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I checked my mind, recalling what I had learned in the guards.
I sat on the floor and meditated, looking deep into my inner self. Even hours felt like a moment, as I went deep into my inner self.
Recognize the continuity of consciousness and confirm the consistency of memory.
If there were any changes in my personality and memories, I would feel a sense of incongruity and discomfort.
‘There has been no change yet.’
Of course, it is not a complete assurance. No matter how thorough the self-examination is, it is biased. I have to constantly doubt myself.
‘The reason why reason has flown away.’
I went deeper and deeper inside myself.
‘… My brain has learned that reaching its limit will result in fatal damage.’
When I heard the news of Giselle’s disappearance, my brain started working really hard. The intense emotions added to the load must have been considerable.
It was like running a machine that had not been used for decades to high output in a short period of time without even oiling it.
‘And so the light of my consciousness went out.’
It’s the same principle as powering off before it breaks down due to overheating.
Once a limit has been learned, it is difficult to consciously break through it. The survival instinct is extremely powerful. My brain, having experienced a near-death experience, was afraid of going to that kind of situation again.
‘You learned something painful.’
My brain was going against my will. It wasn’t something that could be fixed overnight just because I knew it with reason and logic.
We need to watch this issue a little longer.
‘If it’s temporary, that’s fine, but if this happens during combat, we need to take action.’
I calmly recalled my memories of Giselle. I opened up my emotions like a faucet, little by little. I didn’t want to lose consciousness like I did before, getting excited.
‘Missing while on a business trip to Border City.’
My thoughts were spreading out like branches.
There were so many things to ponder.
‘The Imperial Family, Barbara, rival corporations within the Empire, those hostile to House Custoria, native Border City corporations… … .’
And for five years, no one knows where Giselle is.
Worst case scenario… …Giselle is dead. If she had been missing for this long, there was a very high chance that she was dead.
My emotions began to boil over. I wanted to rush to Akbaran right away and investigate.
‘I am an eyesore to the Empire and the Royal Family. If they knew I had regained consciousness like this, they would try to kill me.’
If even Francesca had been built, there would have been a chance to visit her. But Ivan is an untrustworthy man.
‘Giselle took me to Border City under the name of Keisa Tres, to avoid Imperial surveillance.’
To put it nicely, I was now free, finally free from the surveillance of the Empire.
‘Where and to what extent can I trust anyone? Even my past friends may not be the same.’
I don’t believe that even the people who helped me are the same now as they were then. That was my convenient thinking.
Just as my values changed during my time as a guard cadet, they are also constantly changing human beings. Self and will are not fixed substances, but fluctuating phenomena.
In the past, I made a mistake because I didn’t trust Heilas. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a fool who trusts others infinitely. It’s just that people who are not self-centered or whose values go from one extreme to the other are always going to extremes.
… … Right now, I was just like an abandoned puppy. I wanted to rely on and lean on anyone. If I entrusted myself to those who approached me with kindness, the world would be at peace.
But don’t trust anyone so easily. There is no such thing as free favor in this world. Everything has its own reason and purpose.
I straightened up my ego. I confirmed what kind of person I am.
“Phew… … .”
Luca, Lucius Custoria.
Right now I don’t know anything. What happened after the storm, why I’m here… It’s all in the realm of speculation and hypothesis.
But the purpose given to me was clear. I was trained as a soldier, and I could move forward as long as there was a mission.
‘Find the missing Giselle Custoria. And track down Kinuan to get Jafar’s support.’
Now let’s start our second life.
* * *
I woke up from sleep.
Now, every little thing was something to check for me. My sleep time was one of them. I got six hours of sleep.
My head felt sore. I had a lot of sleep, but I still had underlying fatigue. This was something I had to keep an eye on.
Swish.
I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I had a gap of seven years, including five years of cryosleep, three years of inability to recover, and four years of treatment. The ravages of time must have rusted me.
