The war had ended.

About seven months had passed since the short but intense Third War. The Center Core had changed a great deal, and yet in some ways it remained the same. The organization known as Black Badger was still intact. Creatures still lurked outside the Core, and from time to time, they still managed to infiltrate inside. The mission system of the Black Badgers had not undergone any significant changes either. They continued to venture outside the Core to gradually reclaim lost land. Veteran Badgers patrolled within the Core.

Days that seemed no different from before.

But Ami’s daily life had changed drastically.

Because not long ago, Hildebert had woken up.

Right after the war ended, Hildebert’s administrative death status had been revoked. He was officially reinstated as a Black Badger and received treatment, but despite all those efforts, he remained asleep the entire time.

As if he had fallen into hibernation, he had shown no movement for seven months no matter how much they called him—yet the moment he opened his eyes, he threw out a cheeky joke, completely unafraid of his seniors.

‘Where am I?’—of all things.

That was the moment Hildebert had nearly been beaten to death.

Ami had gone through all sorts of trouble trying to stop the enraged Yun and Ricardo.

It was truly fortunate that Yehyeon and Ska had chosen to be happy rather than angry.

If those two hadn’t been there, Hildebert would have been hit on the head by either Yun, who had muttered ominously, “Looks like he hit his head right before collapsing. Seems he forgot his own unit,” or Ricardo, who had recited darkly, “Just go back to sleep. Looks like you want to forget everything again, like last time....”

And then he probably would have never gotten up again....

“Then I wouldn’t be able to see Hilde playing with marbles like this right now.... That would’ve been terrible....”

“Pardon?”

Hildebert turned to Ami with a puzzled expression.

“What did you say?”

Ami looked into his golden eyes and broke into a soft grin.

Just seeing those eyes made her happy.

She had missed them so much over those seven months. These days, Ami felt incredibly happy. It was also nice seeing how the gloomy expressions of everyone else had brightened now that he was awake.

“Nothing. I’m just glad you’re up again.”

Fortunately, Hildebert had not remained asleep as long as she once had.

Thinking how lucky it was that everyone’s desperate prayers had come true, Ami stared at him intently.

Perhaps feeling burdened by her gaze, Hilde scratched the back of his neck with an awkward expression.

That series of gestures was so very Hildebert-like that Ami let out a small laugh.

“You’re doing your rehab well, right? Is it hard? If it’s difficult, tell me. I’ll help you!”

“I’m working hard.”

Hildebert showed her the marble resting between his upturned fingers.

“My muscles have loosened up a lot now. Everyone who comes to visit helps me diligently.”

“That’s a relief. Yun oppa isn’t bullying you anymore, right?”

“No. I begged him every time he came.”

Hildebert said that and smiled sheepishly.

“I didn’t realize I had been asleep that long. I thought it had only been about a month.... If I had known I’d been lying down for that long, I wouldn’t have made that kind of joke.”

“I was worried you’d sleep even longer than me!”

“I’m sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine. Honestly, I could’ve waited even fifty years.”

Ami swung her legs back and forth.

“A hundred years, even! But thank you for waking up early. I was really scared.”

“Thank you for waiting in good health.”

Hildebert smiled faintly.

“I was relieved to be able to see many of the faces I had missed.”

Ami’s expression dimmed slightly for the first time.

She knew exactly why he had said “many” instead of “all.”

When she had woken from her own coma, she had struggled in the gap between her last memories and reality. Hildebert was in exactly that state now.

Even though he was trying hard to hide it.

Everyone who came to visit him periodically knew it. The fact that waking up after seven months hadn’t magically solved everything. He had always been someone full of affection, and he had poured everything into winning the war—so the aftermath was far from small.

And yet, even so, his expression was much lighter than before.

That made Ami happy. It felt like Hildebert had finally set down at least one heavy burden.

He would get better, little by little.

He had said a few days ago that he wanted to eat a proper meal, but it was a pity he still couldn’t have outside food....

“Ami.”

“Hm?”

Ami blinked, pulled from her thoughts, and looked at Hildebert.

“What is it?”

Hildebert grinned.

Tilting his head, he wore a smile mixed with pride and mischief, then lowered the hand that had been rolling the marble.

Ami watched him with curious eyes.

Then her eyes widened.

She shot up from her chair.

“You’re standing!”

Ami shouted.

“You’re standing! Hilde! You can stand without crutches now!”

“I worked hard on my rehab.”

Hildebert smiled, his eyes curving.

“Thanks to that, my discharge has been moved up. Starting tomorrow, I’ll just need outpatient visits. And I can eat outside food starting tomorrow too.”

“Congratulations! That’s so fast!”

“It’s all thanks to my seniors. Everyone helped me whenever they visited....”

“Oh! Palde!”

A familiar voice rang out.

At the ominous sound coming from behind, Ami whipped her head around.

“You standing again?!”

And she saw Giacomo Ro.

Giacomo Ro strode into the hospital room.

Ignoring the glare Ami shot at him, he walked straight toward Hildebert.

“They said you couldn’t even feed yourself!”

“Ah.”

Hildebert let out a small laugh.

“Sunbae, it’s been a while. Seven months. But actually, I’ve already gotten past that sta—” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

THUD!

