Bad Born Blood - Chapter 19



Only Noblemtl

019

Kinuan often took me to the lower areas and pushed me into fights without any information.

The purpose of a fight is not victory. The important thing is how much more optimized the battle is. It is basic to understand my abilities well in general, and as soon as I see the enemy, I have to read the direction of their feet and the movement of their eyes. Then, I understand the surrounding environment and plan a route that is advantageous to me.

After a training session disguised as a fight was over, Kinuan stopped by a place as was his habit.

Squeak.

I opened the door and entered a small machine shop. The woman at the workbench looked at me and Kinuan, then pushed up her goggles.

“Oh, welcome.”

She greeted us with an oily face.

‘I thought this woman was a mechanic.’

She’s the girl I rescued from the gang’s office a while ago.

When I heard the circumstances, I found out that he had been missing for several months and had been treated badly. Fortunately, he was not completely mentally broken and was able to return to his daily life as soon as the psychological treatment was over.

“Gilda, just give me a cup of coffee, black. Pour in enough oil to float on the surface.”

Kinuan called her name. Gilda stopped what she was doing and stood up. She opened the door to the pantry without showing any sign of displeasure and looked in my direction.

“What about Luca? Would you like some milk?”

“… … I’d like some coffee too. Without oil.”

If you drink milk here, Kinuan will definitely make fun of you. I mentioned coffee, which I don’t even like.

Swish.

As soon as I entered the steam room, I asked Kinuan.

“Isn’t it really necessary to go to Gilda’s workshop and have coffee? I already told Gabriel to come check on me from time to time.”

“Gilda, you’re the woman I saved. Don’t you feel proud when you see her living so bravely?”

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t proud. But I wanted to dig into the truth hidden in Kinuan’s words.

“Do you know Gilda, Instructor? Even though Gilda doesn’t know who you are, Instructor has known Gilda for a long time.”

The embarrassment on Kinuan’s face was fleeting. He hid his emotions with a smile.

“He also came from an orphanage. He had a talent for mechanical engineering since he was young, so I even sponsored his studies. I’ll keep it a secret since he probably doesn’t know that I’m the one who sponsored him.”

Kinuan put his index finger to his lips and urged. I could not observe Kinuan’s inner self more deeply. The external shaking was very brief.

Less noise.

Gilda came out carrying a tray with two coffee cups on it. Oil was boiling in one of the cups.

“This is good coffee.”

Kinuan said, putting his lips to the oily coffee. If I drink that coffee, my stomach will burst. It was coffee for people whose internal organs were replaced with cybernetic prosthetics.

I also took a sip of regular coffee. To be honest, it was bitter. I almost wanted to frown. I couldn’t get the next sip down my throat.

Swish.

Gilda saw me hesitating and then silently handed me a bowl of sugar cubes as if she was considerate.

“Hmm, I don’t really have anything to treat my lifesavers to. I should have bought them some cookies… … .”

“Cookies are fine. Luca will like them. He’s still young, after all.”

“I see. I’ll buy it next time.”

I gave up on interfering as I listened to the conversation between the two. Kinuan glanced at my expression and smiled as if he found it amusing.

Gilda was about seven years older than me and a fairly experienced mechanic. He said he had been running his own shop for three years.

I also heard the reason why Gilda was kidnapped last time. She was just really unlucky. One of her friends ran off with the gang’s money, and happened to stay at Gilda’s store for a few days. That’s why Gilda was kidnapped by the gang as well.

‘Of course, that friend is no longer in this world.’

Anyway, if it weren’t for our structure, Gilda would have fallen to the bottom of no return. She may seem fine now, but her mind was on the verge of collapse. The aftereffects probably still remain. She probably has nightmares every night, or something like that.

“How’s business? You must have lost a lot of regular customers while you were on hiatus.”

Kinuan asked, half-sipping his coffee. Gilda pointed to the prosthetic limbs and arms hanging from the ceiling.

“Thanks to that, I’m now accepting and doing jobs that don’t pay. Still, maintaining Gabriel is quite rewarding. Since the modifications are so inconsistent, there are many places to work on.”

Gilda glanced at us and then closed her mouth. She had something she wanted to ask, but she held it back.

She didn’t know that we were in the Royal Guard. And she didn’t do anything to carelessly dig up the personal information of her benefactor. She was a wise woman. I felt quite fond of Gilda, who lived a strong life.

Gilda and Kinuan chatted. I sat there waiting for them to finish their conversation.

“hmm?”

Suddenly, I felt a presence and looked at the front door. Even before the door opened, I could tell who was coming in.

‘Gabriel.’

Gabriel opened the door and came in. He was startled when he saw me and Kinuan. To be exact, he was surprised when he saw Kinuan.

Gabriel was instinctively afraid of Kinuan. He knew that if Kinuan wanted to, he could eliminate someone like him without anyone noticing.

“What, it’s long. Since when did you start selling drinks? Then give me beer.”

Gabriel hid his surprise and showed his bravado, but he sat on a chair far away from Kinuan.

“I will give it to you, but I have symptoms of nervous system overload due to continued overwork. I will stay away from drugs and alcohol.”

“Are you my doctor? I don’t plan on living long anyway.”

“When it’s time to die, don’t whine and ask for help. If your nervous system is damaged, you’ll suffer terribly and then die. You won’t just wake up and die comfortably.”

Gilda said sarcastically, as if she had seen many people like Gabriel.

Gabriel just shrugged and took a sip of his beer. He downed half of it in one gulp and stared at me.

“Are you the guy who’s been stirring up this place lately? What on earth are your intentions? The rumors are spreading. Even the bosses are starting to talk about taking action. If people like that come out, I won’t be able to protect Gilda either.”

