Bad Born Blood - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Did you endure the whole thing to the end? You should have just fainted skillfully when you needed to. You really have a stubborn side to you.”

It was the day after the pain tolerance training had ended. Ilray Kartika, who came to see me, spoke in a way that made it hard to tell if he was praising or mocking me. Probably a bit of both.

“I managed to hold out.”

I answered shortly as I drank some water. My mouth stung, my throat was rough, and my fingertips trembled intermittently. I lost my balance without realizing it whenever I walked.

The aftereffects of the pain tolerance training lingered heavily in my body. I would need several days of treatment and rest to fully recover.

“Haha, that eye patch suits you. For a second, I thought a space pirate had appeared.”

Ilray said, looking at my face.

“Once my nervous system recovers, I’m scheduled to get a prosthetic eye implanted. It’s a better model than yours.”

During my rest period, Ilray visited me often.

With a light smile, he spoke in a relaxed, gentle tone. He gave the impression of someone who would be a better fit as an administrative official than in the Imperial Guard.

‘But he’s incredibly skilled. There’s no denying that.’

The difference in ability among the recruits was becoming distinctly noticeable.

Ilray and I were the most outstanding. This wasn’t arrogance—it was a fact. In most training exercises, the two of us took either the top or second place or competed closely for the upper ranks. In terms of overall scores, Ilray was likely just slightly ahead of me.

During the rest period, I felt restless. I wanted to return to training as soon as possible. As soon as I had somewhat recovered, I hastened to get the prosthetic eye implanted. The doctor suggested removing and replacing my remaining eye as well, but I refused.

‘The surgery is being paid for out of the Commander’s pocket.’

I had overheard this. The removal of my eye had been an impulsive act by the Commander. For that reason, I’d heard he was personally covering the cost of my surgery.

‘…Well, with the Commander, he probably has money to burn anyway. Comes from an impressive family too.’

Even so, I didn’t like the feeling of incurring unnecessary debt.

‘It wasn’t done with malice.’

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way about the Commander’s actions.

“It seems like the Commander has quite an interest in you. You’ve caught his eye.”

That’s what Ilray said, too.

I could sense the Commander’s attention on me. For that reason, losing one eye didn’t bother me. In the end, I received a better eye sooner than I would have otherwise. My biological eye was something I would have discarded eventually.

Bzzzzzzzz.

For two days, I couldn’t sleep properly because of the high-pitched sound from my right prosthetic eye. By the third day, the sound had stopped. My brain and nervous system had fully adapted to the new implant.

“You mastered it much faster than expected. Is that what makes you a talent of the Imperial Guard?”

The doctor gave a small chuckle as he spoke. He brought a precision scanner to my right eye, observing the intricate movement of my pupil.

Once the examination was complete, I looked into the mirror.

Bzzzzzz.

The moment I focused on it, my right prosthetic eye activated, causing the outline to glow brightly. A virtual interface appeared on the retinal display, projecting augmented information about my surroundings.

‘Activate Ballistic Prediction.’

This was the most critical function.

There were no firearms nearby, so I couldn’t see any trajectory paths. Yet, the headache was severe as a massive amount of information flooded into my brain.

My brain was expanding and restructuring its neural network to adapt to the newly added function. It would take quite some time to fully utilize this feature.

“Until the system adaptation is complete, take one pill a day before bed.”

The doctor, who had been watching me, handed over a pill bottle. It contained medication to help with the formation and bonding of neural cells.

“Thank you.”

“Thank Halas, the Commander, instead. I’m only doing this for the money.”

Halas—hearing the Commander’s name felt strange. We usually called him by his rank, so I rarely heard his actual name.

Thanking the man who gouged out my eye… as absurd as it sounded, I genuinely felt grateful. Anyone hearing this would think I was out of my mind.

* * *

Our training was now entering the third quarter of the second year. So far, two out of forty had dropped out. Unless they died, most Imperial Guard cadets completed the four-year training program to become full-fledged members. Attrition was rare.

However, low attrition didn’t mean the training and education were easy. The Guard prided itself on being the harshest unit in the Empire, with cadets required to master the full spectrum of knowledge necessary for both combat troops and officers.

Imperial Guards were elite soldiers, adaptable enough to become immediate combat assets in any situation or mission.

“Only recruits who pass the initial screening test are brought into the Guard’s training program. Almost no one drops out halfway. The ones who couldn’t endure probably paid extra to have their screening results altered.”

Ilray spoke while aiming his pistol at the target. His pupils, connected to his firearm, were likely displaying an interface that assisted his aim.

Swish.

I drew my own gun. Around the shooting range, the gunshots of others occasionally echoed.

While the Imperial Guard had a preference for melee weapons, they didn’t neglect marksmanship training. Guards needed to be proficient with all equipment and weapons the Empire had to offer.

“Is it really possible to manipulate the screening tests?”

I asked again. Ilray’s grin deepened.

“There’s no proof, but my gut tells me so. The Empire has been divided by rank and class for far too long. The illusion of meritocracy is slowly fading. With enough status and wealth, even the incompetent can make themselves appear competent.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to say, Ilray.”

I warned him. To be honest, his bold words worried me. Could an imperial citizen really say something like that? Even if he was from a noble family…

*Worried?*

I chuckled bitterly as I pulled the trigger. It seemed that I had grown close to Ilray. Me, an orphanage kid, worrying about a noble heir.

