Bad Born Blood - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Kinuan often took me to the lower district. And without any information, he pushed me into fights.

The purpose of these fights was not victory. The focus was on how much more optimized I could make my combat. It was fundamental to always grasp my capabilities, but I had to read everything about the enemy—from the direction of their toes to the movement of their gaze—as soon as I saw them. After that, I needed to assess the surroundings and craft a path that would work to my advantage.

Once this so-called “fight” training session was over, Kinuan routinely stopped by a certain place.

Creak.

I opened the door and stepped into a small mechanical workshop. The woman at the workbench looked at Kinuan and me, then pushed her goggles up.

“Oh, welcome.”

She greeted us with an oil-stained face.

‘So this woman is a mechanic.’

She was the woman I had rescued from the gang’s office not long ago.

After hearing her story, I learned she had been missing for several months, enduring terrible things. Fortunately, she hadn’t completely broken down mentally; as soon as her psychological therapy concluded, she was able to return to her daily life.

“Gilda, could you get me a coffee? Black. With enough oil floating on top to taste it.”

Kinuan called her name. Gilda stopped what she was doing and got up. Without a hint of reluctance, she opened the door to the break room, then looked in my direction.

“And Luka? Would you like some milk?”

“…I’ll have coffee as well. Without the oil.”

If I drank milk here, Kinuan would definitely mock me. So I mentioned coffee, even though I didn’t like it.

Srrrk.

As soon as Gilda entered the break room, I confronted Kinuan.

“Do we really have to stop by Gilda’s workshop just to drink coffee? I already asked Gabriel to check on her from time to time.”

“Gilda’s the woman you saved. Doesn’t seeing her living so resolutely make you feel at least a little proud?”

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. But I wanted to uncover the truth behind Kinuan’s words.

“You knew Gilda, didn’t you, Instructor? Even if she doesn’t know who you are, you knew her from way back.”

A hint of surprise flickered across Kinuan’s face, but it disappeared in an instant behind his smile.

“Gilda is also from the orphanage. She had a knack for mechanical engineering from a young age, so I even sponsored her studies at one point. She probably doesn’t know I was her sponsor, so keep it secret.”

Kinuan pressed a finger to his lips as if to urge silence. I couldn’t delve further into his hidden feelings. The momentary ripple in his expression had been brief.

Clatter.

Gilda came out carrying a tray with two coffee cups. One of them was making a bubbling sound from the oil.

“A fine coffee indeed.”

Kinuan commented as he sipped his oily coffee. If I drank that, it would probably burn a hole in my stomach. That coffee was meant for people with cybernetic implants replacing their internal organs.

I took a sip of the regular coffee. Honestly, it was bitter. I almost wanted to grimace. I could barely bring myself to take another sip.

Srrrk.

Seeing my hesitation, Gilda silently offered me a bowl of sugar cubes, as if thoughtfully extending it.

“Hmm, I don’t really have much to offer to my saviors. I should’ve bought some cookies at least…”

“Cookies would be fine. Luka would like that. He’s still young, after all.”

“That’s true, isn’t it? I’ll make sure to get some next time.”

Listening to their conversation, I gave up trying to chime in. Kinuan glanced at my expression and chuckled as if amused.

Gilda was about seven years older than me and an experienced mechanic. She said it had been three years since she’d opened her shop.

I had heard the reason behind her abduction before. She really just had terrible luck. One of her friends ran off with gang money and ended up crashing at Gilda’s shop for a few days. Because of that, the gang took Gilda too, as an added measure.

‘Of course, that friend is no longer in this world.’

Without our rescue, Gilda would have fallen beyond help. Although she seemed fine now, her mind had been driven to the brink. There would probably still be lingering aftereffects. Maybe nightmares every night, or something like that.

“How’s business? I imagine you lost a lot of regulars while you were away.”

Kinuan asked, drinking his coffee halfway. Gilda gestured to the prosthetic legs and arms hanging from the ceiling in clusters.

