Black Badger - Chapter 366



Only Noblemtl

366. Double Dream (1)

I looked up from the creature guide and smiled faintly.

Ami was sitting on the sofa, tapping away at her tablet and humming. Yoon, sitting next to her, didn’t even glance at his younger brother.

Army doesn’t care.

She fiddled with her tablet and proudly showed me the screen.

“here!”

A map of Antarctica appeared on the screen.

There is a red arrow in the middle of the map.

“Bingryong is here now!”

“I guess you moved.”

“Yeah. But I think I’ll be staying in Antarctica for a while.”

Ami’s smile grew bigger.

“That means we’ll be able to see penguins!”

The senior spoke in an excited voice, then looked at me and chattered away about penguins and Antarctica.

He said that he had dreamed of going to Antarctica. He likes Adélie penguins and really wants to see them in person. Bingryong moved from Everest to Antarctica about two weeks ago, and he smiled brightly, saying that he was so happy.

“I’m looking forward to it!”

“You didn’t tell Jack, did you?”

“Yeah. Hilde told me not to ever, ever tell anyone.”

“Yes, really.”

“Mongmong, how many did you say you’ve caught so far?”

Yoon joined the conversation.

Caught 45 of them.

But soon there will be 65, as Rose contacted us a few hours ago to say she had caught 20 more.

The Double Mong plan was going smoothly.

“It looks like we will be able to catch 100 of them by the end of this week at the latest.”

“That’s desirable.”

Yoon answered dryly without taking his eyes off his cell phone.

There was no expression on his face.

“It’s been a long time, so I’m really happy.”

“Yes, I see!”

Ami nodded and confirmed Yoon’s words.

Where are you looking?

He has a completely expressionless face… .

Is there something in Ami’s eyes?

I still think that I can’t keep up with my siblings’ keen eye, but Ami took her gaze away from her older brother who was sitting like a statue.

She looked at me and smiled.

“I’ll have everything ready to leave as soon as I finish planning the Double Dream.”

“Thank you. I’ll let Jack know at the last, last minute.”

“Yeah. Hilde, do whatever you want! I don’t think Jack will suddenly run off, though.”

I couldn’t confidently agree with Army’s opinion.

When I think back to the incidents he committed in the empire… .

Anyway, I felt good to hear that things were progressing well. Both the Double Mong operation and the plan to go see Bingryong.

I also found out what the flowers are used for.

I still don’t know what Kyle’s intentions are….

“Rare earth elements.”

It’s been three hours since we were locked in the living room of Yoon and Ami’s house.

The shooter approached me as I was searching through materials about Mongmong and past materials about Colton.

“It will be finished within a week at the latest.”

“Did you get a call from Yehyun?”

“Oh. I got a call from Choi Hyun-jun too. It looks like the raw material prices are starting to calm down.”

I had no involvement in the raw materials war at all.

I didn’t know how the market worked. That’s why I got into it. It was a place where hyenas with their eyes turned upside down for achievement were running around, and it was a place where nothing could be changed even if an individual, not a company, approached it.

Simply put, it’s not my area.

I’m glad it worked out well.

Now we just need to conclude the Double Dream Operation.

“I haven’t heard anything about Kyle lately.”

“Even if you hear that, nothing will change right away.”

Yoon refuted the argument with a straight line.

“You still can’t see Jaeyeon?”

It wasn’t visible.

Even after being questioned, the leadership and I were unable to find Jaeyeon until the moment when Kairos and Rose captured the 90th Mongmong.

It wasn’t particularly strange that he wasn’t there. He was usually barely visible. If he was, it was bad luck.

But it would have been easier if it had been visible at this point.

It wasn’t like Jaeyeon could create a clone.

If I had witnessed the reenactment while attending the Emperor, I could have abandoned the Double Dream operation. That would mean the Emperor was real.

But that didn’t happen, and I received an invitation from Earhart on the day I successfully captured 100 Mongmongs.

I accepted his invitation.

“It’s nice to see you again.”

It was a place I had been to once.

The house I visited with Yoon. A building filled with stone statues without necks, and a basement where paintings are stored.

The man standing in front of the main gate walked elegantly down the stairs.

“I know you’re not feeling well. I’m honored that you came.”

“I want to go in before dinner.”

I handed the car keys over to the valet.

“It’ll be finished before then, right? It’s not a place I want to stay for long.”

The elder laughed for a long time and muttered, “How sad.”

Everyone knew it was nothing to worry about. Shashinsky and Rabbi stood ten paces behind Earhart, as usual.

