The apple wine had fermented beautifully.
I carried the glass bottle of apple wine in my arms as I headed for headquarters. Waiting until Samuel got home would only make it lose its flavor.
The genius doctor—said to work as hard as the entire command staff combined.
As soon as I heard he’d gone to the cafeteria for dinner, I ran there immediately.
“Doctor!”
“What now.”
The cafeteria was bright white, filled with white plastic tables and chairs.
The doctor, in the middle of bringing a cheeseburger to his mouth, widened his eyes when he saw me.
“You hurt yourself again?”
The people sitting around him turned to look.
To my surprise, they were all Badgers. They looked like they had just returned from outside the Core—carrying the scent of sand and wind, with sweat-soaked hair clinging to their foreheads.
I recognized a few faces.
Senior Badgers including Bobby Winter and William Walker stared at me curiously. Feeling awkward under their collective gaze, I forced a smile.
I’d only called out because I thought he was eating alone.
Now that I’d drawn attention, I couldn’t just back out. Awkwardly, I held out the bottle.
“I’m fine. Sorry to interrupt your meal. But I thought I wouldn’t get another chance to bring this....”
“What is it?”
The doctor, puzzled, quickly realized what was inside the bottle.
I saw his tired expression brighten instantly.
“You brewed this apple wine yourself?”
“Yes. Please, enjoy.”
Pop! He pulled out the cork sealing the bottle, and I added,
“If you’d like more, just tell me. I made quite a lot.”
“What’s that?”
Bobby leaned forward, looking between me and the bottle.
“Is that alcohol? You made it?”
I nodded quietly.
Immediately, the seniors who had been watching me in silence became noisy. They all leaned in toward the bottle at once. Following Samuel’s lead, they sniffed the aroma.
Even William Walker fixed his gaze on the bottle.
Ah...
I made a mistake. I should’ve given it to him when no one was around.
But Samuel didn’t seem to care.
“Let’s all have a drink.”
The doctor gestured for the Badgers to bring their cups.
“Hand over your cups.”
No one refused.
In an instant, three-quarters of the bottle was gone. I gave a helpless laugh as they toasted together. I’d have to fill another bottle later to bring to his house.
Good thing I made plenty.
As I was calculating how much was left, Bobby shouted,
“Wow!”
I jumped in surprise.
“What is it?”
“This is amazing!”
She looked up at me, eyes wide.
Her bright blue eyes were sparkling. Probably because she’d just returned from outside the Core, her face was bare—without the heavy makeup she’d worn during the Colosseum event—making her features softer, her expression open with delight.
“You made this? It’s incredible!”
“Yes. I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“This is really something.”
Samuel examined the liquid in his cup.
“It’s actually good.”
Success.
The brew was receiving nothing but praise. William Walker and the other seniors I’d just met all approved.
To be precise, Samuel asked me for several more bottles; the others offered to buy it outright, and Bobby said she wanted to bring one to her father.
Apparently, it was the drink he’d been searching for.
Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?
“I’m serious! Do you know how many kinds of alcohol I’ve tried in my life?”
Bobby stood up and grabbed my hand desperately.
“I’ll pay anything—just sell me one bottle!”
“I’ll just give it to you, Senior. Please, calm down.”
After being swarmed with orders, I made a quick escape.
Truly thankful I’d brewed so much apple wine.
***
The Day of the Closed Sky was approaching.
The D-Day that had the entire Center Core on edge.
All production activities were suspended a day before. The Black Badgers completed their preparations for the Recapture Battle the day before D-Day. That meant that on the eve of the operation, all Badgers had to be stationed at their assigned positions outside the Core.
The Day of the Closed Sky fell on September 7.
The Black Badgers departed from the Center Core on September 5. Each went to their designated area and began acclimating there. From the 5th to the 6th, there wasn’t much to do—just eat, rest, and sleep.
Though we were outside the Core and naturally tense, even the notoriously fussy Richard Green didn’t nag on such a day.
Two days before that day.
Meaning, on September 3, I was summoned by my superior.
“You called, Senior—ah, Commander. Good evening, sir.”
“Hey.”
Entering the now-familiar front hall of the mansion, I blinked at Yun, who was glaring furiously.
He glared at me, eyes filled with annoyance.
“You actually like this garbage?”
Ah.
Lexic Basic Noodles.
The moment I saw the dish sitting on the kitchen table, my face lit up.
Yehyeon, seated nearby, chuckled when he saw my expression.
I kept my eyes locked on the noodles as I walked toward the two men in the kitchen.
It smelled divine.
“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“Are you kidding me? You trying to piss me off or what.”
“You’re not going to eat it?”
I pointed at the leftover noodles.
“Then may I?”
Yun gave me a look that screamed disbelief.