“Thanks to that, I’m just taking on whatever jobs I can now, even the ones that don’t pay. But Gabriel’s maintenance keeps me pretty busy. There’s so much to work on with all the inconsistency in his modifications.”

Gilda glanced at us and then closed her mouth. She had questions but held back.

She didn’t know that we were from the Imperial Guard. And she didn’t pry into her saviors’ backgrounds. She was a wise woman. I found myself feeling a certain respect for Gilda, who was living her life with resilience.

Gilda and Kinuan chatted idly. I sat there, waiting for the conversation to end.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, I sensed someone approaching and looked toward the entrance. Even before the door opened, I knew who was coming in.

‘Gabriel.’

Gabriel opened the door and came in. He flinched when he saw me and Kinuan. To be precise, it was Kinuan that startled him.

Gabriel had a natural fear of Kinuan. He couldn’t gauge the depth of Kinuan’s character. Gabriel knew well that if Kinuan wished, he could erase someone like him without a trace.

“What’s this, Gilda? Since when did you start serving drinks? If that’s the case, get me a beer.”

Gabriel tried to mask his surprise with bravado but chose a seat far from Kinuan.

“I’d give you one, but you’re showing signs of nervous system overload from prolonged overuse. Stay away from drugs and alcohol.”

“Are you my doctor? Not like I plan on living long anyway.”

“When the time comes, don’t go whining to be saved. When your nervous system fails, you’ll die in horrible pain. You don’t just drift off in your sleep and die peacefully.”

Gilda’s tone was cynical, as if she’d dealt with people like Gabriel many times.

Gabriel just shrugged and chugged his beer. After downing half in one go, he stared directly at me.

“You’re the one stirring up the underworld these days, right? What’s your game here? Rumor has it you’re making a name for yourself. I’m hearing more and more bosses say it’s time to take action. If people like that get involved, I won’t be able to protect Gilda.”

In essence, he was speaking to Kinuan as well. Gabriel knew that I was acting under Kinuan’s orders.

If the gang bosses started coming after us, Gilda would be in danger too.

I glanced at Kinuan. There was no way he wasn’t aware of the same facts Gabriel and I both knew.

“Regardless, we won’t be able to come here for a while. That’s not something you need to worry about.”

The one most shocked by this was Gilda. I was a little surprised, too. Kinuan had never said anything like this to me before.

“If you say for a while, how long do you mean?”

“It could be a few months, or even a few years. You both know we don’t belong to the lower district, don’t you? Don’t try to dig any further.”

If you value your lives, that is.

Even without adding those words, Gilda and Gabriel understood perfectly well.

‘So we really won’t be coming to the lower district for a while?’

I couldn’t go to the lower district on my own. I wouldn’t receive clearance from the higher-ups.

Honestly, I felt a little disappointed. It seemed I’d grown a certain attachment.

Today could be the last time I’d see them. Perhaps that’s why Kinuan stayed longer at Gilda’s workshop than usual.

Casual chatter flowed between Gabriel and Gilda, with them at the center. Since I couldn’t reveal details about myself, I stayed silent and just listened to the conversation.

‘Gabriel and Gilda.’

I was gradually beginning to understand the kind of people Gabriel and Gilda were. They each made efforts in their own way to survive in this world.

After her ordeal, Gilda faced reality and got back to work right away. Gabriel, always taking risks, did his best not to be looked down upon in the world he belonged to. For them, that was the only way forward.

‘But they couldn’t change the reality surrounding them.’

They hadn’t managed to escape this place.

It was true that I had talent. But just because I had talent didn’t mean I hadn’t worked harder than they did. I’d lived far more fiercely than Gilda and Gabriel, perhaps several times or even dozens of times more. My achievements and status were earned through sweat and blood.

‘Don’t pity those at the bottom, Luka. They aren’t worth it.’

I muttered that to myself as I drank my coffee, loaded with five sugar cubes.

Hmm, now it was finally drinkable.

* * *

The preparations for the psychological evaluation were complete.

When I stepped out of my quarters, the weather was overcast and still. I walked to the Imperial Guard Captain’s office, focusing on controlling my inner self.

