Black Badger

Chapter 316: Preparing for Negotiations

Several Badgers frowned deeply.

I understood exactly how they felt. I was barely holding myself back from saying stop spouting nonsense. Cutting off both legs without even exhausting all possible treatments—what kind of insanity was that....

“Let’s not rush.”

The Supreme Commander’s calm voice pulled my mind back to the present.

“It’s too early to conclude there’s no treatment. We can grant as much leave as needed. Don’t make a hasty decision—focus on rehabilitation for now.”

“People with frostbite amputate limbs where the nerves have died, don’t they?”

Shu replied evenly.

“I think this might be similar. I’m confident I can adapt to prosthetic legs. I asked Senior Winter a lot about it.”

“I don’t doubt your ability to adapt.”

Yehyeon met Shu’s eyes without raising his voice.

“But choosing amputation before it’s confirmed to be hopeless isn’t wise. I understand why you’re impatient—but when Ami woke from her coma, it took a full year before she could walk properly. Let’s wait before making such a decision.”

“...Yes.”

Only then did Shu’s voice waver slightly.

She lowered her eyes and answered in a small voice.

“I’ll try.”

Pity and admiration welled up in Yehyeon’s eyes.

He smiled at Shu, sadly. The other Badgers seemed relieved that she’d backed down, releasing the breath they’d been holding.

The room grew strangely quiet.

Ami, who had been staring at Shu with her mouth hanging open, muttered,

“You were thinking about that?”

For some reason, Ami looked deeply hurt.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I had no idea!”

“It’s not because your help was lacking, Senior. I just thought it was better to think realistically....”

“Kids these days are reckless~....”

Ricardo muttered while looking at the tip of his shoe.

“Resolve like that is admirable,” Richard Green said instead. “But apply that resolve to rehabilitation.”

Beside Walker, who snorted softly, a man sat with his arms crossed, staring at Shu with blazing eyes.

“With that mindset, you’ll accomplish anything.”

I wanted to add something, but held back. The others seemed to feel the same—no one could take their eyes off Shu.

Even the Personnel Director let out a small sigh.

Once again, it was Yehyeon who shifted the mood.

“Let’s wrap this up.”

He looked at Richard Green.

“Draft the plan and contact me.”

Richard nodded.

“Understood.”

“Rest a bit, then prepare the plan under Green’s supervision.”

The Supreme Commander pushed his chair back and stood.

“And Yoow—if possible, I’d like to speak with you privately now. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Pardon?”

The one who blurted that out wasn’t Yoow—it was me.

He’s going to be alone in an office with the man who tried to shoot him with a Green Dream round?

Honestly, I hadn’t liked bringing Yoow here in the first place. I knew he could provide valuable information, and it was a request from the leadership, so I brought him without protest—but still.

I didn’t think Yehyeon would lose in a one-on-one fight, but I didn’t like the idea of leaving them alone.

Yehyeon ignored my reflexive question.

The two aides straightened and slowly pushed back their chairs.

They’re going with him.

Feeling slightly reassured, I looked up at Yehyeon. For a split second, the child’s large eyes lingered on me—then moved away.

It was too brief to read what emotion lay within.

The leadership left the conference room with Yoow.

“Good work.”

With that, the meeting came to an end.

***

What did Yoow talk about with the leadership last night?

Curious, I grabbed him when he returned around midnight and asked—but he didn’t give a clear answer. He only said they’d asked questions that would help with planning the operation, and he’d answered them.

Ignoring the looks from Igor and Deltei, the strategist headed off to /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ shower.

When I rudely asked whether he’d been disrespectful, I got a curt, “Get some sleep.”

At least this morning, Yehyeon sent a message saying Yoow had been a great help—that put me somewhat at ease....

“Hildebert.”

Richard Green’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Did you swallow the Eternal Chaser?”

I straightened my upper body.

We were gathered once again in the same conference room as yesterday.

9:30 a.m. A room without windows, where no morning sunlight reached.

Familiar faces came into view—Badgers carefully selected by the Personnel Director. Those who didn’t need to be here were absent; anyone who could simply be informed later due to personnel or pilot duties had been excluded.

The ones who would be on the ground that day sat around the table, looking at me.

I answered honestly.

“What’s that?”

“A biological tracker.”

“Oh.”

So the tracker I was supposed to pick up was called the Eternal Chaser.

I nodded.

“I have to go get it at two. So that’s its name.”

Pretty grandiose.

Maybe my thoughts showed on my face, because Asil Fiscer explained.

“It’s a tracker used only on violent criminals. Unless you ingest the dissolving agent, it can’t be removed. That’s why it’s rarely used—approval for purchase is hard to get. There was once a proposal to implant Eternal Chasers into all Badgers, but it was rejected as too much of a human-rights violation.”

That’s insane.

Then no matter where I’m taken, the Badgers can immediately pinpoint my location.

Seeing my awe, Asil looked incredulous.

“You don’t feel uncomfortable? I heard the dissolving agent causes extreme pain.”

“Better than dying.”

“We’ll also request a beacon and a standard tracker. Just in case.”

Yun interjected dryly.

We were planning the future rescue operation for my eventual kidnapping.

The combatants were divided into four main groups.

First group: three of my kin who would come to reclaim me directly—Igor, Rose, and Yoow.

