Chapter 61
Death comes suddenly. Even more so for a soldier like me.
A soldier stands on the boundary between life and death every time they step onto the battlefield or engage in combat. If I were to die suddenly one day, no one would be too surprised. I’d be grateful if they even mourned me.
But the death of Nikolaos Custoria shocked everyone. No one had expected it. Not even he would have imagined that his death would come this way.
‘Nikolaos…….’
Lost in thought, I opened my eyes. The Custoria bloodline and their vassals, all clad in black mourning attire, stood in numbers.
We were at the Custoria family’s cemetery. The funeral was solemn. Few openly displayed their emotions.
“Ah, faaaather…….”
Nikolaos’s son, Emilio, was sobbing before the gravestone. He had once pointed a gun at me without a shred of respect, but now, he just looked pitiful.
I shifted my gaze to his younger brother, Juppe. His expression was grave, devoid of any hint of joy. Even if he were pleased, it would be wise not to show it. Or perhaps he truly found it bitter to see his rival perish so meaninglessly. Like it or not, they were brothers, after all.
Murmur, murmur.
There were more people around Juppe than usual. With Nikolaos, the strongest candidate, dead, Juppe was now the most likely successor.
The funeral wasn’t even over, yet they were already swarming like bees chasing honey.
The official cause of Nikolaos’s death was asphyxiation from a traffic accident. An aerial vehicle had fallen onto his head. A more detailed investigation was still underway.
‘An unfortunate accident…….’
……Not many believed that. It could have been a genuine accident. But the odds were too low.
‘An assassination, orchestrated by someone.’
That was the prevailing theory. Some suspected that Juppe had ordered the hit.
But I thought differently. No—I had a lead, which set my view apart from theirs.
‘Was it because of the investigation I requested……?’
It might have been a coincidence. But the timing was eerily perfect. I wasn’t so dull as to dismiss it as mere chance.
‘If he died because of me, it means he uncovered something he shouldn’t have. Information so sensitive that even high-ranking officials would be silenced.’
In my estimation, that information pointed to where the ghost company’s funds had ultimately flowed. Even I hadn’t realized it was this dangerous.
The eldest son of the current Commander of the Imperial Guard was dead. This was no ordinary event.
A heavy weight settled in my chest. It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel responsible. If only my suspicions were unfounded, if Nikolaos’s death was just an unfortunate accident or if Juppe had ordered it—then I wouldn’t have to bear this guilt.
‘A father who has lost his child.’
I fixed my gaze on Hemillas.
Hemillas stood motionless like a monolith, staring at the gravestone. His side profile, barely visible, was expressionless. He didn’t allow himself to show emotions that could be perceived as weaknesses.
‘I have to report my dealings with Nikolaos to Hemillas.’
I had been investigating Kinuan, and Nikolaos had tracked Kinuan’s ghost company at my request. There was a chance his death was linked to Kinuan.
‘Even for Hemillas, can he truly ignore Kinuan after losing his eldest son?’
Regardless, it wasn’t my place to make judgments. My first duty was to report. If the connection was uncovered later, I could end up being treated as an accomplice.
“Luka.”
I turned to see Giselle tugging at my sleeve. We stepped away from the crowd, finding shade beneath a tree.
“This doesn’t make sense. No matter how I look at it, Nikolaos’s death doesn’t add up.”
Giselle furrowed her delicate brows as she spoke. It seemed confusion outweighed grief. No—more accurately, there was no trace of sorrow at all.
The bonds of blood must have been weak between them. Well, Nikolaos had treated even his own children as mere tools.
There was no need to tell Giselle about my dealings with Nikolaos. I stayed silent and let her speak.
“……I don’t think Juppe ordered it. Father’s retirement is still far off. Luka, do you know something?”
She stared at me intently, as if trying to pry the truth from my expression. Sorry, Miss, but when it comes to hiding thoughts and emotions, I have the upper hand.
“If I knew, I’d have told you. More importantly, what’s your plan going forward? With Nikolaos dead, doesn’t that mean Juppe will run unopposed? Earlier, I saw the relatives flocking to him.”
“For now, there’s no way to stop Juppe. Isn’t this more of a problem for you? You humiliated Juppe not too long ago. If he’s officially named successor, he’ll push you out. He might even try to get rid of you.”
I scratched my neck and merely shrugged.
“If Juppe manages to take me down, that just means I wasn’t strong enough.”
In truth, I wasn’t worried. No matter what Juppe did, I wasn’t going to be an easy target. I wasn’t like Nikolaos. They couldn’t stage some accident to take me out.
“But you—ah, what? Mmph!”
“Shh, Juppe is coming this way.”
I extended my index finger and thumb, pressing Giselle’s lips shut. Juppe was heading straight toward us.
“What’s so interesting that you’re chatting away, dear siblings? Mind if I join in?”
“It’s nothing much. I was just asking Giselle about funeral etiquette. I’m not well-versed in proper manners, you see.”
Juppe’s face twitched as if he wanted to grimace but forced himself to stay composed. He must have remembered the time he tried to lecture me on table manners and ended up humiliating himself instead.
“Well, if you don’t know something, it’s only right to ask your siblings. We’re always ready to help you. Isn’t that right, Giselle?”
“……Well, I suppose.”
Giselle responded reluctantly. She wasn’t close to Nikolaos, nor was she particularly fond of Juppe.
“I’m the eldest now. If there have been any misunderstandings between us, I’d like to clear them up. But there’s no need for lengthy words. From now on, there will be no more variables, Luka, Giselle. With Brother Nikolaos gone, I will be the next head of the family. If either of you had any rebellious thoughts, discard them today. I’ll be generous enough to overlook everything that’s happened so far.”
