WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

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◈ Black Badger ◈

Chapter 46: Sector D (3)

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The building was far larger than the Library of Beginnings. A square building with rows of identical windows. What had it originally been used for?

The supply depot in F Zone had been a library, but I could not even guess this building’s original purpose. Still, it was clearly much more heavily protected than the one in F Zone.

For one thing, the building was surrounded by something like a transparent dome.

That was Breath.

I parked the battered military vehicle where Ami told me to. A solid iron wall surrounding the building stood beyond the dome.

I stopped the military vehicle in front of the main gate in the iron wall.

Ami, sitting in the passenger seat, reached out and picked up something like a radio.

A low woman’s voice came through it.

[Royal.]

“Jeep.”

Apparently, it was a password. Clunk! A heavy sound came from beyond the broken window. The iron gate began to move slowly.

The gate opened sideways with a heavy noise. Behind me, I heard the senior members preparing to get out.

Weapons clinking. People adjusting their gear.

The iron gate fully opened, revealing the building’s main entrance.

But the barrier outside the iron gate was still there?

“You’ve never seen Breath open, have you?”

Ami spoke casually.

“Watch. It amazes me every time too.”

A tremendous sound rang out.

It was strange. Like a soap bubble popping, or a balloon rapidly inflating. Like a computer booting up, or a magnetic field forming.

As the sound made my ears ring, I widened my eyes and saw a small core opening in the shape of a door.

It was round, just like the door Yoon had shown me in the basement of his home.

I turned the wheel and drove through the iron gate.

“Park near the entrance.”

Green ordered.

Following his command, I parked parallel to the left of the gate. As I drove, I remembered how to parallel park too. Ah. The voice of that two-toned-haired scientist, probably a scientist, kept echoing in my head.

‘Parallel parking is easy once you get used to it.’

But now was not the time to pay attention to the fragments of memory popping up.

I jumped out of the driver’s seat after the senior members poured out. The vehicle was a mess in every possible way. Its rear was covered in blood, and half the front windshield was gone.

But nobody cared.

Leaving the keys inside, I hurriedly grabbed the duffel bag I had tossed aside and followed the senior members.

Someone was slowly walking out from the building’s main entrance.

Ami called her name brightly.

“Sylvia!”

Ah, that silver-haired senior.

She was someone I had met when I first went outside the Core. One of the people who had been with Jason Tvein. We had not introduced ourselves then.

It had not seemed like she wanted to, either.

So she had been the one who gave the password over the radio? We stopped in front of the silver-haired Badger, who had a cold impression. I silently studied the female senior, whose coloring seemed faint overall.

A sniper rifle slung across her body. Skin as pale as Ye-hyeon’s. Light sky-blue eyes. Long, pale eyelashes.

Her expression was almost as cold as my senior partner’s.

“There were no issues.”

Sylvia spoke in a low voice as she met Green’s eyes.

“Current personnel: Sylvia Kiff. Bobby Winter. Lee Ho Chang.”

“Good.”

Lee Ho was here too.

Then was Bobby the blond-haired senior I had met before? Swallowing my curiosity, I followed the senior members inside.

A new building spread out before me.

The iron gate and Breath were very modern, but the building itself was rough and old. Time had left its mark everywhere. The air smelled oddly musty. The lobby floor was broken, gravel crunching underfoot.

I followed Walker and Tvein, throwing my duffel bag onto the floor.

“No, what is this roster?”

Lee Ho’s voice came from deeper inside the building.

“Are we expanding our territory or something?”

“Lee Ho, Lee Ho.”

Aki answered.

Lee Ho was the same as ever. He still looked tired, and he was wearing dull-colored activewear today too.

Ami let out her usual laugh as she looked at Aki and Lee Ho.

“She called you Lee Ho, Lee Ho.”

“Hey, I told you not to call me that in front of the seniors. ...No, but seriously, what is this? Why are we put together like the kind of team you only see when a Core is expanding?”

“It’s Ye-hyeon’s order.”

“That bastard’s gone senile, I’m telling you.”

While Green answered bluntly, Tvein needled him.

“It’s time to replace him. Huh? Hasn’t he held the position long enough? Don’t you think so, Richard?”

I watched with indifferent eyes as Tvein went on and on insulting Ye-hyeon, while everyone else ignored him, put down their belongings, and headed inside.

Since I knew nothing, I diligently followed everyone with my eyes and copied them. Put down the belongings containing daily necessities, take off the outer layer of the combat uniform and place it over the duffel bag, then head inside without putting down my weapon.

That was how I learned this building’s original purpose.

It was a museum.

*　　　*　　　*

Once you came out as far as D Zone, returning to a Core was not easy.

That was Ami’s explanation. Which was why supplies became even more important from D Zone onward. It was something the Badgers did every time. Transporting supplies from the depot in F Zone to E Zone, then to D Zone.

But we had not brought a single box of supplies.

Ye-hyeon had actually rejected Richard Green’s suggestion to bring supplies along while they were at it....

“Potatoes.”

“Yes, sir.”

I placed peeled potatoes into Walker’s large hand.

Plop! The potatoes went into the enormous tin pot. Standing in front of the rising steam, I mechanically peeled potatoes in a spiral.

