094
The tour of the Mugu exhibition hall is over.
A battle suit with uncommercialized technology attached to it, and the Legion of armored suits, the epitome of the Empire’s science and technology.
We had a preview of the Empire’s Gift. It was an event to encourage cadets who were about to graduate.
The faces of the cadets leaving the exhibition hall were filled with excitement.
‘Being a member of the guards is an honorable position even for a nobleman.’
The Royal Guard is deployed to battlefields where they absolutely must not lose. It is a combat unit that is trusted by the Empire and the Royal Family.
I pondered my future as a guard.
Even after completing their 30-year mandatory service, guards rarely transferred to another unit immediately. They often renewed their contracts every 10 years, and then transferred to another unit after serving 50 or 60 years.
‘It seems like a very long time to me, who hasn’t even lived 20 years.’
The guards are fundamentally combat troops. No matter how well they are managed, if they live for more than a century, their brain functions will begin to decline. Aging of the brain means a decline in mental power.
As the guardsmen age, they will no longer be able to handle the legion, and their combat gear will also deteriorate. At that point, even if they want to continue serving as guards, they will have to retire.
‘The question is whether you can survive until retirement.’
Fortunately, the Royal Guard does not actively use the Legion. This is probably because the Royal Guard knows that the Legion is destroying the spirit of its members.
‘There is at most one or two decades left for Heilas to be the captain of the guard.’
After his prime as a guard, Haylas will move to the highest rank of general in the military, most of whom were captains of the guard.
There has always been a general position in the military for retired captains of the guard. It’s not just captains of the guard. Retired guardsmen have taken up positions all over the military. Even if the brain function declines at an older age, the capabilities of guardsmen are still great.
‘The value of the Royal Guard’s network is enormous.’
There was a strong bond between the guardsmen. The bonds built up over decades of service were not easily broken. Perhaps even stronger than blood.
A sense of belonging and connection.
I also felt its value inwardly. I still remember Felix. Even he, who had become helpless, squeezed out his dim will and prayed for my good fortune in the future.
I had achieved success. The name of the Custoria family, and the affiliation with the Royal Guard.
But I also carry the heavy burden of being a watcher. If I break down even a little, that burden will crush me.
The higher you climb, the less room there is for mistakes. I realized that painfully.
‘I have to survive somehow.’
Kinuan’s retirement is also imminent. As his successor, I can delegate the authority to watch over him.
“Luca… … .”
Ilay followed me. He looked at my face for a moment and smiled.
“… … If you ever need help, just tell me. You have a bad habit of always trying to solve things on your own.”
“It’s not a bad habit, it’s a strong beggar.”
I responded roughly. Ilay was used to this attitude of mine, so she just laughed.
“I got a call from my family a while ago.”
Illei suddenly brought up his family story. There must be a reason for that. He is not the type of person to bring up such a story without meaning.
“At your home?”
I asked politely.
“My father has collapsed. I don’t think he has much time left before he retires. He needs to hold out at least until I can secure a spot as a guard.”
It was a cold but realistic statement. In the future, Ilay would have to undergo full-body prosthesis surgery and undergo rehabilitation. Furthermore, she had to complete the Legion adaptation training. It would be difficult for her to take on the role of Kartika’s head at this time.
“Your brother is hopeless, aren’t you sure you’ll be the next one?”
“If my father collapses before I can finish preparing, it will be a different story. Not only my father’s brothers, but I also have a capable cousin who is older than me. I think it’s time to show up at my parents’ house.”
I could guess what Elai was going to say next.
“It’s not me who needs help, it’s you, Ellie.”
“I helped you last time. If you show them that I am a special member of the Custoria family, their petty backlash will subside.”
“Even so, I am a adopted child.”
“Come to the Kartika family’s banquet with Giselle. I know this may sound a bit presumptuous, but… … Could you ask Giselle to pretend to be my fiancée? I’m not saying we’re really engaged. I just need to suppress my opposition for the time being.”
Ilay’s smile turned awkward. He also knew that he was asking for something quite difficult.
“That’s beyond my capabilities.”
My voice was cold. Even I was surprised at how cold my emotions had become.
“I think if it were up to you, Captain Haylas or Giselle would allow a fake engagement. They all love and care for you.”
That’s right. Heilas will probably nod willingly, and Giselle will probably be angry but will grant my request.
‘If Ilay can say something like that… … .’
It was definitely a serious matter. It was something that could easily lead to a civil war within the Kartika family.
“We’ll talk it over, but don’t expect too much.”
As I said that, I pushed Ilay away.
* * *
Heilas intended to use the power of the Royal Guard to investigate and capture Bao Zakanaan.
Even though they are mobilizing the Royal Guard, the Custoria family must be at the center of this matter. That’s why I was needed.
‘This time, I can’t be on the scene myself. But I can’t be without someone from House Custoria when they capture Bao Zakanaan. You are my agent for this mission.’
Heilas said so.
What does that mean?
That means I’m on a mission with the guards as an agent of Heilas. And not just any guardsman, but a member of the 1st Hundredth Regiment, the highest-ranking unit of the guards.
“Luka, you are a cadet, but speak your mind without suppressing your opinion. I believe you are not a fool who cannot speak important information because of the pressure of authority.”
