Bad Born Blood Chapter 334

334
The night of waiting is long.

After this night, I will be banished from the Empire under the watchful eye of Carilmanda.

‘It’ll take time to devise a plan to infiltrate Akbaran again.’

I even thought about going into Akbaran alone. But I just shook my head.

It may be different in normal times, but this is a wartime situation. Even the lower levels will be thoroughly inspected.

‘Infiltration is difficult with current equipment.’

It would be possible only if you were fully equipped with high-performance infiltration equipment. And such equipment is currently difficult for individuals to obtain.

It is a new thing, but in the grand scheme of things, individuals are powerless. Even if I struggle, all I can do is extremely personal things.

To influence the course of time, there must be a group or force of scale.

‘Akis Victory is basically just riding the huge flow. It’s just waiting for the moment when it can influence the flow with its small power.’

Now, Kinuan is my teacher. This is an undeniable fact.

Let us recall what Kinuan did during the storm. He influenced the flow by using only a small amount of force from the highest position he could reach with his individual capabilities.

‘Ultimately, we must stand by the side of those in power who can change the flow itself.’

It is difficult to change the flow with the influence of a mere individual. However, human relationships are extremely personal. We can influence people, and if that person is a person of power who can change the flow, that person is enough.

‘It’s not that you have direct influence. It’s that you have influence indirectly. Through agents.’

Kinuan approached those in power and spread his influence.

The arena’s administrator, the late Emperor Yuri Kratzia, Japha, the parish priest Deacon… … .

Kinuan hid in their shadows and manipulated the flow, and like a pulley, he exerted great power with small force.

“Is there any reason for the regimental commander to side with His Majesty Frances in this matter?”

I asked a somewhat rude question.

If Karilmanda didn’t respect me, she wouldn’t have responded.

Karilman looked at me, crossing his arms.

“It is my duty to fight for those who have the rightful authority.”

It was a mechanical tone, a formulaic answer.

“You are lying. The world is not that simple, you and I both know. There must be a reason why your family sided with His Majesty Frances. It is all about vested interests.”

“That’s a difficult question, Lucas.”

I intend to ask a more difficult question.

I took a deep breath as I prepared to say something serious and difficult.

“… … Are you sure that His Majesty Francis is you?”

There was silence for a moment. Karilmanda’s eyes became fierce and then slowly subsided.

“That’s a rude question. Let me answer that first. I checked the biometric information. It’s not like the brain is a machine.”

Carilmanda said, tapping his head with his index finger.

I sat on the sofa, catching my breath. The exhaled breath spread out in a desolate manner.

“Caralmanda Romus, I must face Your Majesty.”

Karilmanda also opened his eyes slightly. There was a vibration in his body as if his output was increasing.

“My private room is going to be a mess.”

Karilmandado spoke as if he had made up his mind.

There is one way for me to meet Francesque. It is to reveal my identity to the public, even though I do not like it.

‘I will subdue Karilmanda here and go outside… … and reveal my identity to the soldiers and imperial citizens surrounding me.’

If you make this much noise, they won’t be able to ignore me. Public opinion is important in a civil war.

It is known to the public that my relationship with Francesque is special. In reality, it is not so clear.

‘Karilmanda decides the matter with his bare hands before he can even draw his weapon.’

I’ve been simulating the battle with Carilmanda in my head. It’ll take some time for the light warrior module or whatever it is to activate.

‘possible.’

I don’t know exactly how good Karilmanda is.

But even assuming that he is the best in combat skills among the Imperial Army officers, I can subdue him. This is not arrogance, but an obvious fact.

“Hoo, Lucas Custoria… … .”

Carilmanda muttered. If he makes any move, I’ll run out.

Woohoo.

Instead, Karilman was putting out the output. He raised his hands.

“… … His Majesty anticipated your forceful actions. He told me to bring you if there was a possibility of armed conflict between you. An audience has been granted.”

Karilmanda stood up and opened the door politely.

I felt empty for no reason and touched the back of my neck.

‘Strategies and schemes, the best and the worst, in preparation for the best not working out.’

I felt a keen sense of being in the center of the empire. Nothing was going my way. Wherever I went, black spiderwebs clung to my limbs.

* * *

Carilmanda secretly guided me to Francesque.

It was now a calm dawn. The black smoke from the factory hung like fog over the alleys and streets. I thought I would die of tuberculosis if I lived here for a couple of months.

‘There is no surveillance or tailing. It’s really just Karilmanda and me.’

Francec’s location will be top secret. Only the most trusted aides will be able to contact Francec.

‘If the assassination is successful, the civil war will end easily.’

If Francesque dies, the army will fall apart. The Empire will be devising every possible way to assassinate Francesque.

Squeak.

Karilmanda opened the door leading underground. We entered the underground facility.

I saw a poor passageway with poor ventilation. It was a pain for me, but it didn’t matter to the prosthetic body.

At the end of the corridor there was a room.

Creak.

Carilmanda opened the door. Inside was a neatly arranged audience room.

Although it wasn’t as ornate as the Imperial Palace, it had all the necessary furniture and electronic equipment. It was a practical audience room.

Inside the room, a man wearing a crimson overcoat sat. He stood up after looking at the situation and movements on the monitor.

“Your Majesty, I have brought you Lucius Custoria.”

Karilmanda said, taking a step ahead.

“So this is what happened in the end.”

Francesca Kracia muttered lamentingly. He slowly turned his head to look at me.

‘The Crimson Crown Prince, Francesque Kratzia.’

It was exactly the same as before, as if it were a lie. Even the appearance and clothes were the same.

He was still a man who was both flashy and eye-catching. His voice was refined yet resonant, and his bright smile and eyes were filled with wit and determination.

Francis was a monarch who seemed to embody the idea of ​​a king.

