Bad Born Blood - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Clatter.

I stared at the Medal of Military Merit resting on my palm. Shaped like a cross blade, its edges were sharp. If someone touched it carelessly, they might prick their fingers. On the blade’s surface, the numeral “VII” was engraved, signifying “7.”

The 7th-Class Cross Blade Medal of Military Merit—a testament to significant achievements in battle.

Among the Imperial Guard cadets, only Ilay and I had received the medal. The other cadets and instructors reacted as though it were expected. From what I’d heard from the instructors, it seemed there hadn’t been cadets as outstanding as Ilay and me for several intakes.

“Ridiculous, isn’t it? That I, of all people, would receive a medal.”

Ilay spoke, slipping his Cross Blade Medal of Military Merit into the pocket of his coat with a faint smile.

A month had passed since Lilian’s death. Before I knew it, the commendation ceremony was over, and the events of that day were gradually fading from everyone’s memory.

Ilay, too, seemed to have regained his composure, wearing his usual relaxed smile. Yet I could see the anxiety lurking behind it.

“Luka, for the first time in my life, I regret neglecting my training.”

It was a relief that I was the one hearing this. For someone like him, who was held in high regard as a prodigy, to call himself lazy—it would have been enough to make other cadets clutch their heads in frustration if they’d heard it.

“Training wouldn’t have changed anything. There were four Imperial Guards there. By that point, it was already over.”

I gazed at the distant crowd. They were prospective officers and Imperial Guard cadets.

The Empire had expedited the recruitment of cadets. News of the rebellion had reached the ears of the noble families. To demonstrate their loyalty, nobles were sending their children to enroll as cadets.

“They’re flocking in like there’s a prize to be won.”

I murmured. Ilay was also looking in the same direction as me.

“I heard the standards have been relaxed. Apparently, even the dullest fool can at least make it as a low-ranking officer.”

Memories of the past came rushing back. Three years ago, I had been part of that crowd. It felt like just yesterday that I’d had my first meeting with the Commander of the Imperial Guard.

“Luka, I’m thinking of taking leave to visit my family estate.”

I didn’t ask Ilay why he was returning to his family estate. I could only vaguely guess that it had to do with some internal resolve.

We were approaching the final year of our cadet training. Starting in the fourth year, we would be treated as provisional members of the Imperial Guard. Essentially, we would be no different from Guards who lacked full combat prosthetics.

After a pause, I voiced a question that had lingered in my mind for some time.

“…Why did Lilian smile even though her family was killed? Saying they didn’t get along isn’t enough to explain it. If she had lost her mind, I might understand, but that wasn’t the case either.”

I brought up Lilian’s story. I felt I had the right to know at least this much.

Ilay leaned his arms on the railing and rested his chin on them. With eyes that were more unfocused than relaxed, he gazed down at the city below. The inorganic buildings rose tall, like a dense forest. Beyond the low-saturation high-rises, the chaotic neon signs of the lower district flickered faintly.

“Just like I’m destined to become part of the Imperial Guard, Lilian was meant to be a bridge between her family and another.”

“An arranged marriage?”

It sounded like the obvious answer. Ilay, watching the setting sun, continued speaking.

“That’s putting it mildly. Lilian Ramoness had her marriage partner decided from birth. He was a man more than fifty years older.”

“So, did she rebel against her parents because of that?”

“Just listen. The man was a widower. After losing his previous wife, he made a proposal to the Ramoness family, offering an enormous dowry. But the conditions he demanded were extremely specific.”

Even I, who had been listening half-heartedly, was beginning to feel curious about the story.

“What kind of conditions?”

“He sent photos, videos, and records of his late wife along with a ridiculous demand: ‘Raise her to be exactly like my late wife.’ From her appearance to her speech, down to the smallest habits and mannerisms. Even her name—Lilian—was chosen for that reason.”

I frowned, first in disbelief, then in disgust. It was a revolting request.

“Lilian was raised by the Ramoness family like livestock, tailored to the customer’s order. Like a custom-made product. The only fortunate aspect was that the man’s late wife had a strong connection to Bellato. Because of that, Lilian had access to books and knowledge about Bellato. There was even a condition: ‘She must be well-versed in Bellato culture.’”

“Then the Lilian we know—her appearance wasn’t originally hers, was it?”

“…No one knows what Lilian’s original face looked like. Not even she knew. Her appearance was changed through surgeries every year to simulate natural growth. Her eye color was altered, and her facial bones were shaved and augmented.”

“To match the voice, her vocal cords were replaced with a machine early on. It must have been excruciating. Even when she reached adulthood, when it would have been easier to completely reconstruct her face, the ‘customer’ wouldn’t allow it. He insisted that her physical identity remain fixed.”

I felt anew how twisted and oppressive desires become when intertwined with power.

“She was abused from the moment she was born.”

“Lilian had to live with even her tastes and habits predetermined. Whenever she stepped out of line, she faced brutal punishments. Among her family, the only one who showed her any sympathy was Claude, who was closer to her in age.”

Now, even I felt a small amount of pity for Lilian. It seemed she had lived a rather miserable life.

As I listened to the story, a question came to mind.

“Then what was the meaning behind Claude introducing Lilian to me? You said her marriage partner was decided from birth.”

Ilay gave an awkward smile. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke cautiously.

“To tell you the truth… It was something Lilian and I planned. We told Claude that you were the hidden son of the Commander of the Imperial Guard. That’s why Claude approached you with that proposal.”

“You… what? Wait, did Claude actually believe that?”