“Just as proof of that… Luka, there hasn’t been a single irregular like you who failed in the Empire’s advanced military training program so far. They can’t meddle with you using money or tricks. Only those who are truly exceptional make it. It’s strange that they even have a special title like ‘irregular’ for people like you.”

Of course, with his powerful background, he could afford to speak this freely. If I held similar thoughts, I’d never dare to voice them. In fact, I’d never even considered them.

*Could nobles really be incompetent?*

I had never thought of such a thing.

Nobles were superior, while commoners… especially those from the lower classes, were incompetent. The Empire provided fair opportunities to all citizens through screening tests. If someone failed to grasp that opportunity, it was simply because they were too unqualified and thus led unsuccessful lives.

That’s what I’d been told my whole life. I was living proof of it. Though I came from the lowest class, I rose up by seizing the opportunity provided by the screening test.

“Luka, I know what you’re thinking right now. But you only got this chance because your talent was undeniable. Letting someone as gifted as you stay outside the system would be more dangerous. Rather than letting a spark turn into an uncontrollable blaze, they’d rather bring it into the oven.”

The sound of gunfire partly masked Ilray’s voice.

He pulled the trigger in rapid succession. There was only one hole in his target, as each bullet kept passing through the same spot.

“…And when an irregular like you, who rose from the bottom, succeeds, people can convince themselves that if they fail, it’s because of their own lack of ability and accept the system as it is.”

The more I listened, the more dangerous Ilray’s words sounded. Instinctively, I felt repulsed. In my view of the world, nothing he was saying made any sense.

“I could go straight to the higher-ups and report every word you’ve said. Even if you’re from the Kartika family, they won’t just overlook it.”

Ilray looked at me with an unwavering smile, his finger still pulling the trigger. Even while looking away, his aim remained impeccable.

“I know you won’t do it. If you truly intended to report me, you wouldn’t have even mentioned it in the first place. Thanks for worrying about me, Luka.”

Ilray spoke as if he were reading my mind. It annoyed me because… He was right.

* * *

The Acrecia Empire had two long-standing adversaries.

The Bellato Federation and the Holy Nation of Cora.

Both were nations that had settled on planet Novus before the Empire.

“Opportunists who mistake cowardice for wisdom.”

That was what we thought of the Bellato Federation.

“Hypocritical zealots who preach sweet peace and justice while preparing for war…”

The Holy Nation of Cora wasn’t viewed any better. If anything, they were considered slightly more tolerable than Bellato—but only barely.

The Empire scorned Bellato and regarded Cora as an enemy. But there were those we viewed with even greater contempt.

Bellato and Cora, both branches from humanity’s original roots on Earth, at least had some basis for mutual cooperation. There were times in the past when they’d reluctantly allied together. After all, they were still human.

…But entirely different alien species, who shared no such roots, weren’t even worth associating with. Seeing aliens within the Empire was rare. If a foreign species happened to become a victim of a crime within the Empire, they received no protection or even the right to defend themselves.

Discrimination against alien species was natural to us. Aliens had always tried to deceive and exploit the Empire. If we extended a hand of goodwill, they would only cut it off and steal it.

That’s the knowledge I’d heard and learned countless times. Yet I’d never personally encountered aliens—or even Bellato or Coran people, for that matter.

Today would be the first time I’d see a Coran. But it wouldn’t be a pleasant meeting. There would be bloodshed, though not ours—only theirs.

“Luka and Ilray will each take command of a platoon. If anyone has an issue with that, step forward and claim it.”

The Commander spoke while sitting on a rock, with Ilray and me standing on either side of him. In front of us, the cadets stood motionless, like machines.

The cadets remained silent. No one objected to making Ilray and me the platoon leaders.

“Beyond that canyon lies a Coran outpost illegally occupying our territory…”

The Commander pointed with his index finger toward a place beyond our sight. Drawing out his words, he finally issued the order.

“…No prisoners. Kill them all.”

This was also part of our training.

Without needing further instruction, the cadets gathered around Ilray and me. Our only weapons were close-combat weapons of personal preference and a single handgun each.

The handguns we were issued were so low-powered they couldn’t even pierce lightweight combat armor. They were practically meant for last-resort suicide or close-quarters execution.

We moved along a narrow cliff path in a silence so deep we could hear each other’s breaths.

After about thirty minutes, we took a short break. Without a word, everyone took turns keeping watch.

“Luka, see that? Our distinguished senior is watching us from afar.”

Ilray spoke, drinking from his water. Following his gaze, I looked toward the forest on the ridge above the canyon.

With some focus, I could see something shifting in the shadows of the forest. The blurred outline was unmistakably the Legion, the standard combat armor of the Imperial Guard. It looked like a steel giant standing among the trees.

Officially, he was there to protect us. But his presence also served another purpose—surveillance.

*Surveillance…*

What exactly was he watching for? I shook my head to clear away the thoughts that followed.

After the brief break, we resumed our march.

Eventually, we spotted the outpost perched above the canyon. The front was enclosed by walls, but the rear, which backed onto the cliff, was open and exposed.

They would never suspect we would climb up the cliff path.

Crkk.

We climbed the steep cliff bare-handed. A fight would soon begin.

*Kill them all. No prisoners.*

I recalled the Commander’s order.

When Ilray and I reached the edge of the cliff, we raised our heads just enough to survey the area. The other cadets clung to the cliff below us, waiting for instructions.