Black Badger

Chapter 63

I caught him right away.

It wasn't hard to catch him. Especially since the terrified scientist had wandered into an empty office on his own.

I quietly closed the door to the room that looked like a conference room.

The scientist realized he was cornered and started trembling.

"Calm down. I won't hurt you."

Was that the wrong thing to say?

Judging by how the shaking intensified, it seemed so.

This guy was no good.

I stood there watching the scientist, who shook pitifully but wouldn't set down the bundle the size of a human head.

He didn't move for so long that even his fear-induced trembling started to bore me. The man, who had half his face covered by the bundle, finally lifted his head after a while.

"...Don't take it?"

"I'll take it if you give it to me."

I replied readily to his thin voice.

The man made a strange face. I didn't bother trying to guess what he was thinking. Instead, to emphasize that I wouldn't harm him, I stood there with my arms hanging loosely at my sides.

The scientist observed me intently while clutching the bundle.

A tense silence settled in. I didn't speak first, but I didn't avoid his gaze either. Though he couldn't see my face clearly, I was half-convinced I wore a complete blank expression.

In the end, the Martin thief surrendered.

"Th-thank you for listening..."

"Yes?"

I leaned forward to catch his faltering voice.

The scientist sniffled.

"Y-you're always so kind and listen well... I wanted to be with you always..."

"You wanted to be with me?"

I couldn't hold back and asked again.

"So you stole it because you wanted to be with me?"

The man nodded through his tears, then wiped his eyes with his forearm.

I stared in bewilderment at the man who looked to be in his late thirties, tears streaming down his face. He took Martin because of that?

This was insane.

"It wasn't stealing, exactly... I was just taking it home..."

"What about Martin's will?"

I couldn't hide the emotion in my voice. The scientist flinched at the sound.

With a face full of fear, he looked at me and mumbled.

"Martin said he enjoyed talking with me... He said he'd like to keep talking if possible..."

"You can talk in the lab."

"I've been assigned to a branch office."

The scientist muttered gloomily.

"Next week."

He looked down at the head-sized bundle with sad eyes. Stooped shoulders. Slightly graying black hair, unshaven beard. A weary impression. He looked a bit pitiful, like someone lacking vitality.

But stealing Martin was unforgivable.

I planned to tell him I wouldn't report it to Yoon if he just handed Martin over.

At that moment, the scientist burst into tears.

He cried with such heartbreaking sorrow. The man thrust the bundle forward while shedding large tears.

"M-Martin won't turn on..."

What?

"Even when I put in the right code, it won't... I got scared... So scared, I brought it back..."

"No, even with the right code, it won't turn on? Why? Did you tamper with it?"

"I-I don't know... I carried it so carefully..."

The scientist cried too hard to even open his eyes properly.

I quickly took the bundle and untied its opening. As the satin pouch loosened, Martin's round body appeared. Smooth white surface. A large lens.

Blue light used to flicker behind the lens as it darted across the lab's ceiling and walls.

But now, the lens was covered in a heavy black tint, with no color shining through.

"Martin!"

I grabbed Martin with both hands and cried out desperately.

"Martin! Snap out of it!"

"Martiiin..."

Beside my desperate cries, the scientist wailed.

"Martin, I'm sorry... It's my fault..."

We called Martin's name for a long time.

Then I came to my senses first.

No. This wasn't the time. Getting emotional like this wouldn't solve anything.

With Martin tucked under my arm, I began to gently coax the scientist. Softening my voice as much as possible, I soothed the despairing thief.

Anyway, thanks for bringing Martin back. I'd take him to Yoon and John. If he was scared to face Yoon, he should just give me his phone number. I'd keep his identity safe, so if I asked any questions, he should answer honestly...

As he listened, emotion welled up in the scientist's eyes.

He looked at me with teary eyes.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"I'll go turn myself in."

"Yes? Really?"

"Yes."

The scientist nodded, gritting his teeth.

"And apologize to the other scientists in person."

I lit up with joy. Yeah. You had to face your own mistakes head-on.

I praised his tough decision and urged him to go see Yoon first.

Saving Martin was the top priority. I was deeply worried if the lab's little darling was broken.

But when I flung open the door to head to Yoon, the scientist's face darkened.

He followed me hesitantly and grabbed my clothes.

"C-could you put in a good word with Yoon for me?"

"Ah."

I understood his fear.

"Of course. I'll cover for you as much as I can."

Gratitude and emotion filled the scientist's eyes.

Worried he might change his mind, I gripped his arm firmly and headed to Yoon with Martin under my arm.

*

Yoon was dumbfounded.

So dumbfounded that even his anger faded. The mentor, who had been waiting in front of the hospital room with a look that said he'd skin the culprit alive, let out a disbelieving "Huh" after hearing my explanation. After my plea for leniency, he sighed and shook his head.

A face that said he was too stunned for words.

After the mentor expressed his contempt with his whole body, we headed back to the lab. The scientist, unable to meet Yoon's eyes, stuck close to my side.

I didn't push him away and entered the lab.

As soon as we stepped inside, the vast, bustling space unfolded. The scientists, who had been scurrying around the familiar area, froze in place.

They all turned their heads sharply and looked at us.

Like someone had hit a group pause button.

Stares flew our way. Silence like glass.

