Bad Born Blood

Chapter 226

Ilay was standing in the alleyway. When he spotted me, he flicked his cigarette to the ground.  

“You’re here, Luka. If you hadn’t come by today, I was going to leave Border City. My stay was cutting it close.”  

Ilay pulled up his thick scarf all the way to his nose as he spoke. He wasn’t in combat gear but a light brown travel outfit with practical pockets scattered all over.  

“What’s with that outfit? Planning on going on an expedition or something?”  

“My pass says I’m an archaeologist. Gotta dress the part if I want to be convincing.”  

“From what I’ve seen, I don’t think you need a pass to get around this place.”  

“I won’t just be staying in Border City.”  

Given Ilay’s extensive knowledge of the Arcane Civilization, posing as an archaeologist would be an easy cover.  

“Well, fine. But this isn’t exactly the best place to talk. Where to?”  

This alley was a secluded meeting spot, but it wasn’t the right place for a long conversation.  

“Follow me.”  

Ilay slipped deeper into the alley, moving like a shadow blending into the darkness.  

The sun hadn’t set yet. But because of the haphazardly constructed buildings towering chaotically over the city, only fragmented rays of light managed to reach the ground.  

“Mushir al-Kashura came to see me.”  

I spoke as I followed him. Ilay kept his eyes forward and replied.  

“My bad about that. I didn’t expect him to make a move and come looking for you first.”  

“I’m not blaming you. There wasn’t much anyone could do. Even I wasn’t expecting it.”  

I meant it. This wasn’t sarcasm.  

Mushir al-Kashura had shown up at an unexpected place at an unexpected time.  

“Luka, just to be sure—do you have any cybernetic or electronic sensory implants?”  

“No.”  

Ilay pulled a small device from his coat. A short mechanical hum sounded as it activated, and for a moment, the air around us seemed to waver. A faint wave of nausea followed.  

‘A portable signal jammer.’  

For a portable device, it had an impressive output. Even with just biological senses, I could feel its interference clearly.  

Ilay kept walking with the jammer running. Before long, we arrived at a shop with no sign.  

Bzzz.  

A camera and automated turret were installed at the shop’s entrance, but the jammer prevented them from detecting us.  

“I’ll handle this. Just keep your mouth shut.”  

“Whatever this is, if you need help, let me know.”  

I crossed my arms as I spoke.  

“This is my job. I’m just taking care of something while also setting up a place to talk.”  

Ilay spoke as if it were just an errand. He removed his gloves and placed his hand on the doorknob, which had an electronic lock.  

Chiiik.

A current surged from Ilay’s hand as the hacking process concluded.  

Clank, clang.  

The electronic lock opened with almost comical ease. This was why mechanical locks were the better choice.  

‘Then again, in a place like this, that level of security is probably enough. Electronic locks are more convenient anyway.’  

Ilay put his gloves back on and opened the door.  

The walls were lined with firearms and mechanical devices, while the ceiling held heavy swords, prosthetic arms, and artificial legs.  

‘A gun shop? No, there’s too much miscellaneous junk. Even cybernetic implants.’  

I scanned the interior and identified the nature of the shop.  

‘A pawnshop dealing in stolen goods.’  

Honestly, finding a pawnshop in Border City that didn’t deal in stolen goods would be the real challenge.  

“…Thought you were just some unwelcome visitor, but looks like Death himself walked in.”  

A voice, laced with a metallic rasp, echoed from within the shop.  

Whirr, whirr.  

I turned my gaze to the shop owner. He was a cyborg, the kind you’d expect to find in the lower districts of Akbaran, a patchwork mess of a full-body prosthetic.  

His limbs were mismatched in size and model, giving him an awkward gait. The aging parts made his movements noisy.  

Half of his face lacked synthetic skin or any facial expression emulators. It was just bare metal, impassive like a machine, corroded in places with rust streaks that resembled tear stains.  

Screeech.  

The man stood behind the counter, his gaze fixed on us. A smirk spread across the remaining half of his face, aided by his artificial skin and expression emulator.  

“Hah, Ilay. Heard people are calling you the ‘Fox of Carthica’ these days. And…”  

His gaze landed on me.  

