Chapter 76
The Imperial capital, Akbaran, was practically a living city. Its boundaries expanded every year due to continuous reconstruction and growth.
The lower district surrounded the upper district like a belt. The middle-class residential area lined the border of the upper district, while the further one went into the outskirts of the lower district, the more disorderly the slums beca.
Whirrr.
The aerial vehicle that Ivan and I were in landed in the lower district. It was a public airfield set up in the middle of a bustling comrcial area.
Even though it was a public airfield, it wasn’t free, so the mont we landed, credit fees were charged.
Click.
As the lock disengaged, the door of the aerial vehicle lifted upward.
Step.
I stepped out first to scan the surroundings.
Since it was a public airfield, the place was teeming with people. No one paid attention to Ivan or . Even a mber of the Imperial family was just another face in the crowd here.
“Luka, I’ll leave security to you. If it’s about safety, you can speak to as if you’re giving orders.”
Ivan said as he stepped out of the vehicle, pulling a hat down over his refined features, as if to conceal them. Given his aristocratic appearance, this was probably the better way to avoid attracting attention.
“Where would you like to go first?”
I asked, and Ivan pressed a finger to his lips in thought.
“Anywhere my feet take . I’ll leave that to you as well. You’re originally from the lower district, aren’t you?”
It seed I wasn’t just responsible for security—I was also his guide. If he weren’t a mber of the Imperial family, I would’ve groaned out loud.
Damn it, my chest felt heavy. I thought I had nerves of steel, but the fact that he was royalty made the pressure overwhelming. This was no ordinary task.
‘A descendant of the Founders.’
That bloodline was standing right beside . He was soone who could end my life on a whim. If he were just a naive young master, I’d hold my tongue and humor him, but...
The Ivan I saw was no ordinary person. I had no idea what was going on in his mind. I couldn’t let myself be fooled by his innocent words and boyish looks.
Stay calm. Keep your reasoning cold.
I must not get agitated. This was a mission where I couldn’t afford mistakes.
Ivan descended the steps of the public airfield and curiously looked around. He stopped in front of a street vendor selling cheap synthetic food.
Without even paying, he grabbed a skewer and walked over to .
“Look at this. This is my favorite food.”
It didn’t seem like this was his first ti visiting the lower district.
“There are too many thieves here, so you should be careful to pay properly.”
I sighed as I spoke. I could already see the vendor chasing after him. I considered tossing a credit chip to send him away.
"Luka, that man is noisy. Kill him."
Ivan turned around, forming his fingers into the shape of a gun and aiming at the street vendor.
...Ivan had given an order.
This was different from killing a fish. The street vendor was a human being. All he had done was chase after a food thief. He had done nothing wrong.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. Even if he hadn’t realized it, he had dared to raise his voice at a mber of the Imperial family.
But was ignorance really a cri worthy of death?
Don’t make personal judgnts, Luka. Just follow orders. I was a soldier of the Empire. A descendant of the Founders had issued a command.
My thoughts stretched long, but in reality, only a fleeting mont passed.
"Haha, I’m joking. You really thought I’d order a man killed over sothing like this? Just go pay for it."
Ivan lowered his hand with a smile. I had no idea if he had noticed my hesitation.
I handed the street vendor a credit chip. While I was paying, Ivan was already chewing on the skewer made of rubber-laced at.
Ivan had entrusted with guiding him through the lower district. It seed he wanted to sightsee.
I took him to areas with relatively good security—places that still had a lower-class atmosphere with pickpockets here and there but no ard robbers.
’This should be good enough for Ivan.’
Ivan found amusent in everything he saw, dragging out ti as he showed interest in every little thing. Sotis, he even spent two or three hours in a general store that didn’t seem to sell anything of real value.
"The sun is setting, Ivan-nim."
"Just call Ivan. The ’nim’ makes it sound too stiff."
"Understood, Ivan."
"And loosen up a bit. No need to be so tense."
"Well, I guess it’s just in my nature as a soldier..."
I trailed off mid-sentence. My tone could have co across as slightly sarcastic. Damn it, Luka. You couldn’t hold it in, could you?
"That’s exactly it, Luka! Talking back like that makes it feel like we’re closer!"
Ivan clapped his hands in delight.
