Yun blandly changed the subject.

“Then let’s move on to the next issue.”

Feeling good about having gotten a cabin for free, I nodded and smiled brightly.

The mentor shot back.

“Don’t ever smile like that again. Last warning.”

Wow, that’s harsh.

I reflexively pulled a face that said ‘you’re too much,’ but Yun ignored even that.

He spoke without unfolding his arms.

“I’ll cover the administrative issues, so listen well. Your social security number will be fabricated and registered by administration. If anyone asks, say your birthday is the day you arrived—August 20. Age: twenty-eight. You don’t know who your parents are. If asked, answer that you grew up in an orphanage. For elementary, middle, high school, and university, you studied entirely online. After that, you lived doing this and that online as work. You passed the hiring exam earlier this year, but due to complications during the aging-stoppage and regeneration process, your assignment was delayed. That’s the story. If pressed, say the hiring process is under nondisclosure and you can’t talk about it.”

The (fake) administrative version of me had lived quite an unfortunate life.

A week ago, I hadn’t even existed in this place. There was no helping it. Creating someone who never existed into someone who did—it couldn’t be easy.

Isn’t this illegal...?

The thought rose, but I didn’t say it out loud. Of course it was illegal.

Yehyeon must have taken on illegality for my sake. If they wanted, they could have killed me quietly or removed the Enhanced Body inside me, and everything would have been solved. If they hadn’t saved me the day I was chased by a creature, their problem would have disappeared.

Thinking that far left me feeling heavy.

Yun’s emotionless voice came.

“Do you understand everything?”

“Yes. I understood.”

“Your birthday?”

“August 20.”

“Any questions?”

“Uh...”

I had planned to ask something about him. If he gave me the chance, that is.

But thinking that Yehyeon had committed the crime of forging my identity made me forget what I was going to ask.

I stared into Yun’s cold eyes for a moment.

“What happens if someone finds out my identity is fake?”

Yun fixed me with an unreadable gaze.

“Yehyeon will be in trouble.”

The dry answer struck me deep.

The mentor didn’t react to the darkness that surely crossed my expression. He was so dry he seemed like he’d make a rustling sound if touched. He never made expressions.

While marveling at Yun’s lack of humanity, I tried to steady my troubled mind.

The café’s gentle noise wrapped around us.

“...Would he be in a lot of trouble?”

“Yes. You hardly know anything about this world now, but the influence the Black Badger organization has is immense. Yehyeon is the leader of that group. If the real reason for your hiring came to light, all the media would explode. Yehyeon would surely resign. After that, the fallout would not be contained.”

“So, removing my Enhanced Body would still be...”

“I don’t know why Yehyeon made this choice either.”

Yun’s voice carried no resentment or annoyance.

He shrugged.

“It’s a ridiculous decision, but in any case, the key is not to get caught. Don’t get caught. Simple, isn’t it?”

“...Is it simple?”

“Even if it’s not, you have to make it simple. There’s no turning back now. By now, your social security number and records have all been registered.”

Why did the Commander make this decision?

Because it was morally right? But if Yun wasn’t exaggerating—and he didn’t seem like the type to exaggerate—the risks of exposure were enormous. Not just Yehyeon, but most of the Badgers would suffer.

If it were me, I’d have removed the Enhanced Body and assigned a dedicated doctor.

When I meet him, I’ll have to ask again whether removing the Enhanced Body is truly that fatal.

As I lowered my eyes to my coffee, Yun spoke.

“In any case, now that the housing and administrative problems are mostly handled, let’s move on to the real matter.”

And that would be...?

I lifted my head, but Yun sat unchanged.

What a strange man. Why does someone who hardly moves need to be “controlled”?

Then that man closed his eyes and sighed.

Out of nowhere?

“Choi Ami.”

At the low call of her name, someone at the table behind us snapped her head around.

Big, black, round eyes entered my view.

Wow.

“Yeah!”

“What are you doing here?”

Yun leaned his elbow against the chairback, twisting his torso.

Brother and sister faced each other. I widened my eyes, taking in the sight.

The man, torso turned back, and the woman, body twisted to face us.

Strange. They seemed so different it was hard to believe they were siblings, yet there was something indescribably alike between them.

The man looked at Ami with exasperated eyes.

“You’ve got no reason to show up at the research wing.”

“I was worried you’d bully Hilde, so I came.”

Ami blinked her round eyes.

“You said you’d meet here at three! I thought you were leaving poor Hilde alone with you too long!”

“It’s been twenty minutes.”

“Exactly.”

Ami is such a good person.

I was moved that she came here for my sake. It’s a relief the first person I bonded with in this world was Ami.

She wore a student-like outfit again today: a light-purple cable-knit cardigan and light blue jeans.

