Chapter 126
"Ah, it hurts… Ugh, it hurts so much. The blood, the blood won’t stop."
Enrico, lying on the sofa, whined. His woman brought an ice pack and pressed it against his cheek.
"Baby, are you okay?"
"It hurts like hell. My god, I… I’ve never felt pain like this before. What if I die like this, huh? What then?"
What a load of crap. Even Enrico’s woman couldn’t hold back her laughter and let out a small chuckle.
"People don’t die from something like this. So, don’t worry."
She showed her professional dedication and embraced Enrico. As he nestled into her ample chest, he seemed to calm down, his breathing slowing as he closed his eyes.
"Luka, you… You really hit me like that, and… You think you’ll get away with it?"
Enrico, out of habit, tried to threaten me but quickly realized the reality of his situation, his voice shrinking.
"Enrico, I don’t think you understand. Earlier, you were in a situation where the crowd could’ve beaten you to death."
I crossed my arms and gazed out the window. Outside, the streets were bustling with people.
'This is La Vie en Rose’s safe house.'
That was where Enrico and I were now. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary middle-class home. However, the cabinets were stocked with rare medical supplies. Enough to perform minor surgeries if necessary.
Because of Enrico, the crowd in the lower district had practically worshipped me, following me around. Just then, Grace had appeared and whisked both me and Enrico away to the safe house.
While Enrico and I were catching our breath here, Grace was outside handling the cleanup on our behalf.
"Did you contact Grace?"
I asked Enrico’s woman. True to her profession as a La Vie en Rose courtesan, she had immediately called for Grace as soon as trouble started.
"Oh, yes. In emergencies, we just press the call device, and Grace comes running in no time—like a prince from a fairy tale. We always carry one when escorting nobles in the lower district."
Her tone was completely different from when she spoke to Enrico. That ditzy act was gone. It seemed she had been playing along with Enrico’s intellectual level until now.
"Well done."
I muttered. Without Grace, getting through that crowd on my own would have been a hassle.
"It feels strange to be praised by the famous Luka. You do know you’re the hottest topic right now, don’t you?"
She spoke with a hint of admiration.
"A lot of it is exaggerated. I’m not the person people think I am."
Hearing my words, the half-dead Enrico chimed in.
"Yeah, yeah. He’s the kind of guy who throws a punch before he talks! Typical of someone from the lower district. Look at me, he nearly beat me to death."
If I had really intended to leave you half-dead, you'd be a walking corpse by now…
As we talked, someone was approaching from outside the window. A woman wearing an eyepatch—Grace.
Step.
Grace entered the safe house, pulling back her hood.
"I had one of my subordinates, who has a similar build to Luka, lure the crowd away. If you move in about twenty minutes, you should be fine. And as for Enrico, I will personally escort him home safely."
As always, Grace was as precise in her words as she was in her work.
"Ugh, I’m not coming down to the lower district for a while! I’ve had enough of these savages."
"That’s a wise decision, Enrico. If you want to live a long life, it’s best to stay away."
I replied curtly. But in the end, Enrico hadn’t pulled the trigger. He was a fool and an idiot, but he wasn’t cut out to be a true villain.
I crossed my arms, watching the window. Once the crowd thinned out, I would make my move.
"Luka, you’re a far bigger figure than I expected. Or should I say, you've become one?"
Grace stood beside me, leaning against the wall with a lazy gaze. A faint smile played on her lips.
"Are you the type to get caught up in every stupid rumor?"
"Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Maybe the rumors are exaggerated, but I’m sure you’ve killed a few noble lords."
That was hard to deny. I was a rebel, after all, and I was the one who had taken care of the Lamones family. Bao Zakanan was my doing as well.
"It was all part of the mission. There was no other motive. I never wanted to be some kind of hero for the lower district."
"But that’s exactly what you’re doing now. After this incident, you’ve become the hero who saved the children from the oppression of the nobility. Oh, and Enrico, I’m not joking—do not come down here for a while. Even La Vie en Rose won’t be able to protect you right now."
Grace emphasized once more.