Ssuk.

I bowed down and bowed with Karilmanda.

“There is no need for excessive courtesy between us. Stand up, Lucas.”

Francesque spoke in a pleasant tone, so gentle that it was hard to believe that he had refused my audience.

“Go out, Karilmanda. I want to have some alone time with my old friend.”

Francek sent Karilmanda out without even taking my weapons. Even the faithful Karilmanda hesitated and then politely stepped back.

“Even though you refused to meet me, you were prepared for my imposition.”

“I had to consider the possibility that you would not step down easily. I know better than anyone how persistent Lucas Custoria is. Please sit down for now.”

Francesque said, pointing to the chair with his palm out.

Druk.

Francesque and I sat across from each other at the table in the middle.

If I had decided to kill him, it wouldn’t have taken even a second.

“Your Majesty, I am sure you are busy, so I will not talk at length. Where is Ilay Kartika?”

Francesque smiled faintly.

“If you consider Illei your friend, then turn around and go back without asking any questions. To a life free from the shackles of the Empire.”

Francesque crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand.

“I thought that if I were free from my bonds, I would be able to forget everything. But if the thorn in my throat doesn’t go away on its own, I have to pull it out myself. I had two thorns that I couldn’t pull out.”

One is Ilay, the other is Kinuan.

And the two thorns were not separate, but entangled.

“You did not come to help me. This is our fight, not yours. Whoever the Emperor is, the Republic or the Empire… … you don’t care, do you?”

A strange sense of foreboding. I stared at Francesque expressionlessly.

“I didn’t know Your Majesty cared so much for me.”

“Because I owe you a lot.”

I opened my eyes.

“A ruler with a righteous purpose must swallow his vices. He must know how to treat even his closest friends as expendable items… … He must know how to expend himself for the sake of a righteous purpose. If you do not have the courage to swallow such vices, Your Majesty will lose this war. Ivan has the courage to do so.”

There is a subtle friendship between Francesque and me, a bond that has been forged through storms.

‘But it’s not a bond strong enough to sacrifice each other. It’s not a bond strong enough to give up great gains.’

Francec Kratzia is a man who studied the science of kingship. He even gave me the nickname ‘Noble Hunter’ in the past and tried to use me for political purposes. Because of that, I got into trouble.

“Your Majesty, I suppose it’s because of Illei’s request that you refuse me. But Illei knows that if I insist, there’s no stopping me. So you can use me.”

I said it as if I was guessing.

“You’re causing me trouble. What should I do?”

Francesque rubbed her forehead in a sarcastic manner.

“Even if I trouble Your Majesty, it won’t be as much as ‘Riley’.”

Riley is Ivan’s old name. It was a name known only to some of the royal family. Even if there were any high-ranking nobles in the empire who knew Ivan’s old name, they would not be familiar with it. It is a name that has already disappeared.

“……yes.”

Francesque’s reaction was strangely strange. He is a man who is attached to his family. He was hurt by Ivan’s betrayal and bad words. There is no way he would forget the name Riley.

‘Looking at it now, Francesque isn’t much different from the past. That makes it even stranger.’

Francis was imprisoned by Ivan. No matter how gentle and soft his personality was, it was bound to turn out to be poisonous.

‘The whole situation is unnaturally out of alignment.’

There was just one premise that could fit this discrepancy together, and if that were true, everything would fall into place.

OMG.

There was a lot of noise in my head. I squinted my eyes slightly. I barely managed to hold back a nosebleed.

Woohoo.

The pace of thought accelerated. All of Francek’s actions seemed slow.

Francek was as if he had come from the past alone and had not changed. It was as if someone had copied and pasted the Francek of the past into his current form.

Francesca must change for the better. Whether it be because of her long imprisonment, her desire for revenge, or Ivan’s bullying.

And in my experience, as time goes by, people tend to become more realistic and ruthless. Most of the people I’ve met are like that. The ravages of time tend to wear away at humanity.

‘There is no reason why Francesca would not employ me, especially with the event right before his eyes.’

It was the same with accepting an audience in preparation for my forced invasion. It was as if he was prioritizing the safety of the being called Luca.

Sigh.

I covered my mouth with my hand. My thoughts were running wild and headed toward a grand outcome.

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Amazement rose to my throat.

Ilay made a deal with Kinuan to steal me away from Ivan. He deliberately made me suffer for Kinuan and then tried to steal me away through other means.

The deal doesn’t just involve me. If I just hand it over, it’s a deal that’s unilaterally advantageous to Kinuan.

‘Kinuen and I tend to be suspicious of and avoid favorable situations that we do not intend. This is because we have not lived in a world that is convenient. We only believe in the luck that we have brought about through our own human power.’

Kinuan would not have accepted a deal that was unilaterally advantageous to him. If the deal had been advantageous to him, he would have been more suspicious and ‘dealt with me’.

So, Illai must have asked Kinuan for something valuable enough to hand me over.

‘Kinuan has already used the mind teleportation. If he only needed the mind teleportation once… … No, even if that’s not the case, if he judges that it can throw the empire chasing him into confusion, he can hand it over.’

Illai retrieved the mind teleporter from Kinuan.

On the surface, it looks like he betrayed me and made a deal with Kinuan to secure a mind transfer device.

‘Mental transference can even fool biometric authentication.’

I blinked rapidly. If I hadn’t covered my mouth with my palm, my lips would have been distorted.

Ilay was more prepared than I expected. He was a man truly suited to the darkness of the Empire.

“… … Ilay, it’s you.”

I took my hand away from my mouth and let out a sigh mixed with a sigh.

“Luka, this is why I didn’t want to face you directly. You’re too quick-witted and smart.”

Ilay, who had taken the form of Francesque, shrugged his shoulders slyly.