Juppe glared at us as he spoke. It was a blatant threat—an order to fall in line under him.
“That’s quite rude, Juppe Oraboni. We’re in mourning. Don’t you think it’s too soon for this conversation?”
“And yet the little wench sneaking off to plot has the nerve to lecture me? Don’t make me laugh.”
Juppe shot back. Surprisingly, he wasn’t wrong. I had to resist the urge to applaud.
For now, my ally was Giselle. And between the two, I liked Giselle better. Not because she was pretty, but simply because Juppe was even more insufferable.
“Well then, since Nikolaos is dead, I might as well say this.”
I didn’t even bother attaching hyung to his name. Truthfully, I had never considered him my brother, not even once. Besides, this wasn’t the kind of situation that warranted courtesy.
“You little—”
Before Juppe could cut in, I continued speaking.
“Nikolaos and I were complete opposites, which made him a difficult opponent. But you, Juppe, are a soldier like me. And my skills surpass yours to the extent that they can overturn the difference between an adopted son and a legitimate heir. Keep that in mind. I still have plenty of time. More than enough to earn recognition within the military and climb the ranks.”
I had just declared direct competition. Truthfully, there was no need to go this far. I just wanted to knock Juppe down a peg because of the way he was acting. It was a bad habit of mine—sometimes, I made enemies for no good reason.
“What the hell did you just say? A filthy street orphan like you dares to run his mouth—”
Juppe’s voice was fierce. He wasn’t an officer for nothing—he knew how to command intimidation. An ordinary person would have been shaken.
“Young Master Lukaus, the Lord is calling for you.”
Just then, one of the household servants approached.
“……It’s Father’s summons, so go, Luka. But don’t think I’ll forget what happened today.”
I didn’t respond and simply followed the servant. Giselle hesitated for a moment before blending back into the crowd.
Hemillas was waiting in a private chamber set up within the cemetery.
Creak.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
“You called for me?”
Hemillas was standing by the window. From his position, he had likely been watching my exchange with Juppe.
“Don’t tease Juppe too much, Luka,” Hemillas said gently.
“I just got a little heated. Did you summon me because you were worried we might fight?”
“No, not quite…… The door is slightly ajar. Close it properly.”
I turned back and pulled the door shut. The moment I turned my head back toward the room—
My eyes widened.
Hemillas was suddenly standing right in front of me. I hadn’t even sensed him move.
“Why did my son die?”
His tone was calm. But the words he spoke carried a weighty ambiguity. I had no idea how much he knew.
But I had to tell the truth now. If I lied…
‘……I’ll die.’
A chill ran down my spine. It felt as if the Reaper’s scythe was hovering over my neck.
I could feel the deep, simmering rage within Hemillas. And he was one of the greatest soldiers in the Empire. His fury would not end lightly.
999
Hemillas stood still, listening to my report.
I explained everything I had done in the lower districts. How I had used Gabriel to form a gang for the sake of my investigation and to expand my influence. How I had dug into the connection between Kinuan and Tora, eventually leading me to Ken Noma. How I had tracked the ghost company’s funding through Tora’s ledgers…
…And how I had entrusted that investigation to Nikolaos Custoria.
Shortly after, Nikolaos had died in an accident.
“……That is all.”
I pressed my hands firmly against my lower back, standing stiffly as I finished my report.
“I see……”
Hemillas muttered as he stroked his chin. His tone was devoid of emotion.
Yet my heart pounded relentlessly. I didn’t know when the quiet embers in Hemillas’s eyes would erupt into a raging fire.
‘His eldest son is dead.’
It was only natural for him to be furious. Even for someone like Hemillas, who was a master of separating duty from personal matters.
Hemillas was an exceptional soldier, but he wasn’t a crazed psychopath. I had glimpsed the humanity that lay dormant beneath his mask of a cold-hearted officer more than once.
“But we still don’t have definitive proof that Kinuan is Tora’s benefactor. It’s only a strong suspicion.”
I wanted to prevent a direct confrontation between Hemillas and Kinuan. If that happened, it wouldn’t bode well for me.
“Luka, Kinuan is Tora’s benefactor. Because that’s the conclusion you reached.”
“You trust me more than I trust myself, Commander.”
“I have no reason not to trust a capable subordinate—and my son.”
Should I be grateful for that trust or afraid of it?
“……Then, I will continue the mission without changing course.”
“If you keep digging, you’ll be targeted by the same people who went after Nikolaos.”
“Unlike my brother, I am a soldier.”
“Yes, an ordinary soldier. Which means this could be too much for you. Nikolaos was a high-ranking imperial official—not some low-level bureaucrat. ‘The enemy’ saw his database access logs.”
At his words, my brows furrowed. My mind reached a conclusion I could barely stomach.
“You’re saying the Empire’s enemies are embedded within the imperial bureaucracy? At the highest levels?”
“It’s not surprising. The Empire’s history is long. So is that of its internal factions. We cut out the rot whenever we find it, but there’s no end in sight.”
Rage churned inside me, so intense it made me feel sick.
I could—begrudgingly—understand why those in the lower districts or the impoverished masses would turn against the Empire. But for high-ranking officials to be its enemies? That was something I could not tolerate. They were the ones who had benefited the most from the system.
“We’ll use Kinuan to root out the traitors within. As much as I hate to say it… Nikolaos’s death means we were close to something critical.”
Hemillas had already regained his composure.
“Personally, I feel indebted to Nikolaos Hyung. And there’s only one way to repay that debt.”
Someone would have to take responsibility for Nikolaos’s death.