Bad Born Blood - Chapter 58



Only Noblemtl

058

Ken Noma was sitting on the bed like a living corpse.

Dalgrak.

I was measuring out drugs at the workbench. I combined several drugs that were necessary for improving cognitive abilities based on the data copied from the guards’ database. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s worth it.

If Ken dies because of my mistake, that’s the end of it. There’s no one to hold responsible.

I injected the combined drug into Ken’s nape. The drug took effect and his fingers stopped shaking.

Ken was tortured in a virtual reality that Aleph said felt like it lasted for years.

You can’t ignore it as a virtual reality. It’s even more terrifying because you can’t tell it apart from real reality. You can’t die. Your mind is torn apart as you keep dying and living over and over again.

Let’s imagine, humans originally die only once. Our brains cannot withstand multiple deaths. Even just one death puts a burden on the human brain that is too much to handle.

But thanks to technological advancements, we can artificially kill and revive humans over and over again. Few people can endure this.

“Ken Noma, do you recognize me?”

Ken is a man who has barely passed half a century. However, his brain condition is no different from that of a hundred-year-old man. He has many gaps in his memory and his cognitive abilities are also declining.

Whirlwind.

I threw the knife at Ken. Ken quickly snatched it away as if he had never been loose.

Kendo retained some of his brain functions related to combat. Even if his brain was damaged, a musician could still play an instrument if he held it, and a cook could cook if he had the ingredients and tools. And a warrior could still handle weapons.

“Let’s start rehab, Ken.”

Thanks to the medication, Ken’s condition is better than before. His stuttering has also improved considerably.

“You are a trustworthy person.”

Ken regained consciousness. He sat up, trembling.

chuck!

Ken took up a stance, holding the knife in reverse. For a moment, I felt a sense of threat.

Kang!

I acted as Ken’s sparring partner. Sparks flew as knives were moved between me and Ken.

‘You must have been quite outstanding before you became incapacitated.’

Even in his state of being a wreck, Ken’s skills were fierce. Even now, he seemed like he could easily cut down one or two normal people.

“ha ha ha.”

Ken burst into a dry laugh. He looked delighted.

“I am looking for the man who supported Torah. More precisely, his footprints. What purpose did he have in the lower sector, and why did he support Torah?”

I stated my purpose.

“Haa, haa… … .”

Ken, who had moved a little, sat down on the chair as if he was sinking. He drank water in gulps. The trembling of his body had stopped as if it were a lie. It was a temporary phenomenon, though.

“… … My head is clear. What have I done?”

“It’s nothing special. I just combined a few drugs.”

“I didn’t know you had any knowledge of drugs. Can I get you a cigarette?”

How could he possibly have such knowledge? It’s just because of the database of the Royal Guard. There were countless losers like Ken Noma in the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army was tired of human experiments disguised as clinical trials.

“You must not smoke during rehabilitation.”

“Then let’s have some alcohol… … .”

“Will that work?”

“Hmm, you’re being strict like a soldier.”

Because he’s a soldier.

I ignored Ken’s request and pressed him for an answer. What I was curious about was the past memories in Ken’s head.

“Anyway, if I recall correctly… … Tora called the man ‘Noel’.”

I twisted one lip. Kinuan doesn’t usually have bad taste.

‘Noel Mulizka.’

A rebel leader from the distant past. He is also the founder of the Akiest fighting technique. Kinuan took that name as his pseudonym.

“Noel… … .”

I hummed.

“Among Torah’s inner circle, there were few who knew or met Noel. Now that I think about it, it was really strange. Torah was a good person, but he easily achieved success that was beyond his ability. He took over the coveted arena and ran a business. It was probably thanks to a man named Noel.”

As I expected, Kinuan increased his influence in the lower classes through Torah. His income must have been considerable.

“Anything else unusual?”

“Some of the revenue from the arena is channeled through other businesses… … .”

Ken closed his mouth as he spoke. He laughed bitterly.

“… …Before that, I have a favor to ask, Luca.”

I sighed with an expression that said, “I was going to come.”

“Is it because of Aleph?”

“As you know, Aleph made me like this. I must have revenge.”

“Aleph and I are partners.”

“I’m not asking you to help me directly. I’m just asking you to close your eyes. I’ll take care of the revenge.”

It’s not my job to fight amongst myself, but it can’t be done now.

“You are currently under the protection of the Gabriel Gang. If you want to take revenge on Aleph, you can do it later when you get out of here. That’s all you have to do. If… … .”

“You don’t have to threaten me. I don’t know about anything else, but I can boast about this one thing. Unlike Aleph, I keep my word. That’s why I stood by Torah until the end. Aleph hit Torah in the back of the head. That bastard will fight to the death.”

Keep your faith. I don’t believe that. It’s up to me to decide who to trust between Aleph and Ken.

The relationships are complicated.

I was slowly growing tired of the lower-level missions. I’m a fighter, not a schemer. But doing only what I want won’t get me to the top.

