Bad Born Blood Chapter 298

298
The momentum of chaos that had been shaking Border City was subsiding.

Anguis Regina’s concert ended successfully. She talked about coexistence and peace between races throughout the performance, and told the story of the reconciliation between Japa and the Handicrafts.

On the surface, it seemed as if the conflict and strife in Border City had come to an end. However, few knew of the schemes and conspiracies that lay beneath.

Son Seok-jae’s death will also be announced after the riots have ended and things have stabilized.

‘The problems in Border City aren’t over. They’ve just been stopped temporarily. It’ll happen again.’

There is no problem that can be completely solved in a country or society. When a problem occurs, all that is done is to suppress the situation with stopgap measures. Even if we try hard to contain it this time, social problems and conflicts will eventually explode in the form of riots and wars.

There is no right answer to social conflict. Even rulers and politicians are at best able to maintain a delicate balance to prevent problems from exploding immediately.

In the future, countless incidents outside my field of vision will occur in Border City.

As Son Seok-jae’s adopted daughter, Anguise Regina will take a stake in the handicraft industry and negotiate with Son Seok-jae’s family while dealing with the federal government.

Ishmael will also try to bring the MAU technology and designs of the Handicrafts to the Strategic Weapons Research Department, and will seek the cooperation of Anguis Regina and Jafar.

They are not the only ones who are after the vested interests torn apart by Son Seok-jae’s death. There must be others drooling in places I don’t know about. Son Seok-jae’s death will create yet another chaos.

But now this is their story, not mine.

… … My intervention ended here.

Knock, knock, knock.

I turned my head and stared at the window. Large raindrops were hitting the window.

After I broke up with Ismael, I came into a cheap hotel. Lars was in the room next door.

The rain was getting heavier.

Swish.

Before I knew it, the sound of rain had become intense.

Some of the street signs and holographic advertisements blinked and then went out, as if there was an electrical short circuit.

It was a rather noisy night.

‘When the sun rises, I will go and see Mr. Gaya.’

I can’t sleep right now, but I have to close my eyes.

Chul-chul.

I heard strange footsteps mixed in with the sound of rain. I glanced at the window and saw bright yellow eyes shining.

Knock, knock.

Despite his fierce gaze, his actions were polite. The owner of the bright yellow eyes knocked on the window cautiously.

‘Boyan.’

I sighed, got up from my seat, opened the window, and stepped back, turning on the lights in the room.

“This is Boyan. Excuse me.”

Boyan, who seemed to grow bigger every time I saw him, came in awkwardly through the window.

“How did you find me?”

“I asked the vice minister.”

“Even Ishmael wouldn’t know my exact location?”

“My sense of smell has become much more sensitive these days. As I was walking around, I was able to catch Luca’s scent.”

Boyan tapped his nose awkwardly.

“You’re a natural hunter. I’m surprised you can find my scent even in the rain.”

I looked at Boyan’s limbs. There wasn’t even a splint on the limb that Lars had broken.

Boyan felt my gaze and smiled as if he was embarrassed.

“Thanks to it being broken cleanly, I was able to move it enough to attach it.”

I was dumbfounded. A broken bone can heal on its own in half a day?

It was the result of a superior physique and high metabolism. Moreover, Boyan was in the growth period when physical activity was at its peak.

“Yeah, well. What brought you here with that strong body?”

“Um, do you find it strange or unpleasant that I came to say hello?”

When you say that, I have nothing to say.

“… … Sit over there. This is a cheap place to stay, so there are no drinks. If you need something to drink, get some tap water and drink it.”

I dragged the chair in the corner with my feet and pushed it up to Boyan’s feet.

“I’m so grateful for this. It’s a relief to see you safe. I heard that Mr. Luca went missing outside of Border City.”

“He actually went missing. I don’t have to tell you the details though.”

Living with Mushir Al-Kashra… … is not a pleasant memory for me. It will probably remain a nightmare until the day I die.

“A lot happened while Mr. Luca was away. There was even a tense situation between Seokjae Son and the Vice Minister… … .”

I listened to Boyan. The events and flow were as expected.

‘If I had stayed in Border City, Ishmael would have asked me to assassinate Son Seok-jae. At the right time.’

I examined Boyan’s hands and face. The signs of battle were not only recent.

“Are you training for combat?”

“Often.”

“I guess you hate fighting so much, but now you’ve decided to accept it.”

“I’ve decided not to keep my strengths to myself any longer. I plan to use all my abilities to climb up the ranks of the Federation. And I’m meeting with other crawlers regularly.”

“Street crawlers? They wouldn’t suit you, would they?”

I became quite interested in Boyan’s story.

“I used to look down on and despise other crawlers. I still do, actually. Most of my kind are dirty, stupid, and short-sighted. But they are still my kind. That’s just how it is. They won’t change… … so I have no choice but to understand them.”

Boyan’s internal conflict can be felt. He has love and hate for his own kind.

“If you want to incorporate the Crawler society into the Federation and lead it… …you must first become a respected person in the Crawler society. Realistically speaking, the only way you can convince the Crawlers and gain their respect is through the logic of power.”

“That’s right. Even if I were to rise through the ranks as a Federation official, my own people would not recognize me. I realized that when I met other crawlers. You can’t gain their respect by looking down on them and ignoring their methods.”

But it is a very difficult path. You have to be excellent as a crawler and also achieve as a bureaucrat.

“There must be more people like me in the crawler society. They are just afraid to come forward. It’s a path that no one has walked before.”

