141
‘Giselle… … .’
I dragged my staggering body up to the second floor of the mansion. There, Ilay and Giselle were.
Ilay stood looking out the window, and saw Giselle fast asleep on the bed. Her body was also wrapped in bandages. There were also signs of repair on her arms and legs.
“Luka, I have a lot to say, but… … First, go eat something.”
As soon as Eli saw me, he said. He came towards me.
“Am I that serious?”
“Yeah, it feels like I’ve been starving for a month. Even Giselle would be surprised.”
But I wanted to move right away rather than recover.
“Ilay, I have time… … .”
“I have my men scattered in the streets. You rest for now while I gather information. Right now, the military and the Royal Guard… … are suppressing the riots that have broken out all over Akbaran. It’s hell outside. If you wander the streets without the power to protect yourself, you’ll die.”
As soon as Ilay finished speaking, he moved his arm.
Whirl!
Before I knew it, Ile’s dagger was aimed at my Adam’s apple. I was hit like a normal person. I was so insensitive that I was speechless.
“I guess my body is a mess. I can’t even react to your dull knife.”
I pushed Ilay’s dagger with my finger. The guy was right. My condition was the worst. I was barely alive.
“You’re just talking. Go eat, sleep, and rest. You won’t be able to move for at least tomorrow or the day after.”
I stepped back. After the regenerative treatment, my flesh had thinned out. My ribs were so thin that I could feel them with my fingers.
I took Ilay’s advice and went down to the restaurant.
Just then, Jin Ga-woo came into the restaurant with the maintenance android. He had just finished showering and was naked, wearing only a robe. He approached me and examined my condition here and there, giving me instructions.
“Eat this and drink that. Recovering your stamina is the priority. And then get a cancer test later. Wow, at least I succeeded this time. Before, I looked like a dumpling soaked in water. Hmm, what was the difference?”
I’m honestly curious about what a person who becomes like a dumpling soaked in water looks like, although I have no intention of becoming that person.
I munched on the food served at the restaurant. As soon as I ate, I felt the nutrients seeping into my body.
Crackle, crackle.
The maintenance android was repairing my limbs one by one. Every time the android’s fingertips opened, a precise maintenance tool came out.
Click.
The repairs to my left arm were complete. The explosion had melted away my artificial skin, leaving only a lump of metal exposed. I could guess how terrible my condition must have been.
“I replaced the broken parts to the point where it can somehow work even if the compatibility standards are not right. I’ll leave the errors and corrections to your brain. You can sort it out.”
I tried to grab the cup with my left hand, which had just been repaired. But my hand was in the air. It was because my coordination was broken, and there was a gap between my cognition and my actions. My limbs felt strange, as if they were someone else’s.
“… … You treat me well.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being nice to me. If you overcome hardships and become successful in the future, I won’t forget the debt I owe you today. Above all, you’re an interesting person.”
Jin Ga-woo said, putting on the glasses he had taken off.
‘He is not a person without insight and worldly wisdom.’
He was different from what I expected. I thought Jin Ga-woo was just acting selfishly, relying only on his own abilities.
A person cannot be understood in cross-section. The surface is only a part. If you go deeper, even the temperature is different.
Swish.
I reached out and felt the bowl empty. The piled-up food was nowhere to be found. If I wasn’t crazy, I would have eaten it all. But it didn’t feel real.
“Your appetite will be very high because your metabolism has been activated. You will eat more than usual and not even know if you are full. Gluttony is a common side effect of Hydra. It will go away with time.”
“Hydra?”
“It’s the name of the compounded drug administered to you. It was developed by a scientist at Bellato, and is one of the super-regeneration technologies. Hydra in particular has many cases of failure due to over-proliferation, so we need a lot of data.”
Jin Ga-woo added an explanation. As I listened, old memories came back to me.
“I received treatment at the Imperial Hospital before. Is it similar to that?”
“The result of super regeneration is the same, but the principles and processes are a bit different. This is because the goals are different. I will inflict wounds on your body, so watch carefully.”