Second group: Badgers approaching via another route—Ricardo, Yun, Sophia, and others.

Third group: those who would strike the enemy base through the breach torn open by the Remnant Wraith—Yehyeon, William Walker, Jonathan, Trevain, and the rest.

And the final group.

Remnant Wraith detail.

“Taleb. When you face someone one-on-one, who’s the hardest for you to kill?”

Richard Green asked.

He was considering who else to assign to Kairos. If luck turned bad, the Remnant Wraith team might encounter Kyle returning to the base.

The answer was easy.

“Ami.”

Ami’s eyes widened, her back snapping straight.

She looked like she was about to blurt out Huh?! A small smile crept onto my lips.

“Me?!”

“Yes. Ami has exceptional mobility and great instincts.”

A sharp inhale.

“Out of everyone here, I’m the top?”

More precisely, I was confident I could kill anyone else here in a one-on-one without letting them escape—Ami excluded.

That included Lee Seunghyun and the kin inside the Core. I was steadily regaining my strength. Each earnest day accumulated without betraying the body.

Of course, I couldn’t say that outright in front of my seniors. I just smiled and nodded.

Badgers and subordinates stared at me with sour expressions.

Only Ami’s face lit up.

“Really?!”

Her cheeks flushed red like apples.

“Really?!”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

She let out a soft gasp, then stared down at the desk.

“Woooow....”

Why are you so happy?

The edge of the desk she was gripping bent slightly. Realizing she’d dented it, Ami curled her fist and shook it lightly, trying not to get too excited.

She failed spectacularly.

Still silently basking in happiness, Ami suddenly turned her head and looked at Igor.

Igor raised one eyebrow.

“You heard that, right?”

Ami lifted her chin proudly.

“I’m super strong.”

Igor countered,

“Among the Badgers, maybe.”

“No. That includes you guys too.”

“See?!”

When he replied flatly, Ami slammed the table. Bang!

Maybe it was because she’d been told earlier she still had blood on her head. She pointedly looked at Igor and smiled smugly.

“I’m the strongest—personally acknowledged by Hilde! It’s been a long time since my blood dried!”

“Sounds more like he just can’t catch you because you run away too fast.”

“The one who survives wins.”

The small senior replied proudly.

Then she narrowed her eyes with a meaningful expression.

The kind of look a kid gets when they’ve found something to tease someone with....

She spat out a single word.

“Pathetic.”

Igor stared at Ami, too dumbfounded to respond.

“Why does that annoy me so much.”

Yun muttered from beside her.

Ami ignored her biological brother’s reaction.

“All the effort I put into canceling escape rooms and focusing on training is finally paying off.”

She chuckled.

“Now I’m scarier than you and Rick.”

“The guy who got stabbed while drinking a frappuccino sure talks big.”

“I’m different now!”

“Oh~ scary~ Guess I’ll have to treat you like a proper senior from now on~.”

“What are you, a peanut? Why did you break the desk? Don’t tell me you still can’t control your strength?”

“Shut up, Komoja Ho.”

“That’s enough small talk.”

Richard Green cut in sharply.

Everyone obediently fell silent. Ignoring Igor’s look demanding clarification and Yoow’s look questioning whether this was truly the right call, I turned my gaze back to Green.

Green looked at Kairos, who was smiling in lazy circles.

“You’ll send Ami with him?”

Kairos answered carefully.

“If so, she’ll be a great help. Senior Ami would be able to escape even if captured by the Remnant Wraith. And even if something were to happen to me, she has the ability to complete the mission.”

My chest twisted.

I didn’t show it. Planning meant accounting for every scenario—Kairos dying while luring the Wraith, dying upon encountering Kyle, every plausible outcome.

I knew all of this was necessary.

The moment yesterday’s meeting ended, I’d dragged the summoner aside and grilled him. Did he know even Kysis avoided the Remnant Wraith? What familiars had he tamed? What was his plan if he faced Kyle? Had he ever encountered a Remnant Wraith in the Empire?

Answering patiently, Kairos eventually smiled faintly and added:

‘As you’ve probably guessed, the ones maintaining the defensive array are Navarate and Meyerbold. Remember them? The two archmages people carried in half-dead.’

I nodded heavily.

They were the only archmages who’d survived. Frankly, it was hard to believe. As long as I remembered, they’d been suffering. They hadn’t exploded like the others, but they’d endured the backlash of opening dimensional gates and never fully recovered before the First War began.

I thought they’d died in the flames of war.

‘Maybe not. There might be a newly born child with genius-level magic. Either way, the point is—unless you plant a core directly, that array won’t break easily.’

‘...Right. And they won’t use a core if they can help it. That area has long been one of humanity’s major breadbaskets.’

And until now, there hadn’t been a major issue.

But if Kyle’s side continued expanding, or dealt a meaningful blow to the Cores—

If humanity came to realize that there was no way to strike them by conventional means—

Then only the final option would remain.

Social consensus would form quickly.

‘But if we tear open the defenses this time, we can plant a means of counterattack inside. Then the option of a core will never be used.’

The man who’d always known how to appease nobles laughed brightly.

‘Then, after victory, we can bring in civilian kin and incorporate them into the Core, can’t we?’

Sharp orange eyes gleamed.

‘You want that too.’

Yes.

I did.

I really, truly did.