Chapter 265
I went to Jafa’s hospital room. She was undergoing full-body regeneration treatnt, which ant she was constantly asleep.
But just because Jafa was unconscious didn’t an the world stopped moving. That was why she woke up periodically to receive reports and make decisions about the company’s direction. A company’s leader couldn’t rest even when they were half-dead.
In any case, today was the day Jafa would temporarily regain consciousness.
-What brings you here?
En was standing in front of the hospital room with his arms crossed. He had suffered a severe injury, with his internal organs ruptured, but he had sohow recovered and returned to duty.
'En was skilled enough to take down a Shadow Legion unit.'
That was sothing I had confird last ti. En was a warrior worthy of pride.
"I have sothing to discuss with Jafa."
-I thought you had cut ties with us after disappearing for a while and sneaking that little kitten away.
Even through the chanical tone of the translator, I could feel the coldness in En’s voice.
"I saw your performance in the last battle. You're skilled. But Legion units and combat prosthetics can still move due to residual signals even if their brains are destroyed. If you had known that, you wouldn’t have gotten hit. Don’t let yourself fall for aningless attacks next ti."
I spoke calmly. En tilted his helted head.
-…Hey, did you suddenly get diagnosed with a terminal illness or sothing?
"I may be an asshole, but I’m not a psycho who doesn’t understand respect and gratitude."
Thanks to the dedicated Equessian rcenaries, I was able to remain in Border City. If they had been emotionally driven or unreliable, I would have already been dragged back to the Empire.
Creak.
Looking a bit awkward, En turned his head to the side and scratched at his helt.
-They’re in a eting right now. It should be over in about five minutes.
Just as it’s hard to spit on a smiling face, it’s difficult to insult soone after receiving praise.
I sat on a bench in the hallway, waiting for Jafa’s eting to end.
-Jafa is an impressive strategist, and you’re quite capable yourself. But if even the two of you, giving it your all, can’t find this person, then he must be a rather extraordinary individual.
En broke the silence.
"No matter what anyone says, he’s my ntor. He’s no ordinary person."
-'A boy must kill his father to beco a man, and a disciple must kill his master to beco a warrior.' It’s an old saying.
"A brutal proverb."
-A long ti ago, people apparently took it literally. But the real aning is that a child or a disciple must surpass the one who raised and taught them to fully stand on their own. That’s how a group continues to grow and evolve. In that sense, you’re still an unseasoned warrior—you haven’t surpassed your master yet.
It wasn’t ant as mockery. It was advice in its own way.
‘I haven’t been able to step out of Kinuan’s shadow.’
I had tried to surpass him countless tis, yet the Kinuan inside always stood in my way.
Even now, whenever I had to make a decision or take action, I would think of Kinuan and Hemillas, one after the other.
How would Kinuan act? How about Hemillas? Their very existence was like a guideline for .
Looking back, my behavior closely resembled Kinuan and Hemillas. I could understand how they had reached their positions.
Well, my actions were much closer to Kinuan’s than Hemillas’, which was only natural.
‘If I had stayed in the Empire, I probably would have followed a path similar to Hemillas’.’
I mulled over En’s words.
-I’ll give you another piece of advice. ‘No individual is greater than the collective.’ There’s a limit to what one person can do alone. Wandering around solo is sothing only a fool would do. A lone individual who fails to belong to a group is always dood to destruction. It doesn’t matter how exceptional their abilities are. No one can handle every variable and situation alone. We always need to complent each other.
Equessians have an even stronger instinct for collectivism than humans. But humans, too, form groups.
En’s words were clearly directed at . I had yet to escape my ntor’s shadow, and I was still acting alone.
I knew it too. There wasn’t much I could accomplish on my own.
‘I’ve always needed soone’s help.’
It was the sa during the Storm Era. My strength alone wasn’t enough, and I had to rely on others ti and again.
"I’ll keep your advice in mind."
-Keep it in your heart, not just your mind. You should know better than anyone—at the final mont, it’s not the brain that makes the decision, but the heart.
En tapped his temple with a fingertip before pointing at his chest.