Jin Ga-u picked up a dinner knife and cut my shoulder.
Sizzle.
The wound that was wide enough to show the dermis healed quickly. Even I thought it was a strange speed.
“You will be exceptionally resilient for a few days. In fact, you are recovering incredibly quickly right now. You can already see the flesh growing on your cheeks.”
I felt my face when I heard that. It was true. The area under my cheekbones had been empty just a moment ago, but now it was plump.
‘The goals are different?’
Jin Ga-woo’s words lingered in my mind.
The Archie Bigtima in my head was also functioning normally. High-level insights and inferences were automatically made at an unconscious level.
“The Imperial Medical Center’s super regeneration is for simple treatment purposes… … and your method is for combat.”
“Your head is starting to spin. That’s the right answer. By inserting Hydra as a subcutaneous implant, you can maintain a certain level of drug concentration in the blood. Then, even if you get injured, you won’t be incapacitated. It’s been developed for quite some time, but we haven’t found the optimal combination and ratio. Unlike machines, living things have too many variables. Even within the same species, there are large differences.”
“If you’re not careful, you could end up with a burst dumpling.”
“If you poke it, a lot of juice comes out.”
Jin Ga-woo pulled the bowl containing the dumplings toward him and poked it with his chopsticks. The water inside leaked out and soaked the bowl.
“But it doesn’t seem like a technology fit for the Empire. We have been baptized in steel.”
Jin Ga-woo laughed out loud. His exaggerated, clown-like smile often looked creepy.
“… … I guess so?”
I didn’t ask any more questions and changed the subject.
“Are you staying here during the storm?”
“Whenever there’s chaos, there are many who want to kill me. In times like these, the upper areas may actually be more dangerous for me. I should crouch down and hide.”
“It’s strange that the hideout is the gang’s mansion.”
Jin Ga-woo grabbed the dumpling by the tip and dropped it into his mouth. His throat gurgled. The whole body was also reproducing the movements of the esophagus.
“La Vie en Rose is an interesting group. No one thinks of them as important. They are not a particularly strong force even in the lower classes. That is why La Vie en Rose has deep and secret roots.”
I also had a vague feeling that if you only look at the purpose of ‘survival’, La Vie en Rose could be stronger than any noble family.
Since it is not particularly strong, it is not subject to severe restraint. It changes flexibly according to the times and clings to the strong. However, it is not so weak that it can be destroyed by the whims and kicks of the strong.
“… … Ah, a guest has arrived. I guess I’ll be going now.”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Jin Ga-woo winked one eye and left the restaurant. The person who came in instead of him was Grace.
I looked at Grace’s left eye. The blindfold was stuck on.
“I came to return the item I borrowed.”
Grace placed the modified Ruina on the table. It was no longer a shock pistol, but a sniper rifle.
“It’s different from the Ruina I knew.”
“The recoil was so large that it was difficult for my body to handle. I thought it would be better to use my special ability while I was at it. Since it’s a modular modification, if you ask the workshop, it will be restored to its original state in no time.”
“I didn’t know your specialty was sniping.”
“I have to hide my special ability so that the enemy will let their guard down. You, Luca, are excellent. If a situation arises where you ask me for help… … I thought I would have to bring out all my abilities to help you.”
The brilliant Grace figured out the answer. She replaced Ruina with a sniper rifle and prepared for long-range sniping.
She remembered the situation when she had snipe Iskan. It was a stormy situation, and the shock bullet was not even a suitable type of bullet for sniping. Even among the guards, only those who were skilled at sniping would have succeeded in this situation.
‘But Grace did great.’
I don’t think Grace quit the guard because she was weak.
“Grace, you were more talented than your superiors expected, so you left the Royal Guard on your own.”
“I knew you had a twisted personality, but it’s strange that you even give compliments.”
“That’s my kind of praise. And you should take Ruina. It seems like a weapon that suits you better than me.”
I wanted to add a more childish remark here.
‘Rather than being treated coldly by someone who likes close combat… …Ruina would enjoy being by your side even more.’
