Chapter 212
Chapter 212
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 212
Chapter Title: The Departed and the Remaining (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A truly personal question.
Thinking that, I put my foot back on the accelerator pedal. The car smoothly glided along the road.
It was impressive that he'd noticed.
Keeping my gaze fixed far down the road, I replied.
"It's one of our tactics. It's part of the intimidation we use every time we face an enemy, so I'm used to it."
[So you've been doing that all along.]
Hearing Ye-hyeon's response, I gave a bitter smile.
"You don't need to worry too much. The distance is quite far, after all. Unless I'm probing for the presence of my kin outside the Core, I don't really sense it."
[You said you always feel the presence of your kin.]
"Even so, I'm not always focusing on that place. It's like the hate comments or lawsuits directed at you, Commander. Think of it that way."
[I don't know those people. But you'd feel the negative emotions from people you cared about.]
"It's not like they come crashing in like waves."
It was hard to explain.
Especially since I'd never imagined having to explain it. We hadn't revealed to humans that we were connected this way until the war broke out.
On top of that, the emotional aspect of our intuition was treated as extremely private in our culture.
This back-and-forth felt awkward.
"You don't need to worry that much."
[Hilde. You must have received positive emotions from several people back then.]
I failed to end the conversation.
Ye-hyeon asked a strange question—one only a human could come up with.
Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, I let out a small laugh.
"No. Our basic courtesy is to sort out our own emotions and not transmit them to others. So normally, we have no way of knowing what emotions others are feeling, just like humans. Except in special situations like combat. In other words, we usually only feel the enemy's negative emotions."
[That's unique.]
Ye-hyeon sounded puzzled.
Wearing a faint smile, I waited for him to continue. Explaining something so obvious and personal to me felt odd.
[You can transmit emotions, but you don't send positive ones? Ever?]
"Transmitting emotions in the first place is a very private act. To the point where even an emperor—unless he's a total tyrant—wouldn't order his subordinates to transmit their loyalty."
[Ah.]
He didn't sound convinced at all.
[So you can't ask Kairos to transmit positive emotions to you?]
I burst out laughing.
I couldn't hold it in, and the laughter lasted quite a while. Midway through driving, I realized the person on the other end of the line was always busy, so I finally reined it in.
"That's basically asking him to confess his love."
[That's what it is? So only lovers transmit positive emotions to each other?]
"Even lovers won't do it unless they're absolutely sure it's real love.... Pouring positive emotions on someone without permission is treated as stalking and punished. Even bringing up the topic is done with extreme caution."
[So you're uncomfortable right now?]
"To be honest, it feels like I'm giving sex education to my son."
This time, Ye-hyeon laughed.
After laughing for a long time, he spoke in a voice still laced with amusement.
[That's funny.]
"I'm not laughing."
[So you've never received positive emotions transmitted to you? Not once?]
"...This is really personal.... Can I skip answering?"
[Ah, sorry. You don't have to answer. Asking that itself must be incredibly rude.]
"Very...."
To confess, my face was flushed right now.
How do I make him understand? Feeling the heat on my cheeks, I stared ahead. How do I explain that this is more sensitive than talking about who slept with whom?
All parents are amazing.
If he pressed for details, I'd be at a loss for how to respond. I needed to explain that one wrong step would make it seem like teasing.
But fortunately, Ye-hyeon didn't pry further.
He politely apologized and added,
[Since it's that sensitive an area, pouring negative emotions on an enemy must be a pretty effective attack method.]
"Yes."
[Do parents ever pour negative emotions on their kids?]
"That would be extreme abuse. It's punished very harshly."
[In other words, I have valid reason to worry about you.]
...Ouch.
I had no idea what to say, so I just gave a bitter smile. No matter what I replied, it didn't seem like Ye-hyeon would stop worrying.
[If it gets too much, tell me.]
Ye-hyeon broke the silence filling the car.
[I don't think I could endure emotions like that. If it gets hard to bear, make sure to tell me.]
"Yes. But really, it's fine. You aren't greatly affected by Sophia Kallak's gaze right now, are you?"
[She and I were just boss and subordinate from the start.]
A subdued voice came through the receiver.
[But you're not.]
I was truly at a loss for words.
Ye-hyeon heard my silence and gave a wry laugh.
[I've kept you too long. You have a mission tomorrow, so go home and rest.]
I felt sorry for making him worry more, but I was glad this awkward topic was over.
I quickly told him to head in and ended the call, then drove home.
***
"It's been ages since we did a mission together."
"How's the wound?"
I asked as soon as I saw Tom approaching with a bright smile.
It was a routine supply mission. The kind assigned a lot to rookies or to Black Badgers returning from long trips. Though the distance was greater than to the Library of Beginnings.
Some team members had to load supplies into F Zone, then drive to D Zone.
It was a mission with only seniors. The only person I knew was my fellow recruit, Tom.
2 p.m. I ran into Tom at the unmanned train station outside the Core.
My red-haired fellow recruit stared at my face.
"Hilde, it's really just a scrape."
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah, I did. You worried it'd traumatize me?"
Exactly.
"We need to catch the perp fast."
After scrutinizing my face, Tom said slowly,
"Anyone would think you accidentally shot me."
"I told you not to go after them."
"Let's check the supply count first."
Tom glanced at his mission-issued phone and changed the subject.
