Bad Born Blood

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Greedy
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< Chapter 27 >

I must have truly lost my mind.

Right now, I was helping Ilay assist Lilian Ramoness in her escape. If the higher-ups learned about this, I was as good as dead.

“Ilay, you’re already a screwed-up bastard, so fine, whatever. Lilian, what the hell kind of woman are you?”

I spoke as I led the way. Both Ilay and I were in a state where the heat from our prosthetics was considerably high due to high-speed combat. We had to move slowly while cooling down.

“Have you always been this rude?”

“I’m always like this. Were you expecting polite speech from a low-born like me? Besides, I’m the one who wiped out your entire family. And yet, you’re talking to me so calmly.”

I was curious about what went on inside Lilian’s mind. Her face, smiling even after witnessing her family’s massacre, lingered in my head.

“…I didn’t exactly have a good relationship with my family.”

I snorted at her response. No matter how bad the relationship, could someone really laugh after witnessing the deaths of their blood relatives? It was ridiculous.

But I didn’t press further. To be precise, I didn’t have the luxury or time to dig deeper. There were more urgent matters to deal with.

‘If we’re discovered by the Suppression Force, it’s over for us.’

We were escorting Lilian Ramoness. If the Imperial forces caught us in the act, there wouldn’t be room for any excuses.

“Teleportation device, or whatever…”

I grumbled. Our plan was simple.

‘Activate the teleportation device located in the basement and smuggle Lilian out. If there’s time to spare, Ilay too…’

I glanced at Ilay.

He was walking with an exhausted expression, clearly mentally overwhelmed. He hadn’t even bothered to wipe off the blood staining his face or his limp hair.

“Ilay, hold on for a moment. Wipe your face before the blood dries.”

Noticing my gaze, Lilian pulled out a handkerchief and started wiping Ilay’s face.

“If, by some miracle, you two make it out alive, why don’t you just settle down and start a household together?”

I spoke mockingly. Ilay gave a weak smile, his face now free of blood.

“If Lilian were willing, maybe.”

Lilian flinched at Ilay’s self-deprecating remark. She harbored a sense of debt toward him. Naturally, she should.

“Ilay, I never thought you’d go this far for me. Not in my wildest dreams.”

“You were also my teacher, the one who showed me the world beyond.”

I remained silent, listening to their conversation. This might very well be their final exchange. They shared a bond and history that I couldn’t understand.

“All for a reason as trivial as that?”

“It’s not ‘trivial’ to me. It changed the way I see the world. Thanks to you, I was able to understand the root of my frustrations and confusion. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve gone mad a long time ago. I’m not strange, just different.”

I furrowed my brow. While I couldn’t grasp the full details from their conversation, I could get the gist.

‘Lilian is the woman who influenced Ilay’s subversive ideas.’

And as I considered my current situation, a sigh escaped me.

Subversive ideas were like a plague. Once they spread, they took root in people and propagated further. Slowly but surely, they ate away at the Empire from the inside out.

Lilian, Ilay, and me.

Little by little, the seeds of subversion had spread. If people like us grew in number, the Empire would weaken and eventually collapse. No, before that, it would likely be destroyed under the attack of the Bellato Federation or the Holy Corite Alliance.

‘Right now, I’m moving for Ilay’s sake.’

Yet, I didn’t wish for the Empire to fall. If Ilay weren’t my friend, I would’ve killed him long ago.

‘I am not a subversive.’

I repeated those words to myself, engraving them deeply into my heart.

‘I just have my priorities wrong.’

I had chosen my friendship with Ilay over my loyalty to the Empire. Of course, this alone was subversive enough.

“If we manage to escape from here… I’ll head to Border City. If we get separated, let’s meet there. Luka, if you’re considering leaving the Empire, Border City might be a good option for you.”

“I’ve got no business there.”

I answered curtly.

I didn’t know much about Border City. All I knew was that it belonged to the Bellato Federation.

“Border City…”

Ilay seemed to momentarily lose himself in thought, pondering what he knew about the place.

Thankfully, we hadn’t encountered any rebels or Imperial forces. There were no Imperial troops ahead of us, and it seemed the rebels hadn’t considered descending this far underground.

‘Perhaps only the direct line of the Ramoness Family knew about the teleportation device’s existence.’

Those unaware of the teleportation device likely sought other routes to the surface.

As we delved deeper underground, we found a brief moment to catch our breath. Lilian, while talking to Ilay, eventually began speaking about her father.

“My father, Hugo Ramoness, was an ambitious man. He spent his own fortune to obtain imperial permission for Arcane research. But everything was within the Emperor’s grasp. Before my father could consolidate power, the Emperor boldly struck first. My father believed he could deceive and use the Imperial Court, but in the end, he was the one being used.”

Lilian’s demeanor was calm. From her tone, it sounded like she was speaking about a stranger, not her own father.

‘In any case, I’m exhausted.’

Today has been an incredibly long day. I had pushed my mind and body to their limits multiple times. My sharp judgment was beginning to dull. Perhaps even my decision to help Ilay was a mistake born from my fraying mental state.

But I couldn’t allow my mind to rest. I needed to keep my senses sharp and stay vigilant of my surroundings. I also had to think ahead about how I would report this once it was over.