I still felt unfamiliar with my appearance after growing up for seven years. A young man with dirty eyes was looking at me with a dirty look. The body underneath was covered in old scars.
Squeak.
After shaving, my face looked somewhat presentable.
I ran my fingers through my wet hair. I can’t do it myself, so I’ll have to tie it up for the time being.
“… … Hmm.”
I opened the closet and felt a strange feeling when I saw the suits and coats. The ancient clothing of mankind was ready.
It was said that the Bellato Federation best preserved the style of the Earth era, and I could feel it. The Empire also has suits and coats. However, they are stiff and sharply modified to fit the modern Imperial style.
The clothes I am looking at now are the kind of clothes that a 20th-century revivalist would wear. A 20th-century revivalist is someone who considers the mid-20th century to the early 21st century to be the golden age of humanity and longs for that time. There is nothing more foolish than longing for an era you have never lived through.
Click.
I put on a black shirt and buttoned it up one by one. I didn’t know how to tie a tie, so I threw it on the floor. I put on a jacket and then a navy coat. The boots I had prepared were not made of functional material, but were uncomfortable and hard.
Kiing.
With all the clothes on, the only thing that was visible on the outside was the hands. At first glance, they looked like mechanical gloves. Since there was no need to take off the clothes outside, it seemed like there was no need to add artificial skin.
Beep.
I checked my schedule on my terminal. It was set based on the time I woke up.
Since my clothes were still awkward, I left the room, patting my shoulder. The hallway was quiet because it was early morning.
The hallway walls were covered with posters advertising Jafar’s sub-brands. Most of them were food service businesses. The common feature was that they used snake meat.
-That outfit looks much better than the white rags.
En was waiting for me in the elevator. It seemed like she came out with me as soon as I came out of the room.
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“I don’t know much about the Tajirun race, but… … it’s unusual for a Tajirun to be in the food service industry. Who would want to eat food advertised by snakes?”
I asked a question while tapping on the advertising poster stuck inside the elevator. En glanced at me through his combat helmet and nodded.
– Jafar is probably the only Tajirun in Border City who has set foot in the food service industry. Tajiruns usually like to run a business that preys on others.
I recalled an old memory. Giselle also described Tajirun as ‘those who are very stubborn.’
“Since the impression of the race itself is not good, it will be difficult for them to work in service industries such as restaurants. Jafar is strange in many ways.”
-You’d better not betray Jafar. I’m not saying this because he’s my employer. He’s a man of great influence and popularity within Border City. He has Tajirun’s talents and an uncharacteristic personality at the same time.
The high-speed elevator reached the upper floor. From here on, access was restricted, and it seemed that only Jafar’s entourage was allowed to enter.
“Great or not… … Even so, you woke me up without finding a single person. Or maybe those guys are just worthless idiots.”
I got off the elevator grumbling.
– Judging by your speech, it seems like you won’t live long.
“I don’t plan on living long.”
We headed straight to the armory inside the building. Jafar was standing in front of the armory, followed by two Equusian mercenaries holding envelopes.
“Hey, good morning, everyone! I have low blood pressure so I’m weak in the mornings, but I woke up especially for you, Luca. I’m sure you haven’t eaten yet, so please eat this.”
As Jafar gestured, two Equsians handed us the envelopes they were holding.
… … I stared blankly at the envelope. The logo on the outside was a snake between bread. There was also the Jaffa Burger advertising slogan that started with snake, snake, snake.
Rustle.
En took out the burger, lifted the combat helmet slightly, and took a bite.
-It’s delicious no matter when you eat it. If only the nutritional balance were better, I’d eat it every day.
“Hoyooooo, we knew you’d do that, so we’re also preparing a nutritionally enhanced nutritious burger. We’re drying snake intestines and mixing them into the bread dough… … .”
-Don’t expect it.
It was already a dry, mechanical sound. Even I was wondering if Yen’s words were sincere.
“Mr. Luca? You are not allowed to enter the armory until you finish eating that.”
