Bad Born Blood - Chapter 88



Only Noblemtl

088

The schedule at the Custoria mansion was coming to an end.

Jupe had a rough time with me. The difference in class was clearly revealed this time. Furthermore, Jupe showed a strange appearance at the end of the duel. It must have been a big blow to his reputation.

I was packing my bags and heading to the airport when my uncle, Arthur Custoria, came to visit me.

“… … I will support you when the time comes. Although you are adopted, you are more like a Custoria than anyone else. You have the potential to become an outstanding soldier. The head of the Custoria family must be strong like you.”

Arthur nodded vigorously, holding my shoulder. He was also the older brother who had lost his position as head of the household to his younger brother, Heilas.

“And I have a daughter who is ten years older than you. We are cousins, but not genetically related… … .”

Arthur whispered, looking around. That was the real reason why he supported me. It seemed like he wanted to make his grandson the next head of the family through me.

“I understand what you mean, Uncle. It’s difficult to answer right now, so I’ll come back later… … .”

I avoided giving a definitive answer by using the indirect language I had practiced.

As I tried to leave, Arthur smiled mechanically and continued speaking quickly.

“Of course. There is still plenty of time. I will tell my daughter soon. I can help you a lot. You have what I don’t have, and I can give you what you don’t have.”

The stickiness is top-notch. I nodded briefly and passed him by. It was an attitude that could be considered rude.

However, the one who is disappointed is not me, but Arthur. If things continue like this, his descendants will gradually become distant collateral branches. If more generations pass, they may not even be treated as nobles.

“Luka, are you going?”

I met Giselle at the entrance of the mansion. She was waiting for me.

“I should go since my business is finished.”

“I’ll come meet you in the lower area soon.”

“I told you it wasn’t a playground.”

I said indifferently. Giselle shook her head.

“I’m not going out to play either. I’m going for business.”

“business?”

I stepped out the door and questioned.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Giselle said that and pushed me from behind, sending me out of the mansion.

Squeak, thud.

The door closed before I could even look back. I felt embarrassed for no reason and walked to the airport, rubbing my neck.

Wheeing!

The sound of the aerial vehicle starting up was loud. Below it, Heilas, who had finished preparing, was talking to his family members.

Heilas, who had discovered me, silently boarded the air vehicle first. I followed him. As soon as the door closed, the air vehicle took off.

Custoria’s mansion soon became distant.

“Are the family’s private duties temporarily suspended?”

I looked out the window, then turned to Haylas and asked.

“For the time being, it’s on hold. You go back to your original duties. That’s what you have to do.”

It’s about investigating Kinuan’s background. But it’s a meaningless mission.

… … Because Kinuan is someone who moves under the orders of the imperial family.

‘I know things that Heilas doesn’t know.’

I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel guilty towards Heilas for giving me so many opportunities.

‘But Heilas didn’t always tell me everything.’

Heilas and I were in a mutually exploitative relationship. I proved to Heilas that I was valuable. That’s why Heilas gave me a chance.

Our relationship wasn’t just maintained through goodwill. So there’s no reason to feel guilty. I thought to myself as I collected my thoughts.

“… … I am not interested in the Custoria family. Please announce Jupe as your successor and hand it over to me. Otherwise, Jupe will be ruined by jealousy and insecurity.”

This was my own way of doing things.

‘I am a watcher, so I may have to do things that are detrimental to the family.’

I am not qualified to be the head of Custoria.

“Luka, it is not your right to name a successor, it is my right.”

“I know. But I… … I think the Captain is considering me as his successor. If my thoughts are arrogant, laugh at them for being arrogant. Even if you nominate me, I will refuse.”

“I won’t laugh at you. But that’s not like you. Even before he became Lucaus, Royal Guard Cadet Luca was a career-oriented person.”

“Leading a family is not my thing. I felt that way while I was creating an organization in the lower levels.”

“In what way?”

Heilas asked calmly, without any emotion whatsoever.

I moved my lips. The words wouldn’t come out right away. I… … .

“… … I don’t want to talk about that because it seems weak, but if it’s an order, I will answer.”

Heilas also kept his mouth shut. He seemed to be thinking about it too. But he didn’t ask any more questions.

“Hmm, if I were the captain of the guards, I would have heard the answer, but right now it’s more of a family conversation. I don’t think it’s right to ask about the complicated feelings of a teenage son.”

“I think I’m already past puberty.”

He said it with a hint of dissatisfaction.

“Haha, if you’re really past puberty, you would have just laughed it off. You’re still a sensitive person. That’s why you can grow more.”

Heilas laughed heartily.

I enjoyed this short time on the air vehicle. I was able to talk about various things alone with Heilas.

Sometimes I even thought like this.

‘I would die for Heilas.’

Not for the Empire, but for Heilas himself. He was such a great captain. He had such an attractive side that I wanted to give up my life.

‘I wonder if this is what Heilas was after.’

Is our bond natural, or was it something Heilas intended?

My mouth feels bitter. I drank water even though my throat wasn’t burning.

Before I knew it, Akbaran was spread out wide under the aerial vehicle. I saw a familiar landscape. I felt like I could know the geography even with my eyes closed.

Easy.