‘The fortunate thing is that the Commander of the Imperial Guard sees me favorably. I’m the only one capable of spying on Kinuan.’

Even if some suspicions arose, I was confident I wouldn’t face execution.

‘After all, Ilay and Lilian are merely a cadet and a noblewoman. They aren’t significant figures. No one will dig too deeply.’

They weren’t the core of the rebellion, merely individuals acting out of line.

Having sorted out my thoughts, I focused on the passage ahead. At the end of the corridor stood a door. There was no further path. This was the final destination.

“Ilay, prepare yourself. If there’s no teleportation device in here… it’s over.”

I warned Ilay, who nodded silently.

Clunk.

The old door opened without resistance. From that moment, something felt off.

My nerves, dulled by fatigue, quickly snapped to attention. My senses heightened, absorbing every anomaly in the surroundings like a sponge.

‘Luka, you need to identify the source of this unease. If you fail to understand it, you’ll die. This is more than intuition; it’s almost a premonition.’

Creak–.

The door opened just a sliver. Inside, it was brightly lit. There was nothing unusual about that; the fortress’s systems had activated, powering all the lighting.

But the air was different. I shut my eyes and quickly analyzed the scents.

The first thing I noticed was the fresh smell of blood, sharp and unmistakable. Then came the pungent mix of oil and metal. Yet there was no trace of the unique scent of living bodies.

I bit my lower lip and opened my eyes. No matter how I thought about it, there was only one conclusion.

“Ilay, it’s the Imperial Guard.”

I whispered softly. Somehow, the Imperial Guard had arrived before us and seized the teleportation device.

Ilay must have been shaken as well. But I had no time to check his reaction. As the door fully opened, the interior was revealed.

Vrrring!

The first thing that caught my eye was the circular capsule at the center of the room. It was large enough to fit three or four people. If there was a teleportation device here, it had to be that capsule.

Surrounding the capsule were four Imperial Guards clad in crimson-black uniforms. Their heavy cloaks hung low, almost dragging the ground.

The sharp gazes of the Imperial Guards locked onto us.

To be honest, our plan was completely ruined. From this point on, there was no way to save Lilian. If it were just one Imperial Guard without full-body prosthetics, I might have squeezed every last ounce of strength to try something with Ilay.

But there were four guards standing before us. It was a waste of brainpower to even think of a plan. Escaping them was impossible.

I had already ruled out Lilian’s survival.

‘What can I do now to save Ilay?’

Even capturing Lilian alive would lead to the worst-case scenario. She wouldn’t be able to endure interrogation and torture. No matter how resolute her will, she was still just a civilian. She hadn’t been trained like us to ignore pain.

The moment Lilian was captured alive, every act of rebellion committed by Ilay and me would inevitably reach the higher-ups.

If I thought about it rationally, there was only one course of action left to us.

‘We kill Lilian ourselves, without hesitation.’

Doing so would allow us to craft an excuse, even if it aroused some suspicion. It might convince the higher-ups to let us off the hook.

But this was the Lilian that Ilay had gone to such lengths to save. Would he be able to maintain his sanity after watching her death right before his eyes? If he lost control and charged at the Imperial Guard in a frenzy, it would all be over.

“…Luka and Ilay, huh? Just as I’ve heard, you’re impressive. To have made it this far.”

One of the Imperial Guards spoke, recognizing us. There was no time left. Hesitation would only deepen their suspicions. This was the final chance.

‘There’s no other way.’

I raised my sword, preparing to sever Lilian’s neck. But as I turned, my eyes widened in shock.

‘Ilay?’

A gunshot rang out before I could act.

Bang!

Ilay had already aimed his gun at the center of Lilian’s forehead and pulled the trigger. A swift execution.

Slump.

Lilian lay sprawled on the ground, a hole in her forehead. The sight felt slightly surreal to me. Perhaps I too had briefly succumbed to the sweet delusion that we might be able to save her.

Thud!

Lilian collapsed backward, her body sprawled out. Pinkish fluid was pooling in the hole in her forehead.

Get it together, Luka. It’s time to return to reality. From the start, Lilian’s chances of survival had been slim to none.

I quickly checked Ilay’s condition. He couldn’t lift his head, and even without seeing his face, I could feel his agitation. He barely managed to force out a sentence.

“My position made more sense, Luka.”

Ilay was right. It would have looked strange for me, who had just opened the door, to turn around and kill Lilian. It was far more logical for Ilay, who was next to her, to carry out the execution.

But logic aside, I couldn’t help but be shocked. I hadn’t imagined Ilay would kill Lilian with his own hands. I had even considered the worst-case scenario of him losing control.

“What was that gunshot just now?”

One of the Imperial Guards spoke, walking toward us. I couldn’t let them notice Ilay’s unease.

I grabbed Lilian’s lifeless head by the hair and dragged her forward to the approaching Guard.

“I executed a useless prisoner.”

I pulled a cube-shaped Arcane Artifact from Lilian’s belongings. The Imperial Guards’ gazes immediately locked onto the artifact.

The Guards stepped back slightly and began whispering among themselves. After a brief discussion, one of them stepped forward toward me.

Clack!

The Guard stood at attention with military precision and gestured toward me with his chin.

“Report the situation so far, Luka.”

I clasped my hands behind my back and began my report.