Chapter 87
I spent my time in my room at the Custoria estate.
As expected of a military family, the room was equipped with training facilities. Holding onto the pull-up bar with one hand, I slowly pulled my body up.
Srrrk.
Without any momentum, I raised my entire body using only my left arm, positioning myself upside down. Since my torso was still biological, the muscles in my abdomen and back stung as if they were about to tear.
Eventually, my body and toes aligned vertically to the ground. I remained still, holding my posture like a machine.
"Hoo."
Counting silently in my head, I exhaled.
Thud.
I pushed against the pull-up bar with my left hand, lifting my body slightly into the air. In that brief moment, I placed my left arm behind my back and reached out with my right arm to grab the bar. Now it was time to descend.
Using my firmly extended right arm as an axis, I lowered my body toward the floor like the hand of a clock. The descent was slow, as if unaffected by gravity.
Tap.
I landed cleanly, feet first.
After confirming my movement execution, I wiped the sweat off my face with a towel.
Today's condition was good. My balance and control were excellent. This meant that the integration of my nervous system and the feedback signals were functioning properly.
Had my condition been even slightly worse, I would have wavered significantly or even fallen.
'Cybernetic implants, like a living body.'
I had to use my cybernetic implants as if they were my natural limbs. That was the purpose of this training.
I took a fighting stance and swung my upper body from side to side. Gaining momentum, I threw a punch.
Whoosh!
The heavy prosthetic hand moved swiftly. The intricate components forming my cybernetic limb responded organically to the signals from my brain, interlocking in perfect harmony.
Whirr, whiiirrrr!
Cybernetic implants had more components and a far more complex structure than androids. That was why it was difficult to integrate artificial intelligence into them. Even if an AI were installed in a cybernetic implant, it would quickly encounter errors or malfunction.
The reason for these errors was simple. Cybernetic implants mimicked the human body, and as such, they could only be controlled through a human nervous system.
While artificial intelligence had achieved remarkable advancements in specialized fields, fundamental structural differences meant that it still fell short of the human brain in terms of versatility.
'For now, our brain remains the most superior computer. If a computer or AI surpassing a biological brain exists somewhere… then it wouldn't be of human creation.'
This, too, was something I had heard from Ilay. The implication was clear—if it wasn’t a human creation, it could very well be a product of the Arcane Civilization.
Crack!
The marble floor beneath my outstretched foot cracked.
I had been lost in thought and unconsciously applied too much force. This was another mistake a computer or AI would never make.
“Well, that’s enough.”
I muttered to myself, adjusting my breathing.
Consistency in training was key. Combat prowess didn’t suddenly improve overnight. It was the crystallization of steady effort and accumulated sweat. No one became strong simply because they decided to.
Even if one spent a fortune on acquiring a better cybernetic implant, it would be useless without training and effort. This had been proven countless times in real combat.
…And today, there was a reason I was rambling to myself like this.
‘Juppe really is taking on a meaningless challenge.’
I threw on my coat and stepped out of the room. My retinal display brought up today’s schedule.
—Sparring with Juppe Custoria.
It was set to take place in twenty minutes.
‘I heard Juppe emptied his assets to buy a brand-new, state-of-the-art combat prosthetic…’
I had no reason to refuse, and declining would only lead to people whispering that I was scared.
A real combat specialist would immediately recognize the difference in ability between Juppe and me, but most people were clueless.
‘Juppe is a soldier too. Does he not understand the gap between us? Or does he have something up his sleeve?’
This sparring match with Juppe was nothing more than a minor event to me.
“Ah, young master. You’re awake. I heard a noise earlier…”
A servant passing by my door spoke up.
“I accidentally cracked the floor.”
“I see. I’ll have it repaired.”
The servant bowed deeply.
As I walked down the corridor, my gaze lingered on Hemillas’s study. He hadn’t come out.
‘According to Barbara’s intel, the one who conspired with Nemesis and orchestrated Nikolaos’s assassination was Bao Zakanan.’
Bao Zakanan was a high-ranking imperial official.
His official position was something like Chief Secretary of the Intelligence Security Department. Though his rank was lower than the Commander of the Imperial Guard, it was still a considerable position. He wasn’t someone I could just barge in on and interrogate.
‘His head must be a mess right now. Especially since Hemillas is the cautious type.’
There was also the possibility that Barbara’s information was false.
‘And the Empire might already know that Bao Zakanan is the mole and is just pretending not to. They could be saving that knowledge for a bigger plan down the line.’
