Chapter 91
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91
"I am! The coolest! Man! In the world!"
"Man! Man!"
Gabriel sang until his throat was raw. He thrust the microphone forward like a weapon, and the drunken gang members roared the words back at him.
"Woo-hoo!"
An overexcited Snub-Nose climbed onto a table and yanked down his pants, shaking his hips and putting his unsightly lower half on full display.
Snub-Nose was a gang member who had lost an eye as punishment from me. Because of that, he still found me hard to be around and was terrified of me.
Sitting at the bar, I glanced around. The Bearded One and Dog Eyes—both of whom I'd recruited into the gang back in the early days—were here too.
"I quit the drugs. Seriously. I'm staying clean now," said the Bearded One, his thick beard flecked with beer foam. He hadn't always been so hairy. He claimed he'd developed hypertrichosis as a side effect of bio-enhancements.
"Is that even possible? It's not like we're going to live forever, so who cares? The boss said as long as we don't use while working, it's fine," Dog Eyes said. A botched prosthetic eye procedure had left his pupils misaligned. It was a nervous system issue, so even with a re-transplant, he'd have to live like that for the rest of his life.
By now I even knew the personal circumstances of the gang members. Like it or not, their stories kept finding their way into my ears.
The Gabriel Gang was growing bit by bit, carving out a solid place for itself. This was less due to Gabriel's competence and more thanks to the backing of Martina Diva and Grace.
"Diva is keeping her promise to you, Lord Luka. One day, you will have to repay that trust," said Grace, wearing her single-eye patch, as she sat down beside me. Perhaps because she'd been drinking, her face looked softer than usual. A faint, gentle smile even lingered on her lips.
My deal with Diva.
Martina Diva would look after Gabriel while I was away. With that level of protection, Gabriel wouldn't suddenly collapse one day.
Even if something happens, he'll at least keep his life.
In exchange, I'd offered Martina my connection. Once I rose higher in the world, Martina would call in a personal favor. Indebted as I was, I'd have no choice but to grant it.
"Lord Luka, is there any new information on Rosen?" Grace asked.
To be completely honest, I'd forgotten all about 'Rosen'. I had far too many things more important than him to worry about.
The Irregular, Rosen.
Rosen was the reason Grace had quit being a cadet. After becoming an Imperial Guardsman, Rosen's personality had gradually warped until he completely broke down.
Watching it happen, Grace had escaped her life as a cadet with the help of Martina Diva, who had connections to high-ranking officials.
I collected my thoughts and looked at Grace.
"It's fine. I'm not trying to rush you, so don't worry about it. Just look into it when you get the chance."
As expected of a former cadet, Grace was sharp. She seemed to have realized I'd forgotten entirely.
"I'll let you know the moment I find out."
"It's probably not your real birthday... but I'd still like to pour you a drink. Consider it a gift from Diva, too."
Grace took a glass from the cupboard and held it out to me. She opened a bottle she'd brought separately and poured. Just from the smell, I could tell it was brutally strong liquor.
"Who do you think was the first person to try drinking alcohol? When you think about it, it's poison. It doesn't even taste good, yet it paralyzes the mind and dulls the body," I said, lifting my glass.
"Perhaps it was drunk by someone who wanted to die because life had become too painful. Meaning to swallow poison and end it all."
Grace filled her own glass as well. Our glasses met with a clink, the liquid sloshing inside.
We drained them in one go. It felt like my throat had caught fire. I wondered if this stuff was even meant for human consumption.
"Hmm."
I winced slightly, but Grace's expression stayed serene. Feeling as though I'd somehow lost, I grabbed the bottle and quickly refilled both glasses.
"But the first person to drink it didn't die. Instead, for a brief moment, they were able to forget their agony. And so, though they wasted their body away drinking every day... they somehow found the strength to live until tomorrow."
An irrational act.
...But right now, it felt like something I needed.
I raised my glass to meet Grace's. We downed the strong liquor one after another. Slowly, the toxin began seeping into my nervous system. My senses—normally kept razor-sharp through training—unraveled one by one.
"You're a coward, Grace. Running away just because Rosen got eaten by the Legion? Scared of a mere machine?" I said harshly.
"I was young back then. But... I'm satisfied with my life now. Even if I could go back, I'd still choose to stay by Diva's side."
"That's just a loser's excuse. You threw away all the honor and status you could have seized with your own abilities. You got scared and ran."
The words I'd been keeping bottled up came spilling out.
My relationship with Grace wasn't bad. In fact, we got along quite well. That was exactly why I never spoke to her this aggressively under normal circumstances.
Yes. The alcohol was to blame.
But Grace only smiled, like someone well-used to handling drunks. She'd drunk about as much as I had, yet she seemed perfectly composed.
"Recognizing one's own weakness is important too. I could never have overcome the Legion. Just like Rosen."
"In the end, you're nothing but... another loser, a dime a dozen in the Lower District. Deciding you can't do it before you even try, sealing off your own potential. That's the type of person I despise most."
Even at my harsh words, Grace showed no sign of displeasure. She picked up the bottle and quietly refilled my glass.
Watching her serene smile snapped me back to reality. A sudden wave of shame washed over me for what I'd just spat out.
Damn it. Honestly... right now, Grace was the more mature one. Embarrassed by my slipping composure, I drank water instead of alcohol.
"Lord Luka, I fall short of you—not just in talent but in mental strength as well. But there's one thing I have over you: age. I've lived about a decade longer than you, after all."
"Even that idiot Gabriel is older than me! Is being old something to brag about?"
At my shout, Gabriel, who'd been singing, flinched. Then he grinned, brought the microphone to his mouth, and yelled:
"That's right, I'm your big bro! Call me big bro! Luka! I'll make a special exception and let you call me Big Bro Gabi! You're the first guy I've ever let use a nickname for me!"
