107
‘As you said… … The imperial family knew of the signs of this attack. They also knew who instigated it.’
‘You knew but you didn’t stop it.’
‘There must have been a reason for that.’
I remembered my conversation with Kinuan.
The empire and the royal family use and control the sacrifices of their own people, even the deaths of their nobles. The empire has a tight grip on each family. If they try to escape, they are punished.
‘The antipathy towards terrorist groups like Nemesis has intensified.’
The Empire declared that this attack was the work of terrorists. This led to a growing public opinion that the terrorist organizations that had taken root throughout the Empire must be eradicated, even if it meant accepting some side effects.
I was able to obtain the name of the raider from Kinuan. It was the work of the Korobus family.
‘The culprit was on the list selected by the guards.’
I waited two days and went to see Heilas. I gave him the information.
“You really did get some information from Kinuan.”
It’s not my job to judge. Heilas and the Royal Guard will handle it.
‘The great current brought about by the death of Nicholas.’
There was also a meeting between Kinuan and me before that. I couldn’t tell where the plan came from.
“It seems that Kinuan has a separate information network.”
“I thought so. He must have some connection to the upper echelons of the empire that I don’t know about. If not, he wouldn’t have survived until now. I’ve made suggestions to dispose of Kinuan several times. It’s not a personal feeling. It was a suggestion made by Nikolaos before he died.”
“It may also be part of the plan prepared by the Kinuando superiors.”
I spoke the truth as if I were guessing.
“That may be true. But… … Kinuan is not someone who would benefit the Empire. If the higher-ups are preparing plans through Kinuan, then they are being deceived by Kinuan.”
That can’t be. Kinuan’s direct superior is none other than Emperor Yuri Kratia. The Emperor would be fooled by Kinuan? That was ridiculous.
No matter how great Kinuan is, he is just an individual. He is an old soldier whose skills have declined significantly compared to his active days.
‘Heilas is talking nonsense about Kinuan.’
I still don’t know how to bring down Heilas. He’s a strong man. But it seemed like my chance would come soon.
‘Heilas doesn’t seem as great as it used to be.’
Heilas was also a human who made mistakes and made wrong decisions. As a family member, I could see his weaknesses little by little. Furthermore, if I am not mistaken, he trusted me very much.
‘If you wait, your time will come.’
That much was certain. The problem was time.
Should the Empire take down House Custoria first, or should I bring down Heilas first?
Heilas was obsessed with Kinuan and was looking for conclusive evidence.
‘Evidence that can execute Kinuan immediately.’
I couldn’t quite figure out why Heilas was so persistent in digging into Kinuan. There must be some reason behind it.
“I think I’ll be staying in the lower areas a lot for the time being.”
“I heard Giselle is going there too these days. Please take care of her.”
When Giselle’s name came out of Heila’s mouth, my heart ached more than usual. But I didn’t show it.
“Do you know what Giselle is doing?”
I changed the subject to Giselle as if I was hiding a nursery rhyme. I was mentioning it because it was a topic I wanted to avoid.
“I heard he’s running a small business. I think it’s not too late to start one after he graduates from the academy, but I’m sure he has his own ideas.”
“It seems to me that you are working quite hard. I think you will see results. Does the head of the Kustoria family have to be a soldier?”
“Nicholas was also excellent and the eldest son, but he was on par with Jupe simply because he wasn’t a soldier. Don’t make fun of tradition, Luca. And Giselle is smart, but she has too many flaws to be the head of the household. Even without the fact that she’s not a soldier.”
Heilas assessed her daughter harshly.
“No one knows how a person will change.”
“That’s true. But people don’t change easily. Innate temperament usually lasts a lifetime. This is my experience.”
Innate temperament. I actually agree. It doesn’t change easily. I could sympathize with this enough in my short life. Even if a person seems to change, in reality, it’s just the temperament that was suppressed that is revealed.
My weakness… … didn’t just suddenly appear one day, it was something I always had.
* * *
I went down to the lower level and visited Gilda’s factory.
Gilda’s factory, or the current name is G&G Factory. It is named after the spelling of Gilda and Giselle.
Anyway, a strange visitor came to the factory.
There’s nothing unusual about Giselle being a factory manager, because the two of them are doing business there.
‘Ilay.’
But Ilay was here.
Why is Ilay here? She is not here to find her fake fiancée, Giselle. The reason Ilay is here is because of another man.
‘Chief Jin Gau?’
The director of the Imperial Fourth Research Institute visited the G&G Industrial Plant. It was something no one had expected.
That’s why Ilay came here. Ilay always wanted to talk to Jingaou, the authority on the Arcane civilization.
