118
The Custoria mansion was quiet. From the outside, it looked like an uninhabited mansion.
Kiing.
I got off the air vehicle.
Giselle was standing alone on the airfield without any servants. Usually, she would be accompanied by a few vassals or servants.
As I looked around, Giselle answered.
“Everyone is busy, so I came alone.”
Giselle looked up at the sky as she spoke. My eyes followed her gaze.
The sky was as gloomy as usual. There was still no sign of a storm.
“Because of the storm?”
“We need to prepare the mansion as well. When the storm is severe, we can’t use the air vehicle.”
I looked at the warehouse at the back of the mansion. There was a lot of activity there. It seemed like they were stockpiling supplies.
“What about the captain?”
“Shouldn’t it be time to start calling me father?”
“Because I’m not used to it yet.”
I said as I walked up to Giselle. We walked along the long path that led to the mansion, around the garden.
Thud, thud.
Our pace was slow, but the walk was short.
“The lower levels are in chaos right now because of the street parade incident. I’m telling you this because I think you should know. Gilda and Gabriel… … told me not to come to the lower levels for the time being.”
Giselle said in front of the mansion’s main gate.
‘It really has become dangerous.’
My identity and history were all exposed to the public. From now on, I would have to cover my face if I wanted to go to the lower-level areas.
Of course, Giselle also had to be careful. I was already worried about Barbara, so I thought it was a good thing. The Custoria mansion was safe.
“What was the reaction after my identity was revealed? I’m talking about Gabriel.”
I asked casually.
“Gabriel seems a little upset. Gilda seems to like it. She tends to treat you like a prince.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Giselle, don’t go down to the lower areas like Gabriel and Gilda said. The timing is bad. Gilda is smart, so she’ll take care of business. You can organize the data here anyway.”
“But… … No, you’re right. You have to be careful.”
Giselle spoke with lingering lips. She reached out and opened the door to the mansion.
Squeak.
The main house was unusually busy and lively. They were really busy preparing for the storm.
The location of the Custoria Mansion is busy. The mansion is on the outskirts of Akbaran, and is only accessible by air vehicle. You should stock up on supplies for the storm.
“You did a great job, Lucas. I’m so proud of you. Please forgive me for not visiting you in the hospital. The circumstances weren’t ideal.”
My adoptive mother, Eva, looked at me and said. She was giving orders to the servants of the household. She looked like the mistress of the household.
“I just did what I had to do.”
She and I always talked in a businesslike manner. Both she and I gave up emotional exchange and connection early on.
“… … Don’t forget what you have to do. Your father is at Eunwol Gwan. He told you to tell him when you come.”
Eva spat out a sharp remark, probably to get on the topic. But the anger and jealousy seeped out of her words and actions.
‘Eunwolgwan.’
It is an important space in the Custoria family. Even my own son, Jupe, is not allowed to enter, but I visit the Silver Moon Hall often.
It feels as if… … I am the successor to the Custoria family.
“Then I’ll see you for dinner.”
I said as I stepped back, away from Eva. Then I nodded to Giselle and put some distance between us.
I walked through the servants’ hallway toward the back door of the mansion.
“Ah, Young Master. It’s been a while.”
“You have done a great job.”
The servants and vassals bowed their heads and greeted me as soon as they saw me. I responded politely and hurried my steps.
Now I was familiar with the mansion enough to find my way around with my eyes closed. At first, it was just a difficult and large mansion.
‘No matter what anyone says, it was Heilas who brought me here.’
The grace is great. I am ready to kill Kinuan. But it is not easy for Heilas.
“Luka, let me talk to you for a moment.”
The voice calling me was fierce. The owner of the voice was Jupe.
At the back door, Jupe was standing with his arms crossed and leaning against the wall. From the look of it, it seemed like he had been waiting for me.
“It’s difficult right now. I have a prior engagement with ‘Father.’”
Jupe frowned at first. But then he seemed to let go of his hostility and lowered his arms, speaking calmly.
“I know it might be uncomfortable and annoying, but please give me some time.”
When you say it so earnestly, it’s hard for me to ignore you.
“We can talk about it on the way to Eunwol Gwan.”
“That’s enough.”
Jupe nodded and opened the back door. Then, as if to accommodate my convenience, he left the door open and waited for me to pass.