Well, if it made him happy, I could do it from ti to ti. It was better than constantly holding back. The problem was that I never knew when this Imperial boy might suddenly decide my words were rude instead of amusing.
"It’s late. Find us a place to stay. We’ll be spending the night here."
He wanted to sleep in the lower district? I imdiately searched all the nearby lodging options. Naturally, there was nothing suitable for a mber of the Imperial family.
The best option I could find was a hotel with strict privacy protections—an unmanned hotel.
When we arrived at the hotel, I swiped a credit chip and entered the room. Everything, from paynt to check-in, was fully automated. This place was unfamiliar even to .
Shhhhhh.
The sound of running water ca from the shower. While Ivan washed up, I inspected the room. There were no unusual devices.
Clunk.
Ivan stepped out of the shower, still dripping wet.
I kept my back turned, knowing that he was naked.
"Luka, look at ."
Ivan spoke calmly. I blinked, then turned around.
"You changed."
"Isn’t it fascinating?"
Ivan smiled brightly. The ’change’ referred to gender.
His body was fully cybernetic. The prosthetics were so intricately crafted that, until now, I couldn’t tell whether he was entirely cybernetic or only partially enhanced.
Whirr, whirr.
His chest expanded and then flattened again. The subtle skeletal differences between a boy and a girl shifted with chanical sounds. His reproductive organs transford as well. This was an advanced, variable cybernetic body—sothing far beyond what was available on the market.
Ivan’s body settled into a feminine form. He spun around as if showing off his naked body.
Thud.
He sat down on the bed, picked up the towel that had fallen to the floor with his toes, and tossed it at my feet.
"Co here, Luka. Let’s have so fun."
Ivan whispered sweetly, beckoning . I knew exactly what he ant. Even if I had no experience, I wasn’t ignorant of sex.
"My duty is security, Ivan."
I replied stiffly, almost aggressively.
"I’m royalty. My orders are absolute to you. Do you intend to defy the Empire?"
I closed my eyes briefly. Hemillas’ words ca to mind.
’This is the duty of the Imperial Guard. Your judgnt is the judgnt of the Guard itself.’
I exhaled slowly, narrowing my eyes. How would Hemillas have handled this? After a mont of thought, I spoke.
"If you need a courtesan, I can introduce you to soone. I know people—both n and won."
"Are you joking? Luka, this isn’t a joke. This ti, I’m serious. It’s not like I’m asking you to kill soone."
Ivan raised his voice, his tone growing authoritative as if his pride had been wounded.
"You know my personality well. Making unreasonable demands... do you want to disobey and reject your orders?"
Ivan was not so naïve royal. He was soone with a cold, calculating mind. Even in this short ti, I had co to realize that much.
There had to be a reason behind this strange behavior.
Click, creak.
Ivan’s cybernetic body shifted back to a male form. He crossed his legs, resting an elbow on his knee and propping his chin on his hand.
"You’re so rigid. I think I’ll start liking you even more."
"I think I’m starting to dislike you."
I spoke insolently. But instead of being offended, Ivan burst into laughter. His smile was so bright it was almost unsettling.
* * *
I spent the night sitting on the sofa. Going without sleep for three or four days was nothing to . With nothing else to do, I ran combat simulations in my head dozens of tis.
"Luka, I have sowhere to go today."
Ivan, who had slept naked, lazily gathered his clothes and dressed.
"If you tell the destination, I’ll call a taxi."
"No, I want to walk. I like the air in the lower district. It’s lukewarm and unpleasant, isn’t it?"
The more he spoke, the more bizarre he seed.
...Liking sothing because it was unpleasant?
We left the unmanned hotel. The sun had already risen, and people were moving about the streets.
I kept Ivan safe, kicking away pickpockets who were busy working from the early morning. Each ti, Ivan chuckled as if he found it entertaining.
Whiiiiiine!
A streetcar screeched loudly as it cut through the lower district’s streets. The old tracks groaned under the weight, making people wince at the noise.
I turned my head toward the road. Large transport vehicles were lined up, cramming people inside like cargo. Their faces were blank, soulless, as they headed to work. Most lower-class citizens like them would only get to ride an aerial vehicle a handful of tis in their entire lives.
