Rose helped trim my hair.
I should have killed Yekaterina.
Brushing my now slightly lighter hair with my hand, I thought to myself.
I should have killed her no matter what.
There hadn’t been enough ti. But realistically, I knew that regretting it now wouldn’t change anything.
Even if soone else had been put in my place, they wouldn’t have been able to kill her either.
And right now, leaving it to Erich Erhart instead of stepping forward myself was far cleaner and more efficient.
Eric was right. He wasn’t just a lucky politician with bizarre tastes. Twisted though he was, he had the ability—and there was still enough force left for him to corner Yekaterina.
So I had to do my own job.
There was a mountain of things to do. I needed to quickly determine Kyle’s movents. I had piles of questions to throw at the old spider who had been our straw, and I was also curious about the movents of the Black Badgers.
However...
“I was planning to go back.”
Erich Erhart had provided a place where we could settle the aftermath of the battle among ourselves.
Thanks to that, we were able to take care of the most urgent matters quickly.
Apologizing to the startled subordinates, gathering the survivors, confirming the dead.
After that, we contacted the families of the deceased.
Okazaki answered right away.
[ I see. ]
He didn’t collapse or bla .
Instead, swallowing his grief, he tried to comfort .
[ That old man had a thrilling ti at the end of his life, so he probably has no regrets. Since he beca soone who couldn’t die of old age, he kept saying over and over that he wanted to die in a magnificent way. ]
“I’m sorry I can’t co by right away.”
[ It’s fine. Just don’t carry unnecessary guilt. I made a new nu item this ti, so when the ti cos, co try that. ]
“A new nu?”
[ Lexic pasta. ]
Sounds delicious.
[ It turned out pretty good, so I’ll be waiting for the day you co. ]
Apologetically and gratefully, the others also hid their resentnt beyond their throats.
The situation gradually settled.
After finishing one round of calls with my kin, I opened the ssaging app.
I had spoken with Yun earlier, but it had been a while since I checked my ssages.
My thumb slowed as it moved toward the inbox that was piled up to the point of bursting.
I’m so sleepy.
I want to take a quick nap.
But I need to grasp the situation a little more...
I stared down at the mountain of ssages.
ssages filled with grief from countless people dug into my chest.
“I was planning to return after apologizing for worrying everyone, but it looks like it’ll be difficult for now.”
“Erhart will handle it soon.”
Yoow answered.
“Until then, it would be best if you continue maintaining your current state. Now that she’s more desperate than ever, I can’t say she won’t pour artillery shells on wherever you are.”
I thought so too.
That was why I had tried so desperately to take Yekaterina’s head at the mansion. I wanted to apologize to the seniors as soon as possible. But the attempt had failed, and now I couldn’t face the people who cared about with confidence.
I didn’t think it would take long...
“Get so sleep. You never know when you’ll have to rush out again.”
“I’ll just check the ssages.”
Of course, I couldn’t actually enter the inbox. Soone who was supposed to be dead couldn’t leave a read mark on ssages.
So I could only check the last ssage each person had sent.
[ Bobby Winter : Why haven’t you checked yet? ]
[ Leeho Chang : Contact when you return. I don’t believe it. ]
[ Asil Fiscer : You’re not an ordinary human like that man. ]
[ Shu Diamond : Cecil is sleeping peacefully again today. ]
[ Tom : When the ti cos, could you contact ? ]
[ San : The flowers increased again. ]
[ Ami : I’m the strongest Badger, right? ]
Hm?
I widened my eyes after reading Ami’s casually written ssage.
There were fifty-eight ssages stacked up.
Did sothing happen?
I stared at the last ssage Ami had sent and then entered the chat window.
Thankfully, I could check the ssage windows of those who knew I was alive. They would quietly hide the fact that I had survived.
And there probably wasn’t any Elder right now with the presence of mind to hack my phone and leak it to the press.
[ Ami : I miss Hilde ]
Ah.
[ Ami : Giacomo 🖕 ]
Huh?