Me, Yoon, and the Martin thief (his name was Peter) stopped in our tracks too.

"Martin."

I lifted Martin up, facing the scientists who stared holes through us.

"He's back."

The idol of the Science Department returns!

Woooah!

Cheers erupted.

The vast space vibrated with tremendous noise. I flinched reflexively. I couldn't dodge as smoothly as Yoon.

Scientists with eyes gleaming fiercely. Half-losing their reason, they shrieked and charged at me.

I screamed at the sight of the herd rushing like buffalo.

"Calm down!"

"Hilde got Martin back!"

"Martin! Martin!"

"Hilde! Hilde!"

The humans didn't calm down.

I backed away quickly. Damn. I should have remembered these people were dead serious about Martin.

"Calm down! Don't run!"

The scientists ignored my desperate shouts.

If I weren't a badger, I would have tumbled backward and been trampled to death. I endured the heavy onslaught of scientists clinging to me like magnets.

Ah. Ow, it hurts. Why were you humans so serious about Martin?

I grumbled inwardly but kept my arms raised above my head without lowering them.

"You need to calm down so we can turn Martin on, please!"

"You're awesome, Hilde! As expected of Choi Yoon's proud mentee!"

"VVVIP of the Science Department!"

"Escort him with dignity! The 30 million won owner!"

"Buy us coffee with that 30 million!"

"Pizza!"

"Chicken!"

"My quest!"

"No! My quest next!"

We need to check if Martin's okay!

But the people didn't listen. The scientists surrounding me in a pack dragged me along.

My question of where they were taking me was quickly answered. A group of scientists was hauling a podium from across the way.

Why did the lab even have such a flashy podium?

I really didn't want to stand up there.

But I couldn't struggle for fear of hurting the people around me. If I misjudged my strength, the civilian scientists could get seriously injured.

So, without any real resistance, I was helplessly dragged along. It seemed like they knew I wouldn't fight back.

The mentor, of course, didn't help me.

Far from it, he stretched out his arm and snatched Martin from my hand.

"Good job."

Good job? It was "good job" as in command form?

"You earned 30 million won."

"I told you, Yoon, I didn't find Martin; Peter brought him back himself... Anyway, help me! The humans won't let go!"

"To calm them down, play along a bit."

Yoon's face was expressionless as he examined Martin, spinning it around.

"They're welcoming you nicely."

The mentor abandoned me.

I was forced onto the podium, received a trophy inscribed with "30,000,000 Won" (printed with a 3D printer, they said), draped with a flower necklace (made from flowers growing in the lab's greenhouse), photographed with a camera worth nearly ten million won, and only after receiving the scientists' enthusiastic applause was I finally freed.

The scale of the otakus reputed to be the most capable in Center Core was on another level.

As I staggered down from the podium, someone gently placed a laurel wreath on my head. Another scientist thrust a bouquet at me. I accepted them soullessly and stumbled across the lab.

Buried in flowers, I walked to the mentor's desk.

Yoon and John were tending to Martin.

They were surrounded by scientists too, but the scientists kept a certain distance from the two geniuses.

Yeah. Few dared to invade Yoon's personal space.

I pushed through the cordon of scientists and stood beside Yoon.

"Yoon. Martin..."

Ding-dong.

The sound of power turning on.

Light entered Martin's lens.

[Reboot complete. Starting up.]

[Hello!]

A bright voice echoed through the lab.

[Yoon! John! Long time no see! Did my battery die? My memory cuts off weirdly.]

"Martin!"

From afar, Peter, who had been clasping his hands, shouted.

"You're back! I'm sorry!"

His heartfelt apology was drowned out by the excited scientists' voices.

Another wave of fervent cheers pierced my ears.

Amid the cheers, I heard Yoon asking Martin basic questions to check his status.

After receiving clear answers from Martin, Yoon turned to John.

"What do you want to do with the thief?"

A question fitting for the co-creator.

But John didn't look at the thief. Instead, he hugged the AI, which spun around as if puzzled by the shouting people.

Like holding a cherished child.

The gray-haired genius held Martin for a while before saying.

"He's back, so that's fine."

A tearful reunion.

"Um... that guy's name..."

"That would be me, senior? I'm Test Subject 0."

"Give 0 a reward."

John said to me, who had quickly introduced myself.

"That should do it."

Yoon let out a small snort.

Martin spun around, and the scientists cheered at the sight.

And so, the Martin theft incident was resolved.

Martin became the lab's idol once more, and Peter received plenty of scornful looks but went off to his branch assignment unscathed.

And I received the reward. 30 million won after taxes. Lump sum.

My name went up on the quest hall of fame. Surpassing senior badgers, my name was proudly engraved in the all-time single reward amount first place: "Hildebert Talev: Total Reward 30 Million Won."

And from that day on, I became a heroic figure in the lab. Every time I entered, the scientists would cheer with weird shouts like "The hero has arrived!"

John Mullen even remembered my name.

As 0.

Thus, the Martin theft case ended with some small changes. More than becoming the lab's hero or John remembering my name, I was glad to have grown closer to Martin. After that day, I often visited Martin to hang out. I even exchanged messages with Peter at the branch.

Time spent with non-badgers.

Until the day before the salon, that was how I spent my time.