‘How to handle subordinates, how to run an organization.’

This is an area I am lacking in. It was good to learn about it during this opportunity. It is an ability I will need someday.

“Aleph should have the old Torah ledgers, so get them. Find the companies that start with B. The money that went that way probably ended up in Noel’s pocket.”

I nodded and stood up.

* * *

I finished talking to Ken Noma and went downstairs.

Kwajik!

As soon as I got down there was a loud noise. It seemed like an accident had happened. I don’t know what it was, but I feel like I’m getting a headache already.

“You, you weren’t the surprise gift that Do-ryun-nim brought? Me, me! Kkeuk!”

The punk was screaming.

Kwajik!

Grace was looking down at the punk with one eye and cold eyes. She lightly kicked the punk. The punk rolled around on the floor and vomited blood.

It seemed that the drug dealers had mistaken Grace for a prostitute. Grace strode over to him, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed him to the ground.

“Please save me! Young Master! Save me… … .”

The punk cried out for help, bleeding profusely. Grace slammed him to the ground again.

‘What should I do with this?’

I looked around. Gabriel wasn’t here right now. There were only three of them: Pak-Pak-Ki, Sock-Ko, and Grace.

“Stop it, Grace.”

I said as I went down. Grace looked at me as she let go of the sticky head.

“Your training of subordinates is a mess, Master Luca.”

It was a mess. It was hard to deny. But I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

Towering.

I stood in front of Grace.

puck!

I stretched out my front paw and kicked Grace in the stomach. She flew into the wall without even responding.

“I never gave you the authority to train my subordinates. Don’t be so cocky. You’re an outsider. No matter how pathetic they may seem, these guys are under me. If you touch them, I can understand that you’re making fun of me, right?”

Grace looked at me with surprised eyes.

‘You knew I was strong, but you didn’t know I was this strong.’

As a former Royal Guard cadet, Grace would have pride in her skills. She probably never thought she would be so helpless.

“Luka is right. It was my mistake.”

Grace stood up, wiping the blood from her mouth. Perhaps because she was a cadet, I liked her military-like attitude and speech.

“Well, it’s my fault for not telling you in advance. This woman is Grace, an executive at La Vie en Rose, you idiots. Be thankful she didn’t get killed.”

“La, La Vie en Rose executive?”

The eyes of Ppakpagi and Snobby grew wide. They looked at Grace.

“Grace and I will go out and come back, you guys stay here. I’ve told you this many times, but drugs are not allowed during work hours.”

“Water, of course, your highness.”

I motioned to Grace. Grace glared at the punk and the snotty nose before following me.

“It would be hard to form an organization with people like that. They are low-quality personnel even in the lower levels. Gabriel is a pretty good guy though.”

Grace said as soon as she came out.

“I know that too. We’re using those guys right now because we need them. It’s not like they’re given that difficult of a mission.”

I was planning to take Grace to the arena. I was planning to show Aleph that I and La Vie en Rose had formed an alliance.

‘The Gabriel Gang maintains a cooperative relationship with the Arena faction, La Vie en Rose.’

If this rumor spreads, there will be no obstacles to activity. And talented people aiming for promotion to executive level in the new gang will gather.

“Lord Luca, are you from a military family?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because you are stronger than me. I didn’t know that I would be easily defeated by someone who isn’t even an adult.”

Grace certainly had a keen eye. She was good at reading the other person’s capabilities. I don’t understand why such a woman is under Martina.

“… … You seem to have so much pride in yourself even though you haven’t even completed the guard course.”

“It’s not because I lacked the skills. My grades at the time were top-tier.”

I’m curious as to why they kept it that way.

“If it’s not a lack of skill?”

“I don’t think Luca and I are close enough to talk about personal things yet.”

As she said that, Grace smiled very faintly. It was hard to tell that it was a smile unless you looked closely. It felt like she had dropped a few drops of laughter into the lake of expressionless expression.

“Then let’s each solve a puzzle. I come from a military family.”

It’s not a lie. It’s just that I wasn’t born that way. I’m from a military family now. I paused for a moment and then added.

“Grace, why are you in a gang? If you were a cadet in the lower-level guards, you could probably get into a good security company.”

“I owe you a great favor. I plan to continue to be a member of La Vie en Rose until I repay it all. Is it just a game for Luca to support Gabriel?”

“I don’t think I’m enjoying it. If you’re asking me what my purpose is, I won’t answer.”

“You’re quite skilled at evasion.”

If you deal with only the clever ones like Kinuan and Heilas, your speaking skills will naturally improve.

After that, Grace and I exchanged questions. It was just a conversation that didn’t have much substance. I asked her why she was wearing a blindfold, but she didn’t give me a proper answer. We kept the important things from each other.

But I felt like I was getting a little closer to Grace.

To be honest, she was a woman who gave me a good feeling. Maybe because she was a cadet, her way of thinking was similar to mine, and thanks to that, I felt comfortable with her, like a fellow trainee.