Chapter 52
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52
Gabriel, pumped full of painkillers, trailed out after me.
"Damn it, this hurts like hell!"
He howled and grumbled the whole way. I frowned, my ears ringing.
"Stop whining. You're too big to be acting like such a baby."
"I got shot the day before yesterday! Shot!"
"I'm not the one who shot you, so why are you giving me shit?"
"Do—do you even have a heart?"
Ignoring Gabriel's complaints, I headed toward the black market. He knew the way well.
"Out of the way, move it."
Gabriel spoke gruffly as he shoved his way through the crowd. Thanks to him, the path cleared easily, and even the pickpockets kept their distance, making for a comfortable walk.
Emerging from a long, winding alleyway, a chaotic jumble of illegally expanded buildings came into view. With zero regard for sunlight, many areas were as dark as night even in the middle of the day. The black market was close.
On the outskirts, vagrants who hadn't even secured a gang's permission to operate were hawking stolen goods. As we ventured deeper, the real black market revealed itself. The stalls grew larger, and there were even proper, established shops.
"Gabriel? Heard you got shot. Glad to see you're still kicking."
"The rumors spread already? I don't care who those bastards are—I'm going to fucking kill them. Still hurts like hell."
Gabriel chatted with an acquaintance. The man bared his metal front teeth, his lens-type artificial eyes gleaming.
"Who's that next to you?"
"Oh, he's... uh, well."
Gabriel hesitated, unsure how to introduce me. I narrowed my eyes slightly and answered for him.
"I'm Gabriel's boss."
At that, Gabriel stared at me.
"Since when are you my boss?"
"Let's call me your employer, then."
"Well, that's not technically wrong, but..."
Gabriel's acquaintance laughed as he listened to our exchange.
"A young master out for a stroll in the black market? You chose your escort well. You can trust Gabriel. At least he's not the type to take your money and stab you in the back."
He seemed to think I was some noble young master from the Upper District. Well, he wasn't entirely wrong.
We kept walking. Beyond the crowd, the Arena building began to come into view.
"You've got a good reputation, Gabriel."
"Reputation is everything when you work solo. There's a reason I've survived this long."
Gabriel shrugged proudly. The wing tattoo etched across his shoulder blades rippled as if fluttering.
"Is that great reputation why you got shot?"
"That's just because the bastards who shot me are scum. If they had any balls, they would've shown their faces when they pulled the trigger."
We reached the entrance of the black market. A gang member on guard duty looked at us, tilting his head.
"Gabriel? Heard you got shot. It's not even your match day."
"Just how far did this rumor spread? Anyway, we've got business with Aleph. Well—he does, not me."
"Who's the kid?"
"It's Good Boy. The kid who fought a few matches here before."
Only then did the guard recognize me, his eyes widening.
"Ah, the one who beat you down... damn, how many months has it been? Hold on a sec." He touched his ear to radio in. "Hey, it's me. Tell Boss Aleph that Gabriel and Good Boy are here."
The external circuitry connecting his ear to his eye glowed. Receiving a reply, he opened the door leading to the Arena office.
"Oh, Gabriel! Heard you got shot—you alright? And Good Boy, it's been a while."
Aleph, his sharp features unchanged, rose to welcome us like we were honored guests.
"Don't call me Good Boy. Call me Luka."
"I see the Teacher didn't come with you this time."
Aleph smacked his lips, something between relief and disappointment flickering across his face. Teacher was the title everyone used for Kinuan.
"I'm here on my own business today."
"Hmm. Looking to set up a match?"
"No. But before we talk, I'd like you to dismiss your men."
I said it while glancing at the two subordinates standing behind Aleph. The armed gang members loomed there, trying to look imposing.
"Can't do that. I'm not much of a fighter myself. I need a safety net, you see."
Aleph raised his index finger and wagged it side to side.
"To me, those two behind you are nothing more than scarecrows. They're useless as escorts. If you're curious, go ahead and test it. From the moment I stepped into this room, your lives have been in my hands."
At my words, the two guards bristled, their eyes narrowing. They gripped their firearms tighter.
"Hey, Good Boy."
"I said, it's Luka."
I said it coldly.
"Good Boy, Luka, whatever—don't get cocky just because you know how to throw a punch. I respect the Teacher, but that doesn't mean I'll overlook your insolence."
Aleph pulled out a cigarette and set it between his lips as he spoke.
"Gabriel, block the door with your body."
"Huh?"
Hearing his dim-witted response, I moved.
Thud!
I bent my knees slightly and leaped. My fingers dug deep into the concrete ceiling. Hanging upside down, I looked down at the two guards. Their gun barrels were far too slow to track me.
I didn't have a way with words. I had to seize the upper hand by force.
Thud!
I spun and dropped, clawing off the ceiling. The tip of my foot kicked away a guard's barrel.
Bang!
The deflected muzzle fired a bullet uselessly into the air. The other guard tried to aim at me.
Whoosh!
I ducked, slipping out of the line of fire. A gunshot cracked, the bullet tearing through the space where my head had been a split second ago.
Grab!
Rising between the two guards, I shot out both arms. My hands clamped onto their gun barrels.
Crunch!
The barrels crumpled in my grip. If they pulled the triggers now, the weapons would explode in their hands.
