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Heilas sighed, wiping her alcohol-soaked hands on her coat.
“I felt like Giselle had become strangely gentle… … . By the way, you did something bold. I didn’t know you and Giselle had formed that kind of relationship.”
“If the Captain had paid more attention to Giselle, he would have noticed. I have always been nervous about that.”
If it were Heilas’ insight, he would have noticed the relationship between me and Giselle. However, he was too preoccupied with other things to pay attention to me and Giselle.
“I did my best.”
“Protecting him doesn’t mean I fulfilled my father’s duty.”
“No, I failed to protect him. I failed to protect Nikolaos. That’s when I realized the limits of my abilities, and that I couldn’t win against this.”
We talked calmly.
I stared at the glass in front of me. The liquid looked strange to my auditory vision. It seemed like a thread was twisting and unraveling as the wine sloshed.
“I didn’t know that the captain had a submissive personality.”
Heilas leaned back in her chair as if she was tired.
“Luka, this is your last chance. After you drink this, turn around and leave here. Please let me protect you.”
Heilas tried to kill me for disobeying orders. But he must be sincere when he says he wants to protect me. He gave me several chances to go back.
“I know a lot of things I shouldn’t know. There’s no way I can survive this situation. If I back out, I’ll die anyway.”
“You are not only blind, but also deaf. I just said I would protect you. I can negotiate with Your Majesty on more matters than you think.”
“His Majesty the King is coming. He has won a lot of support from the public and the nobility. If you cooperate with him, we can negotiate better terms. It will even save your life.”
The Emperor’s shadows would be looking at us with gloomy eyes. But we were in no position to say anything while hiding it.
I’ve sharpened my senses so I can fight whenever I want. With Heilas, I can somehow manage to organize the eight shadows.
“Do you know what you’re talking about?”
I know. As the empire weakens, it will become vulnerable to external attacks. I said as I organized the thoughts in my head.
“If His Majesty Francis succeeds in negotiating, His Majesty the Emperor’s power will be reduced and the ruling system will become dualistic… … but that’s none of my business. What matters to me is your survival, Heilas.”
“I’ve already sent my friends and subordinates to their deaths. You seem to be trying to make me a shameful person.”
“I feel sorry for Iskan and Pygon, but they are just passing acquaintances to me. They are not important to me.”
Heilas laughed and shook her body.
“So, am I important to you?”
“You are one of the people I want to keep alive until the end. Just like you tried to save me several times.”
If Heilas had been so cruel to me, I would have died no matter how talented I was.
“That flabby personality will hold you back. No, it already has.”
“If I was a calculating and profit-oriented person, you wouldn’t have let me live in the first place, Captain. The reason I’m still alive today is because I’m weak.”
Now is the time to confess.
… … My nature is not that vicious. It just became exclusive in order to protect myself from the outside world and survive.
Old memories came back to me. In the past, I hesitated and could not kill the boy Coraine. It was Ilay who killed the boy in my stead.
I remembered the events of that day in great detail. After losing my sight, my imagination became clearer.
“I didn’t know being flabby could be considered an advantage.”
“I don’t know if it’s an advantage, but thanks to that laxity, people around me have helped me. And you’re not much different from me. It wasn’t just blind loyalty that made Iskan and Pygon willingly die for you. It was probably because those men liked the human named Heylas. That’s why I came here prepared to die.”
Heilas and I are similar to Noel, but different. Needless to say, we are different from Kinuan.
I should have known this a long time ago. Heilas would have been happy to listen to me and come up with a better option.
‘It’s not that Heilas emphasized humanity to exploit me, it’s not like he had no such intention… … .’
I was just stupid to hear Kinuan’s words.
‘… … The reason I always mention humanity is because I myself treasure my humanity. I wanted to tell you what is truly important.’
I was in a psychological predicament, so I heard Kinuan’s words and doubted Heilas’ intentions. That’s why I couldn’t tell the truth until things got to this point. If I had told you earlier, things would have changed a lot.
‘I fell under Kinuan’s psychological control.’
Kinuan was a monster. Don’t think that he and I are on the same level. That was my ridiculous arrogance. Kinuan is the one on top of my head.
I’m a fool who can’t even read Ivan’s thoughts. How could I boast about knowing Kinuan on such a topic?
“Okay, Luca. Is this supposed to contain important information?”
Heilas reached out and pulled the chip towards him.
“With your specifications, you will be able to see the main trunk while maintaining your external senses.”
The full-body Heilas did not require a separate virtual simulation device. A chip could be inserted directly into the nape of the neck.
Rustle.
Heilas rubbed the chip with his finger. The chip broke into pieces and scattered like dust.
