Bad Born Blood - Chapter 50



Only Noblemtl

050

Long vacations were a privilege.

Ilay was from a good family, was exemplary throughout his cadet career, and excelled in his training. As such, he was granted an extended leave of absence as a cadet.

“Illei? He didn’t seem like that kind of guy… … .”

“You were hiding your ambition with a smiling face. You’re no ordinary person.”

I overheard my classmates talking. They were up to date on the aristocratic society. Unlike me, who was only a noble in name.

‘What did Ilay do?’

Today, Ilay was the center of attention. Ilay, who has returned, is probably undergoing various tests by now. Including psychological tests.

“What’s going on?”

It was hard to bear until I met Ilay. I approached my colleagues who were talking in the break room.

“Luka, don’t you know? Didn’t Illei tell you before you left?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know. Am I that bastard’s wife? Do I know everything?”

I said annoyedly. My classmates were used to this attitude of mine, so they just shrugged their shoulders.

“Ilei has rendered his older brother incapacitated… … half-crippled. Now, the next powerful head of the Kartika family is said to be Ilei.”

I couldn’t laugh like other people.

‘What on earth have you done?’

Ilay was a guy who wasn’t interested in family positions or career advancement. And from what I heard, the relationship between the brothers wasn’t bad.

That was how Ilay killed his older brother and was aiming to become the next head of the family.

It was a guess. Lillian Ramones’ death had shaken Illie’s heart. Perhaps even to the point of changing her life’s goals.

I waited in front of Ilay’s room for him to come back. But even though there was still time left after finishing the examination, Ilay did not come back.

‘There wasn’t a problem with the psychological test, was there?’

The last time I saw Ilay, her psychological state was extremely unstable.

I sat on the stair railing and stared at the ceiling. The cold tiles were spotless and shiny.

“Luka? No, should I call you Lucius Custoria from now on?”

Illai said as she came up the stairs.

“Just Luca. What is Lucas… … .”

“Just wait a moment. I’ll just drop my bag and come out. I’m touched that you’re waiting for me like this on the day I return.”

Ilay went into the room, muttering nonsense. I waited outside the dormitory building for him to come out.

We mostly talk outside the building, because sometimes we get into some unpleasant conversations. In fact, we’re not the only ones who do that.

There were implicit conversation areas throughout the training camp to protect privacy. It was common courtesy among cadets to leave the area if there were other people there.

“You killed your brother?”

I said as I watched Ilay coming.

“I didn’t kill him. I just… … took care of him a little.”

“To become the head of the Kartika family?”

“Well, I’ll give it a try.”

Ilay said lightly, as if he was deciding on a hobby.

“Because of that woman?”

I didn’t mention Lillian’s name directly. Ilay closed her eyes and then opened them slightly.

“Luka, I won’t run away anymore. If there’s a problem with my family, I’ll become the head of the family and fix it… … and if there’s a problem with the Empire, I’ll rise to a position where I can change it.”

It sounds like a problematic statement, but I like Ilay’s enterprising comments.

My friend wasn’t a moron who just complained and didn’t lift a finger.

If Ilay had made up his mind, I had nothing to say. He is a capable guy. He just didn’t have the opportunity or motivation until now.

“You managed to beat up your brother and become the heir to the family. Was the Kartika family really that worthless?”

“It was a duel that went through formal procedures. My brother has always been simple-minded and easily falls for provocations.”

“How did you provoke me?”

It would be unacceptable for brothers to duel, especially to the point where their lives would be at stake.

“I slept with my brother’s lover. I guess it’s because I’m better looking, but she fell for me right away.”

I was speechless for a moment.

“… … You are such a piece of trash too.”

I frowned at the handsome piece of trash.

“I feel sorry for my brother. I told him I wasn’t interested in the position of the head of the household, but then I hit him in the back of the head.”

Illei’s older brother, whose name is unknown, fell for his younger brother’s provocation without even realizing his abilities. He probably didn’t have the potential to become an outstanding head of the household in the first place.

‘Probably the Kartika family too… … will welcome Ilay’s revelation of ambition. Ilay will be the most outstanding of their children.’

I could have guessed it. Illei would have acted boldly knowing the atmosphere in the house.

We exchanged stories about what had happened. I only said what I could. I couldn’t tell Iley about the details of the Barbara incident.

No kidding, if the truth about the Barbara incident leaks out, both Ilay and I will be disposed of or receive a similar punishment. This is a plan that the upper echelons of the Empire have been preparing for years.

“What kind of dangerous deal did you make? They wouldn’t have let you be adopted into a prestigious family under just any conditions.”

Of course, I can’t tell you the details. Illei didn’t expect that either.

“My life has always been a tightrope walk anyway. It’s no different now.”

“Even a talented person loses his head once in a while.”

“But that doesn’t mean a talented person can’t show off his talents, right?”

I have no other way. I never had a choice in the first place. It’s not a matter of deciding like Ilay.

‘If you don’t do it, you die.’

And the price I would be satisfied with would be to be incorporated into the Custoria family.

“Anyway… … Welcome back, Ilay. To become the head of the household, you’ll have to roll twice as hard as you do now.”

“I came here with the intention of rolling four times more, not twice.”

As if to prove that this was not a lie, Illei volunteered to take on the mission the next day and formed a squad. The mission was to subdue the native creatures of the planet Novas.

* * *

I finally visited the Imperial Workshop. The workshop’s technician guided me to the weapons testing room.

The testing room was littered with all sorts of piles and protective gear.