I flinched as I listened. I felt a sense of foreboding.

Boyan wiggled his fingers, thought about it, and then continued speaking.

“I… … want to be the light for those people. To act as a milestone. Proof that even crawlers can live different lives. If I walk silently, someone will follow. Even if I get tired and collapse along the way, someone who has followed the path I have paved will walk further than me.”

Revolution and change do not happen overnight. They are the result of long-term overlap.

‘… … Noel Mulizka.’

The founder of Aikies Victima came to mind.

Born in the slums, Noel wanted to be a beacon of hope for the helpless lower classes. He pioneered his way through the dark darkness where no one went.

The footsteps of pioneers become great milestones and lights.

‘Regardless of success or failure, the action itself is great.’

Boyan stood up from his seat. He looked relieved.

“I just wanted to talk about what I’m thinking, whether I fail or succeed in the future.”

Boyan also knows that there is a higher chance of failure, but he does not change his path.

The lifespan of a crawler is shorter than that of a human. It is no wonder that Boyan’s puberty and growth seem to be rapid.

But even taking that into account, other people’s growth and change feel fast. If I take my eyes off them for a moment, they all change in an instant.

‘Did those who looked at me feel this way?’

I chuckled. I think Haylas must have been surprised every time he saw me change.

“Well, do your best, Boyan. I’m sure you’ll become a better person than me.”

Boyan also smiled confidently.

“I intend to do so. That’s the only way I can repay the favor.”

Boyan opened the window as if he was coming in and hung his body on the window frame.

I sat on the chair and looked at Boyan. The wind and rain were raging behind him.

“Lastly, I’m asking out of curiosity… … Are you and Yanaka just friends?”

Boyan, who had been brimming with confidence until just now, hesitated and looked away as if embarrassed.

“… … At least Yanaka seems to think so.”

“Haha, I knew it.”

Boyan bowed his head in farewell.

“Please take care of yourself.”

Boyan is a smart guy. He must have known a long time ago that I was involved in something unusual.

You also know very well that this could be the last time you see me alive.

* * *

I opened my eyes in bed. The wind and rain that had been blowing all night had stopped.

Thump.

I knocked on the wall of the room next to Lars’ as I packed my bags.

Squeak.

When I opened the door, Lars, who had finished preparing, was waiting for me in the hallway.

“Now I’ll get to the main mission. Yesterday’s mission was fun because I did it as a warm-up.”

Lars felt that he had become quite close to me and threw a tantrum.

‘Lars did a great job with the tasks I gave him. It wasn’t for nothing that he was chosen as Ilay’s special agent.’

I also liked Lars because he was neat and tidy.

‘The old guard maintained this relationship for decades.’

The militarization of the Imperial Guard was not unusual. Rigorous screening and obsessive loyalty training could not prevent the bonds that developed within the Guard.

As the period of service lengthened, the guardsmen came to prioritize their superiors and comrades over the royal family and the empire. This was an inevitable result.

‘That was also the reason for the fall of the guard.’

The imperial family has always been wary of the imperial guard becoming a military force. They studied a replacement for the imperial guard, but before they could produce any results, an outstanding figure named Heilas appeared and became the charisma of the imperial guard. So much so that the imperial family felt threatened.

… … Let’s imagine that Lars and I have been serving for decades, performing our missions as we do now. At the moment of decision, Lars may betray the Empire and take my side.

In fact, the guards were divided in that way during the storm.

“Luke, is there a problem?”

Lars asked me, still standing still.

“No, nothing. I’m a little tired.”

“Once this mission is over, you should change into a full-body prosthesis. The living body needs a lot of rest.”

Lars casually recommended a full-body prosthesis. In the Empire, full-body prosthetics are a good thing and an object of desire.

“… … I’ll think about it. When we make our regular contact, tell Ilay to prepare too.”

Lars and I arrived at Gaya’s hospital before the bright blue dawn had even cleared.

Gayado was waiting for us in the neat and clean attire of the Holy Nation.

“You’re early.”

Gaya greeted us and said:

“Because I don’t get much sleep at night.”

“How were things for the past two days?”

“It’s neither good nor bad.”

Because of my intervention, Yen died. However, Ishmael, Boyan, and Yanaka survived. If you think that this is a better outcome, you should feel sorry for Yen.

“Mr. Lars, here is the checklist and the schedule for today. I’ve called in additional personnel for patient care, so you just need to take care of security.”

Gaya handed Lars a thin booklet. Lars looked at me, scratching his cheek.

“Am I not allowed to enter the temple?”

“Follow Mr. Gaya’s instructions.”

Gayaga added an explanation to my words.

“There is a strong aversion to full-body prosthetics in Korra. In particular, modifying a healthy body with machines to become stronger rather than injured or disabled… … is practically taboo. Even if the Frontier Temple in Border City is relatively tolerant of body modifications, it is difficult.”

I looked at Lars and made a ‘Did you hear that?’ expression.

“……All right.”

Lars flipped through the booklet quickly and put it away. His prosthetic eye must have stored the entire contents of the booklet.

Lars takes over as hospital security in Gaya’s stead. Although the chaos in Border City has subsided, it is still not stable.

“Mr. Luca, is there anything else you would like to prepare?”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Then let’s go.”

Gaya smiled faintly. He contacted somewhere, and soon a Shinto-owned aerial vehicle arrived above the hospital. As expected of Korra’s aerial vehicle, it had a sleek, streamlined shape and was painted white.