Yun looked at her with an emotionless face.

“Last night, Yehyeon told me the same thing. Don’t bully the kid. If they’re that worried, they shouldn’t have made me the mentor. After all this time, why assign me now?”

“I wonder too. Personnel Director Ju decided it.”

Want to go ask him yourself, big brother? Ami stared round-eyed at Yun as she sipped her smoothie.

Yun, for the first time, showed a clear emotion.

“Click.”

He clicked his tongue skillfully, faintly knitting his brow.

“I’d rather not cross paths with that man.”

The low mutter was oddly funny.

To see such a reaction from someone who usually seemed emotionless... what kind of position does the Personnel Director really have in this organization?

While I was faintly amused, Ami asked,

“Hilde. Were you okay?”

“Eh? Ah, yes. He treated me surprisingly well.”

He even gave me a cabin.

Before I could add that, Yun turned his head.

“Hey. Let’s go. Time to see what you can do. Lessons need to start.”

Now?

My shock must have shown on my face. But Yun didn’t care. He rose smoothly to his feet. Ami craned her head to look at me, blocked by his figure.

With the sudden «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» shift in mood, the café atmosphere washed back into my senses: sunlight flooding the room, people chatting in golden warmth, the smell of roasting coffee, the clatter of laptop keys.

Ami gave me a gentle smile.

“If my brother bullies you, make sure to tell me.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Go on. I’ll keep my distance. With Yehyeon watching, I’ll behave even more.”

Pinned by Yun’s hand on her head, Ami lifted her face. Looking up at her brother, she smiled wide.

“Treat Hilde well.”

“I am treating him well.”

“Mm. Keep treating him well. You’re his mentor now.”

After saying that brightly, Ami grinned.

Yun looked down at her for a while. Then he moved his big hand and roughly patted her round head. A gesture so obviously affectionate toward a little sister that it surprised me.

So he can look like a normal person sometimes.

Ami smiled brightly.

Soon we left the café. Ami waved as she saw me trailing after Yun.

I waved back, then followed Yun’s back through the unfamiliar place.

We passed people, rode an escalator to the third floor, then crossed a skybridge.

It grew quieter.

I sensed we were getting close to the destination. Fewer people passed us. The café’s level had been drenched in warm sunlight, but here the air felt cool and bluish.

A gymnasium, maybe.

The instant I guessed it, tension and worry rushed in. What’s my physical ability? Intelligence?

A week ago, I didn’t even know my own face. There was no way to know my capabilities.

I might disappoint him. Worse, I might disappoint the people I’d just gotten to know.

Yun’s warning about the risks of my fake identity came back, and the thought of the test I was about to face left me restless. What if I was useless?

If so, this time I really would have to tell them to remove my Enhanced Body.

All such thoughts evaporated the moment we arrived at what looked like a training hall.

Because Yun picked up a chainsaw.

“Learning goes better with the right stimulus.”

You crazy bastard!

Vrrrrrrr!

The instant he revved it up, I bolted for the door.

But it was firmly shut.

When did it close?! And why was it locked?

Bang, bang, bang!

“Ami! Ami! I’m in here!”

“Calm down. I’m not trying to kill you.”

How am I supposed to calm down when someone right in front of me is holding a running chainsaw?!

Should I break it? Smash the door? I twisted the knob frantically, but it stayed locked. I stared at the solid gray door.

If I put my whole strength into it, I might be able to break it down.

From behind came the dry voice.

“Don’t break it unless you want to pay for damages.”

The chainsaw cut off with a click.

“I said I’m not killing you. I didn’t even pick this up for myself.”

Huh?

Only then did I dare look back. The place was nothing special: a solid door across from me, wide, the ceiling about one and a half stories high. Nothing else to catch the eye.

Overall, a clean gray space.

The man of stone extended the chainsaw to me.

I flinched reflexively.

“What?”

“You’re the one who’ll use it.”

Yun gave me a look that said, Hurry up.

“Take it. You need a weapon. Who knows if you’ve ever fired a gun, or if you’d remember how even if you had. Same with swords or spears. A chainsaw, you just swing it.”

Why do I need a weapon?

I thought we were doing physical tests. Push-ups, sit-ups, things like that.

Narrowing my eyes, I carefully asked,

“Why do I need a weapon?”

“It might be tough without one. Besides, I want to see how you move. That’s all.”

“Can I ask—what’s going to be tough?”

“You’ll see. Now take it.”

I accepted the chainsaw. If I hesitated longer, Yun would get annoyed.

The weapon felt foreign in my hands. I stared at my mentor. He’d better explain. It was only natural after handing me a chainsaw out of nowhere.

Thankfully, Yun did explain.

“Wait quietly. I’ll bring in what you’ll be using it on.”