I picked up the high-pressure heavy weapon I had ordered. It was the type of sword I preferred, but a little different from what I had been using. It was longer and had a single-edged blade.

Even though I had heard about it beforehand, it took me some time to get used to it at first.

Knock knock.

The heavy blade dragged on the floor on its own. I increased the output of my body and lifted the sword.

‘sting.’

My body moved at the same time as my thoughts.

Shhh!

It is not a sword designed with stabbing as its main purpose. However, stabbing is not difficult. It is just that the efficiency is a bit low.

Boohoo!

I raised my sword and slashed downward. My movements were larger than usual, as if guided by the sword. But the force was just as strong.

Any defensive equipment would be crushed by the destructive power of my sword. It was difficult to tell that it was a heavy weapon at first glance, so it was good for surprising someone.

‘Probably… …I’ll have to fight someone stronger than me.’

The same goes for Rick Kaiser. He’s a tough opponent to beat with a straight line. In that case, you have to rely on unconventional improvisation using the Archie’s fighting techniques.

No more, just one time is enough. I don’t even want a second or third time.

“What do you think?”

“Even if I just hold it, the body feels taut and tight. I feel like I’ll drop it if I lower the output just a little.”

“The child’s name is Crucis.”

The technician in the workshop opened only one eye slightly as he spoke, as if to tell me to remember clearly.

I’ve heard that among the craftsmen in the workshop, there are those who name each weapon they make. The craftsman who made my weapon seemed to be one of those sentimental types.

“I saw it. It was written in small letters on the bottom of the blade. What does Crucis mean?”

“In the old language, it means disaster, ruin… something like that. The gun is Ruin. Its meaning is destruction. Both of them are girls, so take care of them like lovers.”

I never thought my first woman would be a gun and a knife.

I snickered and held a sword and a gun in each hand. The sword was Crucis, and the gun was Ruina. I don’t know which one will be the real one.

Kiing.

I extended my hand holding the ‘shock pistol’ and aimed. I had just heard the name, but I was embarrassed to call her Ruina. She was not a little girl playing with toys.

The shock pistol uses both energy cartridges and live ammunition. The downside is that it takes time for the energy and live ammunition to bind together. Since they are unstable materials, if they are bound together in advance, the gun will explode. Fortunately, continuous shooting is possible with one magazine.

I took aim and waited for the energy bond to end.

Wheein.

A faint vibration was clearly transmitted through my arm.

Too- Woong!

When I pulled the trigger, the gun shot up. The recoil was much stronger than I expected. I felt like I needed to learn how to use this properly.

The refrigerant cartridge was ejected from the gun with a lot of heat. The heat was enough to distort the air. By the way, bullets with refrigerant cartridges are damn expensive. My crew just evaporated into thin air.

But the power was satisfactory.

I whistled and looked at the shattered pile. The target, a man in a protective suit, was shattered by a mere miss. Electricity and smoke flowed through the charred debris.

Wow. That’s pretty good, Ruina.

I unconsciously repeated the embarrassing name to myself. I felt like I was already falling in love.

“Should I kill you?”

The technician in the workshop smiled broadly when he saw my expression. I smiled awkwardly, knowing that my face was remembered.

If I had just a little more wit, I would have called the technician in front of me a craftsman.

“I will use it well.”

“And kill a lot. They will want blood, as befitting children born with weapons.”

I nodded as I listened to the grim tale.

I left the Imperial Workshop. I won’t be coming back here for a while.

So, what should we do now?

I had two options. One was to follow Kinuan again. The other was to go down to the lower areas alone.

Without even thinking about it, the answer was obvious. Even if I were to stay with Kinuan right now, I wouldn’t be able to find out anything. And since I had obtained a pass that allowed me to travel exclusively to the lower areas, I might as well give it a try.

I went down to the checkpoint via the express elevator. Since my pass was registered, they didn’t stop me at the checkpoint.

“Hmm.”

I tilted my head, breathing in the pungent air of the lower quarters.

Coming down without Kinuan felt strange. I guess I’ve become quite accustomed to the upper areas. Especially recently, I’ve only seen luxurious buildings like the Academy and the Custoria Mansion.

You can see crumbling concrete and rusted metal tiles. The wires are tangled in a complex manner, like dozens of layers of spider webs, and you can’t even tell where they start and end.

As we went a little further, the crowds grew. The farther we went from the upper districts, the fewer clean-cut people there were and the more shabby vagrants there were.

“Please, just give me one penny. Do, Do-ryun.”

A bum approached me. He tried to sneak his hand into my pocket.

Kwajik!

I grabbed the bum’s hand and twisted it, tearing his wrist open and sending wires and parts flying out.

“Ugh, ugh!”

The screaming vagrant quickly ran into a dark alley.

Okay, I’m getting used to it. This is what this neighborhood feels like.

I took out my terminal and called Gabriel. It had been a long time since I called him. Maybe that was why there was no response even after a few minutes.

I went to Gabriel’s residence, which was saved on the map. I don’t know if he still lives there. If he was playing around and ignoring my calls, I was going to crush his nose.

Creak.

When I opened the door, what I saw was Gabriel. But it wasn’t like he was at home and ignoring my calls.

I was simply unable to respond to the call.

“Are you dead?”

I kicked Gabriel, who was lying on the floor. The blood around him was still vivid.

“It’s not over yet… … Uh.”

Gabriel barely managed to answer, spitting up blood. He had been shot.

“You don’t have money? Should I pay for your treatment?”

When I asked, Gabriel crumpled his already ugly face.

“Fuck… … .”

Gabriel nodded reluctantly. I took out my terminal and called a private ambulance.