As Jafa’s hospital room door opened, the executives of Jafa’s company began filing out.
"It was an enjoyable conversation, Equessian En."
I stood up and stepped into Jafa’s hospital room.
Jafa, now conscious, spotted and narrowed her slit pupils.
"Hoyot."
Hmph. Surprisingly, I had missed that laugh—it actually sounded welcoming.
"How much ti do we have to talk?"
Jafa flicked her tongue before answering. She was subrged in a regeneration capsule, with only her head sticking out.
"…About fifteen minutes."
Fifteen minutes here too, huh.
"That’s plenty."
"Go ahead and speak. I’ve already received reports on your recent movents, Luka. At this point, even if you were to leave , I have no way of controlling or stopping you."
"Gabriel and Ragnata have left, and Boyan and I are now under Deputy Minister Ismael’s jurisdiction. You can consider a treacherous bastard if you want."
"It is treacherous. You sucked dry and discarded . Hoyoooot, I might even feel a little heartbroken."
"That’s why I ca to speak honestly. I might give up on searching for Kinuan."
"Is it because of Giselle Custoria?"
Jafa spoke calmly. She knew about my connection with Giselle—I had hinted at it before.
"Yeah. Finding Kinuan isn’t as important to as finding Giselle. As long as I can find her, I don’t care where Kinuan is or what he’s doing…"
Jafa’s expression was complicated. She was probably both angry and understanding. Jafa was a Tajirun with a considerate nature.
Before her face could twist further, I continued speaking.
"…That’s the impression I need people to have, Jafa. Make it seem like I’ve truly given up on tracking Kinuan. Kinuan wants to keep chasing him. If it looks like I’ve stopped, he’ll react and reveal himself in so way."
I spoke sharply. Jafa’s lips and eyes narrowed.
"Hoyoot."
Jafa and I spent a short ti discussing our plan.
* * *
Ti was moving forward.
I reestablished contact with Barbara. The thod was the sa as last ti.
Like before, Lante stood behind while I entered virtual reality through a simulation device that was barely more than a heap of junk.
Bzzzz.
My senses dulled.
A white space appeared, and then I saw orange hair. The hair, round and soft-looking, soon ford into limbs, taking the shape of a person.
Click, click.
Barbara was holding a nutcracker shaped like pincers. She took a walnut from her pocket, cracked it open, and ate it one by one.
I frowned deeply. Just watching made my lower body shrivel.
"Are you ready to leave Border City?"
Barbara asked. I forced myself to look away from the nutcracker.
"There are things I need to settle before I leave, Barbara. I need your cooperation."
"Cooperation? Do you think the world is a joke? You must believe that frowning so seriously will make everything go your way."
Barbara pulled out another nut, placed it between the nutcracker’s pincers, and—
Crunch!
The walnut was crushed rcilessly, its shattered shell falling to the ground with a dull clatter.
"Aren’t you the one who’s lost touch with reality after spending all your ti in the network and simulations? The Emperor and Kinuan are both making moves. Even the Federation is on high alert. Do you really think your plan will go smoothly just because I disappear in this situation?"
Barbara’s expression hardened as she furrowed her brows.
"Giselle and I have a lovely plan. You just need to shut up and follow my lead! You say you care about Giselle? Then my words are her words. I am Giselle’s representative!"
Barbara shouted. Behind her, the space shimred, and fragnts of data in the shape of Giselle erged, embracing Barbara from behind.
"It was Kinuan who used Jafa to wake up. You have no idea how much Kinuan knows or what he’s orchestrating. If you did, I wouldn’t have woken up in the first place. If you can’t capture Kinuan, your and Giselle’s plan will ultimately fall apart."
"Kinuan isn’t so almighty figure. Giselle and I already landed a blow on him."
"Maybe so. But you don’t even know where Giselle is. You keep saying it’s all part of her plan… but I can’t feel at ease unless Kinuan is eliminated. Deep down, you must feel the sa way. I don’t know what Kinuan’s goal is. But if he needs to lure out, he’ll use anything—including Giselle. If I simply go into hiding, he’ll do whatever it takes to find her. Can you really guarantee that you can protect Giselle, who has already vanished from Kinuan’s grasp? Answer , Barbara. At the very least, I believe that your feelings for Giselle are real."
