WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Natty
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Black Badger ◈
Chapter 8: Commander-in-Chief (2)
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The Commander-in-Chief looked at me, sitting tensely, and asked,
“You must have many questions. Please feel free to ask.”
I blinked at his unexpected opening.
Perhaps I looked foolish, because the Commander-in-Chief’s tired, expressionless face softened into a faint smile.
I looked at the man’s slight smile.
“...Um, then...”
“Yes.”
“What should I do now?”
Ye-hyeon blinked.
Had he not expected that question? But it was what I wanted to know most. What was I supposed to do now? I had no money, no memories, no one to rely on. I truly had nothing.
On top of that, I seemed to be a potential bomb for this organization.
The Commander-in-Chief answered slowly.
“This interview will ultimately be about that.”
“Ah. That’s a relief. It was what I was most curious about.”
“Before I give you the conclusion, I’ll explain the circumstances that led to it. I think that will make it easier to understand.”
I’d be more than grateful for that.
I readily nodded.
Then his explanation began.
“There have been two wars.”
Ricardo had mentioned that on my first day here.
“Portals opened, and the things we now call creatures poured through them. You encountered one yourself a week ago, Hilde.... The two wars were conflicts between humanity and the creatures. During the first war, humanity escaped the crisis by developing defensive barriers called Cores. National borders disappeared, and living zones came to be divided by these Core barriers. The largest of them is the Center Core, where you are now.”
It was roughly what I had expected.
I nodded as I listened to the Commander-in-Chief’s businesslike voice. I didn’t know why the portals had suddenly opened, but that was why borders had disappeared.
The formal explanation continued.
“The second war began when the Cores, which had served as defensive barriers, became unstable. It was not as devastating as the first war. Black Badger was well organized, and there were many outstanding scientists. The second war ended quickly. Since then, the world has adapted to its new environment and reached its present state.”
I vaguely remembered what Ricardo and Ami had told me. Ami had fought in both wars. Ricardo had fought in the second war and survived.
Even with enhanced bodies, however, there were not many surviving war heroes....
“Now that I’ve briefly explained the era, shall we move on to this organization?”
Ye-hyeon briskly moved on.
“We are called Black Badger.”
Black badger?
“You may think of us as a special military force created to fight creatures. All of us have stopped aging and possess extraordinary regenerative abilities. Those conditions must be met for an enhanced body to be implanted safely. During the first war, enhanced bodies were implanted in everyone who went to the front. During the second war, they were implanted in volunteers who joined the war. Since the war ended, we have separately selected Black Badgers to receive enhanced bodies.”
I see.
That was also roughly what I had expected. They had said those with enhanced bodies were closely managed by the state, so I had assumed they were selected separately.
“Current Badgers eliminate creatures that occasionally force their way through gaps in the Cores, while expanding the Cores themselves. That was a brief explanation. Do you have any questions?”
The question came back to me from an unexpected direction. Having planned to only listen, I straightened my back.
There were too many questions to organize.
I tried to sort out the many questions spinning in my head. I tried to summarize them. A concise question would probably bring a clearer answer.
After thinking it over, I barely managed to ask one.
“Can an enhanced body be removed?”
Feeling Ye-hyeon staring at me, I added an explanation.
“Um.... I realize that someone like me, who appeared out of nowhere, is a very troublesome existence. I also heard that there would be an uproar if my existence were exposed to the media. So I thought you might try to remove my enhanced body. That would solve the problem.”
“It is a sound deduction, but the aftereffects of removing an enhanced body are far too severe.”
A bitter smile touched Ye-hyeon’s lips.
He interlaced his long white fingers and placed them on the desk.
“Unless they commit an extremely serious offense, we don’t remove a Badger’s enhanced body. It takes far too long to return to a normal life after removal. There’s no guarantee that they’ll ever return to normal, either.”
“But it is possible, right? Then it seems you could accept the risk and remove mine....”
No matter how I thought about it, that seemed like the most reasonable solution.
After turning the matter over in my head, I blurted out my unfiltered thoughts.
“Besides, I’d rather have the enhanced body removed from me than have my existence removed.”
Silence settled over the room.
The mood changed.
The Commander-in-Chief’s already large eyes widened further. I met his pitch-black gaze. He was clearly surprised by what I had said, but I couldn’t read any other emotion from him.
The sound of the clock’s second hand surrounded me.
I knew I had been too honest. But I didn’t think I had said anything wrong. Any powerful organization would surely try to get rid of me.
