Chapter 6
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6
Life as an Imperial Guard Cadet lasts four years. We were nearing the end of our second when the next class entered, and most of the instructors who had trained us were reassigned to them, vanishing from our sight almost overnight.
"You two have what it takes to aim for Centurion. Keep striving for His Majesty the Emperor and the subjects of the Empire."
The chief instructor, who had trained us for the past two years, said this as he was reassigned to the junior class. "You two" meant Ilay and me.
By the second year, the hierarchy among peers is completely set. Any talent destined to bloom has already shown itself. We had already mastered all the basic combat arts. All that remained was applying them through real combat experience.
Centurion...
The organization of the Imperial Guard was simple and clear. There were a thousand guardsmen, and at their pinnacle stood the Imperial Guard Captain. He commanded the whole thousand, but also personally served as the 1st Centurion.
The remaining nine centurias were divided by service record and role. A cadet like me, upon completing full-body mechanization, would first serve in the 10th Centuria—the lowest-tier, greenhorn unit.
Once you gained enough experience there, you'd rise to the 5th Centuria. Above that, you'd be assigned to the upper centurias, from the 1st to the 5th, depending on your specialty and role.
If I can become the 10th Centurion, my promotions will come fast. It would mean being recognized as the best among the rookie guardsmen.
It was a position coveted by every cadet with top training marks.
"I don't really care about becoming a Centurion. Luka, do you want to be one?"
When we were left alone, Ilay made that carefree remark.
"Unlike you, I don't have a home to go back to. If I don't climb, I sink."
"Just having a record as an Imperial Guardsman will get you treated as an elite anywhere. You've already reached a point where your background doesn't matter. Give yourself some breathing room."
Ilay extended his fist, lightly tapping my chest as he spoke.
Ilay was right. I had risen high enough to afford some peace of mind. But anxiety was my driving force. That constant sensation of standing precariously on a tightrope... I didn't want to lose it.
Suddenly, a question about Ilay crossed my mind.
Why does Ilay even want to be an Imperial Guardsman?
Ilay was incredibly talented—honestly, I thought he was better than me. He never struggled desperately the way I did. He seemed to half-ass everything, yet his results always matched mine.
Sld.
I leaned my arms and back against the railing. Meanwhile, the pampered young master hopped right up onto it.
Whoosh.
Ilay stood atop the railing, letting the wind buffet him. To an ordinary person, it would look precarious, but to us, it was no different from standing on flat ground.
"...My family, the Kartika family, is a prestigious house that has produced several of the Empire's generals."
Ilay spoke as if he had read my mind. I was used to his habit of anticipating my thoughts by now.
Ilay Kartika.
Coming from an orphanage, I couldn't fathom the true extent of the Kartika family's power. To me, "prestigious house" was just a label.
"So you're saying your path to success is guaranteed even if you only put in half the effort."
I spoke with a smirk. Half of it was a joke, but the other half was dead serious.
Ilay chuckled, leaped, and executed a flip on the narrow railing. His toes traced a flawless arc through the air.
"I originally wanted to be a scholar. An archaeologist—studying ancient civilizations, digging into mysteries no one's ever solved."
"An archaeologist?"
It was a profession I'd never heard of. At my confusion, Ilay flashed an easy, carefree smile.
"It's actually a pretty promising career in Bellato or Kora. There's an endless amount to study about the Arcane civilization."
I was silent for a moment.
Just as Ilay had covered for my clumsy display of mercy once, I chose not to report his rebellious words to our superiors.
"If you want to do it that badly, then just do it."
I expanded my senses first, making sure no one was nearby before speaking.
"In the Empire, individuals are forbidden from studying the Arcane civilization without authorization. On top of that, my family would never allow me to be anything but a soldier. A prestigious house is only called prestigious because it keeps churning out elites in its field."
Ilay spoke with melancholy in his eyes, looking as if he carried the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.
"Are you seriously whining because you can't do what you want? What a spoiled load of crap."
I was genuinely annoyed.
The bottom of the city was crawling with people whose daily survival wasn't even guaranteed. Doing what you wanted was a luxury. For them, any job that kept them fed was what mattered.
"You're right. To you, my words must sound like a luxury. But to me, it's a harsh reality."
Ilay stood there, completely unfazed.
"...You need to suffer and starve a bit to snap out of it."
I spoke with open contempt, but Ilay didn't flinch at my harsh words.