… … It was different from his previous hostile attitude. There seemed to be some change in Jupe’s state of mind.
So I didn’t move my feet quickly either. We walked along the path that led from the back of the mansion to Eunwol-gwan.
“I’m a soldier too, Luca.”
“I know.”
“Something is off. The atmosphere has been strange lately. Since I can feel it, I think you must know something too.”
Jupe is by no means a genius. But he is not stupid either. He is an ordinary man who can be found anywhere. A man who is jealous and envious of what he does not have, but who sometimes compromises with reality.
If your eyes are working properly, you can predict cloudy weather just by looking at dark clouds coming from afar. It doesn’t require any great insight.
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The current empire and military are like that. Dark clouds are gathering.
Even Jupe, who had been in the military, seemed to feel an indescribable anxiety. And Heilas probably didn’t give him a proper explanation.
“A storm is coming.”
I answered briefly.
“… … You are close to your father and have a good relationship with Giselle. So I believe that you, as an adopted child, will also have affection for the Custoria family.”
I stopped walking. Jupe also stood there.
“This is my home now. Like it or not, I consider you family.”
It’s embarrassing to say this, but I have to say it clearly. Because I really think so. Even though I hate Jupe, I don’t want him to die. And neither does Eva.
“I hate you too, but I consider you a member of the Custoria family. If the family is in danger, I will gladly cooperate with you. I think you will too.”
Jupe extended his arm to shake hands, a sort of request for a truce.
I gladly took Jupe’s hand. Jupe met my eyes, nodded softly, and took my hand away.
‘family.’
It didn’t matter whether we liked it or not. We belong to the same group. If an external enemy appears, we have to cooperate regardless of our usual relationship.
“Your father will be waiting. Go ahead.”
As Jupe saw me off, I went back the way I came.
I left Jupe behind and headed towards Eunwol-gwan. The old main gate of Eunwol-gwan was half-open, as if waiting for me.
Exactly.
I knocked lightly on the door and went inside.
“This is Lucas Custoria.”
I could see the stairs leading up to the second floor. Below them stood Heilas.
“Oh, thank goodness I’m not too late. I’ll explain on the way up.”
I don’t know what you mean by not being late. Heilas said that and went up the stairs as if guiding people. He entered the second floor hallway and continued talking.
“One of the elders is waiting for you.”
“Are you talking about me?”
“Do you know who it is?”
There was a passing figure. When I was adopted, two people at Eunwolgwan were against it, four were silent, and only one was in favor.
“You must have been the only one to vote in favor of my adoption.”
A memory from long ago came to mind. It was the elder who gently touched my cheek.
‘Child, please live long. To do so, you must swallow the chaos, not be swept away by it. Even if your throat is torn to pieces.’
That’s what the elder said to me. Now that I think about it, I think he knew something. He didn’t just mean the life of a low-class adopted child.
“His life is coming to an end. He doesn’t have much time left. He’s holding on by willpower.”
I felt relieved in a corner of my heart.
The reason Haylas called me to the Silver Moon Pavilion was different from what I expected. To be honest, I was prepared to be interrogated.
“Vaguely… … I thought that the nobles of the full-body system would be immortal. Even though I knew that they would eventually die, I never really felt it.”
Even a whole body grows old and dies. I know it in my head, but it hasn’t really sunk in until now.
“Luka, I don’t know much about the Elders either. Even I am still a child to them. But one thing is certain. The Custoria family has survived thanks to the advice of the wise men. Always listen to their voices.”
“But the choice is ours. And the responsibility is ours.”
The wrinkles at the corners of Heila’s mouth deepened. She seemed satisfied with my answer.
At the end of the second floor hallway was an old-fashioned door. It smelled like weathered wood.
Squeak.
Heilas and I went into the room.
The smoke of incense was thick. Beyond it stood the elders, veiled in black. Their dark robes trailed along the floor as if they were shadows. If a ghost were visible, it would look like this.
‘There are seven elders.’
But there were six people standing. They were standing guard at the bedside, silently.
A senior citizen lay in bed, on the verge of death. Tubes and cables dangled from the side of the bed to support the life of the prosthetic body.
“You have come at a good time, my lord. And Lucas Custoria.”