I let the words pour out.
At first, Barbara’s face contorted, her lips trembling with frustration. But gradually, her expression settled. A cold rationality flickered in her pupils.
"…It’s true. Removing unstable elents is the smart move."
She changed her stance with astonishing speed.
"I’ve already woken up and wandered around Border City. That alone has disrupted your and Giselle’s plan. When it cos to adapting to real-world variables, I’m better than you."
"Then… that ans…"
I cut Barbara off.
"We’ll discuss the rest in person. You’re in Border City, aren’t you? No matter how skilled a hacker you are, it’s impossible to infiltrate a physically isolated network. I know you’re sowhere in Border City."
"eting you in person? Ha, ha, ha. That’s funny, Luka. You want to kill ."
"You hate and want to kill just as much. Listen carefully, Barbara. We need trust. You’ll put your life on the line to et face-to-face, and I won’t kill you in the real world. That will be proof that we can cooperate. If you don’t agree, then we’ll simply go our separate ways. Find Giselle on your own."
"You must have forgotten that Lante is standing right behind you."
I made a move as if reaching for my waist. My real body would subtly mirror the motion.
Flinch.
Lante reacted to my movent in the real world.
"Lante is an exceptional senior of the Imperial Guard. But to be honest, I can take him down. If you’re curious, you’re welco to test it."
The thrill of provocation sent a cold shiver clinging to my feet like a creeping frost.
Could I disengage from the simulation and still react to Lante’s attack?
My combat instincts ran rapid calculations, reaching a conclusion.
‘…It’s possible.’
Barbara wouldn’t go as far as to order my death.
‘Even if she does issue a kill order, Lante will refuse. No matter what, I’m too valuable to The Empire’s Blade. At most, he’ll try to subdue .’
Lante was a man who could think and make his own judgnts. If he were just a blindly obedient dog, he would’ve stayed in the Empire instead of coming to Border City.
"After I subdue Lante, I’ll tell him about your existence. Then we’ll see—will he listen to you, or will he listen to ?"
Barbara repeatedly opened and closed her nutcracker. She paced back and forth, then finally stopped to look at .
"Consider this a warning. Don’t deceive , Luka."
"That’s my line."
"Then…"
Barbara whispered a location. It was so unexpected that I raised an eyebrow slightly. Bold. Recklessly bold.
Alright. Ti to get out of this damn simulation.
Screeeech!
The mont I registered the location, I forcefully pulled my consciousness back to reality. A harsh tallic ringing filled my ears.
The side effects of forced awakening hit with a wave of dizziness. But it was still better than experiencing my balls getting crushed by a nutcracker.
"Ugh."
I groaned as I opened my eyes.
‘Lante is already gone.’
Lante had already left after receiving Barbara’s orders. In every way, he was a forr Imperial Guard. Thorough, swift, and efficient—he wasted no unnecessary movent.
Srrrk.
I pressed my throbbing forehead and stood up.
The chair I had been sitting on had the number 46 written on it. I leaned against the partition wall connecting it to seat 45, resting my arm on the divider.
‘The claim that our communication ti was limited to fifteen minutes was just a convincing lie.’
Barbara had been using an independent line, free from external interference, to et with .
In seat 45, a ragged old man sat slouched, and beside him, there were so ssy traces of him having watched adult content.
I sighed and tapped the partition wall with the back of my hand.
"Wake up, Barbara."
The old man slowly lifted his goggles. A hoarse voice seeped through his yellowed teeth.
"That was cowardly, Luka. Running away the mont I finished talking?"
Barbara, disguised as the beggar-like old man, clenched her fist and mid crushing sothing.
"I’m not stupid enough to fall for the sa trick twice. Not from you, nor from Kinuan."
"Kikik, hihi."
The old man laughed. His facial muscles moved unnaturally, making his smile disturbingly grotesque.
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