The air vehicle landed at the Guards Airfield.

chuck!

As Heilas got off, the adjutant and guards who came out to greet him greeted him politely. They bowed respectfully to Heilas.

We returned to the guard. Heilas returned to being the captain of the guard… … and I was left to fulfill my duties as a cadet and watchman.

* * *

Kinuan always drinks tea. Kinuan’s tea is very expensive. It is made from the leaves of tea trees grown from seeds brought from the earth.

I still don’t know the taste of tea. Same goes for coffee.

“It was a little lighter this time. How does it taste?”

Kinuan said, waiting for my reaction. I am now in Kinuan’s office.

“Isn’t it time to stop recommending it? No matter how many times I eat it, I still can’t get it.”

I stuck my tongue out and frowned.

“Oh, that’s because you still don’t know much. Taste it and savor the deep flavor. Use not just your tongue, but your sense of smell as well.”

I resisted the urge to splash hot tea on Kinuan’s face.

“… … It tastes like it was made on purpose to make me suffer.”

I said, emptying my teacup in one gulp. It was harder to drink it in sips.

“I don’t play around with tea. I’m serious about tea ceremony.”

I felt the tea moving gently, warming my esophagus and stomach. My stomach settled and I asked a question.

“I’ve been fighting a lot of Archie’s combat techniques lately. Including Ken Noma. They used a tongue-flicking technique back then.”

“You’re talking about echolocation.”

“Yes, I know it as the ability to perceive the surroundings through the reflection of sound. It’s like seeing things with your ears instead of your eyes. I thought it was a pretty good skill, so I tried to learn it, but it wasn’t easy.”

“I taught echolocation to Ken Noma. There’s a reason I didn’t teach it to you.”

“Is it because it’s difficult?”

“It’s the same reason why the Royal Guards don’t learn the Archies fighting techniques.”

I answered right away.

“It’s difficult to acquire, but it’s not very useful.”

Kinuando paused, perhaps thinking about echolocation.

“An easy way to learn echolocation is to surgically bring the visual and auditory areas of the occipital and temporal lobes closer together. Ken Noma was like that. The adjacent sensory areas mix together, creating a synesthesia that is neither visual nor auditory. However, it is as dangerous as it is easy. There is a chance that you will lose both your vision and hearing.”

Kinuan explained, running his index finger over his head.

“Is the difficult method to train step by step?”

“As you learn echolocation, your visual precision and resolution decrease. Your eyesight literally deteriorates. Brain resources that should be allocated to visual information processing have to be used to process auditory information. Furthermore, as you become accustomed to auditory processing, your brain’s response to visual information becomes slower.”

I opened my mouth to listen to the story.

“So there’s no reason for me, who has high-performance glasses, to learn it?”

“It’s true that echolocation has its own advantages. However, there’s no reason for someone with a high-performance prosthetic eye to risk their eyesight and learn it. Your right eye can even penetrate the darkness where there is no light.”

“But what if you really want to learn it?”

Kinuan laughed at my persistent words.

“I won’t stop you if you practice. That kind of desire for improvement is why you’re loved by your superiors. Just remember one more thing. After all, the key is to temporarily block out visual information and visualize auditory information. That means you have to close your eyes to use it. You won’t be able to process visual and echolocation at the same time with your eyes open.”

“I will remember.”

Kinuan, who had finished speaking, put down his empty teacup. He crossed his legs and placed his clasped hands on his knees. His pupils briefly lit up coldly.

“You must have had a lot going on, Luca.”

It’s come. I… …must tell him what happened at the Custoria House.

The Custoria family did not commit treason against the Empire, but it is true that they carried out their affairs in secret from the Empire.

‘Heilas trusted me and entrusted me with the family mission.’

But that judgment was a mistake on Haylas’ part.

From now on, I will even tell the truth that is unfavorable to the Custoria family. The ‘depth of the empire’ is not deep enough to deceive by telling lies.

Maybe Kinuan is asking this question knowing all the circumstances. It’s to test me.

‘Akis Domini, the Emperor’s Watcher.’

What a terrifying position this is.

However, even one missed report can lead to ‘disciplinary action’.

Kinuan likes me. That’s obvious. But he can handle Rick Silva Nunez, who has been his friend for decades, without a second thought. He can’t even say anything about me, who he’s only known for a few years.

… … Don’t be afraid, Luca.

Remember the nature of my loyalty. The Custoria family, the title of Royal Guard… … they are all just passing background.

It was the empire that chose me and accepted me.

“The Custoria family and their leader, Heilas… … .”

Kinuan listened to my report without saying anything. I poured out what had happened. I felt like I was really vomiting.

The Empire is watching the Custoria family’s movements with its own eyes. That eye is me.

“… … That’s all.”

Kinuan was resting his cheek on the armrest with his elbow. It was an arrogant posture. As the sun set, the light outside the window disappeared as if it was clearing away.

Kinuan’s face was also shadowed. In his face, which was immersed in darkness, only the edges of his pupils were glowing blue.

Exactly.

Kinuan opened his mouth as if his front teeth were chattering. His breathing was also low. I don’t know whether it was relief or lament.

“I think you are ready to meet His Majesty.”

I may have just crossed the line between life and death, perhaps.