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“It will take four days for the drug to completely leave your system. We are continuing to administer antidotes, but… … .”
Gabriel’s doctor explained to me. He was dressed neatly, as if he were paying a high price for treatment, and he pointed to the monitor and chart.
“There’s no need to fully recover. I just need to be able to talk.”
“That takes four days.”
“I see.”
I accepted it without question. Even if I were to ask the experts’ opinions, Gabriel’s recovery power would not increase.
‘Gabriel’s mind was in disarray since he was in the drug den. He wasn’t in a state to talk.’
There’s no point in rushing. And I’m not emotional enough to stay by Gabriel’s side until he wakes up.
I left the hospital and returned to Japa’s office. Young Crawler and Boyan were with me.
Boyan looked up at the building in fear after seeing the scale of Japa’s boss.
“Am I going to be staying with you, Mr. Luca, from now on?”
“Me? With you? You’re making fun of me. There must be at least one room left in this building. Just give me shelter from the wind and rain, and feed me, and my job is done. The rest, whether it’s studying or whatever, is up to you.”
I didn’t bring Boyan because I had a plan. It was just too much to ask for when I was struggling to take care of myself.
‘But if you stay in the slums with Legor… … it probably won’t turn out well.’
Knowing that, Legor readily entrusted Boyan to me. He must have known that he wouldn’t survive long in Border City. He was a simpleton, if not a savvy one.
‘No matter how well you fight, you can’t survive with violence alone. To survive, you need to combine violence and strategy.’
The strong people I’ve seen have always been like that. They were all superhumans who had polished their literary and martial arts skills to the highest level.
I went to Jafar’s office with my mind wandering. Around his desk, holograms were floating like clouds. He was busy working.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
Jafar looked at me and Boyan. His gaze stopped on Boyan for a moment, and his pupils narrowed vertically.
“Eat if you want to eat. Don’t worry about what others think.”
I said to Boyan, who was glancing at the poison-flavored candies. Boyan hesitated and then ate the candies one by one.
“… … It tastes strange and wonderful. And my tongue feels a little tingly.”
It seemed to have a subtle taste.
I sat on the sofa and waited for Jafar to finish his work. Soon Jafar waved his hand and all the holograms were lowered.
“Mr. Luca, you moved around a lot.”
Jafar said, as if he was being stabbed.
“I had no choice. I had to save people first.”
“I think you’d better not accumulate too much ‘karma.’ I know that Mr. Luca is an excellent soldier. But… … he’s not the strongest warrior. Violence accumulates karma, and the end result is destruction. At least until you find Kinuan, I hope you accumulate enough karma to handle it. After you find Kinuan, it’s none of my business, lol. And… … .”
Jafar looked at Boyan and asked for an explanation.
I took a deep breath and then elbowed Boyan on the shoulder.
“Explain the situation with your own mouth, Boyan. Use your clear words to persuade the sponsor. It will be difficult to study without Jafar’s help. All I can teach you is how to fight.”
Boyan swallowed the candy he had in his mouth in surprise. He hesitated and then opened his mouth.
At first he stuttered, but soon he spoke fluently about himself. Japha also looked at Boyan with interest.
“… … That’s all.”
Boyan finished speaking. I also heard directly the circumstances that I had vaguely expected.
‘Regor and Boyan were being chased by hunters sent by the tribe. Regor killed several of his own tribemates to protect Boyan and went into hiding in Border City.’
It seemed like I had gone through a more difficult process to get to Border City than I thought.
“I know it may sound a bit racist to say this, but… … Are you really a crawler?”
“He wasn’t wearing a mask.”
I pinched Boyan’s cheek and pulled. Boyan let out a short moan.
“You’ve managed to survive all this time. Your father must have been a great warrior, so you were able to endure it. Did you say you wanted to become a Federation official?”
Boyan nodded. Jafar laughed, sticking out his forked tongue.
I know the outcome. Jafar will gladly accept Boyan. It’s not because he’s a particularly gentlemanly man.
‘Gabriel, Boyan.’
There are already two people in Border City who need my support. When you have a lot of responsibilities and are involved, it’s hard to just leave and betray. That’s how you become a ‘community’.
