Chapter 117
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117
A pistol-shaped laser scanner swept over my new prosthetic leg and arm. A grid of laser lines brushed across my limbs—a non-destructive integrity examination. Any unnecessary or suspicious foreign objects would be flagged immediately.
Beep.
The results came back clean. Still, I couldn't let my guard down just yet.
Creak, creak.
I wiggled my fingers one by one, starting with the ones that had just been scanned. Even beneath the artificial skin, they hadn't been broken in yet, grinding out a stiff, grating sound.
They're much better than my old ones.
Brand new, yet they didn't feel foreign at all. The signal stability and compatibility were excellent, making the sensation remarkably close to my previous prosthetics.
New as they were, there was virtually no difference in output compared to the old ones. That was only natural—I'd already been using the highest-output prosthetics available within my weight class. To push the output any higher, I'd have to bulk up or transition to a full-body prosthetic.
I closed my eyes and listened closely.
Tap.
I tapped my new prosthetic arm and leg with my fingers, listening to the sound waves spread out. Even as the echoes bounced back, I couldn't detect any foreign objects. That was enough to put my mind at ease.
I slowly opened my eyes. Caution was everything right now. It was best to doubt everything.
It seems he didn't plant anything strange in his gift.
This prosthetic leg and arm were gifts from Fransek—the most high-end products on the market. It felt almost wasteful for me to use them, given that I was about to undergo full-body prosthetic surgery. Once I transitioned to a full-body prosthetic, I'd be fitted with one exclusive to the Imperial Guard anyway.
I'd been hospitalized at the Imperial Medical Facility for three days. My recovery had been so fast it was bizarre, if not outright astonishing. Had I been treated at the Imperial Guard, these injuries would have taken at least two months to heal.
The only ones who visited me during those three days were Fransek and Heilas.
Neither Kinuan, Giselle, nor Ivan had come.
Well, that's only normal.
Giselle didn't have the authority to enter the Imperial Medical Facility. Officially, the same went for Kinuan.
...And Ivan always visited without anyone knowing—just like now.
The moment I stepped into the aerial vehicle, which was set on autopilot toward the Imperial Guard headquarters, I narrowed my eyes. Ivan Cracia was inside.
Ivan stared at me with his legs crossed. The eyes beneath his lashes shone far too bright.
"You disobeyed my order, Luka."
"Did you ever give me an order?"
I spoke calmly as I sat down across from him. For the first time, I could clearly sense Ivan's emotions.
Anger.
Ivan was angry with me. Fearing my fingertips might tremble, I clasped my hands together.
"Luka, Luka, Luka. I don't want to play word games with you. You, of all people, should have understood my orders and my intentions. We should be holding Fransek's funeral right now."
"No. I wouldn't have been able to attend the funeral anyway. I'd be sitting in a prison cell, held responsible for the security failure. With all my limbs severed."
"Even after everything I said, you still didn't trust me. I would have handled the aftermath."
"I didn't want to gamble my life on someone who isn't even a comrade-in-arms. No matter who that someone is."
Now was the time to push back hard. I couldn't be submissive. I had to negotiate on equal terms. Don't let yourself get dragged around by a monster, Luka.
I steadied my wavering heart and stared straight back into Ivan's eyes.
"I thought I treated you well. I put my heart into it. Do you think my sincerity was lacking?"
Ivan's eyebrows drooped pitifully. But that, too, was likely an act. Members of the Imperial Family were creatures who viewed even their own flesh and blood as tools—deceiving and killing them without a second thought.
"Ivan, you are not my superior. You are not the Imperial Guard Captain, nor are you Kinuan. Nor are you His Majesty the Emperor, to whom I owe blind loyalty. I believe I've done more than enough simply by not reporting your treasonous plans."
Ivan bit his lower lip in frustration. A look that seemed on the verge of tears flickered across his face. I couldn't let myself be fooled by his appearance. I had to sharpen every sense to see the true nature of this monster. Just last night, this mad boy had tried to ignite a war by murdering his own flesh and blood.
It wasn't out of some overflowing sense of justice that I'd stopped the war. I didn't know much about war. I just had a gut feeling. Starting a war just to escape my current predicament would only bring about greater sacrifices. And I would end up losing even more.
I'd been through many battles. Each time, misfortune and sorrow ran rampant. There was no way I couldn't grasp how immense the madness and disaster of a war—which was nothing more than hundreds or thousands of battles chained together—would be. I didn't merely enjoy battles and fights; I took pleasure in them. Every time I defeated and killed a strong opponent with my own hands, I felt an indescribable ecstasy. An emotion so intense that even sexual release seemed laughable by comparison.
...And yet, even someone like me understood that war was sheer madness.
"In the end, I suppose you weren't my Watcher after all. What a shame."
Ivan spoke as if drawing a line between us. He shifted as though to stand, detaching himself emotionally.
I can't make an enemy of Ivan. I have to keep him on my side.
I spoke up quickly.
"You were the one who said blind loyalty isn't the reason a Watcher exists, Ivan."
Ivan stared at me intently. Then he leaned back against the seat again, parting his delicate lips.
"Hmm. Keep talking, Luka. If you have a different opinion, I'll listen."
Ivan pursed his lips, watching me. I took a breath and continued.
"Starting a war right now is an extreme decision. If you do, the Empire will have to wage war while grappling with unstable domestic affairs. That's exactly why His Majesty intended to consolidate his internal power first—using Prince Fransek's death as the trigger to start the war."