The me of today was a far cry from the me who used to fight in the Arena. Even if three or four of my past selves ganged up on me, they wouldn't stand a chance now. That was how much I'd grown over the past few months.
"...I suppose escorts really are meaningless."
Aleph frowned. He waved a hand, dismissing his guards. The two spat on the floor as they left, trying to salvage whatever pride they had left.
"Good Boy... no, Luka. You're a soldier, aren't you? And from a fairly high-ranking unit, at that. Does that mean Teacher Kinuan was a soldier too?"
Aleph spoke sharply. I'd sensed it before, but he hadn't risen to Arena manager for nothing. He had an excellent nose for danger—he knew exactly when to step in and when to back off.
"Think whatever you want."
"Look, threaten me all you want. But if the military is involved, count me out. We're just people scraping by at the bottom. We don't want to die."
Even after my display of force, Aleph refused to cooperate. I respected his sound judgment, but I still needed his help.
"I'm not asking you to do anything crazy. I just need information."
"That's the same thing. I don't get involved in matters beyond my reach."
I considered grabbing Aleph by the throat and slamming him against the wall. But I didn't think he was the type to yield to threats.
Scratching my head, I held out my terminal.
"Then verify my identity, Aleph."
"Knowing you're some noble young master doesn't change anything."
"...It might be a more useful backing than you think."
On my terminal screen, a complex circular code proving my identity was spinning. State-of-the-art security that shifted in real time, making it nearly impossible to forge or copy.
Reluctantly, Aleph scanned it with his own terminal.
Since his device was somewhat outdated, decrypting and analyzing the code took a moment. Even so, it was over in about five seconds.
Aleph checked the screen, then clapped a hand over his mouth. He looked up and stared at me, his pupils dilated to their limits. His fingertips trembled.
Lucaus Custoria.
My personal information must have surfaced on his terminal. Not some ordinary family or status. The family of the current Imperial Guard Captain—and though I was adopted, I was his son. And Aleph's terminal wouldn't show the fact that I was adopted.
"Well, this certainly makes it worth the risk. Ha, haha."
Aleph puffed on his cigarette with shaking hands. He sat down and sank into deep thought for a long while. One of his legs jittered noticeably.
"Aleph, are you ready to talk now?"
Unable to wait any longer, I pressed.
"First, let me ask you something, Young Master. What do I get out of helping you?"
"Isn't leaving me in your debt enough?"
Having steadied his nerves, Aleph met my eyes with a clear gaze.
"It is, but I'd like to be a bit greedy. If I'm going to take a risk, I need a guaranteed return. You agree, don't you?"
"If we communicate well and work well together... we could do business regularly."
"I'll pass on that. Is there a chance I could work under you, Young Master? No—let me put it plainly. Appoint me as your retainer."
Aleph laid out his demand without hesitation. A master-servant contract.
He was asking to become my retainer through my sponsorship. A sponsored individual could obtain residency rights in the Upper District as a noble's retainer. In exchange, the retainer became a loyal servant to their master.
This required careful thought. If Aleph caused trouble in the Upper District, the responsibility would fall on me.
"Re—retainer? Is this something I'm even allowed to hear?"
Behind me, Gabriel tilted his head, clearly struggling to follow the conversation.
Ignoring him, Aleph and I held each other's gaze. I didn't yet hold a secure enough position within the family to appoint and employ a personal retainer. Above all, as a minor, I didn't have the legal right to.
"I'm still a minor."
"I know. A promise is enough for now. You'll gain the right to appoint one in a year. Until then, I'll prove I'm worthy of being your retainer. I'm not asking for a free ride here."
I nodded and extended my hand. Verbal though it was, a contract was struck.
"Excellent. Just leave everything to me, Young Master. From this day forth, I am your servant."
Shaking my hand, Aleph wore a satisfied smile.
"Investigate the former Arena manager, Tora. Every single detail, no matter how small."
Tora, Aleph's predecessor, had close ties to Kinuan. Investigating him might turn up traces of Kinuan.
"Tora? Understood. I won't ask why. I'll contact you the moment the investigation's done."
Aleph was easy to work with. He didn't ask unnecessary questions.
Had it been some mediocre noble family, he never would have cooperated so readily. But the Custoria Family was a different story. With a Custoria backing you, you'd receive better treatment than most lower-ranking nobles.
The prestige of the Custoria name was useful. This, too, was a power I had seized.
My business with Aleph concluded, I left the office with Gabriel. He hesitated a long while before finally speaking up.
"Uh, hey... should I be calling you Lord Lu—Luka too? If Aleph's groveling like that, your status must be insane. Uh, hmm."
All his past cursing and rudeness must have been flashing through his mind. Even knowing I was from the Upper District, he'd probably never imagined I was high-ranking nobility. At most, he'd figured I was just someone working under Kinuan.
"Do you want to call me that?"
"Well, not really. You've got no man—no, cough."
"Then don't. Just act like you always do. I'm from the gutter too, after all. I hate hearing cringey stuff like that."
At that, Gabriel's eyes went wide, and he cocked his head.
"The gutter? What are you talking about? You're a noble."
"Figure it out yourself."
Gabriel frowned, trying to decipher my meaning. But unable to find the answer, the crease between his brows only deepened.
Generally speaking, climbing as high as I had was unthinkable. I'd felt exactly the same way just a few years ago.
It really was deeply moving.