Voices are coming from all directions, so I can’t tell which of the six people is speaking.
“Go and see.”
Heilas nodded, pushing me from behind. As I approached, the elders stepped back to give me space.
Shhh, shhh.
On the bed, the elder who had found me was breathing hard. The signals sent by the brain were weakened, so the full-body prosthesis modeled after the human body was not functioning on its own.
“I heard you summoned me, Elder.”
I said as I sat down next to the bed. The eyes behind the veil were looking at me. Light returned to the dim eyes.
“… …hand.”
The elder of the bed spoke. I took the elder’s hand. Even though he was a full-body prosthesis, I felt weak.
Swish.
The other elders were not just stepping back, they were leaving one by one. Even Heilas left the room.
Before I knew it, only I and the dying elder were left in the room.
‘Why on earth? Are you trying to have a one-on-one conversation with me?’
Even Akes Victory’s intuition had no clue.
The current situation was so strange that at first I thought the Custoria family had set up a trap to kill me. But if that was the case, there was no reason to bother me like this.
“Elder, is there a secret I have? Genetically… … .”
My thinking led me to one conclusion. I had doubted this before. I wondered if I was a human being designed for some purpose.
But the elder laughed and shook his shoulders as he died. His breathing was hoarse.
“Child, you can put that worry aside. Human reproduction and control have failed even by the rulers who rule the stars and the scientists who invade the realm of the gods. Listen, from the time when lightning was considered the spear of the gods and the eruption of a volcano was considered the wrath of the gods to the time when atheism was considered common sense and people traveled between planets, there is one thing that has not changed.”
The elder’s words were touching. Although his tone was plain, it sounded like he was singing.
“I’m listening.”
“As always, whenever we humans encounter an irresistible force that cannot be overcome by human power, we have to rely on the chaos of the universe and pray. Inevitably, we come to believe in fate. Luca, do you believe in fate?”
I hesitated, my lips quivering, and then blurted out the words.
“Fate is unscientific. But… … there are times when we become aware of its existence.”
There are moments that are hard to explain with the word fate. Even I, who has not even lived half a century, know this. People who have lived several times longer than me would feel the word fate even closer.
“Artificial reproduction is impossible. Even if they are genetically identical, they will meet different endings. It is ignorant arrogance to say that gravity can create miracles. But this universe is different. When the inevitable woven from chaos overlaps, it becomes destiny, and that destiny will reproduce the past as if it were a lie. That is why I believe in reincarnation, child. Even if it is an illusion created by a weak consciousness, it is okay.”
“… … I don’t really understand what you’re saying.”
“Time will tell. I’m glad I got to see you one last time. I’d like to talk more, but I think it’s better to end it to my own satisfaction.”
My heart was pounding. It wasn’t a feeling of fate or anything. It was as if this person’s emotions were reaching me. It was an emotion so strong that it could even delay death.
“If there is anything I can do, I will do it.”
I would like to grant his request if it were within my ability.
“Keep fate at your side, but don’t let it push you away, Lucius Custoria. This is my only wish.”
I stared at the elder quietly, then reached out and lifted the veil with my fingers. It was an action I did without realizing it.
The elder’s bleak face was visible. It was not a human figure, but a machine face without even artificial skin. The elder of the Custoria family was living while erasing even his own existence.
But I closed my eyes because I thought I knew his name.
Causal fatalism that seems to understand Aquis Victor, the first rebellion, Noel Mulizka, and a contemporary of the Custoria family.
The pieces of events and years fit together. I flipped the board over every time a piece misaligned, and started over again from the beginning until the shape of knowledge fit together.
Blood flowed from my nose. I opened my eyes and wiped the blood with the back of my hand.
… … A picture, though not perfect, was formed in my head. A single name lingered on my tongue, and I cautiously uttered it.
“Your name is Agatha, Agatha Custoria?”
The woman who started the Custoria family, the founder Agatha Custoria.
Her eyes widened at my words. Perhaps, if her body had the ability to shed tears, they would have flowed.
“It may be the result of high-speed, multi-angle reasoning due to the Archies Victory, but… … I want to believe that you recognized me, ‘Noel.’”
Agatha Custoria was a woman who wanted to believe in fate and reincarnation.
