Bad Born Blood - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I went to find Kinuan, the hand-to-hand combat instructor. It wasn’t unusual for cadets to visit instructors for personal reasons. Especially by the third year, after completing basic training, cadets would identify areas where they needed improvement and build their own training curriculum.

“It’s unusual for you to come looking for me.”

Kinuan, seated inside his office, looked at me as he spoke. Like the other instructors, he was a retired member of the Imperial Guard.

“I came because I had something to ask.”

“Have a seat. Would you care for some tea?”

Kinuan rose from his seat, his loose clothing fluttering as he moved. Before I could even answer, he was already pouring tea.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the tea and took a seat.

Sip.

The tea was bitter and astringent. I barely managed to keep a neutral expression. If he hadn’t been my superior, I would’ve cursed and asked if he actually paid money to drink this garbage.

Kinuan inhaled the steam from the hot tea and carefully took a small sip. He looked serene, savoring the tea with a sense of leisure.

I observed Kinuan. He had a middle-aged face, calm to the point that he didn’t even give off a military vibe at a glance.

But Kinuan was strong. I’d felt that difference when learning hand-to-hand combat under him. He was different.

“If it’s hand-to-hand combat, there’s nothing more for you to learn. You’re already excellent. Even among past cadets, few were more skilled in combat than you.”

Interpreted another way, it meant that there were still those better than me.

“Excellence at the cadet level isn’t enough.”

There was no point in dragging this out. I got straight to the point.

“There’s no need to be greedy.”

“I could barely sit back and watch as the Imperial Guard and the Holy Nation of Cora’s Holy Knights fought.”

“Well, of course. Isn’t that because you’re still a cadet? I read the reports and records myself. You carried out your role admirably, using your abilities to the fullest.”

Kinuan chuckled slightly.

“Strictly speaking, I failed the mission.”

My fellow cadets, including Claude, had died under my command. If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the Imperial Guard, we would have been annihilated.

“You were up against an opponent you couldn’t defeat, even at full strength. It wasn’t your fault. That was a failure of the upper ranks. In fact, your evaluation has only risen since that mission.”

“The upper ranks’ evaluation doesn’t matter. I need the capability to respond, even when faced with an unexpected adversary.”

Kinuan closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes. I raised my head, waiting for Kinuan to speak.

“…Time is on your side. You’ll gain more experience and receive better prosthetics in the future. You’ll grow stronger even without rushing. The upper ranks, having lost cadets due to this miscalculation, will also proceed with more caution.”

Kinuan spoke gently, as if instructing me. I held my neck and back upright, meeting his gaze steadily.

“I heard that you, Instructor, are also from a two-digit orphanage.”

Kinuan was like me—a fellow Irregular who had risen from the bottom.

The difference in quality between single-digit orphanages and two-digit ones was stark. Orphanages from No. 1 to No. 9 housed children with superior genetics. Rumor had it that many of them were illegitimate offspring of noble families. They received ample support from the Empire.

Kinuan and I were from two-digit orphanages, where potential talent was low, and the Empire’s support was scarce.

Yet, a few exceptional individuals managed to rise, even from such harsh conditions.

*‘The Empire is fair. It gives everyone a chance.’*

People thought this way. I had thought so, too.

However, according to Ilray, the Empire had merely used Irregulars to plant that illusion among its subjects.

…It was a subversive thought. I shouldn’t dwell on it any further.

Swallowing hard, I focused on Kinuan’s words.

“Luka, you have better potential than I did. Back in my cadet days, I barely managed to avoid last place in most of the training. My peers whispered about me, saying that someone unfit to be an Imperial Guard had slipped in.”

His words surprised me. Becoming an instructor was a high honor. Only those with distinguished achievements in the Imperial Guard could be granted such a position.

It was hard to believe that Kinuan had been a poor performer during his cadet days. Of course, that was within the context of cadets. Across the Empire, he must have still been an exceptional talent.

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

Kinuan chuckled as he watched me in silence.

“I’ve read your service record, Instructor. Especially…”

Kinuan had established himself as an indispensable figure in significant battles during his active service. He had earned countless military honors while serving in the Imperial Guard.

After a pause, I continued.

“…I heard that you infiltrated enemy lines and distinguished yourself using a non-combat prosthetic.”

Kinuan had once feigned surrender at a front line where they were locked in a standoff with the Bellato Federation for months. The prosthetic he used at the time was a low-power, everyday model unsuitable for combat.

The Bellato Federation accepted Kinuan’s surrender, seeing him as unarmed. Then, a catastrophe ensued. Kinuan killed the officer interrogating him, then stormed the meeting room, slaughtering the officers in charge of the battlefield, causing a temporary disruption in the front lines.

The Empire seized the opportunity to launch an offensive, forcing the Federation to retreat its front lines.

*‘I don’t have the clearance to view the detailed records from that time.’*

I didn’t know how Kinuan managed such a feat. The soldiers of the Bellato Federation weren’t fools. Kinuan must have had something beyond common sense that allowed him to pull it off.

