“Are you talking about the news that he’s presumed dead?”

Kyle spoke in a lazy voice.

The demon knight stopped where he stood, looking at the man who wore an expression of complete indifference.

“Yes. So you’ve heard.”

“I heard. Seems like they’re moving busily now.”

Kyle replied with a voice laced in mockery and brought the long pipe back to his lips.

His gaze drifted again through the air. The demon knight stared intently at the man before him. Though he had been born with immense mana, he had never wished to become a mage, and he had never once doubted Kyle.

“Do you think he’s alive?”

“I don’t think it. He is alive.”

Kyle answered.

“How would humans without even enhanced bodies kill Hildebert? The fame he never wanted must have grown cumbersome. It’s exactly the kind of plan Hilde and that strategist of his would come up with.”

“I see.”

Smoke threaded between strands of black hair.

The demon knight studied the Swordmaster’s profile and spoke carefully.

“The humans around the traitor seemed quite shocked.”

Kyle laughed shortly.

It was a cool, razor-sharp laugh.

“They still know nothing.”

He turned his head and exhaled white smoke.

He remained still for a while as if lost in thought, then shifted posture only after the sound of running footsteps echoed from afar.

Kyle moved the pipe, long as a grown man’s forearm, aside.

The demon knight dispersed the surrounding smoke with mana.

Kyle tilted his head faintly in thanks and cast his gaze into the distance.

The still-growing contracted knight was running toward them with all his might.

Mow had always admired Kyle. After facing a real enemy, that admiration had only deepened. If he behaved recklessly like last time, simply being made to stand with his hands raised would not be the end of his punishment.

“If things twist badly enough that he dies by human hands, it won’t be at the hands of something so insignificant. It’ll be by Colton’s hand.”

Kyle let the words fall as he watched Mow approach.

The demon knight was about to ask how likely that was when flames suddenly burst from bare ground. Meierbold appeared, dragging Valdez along with him.

Of the two mages, Valdez grasped the situation first.

He looked between the demon knight and Kyle, who lounged without a change in expression, and let out a sigh.

“I had hoped the rumor that flew in from the Core was true, but it seems not.”

“Unfortunately not. And sorry to crush your hope, but there’s a very high probability he’ll cut off Colton’s head and survive as well. It won’t take long.”

Kyle replied without even turning his gaze.

A shadow of regret deepened in Valdez’s voice.

“How unfortunate. It doesn’t change our plans significantly, but I truly wished that man dead.”

“Hm. In that case, how do we track his location?”

Meierbold scratched his chin.

“It’ll be difficult to determine his destination for the time being.”

“We only need to hear that Colton’s head has flown.”

Kyle answered calmly and rose to his feet.

His black hair fluttered in the night wind. The golden earring hanging from one ear swayed along with it.

On the day he could no longer sense Hildebert’s sixth sense, he had wandered about in a terrible low-pressure state.

That day, he had obsessively checked the status of flowers, supplies, and the situation around Center Core.

Now, he merely looked peaceful.

The moment the Swordmaster slipped his hands into his pockets, the young contracted knight arrived.

Mow shouted between ragged breaths.

“Kyle!”

Instead of answering, Kyle raised a brow and lightly set a hand on Mow’s head.

Mow frowned and slapped away the calloused hand.

“Spar with me! And watch me handle my summons!”

“Take it easy.”

Kyle replied indifferently.

“Because of you, I never get any rest.”

Even as he said that, he walked toward where the demonic beasts were gathered.

Mow broke into a bright grin and sprinted toward the familiars.

Watching the scene, Meierbold let out a faint chuckle and dissolved into flame. Valdez, standing beside the Archmage, flinched at the sudden surge of heat.

His clothes were only slightly singed, so he grumbled and let it pass.

After straightening his attire, Valdez hurried after Kyle.

Falling into step behind the knight as he always did, he began firing questions.

“Didn’t he pour unnecessary affection into humans? Is it not possible he was forced to yield because of hostages?”

“If he had been put in a position where he had to choose between hostages and his own life, Hildebert would have abandoned the hostages.”

Kyle answered without emotion.

“Rather than saving hostages and dying, abandoning them and surviving to stop me is far more profitable. There’s no way he wouldn’t know that.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“Then what of the possibility that he succeeds in his revenge? Do you think it’s high?”

“What’s it to us? Enemies fighting each other is good for us. No matter the outcome.”

But in truth, you hope Hildebert defeats Colton.

Valdez did not say it.

He walked in silence for a moment before breaking it.

“Then we move according to plan immediately after Colton is killed?”

“Yes. The moment word comes from inside.”

Kyle answered with a low chuckle.

“He’ll appear with the head cut clean off.”

His golden eyes glinted sharply as they stared into the settling darkness.

The knight smiled, baring sharp teeth.

“He’ll stand before me in the same form as that day, as if telling me not to hesitate.”

But I wish it wouldn’t unfold that way.

If not for me, at least for you, I wish you would forget revenge and look forward.

Unable to voice the words rising in his throat yet again, Valdez walked gloomily behind Kyle.

***

The Badgers returned to the office.

Kairos had just burned Hilde’s will with Ju’s lighter. The contracted knight stared intently at the document turning to ash, then lifted his head to greet the seniors entering.