Ro’s palm struck Hildebert’s shoulder with full force.

“Good job, you brat!”

Hildebert had already collapsed with a crash.

The moment the palm hit, both his knees buckled. He stared blankly at the floor with a mix of resignation and despair, while Ro shouted in shock.

Ami, her expression turning vicious, smacked Ro on the head.

SMACK!

“Ah! What the hell, Peanut?!”

“Get out!”

Ami swung her fist as she shouted.

“Get out, get out! Stop bothering Hilde and leave!”

“What?! You’re telling me to leave a fallen junior behind? And you call yourself a Badger?!”

“You’re the one who knocked him down!”

Choi Ami exploded.

“You knocked Hilde down!”

Their small scuffle only came to an end when Samuel stormed in angrily.

The doctor came running in, waving his tablet and shouting about when they would ever grow up.

In the end, both Ami and Ro were kicked out of the room side by side.

***

[Good heavens!]

Martin shouted at full volume.

[Hilde! You’ve been discharged!]

Everyone turned their heads at once.

Hildebert smiled brightly at the round AI.

Leaning on his crutches, he had just entered the science wing and opened his mouth to respond—but he failed to answer Martin as scientists swarmed him from all sides.

For a while, the science wing was half paralyzed.

Greetings and applause burst out everywhere. Some even set off their own small experimental explosives like fireworks. Amid the noise, laughter, and tears of the scientists, Hildebert smiled warmly.

After exchanging various delayed conversations with those he hadn’t seen in a long time, he asked:

“Is Yun here?”

“He did come in today.”

“Looks like he stepped out for a bit!”

The scientists answered immediately.

“He shouldn’t have gone far, so he’ll probably be back soo—”

“He’s here.”

At those words, the decibel level around Hildebert dropped sharply.

In an instant, the space returned to work mode. Watching the scientists clamp their mouths shut as if on cue, Hildebert let out a quiet laugh.

Suppressing the smile trying to break free, he observed the people parting to make way.

Then, the moment he saw the person standing at the end of the path that had split open like Moses himself had returned, he broke into a wide grin.

“Yun!”

Yun raised one eyebrow as he approached.

But Hildebert paid no mind to the blunt look in his mentor’s eyes that seemed to say, What exactly are you doing here?

The white-haired Badger smiled brightly and lifted one crutch slightly.

“Look at this. I made it here on my own.”

“Yeah. Seems you didn’t forget the way to the science wing, at least.”

“Ah.”

Hildebert’s face immediately soured.

“How long are you going to keep this up? I really was in the wrong. I didn’t know I had been asleep that long.”

“You remember my name, at least?”

“Ah, Yun!”

Grumbling, Hildebert hopped after Yun toward the desk.

The scientist tossed a stack of documents onto it.

Turning his body, Yun looked Hildebert up and down as he approached on crutches.

“You’re walking awkwardly.”

“Try waking ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) up after sleeping for seven months.... The nurses praised me for recovering incredibly fast.”

“Did you get discharge approval?”

“Yes.”

Hildebert answered brightly.

“I’m going back to the cabin now!”

Yun raised an eyebrow.

With one hand in his pocket, he scanned Hildebert from head to toe before speaking dryly.

“Your ride?”

“Jack is coming later.”

Hildebert replied easily.

“Thank you for taking care of the cabin while I was asleep, Yun. I heard from Jack.”

“Yehyeon did most of it.”

“Even so. I heard you checked in on it from time to time....”

“You should be thanking me for something else.”

The corner of Yun’s lips curled slightly.

Hildebert stopped speaking and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Yun watched his subordinate’s blank, what is he talking about? face before saying:

“Your debt.”

One of Hildebert’s knees gave out.

Thud! His crutch slammed against Yun’s desk. Now bracing himself with his right hand on the desk, Hildebert lowered his head. The scientists who had been sneaking glances stretched their necks like turtles, wondering what had happened.

But Hildebert couldn’t bring himself to lift his head.

Staring down at the desk, the white-haired man muttered in a voice full of despair:

“I will.... definitely.... somehow repay it.... I really was going to repay it.... but that bastard Colton threw another trial into my life at the very end....”

“No need to rush.”

Yun replied lazily.

Yet contrary to his indifferent tone, the corner of his mouth remained lifted.

“Take your time. You can repay it after you settle what you owe the others. Black and Yehyeon insisted and split your debt among themselves.”

“...I truly have no excuse. I.... will definitely repay what I owe you first, sunbae. It’s just that I always had a lot of expenses, not that I lack the ability to earn money....”

“You’ll include interest, right?”

Yun asked casually, and Hildebert hiccupped.

But Hildebert nodded vigorously.

Then, as he started calculating the interest in his head, his face turned pale. Yun watched his subordinate’s despair with amusement.

Then he pulled his hand out of his pocket.

“If you really can’t come up with the money, there is another method.”

“...Pardon?”

“Read this.”

Yun opened a drawer and kindly handed him a stack of documents inside a clear file.

“The conditions aren’t that bad, so think it over.”

Hildebert read the title of the first page.

[Body Forfeit Agreement]

He ran out of the science wing.

***

Ricardo nearly dropped the cigarette between his fingers.