Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Introduction Ceremony (2)
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Black Badger—Chapter 223 (223/452)
I widened my eyes and looked at Kairos.
But Kairos was looking at the HR Director and Sophia. To be precise, he was looking at the seniors.
The Beast Tamer spoke in a voice that still held a chill.
“No matter what happened, they’re the ones who started the war. They’re also the ones who dragged their kin, who didn’t want war, into it and then slit their throats. We consider them complete enemies.”
“Our Captain didn’t seem to think that way.”
Sophia shot back coldly.
Kairos grinned.
“That’s because Hilde took all the blame.”
Only Kairos’s voice echoed in the conference room.
“We just had to decide which side to back between the divided leaders. Until things went down, we each went about our lives. So there’s no reason to feel sorry for the kin who split off, is there?”
“You hate the ones who split off more than the humans around you?”
“Yes.”
Kairos answered Joo’s question readily.
“Even though they’re kin, we couldn’t understand each other’s thoughts and ended up crossing blades. Meanwhile, most humans haven’t harmed us.”
“Some of them tried to kill all of you.”
“Those ones are hateful, sure. But the point is, the kin who started the war despite knowing we’d turn against them are the real enemies.”
I hadn’t known he thought that way.
I never even tried to listen in the first place. I hadn’t asked those who blended into human society about the war. I didn’t want to dredge up their gloomy past for those living their second lives.
When the war broke out, I was too busy on the front lines.
I stared at my kin, speechless.
Kairos, who had been glancing at the seniors, turned his head.
I flinched at the sight of the man’s burning orange eyes.
“Stop blaming yourself.”
Kairos’s eyes curved bitterly.
“They’re the ones who didn’t leave you any choice.”
My throat tightened.
I had no idea what to say, so I stayed silent. I couldn’t even control my expression.
I must have looked dazed. The Beast Tamer let out a small laugh as he studied my face.
The air grew strangely heavy.
The HR Director broke the stagnant mood.
Clap!
Joo clapped his hands to draw attention.
Once eyes turned to him, he flashed a bright smile and scanned everyone seated at the table.
“See? Let’s just watch and see how it goes, nice and easy.”
His smile was as flowery as ever, like blooms unfurling in the background.
“The higher-ups have decided, so we can’t back out now~.”
“Who’s the handler?”
Karl asked in a raspy voice.
Joo smiled brightly.
“Ye-hyeon said he wanted someone who knows the situation and can come up with various excuses as the handler?”
Out of these five?
Everyone straightened up rigidly.
They all tensed, waiting for words from the HR Director’s mouth.
I clamped my mouth shut and looked at Joo too.
It’d be a hassle, but maybe Karl would handle it again, or perhaps Ricardo...
Joo announced with a beaming smile.
“Process of elimination: Ami!”
Crack.
Yoon’s fist made a menacing sound.
My jaw dropped.
“Oww! Really?!” Ami cried out, eyes huge.
Sophia and Karl stared at the HR Director with bulging eyes.
The only ones smiling were Ricardo, Joo, and Kairos.
Ricardo seemed indifferent since he wasn’t the handler, no matter who got picked.
The man’s eyes curved like crescent moons as he grinned elongatedly.
“Ooh~. That’s great~…. You all match so well~.”
“What process of elimination leads to this conclusion?”
“HR Director, if I may... this kid isn’t just some mild-mannered guy...”
Yoon glared at Joo, not hiding his boiling irritation, while I quickly pulled myself together and spoke up.
We both ignored the green-eyed Black Badger grinning ear to ear.
We ignored Ami muttering, ‘It’s been a while since I handled someone.’
We ignored Kairos’s polite greeting of entrusting her with the task.
It was that kind of situation.
Please, Joo.
“I think accidents might happen pretty often with this pairing.... Both are so outgoing and all...”
“I’m not going to clean up after them.”
“I get what you’re worried about, but this is way better than assigning someone else.”
Of course, our pleas fell on deaf ears with Joo.
He propped his chin on his hand, observing Yoon’s irritation and my awkwardness.
“Karl and Mr. Yoon just handled someone, so no. Sophia’s obviously out. Ricardo’s compatibility with Jack is terrible. Hilde’s too much of a rookie to qualify. So Ami! You match well, so no need to worry.”
“Don’t go berserk.”
I gave up trying to change the HR Director’s mind.
I turned to Kairos and unleashed a barrage of nagging at the puzzled Beast Tamer.
“Don’t get fixated on one thing and charge ahead blindly. Don’t cause trouble just because you’re bored, and no speeding inside the Core. Got it?”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry so much. I know my limits.”
“Choi Ami.”
“Yeah?”
Yoon was talking to Ami on the side.
The handler stared at Ami, who blinked her round eyes.
The handler gazed at his junior like a little sister and asked again.
“What was your bucket list?”
“Your bucket list? It’s not just one or two things.”
“That pitch-black fighter jet.”
“Blackbird!”
Ami raised her voice, eyes sparkling.
“The one made by Skunk Works! I wanna fly a Blackbird so bad!”
“Speed?”
Yoon asked, arms crossed.
Ami answered.
“Mach 3.2.”
I’m going insane.
I suppressed the urge to clutch my head.
Kairos let out a small gasp beside me.
“Cool!”
“Right?!”
“See that?”
Yoon pointed at the cheering Ami with his thumb, looking at the HR Director.
Unfortunately, Joo just smiled round and round.
“Already chatting so well—looks good, doesn’t it? Jack. If there’s any trouble, come find me anytime. My office is on the 9th floor of HQ~.”
“Yes, please take care of us, Senior.”
