Black Badger - Chapter 356



Only Noblemtl

356. Protocol (3)

My first thought was ‘Kisses?’

I know very well that that is highly unlikely.

The next person who came to mind was Cecil. Shu’s words also flashed through his mind. Didn’t Shu’s biological father say that he had been dreaming of Cecil often lately?

It was even harder to ignore it since it was something said by someone who had met Cecil.

So Igor, who was looking at the ceiling of the cabin, explained the situation to Deltey, who was editing YouTube, and got into Kairos’ car.

Kairos also first heard about the situation through me.

“What about the bookseller?”

“It seems like he was with the top brass at the time.”

Now You spent more time at Black Badger Headquarters than in the cabin.

I knew how it came to this, but I couldn’t figure it out. He had been spending much more time with the leadership than I had. Sometimes he knew information that surprised me.

It was also surprising that the leadership trusted You so much.

It seems like they don’t give any information about the elders at all.

Anyway, as soon as I got into the passenger seat of Kairos’ car, I called him.

“who is this?”

The other people in my compatriot group also listened to my call with their mouths shut.

You’s stiff reply came back from the loud phone.

[Come first.]

“Are you watching?”

[yes.]

“Who is in the seat?”

[Headquarters and Badgers who happened to be in the Portal Zone when this happened: Ricardo Sordi, Karl Doe, Sophia Kalak, William Walker, Choi Ami, Choi Yoon.]

“her?”

Wasn’t this a member of the Shu Rescue TF at that time?

Ah. They went on a mission without me. I guess they didn’t say anything to me specifically because I couldn’t go.

I feel a little left out.

Of course, it was such a childish feeling that I couldn’t say it out loud. Since this emergency situation had occurred, I wasn’t really focused on it.

But since they have experience, they might have been less flustered.

I said okay and ended the call.

I wanted to ask more questions, but I held back my words in case there were any ears listening.

You’ll know when you go.

Kairos, who had been listening to the conversation, pressed down on the accelerator.

“Kai! But you don’t have to step on it like this!”

I’m getting motion sickness.

“Just go moderately. I don’t know who it is, but it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to run away or cause a scene.”

“You’re getting motion sickness.”

He’s a real ghost.

How did you know, I was just nagging you like usual?

I was startled by the intuition of the minister and watched the center core passing by at a reasonable speed.

If not Cecil, then who else?

If it were Cecil, what on earth would her condition be like?

***

We arrived at headquarters not speeding, but definitely faster than the time indicated on the map.

You told us to come down to the underground where the portal zone exists.

There were two portal zones in the headquarters: one on the top floor and one underground.

All the underground portal levels were now closed. The Badgers had made it so that only the top-level portals could be used. Only those who knew the current situation were underground.

You are instructed to enter a secret passage connected to an underground portal zone.

There’s a secret passage.

[It is said that this was created to prevent creatures from pouring out into the portal zone due to portal malfunction.]

In fact, there have been two portal malfunctions since the founding of Black Badger Headquarters.

One time when I fell.

Once now.

But the secret passage has never been used until now.

When I came out, it was because Yehyun was clearly aware of my existence. At that time, I didn’t even think about closing the portal zone like I do now.

But this time, things are definitely different.

To avoid being caught by other badgers, we parked in the underground parking lot and walked to the pillar we were directed to.

Then, as if watching us coming, the wall behind the Y-7 pillar opened inward.

As I walked down the one-way hallway inside the wall, I saw a bookseller standing gloomily at the end of the path.

You greeted us with a face covered in dark circles.

“All personnel are in the control room.”

“Control room?”

“It’s a place with CCTV that overlooks the Portal Zone at a glance. Think of it as a projection room in a movie theater. We’re monitoring the person who just came out from there.”

“Then what about the portal zone?”

“He is alone.”

Youga answered gloomily.

I studied the bookseller’s pale face closely.

Worries, doubts and fears flashing in his pitch-black eyes.

awe?

…I really need to go and see the situation with my own eyes.

When I asked for guidance, You turned around as if she had been waiting.

We followed the scribe in silence. At this point, asking questions was of no use.

After descending into the portal zone as if I had been given the mission, I turned to the left, looking at the heavy door closing the portal zone.

I opened the small door in the corner and went up the stairs, and what looked like a CCTV control room appeared.

Screens fill one wall.

People who had been silently and seriously looking at the screen turned their heads as soon as they saw us.

I had the eyes of the leadership and seniors all on me.

“Hilde.”

Yehyun said in a stiff voice.

“Can you check the screen?”

That’s what I did.

I walked into a room lit only by the light from the screen. It was covered with crimson carpet, giving it the feel of a movie theater. I looked at the screen before I could even say hello to anyone.

And I took in the sight of the largest screen, the one located right in the center of the monitors covering the wall.

A vast portal zone that can accommodate several airplanes.

There was a man standing there alone.

As soon as I saw the person, my mouth fell open.

I thought I had prepared myself mentally.

With that preparation in vain, I stood there, staring at the screen as if under a freezing spell.

Unintentional imperial language came out of his mouth.

“your majesty?”

***

The emperor is dead.

Of course, I didn’t see the Emperor’s death with my own eyes. I only saw that he chose not to jump into the dimension-hopping. I knew that he was left behind with Kisis. I still remember that day vividly as if it were yesterday.

My lord.

Kissis’ biological father.

The supreme ruler of the empire.

“Is it you?”

I muttered to myself as I looked at the screen, half-forgetting that the leadership was in the same room.

“Have you tried talking?”

“First of all… Yes. I did say hello.”

You said gloomily.

Even while listening to my subordinate’s report, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. I absentmindedly watched the footage captured by the Portal Zone CCTV.