I approached Earhart absentmindedly and went into the mansion with him.

A suit worn after a long time feels a little worn out.

The elder looked at the low-tied white hair.

“You look great in a suit.”

“thank you.”

There was no one in the spacious mansion.

The chill brought by an empty space.

The last time I visited, there were so many people that it felt a little stuffy.

“I hope this isn’t something trivial.”

I took in the sight of an angel statue with only a torso.

“Let’s get straight to the point.”

After finishing speaking, Earhart turned her head and saw herself smiling.

It wasn’t his usual smile. It wasn’t the kind of smile that makes you happy when you see someone unfortunate, but a smile with a sharp edge.

I knew full well that this guy didn’t get to this position just because of his sexual desires.

A person who is not talented at maintaining power cannot be ranked third in the world rankings.

Earhart said.

“At one time, you were just a rumor. I came late to the arena of power struggles and never actually met Michael.”

“Please don’t use that nickname. It would be better to be called Prometheus.”

Earhart’s smile grew wider as she grumbled.

The man was wearing a bright suit that illuminated his face again today.

He continued the conversation with a smile that had lost its sharpness.

“But the person I actually encountered in the rumors was more attractive than I thought.”

“Yes, yes.”

“It seems like you’ve decided to go back to that time.”

Finally, Earhart got to the point.

Then the man crossed the hall. The sound of his shoes hitting the floor was clear.

I matched his pace as he headed toward the underground gallery without changing my expression.

“Why do you think that?”

“I overheard your conversation with Catherine’s first cousin.”

As expected, you didn’t go back right away.

“You seem unusually impatient.”

“I was feeling uneasy because I wasn’t feeling well.”

“You are sometimes creepily indifferent and cold to those outside the line. He seems to have been standing on the edge, and you have been trying to bring him back within the line.”

Earhart let out a laugh of joy.

The tone was lower than usual.

He didn’t care about my silence.

“After pulling me into the line, he started giving me all sorts of orders. It’s not like anyone was urging me to cut off the head of someone who doesn’t repent. It was obvious that he wanted the other person to change quickly. It must be because he was ready to hit Yekaterina.”

“I have listened carefully to the background explanation of your enlightenment. Let’s get to the main point.”

“The point is, even if I’m not interested in the top spot, I’m interested in this world.”

For the first time since entering the mansion, I smiled a little.

I stood in front of the elevator, letting out a soft laugh. It was the elevator that went down to the gallery. I used to ride this with Yoon.

At that time, the elders were just annoying people in power.

A lot has changed since my memories returned.

I thought about Earhart’s elegant expression of asking to join hands to help her beat Colton and Catherine.

I knew you were going to say this.

I had a similar conversation with Colton a while back.

“Are you enjoying life?”

“very.”

When I asked her while riding down the elevator, Earhart answered right away.

“I know that great work is still being created today.”

The elevator door opened.

A dark gallery appears. The cool air embraces my body as I enter the gallery.

“great.”

I followed Earhart who said she had something to show me.

“I hope to see you often in the future.”

His laughter.

The smile she gave me as soon as she finished speaking. It was a smile that contained many things. Innocent cruelty, twisted joy, and other things I didn’t really want to know about.

It was a smile that didn’t resemble Colton or Bingjae’s.

I like that fact.

I entered the gallery.

Passing by Francis Bacon’s work, passing by my photo.

I passed something like a bird from another world.

I walked like that and arrived in front of a painting hanging alone.

I stood in front of the painting with one hand in my pocket.

“The hobby of appreciating art gives you more things than you think. A person’s taste in art tells you a lot about them.”

Earhart, standing next to me, said:

I didn’t answer, but I had a vague idea what he was talking about.

I kept looking at the picture.

Earhart broke the silence.

“The Commander-in-Chief sometimes buys oil paintings of the sea, and Catherine likes photographs of the Earth taken from space.”

“hmm.”

“The fourth elder likes works related to revolution.”

“okay.”

“And this painting is one that Colton Wiseman bought at an auction when he was young.”

It was a painting he had painted before he met me.

Before he even set foot on the ladder of power.

“This is the only forgery in this gallery. The original is in Colton’s mansion.”

The picture wasn’t big.

There was a figure in the frame, either male or female. The person had upturned eyes and a pretty nose. I couldn’t guess what country they were from.

It wasn’t a famous work.

It probably wasn’t that expensive.

It’s unlikely that you bought it to evade taxes, nor is it likely that you bought it to invest.

Especially if you want to give it as a gift to someone.