"Even my family doesn't know about my dream. I'm only telling you, Luka."
"If I report what I just heard to the superiors, you're finished."
"But you won't, just like I kept your secret. You showed mercy to that Korain back then."
Ilay squatted down on the railing, bringing his gaze to my eye level.
I scowled at his face.
"I only hesitated because they were a non-combatant. Even if you hadn't stepped in, I would have killed them eventually."
"The captain ordered us to kill every Korain there. The very fact that you hesitated means you're capable of defying orders."
"Cut the crap. I am loyal to the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor. They recognized my worth. The Empire's enemies are my enemies."
Ilay stared at me, his lips parting.
"Even if that enemy is me?"
"No matter who it is."
I spoke with cold hostility. Now I was certain: Ilay Kartika was dangerous. He had the potential to become an enemy of the Empire.
"Luka, if you were truly someone who valued blind obedience over actual loyalty, you would have tried to kill me just now."
I didn't reply. I only glared at him with a sharp, piercing gaze.
Taking my silence as an answer, Ilay nodded. He leaned back and let himself fall off the railing.
Looking down, I saw him land lightly on his feet, three stories below.
"Crazy bastard..."
I muttered, watching his retreating figure.
Ilay had everything—pedigree, talent, you name it. He possessed everything others envied, yet he was chasing after some bizarre pipe dream.
"...You're going to get yourself killed, idiot."
I couldn't help but sigh.
* * *
The third year of cadet life, following basic training, was a nonstop series of real combat missions. It was also the period when the casualty rate spiked.
Patter! Patter!
Rain poured down relentlessly. Ilay, three other cadets, and I pulled our waterproof hoods low, pushing through the dense forest.
The five of us marched in silence through the downpour.
Our mission was reconnaissance. As cadets, we had to take on all kinds of tedious tasks to gain diverse experience. Anyone who took command later without field experience would inevitably spout useless, armchair theories.
For a soldier—especially a commander—incompetence and ignorance are the ultimate sins.
Sld.
I raised my hand, signaling for a halt.
We huddled under a tree to shelter from the rain. Those deprived of sleep closed their eyes and immediately fell into a brief, deep slumber. The Sleep Control Method was just another military technique we had mastered.
Crunch, crunch.
I chewed on a ration bar and scanned our surroundings. Visibility was poor in the rainy night. Battered by wind and rain, the forest swayed and danced as if preparing to swallow us whole.
An Imperial Guardsman clad in a Legion is probably watching us from somewhere out there.
Even though this was a live mission, it was still part of our training. If an enemy we couldn't handle appeared, the Guard would step in.
The superiors must have figured the last Force user was within our capabilities. And they were right.
If Ilay hadn't been injured first, he was an opponent the two of us could have handled. Double-teamed, we would have finished him easily.
This time, it's a recon mission.
I closed my eyes, running through the mission parameters.
The area we had entered was an unexplored neutral zone. It didn't belong to any nation yet. Anyone we encountered here was to be treated as an enemy.
Ilay is acting different than usual.
I shifted my gaze to watch Ilay drink water. There was no trace of fatigue on his face. If anything, he looked visibly excited.
Is he really that thrilled just to see some Arcane ruins?
The Arcane ruins were our target. An interference field surrounded the site, blocking remote scans, which was why we had to conduct a manual recon.
Sld.
I tapped Ilay on the shoulder and stood up. It was our turn to keep watch.
"Isn't it fascinating? To think a civilization roamed the universe long before humans even existed."
Ilay spoke with rare enthusiasm. Finding it hard to share his curiosity, I merely shrugged.
The ancient civilization of Arcane.
I only knew of them through bits and pieces of trivia. Supposedly, they were a civilization that had dominated the entire universe in some unimaginably distant past. No matter where you went in space, their traces remained.
"I don't give a shit about the Arcane or whatever. They're just a bunch of dead guys from a long time ago."
Despite my dismissive response, Ilay didn't look disappointed or offended.
"Luka, the present only exists because of the past. And through it, we can predict the future."
His lofty explanation fell flat on my ears. He didn't seem particularly intent on making me understand, anyway.
Having recovered our strength, we prepared to move out. Before we departed, one of the cadets approached me.
Claude Ramones.