“I trust my choice. The moment I see this, the well-being of the family that is collateral for my tribute will disappear. I have no intention of gambling with the fate of my family.”
Although I can’t see it with my auditory vision, Heilas’ eyes must be shining brightly.
I could feel it too. The Emperor’s shadows were twitching. They would move if they had to. I bit my lower lip and squinted my eyes.
“This is what the progenitor Agatha left behind… …!”
“That’s it! Don’t say any more.”
Heilas shouted, drowning out my voice. He stood up and looked around.
Creak, creak.
Eight shadows drew their weapons. They were dark and cold. They prepared for battle, yet showed no signs of elation.
Dalgrak!
Even the silent generals and officers stirred. Those who had dreamed of revolution until yesterday were now under the Emperor’s sword.
They must have been the subversive elements that Heilas had selected for a long time. Heilas must have worked hard to lure out only those who could pose a threat to the imperial family. In many ways, they are tributes that appeal to the Emperor’s taste.
“You are doing the same thing as Noel Mulizka in the past!”
I screamed.
The shadows responded to the words Noel Mulizka. Their inanimate gazes were fixed on me.
The eyes of the captured generals and officers grew wide. They, the upper echelons of the military, would know who Noel Mulizka was.
“Luca! Stop!”
Heilas tried to hold me back until the very end, his spear blade aimed for the nape of my neck.
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Ka-Ang!
The blade and the spear clashed. The blade and spear were dragged out as if they were grinding against each other. Heilas seemed surprised by my skillful response.
Fortunately, the effects of the drug still lingered in my mind. My thoughts were still cold and fast. I was able to react even to Heilas’s fierce attacks.
“How many times has the Empire and the Crown used people like you to stir up internal discontent and eliminate them in one fell swoop? This was not your own choice, Father!”
One of the Empire’s secrets leaked out of my mouth, followed by a silent scream and a final gasp.
Kwak! Pok!
The Emperor’s shadows moved. They began executing the prisoners who heard me. The words I spoke were confidential and had to be sealed with death. Everyone except Ivan was dying.
The shadow’s spear sword, which has finished executing, will soon be pointed at me.
Heilas frowned so much that her eyebrows furrowed.
“Whether it’s my will or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that this is the best. I’m just doing my duty, and I’m responsible for my actions. Luca, why on earth won’t you follow my decision just this once! At this most important moment! How many times have I given you a chance!”
Heilas roared. His voice echoed through my auditory vision.
I felt dizzy. There wasn’t much time. The execution was coming to an end.
“Because I don’t like it. You who use the excuse that you can’t help it to break your heart and obey! I don’t like everything from start to finish! Heilas, it’s not just you. Everyone who has ever stepped foot into this shithole is like this! I was like this too! I’m sick of it!”
At every critical moment, I was like this.
I failed to shoot the Corin boy. I tried to help Ilay save Lillian Ramones. I chose to break my neck rather than surrender to Rick Kaiser. I rebelled against Rick and Kinuan, even though I knew I would die if I sided with the Empire. I stopped Francek’s death due to Ivan’s assassination, even though I knew it would be beneficial to me.
It wasn’t just my actions. My feelings were the same. I knew I shouldn’t like Giselle, but I couldn’t help it and ended up touching her.
This time it was the same. I knew I had to go back to my family home and quietly save my life, but… … I ended up coming here.
A rebel who chooses destruction in the end.
It’s because I’m from the lower class. I’m a total idiot who can’t grab the chance to rise to fame even if given one. That’s why I can’t escape my life at the bottom.
Here is a kid who crawled all the way up, then threw himself off the cliff because he couldn’t resist the urge to jump.
Bam!
Heilas grabbed the spear. I don’t know where the tip of his spear will go.
The shadows moved toward me, past the Heilas. I could probably handle two, but with eight, I had no chance.
Kwajik!
A spear blade protrudes from the mouth of one of the shadows. The ability to protrude a spear blade from the mouth is not very useful on the battlefield, unless you are trying to assassinate someone with a kiss.
… … So that blade was Heilas’s. He killed the shadow.
Creak, creak.
Seven shadows quickly dispersed left and right, surrounding us and trying to gain an advantageous position.
“Lukaus Custoria, you have put your entire family at risk. Therefore, I hereby remove you from your position as Acting Head of the House. This is my last act of mercy, and if things go wrong, you will be the first to die by my hand.”
Heilas spoke quickly and swung his spear around. His movements were as precise as ever. His attacks were intuitive and efficient.
“I told Jupe to prepare for exile if we don’t arrive on time.”
“Exile? How can you trust Jupe?”
Heilas asked sincerely. He really is a bad father, really. That’s why all his children are twisted and have bad personalities.
“Jupe is an adult, so he’ll figure it out.”
