Chapter 75
The only ones left in the VIP room were Martina, Grace, and me.
"I have just one request, Martina, Diva."
"Hehe, go ahead, Young Master."
Martina unfolded her fan, smiling with her eyes. It was the kind of smile that could captivate many men. But not me.
"Even if I'm not around, I want you to look after Gabriel. Make sure he and his gang don’t collapse. If necessary, you can bring Gabriel’s gang under La Vie en Rose. With your skills, you can manage that, right?"
Martina’s pupils widened, as if she hadn't expected that. I hadn’t expected myself to make such a request either.
"It almost sounds like... you're worried about Gabriel?"
"Think whatever you want. But as you know, I can't always stay in the lower district. There will be times when I’m gone for long periods. If I ever need influence in the lower district again, it’ll be a problem if Gabriel isn’t there."
I spoke in a dry tone, revealing not a trace of emotion. Keeping emotional signals locked inside was second nature to me.
"If you need influence in the lower district, La Vie en Rose can handle it for you."
"I don’t trust you. One of La Vie en Rose’s sources of income is information trade, isn't it? If necessary, you'd sell my information to others too."
The high-class courtesans of La Vie en Rose mingled with high-ranking nobles. The careless ones tended to spill secrets in bed.
"I haven’t said a word about you to anyone. I swear."
For now, maybe. But I couldn’t be certain she’d keep quiet forever.
"Let’s drop the small talk, Martina. So, will you protect Gabriel or not? Just give me an answer."
"And what do I get in return?"
There was only one thing I could offer.
"A connection with me."
My potential.
A promising cadet of the Custoria family’s Imperial Guard. Anyone could see that my chances of success were high.
"Confident, aren't you?"
"I am."
I kept my reply short.
Beeep.
The rims of Martina’s pupils glowed. She had shifted her consciousness inward, deep in thought.
Snap!
Finishing her thoughts, Martina closed her fan.
"It feels like I'm taking a slight loss, but I'll consider it an investment. Even if you're away, Grace will keep an eye on Gabriel’s gang."
Our deal was sealed.
I stood up and left the VIP room. Following Martina’s order, Grace trailed behind to see me off.
"You must have quite the status," Grace remarked.
"There’s nothing special about it," I replied.
To be honest, I was remarkable. But it was a status I had earned with my own strength. I refused to be treated like some noble brat flaunting his family's power.
We walked down the corridor of the establishment. Many people passed by, and business seemed to be thriving. Every time I came to the red-light district, I was reminded of how diverse people's tastes were.
Beep.
I heard the call signal from my terminal.
The caller was Hemillas.
* * *
For once, Hemillas wasn’t waiting for me in his office but in the training room.
Swish.
Hemillas smoothly spun his spear, adjusting his stance. In front of him stood five active Imperial Guards, each wielding a melee weapon.
It was a rare sight—an opportunity to witness Hemillas in combat. During the air vehicle crash incident, I had been too busy trying to keep myself alive to properly see him fight.
"You came at just the right time. Wait a moment."
Hemillas glanced at me as he spoke.
The five Imperial Guards spread out, surrounding him. They were members of the 1st Centuria, one of the elite units within the Imperial Guard. Even among the Guard, they were the best of the best.
Clack!
One of the guards, armed with a sword, lunged at Hemillas. As if that were the signal, the others attacked simultaneously from multiple directions.
Whoosh!
Hemillas swung his spear in a wide arc, deflecting an incoming strike and creating space. Lowering his upper body, he slipped back in a gliding motion.
Now free from their encirclement, Hemillas struck the nearest guard’s neck with the shaft of his spear. If this had been a real battle, it would have been an instant kill.
His movements were both dazzling and precise. The calculated rotations of his spear seamlessly deflected each attack.
Using the centrifugal force gained from his defensive rotations, Hemillas launched his next assault.
'Offense and defense as one.'
His attacks and defenses were not separate; they flowed as a single movement. I couldn’t begin to fathom how much training and experience it would take to reach such a level.
'This is the strongest soldier of the Empire…'
Even with my knowledge of Akies combat techniques, I couldn’t see a single opening in Hemillas’ form. There was no obvious way to counter him.
One by one, the Imperial Guards collapsed, almost too easily. It was unreal. They weren’t weak—each of them was a seasoned warrior. But in front of Hemillas, they seemed utterly powerless.
Thud!
Hemillas struck the final guard’s chest with the base of his spear. The guard’s chest plate shattered.
'If Hemillas used Legion… just how strong would he become?'
Legion—the very name meant "a one-man army."
The Imperial Guards who had finished their sparring quietly withdrew.
Hemillas remained standing, still gripping his spear. After catching his breath, he gestured toward me with his chin.
"Luka, pick up a weapon and come up here. Let's have a light spar while we talk."
I felt my heart pounding. This was an incredible opportunity.
"Ah, use your personal weapon," Hemillas added. "That much is necessary for me to feel at least a little tension."
His words scratched at the competitive fire inside me, provoking me.
Bzzzzt!
I drew Crucis, my high-compression heavy weapon, and stepped forward to face Hemillas.
"I’ll be learning from you."
My tone was sharp, like a tongue laced with thorns. Even if just for a moment, I wanted Hemillas to feel a real sense of danger. That was my goal for today.
Simply put, I was going to fight as if I intended to kill him.
Hemillas’ training spear had reduced lethality. Among those with combat prosthetics, delivering a fatal injury was difficult.
'If it clashes with Crucis, that spear will shatter instantly.'
