Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Banishment Order (1)
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Knight?
Article? Newspaper article? News article? My jaw dropped, and I stared at the doctor like an idiot.
Why the hell is there an article?
Because of that chairman? He’s a celebrity, after all.
It felt like my insides were plummeting straight down.
Images of my face-off with Ye-hyeon and my first meeting with Yoon flashed rapidly through my mind. What happens if they find out I’m a parachute hire? It won’t end with Ye-hyeon just resigning.
How far has this article spread?
Samuel Han must have pitied my trembling lips because he clicked his tongue in sympathy.
With his rough hands, he handed me a pad. Not the work one—seemed like his personal device.
I widened my eyes and looked down at the screen filled with the article.
Two familiar faces plastered across it like a billboard.
["My brother never let us go, not even for a second."]
I wanted to die.
Luke, what the hell did you do?
I read the article filled with heartwarming tales that made my limbs curl up in embarrassment, my body shaking uncontrollably.
The article was pure praise. Stories of how, even with the Cureus Company chairman there, he prioritized the two kids’ lives. How he took the kids and ran out, then went back in to save the chairman. Praise for saving everyone unharmed.
The final paragraph mentioned that I appeared to be a rookie agent of Black Badger.
There was a huge photo of me taking an oxygen mask from a firefighter.
And one of me passed out.
I stared at the pad, speechless for a long time.
"Fortunately, it’s positive, but with an article this big, you’re gonna have a headache."
Samuel scratched the back of his head vigorously.
"You’re a fresh face to the public, it’s the kind of feel-good story they love, and you’re not bad-looking. Gonna be noisy for a while."
"It’ll die down after some time, right?"
"Not sure. You, on top of everything else…"
The doctor gave me a troubled look.
I waited for the guy with his hand shoved in his gown pocket to speak.
Only after a nurse called him from afar did he finally open his mouth.
"Anyway, I’m out. Call the nurse if you need anything."
From his reaction, it didn’t seem like all the responses were good.
Probably the comments. No filters there, no matter the topic. I hesitated, then scrolled down to the comments section.
I deliberately sought out the bad ones.
Yeah, it’s overkill for just doing my job as a Badger. It would’ve been best if he’d saved all three at once… Fair points…
Ah.
I stopped scrolling the moment I read one comment.
「Where the hell did this guy come from?」
When did Black Badger recruit newbies? When did he join? What’s his background? Why’s there no record of even basic education, let alone college?
My heart clenched at the sharp jabs. I scrolled frantically and saw more similar comments.
Fortunately, they hadn’t gained traction. Replies shot back at the prying into privacy.
What happens if this blows up?
I frantically scoured the internet. Flipped through sites and communities, skimming reactions to the article.
Luckily, my origins weren’t a big topic. A few were curious, but most were focused on the collapsed tower, the sudden surge in creatures, the late-evacuating Cureus chairman, my face, and so on.
Silver lining in the disaster.
But would it really quiet down from here?
My mind raced with no answers, so I pulled out my phone.
A pile of unread messages. Worried texts from my two recruit buddies. Ami saying to contact her when I woke up. Ro sharing the article with a laughing emoji. A restricted number saying, Debuted, huh?
And Supreme Commander Lee Ye-hyeon.
Lee Ye-hyeon?
Private number?
No.
I stared for a long time at the terrifying message from the number saved only as "Supreme Commander."
Gathering immense courage, I opened the chat.
[We’ll monitor and decide, but report immediately if any unknown person approaches. No core missions for the time being.]
The message from my superior was curt. Still, my heart sank.
I need to go to Yoon.
I shoved the phone in my patient gown pocket and got up.
Gotta report to my master.
"Hey! Where do you think you’re going!"
Samuel, who’d turned to leave, yelled as he saw me carefully removing the IV needle.
"Sit your ass down!"
"Sorry, Doctor."
I hopped off the bed and apologized to the furious doctor.
"I’ll be right back."
"Hey!"
What do you mean back? And sorry? If you’re going out like that, don’t come back! The doctor looked ready to hurl the pad at me.
I left my apologies behind and burst out of the room.
***
Yoon was at his desk.
A neatly seated man amid the bustle. I fixed my gaze on him and hurried across the crowded space.
As I crossed the lab, people called out from everywhere.
"Oh, it’s Talib."
Curious researchers craned their necks to look at me.
"You’re up."
"Glad you look healthy."
"Huh? In patient clothes?"
"Talib! Saw the article! You did great!"