He was wearing the same outfit he was wearing the last time I saw him.

The lower part of his costume was discolored and soaked in blood. Although such things did not damage the authority he was born with.

He was someone who gave off an intimidating vibe even when he just stood there silently.

however….

“It could be a reenactment.”

Yehyun made my thoughts sound out loud.

“I also went through the process of confirming Jaeyeon’s existence when you came out to the portal zone. Jaeyeon himself was definitely by Falcon’s side at that time.”

“Did you check it this time too?”

“I looked into it and found out that Jae-yeon is currently away on a long-term mission.”

What this means is that we can’t be sure whether it’s a reenactment or not.

But whether it was Jae-yeon or the lord I served, nothing would change immediately. Both of them were opponents that I could not let my guard down against.

The Emperor was a magician, a swordsman, a wise ruler, and a being who had not tolerated a single rebellion for over a hundred years.

Whatever it was, it was wise not to let down our guard.

Because no one knows at what point this basement will blow away.

However, the person beyond the screen looked surprisingly similar to the last appearance of my lord that I remembered.

I can’t see the red ring.

He muttered, his eyes fixed on the screen.

“What did you say as a greeting?”

“Since you were mumbling in Imperial Chinese asking where the hell you were, I told you that I was nearby and asked you to wait a moment.”

Youga answered.

“First, let me explain the situation from beginning to end.”

This is how things went.

When the TF team members, excluding me, and William Walker, the Shu rescue team, arrived at the portal zone, something strange happened.

The situation was almost the same as when I first appeared. Apparently, six people entered the portal, but seven came out.

However, the man who suddenly appeared outside the portal could not speak the common language.

He didn’t speak English and didn’t seem to speak any other regional language.

In addition, there are unique costumes that cannot be seen on Earth, and dried blood stains on the ends of the clothes.

Panic quickly turned to wariness, and the Badgers turned their guns on their uncommunicative opponents.

The man standing in front of the gun also began to emit a strange light from his palm.

A standoff situation on the brink of collapse.

It was the scientists who were watching the badgers’ arrival who broke it.

Those waiting to disinfect the Badgers who returned from the danger zone are said to have cried and shouted, “Disinfect! Disinfect!”

Then, he said that disinfection was more important than increasing the number of people or not, and he sprayed disinfectant into the portal zone in a push-shush fashion.

It is said that Ami took advantage of that opportunity to drag the Badgers out of the portal zone.

And that’s how we got to the current situation.

“After that, I came and told them to wait without moving while I sorted out the situation.”

“Do you realize who you are?”

“yes.”

Youga answered firmly.

“As soon as he heard my voice, he recognized it as me and said he would wait patiently.”

“You didn’t show your face?”

“Because you might not be used to Earth’s attire.”

Only then did I take my eyes off the screen.

He turns his gaze from the person who looks exactly like the emperor to You.

Then I saw the seniors staring at me from behind You.

People I’m definitely attached to.

Those who had built their faith through various experiences were quietly looking at me. No one spoke to me, but their gazes were clearer than ever.

There was no difference between subordinates.

However, they were as surprised as I was, and looked back and forth between the screen and me.

I stood in the line of sight and said.

“Let me go in and check.”

“okay.”

Yehyun answered.

“Unless you do that, nothing will change.”

That’s right. I had to go in and check everything myself.

As I turned my gaze back to the screen, Ye-Hyeon’s voice continued.

“I heard that the old clothes are well preserved.”

ah.

“Wear it and go in so as not to provoke the other person.”

I thought I would never wear it again in my life.

***

Only I will go in.

However, Igor was expected to be waiting right in front of the portal zone. The scientists who had sprayed disinfectant gas a few hours ago were also ready to spray sleeping gas if necessary. You was ready to simultaneously interpret the Imperial language that I was speaking in the control room.

The leadership asked us to ‘understand that we are playing it cautiously.’

I nodded silently. I also thought that their response was correct.

Rose brought the clothes.

“I can’t believe I can see the captain like this again…!”

She came running from another core naked, and surprisingly, she only gave the Emperor a single glance.

Even when he looked at the screen, he didn’t seem particularly interested.

I feel like I should at least take a look since it showed up.

She quickly fixed her gaze on me and held out my Knight Commander’s uniform with trembling hands.

“Is it heavy?”

“no!”

Rose shouted.

“You can hold it for the rest of your life!”

Ah. So that’s why you were shaking so much.

I shook my worries aside and took the clothes.

The knight’s uniform was well-kept, so I could wear it any time. Shiny silver armor, elaborate gold embroidery. Carefully folded sleeves.

When I looked at the management status, it suddenly felt like the past years were rushing back to me.

It’s been such a long time since I’ve been away.

But there was no time to be emotional.

I took the clothes from Rose and went out into the hallway outside the control room to change.

It hadn’t been on my body for a long time, but as soon as I picked it up, my body moved reflexively.

I lost some muscle and fat, so it was a bit loose.

But this should be more than enough to meet him.

After checking the sword’s condition, I returned to the control room.

I felt people’s eyes on me, but I didn’t have the energy to look back at them.

I turned to Deltey.

“Congratulations.”

Deltey looked up at me with his blue eyes.

She clasped her hands together before me, bowing her head. I heard the saint recite the familiar consecration spell. I saw a faint sphere of light emerge from her clasped hands, touch my chest, and then spread out and disappear.

I am ready to go meet my lord.

I stretched out my body and looked at the people.

Igor, who was ready to follow, and the seniors who were not taking their eyes off me.

I looked into Yehyun’s eyes and said.

“I will go in.”

“okay.”

As soon as the order is given, the body turns.

I walked into the portal zone where there was a man who looked like an emperor.