Bad Born Blood Chapter 300

Ivan Kratsya, the Emperor of the 300 Empires, put a leash on me.

The metal armor feels cool against my skin. If there were explosives inside, it wouldn’t be a big deal if my head exploded.

No matter how much you train, there is no way to withstand the explosion that bursts from your neck.

As soon as I entered the Pioneer Temple, for some reason my armor started reacting strangely.

Chijik, Chik.

I felt the current flowing through my armor. It seemed as if the built-in device was working. There was no way to know if it was a bomb or not.

If this is a bomb, I can’t escape death.

The world seems slow.

I wasn’t the only one reacting to Mokgap’s change of heart.

The parish priest was also looking at me with narrowed eyes. He was extending his black hand to me.

Chorus!

A jeweled chain emerged from the parish priest’s sleeve. The chain, connected to the bracelet, glowed with the Force and moved on its own like a snake. It seemed as if the bracelet and chain were his Force catalyst.

“Stay still.”

The parish priest spoke softly. The end of his chain flew up and struck my collar.

Key- Ing!

The sound of the armor and chain clashing rang out clearly.

Woof!

My armor was surrounded by the light of the Force, and then I ‘frozen’.

Woohoo.

Only a faint vibration of Force energy was rising from my neck.

I stared at the strange phenomenon that occurred in the wooden armor.

“… … I think it would be better for you to take that device off, but it seems like you can’t take it off yourself.”

The parish priest pointed to my collar and said:

Chick, chick.

Inside the temple, electronic devices such as terminals and retinal displays were malfunctioning. The body was also strangely heavy. This was because auxiliary functions had been turned off.

Communication with the outside world was also completely cut off. When I entered the temple, I felt isolated from the outside world.

‘Disabling electronic equipment.’

It wasn’t an electromagnetic incapacitation. My body and equipment had a very high electromagnetic shielding rating. It would have to be exposed to concentrated electromagnetic waves of a level that would cause a feeling of heat to occur.

‘Is this Korra’s technique that uses Force powers or arcane technology?’

Korra uses powers that are outside of physics, which makes it quite tricky to guess.

“When the electronic function of that armor stops, a special device inside it starts to operate. It seems to be a rather sophisticated mechanical device. It’s quite luxurious for a device that is meant to restrain a single person.”

The parish priest said so. His pupils were shining blue as if he was seeing through something.

‘He is an unusual person. And he is different.’

Korra’s characters are still unfamiliar to me. The skills and abilities they use are also unique.

“Well, there are circumstances… ….”

I was dragging my feet and ended up using polite language.

“You’d better stay away from me. My range of abilities isn’t that wide. The internal mechanism of the restraint is… … I don’t think it’ll be gentle.”

“Is my neck physically ‘still’?”

When I asked, the parish priest raised his eyebrows.

“The phenomenon is quickly perceived. To be exact, it is ‘slowing down.’ Time is passing so slowly that our perception feels like it has stopped. You can ask your brother for more details.”

The parish priest gestured to Gaya, then turned his back and walked forward.

Sigh.

I put my finger on the armour that had been frozen by the Force. It felt like I was touching lukewarm ice. It also felt like the mass had disappeared. It was a strange sensation that I had never experienced before.

Gaya added her explanation next to me.

“It’s a Force ability called a slowdown field. It slows down physical phenomena themselves. For someone with the level of abilities of a younger brother, or rather, a parish priest, it’s practically a ‘stasis field.’”

I am a fighter by nature. Countless combat simulations of how to use the slowdown field have been running through my head.

‘It’s quite tricky. The applications are endless.’

The parish priest maintains the Force powers for me. The bracelets and chains that are the catalysts of the powers glow softly and sway as if defying gravity.

“This is the reception room. I’m sure you miss this room, sir. It was used as an office before the expansion.”

The parish priest opened the door and sat down on the sofa inside.

I went out and sat across from the parish priest, facing him.

On the table between the sofas was a steaming kettle and teacups.

Slurp.

The parish priest skillfully poured us some warm tea and offered it to us. The tea was red, black tea.

The parish priest took a sip of tea first and then opened his mouth.

“Border City is… … in a state of great chaos. The religious community is also paying attention. The unholy cyborg, Lucius Custoria, has also caught my eye.”

The parish priest looked at me furtively, as if gauging my reaction.

My nervous system feels tense.

‘Kora Holy Nation, Border City’s Pioneer Temple, Parish Priest.’

I looked back on the events that had happened in Border City so far. I thought of the Korra Holy Nation as a separate entity from the flow of events. Their existence was not in my thoughts or calculations.

But… …Cora continued to watch. Maybe she even intervened.

As the variable called Cora entered my head, even the organized events and flow were becoming newly intertwined.

“I would like the parish priest to help this young man find Kinuan. Also, Kinuan was wearing the equipment of the Holy Nation. Since it must have been leaked illegally, it would not be a bad idea for the church to track it down.”

Gaya spoke politely. The title of address was fixed as parish priest, not younger brother.

“Should I help a man who cut off his healthy limbs and added machines to them to make himself stronger? A man who will soon have his entire body replaced by machines?”

The parish priest said with a smile.

Cora had a particularly strong aversion to prosthetics, especially considering the act of abandoning one’s perfectly healthy body to be sacrilege.

“The spirit of interest is not tainted by machines. I guarantee it.”

Despite Gaya’s words, the parish priest looked at me with sharp eyes.

“It’s probably not contaminated yet, but it looks useful for now.”

My mouth was twitching. I wanted to get to the point quickly.

‘He sent me in knowing full well. The parish priest intends to negotiate with me.’

