Chapter 206
A world with a clear distinction between good and evil would be wonderful.
A beautiful world where those deemed evil can be subjected to any amount of criticism, insult, and violence without consequence. Just imagining it is endlessly convenient.
In such a binary world, there would be no need for deep thought. One could simply get drunk on a cheap sense of justice, like a drug, point fingers at villains, and throw stones.
…Yeah, this is nothing more than a childish delusion.
In reality, the boundary between good and evil is not so clear. To be precise, in most situations, the distinction between them is so ambiguous that it holds no real meaning.
‘I am right, and others are wrong.’
It’s a shallow way of thinking. Yet, most people live with that mindset. Myself included.
‘The only standard of righteousness is me.’
And when expanded, it includes my family, acquaintances, and those around me—people I consider to be ‘righteous.’
But this standard is as flimsy as it gets. Every time conflict arises, one quickly divides good and evil, labeling ‘anyone even slightly different from me’ as evil. If one continues to define evil so carelessly, soon, the entire world becomes full of villains.
…The arrogance that allows one to brand others as evil without hesitation is the most horrifying evil of all. It is the self-righteous who spew forth the vilest, most repulsive form of wickedness.
‘Giselle and Ilay.’
They are important to me. I didn’t want to define them as evil.
‘But there was conflict between Giselle and Ilay. For some reason, Giselle didn’t trust Ilay. Thinking about it carefully, I can understand why. Ilay isn’t exactly the most reliable person.’
They both must have had their reasons.
Between these two, who is more at fault? Who is the evil one?
If I were to label one of them as evil, it would certainly make things easier for me. If I were to condemn Ilay and criticize him freely, my psychological comfort would increase. Because I could simply blame all of this distortion on Ilay.
But that kind of thinking is far removed from reality. Ilay and Giselle are not characters in some fairy tale. They are people living in a world tangled in countless chains of cause and effect, desperately hoping that their decisions are the right ones.
“…I tried to talk to Giselle, but she rejected me every time. Even when I came close to threatening her, it was no use. I couldn’t exactly force her to speak, either.”
Ilay summed up what had happened. After handing me over to Giselle, he no longer knew where I had gone.
“Giselle must have decided you were on the Emperor’s side.”
I spoke indifferently.
"If I were on Ivan’s side, you’d have been in his hands long ago."
"At least, that’s how it might have seemed to Giselle. She’s different from us. To her, people like you, me, and Ivan are nothing short of monsters. She must have struggled to be certain whose side you were really on."
At my words, Ilay placed the cigar he had set down back between his lips. A twisted smirk played at the corners of his mouth.
"Luka, you’re still young. You have a lot of gaps in your memory, don’t you? Just how many years are missing? You probably haven’t been awake long since recovering from being completely incapacitated. If you had a few more years, you’d have a better grasp of the situation."
Ilay’s words cut sharply.
‘Having gaps in my memory is a critical weakness.’
Even if it was Ilay, I didn’t want to expose my weakness first. But he had already caught on.
"Cut the sarcasm. If you have something to say, say it clearly."
"Giselle sees us as monsters? If we’re monsters, then she’s standing on the same ground as us. Look, I get that emotions are involved, but don’t lose your sense of judgment. I’ll say it again—Giselle deceived not only me but also Ivan in order to get you out. Do you need me to spell out what that means?"
"No, it’s fine. I understand."
I responded curtly. There was no need to get defensive.
I had to acknowledge that Giselle had changed. While I had been wandering along the river of the dead, she had endured hardship and kept moving forward. It would have been strange if she hadn’t changed.
"That’s all I have to say for now. Luka, now tell me what happened to you."
Ilay stopped providing information. Ending the conversation on Giselle felt almost cunning, but cunning wasn’t the same as unfair.
"Well, that would be fair. I…"
I traced the rim of my glass with my fingertip before speaking.
I told Ilay about waking up at Lazarus with Jafa’s sponsorship. I didn’t go into every little detail, but I gave him a general outline of the events.