"Shut up, you idiot!"
I grabbed the nearest plate and hurled it at Gabriel. He tilted his head to the side, dodging it. The plate shattered against the wall with a loud crash.
"What a temper," Gabriel said with a shrug, then went back to singing.
I turned back to my side. Grace tipped her glass to her lips, still drinking with an elegant, poised air. She was so composed I even suspected she might be secretly dumping her drinks somewhere.
"Haaah."
Grace exhaled a breath laced with the aroma of the strong liquor. The fragrant scent drifted past my nose, pleasant and sweet. Before I realized it, I found myself quietly staring at her profile.
Grace slowly turned her head and smiled at me. It was the most expressive smile I'd ever seen on her face.
...Suddenly, drinking alone with her felt uncomfortable.
"Well. It was a nice chat, Grace."
I made to stand.
Grab!
Grace caught my wrist.
"For the first time in a long while, I feel like sleeping with a man. What about you? Unless I'm mistaken, Lord Luka, you also—"
"S-Shut up."
Grace released my wrist. She propped her elbow on the bar and rested her chin in her hand.
"That little blush just now was rather cute. So you do make faces like that. In any case—this is what experience is, Lord Luka. Because I've lived a little longer than you, I have more of it in various areas. Sexual experience is one of them. No matter how outstanding one's talent or mental strength... when facing an unfamiliar situation for the first time, one's response is bound to be slow. Clumsy."
I couldn't come up with a proper retort. Just as she said, I'd been momentarily flustered. I'd failed to give a seasoned answer or reaction, behaving like an innocent boy who knew nothing of the world.
"...I'll keep your advice in mind."
"Have a good night. I'll take my leave now."
Grace dipped her head slightly and rose. She walked out of the gang's office.
There were several reasons why I'd been so rattled. First, my nervous system was unstable from the pressure of the coming audience with the Emperor and my lack of sleep, and the strong liquor had blunted my mind.
Second, as Grace said, it was my first time in such a situation. Nothing in my training and education had covered how to handle a woman's proposition. I'd have to find the answer through my own experience.
And the final reason... was that I felt a romantic pull toward Grace. If I were to start a family, a woman like her wouldn't be a bad choice at all. Our personalities meshed well.
"Hmm."
I felt someone's gaze on me. Sitting about five stools down the bar was Giselle.
Giselle was staring at me with a cold face. Her eyes were so icy they reminded me of the very first time we'd met.
When our eyes met, she whipped her head away and struck up a conversation with someone else. And she'd been talking to a rather unexpected person for quite a while now.
Gilda.
Gilda had swung by late after hearing it was my birthday. She'd practically become the gang's dedicated mechanic. With more regular customers, it was profitable for her, and for the gang, it was reassuring to have someone they could trust.
Gilda and Giselle were deep in conversation. They'd barely touched their drinks.
Scrape.
The two women stood after finishing their long talk. Then they shook hands like business partners.
"I'll pay you a formal visit next time, then, Gilda. Meeting you was my greatest harvest today," Giselle said politely. Their conversation was over.
After bidding Giselle farewell, Gilda came over to me. She stared at me intently with a bright smile. She was a woman as radiant as sunshine.
"Happy birthday, Luka! How should I put it... you really give off the aura of a man now. If you used to be 'boy-boy-man,' lately you feel more like 'man-man-boy.'"
I wasn't sure what the difference was supposed to be. Whatever it meant, she'd clearly meant it as a compliment.
"A fair bit of time has passed, after all."
Gilda pressed both palms against my cheeks. Her limbs were biological, not mechanical, which made them feel all the warmer.
"It might be a little late to say this, but I'll never forget the kindness you showed me when you saved my life. If I ever have a child, I'm naming them Luka. Boy or girl."
The mention of a child suddenly raised a question. Gabriel and Gilda had been close for quite a while now.
"Are you... by any chance, dating Gabriel?"
"Oh, please. Gabi's a bit much. I care more about looks than personality. Keep that a secret from him."
Gilda laughed, covering her mouth with one hand, and gave my back a playful smack.
"Hmm. I see."
"Ah, by the way—is the mister busy these days? He hasn't come by at all."
'Mister' meant Kinuan.
"He's probably busy," I said, brushing the topic aside. Gilda didn't press.
Her chat with me finished, Gilda walked over to Gabriel and the gang. She shoved Gabriel aside, snatched the microphone, and started singing herself.
Startled at having his microphone stolen, Gabriel scratched his head. He sat down, clapping along with the other members, and quickly joined in on Gilda's song.
Gilda's pick was much softer. From what I could catch, the lyrics were about love and romance.
Clack!
Giselle slammed her glass down in front of me and sat by my side.
Perfect. I had something to say to Giselle too.
"You—"
"You—"
We spoke at once. A brief silence followed as I waited for her to go, and she waited for me.
"Go—"
"Go—"
Forget it, you first.
That was probably what we'd both been about to say.
Swish.
Giselle extended her hand and ran through rock, paper, scissors. I nodded silently and lifted my arm.
Giselle wasn't a trained soldier. Because of that, she often forgot exactly what I was capable of.
By reading her reactions and hand movements, I could steer the outcome however I liked. It was no difficult feat.
Shoot.
I threw rock; Giselle threw scissors.
"Damn it, I'm an idiot."
Giselle grimaced, realizing her mistake too late.
"The loser speaks first, Young Lady," I said, gesturing with an open palm as if presenting her a dish.
Giselle drew a breath, and her lovely lips parted. Today, unlike usual, her lipstick was a noticeably darker shade.
"That woman, Grace... is she your lover?"
...She really was curious about the strangest things.