All my memories might be gone, but I didn’t think I had lost my judgment. A missile with no serial number, one nobody had even known existed, suddenly appeared? And the information hadn’t leaked outside yet? Naturally, they would dismantle the missile and bury it where no one would ever know.
So....
“Hilde.”
My name was called heavily, and I looked at Ye-hyeon.
The surprise in the Commander-in-Chief’s eyes had been replaced by an emotion I couldn’t name.
“What do you think of yourself?”
“Pardon?”
Why was he asking that?
I stared at his face.
“Um.... I don’t think much of myself. I don’t remember anything except my name. There’s nothing to think about.”
“Wouldn’t people usually become more fixated on themselves in that case?”
“Is that so? Thankfully, I haven’t had any trouble living for the past week. Since I’ve been living so comfortably, I suppose I haven’t had a reason to think about myself.”
“Aren’t you curious what kind of person you used to be?”
Why had the conversation gone in this direction?
Even as I thought that, I carefully considered my answer. Of course I was curious. No further fragments of my past had returned to me, but I still wondered what kind of life I had lived.
But I wasn’t desperate enough to obsess over my past every day.
I slowly rubbed my neck.
“I am curious, and I’ve been trying to remember my past, but not enough to become obsessed with it. Being curious won’t solve anything.”
“I see.”
“Yes.”
The Commander-in-Chief sank into thought.
In the silence that returned, I studied the person across from me. He had undone his interlaced fingers and lowered his gaze to the papers on the desk. His half-lidded eyes slowly moved to the side.
His pitch-black eyes rolled slowly aside.
The man quietly read the document, then slowly closed it.
“Well, forgetting may be a blessing.”
He murmured as if speaking to himself.
As I blinked, he raised his head.
Ye-hyeon met my eyes with an unreadable expression.
“You may not need to remember everything.”
Why would he say that?
If only he would explain a little more to an idiot like me....
Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face, because a small smile appeared on Ye-hyeon’s previously expressionless face.
“Hilde.”
“Yes.”
“We will not dispose of your enhanced body, nor will we make you disappear without a trace.”
What?
Then what were they going to do? Keep me locked up like this forever?
“We will not lock you in a hotel room either. You don’t need to worry.”
It seemed he had read my thoughts again.
When I smiled awkwardly, Ye-hyeon’s eyes curved gently.
“We have prepared a solution that is not so extreme. I explained Badgers earlier, did I not?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Do you remember?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I would like you to become a new Badger.”
What?
My mouth fell open foolishly.
Ye-hyeon let out a small laugh.
“If you become an official Black Badger, possessing an enhanced body will no longer be a problem. We were just about to recruit one new Badger. The timing worked out well.”
“Um.... Thank you for the offer. But am I really suited for that? All I did was run for my life from a creature....”
“That is an entirely normal response. Being a normal person is also one of the important qualifications for Black Badger.”
“But....”
“I am not forcing you. Badgers gain youth, but they cannot die of natural causes.”
My open mouth wouldn’t close.
Ye-hyeon’s smile disappeared, and he observed my reaction with businesslike eyes.
There was no emotion in his next words either.
“A Badger’s end is inevitably miserable. The best possible end for a Black Badger is either euthanasia they choose for themselves or an instantaneous, painless death in the line of duty. It is a high-risk profession, so despite not aging, their average lifespan is similar to that of ordinary people. There is also considerable mental anguish in watching those around them grow old while they remain young. Objectively speaking, it cannot be called a happy life.”
Ye-hyeon spoke coolly, as though it were someone else’s business.
I remained frozen in silence until he added, “So if you don’t wish to become a Badger, we will look for another solution. You may have to stay in that room longer, though.”
It was a comfortable office that didn’t suit the profession he had described. There was a faint scent of old books. A transparent glass window covered one wall, and beyond it stretched a vivid blue sky.
Thinking about it again, how had I ended up in this situation?
The moment Ye-hyeon lowered his eyes and told me to think it over, I found the answer I wanted to give.
“I don’t dislike the idea. If it solves the problem, I’ll gladly become a Badger.”
Ye-hyeon raised his head and looked at me.
I met his large eyes and replied,
“I don’t have much to lose.”
An unreadable emotion passed through his eyes again.
I never learned what it was. I didn’t dare ask, and he had no intention of explaining.
The expected silence filled the office. The man said nothing for a long time.
Only when the light cut diagonally across the desk did he break the silence.
“Very well.”
Though perhaps I imagined it, his voice seemed to carry affection and pity.
That was how Ye-hyeon and I became superior and subordinate.
* * *
I had wondered whether the people who brought me here were waiting outside.
