Bad Born Blood - Chapter 69



Only Noblemtl

069

I left the underground chamber and moved to a range where I could communicate, calling for reinforcements. Kinuan, who had been with me, had long since left. He is the Emperor’s Watcher, the Ghost of the Empire.

You must not reveal that Kinuan was here today.

“Rick Silva killed Nunez.”

I reported the current situation to Captain Heilas via communications.

The flow of the report was as follows. While investigating Dedronin, I encountered Rick. After a fight, I killed him.

Soon, the Royal Guard’s aerial vehicle appeared in the sky. The appearance of the Imperial Army caused the vagrants of the ruins to rush to hide deep underground.

“… … It really is Rick from Nemesis. That’s quite a feat, Luca.”

The guards who arrived looked at me after comparing the DNA of Rick’s body. The heavy cloak of their uniforms dragged down to the floor. From a distance, they looked like a flock of crows that had discovered the body.

The guards were surprised, but did not find it strange, knowing my background and my state of armament.

‘Except for the teleportation ability, he was a match for Rick.’

It wouldn’t be strange if I killed Rick. My combat ability is now beyond the cadet level. Thanks to the Archie’s combat techniques, I’m on par with a high-level guard.

‘If I were to wear the Legion, I would be just another ordinary guard… … .’

Archie’s combat techniques do not apply to the fully armored Legion. My strengths come from handling battle armor, not fully armored ones.

Creak, creak.

The androids were carrying Rick’s body on a stretcher.

“This is worthy of a 4th-grade Cross Sword Medal. If it’s a 4th-grade Cross Sword, it would be the first in the history of the Royal Guard Cadet Corps. Congratulations on completing your mission with flying colors.”

The guards had assumed I was on a special mission. They thought this was it.

‘It’s over, after all.’

I’ll just pretend to follow Kinuan, since I know his true identity.

I climbed onto the air vehicle. As soon as I entered, I flinched.

‘Update?’

The terminal’s update notification appeared on my retina display. The data server was surprisingly an upper-level network of the Empire. This was a network that only high-ranking officials of the Empire could use.

The Royal Guard’s aerial vehicle was acting as a relay station for the upper network, so the update started as soon as I boarded it.

‘My access to information has been increased. I have truly become a surveillance agent.’

I checked my retina display. The augmented interface even showed the personal information of other guards. Names, ages, affiliations, and even detailed specialties appeared in small letters next to them. If I focused, I could see detailed histories.

“Luka, what’s going on?”

The guard in front of me asked. His name was Rain Boltega Sorz. He had been a guard for 14 years, had received two 4th-grade Cross Swords Medals, and the lower grades were too much of a bother to count. His specialties were electronic warfare and long-range sniping.

“It must be because he’s relaxed. His nervous system must be in shambles right now. It wouldn’t be strange if he fainted right now.”

Another guard answered for me. And it was true. I was barely conscious. I probably needed more than half a day of sleep.

“……sorry.”

I answered politely. They soon looked away from me and started talking amongst themselves. There was a lot of talk about Rick. Rick seemed to be a famous person among the guards. After all, he was a traitor who had been a guardsman.

The new view was unfamiliar. The density of information entering the field of view was high. It seemed like it would take time to adapt.

Creak.

I moved my pupils to lower the level of information exposure. I desperately needed a break right now. It was to the point where I was snoring and falling asleep in front of my superiors.

* * *

I woke up and stared at the familiar ceiling. This was my room.

I still can’t believe it all.

Kinuan deceived and fooled everyone. But that was why he was effective. Even Haylas thought he was in league with terrorists. Terrorist Rick Kaiser believed Kinuan was his friend.

Thanks to watchers like Kinuan, the Empire was able to effectively control the subversive elements. Even the outlets for discontent and resentment against the Empire were kept under the Empire’s surveillance.

‘… … The more I think about it, the more terrifying it becomes.’

Captain Heilas had a history of infiltrating the witch Barbara into the Nemesis organization. Even the captain of the guards didn’t know that Kinuan was a double agent.

‘Is the Emperor the only one who understands all this confusion, all this tangled relationship, all this complex structure?’

I wondered how many people, if not just one, could fully understand the intricate currents within the empire. Perhaps only a handful.

‘I slept for a full sixteen hours.’

I checked the time. If I slept this much, it would be like being unconscious for four days for a normal person.

Talk.

I tapped on the table and brought up the hologram. A stack of schedules appeared. The top item was a call from Captain Heilas.

That’s only natural. There are many reports that shouldn’t be recorded.

I went outside. There were several cadets walking around the hallway. Every time I moved my gaze, I saw the cadets’ profiles and information in detail.

Towering.

I arrived at Heila’s office. I tidied up as I always did and went inside.

‘Heilas Custoria… … .’

I saw Heilas sitting and working.

I had a slight sense of anticipation inside me. The anticipation of being able to see Heila’s personal information.

‘As expected, the captain of the guards is the captain of the guards.’