‘The persona I show is a patterned version of myself.’

Repetition makes it real.

With my mind composed, I arrived at the Imperial Guard Captain’s office and reported everything about Kinuan Instructor’s suspicious behavior and words.

The Captain silently pondered over my report. He released a thoughtful sigh and moved his lips.

“…Is that the end of your report?”

“That is all, sir.”

“Kinuan Instructor started cadet training later in life. He’s someone who normally wouldn’t be able to join the Imperial Guard. But at that time, the Empire had to embrace impurities if they were needed. It was a period of widespread unrest.”

Kinuan stood out within the Imperial Guard. I felt that deeply myself. I couldn’t understand why someone like him was still being tolerated.

‘There’s no way the higher-ups don’t know about Kinuan’s ideology and actions.’

Kinuan didn’t even seem to bother hiding it. He was an impurity in the Empire.

A question rose in my throat, but I held it back with patience. Curiosity was not a soldier’s duty.

The Captain continued as I kept silent.

“Even I don’t fully know what kind of man Kinuan is. Since my earliest days as a rookie, Kinuan has been a central figure in the Guard. I suspect he’s mostly been assigned unofficial missions.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. No, this was something anyone would be shocked by. It meant that even the Captain of the Imperial Guard didn’t have access to information or records about Kinuan.

The Captain didn’t say any more about Kinuan. Knowing more would probably do me no good. Knowing a secret was dangerous. Secrets had to be kept, and the surest way to do so was through death.

“…In any case, it’s true that Kinuan seems to have taken a liking to you. He’s sent cadets several times before, but none of them lasted long.”

The words “didn’t last long” lingered in my mind.

I wanted to ask what he meant by that. Was it because they lacked the aptitude to learn Akies combat techniques, or had they met with some other… fate?

It was just my guess, but I had a feeling that among the cadets who had approached Kinuan, some hadn’t made it out alive.

“Luka, if you’re curious about anything, feel free to ask. I’ll tell you whatever I can within reason.”

“I only follow orders, sir.”

My response was immediate, without hesitation.

I am a loyal soldier. The Emperor’s sword and the Empire’s shield. Even if commanded to leap into a pit of fire, I wouldn’t hesitate.

“You’re exceptional. But you’re not perfect yet. Right now, you’re in a state where you could be easily influenced. You’ll need to undergo another psychological evaluation.”

It was as I’d expected. I accepted the psychological evaluation calmly.

Beep.

The Captain opened a holographic interface to adjust my schedule. Using his authority, he arranged the psychological evaluation for this afternoon. The updated schedule appeared on my retinal display.

After finalizing the appointment, the Captain closed his eyes, pressing his fingers to his temples. It seemed he was handling several troublesome issues, even aside from Kinuan’s matter. He hesitated slightly before speaking.

“Luka, let me speak frankly. There are two outcomes for an Imperial Guard cadet assigned to this kind of mission: either they’re silenced, or they rise to prominence within the core of the Guard by proving their merit. I want you to be the latter.”

I was someone they could eliminate at any time. I had no background, no connections—an outsider. I was perfect for this kind of assignment. I held no resentment. It was natural for a soldier to be used as a tool of the Empire.

“I’m simply here to fulfill my role. If I emerge unchanged by the end of this, I trust you’ll support me just as strongly, Captain.”

This level of ambition was safe to show. My drive for improvement and achievement was notably high, after all.

“If the results are satisfactory, I’ll be your background. To be precise, I’ll adopt you as my own. Luka Custoria? Hm, not a bad ring to it.”

I froze entirely, my eyes widening. This reward exceeded all expectations. An unwieldy smile nearly spread across my lips.

The Captain’s name was Halas Custoria.

And Custoria? One of the most prestigious noble families in the Empire! Damn it! I was so thrilled I almost swore. This was a deal between the Captain and me—a chance earned solely by my own merit.

I couldn’t hide the surge of emotions rising in me. The Captain could surely hear the powerful beating of my heart.

“…I just realized that I might be more shallow than I thought.”

The Captain smiled quietly. I saluted and exited the office.