"It’s a sight you rarely see in the tidy upper district. I quite like this chaotic atmosphere. Don’t you?"
Ivan yawned as he walked past , striding ahead as if he had a clear destination in mind.
"From above, the lower district might seem romantic, but the people living here are desperately clawing their way up, struggling to escape. What you’re feeling right now is nothing more than the arrogance of the privileged."
Of course, even I sotis felt a sense of freedom when returning to the lower district. But I was born here. Hearing soone from the upper district—no, from the very pinnacle of power—romanticizing the lower district made my stomach turn.
"Thanks for your honesty, Luka. I’m glad I brought you along."
Ivan spoke without the slightest hint of displeasure. He walked on, weaving through the dense crowd. I followed closely, keeping up my guard.
The further we walked toward the outskirts of the lower district, the more dangerous it beca to travel on foot. As long as I was handling security, there wouldn’t be any major issues, but it was still a hassle.
We had been walking in silence for about two hours. Eventually, the surroundings beca familiar. These were streets I had seen countless tis as a child.
And in the distance, a certain building ca into view.
Orphanage 72.
This was where I was born and raised.
"Relax your face. It’s your childhood ho, after all."
"I don’t have many good mories of it."
"That’s how it goes—an unhappy childhood is the key to success."
There was so truth to that. But just like before, hearing those words from royalty left a bad taste in my mouth.
"Shall we go in?"
Ivan approached the orphanage building like he was on a casual outing.
The orphanage director, who had been in the first-floor office, spotted us through the window. His face, which I had broken with my fist, seed to have undergone reconstructive surgery—it looked a little better than before. The surgery must have been expensive. It seed he had quite a bit of hidden wealth.
"L-Luka! W-why are you h-here again? I-I haven’t embezzled a-anything since then! I swear!"
The orphanage director stamred, sounding like a thief caught red-handed. Right now, he should be more afraid of Ivan than of . He had just admitted to embezzlent in front of a mber of the Imperial family.
"Relax. I’m not here for anything in particular. You look well, so that’s good to see."
Saying that, I stepped back behind Ivan.
"Director of Orphanage 72, Don Arken?"
"Y-yes, yes, s-sir!"
The orphanage director, still confused, imdiately tensed up.
Ivan’s pupils glowed brightly. His voice, though still youthful, dropped to a lower frequency, carrying a predatory pressure.
Even the orphanage director could tell at a glance that this boy was soone extraordinary.
"...You’re nothing but a parasite feeding off the Empire."
Ivan spoke as if he already knew everything about the man. No—he likely did know everything.
"Heh, heh... I-I’m not sure what y-you an, b-but... If y-you need anything, p-please, just say the word...."
The orphanage director, drenched in cold sweat, instinctively resorted to flattery. That was his survival instinct.
Ivan stepped forward, closing the distance. The director fell silent, as if overwheld by sothing.
Click.
Ivan moved his arm. With a swift motion, he struck the director’s neck with the edge of his hand.
Swish!
Ivan’s hand sliced cleanly through the orphanage director’s neck. I didn’t know what kind of chanism it was, but the cut was as smooth as if it had been made by a monomolecular blade.
The orphanage director only realized belatedly that his head had been severed. His face contorted in horror. He tried to scream, but all that ca out were ragged choking sounds.
"Luka, from your perspective, you probably hated the orphanage director but found it difficult to kill him yourself. The cleanup would’ve been troubleso, after all."
Ivan lifted the still-conscious head of the director.
Smooch.
He kissed the man’s forehead. Then, he clenched his fingers.
Crunch!
The director’s head burst apart like a rotten fruit. Blood and chunks of flesh splattered across the floor, an almost surreal sight.
"Don Arken’s death is my gift to you. I’ve already arranged for an excellent replacent—highly competent and impeccably honest."
Ivan, drenched in blood, smiled. I stared at him with an expression devoid of emotion.
The Emperor was akin to a god in the Empire, and the royal family was his divine lineage. And Ivan...
He was no benevolent god.
...The only gifts and affection a god of death could offer were the deaths of others.
"Thank you, Ivan."
I placed a hand on my chest and bowed.
Beep.
A ssage appeared on my retinal display. My security mission had been completed.
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