Yehyeon laughed outright. He looked freshly off duty—black jacket draped over the chair, white shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
I handed Yun the bottle of apple wine as a peace offering while he silently gestured for me to do whatever I wanted.
“I brewed this myself.”
Then, accepting the utensils Yehyeon handed me, I began eating the noodles.
Apparently Yun had only tasted them; the bowl was nearly full.
How can people not appreciate this taste?
“What the hell.”
As I happily ate, Yun spoke.
“Why is this good?”
“Oh, it turned out really well this time. I made a lot, but most of it’s already gone.”
I nodded toward the apple wine he was inspecting.
“Falcon liked it, too.”
Both Yehyeon and Yun stared at me.
I realized I’d just said something surprising.
Their eyes were on me, and I smiled faintly.
A few days earlier, I’d sent bottles of that apple wine to the three Elders. Not because I expected anything—just because it had turned out better than expected, and I thought I’d share it with people I knew.
They just happened to be among those people.
I hadn’t expected any reply.
But to my surprise, all three responded.
[Falcon: A fine product.]
[Caller ID Restricted: It’s been a long time since I’ve had good alcohol.]
[Spitfire: My goodness, I’m moved!]
All three, with their notoriously picky tastes, had been satisfied. That alone was gratifying.
Spitfire even sent me an unwanted gift in return.
Barrels—real oak barrels—far more expensive than the cheap ones I’d ordered online.
[Spitfire: I’d love to taste your next creation, too.]
Well, there’s no guarantee the next batch will turn out as well, but still.
When I relayed all that, Yehyeon gave a faint smile.
The kind of smile only a Supreme Commander could give—gentle but authoritative.
“Well done.”
His tone was soft, yet full of command.
“It’s never a bad thing to show a bit of goodwill to them.”
“Honestly, I should’ve given it to you first, Commander. My apologies for the delay.”
“It’s fine.”
After that, Yehyeon took the bottle from Yun, tasted the wine, and smiled faintly.
“Samuel must’ve loved this.”
He was right. I’d scored big points with the doctor.
I’d seen him smile several times that day—something rare for a man buried in endless work. His delighted reaction had made all the effort worth it, even earning me the nickname “gourmet.”
Pleased with myself, I glanced at Yun.
My superior closed his eyes and shook his head.
“Idiot.”
Harsh.
Ignoring the insult, I finished the noodles cleanly.
He stared down at the empty bowl with a look of pure exasperation.
I smiled back at him unrepentantly.
Yehyeon, watching our foolish exchange with a faint smile, broke the silence.
“Hilde.”
I straightened instantly.
“Yes, sir.”
“You can’t kill Sophia.”
He went straight to the point.
“If she loses control, disarm her.”
“May I ask why this is coming up now?”
Yun, standing beside me, frowned.
Apparently, he hadn’t known why Yehyeon had summoned me either.
As I briefly summarized the incident, Yun kept his eyes fixed on me.
When I finished, his eyes widened slightly.
A flicker of surprise crossed a face that almost never showed emotion.
“Didn’t think you had it in you to say something that decent.”
That was Yun’s response.
Apparently, he approved of what I’d told him earlier.
“You called him here just to stop a subordinate from making such a reasonable point?”
He asked with genuine puzzlement, turning to Yehyeon.
The Commander looked at him, wide-eyed, then let out a soft, humorless laugh. It wasn’t a warm smile—the faint veins at his pale brow stood out.
He’s angry.
But I didn’t think I’d crossed any lines....
Maybe he could read it on my face, because his smile darkened ominously as he looked between us.
Whack!
“Ah!”
“What?”
“Ah.”
“Because it’s an order—memorize it well.”
I didn’t even know what hit me.
But my scalp hurt.
Still stunned from the unexpected blow, I stared at Yehyeon, who was smiling dangerously.
And Yun, standing casually beside me with his hand still resting on my head.
The Commander didn’t seem in the mood for long lectures.
“You’re forbidden from cutting down anyone who commits insubordination on the spot.”
“...Yes, sir.”
“And considering your... unique nature, we’ll depart not on the fifth, but the sixth.”
Ah.
Right. If I went too early, I might attract Creatures again.
“Make sure you’re well-prepared. Rest enough.”
“Yes.”
“And brace yourself.”
I looked straight at the man across from me.
Yehyeon met my gaze with a faint, bitter smile.
The harsh edge from earlier had completely vanished.
“You haven’t faced him yet, have you?”
I knew immediately he meant Kyle.
He knew Kyle would attack—and that Kyle and I had once been close friends.
I stared at the face that so perfectly ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) mirrored Lee Seunghyun’s, motionless.
He really knows how to land a hit.
The sound of my superior setting down his second glass pulled me back.
I nodded calmly.
“Yes.”
I’d been ready for this since the day before the war began.
“I’ll carry out your orders.”
And thus, September 6 arrived.