“Come on, anyone could see how much the Commander of the Imperial Guard paid special attention to you. Besides, if you were the Commander’s illegitimate son, it would explain how you climbed all the way from a double-digit orphanage to become an Imperial Guard cadet.”

“Unbelievable. This guy, that guy—what a mess.”

I let out an irritated sigh.

“The Commander of the Guard is from the Kusthoria family. If Lilian married you and bore a child with Kusthoria blood, she thought she might finally be freed. I agreed to some extent, so I gave Lilian your information in advance.”

“This is absolutely disgusting.”

They schemed above my head and tried to use me? Whatever pity I felt for Lilian evaporated instantly.

“I’m sorry, Luka. I just wanted to help Lilian that badly. And, to be honest, I thought you and Lilian would be a good match.”

“Spare me the pretty words. Anyway, it was a lie that would’ve been exposed sooner or later. How were you planning to handle the aftermath?”

Ilay scratched his chin and laughed.

“By the time it was exposed, you would’ve been an official Imperial Guard. A promising rookie under the favor of the current Commander of the Imperial Guard. Neither the Ramoness family nor her fiancé would have been able to touch you easily. And I would have supported you as much as I could. Besides, we had no idea back then that the Ramoness family would end up being the main force behind the rebellion.”

Claude’s proposal and Lilian’s approach hadn’t been coincidences. It was all a carefully planned scheme. I felt both anger and a sense of futility.

I shifted my gaze to glare at Ilay. He avoided making eye contact with me.

Ilay was my friend. But Ilay wasn’t a good person. If necessary, he would use and deceive others. He had killed his own subordinate with his own hands, and he had lied to me.

However, funnily enough, I still trust Ilay. If he were ever forced to weigh his life against mine, he would undoubtedly act in my favor. In the hierarchy of priorities that governs his actions, my life ranks quite high.

Ilay cares about me. Of that, I’m certain. I felt it even during the Lilian incident.

“Ilay, has the rib I broke last time healed yet?”

I asked calmly. Ilay, who had been holding a cigarette in his mouth, tilted his head. Ever since returning from the last battle, he had taken up smoking occasionally.

“Oh, you’ve been thinking about that? Not fully—wait, hold on! This isn’t—hey, come on!”

Ilay belatedly realized the intent behind my question and panicked. The cigarette fell from his lips. I clenched my fist.

Crack!

The sound of a bone breaking was oddly satisfying. Feeling considerably lighter, I pulled out my terminal and called for the medical team. The androids would be arriving soon.

* * *

I regularly visited Kinuan. Today, too, he was sipping tea and reading a book. In many ways, he was an old-fashioned man.

“Well, look who’s here. Our war hero has finally arrived. I heard you received the Cross Blade Medal of Military Merit?”

Kinuan greeted me, closing his book. However, his words were far from praise. He was anti-Empire, after all.

“It’s just a 7th-Class Medal that anyone can get. Nowhere near as illustrious as your dazzling record, Instructor.”

Without waiting for an invitation, I casually perched on a nearby chair. Formalities had long since disappeared between Kinuan and me. We were more like master and apprentice than superior and subordinate.

“I’ve read your report too. You took the lead quite proactively. Definitely a commendable effort deserving of the medal. Hmm, a truly enthusiastic and exemplary soldier.”

“You’re particularly sarcastic today. I wanted to test Arkies Combat Method in real combat. It was also an opportunity to gauge my limits.”

I was half-serious. I had been waiting for large-scale real combat like this. It was a chance to verify my abilities.

Of course, my active involvement in the recent underground operations was largely due to Lilian and Ilay.

In any case, my actions, which were equal parts genuine and calculated, rarely raised suspicion from others. Everyone already knew I had an unusually strong drive to achieve.

“When I look at your combat records… it’s clear you used Arkies Combat Method well. However, it seems your battles relied heavily on your personal skills. As a leader, that’s a flaw. Did your subordinates not follow orders well?”

“No, they were all exemplary soldiers of the Empire. The kind who would leap into the jaws of death even under the orders of an unfamiliar platoon leader.”

Hearing my response, Kinuan stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment. After a brief pause, he took the teapot and poured tea into my cup.

“…Then I suppose you’re a kindhearted leader.”

“Pardon?”

A phrase suddenly came to mind. It was something I had heard in a tense situation, and I hadn’t paid much attention until now, but Ilay had said something similar to me once.

“Luka. Quite a few of your platoon members survived. I’ve thought about this for a while… you’re just too kind.”

I now realized the meaning of his words was likely the same as Kinuan’s.

“You chose to shoulder more of the risk yourself rather than expend your platoon members. That’s why I said you were kind.”

“Because it minimizes operational losses,” I replied evenly. I had kept my platoon’s losses to a minimum while continuing the fight.

“Do you really think it causes no losses? By pushing yourself to the front in combat, you accumulate neural fatigue. That dulls the judgment critical for a leader. To put it bluntly, preserving your combat effectiveness and decision-making is more important than the lives of one or two subordinates. What if you get injured or killed? That loss would outweigh the combined worth of all your platoon members.”

“So, you’re saying I should have sacrificed my platoon members instead?”

I replied in a somewhat bitter tone.

“A truly outstanding leader knows when to expend their subordinates.”

“…I’ll do that when the time comes.”

“Based on the combat records, your platoon should have suffered twice the casualties it did. You took on that damage yourself instead.”

To be honest, I couldn’t help but think, Shouldn’t I be praised for that? Kinuan seemed to sense my thoughts, chuckling softly.

“But that’s what I like about you, Luka. It’s what makes you… different.”

“I’ll be sure to actively sacrifice my subordinates from now on.”

I responded coldly. Kinuan simply smiled faintly in reply.