"I said I’m not coming back!"
Enrico shouted in frustration.
"There’s bound to be at least one rational person in the Lagan family. They’ll probably put Enrico under house arrest."
I added. Enrico scowled before sharply turning his head away.
A brief silence settled. Grace observed me as if she were trying to read something. For once, she felt uncomfortable to be around.
‘I ended up moving the way the people wanted this time, too.’
It was for the sake of symbolism. The Imperial Court was paying attention to the sentiment of the lower district.
‘They won’t be able to dispose of me so easily when I’m this popular among the lower-class citizens.’
The water had already been spilled. If hiding was becoming difficult, then exposing myself further would actually be safer.
‘Noel…’
A chill ran down my spine.
Noel Mullizcane—he must have gained the same kind of lower-class support and popularity as I had. I wondered just how similar my current path was to his.
I needed to uncover Noel’s movements and the history of that time. Not just a summarized version—I needed detailed records.
‘Agatha’s chip should have records from that period.’
I reached into my pocket and felt the two chips. One was Agatha’s old chip, and the other was the one with restored data.
Grace’s lone eye flickered for a moment. She was communicating with someone.
“…Diva has a message for you. If there’s anything you need, La Vie en Rose is willing to support you in any way. You seem like you’re about to become quite an important figure. Consider it an early investment.”
I felt my stomach churn. Even in this situation, Martina Diva was quick to latch on with her own agenda.
"Well, now that’s good news. Though I doubt some petty gang from the lower district can really offer much help."
I curled one side of my lips as I spoke. Grace, long used to my sharp tongue, didn’t even blink.
"They may not be much in terms of force, but they can assist in other ways. I understand that you’re on edge, but there’s no need to turn potential allies into enemies with irrational words and actions."
A calm piece of advice. Grace was too talented to remain with La Vie en Rose. There was a reason she had been selected as suitable for the Imperial Guard.
"You should think about getting out of La Vie en Rose while you still can. At this point, I’d say you’ve repaid your debt."
"Whether I’ve repaid it or not is for me to decide, not someone else."
Hm, she had a point.
I felt my mind cooling down. That was what I liked about talking with Grace. It brought logic to the forefront. Likely because she always maintained a rational attitude herself.
The emotions inside me froze. My thoughts began moving swiftly, logically. I closed my eyes for a brief moment before opening them again.
"Grace, how good is your marksmanship?"
"I’m more confident in shooting than in close combat. Back in the academy, I was the top student in marksmanship."
That made sense. Calm types like her usually excelled at shooting. Close combat, on the other hand, was better suited to more aggressive fighters.
Whoosh.
I pulled out the shock pistol, Ruina, from inside my coat. Grace’s eyes widened. She must have recognized it as an Imperial workshop product.
"I’m entrusting 'Ruina' to you for now. If it’s you, I know you can help me at a critical moment."
I was laying down a piece on the board through Grace. Whether I would use this move later or not, even I didn’t know.
But now was the time to think far ahead and act accordingly. If I was going to fight monsters, I needed to be bold in my foresight.
"I’m not the type to covet someone else’s lover… but this is quite charming."
Grace took Ruina, inspecting its specifications. She ran her fingers smoothly over it before tucking it into her coat.
Creak.
After handing her some extra rounds as well, I opened the door to check outside. It seemed safe to leave now.
"Do you really think entrusting this to me is a wise decision? I’m not Gabriel. You and La Vie en Rose cooperate purely out of mutual interest."
Grace spoke as she watched me preparing to leave.
"I know. That’s why I’m entrusting it to you, Grace—not to La Vie en Rose."
She flinched as if momentarily speechless. I simply gave a small nod before stepping out of the safe house.
I intended to use Grace’s emotions. Even if I thought it was wrong, there was no choice. I had to use everything at my disposal.
* * *
Three days had passed since the Enrico incident.
The way people looked at me had changed. Even at the Imperial Guard headquarters, more and more people whispered when they saw me.
'The symbol of anti-nobility, Lukaus Custoria.'
