102
Giselle and I walked side by side through the streets of the lower district. The night was deep. There was a creepy movement in the alleys and shadows.
Whirlwind.
I pulled out my supply pistol and spun it around. I had to show them that I had a weapon so that they wouldn’t come after me. I didn’t want to show off my power like this.
The lower classes decorate their appearances roughly and show off their violent aura. Many are obsessed with showing off to the point of vulgarity. There is a reason for this behavior. In this world, if you look weak, you will get into more trouble.
“The atmosphere on the streets is not good these days.”
I blurted out a word to Giselle. The atmosphere was awkward and stiff to bring up the matter right away. I don’t know when I started caring about this.
Anyway, talking to a non-military person was tiring. Soldiers tend to speak directly and rationally. If they need to say something, they can say it right away, without any emotional parts.
Sometimes, it was enough to suppress the opponent with authority and power without persuading them. Soldiers are accustomed to the logic of authority and power. In a battlefield, there is no time to even ask each and every order from their superiors.
However, conversations with ordinary people require consideration of the other person’s feelings, which is cumbersome in many ways.
… … I have a lot of random thoughts today, damn it.
“Why is it not good?”
Giselle asked back a beat later.
“There have been more fights between gangs recently. According to Gabriel, such times come periodically. On top of that, the arena gang that was in charge of a big business was torn apart, making the chaos even worse. The balance of power is unstable… … Outlaws from the outskirts and the ruins are sneaking in. They’re the worst of the worst.”
The gangs of the lower classes are a necessary evil. They also act as vigilantes to fill the gap in security. But the lawbreakers of the ruins ignore not only the norms but even the unwritten rules. They have lost even their sense of human shame and have nothing.
My thoughts keep drifting in different directions. I guess it’s because I feel reluctant to bring up this matter to Giselle.
“Yeah, I see.”
Giselle was not at all interested in the gang story, so she answered dryly. I was a little annoyed by her attitude.
“This is important to you too. You want to do business in the lower-class areas? You need to know the balance and flow of the gangs.”
“You shouldn’t hear such stories from you, but from Gilda or Gabriel. They would know better than you.”
Giselle said sharply.
Well, that’s true. No matter how much I try to show off, I’m not a member of the lower class anymore. I felt like I’d been hit.
Today, my concentration is not very good.
We walked a little further. As we left the unsafe area, we came across a relatively neat street.
“You said you had something to say?”
Giselle stopped walking and asked me.
“Do you remember Ilay Kartika? You owed me a favor last time.”
Of course I know. I sounded stupid even when I said it.
“You’re beating around the bush in a way that’s not typical of you… … It looks like you want to talk about something uncomfortable. Don’t hesitate and say it. I’m ready to listen.”
Giselle is smart, after all. She was able to sense what kind of story my lukewarm attitude would lead to.
I closed my eyes and opened them slightly.
Giselle is right. I am acting out of character. Come to your senses, Luca. I have a mountain of serious problems right now. Today’s story is a very trivial one. At least it’s not life-threatening.
“Ilay asked us to come as a guest of the Kartika family and give them strength.”
“It’s not difficult. It’s important to show off your connections to the nobility.”
“And I think Ilay is in a difficult position. Her father collapsed before she could solidify her position as the next head of the family. She has to enter the competition for the head of the family much sooner than expected.”
“I don’t need to explain further, you know what I mean. When the time comes, powerful relatives will try to take over the position of the head of the family. No matter how great his potential is, Illei is still a young child who hasn’t laid a foundation. If the position of the head of the family is taken away, Illei will die or become incapable of rising in some way. There’s no way a usurper would let a threatening legitimate successor live.”
Giselle understood this well. It seemed that similar things happened in every family during the generational transition.
“Ilei invited you to be her fiancée. Of course, it’s only a formality until Ilei settles down. Then, the other relatives of Kartika won’t be able to easily touch Ilei. If we’re not careful, the Custoria family might get involved.”
I tried to speak calmly, so my voice was free of emotion. Thank goodness.
“… … Haha, that must have been important. I get it, Luca. It is important. You’re finally doing something noble.”
“You can be sarcastic if you want. I’m not saying it’s bad for you.”
“Father will approve without a second thought. If the time comes, he will say that you can get engaged for real. If you pay off the debt to the next head of the Kartika family and have a close relationship, it will be beneficial for Custoria as well.”
Giselle also understood this well in her head. Engagements and break-offs based on interests were common in aristocratic society.
I recalled Lillian Ramones. She was born into a noble family, but her humanity was denied because of money. She was a ‘living doll’ whose appearance and every action were corrected according to her fiancé’s taste.
If I were in Lillian’s situation, I would have committed suicide. Lillian was in such a terrible situation.
Compared to Lillian, Giselle’s situation is incredibly free.
“I think you understand, so I’ll set a schedule.”
“What if I refuse?”
Giselle snapped sharply. She probably doesn’t really mean to refuse. It’s just an assumption. She probably wants to hear what I’ll do if I refuse.
I was willing to listen to even a little bit of grumbling.
“If you refuse, there’s nothing I can do. I can’t force you.”
“You speak well. You knew I wouldn’t refuse anyway. It wouldn’t be good for me to act against the interests of the family.”
