For a fleeting instant, a deep emotion flashed through Yehyeon’s eyes.
I wanted to praise him for suppressing it. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how tangled his insides must be.
Of course, seasoned as he was, the large eyes quickly took on a businesslike sheen.
Yehyeon nodded and shifted his gaze to my subordinates.
He looked in turn at Yoow, who was glaring like he wanted to kill soone; at Igor, his interlaced fingers resting on the table; and at Rose, who wouldn’t take her eyes off .
“If Hildebert is abducted, you will have to follow our side’s instructions afterward. Is that acceptable?”
It was right to clearly establish the chain of command.
I looked at the people seated in a line to my right.
Igor spoke first.
“I’ll just follow Hilde’s decision.”
His voice was rcifully calm.
He was also keeping my request to avoid titles like ‘leader’ or ‘captain’ during etings.
“I’ve never managed to stop him before.”
“I will follow the decision as well.”
Rose added softly, bowing her head shyly.
Her pale face flushed slightly as she spoke, and then she turned to gaze at with open fervor.
“How could I dare question an order?”
I pretended not to notice Rose’s... far too passionate stare.
Forcing myself to remain composed, I shifted my gaze across the table and caught sight of three mbers of the leadership blinking.
They seed surprised by my subordinates’ reactions.
Having encountered more than enough lunatics in leadership etings, none of the three were flustered enough to comnt directly on Rose’s antics—but still.
Ska spoke.
“I expected more pushback.”
Yoow replied curtly.
“From our perspective, we’d rather let a few faceless Badgers escape on their own. Ideally, I’d like to lock that golden-eyed one up in a cabin sowhere. But I fail every ti I try to stop Hildebert, so making a fuss wouldn’t change anything. It’d just tank my reputation.”
This bastard is still sulking at .
He ca along without complaint and behaved more quietly than expected, so I thought he’d changed.
Igor frowned and turned toward the strategist.
But Rose beat him to it.
“Don’t act like a child, esteed strategist. That won’t make Hilde love you any more.”
Pffft!
Soone sprayed water.
I covered my eyes with my hand and took a mont to collect myself.
Then, just before Yoow could start growling, I gave an order.
“Enough chatter.”
My subordinates obediently shut their mouths.
Holding back a sigh, I looked at the leadership seated across from .
“My apologies.”
Ska laughed at length, mischief shining in his eyes. Aide Gilbert shot a look that said hang in there, while at the edge of my vision I noticed Richard Green sharply furrow his brow.
Yehyeon, however, didn’t blink.
“Very well.”
He returned his gaze to the screen and added without emotion,
“Since the superior–subordinate relationship is clearly established, I won’t worry about command confusion going forward.”
“Though there may be so orders I don’t hear.”
Yoow added darkly.
“I tend to miss unreasonable ones.”
Bang!
Dante slamd the table.
“What?!”
“You didn’t need to say that out loud.”
Yehyeon smiled faintly.
Still wearing that slight smile, he looked at Yoow.
“Either way, understood. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Yehyeon was right.
If Yoow truly had no intention of following Black Badger commands, he wouldn’t have added a remark like that. It was a small bit of petulance on Yoow’s part—don’t issue orders stupid enough to be disobeyed.
The others seed to grasp his aning as well, because no further argunt followed.
Dante appeared to be restrained by the person beside him....
In the first place, it was absurd for an ordinary Badger to argue against sothing the supre commander had decided.
From sowhere in the corner, soone muttered, “Is Taleb their leader?” I pretended not to hear.
All eyes returned to the screen.
Yehyeon moved on to the main point.
“First, I’ll outline the general plan.”
A map appeared on the screen.
After scanning it, the commander asked Yoow,
“Before that, there are two things I want to ask. First, whether we have any mages available to mobilize at this ti, or whether it’s possible to sway enemy mages. Second, whether you know of a strategy better than sending Hilde to the negotiation site.”
For the first ti, Yoow’s face lost its dissatisfaction and mockery.
The strategist wiped his expression clean and looked at Yehyeon.
After a mont, he answered carefully.
“Mages are extrely insular and arrogant. They can’t even imagine living among humans. In short, we have no mages we can mobilize, and persuasion would be exceedingly difficult.”
That was right.
Every mage had sided with Kyle. Not a single one had accepted coexistence with humans—very much in character for them.
Even back in the Empire, I’d never been close with them.
They didn’t enjoy interacting with people and had little fondness for those who relied on their bodies, like knights.
Everywhere, they were treated as precious assets....
As I revisited old mories, Yoow continued beside .
