Chapter 48
"With your insight, you must have a rough idea of what kind of people Juppe and I are. You must have also had Giselle’s advice."
Nikolaos spoke as if setting the stage.
I had my doubts. In the battle for the position of family head, it didn’t seem like Nikolaos would lose to Juppe.
Compared to Juppe, Nikolaos was cold-headed and intelligent. He also had the eloquence to skillfully rally both kin and vassals to his side.
"Please continue."
I crossed my legs as I sat in front of Nikolaos.
"If that bastard Juppe becomes the family head, I’ll probably die."
"Would he really go so far as to risk the danger of killing his own brother after becoming the family head?"
In reality, Arthur, who had fought with Hemillas for the position of family head, was still alive and well. His circumstances were just a little humbler.
"If one side holds overwhelming power, there’s no need to eliminate the competition. But the gap between Juppe and me isn’t that big. No matter who becomes the family head, the other will inevitably become an obstacle to leading the family."
As I listened, I came to understand.
"Especially if Juppe wins, that would be even more the case. You seem to be more adept at scheming than Juppe."
"It’s nice to talk to someone who understands. If I become the family head, I can keep Juppe alive. But Juppe won’t let me live."
It was a difference in dominance. Juppe didn’t have the capability to keep Nikolaos as a subordinate. But Nikolaos had the ability to keep Juppe beneath him.
"The most important thing is… why do you think you’ll lose to Juppe? From what Giselle has said, and from what I’ve observed, it doesn’t seem like Juppe would be able to take control of the family."
"Right now, it might look like I have the advantage because I’ve swayed more people to my side. The number of ‘definite’ allies I have is certainly greater than Juppe’s. But when it comes time for the actual selection of the family head, there will be more forces supporting Juppe."
"Does Juppe have some exceptional personal charisma?"
"It’s a combination of factors. Some of our kin prefer a leader from a military background. Some would rather have the straightforward Juppe than someone as calculating as me… And then there are those who, as a reaction against our current family head—our father—do not want a strong leader. For various reasons, those who are now claiming neutrality will ultimately support Juppe."
Different experiences and knowledge lead to different perspectives on the same situation.
Nikolaos was skilled in politics. His view was different from mine and Giselle’s. He saw the fluid neutral faction as ultimately siding with Juppe.
‘There’s something to learn here.’
Nikolaos hadn’t been rising through the ranks as a bureaucrat for nothing. He knew how to read the power dynamics of a faction.
"So, what is it that you want from me?"
"It’s simple. Pretend to oppose me while building your reputation and gaining influence within the family."
A chill ran down my spine, and I let out a small laugh. Nikolaos was truly a cunning man.
"The stronger my position becomes, the weaker Juppe gets. Is that what you’re saying?"
"The kin who prefer a family head with a military background will naturally gravitate toward you. The more you publicly oppose me, the more those who dislike me will support you. If you take away a portion of Juppe’s supporters and divide them with me, then I, who already have a solid neutral base, will be able to secure the position of family head."
In just two days since meeting me, Nikolaos had already devised and begun executing a plan to secure his victory. Even at the cost of putting his own son in danger.
‘Just as Giselle said, Nikolaos really does resemble Hemillas.’
Nikolaos was like a serpent. And yet, I preferred him over Juppe. Even in a favorable situation, he remained vigilant and meticulously prepared. The one who deserved victory wasn’t Juppe—it was Nikolaos.
"…But what if I become so powerful that I start eyeing the position of family head myself?"
"If you really had such intentions, you wouldn’t be asking that question. And even if you were to become the family head… you wouldn’t kill me. The head of House Lukaus Custoria would still need someone like me to manage the family affairs. Isn’t that right? You have the ability to handle me."
"That’s amusing. And I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically. Back when I was rummaging through trash, I thought all nobles lived without a care in the world."
"Everyone has their own struggles. Now, let me put it simply. The deal between us is this—regardless of which one of us becomes the family head, we won’t kill each other. We have the ability to compensate for each other’s weaknesses. And in the meantime, if you ever need anything, I’ll support you. For now, I do hold a minor position in the high-ranking bureaucracy."
It was an appealing offer.
"As you know, I maintain a cooperative relationship with Giselle."
"You don’t need to worry about Giselle. Even if you choose to support her, that child won’t be able to become the family head. Giselle isn’t our competitor, so there’s no need to eliminate her. If you wish to stay loyal, you’re free to tell her everything we’ve discussed."
I had no intention of telling Giselle. Nikolaos’s proposal wasn’t a request for my support. He simply wanted me to strip Juppe of his power.
Even without Nikolaos’s proposal, I would have absorbed Juppe’s faction first. Since we shared a military background, it was inevitable.
‘What Nikolaos fears the most is my cooperation with Juppe. What he’s truly worried about is me supporting Juppe.’
As long as that didn’t happen, Nikolaos wouldn’t consider me an enemy. The situation could change later, but for now, that was the case.
"This isn’t an alliance, it’s a transaction, brother. It lasts only as long as our interests align."
"Haha, in the world I live in, we usually call that an alliance. Around here, people only move based on calculations."
Having finished his business, Nikolaos stood up. It had been exactly four minutes and fifty seconds since our conversation began. The moment he stepped outside, he pointed a finger back into the room and shouted.
To others, it would look as if Nikolaos and I had just had a heated argument.
