Chapter 73
It was only a week after the banquet ended that I finally had time to visit the lower district.
I boarded the elevator that led down to the lower district. Since I was alone, I had time to immerse myself in thought during the descent.
‘The cadet who took down Rick Silva Núñez, Lukaus Custoria.’
With this incident, I had secured the top rank of this class. No one else would achieve a greater accomplishment.
‘And Akies Domini.’
That was an unofficial title. I was the Emperor’s eyes and an Overseer, even if I was only an apprentice.
‘The unofficial mission is to monitor the enemies within the Empire.’
My mentor and predecessor, Kinuan, deceived everyone with his genius-level cunning. I had to become someone like that.
‘But the mission I received from the Commander of the Imperial Guard was to monitor and investigate Kinuan.’
I had to carry out two conflicting missions. Amusingly enough, both were technically unofficial.
My position was still precarious—dangerously so.
Unofficial missions sometimes required even the erasure of an operative’s existence through death. I had already braced myself for that possibility multiple times.
‘If I lack the qualities of an Overseer, or if the higher-ups decide my existence must be erased… I will be disposed of.’
Not even the Custoria family’s shield could protect me. The world I had stepped into was that deep and dark.
‘I have to keep pretending to investigate Kinuan while deceiving Commander Hemillas.’
It was an incredibly difficult task. Hemillas was no ordinary man. He had attempted to dismantle my lies multiple times. There were even instances where he might have known the truth and chosen to let it slide.
Creak.
The elevator came to a halt, and the doors opened. I passed through the security checkpoint and entered the lower district.
A rough-looking Gabriel was waiting for me. I had summoned him in advance. Upon spotting me, he immediately grumbled.
"Why'd you have to call me all the way here? This isn’t even my turf. Everyone’s staring. Even the drones won’t stop tailing me."
The area that connected the upper and lower districts was a sort of middle ground. Administratively, it was classified as part of the lower district, but in practice, it was a distinct middle-class zone separate from the lower district.
Simply put, it was far from Gabriel’s usual domain.
Bzzzz—
A patrol drone followed Gabriel, its sights locked on him. If he made a wrong move, it would open fire on him without hesitation.
"Get used to it. You might have to come here more often from now on."
"I’ve got an allergy to rich people, so I can’t stand places like this. My throat’s already itching and swelling up. I’ll probably need a drink to settle it."
"Cut the nonsense. Just give me your report."
"Oh, yes, yes, boss."
I preferred to gather information verbally whenever possible. I had learned well that messages sent through terminals carried a high risk of exposure.
Even Commander Hemillas had relayed information to me through Giselle. No matter how well-guarded, networks were inherently vulnerable.
"The arena gang’s been taken over by some nutjob named Julek. That bastard gathered up all the arena’s executives and started shooting, so all the key personnel are dead. Right now, Julek’s the only one left who can run the place."
It seemed Aleph wouldn’t be returning to the field—ever.
"Do you think Julek will be favorable toward us?"
"On the surface, yeah. We’re the ones who stopped Ken Noma’s raid, after all. He’s outsourcing part of the arena’s security work to us."
"Keep an eye on things for now. Handle any issues on your end first. If you can’t, then call me."
Gabriel tilted his head at my lukewarm response.
"Uh… That’s it?"
"Yeah."
To be honest, I had lost interest in managing the lower district. Since I no longer needed to dig into Kinuan’s background, there was no reason to stay fixated on the lower district.
'Someday, I might need manpower from here, but not right now.'
As I was thinking, Gabriel handed me a printed list of gang recruit candidates. I quickly scanned the names, memorized the details, and then tore up the paper.
"Looks good, but drop Baiyan. He seems too smart."
"Isn’t being smart a good thing? We’re struggling as it is with all these dumbasses."
"It’s still the early days of the gang. If someone smarter than you joins, they’ll eat you alive. You’ll lose control."
I wanted Gabriel to be able to run the gang even without me. For that to happen, the organization had to be built on a solid foundation—just like La Vie en Rose. It wouldn’t be easy.
* * *
I went with Gabriel to the hospital where Ken Noma was being treated. He was under medical detention. Since it was a proper hospital, the treatment costs were coming out of my pocket, and they were starting to add up.
‘I’m no saint.’
If I decided Ken Noma was no longer useful, I would send him back to one of those bottom-tier hospitals.
I walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Ken’s hospital room. Just as I was about to open the door, I flinched. My intuition sensed something was off.
A trained instinct sends signals to the brain through feeling first. The brain then processes the detailed information afterward. It was a sort of "act first, analyze later" response.
'Someone got here before us.'
If Ken Noma had a visitor, the hospital would have informed us. This was an unofficial visit.
"Gabriel, wait outside. I’m going in alone. Stop anyone who tries to enter."
I spoke firmly.
