Bad Born Blood - Chapter 93



Only Noblemtl

093

My cadet life has also come to an end.

I spent four years in a tight schedule. The youthful look on the faces of the other cadets had almost disappeared. The same was true for me when I looked in the mirror.

A lot has happened.

I’ve been on the brink of death so many times. When I think about it, I wonder how I survived.

Swish.

I was hit by the water stream in the shower. I felt clear-headed today.

‘Next year I will become a member of the guard.’

After I finished showering, I stood in front of the mirror again. The scars from the surgery and battlefield were tattooed on my body.

Compared to four years ago, my body had grown a lot. My physical growth was reaching its final stages. My shoulders had broadened and my torso had become stronger.

‘I trained to survive, but my body is ready to be thrown away.’

Blood and flesh had their limits. Even now, whenever we fight, we have to protect our weak points.

‘To become stronger, you have to transform into a full-body prosthesis.’

Then you won’t have to worry about dying from petty attacks anymore.

The basic protective capabilities of the Royal Guard’s combat body were overwhelming. It was like wearing a combat uniform even in peacetime.

‘Abandon the body.’

I blinked. There are many people in the empire who want to have a full-body prosthesis but can’t.

However, there are some people who feel aversion to full-body prosthetics. There were such people even among the nobles. I heard that they endure social contempt and loss to maintain their living bodies.

‘But there’s no reason why I shouldn’t change my body into a full-body prosthesis.’

The benefits of switching to a full-body prosthesis were numerous. A well-maintained full-body prosthesis noble could live for nearly two hundred years, which was twice his biological lifespan. Except for the brain, it was immune to all diseases and injuries, and could be replaced when it broke down.

And the decline in skill due to aging was also significantly less.

Appearance also changes with age, but it is fixed at around middle age. This is because it looks the most dignified and mature. An appearance that is too young or juvenile is easily overlooked.

‘Brain aging is inevitable, but… … .’

Humans with full-body prosthetics were immortal until their spirits collapsed.

… … I too will be freed from the shackles of blood and flesh.

Wheeing.

I stood at the entrance to the shower room. The drying air blew through the crack in the door, blowing away the moisture.

Swish.

I left the room in my guard cadet uniform. There were many footsteps in the hallway.

“hi.”

“It’s hard to see your face these days.”

“Well, that’s true.”

There were many cadets of the same class as me in the hallway. Usually, they are hard to see because their mission schedules are different. However, today, most of them were in their dormitories.

We walked in the same direction as if we had made a promise. Familiar faces joined us one by one. It was the first time in a while that all my fellow cadets gathered together like this.

I will walk the battlefield with them, back to back and shoulder to shoulder. I don’t know how many of us will be alive in a few decades.

Those who survived until then will often recall those who remained in the past. Claude Ramones, Felix Eigen… … Maybe I and I could have become figures from the past as well.

Thud, thud.

We left the cadet quarters and headed to the guard headquarters building. The active guardsmen were looking at us with fierce eyes.

“Hey, Luca.”

Illei, who had arrived at headquarters first, waved to me. After exchanging greetings with his other colleagues, he stood next to me.

“Have you come back from another mission?”

I told Ilay, you should have rested the day before, but you were really diligent.

“What’s the point of playing around? It seems like the chief is already wrong, but I have to do something.”

I am confirmed as the top student of this class. Killing Rick Silva Nunez was a great achievement. It is difficult to achieve that much achievement even if you complete all the cadet missions by yourself.

‘How strong has Ilay become?’

I wanted to have a proper fight once. Not in a duel, but in a real fight.

I still vividly remember the experience in the basement of the Arcane Fortress, when I had overwhelmed Ilay.

“Are you Lucas Custoria?”

A strange guard stood before me and Ilay.

“Yes.”

I looked at the guards’ attire as I answered. I couldn’t tell their identity just by looking at their guard uniforms.

Kiing.

I accessed the upper network with supervisor authority and checked the other party’s history.

‘Arakan Felidas, Captain of the 10th Hundredth Regiment’

That is, the 10th centurion. The Philideas were one of the military families. Among my peers, there was also the Philideas family.

“Next to you is Illei. I’ve heard a lot of rumors. I am Arakan Felidas, the 10th Centurion.”

The 10th Hundredth is the lowest unit in the Guard. However, the centurion here is the top cadet. He is one of the candidates who could become the captain of the Guard in the future.

‘If he’s the 10th centurion, he’s at most three or four horsemen higher than us. He must have come to get to know us.’

It means that we have also become part of the Royal Guard community.

“Probably one of you two will be my successor. You are the right fit, both in terms of timing and ability, for promotion to a higher unit. As for my adjutant… … Ilay Kartika, you are the right fit.”

I, who was listening from the side, chimed in.