"Luka! No matter how great you think you are, you won’t be recognized as a true Custoria if you ignore your brothers!"
He’s quite the actor. I barely stopped myself from clapping at his performance.
* * *
My stay at the main house was coming to an end. It had only been three days, yet it felt like I had been here for a week.
From now on, I would visit the Custoria estate from time to time. Most of the time, it would be with Hemillas.
In any case, today, I would be returning to the Imperial Guard with Hemillas. Officially, my residence was the Custoria estate. But I was already starting to miss the small room in the training facility’s dormitory.
"How was it, Luka?"
Hemillas didn’t ask for the details of what had happened at the estate. He remained an observer when it came to my interactions with Nikolaos, Giselle, and Juppe. That was good for me, as his adopted son. He didn’t show favoritism toward his biological children.
"Everyone here is such a good person. I think I’ll get along with them just fine."
"You’ve gotten better at joking."
Hemillas laughed as he boarded the air vehicle. Behind us, our kin and the servants who had come to see us off stood watching.
As the destination was set, the propulsion system beneath the vehicle activated. The vehicle gradually lifted off, then accelerated, quickly leaving the estate behind.
Whirrr.
Hemillas projected a holographic display and immediately began working on his backlog of tasks in front of me. He must have been handling work even during our stay at the main house.
No matter how many times I saw it, the workload of the Commander of the Imperial Guard was beyond imagination. No ordinary person could withstand it.
Beep.
I felt the propulsion system beneath the air vehicle shift. There was no reason for a mid-course change in direction.
I lifted my head and looked out the window. The air vehicle was moving away from Akbaran.
"There’s no need to panic, Luka. This was expected."
Hemillas closed all the holographic displays and stood up.
"Did we have another scheduled stop?"
"This air vehicle has been hacked. It’ll crash soon, so let’s prepare for that first. From this moment on, consider this an official mission."
I had trouble understanding his words. But the moment he said mission, my initial unease froze into focus.
Before he even finished speaking, the air vehicle accelerated sharply, as if determined to burn through every last drop of fuel. The scenery outside blurred past at dizzying speed, and in a matter of seconds, the capital, Akbaran, had shrunk to the size of my palm.
Clunk.
Hemillas opened the storage compartment. He pulled out a pistol and a knife, then tossed them to me.
Without a word, I armed myself and waited for his next command. Recognizing the situation as an emergency, my mind turned cold and clear.
"I’ll keep this simple. We’re about to be attacked by terrorists. Support will arrive from Akbaran in ten minutes—we just need to hold out until then."
"Understood. Should we prepare for a parachute drop?"
There were emergency parachutes on board.
"No. That would make us easy targets. It’s safer inside the vehicle. Still, we need to land before we reach the enemy’s designated ambush site."
Hemillas calmly walked up to the control console. I hadn’t known the Commander of the Imperial Guard was skilled in electronic warfare as well. Then again, at his level, he probably had to be proficient in everything…
CRACK!
…Or so I thought, just before he opted for a more direct solution.
Hemillas’s fist smashed through the control screen. His grip tore out a bundle of crucial wires and components, sending electric sparks flying in all directions.
Wiiing! Wiiing!
A deafening alarm blared. The air vehicle was now in free fall. Hemillas had called this landing.
…I widened my eyes slightly.
Apparently, even the Commander of the Imperial Guard didn’t always use the most sophisticated methods.
"It’s amusing to see you so surprised."
"I’m not amused."
I grabbed onto the handles attached to the walls and ceiling, anchoring myself in place.
The propulsion system of the air vehicle, now completely out of control, fired in erratic bursts. Like a spinning top caught in free fall, the vehicle tumbled in every direction, pulled down by gravity.
With each violent rotation, my body tilted and swayed along with it.
Naturally, the interior was in utter chaos. Loose objects were flung around, battering against me. I scowled, shielding my face with one hand.
Schlurp.
A pinkish liquid seeped from the seams of the interior walls, quickly solidifying into a thin coating. It was an impact-absorbing gel.
"Luka, let’s have a quick quiz while we wait. What do you make of this situation?"
Hemillas spoke from his seat. The strangest thing was that he remained seated and completely balanced, despite the violent spinning. Did he glue himself down or something? I was more curious about that, but his question refocused my thoughts.
"You’ve made yourself the bait, Commander."
The answer was obvious.
That was the kind of man Hemillas was. He wouldn’t send only his subordinates or children into the jaws of death. If necessary, he was willing to spend even himself.
"Exactly. After this incident, Barbara will gain credibility within Nemesis. She managed to create a situation where the Commander of the Imperial Guard could be ambushed."
Barbara. Again. Whether she was an ally or an enemy, I just wanted to punch that woman square in the face. I wasn’t planning to kill her—just flatten her nose so badly it turned into a featureless smear. That would be satisfying enough.
Enough with sweet fantasies. Time to return to harsh reality.
The gel-coated windows were foggy, but I could tell the ground was getting dangerously close.
Kiiiiiing!
We were plummeting at full speed. This wasn’t just a crash landing—this was a nosedive straight into the ground!
Even I had no choice but to shut my eyes for a moment. I could only hope that when I opened them again, my limbs and organs would still be in their rightful places.
A corpse from a crash? I’d seen one before—it was horrific. A person didn’t just die; they became a rag. And I don’t mean that metaphorically.
KWAAAAANG!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air. It lasted only an instant.