Said Iskan, a guard in plain clothes instead of uniform. He was a monster who had been a veteran since before I was born. And he was an irregular like me.
‘Iskan is not married. He must have received many offers from noble families to become his son-in-law, but he remains single.’
He was truly a man who had risen to the top solely on his own merits. Just looking at his resume was enough to earn my respect.
I was assigned to spy on Bao Zakanaan along with Iskan. In addition to Iskan, two other guardsmen participated in this mission.
‘I am acting not for the Empire, but for Heilas’ personal vendetta.’
Iskan and his guards were happy to help Haylas, a mission that could have been detrimental to their careers.
“Bao Zakanaan has arrived.”
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I said as I watched Bao Zakanaan come out of the building.
We took turns watching Bao Zakanaan’s every move in pairs. The best chance was to witness him colluding with terrorists or subversive elements. If that didn’t work out, we planned to take advantage of the opportunity to kidnap him and torture him.
Kirik.
I put the electronic mask over my mouth. As it expanded, it covered my lower body.
Kiing.
And changes also occurred in the right prosthetic eye and the left eye with the contact lens. Even the color of the pupil and the iris pattern changed.
Iskan didn’t need to wear a cumbersome disguise like me. He had several full-body camouflage suits for secret missions. No one would be able to tell who he was.
“You follow left, I follow right.”
Iskan gave instructions skillfully. The detailed command was his experienced job.
Groan, grumble.
Bao Jakannan entered the bustling upper district. Compared to the lower district, the streets were clean and the high-rise buildings were neat. Below that, the crowd of people blocked us like a wall.
Beep.
I activated the tracking function of my right prosthetic eye. Even when Bao Zakanaan disappeared from sight, the expected path was quickly revealed.
‘Are you going straight home today too?’
Bao Zakanaan was a typical imperial bureaucrat. He was responsible and quiet in his conduct. He lived a mechanical life, going back and forth between work and home.
Even though he was followed for three days, Bao Zakanaan repeated the same day. He was an unremarkable figure.
‘It’s strangely singular.’
So it’s suspicious. I’ve also seen many people in the empire. I’ve met people from high-ranking officials to the lowest class.
We cannot be perfect machines. Our unstable desires and unfulfilled longings have reduced us to imperfect human beings.
OMG.
My thoughts deepened. How can I bring out the deviation and abnormal behavior in Bao Zakanaan?
Thud, thud.
I walked quickly. Then I snatched the drink someone was holding as if I was pickpocketing them. The person whose drink I had stolen looked around in bewilderment at my ghostly skills.
I pushed my way through the crowd, picking up speed as I approached Bao Jakannan.
puck!
I pushed Bao Jakannan hard with my shoulder. Bao Jakannan stumbled and fell over as I pushed him.
“Oh, sorry. I have something urgent to attend to.”
Bao Zakanaan, who had fallen, raised his head and looked at me. He was a man with a face as neat as a statue.
“… … If there’s something urgent, there’s nothing I can do.”
He didn’t get angry even in the sudden situation. He just shook the hem of his clothes with a faint smile. He had great emotional control. As expected of a high-ranking official of the empire.
“I’m not usually this kind of person, but something really urgent… … Uh, uh! I’m, I’m sorry.”
I pretended to drop the drink I was holding and poured it on Bao Jakannan’s head. Wow, the smoke has increased a lot, Luca.
“It was my mistake that the clothes got dirty, so please pay for the laundry… … .”
Bao Zakanaan extended his palm forward and rejected my credit chip.
“It’s okay. If you want to apologize, I think it would be polite to take off your mask and show your face.”
Finally, Bao Zakanaan’s voice was faintly filled with anger. He was a high-ranking official of the Information Security Department. He wanted to confirm my identity right here and now. He would retaliate later in a ‘refined way’.
“Haha, that’s a bit tricky. There are more than a few people who come after my family if I reveal my identity for no reason. Oh, I didn’t mean to imply that you’re like that. Anyway, judging from your attire, you seem like an imperial bureaucrat… … I’ll remember your face and tell my father later so that he can push you forward. If you suddenly get promoted, just think of it as thanks to me. Bye.”
Okay, that’s a really fu*king unlucky way of speaking! If I heard someone say that, I’d break their nose first.
He is clueless, stupid, and arrogant. He really is the worst kind of person.
… … In fact, I followed the example of Enrico Lagan.
“Wait, wait! I… … !”
Bao Zakanaan tried to grab me somehow, but I avoided his hand and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
I left Bao Zakanaan’s sight and joined Iskan, who was watching my every move.
“… … In my experience, the more thorough a person is, the darker their underlying desires tend to be. If you’re stressed to this extent, you won’t be able to endure it unless you let it out soon.”
I briefly explained the reason for my actions. Iskan slowly curled the corners of his lips deeply.
“I think I know why the captain cares about you.”
Iskan turned his gaze to Bao Zakanaan in the distance and continued speaking. Bao Zakanaan nervously took off his dirty coat and threw it in the trash can.
“You can call me ‘uncle’ later in private. I also call the captain by his name when we’re drinking.”
Iskan reached out and tapped my head.