Jafar stared at me so intently that it was burdensome. He rubbed his hands together, as if he was expecting something.
En’s gaze also stopped on me. The two Equsians escorting Japha were also looking at me. I opened the envelope, feeling a silent pressure.
Rustle.
There was a musty smell with the seaweed. My first impression was not good. I am not a picky eater, but I can tell the difference between good and bad smells.
Hot.
I took out the burger and bit into it. The spicy granules seemed to burst in my mouth. It was very flavorful and complex.
Ugh, ugh.
I rolled my eyes as I chewed the burger, as if thinking about something. It was a taste that made me think deeply.
This is really amazing.
It was a disgusting burger. But to get to the point… … .
“… …It’s delicious.”
It was hard to explain exactly why this was delicious.
It wasn’t just delicious. There was an unpleasant smell that felt like a gamey smell, but the oil with an indescribable, stimulating flavor covered the unpleasant taste and melted it away smoothly. There was a synergy of flavors, like a combination of bitter and sweet.
A complex and addictive flavor.
To put it in a nutshell, it was like this.
“It’s always thrilling to hear compliments. I think I’ve made a regular customer today, hoy.”
Jafar said, wiggling his long fingers. While I was eating my burger, Jafar unlocked the armory.
Creak.
The armory opened. I stepped inside, lightly licking the seasoning off my fingers.
It was hard to believe that it was an armory inside a building, as the interior was so spacious. The weapons were arranged so neatly that it almost looked like a museum.
“It’s a collection warehouse.”
I expressed my feelings.
“But there are no decorative weapons. They are all lethal. I heard that the guards prefer a combination of melee weapons and pistols.”
Jafar guided me to a wall with melee weapons hanging from it.
They ranged from simple, sturdy weapons to weapons with single-molecule coatings or electric shock capabilities. There were also weapons with unusual devices, such as swords and spears with barrels inserted into them.
I kept stopping by to listen and swing it around.
“This is a high-pressure heavy weapon. It was made by a craftsman from the Empire. I think you’ll like it.”
Jafar pointed to the sword lying on the platform. It was single-edged like the Crucis. The width of the blade was slightly wider than the Crucis.
Phew- Yeah!
I swung my sword a few times. The output of the body was also greatly increased, and the motor was making a noise.
‘It’s different from Crusade.’
The quality was poor. The weight distribution was subtly messed up. The lack of completion meant that the weight distribution of the blade was uneven, causing the trajectory to shake every time it was swung.
“You call yourself a craftsman. I don’t think you went through the proper process.”
It was unsatisfactory. It felt like it would break if hit by a high-pressure, heavy weapon of the same type.
“Is that so? Hmm, you were so proud of your Imperial Workshop-level stuff, but you lied to me. I’ll have to take care of it later.”
Jafar spoke, his tongue flickering. His pupils narrowed into thin lines.
I stared at the flimsy sword. I didn’t want to entrust my life to this guy. I thought I’d rather use a single-molecule blade.
However, the single molecule coating is consumable. You have to reapply the coating after every battle. It is a cumbersome method for me who fights with a fake blade.
-You look like you don’t have a weapon you like. How about giving that to him? A man-eating demon sword. It’s the perfect weapon for someone who doesn’t plan on living long.
En spoke from behind me. Jafar waved his hands in horror.
“No, no. Mr. Luca is a valuable talent. He must not… … with such a dangerous knife.”
I laughed at Jafar’s reaction. My curiosity grew even more when I heard it was dangerous.
“Just give it to me. I’m used to risking my life.”
Jafar continued to stick out his tongue as if he was nervous, then pressed his palm against the wall. The wall, recognizing his palm, flipped over heavily.
“After only 52 pieces were custom-made as the first product, the workshop went out of business, and the creators were beaten to death by their families… … .”
Jafar continued his explanation before the wall had even fully turned.
“… … The model name is Hwagwangyedo. It’s a weapon with ultra-high temperature heat rays embedded in the blade.”