Sponsoring a student is easy with Japha’s financial resources. But it is difficult to put me in debt.
‘It’s a profitable business for Japha as he can create debt for me with a small investment.’
Jafar hesitated, even though he had already made up his mind. It was as if he had reached a conclusion after much thought. Every single action he took was clearly that of a businessman.
“I didn’t know Mr. Luca would help a complete stranger. What an unexpected side to him.”
“Do you think I’m a heartless psychopath? I feel sorry for you too.”
“That kind of person would break Angus Regina’s knees… … Well, anyway, I’ll register Boyan with Japa’s scholarship foundation.”
Jafar grumbled as he opened the hologram. Then the ceiling of the office opened and a drone descended.
Wheeing.
The drone scanned Boyan with a grid-patterned laser.
Rattling.
Soon, an employee of Japa Company came to pick up Boyan. Boyan looked at me with a somewhat fearful expression and then followed the employee.
Japa and I were left alone in the office.
“Do you still have something to say?”
Jafar was sitting on his chair, clicking his fingernails. I stood up.
“Just in case, if Boyan or Gabriel were to get in my way, I would gladly abandon them. If you were to hold their well-being hostage to get something from me… … that would be your ‘karma’ that would end your life.”
“When you ask someone to take care of you, you are making a request, not a threat.”
“What you just said is ‘please.’ When I threaten, I start by breaking an arm or a leg.”
“Imperial request is spicy. I will remember it.”
* * *
I had some free time until Gabriel recovered. In the meantime, I investigated Gabriel. It wasn’t difficult, since Gabriel’s whereabouts weren’t particularly secret.
‘Giselle went missing seven years ago. The person in charge of her security at the time was Gabriel.’
——————
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Gabriel failed to protect Giselle. After that, he did not return to Akbaran and stayed in Border City.
Gabriel lived a miserable life in Border City. For some reason, he seemed to have given up on life completely, pursuing only pleasure until he ended up in one of the lowest destinations, a drug den.
I know Gabriel. He has the personality that fits the life at the bottom. He is short-tempered, impatient, and can’t tell right from wrong. He is a man who always prioritizes immediate pleasure.
But he wasn’t the type to be ruined to this extent. He had a sense of responsibility for his work and relationships, and he had his own moral standards and virtues.
That’s why… … I don’t hate Gabriel. Rather, I like him.
In fact, it seemed that Gabriel had cleared out his gang life and lived a healthy life. G&G Cybernetics sent Gabriel to a security company for training. He had the fighting sense and work ethic, so if he had the will, he would have been a good fit.
Gabriel’s smooth life fell apart because of Giselle’s disappearance.
“… … Guilt.”
This was the emotion that led to Gabriel’s downfall. It was a guilt so heavy it was destroying him.
‘The guilt of not being able to protect Giselle.’
There must be a complex reason for that guilt. One of them must be loyalty to me. That’s the kind of guy Gabriel is.
Beep.
I pressed my forehead hard and pressed the table to turn off the hologram that had been floating. As the hologram disappeared, the room became dark.
‘The blank space is fierce.’
I had no idea what had happened over the past twelve years. I had known the people in Akbaran for only about four years at most.
‘Three times the time.’
I don’t know what kind of life they lived during that time…
I sat in the dark room and thought quietly. Just spending time, my thoughts sink deeper. Like a slow giant in the deep sea, slowly, heavily, and gloomily, it lowers me to the bottom.
There was no spark in my consciousness. Even the sparks were out, and it was infinitely cold and dark. I was clearly awake and alive, but I felt like a dead person. No matter how much death and life are one and the same, there was no boundary for me now.
… … It’s okay to die like this.
This thought struck me countless times. It wasn’t cynical, it was just helpless.
This can’t be happening.
Think back to the past. The past me who couldn’t stay still for even a moment. The one who was constantly changing and moving forward…
‘Maybe I burned too many things back then.’
This is also a defeatist thought. I had a hard time suppressing the occasional sadness even though I was wary of my own helplessness.
Warm, warm.
