Chapter 117
The laser scanner, shaped like a pistol, swept over my new prosthetic arm and leg. A grid-patterned laser passed over my limbs. It was a non-destructive integrity test. If there were any unnecessary or suspicious foreign substances, they would be immediately detected.
Beep.
The scan results came back clean. Even so, I couldn’t let my guard down just yet.
Creak, creak.
I moved my fingers one by one, starting with the ones that had finished being scanned. Even though they were covered with artificial skin, the unfamiliarity made them produce a rough sound.
‘It’s much better than what I was using before.’
Despite being brand new, it felt natural. The signal stability and compatibility were excellent, making the sensation remarkably similar to my previous prosthetics.
Even though it was a new prosthetic, its output was nearly identical to my old one. That was to be expected—I had already been using the highest-output prosthetic available within my class specifications. To increase the output any further, I would either have to enlarge my frame or undergo a full-body prosthetic conversion.
I closed my eyes and focused my hearing.
Tap.
I tapped my new prosthetic arm and leg with my fingers, listening to the sound waves as they spread. Even from the returning sound, I couldn’t detect any foreign substances. This was reassuring enough.
Slowly, I opened my eyes. Now was the time to be cautious. I had to suspect everything.
‘Looks like there’s nothing strange embedded in the gift.’
The new prosthetic arm and leg were a gift from Francec. Among commercially available products, they were the most high-end. It was almost a waste for me to use them, considering I would soon undergo a full-body prosthetic conversion. Once that happened, I would be using prosthetics exclusive to the Imperial Guard.
I had been hospitalized at the Imperial Medical Center for three days. My recovery was so fast it was beyond surprising—it was eerie. If I had been treated by the Imperial Guard, it would have taken at least two months to heal from such injuries.
‘The only people who visited me in those three days were Francec and Hemillas.’
Kinuan, Giselle, and Ivan hadn’t visited.
‘That’s normal.’
Giselle didn’t have the authority to enter the Imperial Medical Center. Officially, neither did Kinuan.
…And Ivan had always visited me without anyone knowing, just like now.
The moment I boarded the air vehicle set to autopilot towards the Imperial Guard headquarters, I narrowed my eyes.
Ivan Accretia was inside.
With his legs crossed, Ivan gazed at me. His eyes beneath his long lashes gleamed almost unnaturally bright.
"You disobeyed my orders, Luka."
"Have you ever given me an order?"
I responded calmly as I took a seat across from him.
For the first time, I clearly felt Ivan’s emotions.
‘Anger.’
Ivan was angry at me. I clasped my fingers together, afraid my hands might tremble.
"Luka, Luka, Luka. I don’t want to play word games with you. You understood both my command and my intent. Right now, we should be holding Francec’s funeral."
"No, I wouldn’t be able to attend the funeral. I’d be in prison, held accountable for the failure in security. With all my limbs severed, no less."
"So even after I said that, you still didn’t trust me. I would have taken care of the aftermath."
"I didn’t want to gamble my life on someone who isn’t even my comrade. No matter who they are."
Now was the time to stand my ground. I couldn’t afford to be submissive. I had to negotiate on equal terms.
Don’t let the monster drag you around, Luka.
I steadied my wavering heart and stared at Ivan, my gaze sharp.
"I believe I’ve treated you well," Ivan said. "I put in my utmost effort. Do you think my sincerity was lacking?"
His eyebrows curved in an expression of pity. But that, too, had to be an act. A royal who saw even their own blood as mere tools, who deceived and killed without hesitation—that was what he truly was.
"Ivan, you are not my superior. You’re not the Commander of the Imperial Guard, nor are you Kinuan. And you’re certainly not His Majesty, to whom I must offer blind loyalty. I believe I’ve already done enough by not reporting your treasonous scheme."
Ivan bit his lower lip as if stung by my words. A flicker of emotion passed through his gaze, something almost like the verge of tears.
I couldn’t be deceived by his appearance. I had to sharpen my senses and look beyond—to see the monster beneath.
Last night, that deranged boy had tried to kill his own blood relative to start a war.
It wasn’t out of some overwhelming sense of justice that I stopped it. I didn’t know much about war. I had simply followed my instincts.
Starting a war just to escape my own predicament… would only lead to even greater sacrifices. I would end up losing far more.
I had fought in many battles. And every time, misfortune and sorrow had raged like wild beasts. The madness and disaster that would come from a war—a series of battles, hundreds or even thousands of them—I knew all too well.
I didn’t just endure battles. I relished them. I even found them exhilarating. Every time I crushed and killed the strong with my own power, I felt an indescribable pleasure—one far beyond something as trivial as sexual gratification.
…But even I understood that war was madness.
"In the end, you were never my Overseer," Ivan said, drawing a line between us. His voice was detached, as if severing all emotion. He moved to stand up.
‘I can’t afford to be Ivan’s enemy. I need him on my side.’
I quickly opened my mouth to speak.
"Blind loyalty is not the purpose of a Overseer’s existence—that’s what you said, Ivan."
Ivan stared at me intently. He leaned back against the chair again and moved his delicate lips.
"Hmm, keep talking, Luka. If you have a different opinion, I’ll listen."
Ivan pursed his lips as he observed me. I steadied my breath and continued speaking.
"Starting a war immediately would be an extreme decision. The Empire would have to wage war while dealing with internal instability. That’s why His Majesty sought to solidify his power first and use Prince Francec’s death as the trigger for war."