Creak.  

Tilting his head to the side, he suddenly vaulted over the counter.  

Whoosh!  

For a ragged, outdated prosthetic body, his movements were surprisingly precise. Despite his appearance, he was skilled at using his implants.  

“Damn, you’re actually alive? Not a full-body prosthetic, but flesh and blood… Yeah, there’s no way I’d forget.”  

He studied me, his mechanical eyes gleaming as they scanned me from head to toe.  

I remained silent, trying to get a read on the situation.  

“Senior, this is Lukaus Custoria.”  

Ilay introduced me.  

‘Senior.’  

I turned the word over in my mind. That meant this scrap-metal cyborg in front of me was a former Imperial Guard.  

I didn’t know him. I hadn’t memorized every single guard, but every guard knew who I was.  

“I thought it was strange. Even if you were completely incapacitated, someone as famous as you never showed up anywhere, and there were rumors you were dead.”  

The man muttered to himself.  

“Ilay, what’s the situation?”  

I asked, my irritation creeping into my voice.

“After the Storm Era, a significant number of Imperial Guards deserted. I was tracking them down.”  

Ilay explained. A glimmer of excitement spread across the half-metal face of the man.  

“Hah, hahaha, so that’s how it is. I see now! Ilay, I heard you were close friends with Lukaus. So this is how things were playing out. I didn’t think those rumors were true.”  

He had completely misunderstood the situation.  

‘This is about the Empire’s conspiracy.’  

And Ilay had deliberately brought me into this. He must have needed my name.  

“You can inform the others. Lukaus Custoria is alive, and he has successfully returned.”  

Ilay continued, his tone calm and measured.  

“Unfortunately, we severed all contact with each other as a precaution. Even if I wanted to spread the word…”  

Before the man could finish speaking, Ilay’s hand moved. He drew an execution pistol.  

I frowned. It was too late to intervene.  

Ilay pressed the muzzle against the back of the man’s head and pulled the trigger.  

Thunk!  

A sharp metal spike shot out from the barrel, piercing clean through the back of his skull and out his forehead. The protruding spike made it look as if he had grown a horn.  

Clank!  

A moment later, the spike retracted, and shattered bits of brain matter oozed down his face.  

Swish.  

Ilay crouched, gathering the remains of the man’s brain and sealing them inside a glass container. A trophy for his mission report.  

“This is disgusting, Ilay.”  

I wiped the blood off my face as I spoke. A former Imperial Guard had just died right in front of me.  

“I did it to disgust you.”  

“You used my name to extract the locations of other deserters.”  

Ilay nodded, tucking away the container of brain matter.  

“Exactly.”  

“Did it have to be this way? You could have told me beforehand.”  

Ilay reloaded the spike into his execution pistol and holstered it.  

“If I had, you would’ve waited outside.”  

He wasn’t wrong. I wouldn’t have lent my name or face to something like this.  

“Was this worth earning my resentment? Such devotion, Ilay Carthica. And they call you a fox? What a refined way to say ‘cowardly.’”  

“I find your insults rather endearing, but don’t be too harsh. I want to keep working with you. I need a worthy offering to blind the Emperor. And…”  

Ilay narrowed his eyes slightly. He pulled his scarf up to his nose, concealing his lower face completely. His emotions were always hard to read, but now, they were nearly imperceptible.  

Whirr.

A cold glow flickered from his blue eyes.  

“And?”  

“…I wanted to show you exactly what I’ve become. I’ve done far worse than this, countless times. If you can’t accept the person I am now, then our alliance ends here. I have no intention of wasting my emotions on drawn-out arguments over something like this, and frankly, I’m too worn down to care. I’m giving you only one choice—get used to my stench, Luka.”  

Ilay spoke in a detached tone. There was no sadness, no anger, no hatred. He was simply stating an objective truth, indifferent and unshaken.  

“Twelve years is a long time.”  

I pulled a chair over and sat down.  

“I’d love to be considerate of a prince who’s been sleeping for twelve years, but I don’t have that luxury.”  

Ilay took out an Accretia Imperial flag and spread it open.  

Swish.  

The fabric settled, covering the body of the former Imperial Guard.  