I heard footsteps echoing beyond the door. Someone was coming to my room. Judging by the shape of the footsteps, it wasn’t Jafar or En. It wasn’t Lapis, and it certainly wasn’t Boyan.
Chiik.
The door opened. It wasn’t locked, but it was a rude visit. Well, I’ve done more than a few rude things myself, to be called rude in this matter.
“I see you’re already better. Border City’s medical technology is extraordinary. Or is it because you spent a lot of money?”
I said, leaning back on the sofa.
The visitor was Anguise Regina. She was wearing a thick coat and a hat pulled down low.
Creak.
Anguise Regina didn’t answer. She raised her pistol and aimed it at my leg.
“My legs are prosthetics. If you want revenge, shoot me in the body or head instead of there. Don’t worry about it. Revenge usually comes with interest.”
I said, pointing alternately to my heart and the space between my eyebrows.
Anguish Regina bit her lower lip. Her fingers trembled.
‘I’ve never shot a gun at anyone before.’
This may have been the first time he had been hit by a bullet.
There is no need to be nervous or focused. Anguise Regina will not shoot me. She has something to gain through me.
‘Perhaps Anguis Regina is also related to Kinuan.’
So as soon as the new ‘detective’ arrived, I tested his abilities. I wondered if I was the one who could track down Kinuan.
“There are no absolutes in this world. Are you sure I won’t shoot you?”
“If my judgment is wrong, then I die. Angus Regina, have you ever fought a battle where your life was at stake? In battle, a mistake in judgment means death. It is impossible to predict perfectly. It is common to entrust your life to an uncertain judgment.”
“It’s not a combat situation right now.”
“Life is a struggle every moment. If you’re going to shoot, shoot, or else get lost. I’m not interested in you. Go and dance and sing like a fool. Isn’t that your job?”
Anguish Regina lowered her pistol and put it in her bosom.
See, you can’t shoot.
I swallowed the words as I was about to spit them out. Let’s stop provoking each other pointlessly. Whether it’s good or bad, I don’t want to get involved with that woman any more.
“Do you know what time it is now?”
“I know. 2:21 p.m.”
I said without even looking at my watch.
“It’s daytime. Living in the dark during the day is not good for your mental health.”
Anguish Regina closed the door and walked to the window.
Chook.
Without my permission, Anguise Regina opened the curtains wide. The room became dizzyingly bright. Then she manipulated the light.
The atmosphere of the room changed as the light from the window and the light bulbs were properly placed. I also realized for the first time that my room was such a nice place. Jafar did give me a nice room.
“I said shoot or get out. I didn’t say come in.”
I said nervously.
“I have no reason to listen to your orders. You don’t like my actions? Then shoot me like last time.”
“Anguise Regina said, sitting down on the sofa opposite me. She rested her chin on the armrest with her elbows on it.
“Do you think I can’t do it?”
“You wouldn’t want Jafar’s support cut off either. Do you think Jafar would let you go twice?”
“Are you Jafar’s lover? Interspecies s*x? Is that what you meant when you said you liked snake-like men?”
Despite my insults, Angus Regina just laughed.
“That’s something to laugh about while holding your stomach. Later, you’ll think about how stupid you were.”
Anguish Regina opened the cabinet next to the sofa and took out a bottle of liquor. I didn’t know there was liquor there. She seemed to know this room well.
“Have you ever lived here?”
“Not only here, but I’ve also slept in the room you destroyed. I’ve slept with every ‘detective’ I’ve ever met.”
I looked at the bottle of liquor that Anguis Regina had placed on the table. This was also a product of Jaffa Company. Inside the bottle was a whole snake immersed in liquor.
The bottle label had a picture of a snake standing on its tail. It had veins on its skin, and I knew what it symbolized without even reading the text.
“It’s snake wine that is said to be good for stamina. I don’t know what’s in it, but it feels effective.”
Anguise Regina shook the two glasses in her hands. A false smile curved her lips. She was a difficult woman. She seemed ready to cling to me like a snake.
The crisis of Jeongjo came suddenly.
“That’s too bad. I… … like men.”
“That was the funniest joke I’ve heard all year.”
The corners of Anguis Regina’s lips furrowed deeper.