The Ramones family was a prominent house, though not quite on the level of the Kartikas. Even as a commoner from the slums, spending years surrounded by noble young masters had taught me a thing or two about the subtle power dynamics and hierarchies of high society.
"Luka, I have a younger sister."
Claude Ramones brought it up out of nowhere. I tilted my head in confusion.
"And?"
"If you aren't seeing anyone, I'd like to introduce you to her."
"I'm an orphan."
There wasn't a single cadet who didn't know where I came from.
"Orphan or noble, we'll both be Imperial Guardsmen soon enough. And who knows? You might even end up as my superior."
I stared at Claude. He wasn't mocking me, nor was he just making idle conversation.
He's dead serious.
It was a sudden proposal, but on some level, it made sense.
Because I was an orphan, I wasn't entangled in any complex political webs. Ilay had once mentioned that some noble houses would actually prefer someone with a clean slate like me.
"I don't think it's a bad offer. I know you're close to Ilay, but the Kartika family doesn't have any eligible daughters left anyway."
"...I haven't really thought about marriage yet. Besides, we're on a mission."
I hesitated for a moment before replying.
"I'm not asking for an immediate answer. Just keep it in mind."
Claude nodded and stepped back into formation.
Having overheard our conversation, Ilay nudged my arm with his elbow.
"Look at you, popular guy."
"Shut up."
We pressed on toward the ruins. As we neared the heart of the forest, the remains of half-destroyed metallic structures began to emerge.
"So this is the Arcane..."
Ilay approached a shattered pillar, his eyes scanning the area.
Hummm.
Ilay's hand brushed against the silver-white metallic pillar. A faint blue light rippled outward from his touch before dispersing.
"It's a structure from hundreds of millions of years ago, yet there's still a residual energy signature."
Ilay stared in awe.
"...Ilay, we're on a mission."
I scowled.
"Ah, sorry."
For a moment, he seemed to have forgotten the mission entirely. His emotions were laid bare on his face, making him look like a defenseless child.
It was the first time I had ever seen him look like that.
Flick.
I signaled to reform our line. Our plan was to assess the layout and scale of the Arcane ruins, then head back.
If we happened to find any salvageable artifacts, we were to secure them immediately.
Silencing our footsteps, we moved from cover to cover. The silver-white roads branching out in all directions converged at a single point. That was likely the center of the ruins.
Claude, this way.
I gestured to Claude. Normally I would have paired up with Ilay as the vanguard, but he seemed too distracted to be reliable right now.
The other cadets took cover behind pillars and walls, rifles raised. Under their cover, Claude and I crept closer to the ruins.
Whirrrr.
I activated my right cybernetic eye to analyze our surroundings. But the ruins' unique interference field deflected the scan. A sharp throb pulsed behind my eye socket, and heat flared across my forehead.
Click-clack.
An unfamiliar noise echoed from ahead. Holding our breath, Claude and I crept forward at a snail's pace.
Something's up ahead.
Six massive pillars stood inside the ruins. At their center rose a raised platform resembling an altar.
My eyes widened.
Click, click.
Floating above the platform was a rotating cube—about the size of a human head, its faces shifting colors with every turn. The sound of interlocking gears echoed continuously from within.
And standing beneath that cube was a figure. The moment I realized who it was, my face froze, contorting in shock.
Shit...
My nerves screamed. Instinct and reason blared warnings of extreme danger, in perfect unison.
If the Empire had the Imperial Guard... the Kora Holy Nation had the Holy Knights. And one of those Holy Knights was standing right in front of us. I could tell from the armor alone.
The armor, boasting intricate engravings and exquisite craftsmanship, was a striking blend of blue and white. Melee weapons—a spear and a sword—were slung across the back and waist. A heavy helmet concealed the knight's face entirely.
Whirrrr.
The Holy Knight of Kora turned his head. A blue glow flickered from within the visor. His gaze locked onto us.
Flick!
The knight gestured. The spear on his back was enveloped in a blue aura, rising to float in midair. The light flared brilliantly, swallowing the weapon whole.
The brilliant light was paradoxically terrifying. We knew exactly how lethal that light was. The Holy Knights of Kora were masters of the Force.
"Cl—"
I couldn't even finish his name. It all happened in a fraction of a second. The spear vanished, then blurred past my side.
Crunch!
The spearhead pierced Claude's temple. Skewering his body, the weapon carried him through the air before slamming him into a stone pillar.
Claude was dead.
...And I was next.