Ivan’s pupils widened. A deep smile spread across his lips as if he were pleased.
"You really do understand the situation well, Luka. That’s right—Father believes that once war breaks out, the power of the nobility, especially the military factions, will grow.
So he wanted to deal with them in advance. But I think differently. If war breaks out, the imperial authority will strengthen. Many nobles and soldiers will die… and most importantly, I will be commanding the battlefield as the Crown Prince. Strengthening the imperial authority is simple—once I become a war hero, it’s resolved."
I couldn’t picture that delicate-looking boy being revered as a war hero.
We were exchanging thoughts and discussing our perspectives. Ivan was envisioning an ideal relationship between an emperor and his Overseer. He was likely enjoying the current conversation quite a bit.
"If, as you say, His Majesty is being swayed by Kinuan… then the Empire and the Imperial Family’s greatest problem is Kinuan. That means the first person who needs to be eliminated is Kinuan, not Francec. We should use Kinuan’s death as the trigger to set everything in motion.
If Kinuan dies, many currents will shift. His Majesty’s plans will have to change as well. If His Majesty is truly dependent on Kinuan, he may even pass the throne down immediately after Kinuan’s death. Ivan, that would bring your era much sooner."
Please, take the bait. I desperately hoped. If this didn’t work, it was all over.
"…You don’t know Kinuan very well. If assassinating him were easy, it would’ve been done long ago. Even I can’t see the full extent of his depths."
"Of course, I don’t know him well. But if you teach me everything you do know, our chances will increase. What you don’t know, you can teach me, and I can move in places you can’t. Right by Kinuan’s side."
"Alone, it’s difficult, but with two, it’s possible? Not bad, Luka. You just managed to tempt me quite well."
Ivan leaned his upper body forward, bringing his face close to mine. His eyes gleamed with exhilaration.
As expected, Ivan desired an ideal relationship between an emperor and his Overseer. His dissatisfaction with Kinuan made perfect sense.
Kinuan was far too heavy a presence to maintain any sort of balance in a relationship. He was a man who pulled everything around him toward himself, as if he were the center of the world. His very existence was a singularity.
"Kinuan has exposed a fatal weakness to me. His brain dysfunction is gradually worsening. If I stay by his side for a long time, an opportunity will come my way. And if you create that opportunity for me, even better."
"Interesting, really interesting. Are you planning to kill your own mentor?"
"If necessary, Kinuan wouldn’t hesitate to kill me either."
"Well, that’s true."
"And while I respect Kinuan, I don’t treasure him."
That was the truth. Killing Kinuan was an unpleasant thought. But if I made the decision, I was certain I wouldn’t hesitate.
"See? You can do it when you try, Luka. You really are my Overseer."
Ivan’s voice brimmed with excitement.
"As always, I don’t need an order. I’ll act when the time comes."
"Haha! Good. Let’s start everything with Kinuan’s death. I’ll plan everything under the assumption that he’s already dead. I can barely contain my excitement—I feel like I’m going to explode. Ah, I mean my head feels like it’s going to explode, so don’t misunderstand."
Like a surge of inspiration bursting forth, life overflowed from Ivan. He radiated an energy so intense that, for a moment, he seemed more alive than a mere body of flesh and blood—almost as if he were something beyond human.
Perhaps influenced by that vitality, I suddenly envisioned a future where Ivan sat upon the throne. It felt as if my instincts were foreseeing what was to come.
‘Ivan…’
He would never be a good emperor.
‘…But he will be a powerful one.’
That, we call a tyrant.
"Luka, the season of storms is coming soon. Take care of yourself."
Ivan spoke as he approached the air vehicle’s door. Slowly, he fastened his coat and pulled his hood down low. His coat had an adaptive camouflage function, causing his figure to blur and blend into the surroundings.
‘The season of storms…?’
Hemillas had said the same thing once. At the time, I thought it was merely a metaphor. But it wasn’t.
I searched for information. The season of storms was truly approaching. It was a storm cycle that struck Akbaran approximately once every thirty years. Since it could last for over a month at its longest, it was called the season of storms.
* * *
I was making deals with everyone.
‘To Kinuan, I said I would bring down Hemillas and take the position of family head.’
‘To Ivan, I said I would kill Kinuan.’
That was how I bought myself time and support.
This was a role only I could play in this tangled web of relationships.
‘…Just like Kinuan.’
I had twisted these entanglements further to carve out a domain of my own. I had learned more from Kinuan than I had realized. He had been a good teacher.
Click.
Inside the air vehicle, I checked my weapons. For now, I planned to prioritize the maintenance of Ruina.
Although Ruina hadn’t played a major role in the last battle, I felt the need to take care of it. If I put effort into it first, then next time, Ruina might do something in return. I knew this was just a superstitious way of thinking.
Beep.
A notification sounded—it meant I was nearing my destination.
As I partially disassembled Ruina, I looked outside the air vehicle. The Custoria estate came into view.
‘Hemillas told me to come to the estate as soon as my treatment was complete.’
There was nothing strange about this visit. These were chaotic times. We had matters to catch up on. And as a Custoria myself, visiting my family’s estate wasn’t unusual.
Creak, click.
But even as I headed to the estate, I was inspecting my weapons. Right. I had to prepare for the worst.
So far, I had made deals with both Ivan and Kinuan.
‘And today, it’s time to make a deal with Hemillas.’
The air vehicle descended. The estate’s landing zone was getting closer.
Down below, I saw a single person waiting.
The one who had come to greet me was Giselle.