“Oh, Miss Custoria. You’re doing something interesting? I read your paper a while back and found it very interesting. For an Academy student, it was very forward thinking. But you know what? In places like Bellato’s Border City, there’s a prototype that puts your theory into practice. It’s not that special of a theory. You’re way ahead of us when it comes to creative thinking.”
Jin Gao was watching the work process from behind Giselle. The smile on his face behind his glasses was sly.
“Is that so? By the way, have you read my thesis?”
Giselle said, as if she was embarrassed.
“I read all the papers presented at the Imperial Academy. Whether they are student papers or not.”
Giselle’s eyes widened at Jin-Gau’s words.
“No, that’s nonsense. Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not a lie.”
Jin Ga-woo was still smiling. There was not even a hint of discomfort in his free-spirited smile.
“No, I didn’t think it was a lie. I was just surprised. I didn’t know you would read a student’s thesis.”
“Because I don’t know much, I can come up with fresh thoughts and ideas. There are a lot of interesting things that don’t make sense in reality. It’s like reading a novel. Sometimes I get inspiration from that.”
I don’t understand from an academic perspective how great Jin Ga-woo is as a researcher. However, I could guess his authority from the reactions and heterogeneous attitudes of those around him.
——————
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“This is Ilay Kartika. I’ve contacted you a few times before… … .”
Ilay approached her as if he was mustering up his courage. He wouldn’t approach a woman so shyly.
“You were the one who’s been bothering me with your messages. But I didn’t come to see you.”
Jin Ga-woo’s words were extremely cold. It was the complete opposite of his attitude toward Giselle. His honest attitude, without any pretense, was almost rude.
However, Illei’s expression did not change at all. This must be because she knew Jin Ga-woo’s personality well.
Illei spoke persistently. Jin Ga-woo frowned at first as if he was disdainful, but gradually relaxed his expression.
“… … Hmm, you saw the teleportation device yourself?”
“I heard that the teleportation device was taken by another research lab. At that time… … .”
Illei somehow managed to start a conversation. It was a great effort. He mentioned the teleportation device he had seen in the Arcane Fortress before.
‘You probably don’t want to talk about that time because of Lillian Ramones, but does that mean Jin Ga-woo is worth talking to?’
I wasn’t really interested. Jin Ga-woo is neither a military man nor someone who likes to wield power.
“Originally, I was going to take that, but those guys from Lab 2… … .”
“I heard you specialize in relic research. You specialize in energy conversion… … .”
From what I heard in their conversation, it seemed like Jin Ga-woo hadn’t touched the teleportation device.
While Jin-ga-woo and Ilay were talking, I approached Giselle.
Giselle was very nervous because of Jingau and was clearing her mind.
“Lou, Luca.”
But Giselle stuttered again, this time because of me.
“I heard there was a commotion, so I stopped by for a moment. Why is that person here?”
I spoke calmly and pointed to Jin Gau with my eyes.
“I don’t know. He suddenly contacted me this morning and came to see me out of the blue. That’s why I contacted Illei. I think he’s been wanting to meet Director Jin Ga-woo for a long time, so I wanted to pay off his debt.”
Giselle thought of Ilay in the midst of her confusion and even took advantage of it. It seemed like she would do pretty well if she started the business in earnest.
Illei and Jingawoo were chatting away as if they had unexpectedly gotten the kill.
“Good job, I think Ilay likes it too. How about Gilda? I haven’t seen him since a while ago.”
“Business trip. More importantly, Luca… … .”
“why?”
I answered without looking at her face.
“Let me talk to you for a moment about what happened last time. We haven’t talked since then.”
Giselle said indirectly that it was something that happened last time. I rolled my eyes and looked back.
‘Damn it, Ilay.’
Ilay was smiling at me and Giselle. It seemed like he had some idea of our relationship. After all, he was the one who set the stage in the first place.
Giselle stood up and entered the small warehouse of the factory. It was a space that could barely accommodate four or five people.
Squeak.
I closed the door and went inside. The place was filled with the smell of iron and oil. But even there, I could smell only Giselle’s scent. No other scent entered my head.
“Behave as usual, Giselle Custoria. Did you see Ilay’s expression earlier? She was laughing so excitedly at us. Hey, wait… … .”
Contrary to what I said, I couldn’t push her away. After all, I wanted her too.
Giselle reached out and hugged my neck. Her sweet breath touched my lips. I closed my eyes and opened them. She did the same, and our eyes met.
‘Secret meeting.’
I didn’t know I could do something like this. I don’t know what I’m doing here. I sighed, but I couldn’t stop.