“You’re quite curious.”

This wasn’t a compliment. For an Imperial Guard, or any soldier of the Empire, those words served as a warning.

Don’t seek knowledge beyond your authority.

Hold your position in silence… be loyal to the Emperor, and protect the citizens of the Empire.

I understood this well. Just a year or two ago, I wouldn’t have acted this way. I realized faintly.

*‘I’m changing.’*

I was gradually deviating from the virtues required of a soldier of the Empire. No matter how I thought about it, it was all because of that damn Ilray. He was having a bad influence on me.

“…My apologies, Instructor.”

I was about to stand up. As far as I knew, Kinuan was the most competent among the instructors. But I had no intention of pestering someone who wasn’t convinced.

“Do you plan to go to every instructor like this? Many will view it unfavorably. Reputation matters as much as skill.”

“I don’t intend to flatter others to climb the ranks. I plan to rise by my own strength. I have no background to rely on, after all.”

Kinuan quietly observed me, then smiled. He stood up, holding his knees.

“Follow me, Luka.”

* * *

Kinuan came to a stop in front of an empty training room. A lens on the doorframe opened, beginning visitor identification. Shortly after, the sound of the lock releasing signaled the door opening.

The walls and floor of the training room were all cold metal tiles. With so much empty space, even a breath would likely echo.

“You’ve always been an excellent cadet.”

Kinuan spoke as he walked to the center of the training room. With his hands behind his back, he looked at me.

“Thank you.”

I replied reflexively.

“Especially with your high marks in hand-to-hand combat, it’s been a point of pride for me as your instructor. Now, show me what you’ve learned so far, Luka.”

I immediately assumed my stance, preparing for battle. There was no reason to hesitate. If this was a test, I had to pass. This was an opportunity to learn from the battle techniques of Kinuan, who had been through it all.

*Whirr.*

My right cybernetic eye analyzed Kinuan’s full-body prosthetic. It was a low-power, everyday model.

Other instructors and members of the Imperial Guard used combat-level specifications, even during downtime.

*‘If we’re just talking about the grip strength of my cybernetic arm, I’m at least ten times stronger.’*

Overall, my specs were much better. My only disadvantage was that I didn’t have a full-body prosthetic, making the durability of my biological parts weaker.

I regulated my breathing, gathering my full strength. I wasn’t taking this lightly. Even with a low-spec prosthetic, Kinuan was strong enough to take down a cadet like me with ease.

“I don’t recall ever teaching you to hesitate. Seems you’ve forgotten the basics.”

Kinuan spoke, his hands still clasped behind his back.

“Then, pardon me.”

I murmured as I moved forward.

*Clack.*

The metallic tiles echoed with a cold sound.

The Empire’s martial arts prioritized lethality and efficiency. Strikes aimed for vital points with the shortest, quickest motions.

*Whoosh!*

I moved with textbook form, springing forward with my body’s momentum. My probing punch aimed for Kinuan’s face. Though it was light, a direct hit would likely crush his skull.

*Swish!*

Kinuan smoothly tilted his head to dodge my punch. I hadn’t expected such an attack to land on him anyway.

*‘Close the distance with the strike…’*

I extended my other fist, fingers loosely spread to grab hold of Kinuan at any moment.

If any of Kinuan’s limbs got caught in my grasp, I could twist and rip it out at the joint.

*Tap!*

Kinuan lightly tapped the inside of my wrist with the back of his hand, gently pushing it aside. With this simple motion, my body tilted.

*‘Huh?’*

My arm and torso wobbled, like a train derailing off track. My unsteady foot faltered.

I didn’t try to steady myself as I fell. Breaking my attack sequence would leave me open to counter. I was already within Kinuan’s strike range.

*Whirr!*

Instead, I pushed harder into the fall, catching myself with one hand on the floor, while swinging my unsteady leg up toward Kinuan’s chin.

Even I thought it was a sharp improvisation. I was secretly hopeful that this move would catch Kinuan off guard.

I shifted my gaze to look at Kinuan. He was smiling. The moment I saw that smile, I was certain that I’d already lost.

*Thud!*

Kinuan brushed aside my kick with a downward push of his palm.

*Whirrrrr!*

My body spun through the air like a wheel. Unable to regain control, I fell flat on my back.

“What on earth…?”

I couldn’t hold back the words of amazement that escaped my lips. It was a kind of awe.

Kinuan had only tapped me lightly, but each time he did, my body stumbled and lost its balance. In the end, he deflected my kick, twisting the force of my movement. This wasn’t a technique found in the Empire’s standard combat manual.

At that moment, I was certain—I’d made the right choice coming to him.

“It’s a personal form of self-defense.”

Kinuan extended a hand toward me as I lay on the ground.

“Is it something I could le—”

I started to ask but stopped mid-sentence. Kinuan’s hand was visibly trembling.

And it wasn’t just his hand; his whole body quivered uncontrollably, a sign of malfunction in his neural functions.

“There’s always a price to pay for shortcuts.”

Kinuan gave a bitter smile.