“Cut the onions too.”

“Yes, sir.”

I quickly peeled the onions.

We were cooking. Walker and I were cooking together in the kitchen, both wearing aprons. Walker’s apron looked like it might burst at any moment.

Up to D Zone, it was possible to maintain some degree of human life at a Safe Point. Starting from C Zone, though, it was apparently survival camping in the literal sense. Once C Zone had been thoroughly cleared and a Safe Point safely built, it was reclassified from C Zone to D Zone.

In other words, this was the last place with electricity and running water.

But there was nobody to clean or cook for us. Naturally, all the grunt work fell to the newest member.

I pushed the chopped onions toward the pot with my knife.

“Smells good.”

Aki’s voice from behind made me jerk.

I quickly turned my head and saw the short-haired senior leaning close.

“Curry?”

“Yes. It’ll be ready soon.”

“Want help?”

Aki turned her head and met my eyes.

“I have nothing else to do.”

“No, it’s fine. I think I’ll be done soon.”

“Really? All right.”

The senior accepted it.

But despite saying that, she did not leave.

Instead, she stood there and watched me for a long time. I moved my hands while pretending not to notice her presence, though I had a smile fixed on my face.

Walker kept stirring the curry pot beside us without even looking our way. One senior took the onions and poured them into the pot. Another narrowed her eyes as she watched me.

It smells good.

Only after all the onions were chopped did Aki get to the point.

“What were you doing before you joined us?”

Right. I knew she would ask this.

“Sorry if this is too direct, but were you from the underworld? Your poor recovery, the fact that you deliberately never got a license, it all fits together. And I heard you took all your classes online too.”

“Uh....”

“Am I wrong?”

Get out of this. You need to get out of this smoothly again, Hildebert!

I quickly peeled a carrot as I answered.

“What exactly do you mean by the underworld...?”

“You know what I mean. Fixers like him, the mafia, drug dealers. Places where illegal enhanced body implants and illegal aging-suspension surgeries happen.”

“Ah. I had no connection to places like that.”

I probably did not, past me.

I trust you, Hildebert Taleb from the past whom I cannot remember. I trust you.

I evenly sliced the peeled carrot, then smiled brightly.

“I was just a shut-in with no social skills.”

“Oh, really?”

Aki blinked once.

Then she studied me intently and apologized.

“I see. Sorry for asking something so direct.”

She shoved both hands into her windbreaker pockets.

“There are quite a few people with unusual aftereffects from illegal implant surgeries, so I wondered. Do not misunderstand, though. It’s not that I hate or look down on the underworld.”

“It’s all right.”

“You cannot get a body that healthy through illegal surgery.”

Walker bluntly joined the conversation.

The man’s sharp, keen eyes rolled toward me.

“Besides, this kid obviously has no connection to that world.”

Is that so?

That was a relief. Someone from the underworld said so, which probably meant it was true. I looked at the huge man with hope and goodwill in my eyes.

His thick features, deeply set eye sockets, close-cropped black hair, and muscular forearms. Nothing about William Walker suited the red apron he was wearing.

I swiftly placed the chopped carrots into Walker’s beckoning hand.

Bubble, bubble. The pleasant sound of boiling filled the kitchen. I watched the curry bubbling, then sank back into thought.

I remembered what Ricardo and Ro had said on my first day.

Did you get some illegal surgery somewhere or something?

I watched Walker stir with a large ladle before breaking the silence.

“Looks like there are people who want illegal enhanced body implants even knowing the aftereffects will be severe.”

“Loads of them. It’s a social issue that makes the news whenever people start to forget about it.”

“Ah, I see. Thinking about it....”

“It’s something only fools who cannot think long term would do.”

“That’s because Will has lived without ever feeling the need for an enhanced body.”

A youthful voice rang out.

I happily turned my head. Ami was entering through the silver kitchen door.

She must have washed up.

Everyone was apparently getting themselves settled in their own areas. I smiled as I looked down at Ami, who had walked over to us.

Ami met my gaze with mischievous eyes.

Then she grinned and suddenly said this.

“Hilde. Did you know?”

“Yes?”

“Will got tricked by the Head of Personnel into becoming a Black Badger?”

...What?

What was that supposed to mean all of a sudden?

As I stood there with a stupid look on my face, Ami’s teasing smile widened.

“It’s one of Head of Personnel Joo’s legendary achievements. Bringing William Walker in. Then sweet-talking him into becoming a Black Badger. Will was the first and last person the Head of Personnel personally went out to recruit.”

“Ah, I remember. There were all kinds of rumors that an incredible rookie had joined.”

“Damn it.”

Thwack! William Walker threw a dishcloth.

But Ami’s teasing smile remained. She did not look like she had any intention of changing the subject.

...For some reason, Choi Yoon came to mind.

Still, it was an interesting story, so I perked up my ears as the salt and light of my life continued explaining.

“The Head of Personnel was desperate back then too.”

“Ah. Were they short on staff?”

“No, not that. Around then, Ye-hyeon was furious with the Head of Personnel and told him to step down from the position.”

Ami brought out an even more exciting story.

“He said, ‘Joo, is making scandals all you do around here?’”

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