"My brother never let us go, not even for a second! Not. A. Single. Second!"
"How’s the Cureus chairman? As much of an asshole as the rumors say?"
I couldn’t respond to everyone, so I raised my voice in thanks.
"Thanks for your concern! Oh, and the Cureus chairman is exactly as rumored!"
"Wooow!"
"What’s with the cheering?"
A low voice cut through the inexplicable cheers.
I stopped in front of my master, whose dry, piercing gaze shot at me.
Only then did my senses fully awaken. Sharpened vision. Crisp lab sounds. The tickle in my ears from AI Martin moving along the ceiling.
I stood absorbing the flood of sensations and reported straight to the expressionless man.
"I checked the article right after waking up and came straight here."
"Figures. What’s the issue?"
"The Commander messaged me."
As expected, Yoon straightened up.
Before he could say anything, I yanked my phone from my pocket and held it out.
"Here."
Yoon took my phone without a word.
He stared at the screen with an inscrutable expression. I felt that inexplicable pressure I always did standing before him, waiting for his reaction.
While waiting, I let my eyes wander, scanning the lab. Always a fascinating place to sightsee.
Wait, there’s someone familiar next to Yoon.
I took in John Mullern sitting at the desk, staring intently at his notebook.
His clear blue eyes bored into the laptop.
Just seeing his profile brought back old nightmares.
But he helped me in the tower. If we hadn’t crossed paths, I could’ve pretended to forget, but right in front of me like this, I couldn’t skip a greeting.
I hesitated, then stepped to Mullern’s chair.
And bowed to the man deeply focused.
"Hello, Senior. Thanks for the help back then."
"..."
No response.
He didn’t even look at me.
Did I piss him off by saying my piece and bailing?
"Senior."
"..."
"Senior?"
"No use."
I turned to meet Yoon’s gaze.
Yoon jerked his chin toward his colleague at the adjacent desk.
"He can’t even hear your voice right now."
"Pardon?"
"Once he’s into something, he sees nothing else. He’s buried in the new research topic I tossed him last time, probably forgot you exist."
What a real nutjob.
Even crazier than I thought. I stared in disbelief at the researcher who seemed oblivious to my presence.
So that’s why he asked who I was back then.
Not offended, but absurd. As I muttered, ‘Saved me as Test Subject 0,’ Yoon let out a small laugh. He reached over, snatched the phone Mullern had neatly set on the desk, and fiddled with it.
"You saved him as Test Subject 0?"
"Yeah, that’s what he did."
"Hilarious. Must’ve really taken a liking to you. Anyway, so you’re banished from the core for a bit. Got it. Anything else? Probably not."
"There is."
Yoon, smirking while messing with Mullern’s phone, looked up.
His eyes widened as he stared at me.
"There is?"
"Yes. He said to report any unknown approaches, so I wanted to tell you."
"Someone approaching? Who? Reporters?"
"No, strictly speaking, I don’t even know who. But they keep sending these weird messages."
I grabbed my phone from Yoon’s desk and showed him all the incomprehensible messages I’d received. From the unknown number ones to today’s ‘Debuted, huh?’
I was focused on the screen explaining, so I missed my master’s reaction.
Only after Yoon shot up from his seat did I realize the gravity.
"We’re going to the office."
Yoon commanded in a cold voice.
"Bring your phone and follow."
I obeyed without question.
***
The command staff didn’t return to the office until after 10 p.m.
Yoon and I, waiting in the small lounge next door, stood up simultaneously.
The people we’d waited over four hours for emerged from the elevator. Ye-hyeon. Ska Owen. And someone I’d never seen.
The three men spotted me and widened their eyes in unison.
"Yoon, you made Hilde wait in his patient gown?"
I figured out why the command staff’s eyes had bulged at Ye-hyeon’s surprised tone.
I felt incredibly embarrassed. Should’ve changed first instead of spacing out.
Meanwhile, the guy standing next to me—who wasn’t the one in patient clothes—was utterly shameless.
"His outfit isn’t the point."
"You should’ve at least given him time to change. He’s not even fully recovered."
"Tate, get Hilde some clothes to change into."
Ska craned his neck and called to his secretary.
As I mumbled thanks awkwardly, Ye-hyeon and the stranger headed into the office. They brushed past us, shedding their coats. Yoon and I waited obediently for them to settle.
Night air at the end of a long day.
Only after I changed into the clothes the secretary provided did the talk begin.
"Hilde."
Ye-hyeon called my name in a neutral tone.
"Have you ever replied to this person’s messages?"