“that’s right.”
I didn’t deny it. Giselle sighed.
“You tell your father.”
“It will be like that.”
“And know that you are a bad guy.”
Giselle clenched her fist and hit my chest. It didn’t hurt, but it hurt.
… … I know very well that I am a bad person.
* * *
A week passed. I asked Haylas for permission for the ‘fake engagement’, and Ilay quickly made arrangements.
So we attended the Kartika family meeting.
The Kartika family’s main residence was outside Akbaran. However, like most noble families of considerable power, the Kartika family also had a high-rise building in Akbaran.
Today’s meeting place was the Kartika Building.
The Kartika Building also served as a temporary residence for the lower-ranking members of the family and their vassals. As I always felt, there was a clear hierarchy even among the nobles.
‘Upper and lower levels.’
Broadly speaking, there are two categories, but even within those, there are countless class divisions.
I have risen to a high position in the upper echelons of the hierarchy. I am a direct descendant of Custoria, one of the most prestigious military families.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
The reason I’m telling you this story again is… … because, as an orphan from a lower class, seeing a nobleman behaving so humbly gives me a new feeling.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Master Lucas, Master Giselle.”
The nobles, not the servants, came out to the airport to meet us. In addition to the guide sent by Ilay, there were several low-ranking nobles.
The lower-ranking nobles and vassals of Kartika knew that Ilay and I were close friends. That was why they approached me in some way to gain my favor.
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
Giselle said as she got off the airship. She was wearing an unusually glamorous dress. Although she didn’t feel like it, she faithfully played the role of a false fiancée.
I also stepped onto the rooftop airfield.
I raised my head and looked at the surrounding scenery. The lights were dazzling because the night was deepening. Since it was an area densely populated with noble buildings, there were also many aerial vehicles passing by.
The Kartika family is a pretty good family among the military. However, it is only average in the Empire as a whole. The height of the family building was a device to show power. There were many buildings taller than the Kartika building in the surrounding area.
‘Something like the Kartika family’s infighting must be happening in other buildings too.’
The interests within the Empire were terribly tangled. The more I learned, the more invisible it seemed. To understand and exploit all these complex dynamics… … how much of a monster accustomed to darkness would one have to be?
“I heard that you are the first person in the history of the Royal Guard to receive the 4th Class Cross Swords Medal of Honor.”
A nobleman whose name I don’t even know stood next to me and spoke. Actually, I had heard the name earlier, but I couldn’t be bothered to remember it.
In the old days, I would have chewed over each and every name one by one. Now, there were too many people to know. My brain capacity was not unlimited. My cognition had its limits.
Suddenly, Giselle’s words came to mind. She said that I had become noble.
I too was becoming a noble. I recognized only those who could influence me and who were in a position to be of help in the future.
It’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten the names of the children I passed by during my days at the orphanage. I’ll never meet them again. And even if I did, they wouldn’t be of any help to me.
“… … I was lucky.”
I spat out a tediously cliche-like humility. Despite my indifferent response, the noble guide smiled exaggeratedly and praised me.
“Luck? Normally, when you encounter the Empire’s most wanted criminal, you would think it’s not luck, but disaster.”
I didn’t answer.
The nobleman was still smiling. I knew what he was thinking. He must think that someone from the lower classes was meddling.
But what if I meddle? They can’t blame me. I held back a snicker.
Wheeing.
We took the elevator to the banquet hall. After passing through the hallway and opening the door, we saw a large banquet hall. The walls were all glass, so we could see the outside clearly.
In the banquet hall, nobles were already gathered and chatting. Aside from Kartika, nobles from other families were seen here and there.
There was a brief silence at our appearance. The people in the banquet hall stopped what they were doing and stared at me and Giselle.
People’s eyes were fixed on us. No wonder, we were the main characters today.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t pick you up. I haven’t finished greeting you yet. It’s been a while, Miss Giselle.”
A well-dressed Ilay approached us. He addressed Giselle in a more formal tone than usual.
Giselle bowed her head slightly, holding the hem of her skirt.
“I never thought we would meet again like this. You are good at dealing with the world and at scheming.”
It was half-sarcastic. Ilay and I were using Giselle for our own gain.
But even nobles were ultimately just tools for their families. Individuals exist for their families. Furthermore, families exist for the empire.
We understand reality well. Giselle followed suit because she understood it well.
“It’s not that I don’t have sincerity.”
Illai whispered softly and watched me closely.
Giselle had her head down, so I couldn’t see her eyes. No, I didn’t really intend to.
Instead, I stared at the banquet hall. I moved my eyes, scanning each person’s face.
“Hmm… … .”
As I was looking around, I immediately shut my mouth and sighed.
A familiar face was on one side of the banquet hall.
‘Enrico Lagan.’
Enrico was trembling with his eyes wide open. He looked as if he would shed tears of blood any moment longer. It seemed that he had heard the news of Iley and Giselle’s engagement. Judging from his expression, it seemed that he was still burning with unrequited love for Giselle.
Enrico Lagan’s face was filled with miserable anger. Soon his gaze turned to me. Hmm, my head hurts. I feel like I’ve been getting headaches more often lately.