Heilas’ personal information could not be accessed. The captain of the guard was one of the soldiers closest to the emperor.

“Sit down, it looks like the story will be long.”

Heilas pressed the holograms one by one and organized the work one by one.

I’m close to Heilas. It’s funny to even say that. After all, we’re just parent and child.

From what I’ve seen so far… …even if I were to become successful, I wouldn’t want to become a captain of the guards. That position wasn’t for me.

The daily routine of a captain of the guards was one of endless hard work, especially office work, all day long. He would rather be on a battlefield where bullets were flying.

“Let’s get started, Luca.”

Heilas leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. I reported to him what he already knew.

“Did you meet Rick alone?”

“There was no one else. Rick urged me to betray the Empire, but I refused, and the battle began.”

“Rick Silva Nunez is a top-rated fugitive whom the Empire has been unable to capture for some time. He was also a former excellent guard.”

“I benefited from the Archie’s combat techniques. And yet, I was so close. If I hadn’t learned from Instructor Kinuan, I wouldn’t have survived.”

Heilas paused as if thinking about something, then opened his mouth.

“Any other information about Kinuan?”

My mouth is itching. I wanted to pour out what I know here. It was a heavy truth that I couldn’t bear alone.

“We have not secured any evidence that our sponsor, Noel, is Kinuan.”

The chips and documents obtained from Dedronin’s office were of little value.

“… … I see.”

“Still, I think it was a great achievement just to kill Rick. I did something beyond my capabilities.”

I said confidently, even though I wasn’t the one who killed Rick.

“Your major is worthy of praise. It is an unexpected harvest, to the point where it feels ‘alien.’”

Don’t show your emotions, Luca.

I desperately controlled my consciousness and emotions to a near-neutral level. Heilas is a soldier with superhuman insight, even without learning Archie’s combat techniques. If there is any change in my emotions, he will notice it right away.

‘I’m just trying to see.’

This is Heilas’ specialty. If there’s even the slightest problem, he boldly stabs you in the back. I’ve experienced that kind of speech many times.

‘Don’t feel guilty about Heilas. If Heilas knew the whole story, he would understand. This is for the Empire.’

Heilas likes me, but he only thinks of me as a tool to cherish. He will abandon me whenever he needs to.

“As I said before, my victory was due to the fighting skills of Archies. And great achievements are not something that a soldier should be questioning.”

I showed my annoyance. Only then did Haylas smile and lean forward as if to relieve the tension.

“Luka, as you know, it is unusual for a cadet to be awarded the 4th Class Cross Sword Medal. It is unprecedented. However, since you have been active, you will pass the examination without any objections. Since the status of the Custoria family is also rising, there will be a celebration banquet at the main house, so prepare. If there is anyone you would like to invite among your acquaintances, invite them.”

Rather, I was more surprised by the news of the banquet.

Invite your friends?

There weren’t many people that came to mind right away. Let’s put Ilay Kartika as a candidate. After thinking about it carefully, I thought that I should invite all my fellow cadets. Other acquaintances that came to mind were Gabriel and Gilda, but I couldn’t invite anyone from the lower districts.

“A banquet… you mean?”

I said it in a trembling voice.

“You are the main character.”

I frowned, and Heilas’s mouth wrinkled. She seemed quite amused by my reaction.

“I hope you learned ballroom dancing well at the Krachia Academy.”

Heilas added one more thing. Those snakes know how to speak in a mean way.

* * *

Time passed quickly. I went through a few tedious procedures and received the 4th Class Cross Sword Medal of Merit. The medal had a clear engraving of ‘IV’.

‘Top-wanted fugitive Rick Silva Numez killed.’

One line was added to my resume.

“I’ve been traveling all over the empire, completing missions, and yet you’ve managed to push your score down like this with just one mission. As expected from Master Luca. It’s confirmed that you’ll be the top student this year.”

Ilay said teasingly, with a cigarette in his mouth. The instructor, who was passing by from a distance, saw Ilay smoking, but did not say anything.

Iley and I were more like guards than cadets. Even the guards had the flexibility to overlook minor deviations.

‘Just as the empire knows about subversive elements but leaves them alone.’

Allowing for small deviations can help to alleviate major discontent.

The same was true for the guard cadets. The complete suppression almost disappeared in the fourth year. We enjoyed freedom within the permitted range.

“So, are you coming to the celebration party or not?”

I invited Ilay first. He is a good person to establish my status.

If I can show that I am close friends with the successor of the Kartika family, my reputation within the family will rise and Jupe will shrink.

“Of course I have to go. How could I miss such a sight?”

I sent out invitations to the banquet to my classmates as well as Ilay.

I have a good reputation among my peers. Although I am not a sad-tempered person, I am someone who does not shy away from difficult tasks and gets them done. Furthermore, the Custoria family’s banquet is an event that no noble child would want to miss.

Most of my peers expressed their willingness to attend, except for those who had other schedules and duties.

Time passed again, and a grand banquet began in which I was the main character.