Gabriel read my expression and the mood immediately, following my orders without question. We were starting to sync well. He was becoming an extension of myself, someone who understood my intentions without needing explanation.
Chiiik—
The hospital door was electronic, meaning any entry or exit would be recorded. But there were plenty of people in this world who could deceive machines and computers like ghosts.
...Kinuan was one of those people.
Kinuan was in Ken’s hospital room. He was sitting in a chair, watching me.
"Take a seat, Luka."
Kinuan invited me as if it were his own room. I sat across from him and turned my gaze to Ken, who remained restrained.
"Ken is not in his right mind."
"But he is an Akies combat technique user. As you saw in the last incident, given the chance, he could act unpredictably. I determined that we couldn’t just leave him be."
"So, Instructor, you were Tora and Ken’s benefactor… and you were the one who taught Ken Akies combat techniques?"
It was such an obvious fact that asking felt pointless.
"I used Tora and Ken to run the arena gang as a financial source for Nemesis. That’s also how Rick was able to rise as a key figure within Nemesis. At the time, Rick and I were given an unofficial mission: to infiltrate Nemesis by posing as anti-imperialists."
"Rick truly defected during the mission. Meanwhile, you only pretended to defect while maintaining contact from within the Empire."
"Rick worked from the outside, while I worked from within the Imperial Guard. Together, we swore to bring down the Empire. Of course, I never had any intention of actually doing that."
Kinuan had likely been an Overseer even back then.
Just how long had he been one?
Maybe even before he became a cadet.
There was also the case of Barbara, the witch who had infiltrated Nemesis recently. With the Empire and the Imperial Court’s resources, such things were more than possible.
"Ken had a talent for combat. If his life had gone well, he would have risen through the ranks as a soldier."
"That’s exactly why I chose Ken. He was cautious, just as expected of an Akies Victima candidate. When he put Tora forward as the boss to spread the risk, even I was impressed. I liked Ken."
"But you left his side, knowing he was doomed to destruction."
"Because my mission ended when Rick truly defected. The higher-ups rushed to recall me, fearing that I might also turn. Even now, they continue to suspect me."
Aside from the Emperor, no one knew Kinuan’s true identity. He had endured countless suspicions cast upon him. It was a dangerous balancing act—one misstep could mean death. Seeing him like this, I realized that Kinuan was the true loyalist.
Srrrk.
I turned my gaze back to Ken. He only muttered incoherently with vacant eyes, unable to recognize either me or Kinuan.
"Today… you're planning to kill Ken. Because if I interfere, there's a chance he might regain his senses."
That was why Kinuan had come here. He intended to kill Ken and erase all traces of his past involvement.
I felt somewhat heavy-hearted. I was the one who had pulled Ken Noma up from the abyss.
Sensing my hesitation, Kinuan smiled faintly.
"You don’t need to feel responsible. For a brief moment, Ken roamed the outside world with a clear mind. Before that, he was as good as dead. I know Ken well. Even if he had a choice, he would have chosen this path. In fact, he already did."
Ken had knowingly risked death to take revenge on Aleph. His determination was remarkable. And it was precisely because of that determination that he was going to die here.
Srrrk.
Kinuan rose from his seat and stood before Ken.
As I watched them, I couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriel and myself. No matter how much I tried to push the thought away, I kept seeing our reflections in those two.
'Kinuan doesn’t forge bonds through lies.'
He simply suppresses his emotions for the sake of duty. He was someone who could kill even a true friend if the mission demanded it.
It’s difficult to deceive people by forming fake bonds. Especially with someone like Rick, a figure of his caliber. The same applied to Ken, who had mastered Akies Victima and possessed exceptional insight.
Just as Rick and Kinuan had been close friends… Ken Noma had been Kinuan’s friend as well.
"Instructor."
I parted my lips and stood up. Taking a steady breath, I moved to stand beside him.
"…I’ll handle Ken Noma."
"This is my responsibility and duty."
Kinuan must have known for a long time that Ken Noma had to be eliminated. Yet, he had left him alive under the excuse that he was beyond recovery. Even someone as meticulous as Kinuan had chosen to take that risk.
Now, I understood. I had finally caught a glimpse into Kinuan’s inner thoughts. Letting a dangerous element like Ken Noma remain for so long—that was Kinuan’s conscience at work.
"No matter how much of an instructor you are, killing two close friends with your own hands in such a short time wouldn’t sit well with you. It wouldn’t be good for your mental health, either."
I spoke and waited for Kinuan’s permission.
"As I always say, you’re a good student. You grasp ten things from being taught just one. Sometimes, your rapid growth is terrifying."
Kinuan took a step back. With his approval, I began flexing my fingers one by one, loosening them up.
Crack, crack.
A menacing sound escaped from my joints as I raised my output.
"Ken Noma, for the peace of the Empire, I will dispose of you."
Kinuan turned his back. My hand moved.
Crunch!
I ended Ken’s life.