The answer came quickly. When Ye-hyeon told them to come in, the office door opened and familiar voices poured in. I saw the Head of Personnel, Aide Ska, Ricardo, and Ami enter the office.
Ami approached me with wide eyes.
“What happened?”
“Hilde will be your junior now.”
Ye-hyeon smiled.
Ami’s face brightened. Smiles also appeared on Ska and Ricardo’s faces as they followed behind her.
“Really? That’s great!”
The sincere joy in her voice made my heart feel strangely warm.
“Hilde, you’re my junior now!”
Ami’s bright cry rang in my ears. She ran over beside my chair and smiled. Ricardo lightly patted my back. There was clearly a little affection in that casual touch.
Thank you. You’re all this happy for me.
Seeing the people I had grown strangely attached to over the week made me smile.
Once we grew closer, I would thank them again.
Director Joo as well....
The Head of Personnel wore an unreadable smile.
“Congratulations on becoming a member, Hilde.”
“It happened before I knew it. Thank you.”
“No, not at all. Ah, you must have felt cooped up waiting for a week. Now that the important matters have all been decided, shall we quickly settle the smaller details?”
Hm?
When I looked at him in confusion, Joo’s eyes curved softly.
With a smile that looked as if flowers might flutter behind him, the Head of Personnel said,
“Hilde’s senior partner will be Choi Yoon.”
Thud.
Ami dropped her phone on the floor.
At this timing?
But it wasn’t a coincidence. Ska and Ricardo, whose hands had been resting on my shoulders, sharply turned their heads.
Two pairs of eyes widened at once.
The tall men stared blankly at the Head of Personnel.
What was this?
Startled by their sudden reactions, I blinked.
What was going on?
“...Why Yoon, of all people?”
Ye-hyeon asked in a hoarse voice.
The Commander-in-Chief seemed exhausted by Joo’s single remark. He held his head in one white hand.
Why was he acting like that?
The Head of Personnel cheerfully ignored everyone standing there at a loss for words.
“Because Mr. Yoon is qualified to be Hilde’s senior partner.”
“Yoon? I think Yoon is suited to be no one’s senior partner....”
“That may be true for most juniors. But he and Hilde will get along well.”
“Director Joo.”
Ricardo looked at Joo with an odd expression.
“Did Hilde do something wrong to you?”
“No? I made this decision because I truly think they will suit each other. You all know this. When it comes to personnel matters, I set aside personal feelings. I have never misjudged a person or their compatibility.”
“But Yoon is a little.... No, I don’t think he’d like teaching anyone in the first place....”
“Right.”
Ami firmly agreed with Ska’s cautious objection.
She looked directly at Joo with round eyes and added,
“Yoon hates teaching people!”
“But he’ll do well this time.”
“What exactly is that judgment based on...?”
“A feeling.”
“...Director Joo, perhaps this time you should reconsider that feeling....”
“That’s enough.”
At Ye-hyeon’s tired voice, the conversation stopped. Everyone’s attention gathered in one place. I, who had also been looking at Joo, turned my head.
Without raising his gaze, the Commander-in-Chief declared,
“We’ll proceed according to the Head of Personnel’s judgment. Yoon will be Hilde’s senior partner.”
“Ah! Commander-in-Chief!”
“Yes. My instincts have been right so far, so they’ll be right this time too.”
“Well.... If the Commander-in-Chief has decided....”
Ami was horrified, Joo smiled, and Ricardo shrugged. Ska, who had remained silent, put his hands in his pockets with a troubled expression.
And I became frightened.
I stared blankly at the Commander-in-Chief, who was sighing in his seat.
What kind of person was this Choi Yoon, if everyone reacted this strongly?
It had been much the same when I first heard about the Head of Personnel, but Director Joo, whom I finally met, was not exactly normal. He wasn’t a bad person, but he wasn’t normal either.
But who was this Yoon, who could make even that seasoned Commander-in-Chief sigh?
Who was he?
“Hilde.”
At Ye-hyeon’s call, I stopped screaming internally.
“Y-Yes.”
“If Yoon gives you trouble, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’m the one who can control him best. He listens to almost everything I say.”
Ye-hyeon’s tired voice echoed through my head.
What was that supposed to mean? Control? Why was a word that sounded like something you’d use for an animal being used for a person?
I stared ahead with a dumbfounded expression.
I had a bad feeling.... Nothing but a bad feeling.
Who was Choi Yoon? Why had someone like that become my senior partner? Reeling from everyone’s sudden reactions, I couldn’t bring myself to rise from my seat for a long time.
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