How does he plan to counter that?
I charged in, swinging Crucis with full force. By the time I reached Hemillas, I had already built enough momentum to eliminate the one weakness of heavy weapons—the slow initial strike.
Hemillas observed me with slightly narrowed eyes as he stepped back. Crucis tore through the air viciously, missing him by a hair.
'Keep accelerating with rotational force.'
A heavy weapon isn’t meant to stop and reset between swings. Once momentum is gained, it must be maintained. That’s what makes it so difficult to wield. The true efficiency of Crucis only emerges when attacks flow continuously.
Ride the momentum, Luka.
I widened my eyes and instantly pushed my prosthetic output to its peak.
Closing in on Hemillas, I swung my sword once more. This would be difficult for even him to evade. In my mind, I already pictured my blade carving through his torso alongside his spear.
At that moment, Hemillas’ spear blurred.
By the time I registered it, I had already been struck.
Beeep—!
The sound of his attack trailed behind, as if struggling to catch up.
Hemillas had stabbed my left shoulder. His speed was beyond my ability to react. My grip loosened, and I stumbled backward.
'Overwhelming speed.'
Even with Akies combat techniques, I couldn't respond.
'So this is the Empire’s way.'
I clutched my shoulder and looked at Hemillas. A faint light flickered in his pupils.
Hemillas was a perfect combat machine. He controlled his ultra-high-performance combat prosthetics as if they were a part of his natural body. I had no idea how many people in the Empire possessed a brain like his.
'I could fight him a hundred times and lose a hundred times.'
Kinuan always said it—Akies Victima wasn't some miraculous combat technique that made the impossible possible. It only worked against an opponent I had a real chance of defeating.
Against an opponent with this much of a skill gap, Akies combat techniques were useless.
"You’re not giving up just because you got hit once, are you?"
"Persistence is one of my few strengths."
I massaged my numb shoulder. His strike had targeted the junction between my organic body and my prosthetic. The impact resonated deep, momentarily disrupting my nervous system connection. It felt as if my arm had been severed.
'So there are attacks like this too.'
I had learned something new.
Hemillas was teaching me, showing me various ways to fight. It was an incredibly considerate sparring session. I knew how ridiculous that sounded, but there was no other way to describe it.
"Heavy weapons have immense destructive power. As long as you can maintain momentum, there’s no better weapon. But you’re still inexperienced—both in skill and experience."
It had been a while since someone pointed out my shortcomings so directly. It irritated me a little. I had grown too accustomed to praise.
"Akies combat techniques artificially enhance insight. But at its core, it’s a technique for the weak to fight the strong with inferior prosthetics. Use it as a tool, but don’t rely on it too much."
That was good advice. I made sure to etch it into my mind.
"I called you here today to assign you a mission. A member of the Imperial Family personally requested you. Any idea who it might be?"
I hadn’t answered until now because I had been too focused on trying to keep up with his attacks.
This time, Hemillas stepped back, waiting for my response. I finally caught my breath and spoke.
"…I do."
I told him about the young prince I had met after the banquet. The image of the violet-eyed boy was still vividly imprinted in my mind.
"Hmm. Looks like you’ve caught his interest. Not surprising. Your record is… quite unique. Even among Irregulars, you’re an Irregular."
That sounded like a compliment.
"What’s the mission?"
"It's a security detail. The duration could be as short as a day or two, or it might last several days. It all depends on his whims. But remember one thing—this is an Imperial Guard mission. Your judgment is the Imperial Guard’s judgment."
"I will keep that in mind."
Even after the mission briefing, the training continued.
I sparred with Hemillas until my limbs were completely battered.
'Hemillas cleared his schedule for me.'
I knew better than anyone how busy the Commander of the Imperial Guard was.
I pushed my concentration to the extreme, treating every moment as if it were real combat. I committed every movement of Hemillas to memory. This knowledge might one day save my life.
* * *
A member of the Imperial Family had personally assigned me to a security mission. Logically, it made no sense. There were plenty of guards within the Imperial Guard with more experience and skill than me.
If efficiency were the only factor, there was no reason to choose me.
'Curiosity.'
That was why the young prince had picked me. It wasn’t a reason I particularly welcomed.
Feeling uneasy, I stood at the Imperial Guard airfield, absentmindedly checking my weapons. Crucis and Ruina were secured at my waist and inside my coat. I had also prepared ample ammunition.
Vroooom.
A six-seater aerial vehicle, impossible to identify by affiliation, descended from the sky. The exterior was black. As it landed, the vehicle’s door lifted upward.
Following the instructions I had received beforehand, I stepped inside.
Inside, the violet-eyed prince sat with his legs crossed.
I kept my expression neutral and waited for him to speak.
"Nice to meet you, Lukaus Custoria. Lukaus sounds a bit stiff and long—do you have a nickname?"
"You may call me Luka."
"Luka, Luka, Luka. It has a nice ring to it. Have a seat."
The prince rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window. From the outside, it was opaque black glass, but from within, the view was crystal clear.
'Is there really no one else here?'
Aside from the prince and me, the vehicle was empty. I would be the only one guarding him.
"Luka."
The prince, still looking outside, moved his lips.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I want to choose a name to use for now. Nero, Ivan, Selim. Which one do you think suits me best?"
There was likely a common thread between those names. But with my knowledge and perspective, I couldn’t figure it out.
"Ivan… seems the most fitting."
"Actually, I liked that one too. Hmm, but hearing you choose it makes me like it even more."
The prince—Ivan—smiled.