If the parish priest had no intention of using me, he would have kicked me out from the entrance or just watched the ‘necklace device’ come into operation.

I hate procrastination.

“… …Pastor, if there’s anything you want from me, just tell me. I’ve gotten tired of being a problem solver. People call me a famous detective.”

I intervened in the conversation, trying to be gentle and joking, but it seemed useless.

The parish priest frowned and gave an authoritative look.

“If it weren’t for your brother’s request, you wouldn’t have even set foot here. You’d do well to keep that in mind.”

It’s a common threat. I’m used to it, so I don’t get angry.

“There are some parts that I don’t understand. Your Excellency, you call me blasphemous, but you actually cooperate with Kinuan. Kinuan is the real body.”

I said sharply. My guess was correct.

‘Kinuan’s subordinates, the equipment used by Dedronin was provided by the parish priest.’

There was some kind of cooperative relationship between Kinuan and the parish priest. Then I don’t have to overestimate Kinuan’s abilities.

‘The reason Kinuan was able to hide while operating in Border City, and the reason he was able to raise subordinates by organizing Deadronin.’

Because there was support from a closed force.

The mysterious whereabouts of Kinuan were revealed in reality. He was not a bottomless monster. He was a real being, and a person like me.

“Your Majesty, is what this man just said true?”

Gayado asked, clasping his hands together. The atmosphere became cold and excited.

‘If the parish priest releases his powers, I might die.’

I feel like I can’t breathe.

I kept imagining my head exploding along with the armor. I don’t want to meet that end.

But the world doesn’t go as I want it to. Dying in vain here is beyond my control. I just do my best.

I suppressed my running anxiety and thoughts and pretended to be expressionless.

The parish priest pursed his lips and then let out a sigh.

“… … This is Border City. I think that answer will answer many questions.”

Border City. A place where people who would normally not get along are mixed together in a heterogeneous way.

“The one who collaborated with the most impious person was the parish priest. Does your home country know about this fact?”

Gaya aggressively questioned me, seemingly forgetting my situation.

“You have no right to question me, brother. When you rise to the position of a parish priest, you face numerous problems that cannot be solved with pure faith and belief alone. Didn’t you leave the church in frustration at that reality? Because you were not prepared to defile yourself!”

The parish priest did not back down either.

‘Ready to defile yourself.’

It must mean something like the stomach that swallows vice.

Gaya was a person who did not defile himself. He always made clean choices that did not go against his beliefs. He may be noble, but he could also be seen as cowardly, and some people might think he was a closed-minded person.

“… … That’s right. I’m not qualified to question the parish priest. However, ‘Kinuan’ is too dangerous a person to join hands with. If you follow his actions, it will always lead to disaster. He is like a typhoon.”

The parish priest bit his lower lip.

“You are an outsider. If you want to give me advice, then do it after you officially return. Otherwise, please refrain from talking without even knowing the current situation.”

I was able to enter the Pioneer Temple thanks to Gaya. I also had a liking for Gaya.

But now I think the parish priest is right.

The parish priest was struggling to overcome the problems he faced in reality, while Gaya was spouting out idealistic theories while ignoring the complexities of reality.

‘Gaya may be a respected priest, but it is difficult for him to become a great parish priest.’

The excited parish priest continued to speak.

“In the National Assembly of our country, the mainstream opinion is that Border City should be purified rather than rehabilitated. They are even saying that we should abandon those who can still be saved.”

Gayado also kept his mouth shut quietly.

“… … I didn’t know that.”

“How could you not know, when you live in your own world, ignoring reality! You can just treat a few lunatics and satisfy yourself. But I am not only responsible for this temple. A lot has changed since you were here. Do you know how much budget is needed to maintain the monastery for education and missionary work? If support from the home country is cut off, we won’t be able to last even a couple of months. The believers in Border City will be abandoned and wander without a parish, not even recognized by the home country!”

Gaya’s silence deepened.

“Your Majesty, you had to prove to your home country the value and usefulness of the Border City Parish.”

I spoke on Gaya’s behalf.

The parish priest also drank tea and answered in a somewhat calmer tone.

“I needed someone who was knowledgeable about the underworld and subversive information… … and most importantly, someone who could find arcane artifacts to present to the home country. The means and methods were not important.”

Just hearing the description, suitable talent comes to mind.

‘Kinuan.’

And Kinuan must have betrayed the parish priest, very recently.

I can see the string of the flow. It seems like I can catch up with Kinuan’s thoughts.

I desperately held onto that string. As I followed along without letting go, my field of vision seemed to expand in an instant.

‘The chaos in Border City that began the day Kinuan and I clashed. The subsequent racial conflict, Ishmael and Son Seok-jae… … .’

The place where the reasoning stopped was the auction house.

‘… … Auction house.’

This is where Vice Minister Ismael Ra was attacked by Equsian mercenaries.

With the government’s attention focused on the chaos in Border City, the auction house would have handled a lot of stolen goods and illegal items that day, including arcane artifacts.

“Did Kinuan steal the relic from the auction house?”

The day Ishmael was attacked, Kinuan must have been at the auction house. Or at least one of his subordinates.

The parish priest opened his eyes wide at my words. He must be wondering how I noticed.

“Kinuan intercepted the item I requested. He has been in hiding since then.”

It was a request, but it was a request to Kinuan to ‘steal’ it. It seemed that the Border City Diocese was suffering from financial difficulties, and if they sold it to the auction house and gave it as an Arcane artifact, the deficit would only get worse.

Ssuk.

Before I knew it, the parish priest had turned to me and was concentrating on me. Even with just a few vague clues, I seemed quite capable of following the flow.

… … Anyway, the parish priest was also looking for Kinuan.