Bad Born Blood Chapter 261

261
I took Boyan to the training room periodically.

Kwajik!

Boyan hit my upper arm with a heavy fist. I lightly brushed it away and wrapped my arms around the guy, bending them down.

Woohoo!

Boyan’s bones made an unpleasant sound. I walked over the guy’s legs, bending my arms just enough to not break them, and knocked him off balance.

Whirl!

Boyan’s body spun around in the air. He hadn’t even learned how to fall, but he instinctively took the impact and landed on his back.

“Kaaa, ugh!”

Boyan looked up at the ceiling, gasping for breath.

I looked down at the guy and stroked his neck. Even against my physical opponent, Boyan was far from good enough.

‘It’s pretty good among the general public, but… … .’

At best, he is a martial arts leader of a gang.

‘This is a level of training that relieves desire and wildness. It’s practically no different from play.’

Boyan has an innate violence but lacks the desire to learn combat skills. If he actively tries to learn, he will grow quickly, but his combat skills will only improve minimally.

“Don’t just look at the upper body, but use your field of vision and senses broadly. I don’t know about the crawler’s senses, but your five senses are probably more advanced than those of a normal human. Don’t look at the opponent’s movements individually, but read them as a whole and in a flow. Then you can know what the opponent will do next.”

“Just hearing the explanation, it sounds like some kind of superpower.”

Boyan spoke while lying down.

I walked back, grabbed the documents I had left on the table, and threw them at Boyan’s face.

It was a document sent by Ishmael regarding Boyan’s case.

“There’s a place called the Strategic Arms Research Office under the federal government. The deputy director there will hire you as an intern. Think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and give it your all.”

Boyan picked up the document, read it, and opened his eyes wide.

Whoosh!

Boyan jumped up using only the strength of his waist and legs.

“Is this real? Me? And school?”

“You went to school because you wanted to become a bureaucrat. You’re probably better suited to practical work than school life. You must have studied at least the basics.”

“The Strategic Weapons Research Department is where Yanaka is a pilot, right?”

“Yes, it may vary depending on the job, but we may encounter each other often.”

Boyan flipped through the documents one by one. He read them carefully, chewing and swallowing the words.

“… … Mr. Luca, thank you very much.”

I patted Boyan on the shoulder and left the training room. I felt relieved. It felt like a burden had been lifted.

‘I wonder if Legor felt this way too.’

Legor probably didn’t hate Boyan either. That’s why he would risk everything to protect him.

I also hated Boyan sometimes, no, quite often, but fundamentally I liked him. However, it was also true that Boyan was a heavy burden to me.

I took the burden I had been given by Legor too lightly.

‘Taking responsibility for someone is a whole different kind of difficulty than risking your life on a mission.’

When I arrived at my room, I sat down on my chair and leaned back deeply.

‘What did Giselle think of me when I was unconscious?’

No matter how much Giselle liked me, sometimes, I must have felt like a burden. It’s inevitable for a person to feel that way.

The sense of responsibility is not just about positive emotions. It means that you have to put up with a lot for that person.

There were many things I wanted to ask Giselle when I met her. What emotions and thoughts did she have as she cared for me and smuggled me out of the empire…?

* * *

After that, the ‘Sword of the Empire’ moved actively and made contact with me.

It was rewarding to show my presence to the guardsmen who had defected under the pretext of a special lecture.

I contacted Lante and entered the underground of Border City. Lante guided me expertly.

The underground was gloomily silent. The poor who had been driven out because they had no place to stand above ground were leaning against the underground passages, their eyes clouded and their voices groaning in pain.

Thud, thud.

Lante proceeded through the maze-like passage without any obstructions. When there was no sign of people around him, Lante opened his mouth.

“Your joining will change the course of things. Rumors of Lucius Custoria being alive are spreading among the people of Akbaran. The Empire’s information manipulation and intelligence capabilities are not what they used to be. Do you understand why?”

I paused for a beat and then answered.

“It’s because the emperor suddenly changed.”

“As you remember, the chaos of the Storm has left many people dead and our surveillance and control systems in shambles. Our intelligence resources have been cut in half. The Empire’s surveillance capabilities are weaker than ever.”

Come to think of it, that makes sense.

So it was not strange that Ivan kept the unscrupulous Ilay by his side. Someone like Ilay could not be kept at a distance, and it was difficult to replace her if he were to kill her. However, he did not have the capacity to monitor her thoroughly.

‘The Empire does not unilaterally entrust intelligence and surveillance to a single agency.’

The emperor assigned espionage missions to his confidants and various talented people, and even within the empire, missions conflicted, and various groups monitored and competed with each other. It was a system in which it was unclear who was a spy and who was the emperor’s real confidant.

There were many spies who did not exist in any official records or documents, so the sudden change of emperor and the death of many key figures caused the empire’s spy system to collapse.

‘In short, the spies that Heilas was in charge of would have lost their way of contacting the Imperial High Command.’

For a spy whose communication system had disappeared, it was something he couldn’t report carelessly. If information leaked out in the middle, everything would be in vain, or he could be used against him and die. The witch Barbara I know well is one of those people.

“The spies who have taken root throughout the Empire do not officially exist. That is why even if intelligence comes in through unofficial channels, it is difficult for the Empire officials to tell if it is real or fake. There are many who call themselves secret spies of the Empire by the names of dead people. The situation is so chaotic that it would be better to kill them all and start over.”

The surveillance system, which relied on the power of the Emperor and a few superhumans, collapsed with the Emperor’s sudden death.