I just bought it because I liked it.

A figure depicted against an ashen background.

I like these ordinary portraits that others will just glance at and forget about.

ah.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer and screamed.

“Poor Jaeyeon.”

Even that face isn’t yours.

Even the upturned eye corners and pretty nose were not his. He was not Jae-yeon and it was not Jae-yeon’s taste. That was Colton’s taste.

An existence that was not his own, not even a name that was complete, not even an appearance that did not change, could not become something complete of his own.

What a lonely existence.

“Don’t pity me.”

Earhart muttered.

“You know very well what happened to the Commander-in-Chief who pitied him.”

well.

I wonder if my attitude will be determined by the results of Operation Double Mong.

As I pictured the person in the frame in my mind, I thought to myself.

***

It was Operation D-Day.

in the end!

Freedom in a few hours!

I woke up relieved that the ceremony would end in some way.

I stretched, already feeling excited and happy.

And then I came across a burning phone.

[Bobby Winter: Don’t come to headquarters!!!]

what.

What’s going on at headquarters… .

After reading through the pile of messages, I figured out why Barbie was sending me such serious and urgent messages, which was unusual for her.

It was simple.

The rumor spread like wildfire and someone lodged an official complaint with the leadership.

So, it seemed that Ye-Hyeon, who had just finished the rare earth issue yesterday, was going to face the badgers who had protested in person today.

It is said that the executives and the head of the personnel department are scheduled to receive face-to-face questions at the location where the year-end party is held.

About me.

And there were dozens of Badgers who were going to attend. So, messages poured in telling me not to show up. I told them to stay home and be quiet if they didn’t want to get beaten up by the excited seniors.

But I have to use the headquarters portal zone?

The Double Mong operation is scheduled to take place at headquarters… .

I looked at the phone.

I pondered the messages from my seniors and peers telling me not to come out of the cabin, as well as the abusive messages pouring in from unsaved numbers.

Postpone the operation date and avoid criticism or lynching from seniors (a few more days of protocol) vs. finish the protocol but face criticism or lunch from seniors.

The answer is so obvious.

I just can’t seem to choose the former… .

So I made up my mind and created a group chat.

After inviting all the seniors who knew of the Emperor’s existence, he made the announcement.

[Me: I’m really sorry for not listening, but I have to go to headquarters today.]

[Me: I’m going to check whether he’s the emperor or not. I finished preparing everything yesterday.]

[Me: Don’t worry too much, I’m planning on sneaking in using the elevator anyway.]

[Me: I’d like to stop this ritual now…]

Naturally, the group chat exploded.

The seniors responded in a series of responses.

[Army: Gasp.]

[Ami: This is a group chat room that Hilde made! (Surprised emoticon)]

[Ami: But Hilde must have had a really hard time. I didn’t realize it because she didn’t show it.]

[Army: I should have done better…]

[Rick: What is this?]

My body flinched when I saw Ricardo’s name on the top of my phone’s alarm.

[Rick: Did you make this?]

[Rick: You’ve grown a lot. You’re forcibly gathering the seniors and making announcements without permission.]

[Rick: Why is the notice like this?]

[Rick: Did you drink plum wine?]

[Ami: Rick. Don’t be so angry. Hilde must have really had a hard time with the protocol…]

[Sophia Carlock: Do you like being hit?]

[Kal Dow: Well, if you’re confident you won’t get caught, then it doesn’t really matter.]

[Carl Dow: I don’t think that will be easy.]

[Carl Doe: Can’t you hold out for just one more day?]

[William Walker: You’ve got some serious guts.]

[William Walker: I can save you from lynching, but it won’t be a happy memory.]

[William Walker: You need to realize that you have a very striking appearance.]

[Yoon: What?]

[Yoon: Invite me to the group chat at will?]

I stubbornly wrote the answer in the group chat.

[Me: Excluding Yoon and Ami, anyone who is confident that they can handle the Commander-in-Chief’s 24-hour protocol for nearly two weeks, please come forward.]

For about three minutes, no one answered.

I felt elated.

Look at that.

[Me: I’m going. To headquarters.]

[Army: I’ll protect you!]

[Rick: Okay. Now just do whatever you want.]

[Sophia Carlock: When are you coming?]

[Carl Doe: Don’t come driving your car.]

[William Walker: Don’t even think about parking in the underground garage.]

[Yoon: Come here and get Mongmong.]

An account that finds my Mario picture annoying said:

[Yoon: One died, so there are 38.]

That’s how Operation Double Mong began.