[ Ami : Giacomo 🖕🖕]
Did she fight with Ro?
[ Ami : Ro 🖕🖕🖕]
[ Ami : Komoja Ho is stupid! ]
[ Ami : I hope you co back soon ]
[ Ami : Jack’s been down lately ]
[ Ami : Milk is sulking too so I comforted him this ti ]
[ Ami : Are you eating well? ]
Ami’s ssage window was filled with muttered monologues mixed with ssages directed at .
I’m glad she seems to be doing well.
Smiling as I read them, I checked the next ssage window.
Ricardo, Jonathan, Jack, Yehyeon, Yun, and Walker.
First, Ricardo’s ssage...
...just one?
[ Ric : Grenade? ]
I began trembling with fear.
Because I imdiately realized it was the word I had shouted when I went to Ricardo’s house.
He was angry.
He was definitely angry.
There was no way he wouldn’t be.
[ Sorry... ]
I hesitated while trying to reply.
I had no idea where he was or what he was doing, so I couldn’t send a careless ssage.
I should contact him once things were confird.
If he was in a situation where he could receive a call, he’d see that I had read the ssage and imdiately contact back...
[ Jonathan : Take care of yourself. ]
Jonathan had also left only one ssage.
The neatly placed period at the end was very like him.
I smiled apologetically. I knew that night he had chased after on a motorcycle, even bringing out a sports car to try and stop . He must have been worried and angry to do sothing like that. Everyone was already busy with their own work.
There were no additional ssages from Yehyeon.
Probably because of his position.
Even if he had stepped down from the Supre Commander’s seat, the reputation he had built over decades—and the authority that ca with it—wouldn’t disappear.
He even knew the faces of the raccoons personally, so sending a single ssage would have been difficult.
Yun had said Yehyeon was currently in another Core.
If I called Yun, I’d learn exactly where Yehyeon was.
Yun...
[ Yun : Is that you? ]
What on earth did this guy install on my phone?
The mont I scrolled down to check Yun’s ssage, a new ssage appeared.
A chill ran down my spine as I stared blankly at the screen.
He did this last ti too.
What the hell did this guy put on my phone?!
[ This is a violation of privacy... ]
[ Yun : Then it must be you ]
The reply ca back before I even sent the ssage.
Holding the phone with trembling hands, I muttered darkly to myself.
“The mont Yekaterina gets caught, I’m reporting that I’m alive and replacing this phone first.”
“Huh?”
Igor arched his eyebrow and looked at .
“Your phone broken?”
[ Yun : Call when you finish checking updates ]
My ntor sent another ssage as if it were nothing.
[ Yun : You’re busy anyway ]
I know!
For a mont I almost squeezed my finger too hard in anger.
But I barely regained my composure and checked the remaining ssages.
There were no notable ssages from Walker.
I had sent him outside the Core with Lin just before entering here.
Even though the area was covered by the Core, we didn’t know what could happen, so I told them to get as far away from Zone X as possible. But I hadn’t heard from them since. Lin hadn’t contacted either, and anxiety gnawed at my insides.
It was impossible to confirm casualties caused by the bomb dropped in Zone X.
The bodies of my kin, including Georges, had burned away in an instant.
I had promised myself I would give them a proper funeral later before rushing into the mansion.
But forget a funeral—there wasn’t even a scrap of clothing left to bury.
Still, I had no ti to dwell on that.
Everything later.
My subordinates were checking whether Lin was alive or dead...
[ Your movent is suspicious ]
Huh?
I blinked after reading Kairos’s ssage.
Was he worried about hacking?
The strange ssage the handler had sent stared back at . It was written in the Imperial language’s pronunciation using the alphabet. The strangely broken Imperial sentence had been assembled with letters.
[ Looks like you’re preparing to head toward the border ]
[ I can sense creatures moving in groups, so I sent a report over the radio. ]
[ To your ntor as well. ]
Without hesitation, I pressed the call button.
Yun answered imdiately again.
“Yun!”