We didn’t talk about the future. We knew it would end someday, so we didn’t bring it up.
‘If only I hadn’t come in as a quantum… … .’
The noble families and society are not easy. If you cancel your registration and go in as a son-in-law, you will become a laughing stock. The Custoria family will never tolerate it.
… … Yes, it is a temporary feeling. It will cool down someday.
‘If this isn’t going to be just a one-time affair, we need to prepare.’
Giselle must be thinking the same thing as me.
“Luka, I haven’t slept properly since that day. I’ve thought about what to do over and over again.”
Giselle spoke before me. She took a deep breath and continued.
“I was prepared to leave the empire with you. If you want, I’ll prepare. But if you don’t want to lose what you’ve achieved, let’s end it here. You’ve done something stupid once or twice, that’s enough. No matter how much I think about it, this is still my fault. I know how much effort you put in to get here… … I shouldn’t have done this. I don’t want to ruin you.”
It was Giselle’s conclusion. She too was swept away by emotion, but she seemed to have tried to think rationally and sort things out.
‘Leaving the Empire?’
I never thought about it. But it’s nothing to consider.
‘You don’t know anything, Giselle.’
I can no longer leave the empire. It’s not because I regret what I have accomplished with my own hands.
‘The Empire will not let me go.’
I am no longer an ordinary guard cadet.
“Luca?”
Giselle looked at my face and asked me a question. I was lost in thought.
Crackle, crackle.
It felt like there was noise in my head.
My thoughts were picking up speed. Everything was becoming intertwined. I could see a faint path as the truth, facts, and events I knew became intertwined.
The mindset of Akes Victima.
I’ve said it several times, but I can’t make the impossible possible. But if there’s even a slight possibility, I’ll somehow find a way. And that’s not limited to combat.
‘I am Kinuan’s successor.’
My master would have found a way to secure his safety zone in even worse situations. Compared to the tightrope walk between the royal family and the terrorist organization, what I am experiencing is a minor problem.
Now, Kinuan has achieved a delicate balance so that no one can easily touch him.
‘Like Kinuan.’
Make deals with the monsters around you and set conditions and restrictions. When the interests surrounding you are balanced, no one will be able to make a move rashly.
“Just trust me and wait. It will bring about good or bad results. But I swear I will avoid the worst.”
Giselle and I finished our conversation and left the warehouse. Ilay and Jinga were still chattering.
Jin-ga-woo hugged Illei tightly, almost to the point of being masculine.
“Yes, if you go that far, you might be able to bring that device! Our lab is the only facility that can supply that much energy based on Holystone! Why didn’t I think of that!”
“Ha, haha. Sometimes you’re so smart that you miss some blind spots.”
Illai smiled as she carefully pushed Jin-ga-woo away.
“Oh, and Lucas Custoria! It’s been a while!”
Jin Ga-woo looked at me with an excited expression.
Bow.
I bowed my head politely in greeting. He is a man who even treats Haylas with respect.
“I was drunk at the time and didn’t realize it… … .”
Jin-ga-woo tilted his head and stared at me for a long time. He reached out and lifted my left eyelid. That was where my biological eyeball was.
Exactly, exactly.
Jin Ga-woo flicked his fingers left and right as if he were conducting some kind of experiment. My five senses quickly followed his actions.
“Hey, you… … If you do that, your brain will melt. Even in normal times, if you have a super reaction, it’s a dangerous stage. Concentration isn’t a ‘normal state’. A state where the brain is excessively activated is called concentration. It means that it’s not something that can be maintained all the time.”
Jin Ga-woo was laughing as if he found the content of the words amusing. I opened my mouth dryly.
“I’m a guard cadet. I can endure it better than a normal person.”
“Even by the standards of the Royal Guard, that’s high. Don’t you know that? Just as the Legion can’t be used all the time, so can Archie’s Victory. Get some psychological treatment and take a long vacation. I can write a medical report if necessary.”
Ilay and Giselle were also listening to Jin-gau’s words. Ilay stood there indifferently, but Giselle’s expression was dark.
“I’m okay for now. I have the capacity to take care of myself.”
Jin Ga-woo took a step back and pushed up his glasses.
“Symptoms will be unpredictable and varied, but… …hallucinations such as auditory and tactile hallucinations will usually come first.”
He continued speaking with a smile.
“I like people like you. People who push themselves to their limits, considering side effects trivial, are the ones who make progress in the world. No matter what the field. Come visit my lab later when you have time.”
Jin Ga-u held out his hand with his palm facing upward.
Wheein.
A holographic business card was projected from the lens of his palm. As I stared at the business card, his unique number was registered in the terminal.