“I’ll take good care of you, Jack!”
Wrong.
Yoon and I gave up. We gave up and stared at the ceiling, trying to accept reality.
Joo and Ricardo watched our dazed selves with delight. They weren’t helping at all. The HR Director even arbitrarily left, saying it was time to build some camaraderie.
Sophia left the conference room right after the HR Director.
Karl stayed, but he didn’t offer any particular comfort.
Ami and Kairos were already laughing amiably, building rapport.
F1 talk. Kairos’s retirement story. Choi family talk. Rookie schedule....
Personal chatter.
“Can you tell me about when Hilde first came to Earth?”
“Early days Hilde?”
The Beast Tamer burst out laughing at whatever was funny.
“In the very beginning, he was especially amazed by automatic doors.”
“Whoa.”
Ami blinked her round eyes.
“The building’s automatic doors?”
“Yeah. He thought they were so cool, kept going in and out of them over and over.”
“Did he?”
Yoon stopped staring at the ceiling and grinned at me.
I calmly replied, facing Ricardo and Yoon’s smirks, and Karl’s stifled chuckle.
“Yeah. They are amazing.”
“Hilarious, Hilde.”
“He loved the robot vacuums too. Kept asking the researchers for one and leaving it on all the time. Remember?”
“You were obsessed with cars.”
I recalled how, after riding in one once, his eyes would glaze over as he stared at cars intensely.
Dredging up the past brought forgotten memories bubbling up.
I let out a short sigh.
“Should’ve realized back then...”
We chatted idly a bit more before wrapping up.
The official introduction ceremony would be at the year-end party. That’s when the rookies would first show their faces to the seniors and start rookie life. But Kairos had to move to the rookie dorm by next week. He’d spend six months there.
Whether he’d blend into the organization without issue would only be clear after the year ended.
By the time we all poured out of the conference room, the sun had fully set.
We went our separate ways.
Yoon had to head back to the lab since he hadn’t resolved the Kairos transfer array issue. Karl was off to tune his guns, Ricardo to smoke with Ska. Ami said she’d wait for Ye-hyeon’s off time in the break room.
I planned to ride back with Kairos.
We said goodbyes and split.
Before I followed Kairos, Yoon held me back with a word.
“What’re you doing tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow? Nothing special. Planning to train at the training grounds. I’m off patrol duty for a while, so just video and science collab work. Field ops, as you know, still...”
“Let’s grab drinks.”
God.
“Come to the house after training.”
I didn’t refuse.
It was the first time a handler suggested drinks first. I felt sad knowing the reason.
I could go for a drink too.
With a bitter smile, I said sure and followed Kairos.
Maybe because it was late, the underground parking lot was empty. We walked side by side, crossing the lot bathed in pale fluorescent light.
The distinctive underground parking smell.
“No pets allowed, so... can you look after Milk for six months?”
“Of course. Tell me everything I need to know. Even the little things.”
“Don’t spoil her too much. Don’t let her get nippy either.”
As we walked through the echoing underground lot, Kairos said.
I glanced at his profile.
“It doesn’t hurt much.”
“Bad habits are hard to break once they form.”
The Beast Tamer replied firmly and shoved his hands in his pockets. Soon, the lights on the yellow sports car flashed.
I slid smoothly into the passenger seat.
“Please go slow today.”
“Hahaha.”
My kin laughed as he started the engine.
“If that’s what you want.”
The sports car pulled out smoothly.
And mercifully, it cruised at a comfortable speed. The black city swallowed the car.
I kept silent until the car left HQ and hit the main road. Kairos focused on driving without much talk.
Until I blurted out.
“You could just live this life.”
I felt Kairos’s gaze.
He seemed to be waiting, so I continued what I wanted to say.
“Your career’s at its peak, and you love cars so much, right?”
“Am I a headache for you?”
“Never. Just... if I hadn’t come back, I don’t think you’d have joined Black Badger.”
“As long as it’s not a huge headache, it’s fine. The Captain’s back, so talking about what if you hadn’t returned is pointless.”
Kairos cut me off.
He added, eyes on the road ahead.
In a tone that sounded oddly pleased.
“I felt those emotions of yours through the transfer during the friendly race. How could I go back to the circuit carefree after that?”
Ah.
My face flushed red to my ears.
Ah. Damn it.
I whipped my head away and stared desperately out the window.
Heat rose to my face. I couldn’t bring myself to look at my kin, cursing my immaturity back then as I stammered an apology.
“I’m really sorry. I wasn’t in my right mind then...”
“Hahahaha!”
Kairos laughed heartily.
“No need to apologize. I was thrilled! I still regret not reacting right away. As an imperial Beast Tamer, I often got one-sided emotion transfers from fans, but nothing as memorable as yours.”
“...I’m really sorry. My mistake. Such an immature one. So please, forget about that time...”
“Why’s it a mistake? If the receiver enjoyed it, isn’t that what matters? No need to be so embarrassed, Captain. You’re more conservative than I thought.”
“I came from the temple, you know.”
I grumbled without turning toward my subordinate.
“I can’t understand myself back then. I meant to apologize someday, but couldn’t get the words out...”
Kairos laughed for a good while.
He laughed happily, dropped me at the cabin, and never answered my plea to forget it. He only eagerly agreed to keep it secret from others.
Even as he smiled brightly dropping me off, he didn’t accept the apology.
Damn it.
Tomorrow, I’ll drink with Yoon till we drop.
I stumbled out of the sports car.
Vainly trying to cool my flushed face.
***
The next day, I woke to a text from Jonathan Kudo.
[Hilde. Where’d you learn the sword?]