But I can’t bring myself to say that. It’s something I wouldn’t say even if a knife was put to my throat.
“I won’t refuse any compensation. And don’t you have anything else to say?”
I wiped my lips with the back of my hand. I closed my eyes and opened them again, then spoke politely.
“… …Thank you for helping me, in so many ways.”
I feel like I say thank you too much these days. Whenever I do, I feel like a weak person.
“Hmm, that’s good to hear. What I expected from you was not a gun as a reward, but words of gratitude.”
“Ah, then Ruina… … .”
“That is that, and this is this.”
Grace answered quickly and started to pick up Ruina.
You’re really leaving me, Ruina. I said I would, but it feels strange.
“So you’re tied to La Vie en Rose because of me? That’s what Diva said.”
“That’s the mistake Diva makes. I have no intention of leaving La Vie en Rose, so you don’t have to feel guilty. And this is the last time I’ll help you through this mess. I can’t leave Diva’s side any longer.”
Grace drew the line. I also felt comfortable cutting it off like this.
As expected, I had a good conversation with Grace. There was nothing uncomfortable from beginning to end. It was like talking to a fellow Elaine guard. Sometimes I felt more comfortable than Giselle. No, not sometimes. Honestly, I feel that way quite often.
And… … I paused for a moment and then moved my lips.
“I don’t have any siblings, but if I had an older sister, she would feel the same way as you do.”
There was silence. Grace listened to me expressionlessly, then tilted her head to the side, expressing a question.
“Did you suffer a serious head injury?”
“Damn it! I’m saying I feel intimate with you! Just understand and eat it!”
Grace burst out laughing. She stood up with a deep smile. I thought she was going to leave, but she turned around the table and came next to me.
“I don’t want to be like siblings with you.”
Grace reached out and placed her hand on my cheek. I felt dizzy for a moment. Well, Grace was uncomfortable right now.
“Grace, I… … .”
“I fall in love with someone easily. And I forget about them just as easily. So don’t worry about it.”
Grace moved her palm to my head with a smile.
Knock, knock.
She tapped my head lightly. I opened my eyes wide and looked up at her.
“I definitely feel more mature. So I’ll act like an adult.”
After Grace finished speaking, she turned her back on me and left the restaurant. I stared at the door for a long time.
Squeak.
Not long after Grace left, the next person came in.
“Wow, you’re doing quite well, Luca. You’re becoming a sinful man. I’ll keep it a secret from Giselle.”
“Don’t be silly. Nothing happened and we’re not that close.”
“Oh, really? Then I’ll tell Giselle.”
“No, don’t say that.”
Illei smiled wickedly. Thinking about my situation, I couldn’t help but sigh.
Beep.
Ilay placed the terminal on the table.
A holographic screen appeared between us. Part of the upper level area we knew well was on fire. The wind and rain did not put out the smoke and flames.
“Even though the rioters are setting up, the military and the Royal Guards are strangely slow in responding and suppressing them. Luca, if you need my help, let me know. I owe you a debt, and I think this is the time to repay it.”
The time of choice has come again. If you want to get help from Ilay, you must tell him the truth.
Ilay was different from Giselle. Giselle was not the one who had the power to change the flow, and I know her all too well.
However, Ilay has a power that I don’t know about. He is also very strong, and he has grown his power by taking control of the Kartika family in places that I cannot see. I don’t know how much influence he can exert in this situation.
It is dangerous to trust Ilay. He may be acting for other purposes than friendship based on my information.
Yeah, I couldn’t completely trust Ilay.
‘Noel would have been like that too.’
So he deceived and cheated those around him.
‘He who does not trust others will not be trusted.’
Kinuan would laugh if he heard my thoughts. He said that it was a problem that could be solved by better deceiving others. But that was Kinuan’s way, not mine.
I am Luca. I am not Noel, and I am not Kinuan.
From now on, I will judge and decide in my own way. If that comes back as a betrayal, I will gladly accept it.
“Ilay Kartika… … .”
A long-held secret has been revealed.