Ilay slowly closed his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he opened them again and spoke.
"So that’s why I couldn’t find you. Lazarus isn’t exactly a top-tier medical facility. It’s more of a research institution than anything else. I didn’t expect Giselle to put you there. If she really wanted to treat you, she had better options."
"And that’s precisely why she put me in Lazarus. There were better choices, but to deceive you, Giselle deliberately made a worse one."
"…Even considering that, there still seem to be better choices. But for now, let’s put aside the topic of Lazarus. The fact remains that Giselle put you there."
Ilay openly questioned Giselle’s judgment and decision.
'When it comes to discussing what the best decision for me would have been, there must have been a significant difference in opinion between Giselle and Ilay.'
I narrowed my eyes. Ilay clearly believed that Giselle’s decision to send me to Lazarus was a mistake.
A flood of questions rose within me as well. However, they were ones that would be difficult to resolve until I met Giselle in person.
'I don’t know what kind of person Giselle is now…'
I only knew the Giselle described from others' perspectives.
"So, to summarize, you’re tracking Kinuan with the support of Jafa Trading Company. What about extracting Valek’s memories? Don’t tell me you failed? The great Luka?"
"Cut the taunting. If I hadn’t managed that, what face would I have to show here? And besides, you made a foolish mistake yourself. The guy you killed wasn’t Valek. It was a vagrant’s brain in Valek’s prosthetic body. Kinuan left behind a message, anticipating that someone would extract the memories."
It seemed even Ilay hadn’t expected this.
"Valek once killed two of my subordinates and escaped. His skills weren’t ordinary, so I launched a surprise attack to eliminate him. I thought it was too easy…"
"He wanted to put on a display of his abilities. He also anticipated that you’d attack on sight without speaking. Valek deliberately leaked information around him."
"Akies Victima users are a damn headache."
Ilay frowned and took a drink.
Users of Akies Victima were troublesome. That was precisely why I was the right person to track Kinuan. Outsiders had a hard time understanding how an Akies Victima user thought. Even if they could match the speed of thought, there was still a fundamental difference in perspective and perception.
"Do you know anything about Mushir al-Kashura?"
Ilay paused for a moment to think, then shook his head. It seemed Mushir wasn’t a well-known figure within the Empire. If he had been, I would have known about him as well.
'And one thing has become clear. The Empire’s sophisticated surveillance system is highly insular. It doesn’t have a detailed view of the outside world.'
The Empire—more specifically, the Imperial Court—relied on the intricate internal power struggles to maintain control. The focus of imperial surveillance was always directed inward.
To sustain such an extreme surveillance system, the Empire had no choice but to adopt an exclusive and isolationist foreign policy.
'The more frequent the interactions with the outside world, the greater the number of uncontrollable variables. No matter how powerful the Imperial Court is, it cannot fully grasp the movements of external forces beyond the Empire.'
The Empire regarded even nations that shared humanity’s lineage as hostile states. As for alien species, it rejected them fiercely without question, and it exercised strict control over information regarding external affairs.
'The reason Ivan couldn’t find me. The reason Giselle stayed in Border City for an extended period. The reason Ilay and I can have this conversation here.'
All of these pointed to one thing—the Empire’s reach did not extend far beyond its own borders.
"Kinuan said that meeting Mushir al-Kashura would lead him to his whereabouts. You take this one, Ilay. I’ll track down the real Valek."
"That’s not like you. You’re handing over the primary mission of tracking Kinuan to me?"
I chuckled.
"Kinuan wants me to meet Mushir al-Kashura. That’s the feeling I got. This is a setup for me. That’s why you should go instead. There’s no need to play into his expectations. Of course, even this decision is likely within his calculations, but at the very least, it won’t be the optimal outcome he had planned for."
I needed to disrupt Kinuan’s plans. I wasn’t arrogant enough to believe that a single decision or choice could completely unravel them.