“I won’t be worse than Ilay.”

Hmm, now that I say it, I feel like I got angry for no reason.

“I don’t have the skills to handle a wild horse like you. You need to meet a superior who can hold you down. I like an adjutant who moves on his own once I hold the reins.”

Arakan said with his teeth bared fiercely. Hearing that, Ilay tapped my shoulder and laughed.

“That’s my specialty. Look, Luca. You need to control your temper. Then you’ll have an easier time getting promoted.”

Although I was angry, Arakan’s insight was correct. I was also comfortable with my superior who convinced me with his abilities.

“I feel like I’ve taken up too much of your time. You should go now. Today is an important day for you all.”

Arakan stepped aside with his coat tail flowing stylishly.

We continued walking and arrived at the branch office of the headquarters. The building, designed with geometric straight lines, seemed simple, but had a grandeur that caught the eye.

‘The exhibition of weapons.’

The Empire was generally straightforward, but the names of its military installations were particularly clear. You could tell what purpose a facility was for just by hearing its name.

We went inside the exhibition hall. It looked dark from the outside, but it became bright as soon as we entered. The lights didn’t suddenly turn on. It was just that the shading particles were floating like curtains at the entrance, making it difficult to observe from the outside.

“Ah, the reserve guards are here.”

“In the entrance hallway, Heilas spoke. He was standing with four guards.

Heilas nodded after checking the cadets who entered the building.

“As you know, this is a top-level security facility of the Empire. I’m telling you out of concern that if anyone has any recording devices turned on, turn them off now.”

The surroundings were quiet. Fortunately, there was no such trouble.

“This will be the first and last time I will guide you this kindly.”

Heilas smiled and turned his back to us. He walked away and stopped in front of the first exhibition hall.

“This is the Vestia, a general-purpose combat body from the early days of the Royal Guard.”

Beyond the glass, a headless, full-body corpse hung wide open. All sorts of parts were intricately intertwined. It was just a machine part, but if you looked at it, it was like a dissected human body.

The specifications were written in great detail next to the Bestia. It may have been cutting edge at the time, but by today’s standards, it was a budget model.

Heilas slowly introduced the battle gear that went along with the history of the guards.

“You are the Empire’s elite soldiers. You are no different from other soldiers.”

There were also a few words here and there that were meant to boost the pride of the guard cadets.

“We use the best not only armor, but also combat armor.”

We are not like ordinary soldiers. That’s true. We are armed with the best equipment and body armor, no matter how much money it costs.

“And the current generation universal combat body of the Royal Guard, Caligo.”

The cadets stood still for a long time in front of Caligo. Heilas was also leaning against one of the walls, as if waiting for us, talking to another guard.

The Caligo was a body designed primarily for survival and defense, capable of continuing its mission even when critically damaged.

‘The auxiliary nervous system attached to Jupe’s body is also equipped as a basic specification.’

… … That is, in order to kill a guard using Caligo, you had to smash his head. Up until then, he was able to fight tenaciously with the help of all sorts of auxiliary functions. In many ways, it fit well into the category of a combat body.

We passed Caligo. As we passed another door in the hallway, the ceiling height became twice as high as before.

Woohoo.

The sound of the ventilation shafts reverberated through the metal walls and floor. The further I walked inside, the louder my heart pounded.

The symbol of the guard appeared before us.

‘Full armor legion.’

The legions stood as if trapped beyond the glass window. The inside of their helmets was dark enough to be empty, without any light.

The legions were similar yet subtly different. I stared at the one I was most familiar with.

‘A close combat specialization legion, model name Hector.’

I’ve seen it before. It was the Legion fighting the Knights of Cora.

Hector had higher output and better defense than other legions. Its structure and functions were simplified, making it highly reliable. It was the most rough-and-tumble legion.

Looking to the side, I saw that Elai had been looking intently at another model for a while.

‘The Lightweight Legion, Achilles.’

I too stood beside Ilay and stared at Achilles.

“It’s lightweight. It’s a multi-purpose model. Good mobility means you can flexibly deal with any situation.”

Ilay said as if explaining to me. The guy seemed attracted to Achilles. I also thought he would suit Ilay.

In fact, Hector and Achilles made up half of the Praetorian Legion. Although Hector was a melee specialist, he belonged to the general-purpose legion that could be used in all weathers.

I also looked at other legions.

‘Remote Specialization Legion, Hercules.’

It was a legion for bombardment and sniping. It had separate stands on the shoulders and sides for mounting cannons, and its legs were thicker than those of other legions. In case of emergency, fixed supports would come out of the legs and be stuck into the ground.

‘For a long-distance specialist, he’s bigger than Hector.’

Hercules had poor mobility anyway, so he gave up on evasion and instead added more armor.

I also looked at other Legion models.