“However, so of them beco extrely craven when their lives are on the line, so if we grab them by the throat and threaten them, we might force a surrender. It’s not common, though. Fundantally, they’re highly narcissistic.”
“Was the guy who groveled at your feet last ti a mage?”
Trevain suddenly spoke.
I widened my eyes and looked toward the voice.
Why ask that?
Puzzled, I still answered the senior.
“No. He was just an old noble.”
“Who?”
Igor raised an eyebrow at .
I turned to my subordinate.
“Shenton Wheelwobbler.”
“Oh my.”
Rose covered her mouth in surprise.
“He’s still alive?”
“So it seems.”
“That’s surprising. He must’ve just been burning through rations all this ti.”
“Are you referring to the humanoid Creature Richard Green reported before?”
Ignoring Igor’s mutter, Yehyeon asked in a curious tone.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
At my report, Yehyeon’s expression turned strange.
He stared at with an odd look, then asked,
“Did he surrender? I was only inford that the humanoid Creature died. I wasn’t told he surrendered. Did you kill soone who had surrendered?”
“You could call it a token surrender. He had previously received the harshest sentence, so it was surprising the enemy had kept him alive ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) at all. As a prisoner, he had no information to offer.”
“Who killed him?”
The commander narrowed his eyes at .
I answered truthfully.
“I beheaded him myself.”
Thud.
Sothing fell.
When I turned, I saw Ami with her phone dropped on the desk, mouth hanging open.
Ricardo watched with narrowed eyes. Other seniors looked equally shocked.
What exactly were they shocked by?
That I’d killed soone without authorization—or by the thod?
As I furrowed my brow, pondering, Yehyeon’s voice ca.
“The charge?”
“Human trafficking.”
The commander was silent for a while.
Only after Yun grumbled, “You should’ve brought him in alive,” did Yehyeon let out a small sigh.
In a subdued voice, he said,
“I understand the logic, but next ti, bring them in alive if possible.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s return to the topic. You’re saying that persuading most mages would be impossible?”
“In simple terms, yes.”
Yoow answered.
After biting his lip and falling silent for a mont, he added in an unwilling tone,
“And as for the second question, I don’t have an alternative.”
“Then we have no choice but to make a decisive move this ti.”
Yehyeon muttered gloomily.
“As they requested, Hilde will stand at the negotiation site. We will not lose Hildebert.”
“You must have a plan that ensures that.”
“Jack.”
“Yes.”
Kairos replied, having worn a faint smile until now.
All eyes turned to the contracted envoy.
Yoow glared at Kairos as if to say you’re the root of this, but Kairos didn’t blink.
Seated in the only spot Yehyeon had designated—closest to the screen—the man began his explanation.
“We’ll use the Remnant Wraith.”
Even hearing it again made my stomach twist.
“The Remnant Wraith is an extrely dangerous Creature sleeping outside the Core. We plan to draw out the enemy leader with it. The enemy won’t be able to ignore the Remnant Wraith. While he’s dealing with it, Hilde won’t be killed. In that window, we’ll release Hilde from his restraints.”
“And what guarantee do we have that you’ll lure it out safely?”
Yoow lowered his voice.
“If you die, there’s a high chance Hilde’s life ends aninglessly as well. We can’t stake Hilde’s life on your ability.”
“There’s no way to eliminate risk entirely, strategist.”
“At the very least, I couldn’t devise a better operation.”
With that answer, Yehyeon leaned back in the black leather chair reserved for the head seat and issued an order.
“Jack. Give a detailed report on the Remnant Wraith.”
“Yes.”
Kairos replied politely and tapped the tablet in front of him.
The map on the conference room screen zood in rapidly.
A barren region without a blade of grass.
Parched land—and at its center, a black pit burned dark, like a cigarette butt scorching the ground.
The screen split in two. On the left, a satellite map; on the right, what appeared to be drone footage.
Watching the drone cross the dry land toward the pit made my head ache.
More precisely, watching the Remnant Wraith slowly stretch within the pit did.
“This is insane.”
A massive black form sluggishly raised its upper body, thrust its chest forward, and gazed at the sky.
It stretched long, then slowly twisted its torso.
An upper-rank monster staring straight at the drone.
Bottomless black eyes.
Seeing the Remnant Wraith on screen, I recoiled in shock.
“The horns are fully ford?”
A plaster-pale, expressionless female face.
Goat-like horns grew from both sides of her head, arcing upward until they t, forming a complete ring.
A completed Remnant Wraith—sothing spoken of only in legends.
Through the cara, it looked at us.
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