acting.

He had no intention whatsoever of hiding his overwhelming skill, though.

“Won’t the other rookies feel deprived?”

Kai spoke up, expressionless.

“The skill gap will be enormous.”

“It’ll be fine until his first real deployment. Shooting, climbing—those will all have to be taught from scratch.”

Ju’s eyes curved into a fresh smile.

“And look at Hesh and Tom. They already know Hilde’s abilities. But they didn’t feel deprived, or inferior, or jealous. Right, Hilde?”

“They don’t feel it enough, and that’s the problem.”

I desperately wished they would feel at least a little negative emotion and give up on chasing You—but those stubborn brats never listened.

Not even a week after the broadcast, they had come to me saying how glad they were that I returned safely.

When they said they didn’t know my skills were that good, I seized the moment.

‘Thanks. So, given that, wouldn’t it be better if I took care of the stalker myself? I didn’t say this earlier, but I’m actually a bit better than you guys at this kind of thing.’

‘Hm? What’s that got to do with anything?’

‘I have no idea how we got to this conclusion either.’

Hesh and Tom answered with completely straight faces.

They truly didn’t get it.

That’s why I nearly lost my mind—not from anger or pride, but pure exasperation at how sincerely clueless they were.

You little brats....

‘You can’t spend all day hunting the stalker. And what if the stalker hides among paparazzi and targets you!’

‘It’s dangerous, you idiots! I’m going crazy here!’

‘You’re not exactly safe either, Hilde. We know you’re strong, but you aren’t invincible.’

Tom and Hesh stared blankly at my meltdown.

‘We’ll be careful too.’

Eventually, I gave up trying to stop them.

Instead, every morning I simply checked in the group chat to make sure they were alive.

Stubborn, prideful kids....

“These new rookies won’t be jealous either.”

Ju smiled at me as I shook my head.

“One of them will be burning with competitive spirit, the other might get a little intimidated.”

“Can he really strike his own kin without hesitation?”

Kai asked a second question.

Ju gave an astonishing answer.

This, I had not expected.

People stared in confusion. Ju, completely ignoring the barrage of gazes, turned toward Sophia.

“No need to push yourself. If you can’t handle being here, you can leave now.”

Sophia did not leave.

We waited in silence, but she did not move. That was her answer.

After giving her enough time, Ju smiled and rose from his seat. He walked to the door and called in the person waiting outside.

A man with eyes like the sun itself.

Kairos entered with a bright smile.

“Hello, I’m Jack Black.”

We wouldn’t reveal his real name. Only Ricardo, Yun, and the core leadership would know it.

The famous figure walked briskly toward the table. A Titan and a fresh rookie.

The seniors reacted in their own ways. Ricardo narrowed his eyes. Yun rolled his dry eyes. Kai nodded briefly.

“Hello!”

Only Ami responded aloud.

Naturally, Sophia didn’t spare him a glance.

I stared at my subordinate who had turned his head toward me—and blurted out in surprise:

“Didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Captain.”

Ah?

No—

wait.

I was thrown off by the title Kairos used.

This bastard.

“Jack. I’m a brand-new rookie right now, don’t call me that.”

I hurriedly stopped him and bowed to my seniors.

“Sorry. I’ll educate him properly.”

“Why~? Let him call you comfortably~.”

Ricardo smiled long and sly.

Savage.

He knew very well Kairos hadn’t said “Captain” carelessly. The red-haired court sorcerer had done it on purpose—to show he placed me above this organization.

It was touching, but picking a fight on your first appearance—come on.

Yun snorted. Kai’s eyes narrowed.

Sophia shifted her gaze between Ami and Kairos blinking innocently.

...Ha.

I abruptly stood and approached the grinning kinsman.

I grabbed his shoulder tightly and ordered:

“Never do that again.”

“Alright. If that’s your wish.”

Kairos answered easily.

A smile whose depth I couldn’t read.

Thus ended our first encounter. When I sighed and returned to my seat, the others also took theirs.

Ju returned to the seat of honor and indicated where Kairos should sit. The man smiled beautifully and gestured to the lowest seat with his palm.

He bowed politely and went to sit at the end.

The scraping of chairs broke the settled silence.

A faint tension drifted through the pale room.

What shattered that tension was Sophia.

“You’re accepting that? He looks like he’ll abandon us on the battlefield and run straight to the enemy.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Kairos replied.

And I, more than anyone else—even more than the seniors who all turned at once—

was stunned by what came next.

“Because I don’t feel even an ounce of sympathy for the kin outside.”

The Empire’s greatest star. The gambler who shone like the sun, yet whose gaze could extinguish even the sun when he stepped into the finals.

Kairos looked at Sophia with cold eyes.

“They were the ones who chose war in the end.”