But by deviating, even slightly, from his predictions, no matter how well-orchestrated his scheme was, distortions would inevitably form.
Ilay’s eyes widened slightly as he listened. He stroked his sharp jawline, deep in thought.
"That makes sense. I wouldn’t have thought of that. Collaborating with you seems logical for the success of this mission."
I took a sip of my milk mixed with alcohol. It wasn’t as bad as I expected.
"Ilay, what exactly did Kinuan do during the Storm Era?"
I didn’t have high expectations for an answer.
"The only one who knows the full story is Ivan. But one thing’s certain… securing Kinuan would allow you to negotiate with Ivan on equal footing. You’re not the only one after him. There are other units tracking him as well. Be careful not to cross paths with them—they won’t be as lenient as I am."
I swallowed the question lingering on my tongue.
'Ilay Carthica, then what is your real objective?'
Even if I asked, he wouldn’t tell me. He’d just brush it off with vague words and a smirk.
We continued exchanging additional bits of information. Until we found Kinuan, we would maintain our cooperative relationship.
Exchanging information with Ilay, who operated within the Empire, would expand my field of vision and range of activity. Likewise, with my help, Ilay would have an easier time tracking Kinuan.
"Ilay, have you been in contact with Gilda?"
"I’ve met her a few times, but nothing significant came of it. Gilda doesn’t know much about this side of the world. Still, she did seem to have some conflict with Giselle."
"Is there a chance Gilda was involved in Giselle’s disappearance?"
The Gilda I knew wouldn’t harm Giselle. She had been a kind and gentle woman. But that was the Gilda from twelve years ago. I had to consider all possibilities.
"From what I saw, she seemed unaware. But you might see it differently. My ability to read people isn’t as sharp as yours."
"Then let me ask in another way. After Giselle went missing, was Gilda the one who benefited the most?"
Ilay stopped moving. He processed the information in his mind before speaking.
"Probably. She stabilized a company that was on the brink of division, halted reckless expansions, and reinforced its foundation. For a business that started from the ground up, it’s now standing on solid ground."
I cooled my emotions, forcing myself into a state of calculated analysis.
Looking back on Gabriel’s testimony, Gilda had been in a situation where she needed to push Giselle out. Even if Kinuan’s influence had been involved, Gilda could have been the one to act on it.
Setting aside personal feelings, the prime suspect was clear. Gilda was the only one who stood to gain from Giselle’s disappearance.
"Ilay, keep an eye on Gilda. If she leaves the Empire, let me know. I’ll go after her then."
"You’re planning to meet her in person? Can you trust her? She could report your presence to the Empire."
"I’ll decide that after I meet her. If she can’t be trusted… then I’ll cut her down."
Ilay studied me for a moment before smirking faintly through the drifting smoke.
"Luka, you better mean that. If Ivan finds out I let you go, I’m finished too. If you determine she’s a threat, kill her—for my sake as well. Don’t hesitate this time. Either way, I’ll keep an eye on her. Now that her company has grown, there will be times when she leaves the Empire’s outskirts or goes beyond its borders."
Ilay glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Looks like you’ve got somewhere to be."
"I need a reasonable excuse to stay in Border City. I took on a simple mission to buy myself some time. Well, it was fun, Luka. I’ll cover the drinks this time. You get the next one. My salary isn’t exactly generous, you know."
Ilay stood up from his seat. I smirked and watched him leave.
Our tasks were set. I would track the elusive Valek. Ilay would find Mushir al-Kashura.
Swish.
A shiver ran down my spine.
When my thoughts sank too deep, uneasy feelings often crept in.
'Sooner or later, Ilay and I will clash…'
I knew it. This cooperation was built on shaky ground. Ilay had his own priorities—his real goal.
Maybe, just maybe… Ilay wasn’t working with me out of friendship. Maybe he was taking a risk for his own purposes. I was simply useful to him in finding Kinuan. My thoughts kept drifting toward the worst possibilities.
…Again, Luka, you're doubting someone. Thinking in such a twisted way.