Ivan's pupils dilated. A deep, pleased smile spread across his face.
"As expected, you understand the situation well, Luka. Precisely. Father believes that if war breaks out, the power of the nobles—especially the military faction—will grow. That's why he wanted to clean them out beforehand. But my thinking is different. If war breaks out, imperial authority will grow stronger. Many nobles and soldiers will die... and above all, I will command the battlefield as Crown Prince. Strengthening imperial authority is a problem that solves itself the moment I become a war hero."
I couldn't quite picture this fragile-looking boy being revered as a war hero.
We were sharing our thoughts, exchanging opinions. Ivan was dreaming of the ideal relationship between an Emperor and his Watcher. He must have been quite pleased with how things were going.
"If, as you say, His Majesty is being swayed by Kinuan... then the greatest problem facing the Empire and the Imperial Family is Kinuan. In that case, the first person who needs to be eliminated is Kinuan. We should set everything in motion using Kinuan's death as the trigger, not Fransek's. If Kinuan dies, many tides will turn. His Majesty's plans will change as well. If His Majesty leans that heavily on Kinuan, he might hand over the throne immediately after Kinuan's death. Ivan—your era would arrive far sooner."
Please, take the bait. I prayed desperately. If this didn't work, it was over.
"...You don't know Kinuan very well. If assassinating him were easy, it would have been done long ago. Even I can't easily fathom the depths of that man."
"Of course I don't know him well. But if you teach me everything you know, the odds go up. You know what I don't, and I can move where you cannot. Right at Kinuan's side."
"Impossible alone, but possible together? Not bad, Luka. You've quite enticed me just now."
Ivan leaned forward, bringing his face close to mine. His eyes sparkled with delight.
As I'd thought, Ivan craved the ideal relationship between an Emperor and a Watcher. It was easy to understand, too, why he was dissatisfied with Kinuan.
Kinuan was far too heavy a presence to maintain any kind of balance. He was a man who pulled everything around him toward himself, as though he were the center of the universe. His very existence was a singularity.
"Kinuan once exposed a fatal weakness to me. His brain dysfunction is gradually worsening. If I stay by his side long enough, an opportunity will present itself. It would be even better if you could help create that opportunity."
"Interesting. Truly interesting. You plan to kill your own master?"
"Kinuan wouldn't hesitate to kill me either, if it came to that."
"Well, that's true."
"And while I respect Kinuan, I do not hold him dear."
This was the truth. Killing Kinuan was an unpleasant thought. But if I set my mind to it, I was confident I wouldn't hesitate.
"See? You can do it when you try, Luka. You really are my Watcher."
Ivan's voice brimmed with excitement.
"As always, I don't need an order. I'll execute it when the time comes."
"Haha—wonderful! Let's set everything in motion with Kinuan's death. I'll draw up all my plans assuming his demise. I'm already so excited I feel like I'm going to burst. Ah—I mean my head feels like it's going to burst. Don't misunderstand."
Vitality overflowed from Ivan, as if his inner brilliance and creativity were erupting all at once. He radiated an energy so intense that he felt like a being of flesh and blood rather than a full-body prosthetic.
Perhaps swept up in that vitality, I found myself imagining a future in which Ivan became Emperor. It was as though my intuition were foretelling what was to come.
Ivan...
He would never be a good emperor.
...But he will be a powerful one.
And that is what we call a tyrant.
"Luka, the Season of Storms is coming soon. Take care of yourself."
Ivan said this as he walked toward the door of the aerial vehicle. He slowly fastened his coat and pulled down his hood. The coat had a camouflage function, and his figure blurred and blended into the surroundings.
The Season of Storms...?
Heilas had said something similar once. At the time, I'd thought it was just a metaphor. But it wasn't.
I searched for information. The Season of Storms was indeed approaching. It was a Storm Era that struck Akbaran roughly once every thirty years. Because it lasted more than a month at its longest, it had earned the name the Season of Storms.
* * *
I was making deals with everyone.
I told Kinuan I would drag Heilas down and become the Family Head.
And I told Ivan I would kill Kinuan.
That was how I bought time and secured their support.
This was a role only I could play in this tangled web of relationships.
...Just like Kinuan.
By tangling those relationships even further, I carved out my own territory. I'd learned more from Kinuan than I'd realized. He was a good master.
Click.
I checked my weapons inside the aerial vehicle. For the time being, I planned to prioritize maintaining Ruina.
Although Ruina hadn't played a major role in the last battle, I felt it deserved some care. It was as if pouring my heart into it first would make Ruina deliver next time. I knew it was a superstitious way of thinking.
Beep.
An announcement sounded, signaling that we were nearing our destination.
As I partially disassembled Ruina, I looked out the window of the aerial vehicle. The Custoria mansion came into view.
Heilas told me to come to the mansion as soon as my treatment was finished.
There was nothing strange about the visit. These were chaotic times. We had a great deal to catch up on. Since I was a Custoria too, visiting the main house was hardly unusual.
Whir, click.
And yet here I was, checking my weapons on the way to the mansion. Yes—I had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
So far, I'd struck deals with Ivan and Kinuan—those two.
And today, it's Heilas's turn.
The aerial vehicle was descending. The mansion's landing pad drew closer. I could make out a figure waiting below.
The one who had come to greet me was Giselle.