That label stuck to me like a brand. If even the atmosphere within the Imperial Guard was like this, then the number of nobles wary of me in high society must have been increasing rapidly.
The Custoria family, which had taken me in, must have found the situation rather troublesome as well.
‘Are you really on our side?’
That was the kind of gaze people gave me.
'If I weren’t part of the Custoria family… I’d probably be in a very bad spot right now.'
The only reason I hadn’t been openly insulted or interrogated was because of the Custoria name.
No one could easily accuse the Custoria heir of being a spearhead for anti-nobility sentiments—that would mean questioning the Custoria family itself.
I was enjoying the full benefits of my family’s prestige. Long live Hemillas. Long live Custoria.
…Lost in my idle thoughts, I found myself facing Ilay in the break room.
"Well, well, if it isn’t the noble hunter himself. Whoa, don’t glare at me like that. You’re scaring me."
Ilay’s ridiculous joke was just as nonsensical as my thoughts had been.
"When I’m not around, what does everyone say about me?"
I got straight to the point. Ilay dropped his playful tone and glanced around.
"Your fellow cadets and those close to you don’t really care. They know your personality well enough."
"That’s a relief. What about the others?"
"They sit around drinking and badmouthing you, saying things like, ‘The nobility took in a poor orphan from the lower district, and he doesn’t even know gratitude.’ Acting as if they were the ones who did you some great favor."
"Well, that’s about what I expected. If all they do is talk, then that’s actually not so bad."
"What the hell was Prince Francec thinking, putting you in this mess? Did you screw up big time? The funny thing is, right after that, you went and saved him from an assassin. Hmm."
Ilay was likely trying to piece things together. But with limited information, it would be hard to see the whole picture.
"Forget it. More importantly, what’s the mood like in your family?"
"The Catacomb Mine situation stirred things up. A few of the elders in my family are even happy about their pensions increasing..."
Ilay trailed off, watching me. He must have sensed that something was off within the military. After all, the Carthica family had many high-ranking officers.
"…Luka. Redirecting the Catacomb Mine profits to the disabled veterans’ fund—this wasn’t the Imperial Court’s decision, was it?"
This wasn’t a huge secret. Any key military figure would be aware of it. Given Ilay’s status as the future head of a military family, it was a reasonable deduction.
"The military acted on its own."
"I used to think I was the only one being rebellious… Funny how things turn out. Thinking back, the stuff we did at the Arcane Fortress—Commander of the Imperial Guard must have known about it, right?"
Ilay had put the pieces together this far. This was something I had hoped he wouldn’t realize.
"Yeah. He knew about it and let it slide. Said it would’ve been a waste to dispose of you and me over something like that. It was considered an acceptable level of misconduct within the Imperial Guard."
Ilay’s lips twisted into a dark smile. The veins on his jaw stood out beneath his tense expression. His fingers trembled.
"Hah… Hahaha. Yeah, maybe Lilian…"
"Calm down, Ilay. It’s in the past. Back then, it was the best decision we could’ve made."
Despite my words, Ilay let go of his emotions remarkably fast. He clasped his hands together, steadying their tremors.
"I know. It’s all in the past. Soon, chaos is going to engulf Akbaran. You see it coming too, don’t you?"
"Probably."
"This chaos is an opportunity—for both of us. A chance to rise."
The word rise had come from Ilay’s mouth. Normally, that was something I would say.
There was a time when I wished Ilay would let go of his dangerous thoughts. But now… seeing him seemingly conform to the Empire’s order felt unfamiliar.
Ilay must have sensed the meaning behind my gaze. He leaned against the railing and smiled.
"Don’t look so heartbroken, Luka. I still think this Empire is messed up. This society is wrong. But if we want to change it, climbing the ranks is the only way. I’m still the same Ilay Carthica you remember."
"I never cried, idiot."
Ilay smirked. He leaped off the railing and waved at me.
"Whatever you do, stay safe, Luka."
I watched as Ilay disappeared from sight.
…Looks like it was time for me to go as well. Kinuan had summoned me today. It seemed the time had come.