"Before the seniors arrive."
He was really stubborn too.
Anyway, we got to work quickly.
This time, we had to take the train for a full 15 hours. That's why we were departing at 3 p.m., to arrive at 6 a.m.
Like proper green rookies, Tom and I arrived an hour early and checked the supplies on the train. Inspecting the contents before departure was always the rookies' job.
It was logged in the system, but we had to double-check the inventory.
Once done, we sat on a bench waiting for the seniors.
"It's the rookies."
Around 2:45, the seniors started arriving at the station one by one.
"Supplies checked?"
"Yes. All good."
"Nice. We won't touch them, so relax the whole way."
"Thank you!"
"Gonna get some juniors soon?"
A buzz-cut senior said as he headed to the train.
I blinked a couple times. The rookie Black Badger hiring results must be out soon?
Makes sense. Kairos had passed the interviews and was just waiting on the background check.
Tom seemed to know more about it than I did.
My fellow recruit gave a polite affirmative, then turned to me as soon as the seniors were out of sight.
"Hessie's little brother is waiting on his background check."
I froze mid-step onto the train.
"Luke?!"
"Think that's the name. He just needs to pass the check."
My god.
I was genuinely surprised. If both passed, Luke and Kairos would be fellow recruits.
They didn't seem like they'd get along. I didn't know Hessie's little brother well, but still.
Of course, no guarantee either would pass.
I thought I'd check the Black Badger homepage for the hiring schedule as I stepped into the train.
Internet would cut out in about three hours, so I had to hurry on my phone.
"Grab dinner around 5:30 to avoid overlapping with the seniors?"
"Sounds good."
We agreed quickly.
We quickly holed up in our respective train cars.
***
The supply mission ended without incident.
It was a lesson to bring books or a game console next time. There was nothing to do after the internet cut out.
If you're unlucky, you get stuck drinking with seniors the whole train ride, but our seniors this time were reasonably chill. They left us alone both ways, so Tom and I finished the mission comfortably.
We did most of the supply hauling, but whatever.
The most senior ones had gone all the way to D Zone, so they hadn't slacked off entirely.
A pack of Creatures targeting me showed up midway, but I handled them without being noticed. Tom and the seniors probably had no idea.
All in all, a solid mission.
And we got three days off.
[Guide me to the cemetery.]
Back at the Center Core, I messaged Kairos right away.
The reply came instantly.
[Kairos: Where are you now?]
Give me time to change.
I drove the car I'd left for three days and headed home. After changing into a pitch-black suit, I got into my kin's car waiting in front of the cabin. Fortunately, the repaired car was back.
I climbed into the modest sedan and shut my mouth.
Kairos didn't say much either, so I had time to compose my emotions before reaching the cemetery.
He can drive gently too.
"Why not drive like this from now on?"
As I muttered while getting out, Kairos grinned.
He was wearing a black suit tailored perfectly to him.
His coattails fluttered in the wind. It was getting to the point where coats were necessary.
A cold blade of wind brushed my cheek.
"You prefer this driving style? Then I'll drive extra gently when you're with me!"
"Drive gently for your own sake too...."
"There's chrysanthemums in the trunk."
The driver approached me as I tapped my shoe on the ground and gave a sad smile.
"I bought enough for your share too."
The backyard of a nameless cathedral.
Behind the small cathedral building. A dazzling spot of fresh green that didn't shrink from the cold. Nol's grave was there.
It reflected Nol's wishes.
Before the war, I'd sometimes visit this cathedral and listen to the hymns humans sang.
Back when I was Knight Commander, after missions, I'd sit in the zelkova chair and listen to hymns.
'He'd appreciate hearing a hymn while visiting the grave.'
That's what he mumbled, they said.
'The subject of praise is different, but bury me where there's song.'
Nol had sustained severe injuries clashing with Hecate.
He passed after a long illness. He never rose from his sickbed since the First War. The wounds only worsened.
But he never gave up treatment, they said. Even when everyone said there was no hope, he clung fiercely to his will to live.
He waited for me until the end.
"Told me to pass on a message when you came back."
Kairos looked down at me as I knelt on one knee before the grave.
'Sorry I couldn't wait till the end.'
My chick.
After setting down the chrysanthemums, I stroked the white tombstone.
My tagalong.
I couldn't recall doing anything special for him, yet from some point, he followed me blindly. Even though I told him he didn't need to repay or prove anything, he just stared at me with those stubborn eyes.
That guy was right in front of me now.
Reduced to dust, buried in the earth.
If I'd come sooner, I could have transferred him.
Around the time Nol fell ill, the last child of the World Tree was also at death's door. So transfer was out of the question. Nol passed before the World Tree's child awoke from its coma.
I was too late.
Far too....
"Thank you, Nol."
I murmured while reading the imperial script on the tombstone.
After brushing the fallen leaves from it, I bent down and kissed the pristine stone.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
Tears streaming down my cheeks flowed onto the tombstone.
"I'm sorry...."
A fierce wind drowned out my voice.
We lingered in the chilly air for a long time.
The wind scattering leaves over the tombstone was bitingly cold.
***
[Shoo Diamond: I'm here.]
Faster than the package supposedly sent by Spitfire, a message arrived from the two-tone-haired senior.
[Shoo Diamond: To HQ. When are you free? Let's talk portals.]