There were countless plans within the Empire that even Hemillas was unaware of. If Hemillas interrogated Bao Zakanan and exposed him as a collaborator, it could end up ruining a plan that the higher-ups had carefully put in place.
‘The Empire… is so intricately woven that even the Commander of the Imperial Guard cannot move freely.’
Acting recklessly could lead to being labeled a traitor.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
‘I am a cadet of the Imperial Guard and the adopted son of the Custoria family.’
But there was another, unofficial position I held. A sudden shiver coursed through my body.
‘Akies Domini, the Emperor’s Overseer.’
Before long, I would have to report everything that had happened to Kinuan.
‘Once I report this, the Custoria family’s private mission—the one they tried to keep hidden from the Empire—will reach the ears of the Imperial Court.’
I, too, was part of the Empire’s surveillance system.
‘The Empire sees and hears everything.’
Perhaps even my and Ilay’s past transgressions were already known.
…To be honest, the more I learned, the more fear crept in. If this were mere oppression through brute force and violence, I wouldn’t be this afraid.
The Empire’s dominion did not come from force or suppression—it was built upon absolute surveillance and control.
Even identifying allies and enemies was uncertain. Those you trusted could be traitors, while those you opposed might actually be allies. This kind of deception and misdirection must have been commonplace within the Empire.
There was only one person who could see through all the hidden truths within the Empire—the Emperor.
As I was lost in these heavy thoughts, a more trivial matter demanded my attention.
I had arrived at the Custoria family’s training hall. Juppe was already there, stretching as he waited for me. Around him stood his followers.
“Luka, thank you for granting your brother’s unreasonable request.”
“Unreasonable? Not at all. I’ve been looking forward to having a session like this with you, Brother.”
This wasn’t just polite talk—I truly wanted to show him the stark difference in our abilities.
Thud, thud.
I lightly stomped the ground. The synthetic metal flooring had excellent rebound.
The Custoria family’s training facilities were no less impressive than those of the Imperial Guard. The metal floor was durable enough that even if I exerted my full strength, it wouldn’t break. The ceiling was as high as a typical two-story building, ensuring that even if I leaped with all my might, I wouldn’t hit my head.
Murmur, murmur.
People were beginning to gather inside the training hall.
Among them, I spotted my adoptive mother, Eva Custoria. She watched us quietly. Her eyes had a gentle curve, but the gaze within them was always cold.
I found Eva incredibly uncomfortable. I felt no sense of connection to her—she was a complete stranger to me. In fact, I found Juppe, who constantly clashed with me, to be more familiar and easier to deal with.
Kiiing, King!
A loud mechanical whirring filled the air. Juppe repeatedly increased and decreased the output of his new full-body prosthetic, as if flaunting it.
‘A combat prosthetic tuned to extract maximum performance right up to the threshold of neural overload.’
It had been calibrated with precision, teetering at the edge of its limits. This was the kind of thing only a wealthy noble could afford to do.
Kang!
Juppe stepped forward and smashed his fists together. The artificial skin on the back of his hands tore apart, scattering sparks.
"Luka, are you ready?"
Juppe bared his teeth in a fierce grin.
"Whenever you are, brother."
I stepped toward the center of the training hall. My body was already fully warmed up. My nervous system was activated, and my senses were at their peak.
We closed the distance, taking our stances. I observed Juppe carefully.
‘Juppe relies on standard-issue combat techniques, staying true to the fundamentals. His form is solid—he’s been training diligently.’
I could tell just from his posture that he wasn’t lazy. He had been putting in the effort in his own way.
Giing!
Our limbs moved, engaging lightly at first, exchanging blows in a controlled rhythm.
‘His ability to adjust intensity is impressive, and he’s precise with his braking at the end of each movement. This is enough to call him a proper Imperial soldier.’
I analyzed Juppe’s movements coldly.
Swish!
As our attacks and defenses flowed together seamlessly, the speed of the exchanges gradually increased. Soon, one of us would start falling behind.
Of course, that wouldn’t be me.
Kiiiing!
Juppe raised the output of his prosthetics.
Ka-ang!
Each time our cybernetic limbs clashed, a harsh metallic sound rang through the hall.
Whoosh!
I saw his fist flying toward my face. Tilting my head back slightly, I dodged it.
Juppe was targeting my biological weak points. Unlike him, who had a full-body prosthetic, my head and torso were still flesh. A direct hit could either kill me instantly or render me unable to fight.