It was practically the same as talking to Kinuan. Gabriel also knows that I am under Kinuan’s orders.

If the gang bosses come looking for us, Gilda will be in danger.

I looked at Kinuan’s face. There was no way he didn’t know what Gabriel and I both knew.

“We won’t be coming here for a while anyway. You don’t have to worry about that.”

The person who was most surprised to hear that was Gilda. I was a little surprised too. Kinuan had never said anything like that to me.

“How much for the time being?”

“It could be months, it could be years. You know we don’t belong in the lower sector, right? Don’t bother digging any further.”

If you value your life.

Even without me adding that, Gilda and Gabriel would have understood it well enough.

‘Are you saying you won’t be coming to the lower areas for a while?’

I can’t go out to the lower areas alone. The higher-ups won’t give me permission.

Yeah, to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I guess I was starting to feel affection for him.

Perhaps today might be the last day he would see them. Perhaps that was why Kinuan stayed at Gilda’s repair shop longer than usual.

Gabriel and Gilda were the main characters in the small talk. Since I couldn’t talk about my personal life, I just listened in silence.

‘Gabriel and Gilda.’

I gradually came to know what kind of people Gabriel and Gilda were. They tried their best to survive in this world.

Even after going through hard times, Gilda faced reality and got right to work. Gabriel always took risks so as not to be looked down on in the world he lived in. That must have been the best thing for them.

‘But I couldn’t change the reality surrounding me.’

They couldn’t get out of here.

It is true that I have talent. But being talented doesn’t mean that I didn’t work harder than them. I have lived several times, maybe dozens of times harder, than Gilda and Gabriel. My achievements and status are the result of sweat and blood.

‘Don’t pity the people at the bottom, Luca. They are not worth it.’

I was drinking coffee with five sugar cubes in it and thinking about it.

Well, now is the time to have a drink.

* * *

Preparation for the psychological test is complete.

As I left the quarters, the weather was cloudy and calm. I walked to the captain’s office and focused on controlling my inner self.

‘What is revealed is a patterned version of myself.’

If you repeat the act, it becomes real.

After pulling myself together, I went to the captain’s office and told him everything about Instructor Kinuan’s suspicious words and actions.

The captain of the guard silently pondered my report. He let out a thoughtful breath and moved his lips.

“… …Is that the end of the report?”

“That’s all.”

“Instructor Kinuan started his cadet life late. He was not originally a person who could become a member of the Royal Guard. However, the Empire at that time had to embrace even impurities if necessary. It was a time of chaos in many ways.”

Kinuan is an outlier in the guard. I felt it keenly. I couldn’t understand why they still kept such a person.

‘There’s no way the higher-ups wouldn’t know about Kinuan’s thoughts and actions.’

Kinuan didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it. He was an impurity of the empire.

Curiosity rose to my throat. I held it back with patience. It is not the duty of a soldier to question.

The captain of the guard continued speaking at my silence.

“Even I don’t know exactly what kind of person Kinuan is. Since I was a rookie, Kinuan has been a key member of the Royal Guard. I suspect he was mainly in charge of unofficial missions.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. No, it was natural to be surprised. It meant that even the captain of the guards had no access to information and records about Kinuan.

The captain of the guard said no more about Kinuan. There is nothing more I should know. It is dangerous to know secrets. Secrets must be kept, and the surest way to do so is death.

“… … Anyway, it is true that Kinuan likes you. He sent cadets to you several times, but none of them lasted long.”

The words that he couldn’t hold out for long lingered in my mind.

I wanted to ask what that meant. Was it because I was unable to learn the Archies fighting technique due to my lack of talent, or was it because of some other mutation… ?

This is just my guess, but some of the cadets who approached Kinuan may have died.

“Luka, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”

“I am only following orders.”

My answer was quick. There was no hesitation.

I am a loyal soldier. I am the Emperor’s sword and the Empire’s shield. I will not hesitate even if you order me to jump into the fire pit.

“You are excellent. But you are not perfect yet. You are in a situation where you are susceptible to negative influences. You need to take another psychological test.”

It was expected. I calmly accepted the psychological test.

Beep.

The captain of the guard opened the holographic interface and adjusted my schedule. He used his authority to schedule the psychological examination for this afternoon. The schedule he had transmitted also appeared on my retinal display.

The captain of the guards who had finished his reservation closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. It seemed that he had been assigned to many troublesome tasks, even if it was not Kinuan’s. He opened his mouth hesitantly and then spoke.

“Luka, be honest. There are two possible outcomes for a Royal Guard cadet who takes on this type of mission. Either he gets silenced, or he gets recognition for his achievements and rises to the center of the Royal Guard. I want you to be the latter.”

I am a character who can be removed at any time. I am a loner with no background. I am suitable for this mission. I do not intend to hold any grudges. It is natural for soldiers to be used as tools of the empire.

“I’m just doing my part. If I don’t change after this, I believe the captain will push me that much.”

I can show this level of ambition. My desire for improvement and achievement is quite high.

“If you have satisfactory results, I will become your background. To be exact, I will adopt you as my son. Luca Custoria? Hmm, that doesn’t sound bad.”

I stopped all movements and just opened my eyes wide. The reward was beyond my expectations. A half-hearted smile almost spread across my lips.

The captain’s name is Heilas Custoria.

And Custoria? One of the most prestigious families in the Empire! Damn it! I was almost cursing with joy. This was a deal between me and the captain of the guard, and this opportunity was earned solely through my own efforts.

I couldn’t hide my boiling emotions. The captain of the guard must have heard the thumping of my heart.

“… … I just realized, I guess I was quite materialistic.”

The captain of the guard smiled serenely. After saluting, I left the office.