We continued our conversation with the corpse lying beside us.  

“There’s been a fair number of desertions within the Guard, huh? Doesn’t look that way to the outside world.”  

“There were too many things that didn’t make sense. And as you know, the Empire’s official statements always pretend to be flawless.”  

I glanced at the corpse beneath the flag.  

“With the skills and experience of an Imperial Guard, you can be treated well anywhere. But this man lived in hiding, leading a meager life. A patriot, through and through. He left everything the Empire gave him behind.”  

His only crime was failing to pledge loyalty to the Imperial Family. Restless thoughts floated through my mind.  

“If all deserters were like him, it wouldn’t be an issue. But there have been worse cases.”  

I didn’t ask about those bad precedents. There were more pressing matters to discuss.  

We shifted the topic to Mushir al-Kashura.  

“…It was a Legion-class full-body prosthetic. Even his brain wasn’t in his head—it was housed in a compartment on his back.”  

Ilay showed a faint hint of surprise when I mentioned that I had managed to take down a Legion-class full-body prosthetic.  

“Do you know how he was controlling it?”  

Even with the Empire’s technology, Legions were incredibly difficult to operate.  

“No idea. I’m not an engineer.”  

I had some suspicions, but I kept them to myself.  

Mushir al-Kashura’s escape had temporarily cut off the path to Kinuan.  

‘…But Mushir al-Kashura will definitely come for me again.’  

It was more than just a hunch—I was almost certain. He had sought me out for a reason. He would return before long.

“Luka, the CEO of G&G Cybernetics… in other words, Gilda, will be visiting Border City. I’ve secured her schedule. You should go see her. You can manage that, right?”  

I barely stopped my eyes from wavering. Gilda knew more about Giselle’s twelve years than anyone else.  

“Gilda is coming to Border City?”  

“She’s looking to expand into the Bellato market using Border City as a base. Growth has stagnated in the Empire’s domestic market. Given the current political climate, a solo expansion is difficult, so she’s opting for a joint venture instead. I’ve included a list of potential partners.”  

Ilay handed me a stack of paper documents. I folded them up and tucked them away.  

We wrapped up our discussion on the remaining matters.  

“…Luka, your actions are drawing too much attention in Border City. That means your time here is running out. You have two or three months at most. If you haven’t found Kinuan by then, go underground.”  

A clear, objective assessment of the situation. Ilay was still sharp as ever.  

“I know.”  

I stood and moved toward the exit.  

Swish.  

Before leaving, Ilay poured oil over the Imperial flag.  

Click.  

His lighter fell to the ground. Flames spread rapidly.  

We stepped outside, disappearing into different alleyways as if fleeing from the heat.  

I turned my head slightly, glancing in the direction Ilay had gone.  

Whirr.  

Ilay was looking back at me too. His blue eyes hovered like ghostly flames in the darkness.  

The eerie glow flickered, wavered, then vanished.  

I turned away, weaving through the streets toward Jafa Trading Company’s headquarters.  

‘Review Gilda’s visit schedule…’  

But my thoughts were consumed by Giselle. Her smile, her laughter, even the sound of her breath—more beautiful than any woman I had ever known.  

…It was hard to focus. The brighter the memories shone, the greater my unease grew. I could only hope that her twelve years hadn’t taken her as far away as Ilay’s had.  

The closer I got to Jafa Trading’s headquarters, the denser the crowd became. Blending into the sea of people, I fixed my gaze on the distant building.  

Then—  

I stopped.  

Before my mind could register it, my body had already reacted.  

Akies Victima had pulled me toward something.  

My pupils locked onto a single point amidst the crowd.  

The shifting tide of people flowed around him, yet he stood like an immovable rock.  

Ssshhhh.  

My senses shut out all unnecessary information. My awareness funneled into a single focus.  

…The world fell silent.  

At this moment, it was as if only the two of us existed in the entire world.

When emotions reach their peak, they sometimes don’t erupt into passion—they become a void.  

I couldn’t make sense of it all.  

‘Kinuan.’  

Kinuan met my gaze and gave me a slight nod. A greeting, as if meeting an old acquaintance.  

…The gesture was so natural that, before I knew it, I found myself nodding back.