[ Did you win this ti? ]
His calm voice ca back.
Instead of answering right away, I tried to catch the sounds around him.
Earlier I had been too distracted to pay attention to where he was.
But now I had to understand what was happening and respond accordingly.
If Kyle was really moving now, as Kairos said...
[ I’m heading toward the Center Core border. ]
My ntor’s indifferent voice returned.
[ By train. I’ll arrive within three hours. I heard a nuke went off in Zone X—looks like you got out safely? ]
“...Yes.”
I answered while listening to the sound of rails through the phone.
“Are Creatures gathering in groups at the Center Core border?”
[ According to the driver. ]
“I’ll try calling Jack—”
[ Before that. ]
Yun cut off.
I closed my mouth and waited for what he would say next.
He wasn’t soone who talked nonsense.
The mont I fell silent, Yun spoke.
[ Can you show your face and co out? ]
Sharp as always.
“No. I missed one.”
[ Then hide your face and return to headquarters. ]
“What?”
Headquarters?
[ Put on a quarantine suit or sothing like a gas mask and go in. They’re still doing construction there, so workers are wandering around anyway. ]
“I see. But why headquarters...”
[ Because there’s a portal there. ]
I heard the clatter of bullets.
[ With our current strength, we can’t just fight Kyle—we’d struggle even to hold him in place. The mont we arrive at the frontier, we’ll install a portal device. Whether we use it as an escape route or a reinforcent route, we’ll only know once we get there. ]
“Ah.”
So he was telling to co.
Understanding the situation, I said I understood and stood up.
“Understood. But there’s also a portal device in this mansion, so there’s no need to go all the way to headquarters—”
[ I know. But headquarters has both a portal and information. ]
Then Yun relayed information he had heard from Aide Ska.
They were fragntary reports from Core 5.
After hearing the shocking contents, I froze in place.
“ierbold is there—”
They won’t be able to win with just those people...
[ Listen until the end. ]
Yun cut off coldly.
[ That bastard just withdrew. I didn’t hear the details either, and the situation still seems to be unfolding, so I’m telling you to find Ska. Sothing about the whole situation feels strange. ]
Yun was right.
After hearing everything that had happened in Core 5, I decided I had to return to headquarters.
I needed to go and clearly understand the situation before acting.
It might sound arrogant, but I was quite a powerful chess piece.
Depending on where I was placed, the outco could change.
“Thank you. I’ll return imdiately. I’ll be careful not to be discovered. If she finds out I’m at headquarters, bombs might fall on it.”
[ If you want to act paranoid, sure. ]
Yun’s voice suddenly beca indifferent.
[ Honestly I doubt it’s necessary. A guy who barely crawled back alive and is being chased ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) by another Elder isn’t exactly in a position to attack imdiately. But do whatever you want. Just hope you don’t run into soone with sharp eyes. ]
“Yes. Well, most of the seniors seem to be on the train.”
[ Plenty of them are stationed at headquarters too. ]
“...They won’t recognize , right?”
[ You’re terrible at acting. ]
That’s harsh!
And also—
“Yun, honestly, if I hadn’t stepped forward then you wouldn’t have found ! And who the hell just lets their wrist get crushed like that while trying to find soone? Seriously, never do that again!”
[ Do your best. ]
My ntor now spoke with a mocking tone.
[ There are plenty of people trying to kill you. ]
Exaggerating just to scare .
Grumbling, I ended the call.
Then I imdiately summoned my subordinates and began preparing for the return.
It really was ti to go back.
Even if I couldn’t enter openly.
Touching the hair that had been cut short enough to cover the back of my neck, I finished preparing to return to society.
I cleaned my sword and put it away, changed my clothes.
Then I chewed on a hamburger my subordinates had brought while waiting for transportation to headquarters to be arranged.
Thinking about the seniors who were surely busy with their own duties...
It’s ti to return.
To the place where my second life began.
To the place I had grown far more attached to than I ever expected during those three years.
***
“Hey.”
Soone called out to .
“Stop for a mont.”
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