‘Ivan may have been in quite a corner too… … .’

I thought of Ivan Kratsya. The outside and inside of monsters are always different.

“The movements of the Holy Nation of Korra and the Federation of Bellato are also unusual. We need to pay more attention to other countries than before. We have also planted people in the Holy Nation and the Federation to monitor their movements.”

The Empire’s swords seemed to be spread out across the planet Novas. Since many of them were former guardsmen who were good at independent activities, they were able to spread out and operate widely.

‘That’s why even if the imperial citizens or royal guards rebel against the current emperor and go into exile, other countries don’t believe them easily.’

Even if we rebel against the current regime and the emperor, it does not mean that we hate the empire itself. There are many who would turn into terrorists and guerrillas for their country if the opportunity arose.

… … I, too, wanted to avoid any activities that would go against the interests of the empire.

“grow.”

Lanté stood at the iron doorway in the underground passage and spoke.

Knock, knock.

A sensor-less door surveillance window was opened and closed manually.

“This is the Border City branch of the ‘Imperial Sword.’ Think of it as trust in Janelle.”

“Lante said as he walked away.

I am the adopted son of Heilas and have a background as a loyal servant of Francek. Because of that, the sword of the empire has placed infinite trust in me.

‘If I just report this to Ivan or Ishmael, my value and evaluation will go up tremendously.’

As we entered the underground base, we were greeted by weapons, equipment, and body parts and components hanging everywhere.

‘As expected, it wasn’t maintained intentionally.’

The reason why Lanthe’s appearance was so shabby was intentional. If the time came, Lanthe could have finished his maintenance and fought properly. The Empire’s sword was not a stray organization.

“Really… … It’s Lucas Custoria. I thought he was still alive.”

The former guardsmen at the base spoke to me. They were welcoming me, and they all looked like Rante. It seemed like they were using this as a base to operate in Border City.

‘Seven former guardsmen, including Rante.’

I had seen about three of them a few times and knew their names. I had even had brief conversations with some of them.

“Weren’t you hopeless?”

“Hmm, I thought you were dead.”

I heard muttering.

There were two rumors about me: I was dead or I couldn’t recover. In any case, no one expected me to be alive and well.

“… …Is the wind finally blowing?”

The man who was opening his arms and fixing them looked at me and muttered.

I could feel the desperate anticipation they had for me. They were waiting for a turning point like mine.

‘They don’t believe in me, exactly. They believe in Heilas.’

Heilas had a great eye for detail, and I was the one chosen by him.

“I haven’t said anything about joining yet. I have no intention of committing a reckless suicide with my seniors.”

I raised my voice.

Two of them looked at me with cold eyes, while Rante and the other one laughed heartily. The rest of them maintained mechanical expressions and neutral attitudes.

“Just showing you this place was a huge risk for us. And… … I can’t tell you the plan yet.”

I looked at the other men’s expressions.

‘Lante is the commander here.’

There was no one who opposed Rante’s opinion or questioned his decision. After all, Rante was a great person who was close to Heilas.

Rante led me further in. I followed him, somewhat warily but without hesitation.

Langte and I entered a conference room that could seat about ten people.

Langtega took off his tattered coat, hung it on the wall, and sat down on a chair.

“Lukaus, I can imagine that you too have your own circumstances.”

“You can call me Luca.”

“Although it may seem crude, I believe the Sword of the Empire can provide you with the information and resources you need.”

Langtega tapped the conference room table and brought up a hologram.

“Are you saying that if there’s anything you want, just tell me?”

“I don’t think you’ll just cooperate with us. I was a close associate of Heilas. I’ve heard a lot about your rebellious nature. They say you’re a son who secretly doesn’t listen well.”

Lanté smiled with a wrinkled face.

I felt my emotions growing clouded.

Lanthe is a man who remembers Heilas. He didn’t just look up to Heilas, but he also saw a lot of Heilas’ human side.

And I am one of those who miss Heilas.

“If you say so, I won’t refuse. There is one piece of information I want. It’s the reason I’m in Border City.”

Among countless questions and doubts… I chose the most urgent question.

‘But don’t expect a proper answer, Luca. The Sword of the Empire is a guard-based organization. They are fundamentally military. They are not an intelligence organization.’

To be honest, I was better at espionage than them. I wondered if they knew things that I didn’t.

‘Even though they were active in Border City, they were late in noticing my presence.’

It meant that the intelligence capabilities were poor.

“I want to know the whereabouts of my step-sister, Giselle Custoria. Is she dead or has someone captured her? I heard she disappeared from Border City years ago.”

After hearing what I said, Rante looked at me without moving an inch.

“Is that all?”

Does that mean he can find it for you, or does it mean he can’t and wants you to tell him something else?

“This is all I ask.”

“If you tell me the whereabouts of Giselle Custoria, may I take it as your willingness to fully cooperate with the Empire’s sword?”

I suppressed my heartbeat. What Rante said… …was as if he knew where Giselle was.

It occurred to me that the Giselle I had been searching for might be incredibly close by. Life is always strange.

“… … Yes.”

I answered, and Rante put his index finger to his lips.

“Whisper a secret, Lucius Custoria, no, Luca.”

Langte nodded and looked over my shoulder at the door, indicating that it was a secret from the other agents outside the conference room.

From now on, the words that come out of Rante’s mouth will be information that only a very small number of people, even within the Empire’s Sword, know.

“… … The person who organized the Sword of the Empire was Giselle Custoria.”

I realized where the money that was shaking G&G Cybernetics went.