All of them were calmer than when they had first entered the office.

But where anxiety had once filled the space, anger now sat.

Even Ami wore a face that clearly said she was in a bad mood.

She walked in with a cold gaze fixed on the floor, then quickly spotted Kairos.

“Jack!”

Kairos looked at Ami.

“Did you read the letter? Did Hilde say he was sorry?”

“Yes.”

Kairos answered.

Those who had been sighing as they took their seats turned their attention to the contracted knight.

Ami studied her junior’s complexion and asked,

“Was it written well enough to calm you down? If I were you, I’d feel really hurt and angry....”

“My anger hasn’t completely subsided.”

The contracted knight spoke in his usual gentle voice and smiled faintly.

But he no longer looked on the verge of exploding as he had before reading it.

“Immediately after reading it, my anger was completely gone. But after thinking about it for a while, it’s slowly starting to rise again.”

“So you feel that way too.”

“I imagine the seniors feel something similar.”

“I think I spoiled Hilde too much.”

Ami replied in a sulky voice.

“I understand why he did it now. But I’m still angry and scared. We can’t say one hundred percent that Hilde is alive, can we?”

“No. I have no way of knowing either.”

“And the media mentioned torture. What was that about?”

“From the CIS side...?”

Ricardo, who had come in last and closed the door, threw the question toward Ska, who was looking at his laptop.

Yehyeon, who had been calling Lee Seunghyun using Yun’s phone, and Yun, who had been staring blankly into space, both turned their heads.

Sophia, pressing her fingers into her brow, Kai staring at the blackened ashes of the will, and Jonathan with his hand resting on his sword hilt—all turned sharply toward Ska.

Bang bang bang!

They did not get an answer.

Just before Ska could speak, someone pounded urgently on the door.

“Aide-de-Camp!”

The door was shoved open forcefully.

Leeho stepped in.

“Aide-de-Camp, I’m sorry. Hilde—”

“Leeho.”

Ska called his name heavily.

“Calm down. Take a breath. Hilde’s whereabouts are still unknown. Since no body has been found, we’re not declaring him dead.”

“Is the body part really Hilde’s?”

“They say the fingerprints match, but I want my own people to verify it. I’m about to send someone to CIS headquarters. I was going to contact you as well.”

“...I see.”

“There’s absolutely no need for you to blame yourself. You know that.”

“...I said I would get him out quickly.”

Leeho muttered darkly.

Ska answered coolly.

“With what power would you pull Hildebert out after he was detained? You merely stayed in that organization briefly. And that was quite some time ago.”

“If I had come to you sooner and told you more, things might have changed.”

“You came to me immediately when Hilde was detained and told us what you could about CIS.”

“There were things I hesitated and didn’t say.”

“Even if I had known them in advance, it wouldn’t have changed—”

“Do you know what CIS uses when interrogating terrorists?”

Leeho spoke in a trembling voice.

Silence fell across the room.

He bit down on his lip and forced the words out.

“They use Ashen Mantle.”

Jonathan shoved his chair back and stood.

Ricardo reflexively grabbed his comrade’s arm, though ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) he himself did not have the presence of mind to scold him.

“Capturing Creatures is illegal!”

Ami cried out in shock.

“All matters regarding Creatures fall under our jurisdiction!”

“What method is more effective for interrogation than Ashen Mantle?”

Leeho replied grimly.

“What institution monitors whether CIS raises Creatures? It’s one of the intelligence agency’s greatest secrets. I was a fool not to mention it yesterday. As you know, mental attacks work directly even on enhanced bodies with strong regenerative abilities....”

“You’re saying they interrogated Hilde with that?”

Sophia asked.

Leeho looked at his senior with hollow eyes and nodded.

“I saw the location shown on the news. I’m certain.”

“Hilde probably didn’t know either.”

Kai asked quietly.

“How many people know that the intelligence agency interrogates using mental-type Creatures?”

“The Commander didn’t know. The Aide-de-Camp didn’t know.”

Leeho muttered, looking at Yehyeon’s pale face and Ska rubbing his face dry. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

“If even the two of them didn’t know, then almost no one outside CIS knows the truth.”

“Commander.”

Yehyeon called out to Ska.

Ska lifted his head from his hands.

“Stand by. I’ll send you to CIS headquarters. Get some rest, even briefly.”

With that order, Ska rose abruptly and walked out of the conference room.

“Until further orders, stay on this floor.”

Those were his final words before Ska Owen pushed the door open and disappeared.

***

“Commander!”

Rose ran toward Hildebert.

“Now it’s just us left!”

She dropped to her knees beside Hildebert, who had been rummaging through Don Child’s hard drive all night.

“I’m happy. You were so popular that you were always busy taking care of humans, I barely got to see you.... Now I’ll be able to see you more often. It’s okay if you don’t go back. I’ll treat you well!”

“Just hearing that is enough.”

Hildebert replied, pressing down on his right hand.

His eyes never left the laptop screen.

“For now, I’ll stay at Lin’s third flat and sort through these drives. Once the inspection of the Green Dream factory is finished, brief me immediately.”

“Yes, Commander! I’ll brief you within three days!”

“...Excuse me?”

Lin’s stunned voice cut in.

“My house?”