The cadets looked at the Legion with excited faces. The Legion was the object of their admiration.

‘but…….’

The Legion is different from other weapons.

‘The legion is eating away at our spirit.’

Now I understand it well. Among the cadets here, there is no one who knows the essence of the Legion better than I do.

Archetypes combat techniques and legion.

There is no difference in essence. So they are incompatible. Both repeatedly abuse the human brain until it breaks down.

Even the great Kinuan was dying from the aftereffects of Akieth’s fighting techniques. Heilas also advised me to be wary of the Legion.

I woke up from my reverie. A guard approached me.

“Luka, the captain is calling.”

The guard spoke to me. Ilay glanced at me.

It wasn’t strange for me to be called specially. No one thought of it as special treatment anymore. After all, I’m the adopted son of the captain of the guards.

And implicitly, I was also the leader of my fellow cadets. If there was something to do or convey to those of the same class as me, it was natural for them to do it through me.

Heilas, who had called me, went into a separate lounge inside the exhibition hall without saying a word. I followed him.

Squeak, thud.

The door is closed.

“I have something to tell you about Bao Zakanaan, Luca.”

“Heilas said, sitting down on a chair in the break room.

‘Bao Zakanaan.’

A person believed to be the mastermind behind the assassination of Nicholas.

But is it okay to tell that story here? There were four guards standing around us now.

As I hesitated, Heilas continued speaking seriously.

“You can trust them.”

It can’t be a lie, since that’s what Heilas said.

‘So the guards here are more loyal to Heilas than to the Empire?’

I felt strange. I couldn’t decide whether to be happy or angry. These were guards who had served the Empire for a dozen years, or even decades. But they would keep a secret for Heilas, who was not even from the same family.

“… … Was it because you, who covered up Illei’s faults, were not loyal to the Empire? Even you, who have been together for years, are like that, and we, who have been rolling around on the battlefield together for decades, have a stronger bond than you and Illei, if not less.”

Ah, I see. I opened my eyes wide.

I’m still inexperienced. Grace’s words came to mind. I’m young. I just realized that painfully.

Heilas must have several more ‘Ilays’ – comrades he can trust and share dangerous secrets with.

“Let me be frank. Are you aware of the misdeeds I and I undertook at the Arcane Fortress?”

“It’s obvious given the circumstances. To that extent, it’s a matter I can let pass at my discretion. Because the intention wasn’t to rebel against the Empire. For that reason, you were too valuable to be disposed of.”

I bit my lower lip and flicked it away. I barely resisted the urge to chew my lip until it bled. Our desperate efforts suddenly felt like child’s play.

“If you talk about Bao Zakannan here, can I interpret that as you intend to use the public power of the Royal Guard?”

“We tried to resolve this along the lines of the Custoria family, but there was no clear solution. We plan to find evidence of Bao Zakannan’s collusion with terrorists and formally arrest him. Then we can make it a public matter.”

Heilas upset the balance. He used his public powers for private matters.

“Let me say something presumptuous.”

“You’re used to being presumptuous, so you can do it.”

At Heilas’ joke, the other guardsmen just shrugged their shoulders and laughed quietly.

“It’s possible that Barbara’s information is false. And it’s also possible that Barbara reported Bao Zakanaan to the Empire as a traitor, and that the higher-ups are keeping him out of the way for some grand scheme. If we intervene, the Empire’s plans could be disrupted. Why risk that and continue to investigate Bao Zakanaan?”

The Imperial Family already knows the movements of the Custoria family. I reported it myself. And even without my report, it is highly likely that they knew about Custoria.

‘End it here, Heilas. You’re a smart guy. Even Nikolaos would be satisfied with this level of effort.’

I was desperately hoping that Heilas would stop.

“You are absolutely right. That is a brilliant insight. If I were to honestly report to my superiors that I was investigating Nikolaos’ death… … they would tell me not to touch it any more. If a high-ranking official like Bao Zakannan is a traitor and hasn’t been purged yet, I can safely assume there are other plans at work behind the scenes that I don’t know about.”

My persuasion seemed to be working.

“then…….”

“Luka, Nikolaos is my son.”

Heilas made her point with just one word.

I kept my mouth shut. My son was dead. I could not possibly know the depth of his emotions. Especially since Haylas was not a man who expressed his emotions easily.

Heilas has been holding back so far. He must be desperately holding back his desire to stir up the empire. If he had used all his power and information to stir up the empire, he would have found all the people involved long ago.

But Heilas didn’t do that. He was the captain of the guard. He probably knew better than I did how complicated the empire was.

“I would do the same thing if I died like you, Nicholas.”

Heilas added, I wanted to believe that was true.

“If there is anything I can do, I will help.”

I had no choice but to say that.

… … The watcher can do nothing but watch.