‘A smart choice, Juppe. There’s no need to hold back just because this is a sparring match.’
If he didn’t come at me with this level of aggression, he’d have no chance of winning.
‘So he does have some reason for challenging me.’
By Imperial Guard cadet standards, Juppe had the skills to defeat someone in their first or second year of training. Judging purely by the performance and calibration of his combat prosthetic, he was on par with cadets close to graduation.
‘But that’s all.’
Juppe had a fatal weakness—his lack of real combat experience. He would crumble easily in unpredictable situations or against unconventional tactics he had never encountered before.
‘I've entertained him long enough.’
The blade Juppe had painstakingly sharpened was, unfortunately, far too dull to reach my throat.
It was time for the noble family's young master to face reality.
I locked eyes with Juppe and feinted a punch. His shoulder flinched in response, bracing for defense.
But my real attack was aimed lower.
Tak!
Without even looking, I swept at Juppe’s ankle, hooking my foot around it. A simple trick—diverting his gaze and striking from a blind spot.
“Keugh!”
Juppe stumbled and fell. His inability to fully control his cybernetic body made him susceptible to such an attack.
I waited for him to get back up.
“Kh…!”
Juppe sprang to his feet, eyes burning with determination. His full-body prosthetic let out an ear-piercing mechanical roar, the vibrations almost visible in the air.
At this point, I no longer played along.
I sidestepped Juppe’s attack and countered by shoving my shoulder into him. As his balance wavered, I swiftly followed up with a punch.
My fist slammed into Juppe’s chest.
Kwa-jik!
Only a few metal fragments scattered from the impact—my fist didn’t sink in as deeply as I expected. That surprised even me.
‘So the latest models are something else.’
At least in terms of durability, his prosthetic was worth the price.
“Uaaaah—!!”
Juppe seized the moment and yanked my arm, attempting to hurl me to the ground.
Kiiiiing!
I reacted faster than I could think. This was instinct—combat experience and training etched into my body.
Swish!
Few people in the room fully grasped what had just happened. In one fluid motion, I twisted my body and locked my arm around Juppe’s neck.
Crack!
Then, I wrenched it. There was no need for flashy moves. Metal components twisted, and I heard the sound of his spine misaligning.
Since he had a full-body prosthetic, snapping his neck wouldn’t be fatal.
I released him and stepped back. Soon, Juppe would collapse.
But I was very wrong.
Whoosh!
A fist flew past my face, barely grazing my nose.
If not for my reflexes, my skull would have been crushed.
I had let my guard down.
Pathetic. You're still not there yet, Luka.
“Huff… Huff…”
Juppe stood there, his neck half twisted.
“Hm, that’s… quite a lot of features. I almost want one myself.”
I murmured in admiration. It wasn’t sarcasm—I meant it.
It seemed Juppe’s prosthetic had a secondary system that rerouted neural signals through an alternate pathway, bypassing his damaged artificial spine. With a function like that, he had another way to turn the tide in a disadvantageous situation.
Creak, creak.
An unpleasant grinding noise came from Juppe. Moving around wouldn’t fix his twisted neck.
“A… not… over… yet, Lu… Luka…”
Juppe’s full-body prosthetic was clearly deteriorating. The auxiliary nervous system was merely a temporary measure.
The murmurs from the spectators grew louder. Even Juppe’s own followers looked unsettled.
We were, at our core, human. No matter how mechanical one’s body became, people were still unnerved by a form that strayed too far from human appearance.
To them, Juppe’s refusal to surrender must have seemed grotesque.
“Enough! Let’s end it here for today, my sons.”
Eva, unable to watch any longer, stepped in.
She gestured to Juppe’s followers, silently ordering them to take him away. If this continued any further, it would only damage Juppe’s reputation.
“Luka, seeing you in action, I’m even more impressed. Knowing that you’re using that talent to help your father puts me at ease. He’s getting older, after all…”
Eva spoke as she approached me. Then, unexpectedly, she pulled me into an embrace—close enough that her chest pressed against me.
On the surface, it was an affectionate gesture.
“…But this is as far as it goes. No more. You’re smart—I trust you understand what I mean.”
Her honeyed voice clung to my ear, sickly sweet.
It was a warning.
The reason I always felt distant from Eva was simple—she never saw me as family. Not even as a rival.
Father Hemillas, the late Nikolaos, the jealous Juppe, and even Giselle—all of them, for better or worse, regarded me as an insider.
But to Eva Custoria, I was nothing more than an outsider.
She refused to acknowledge me.