Bad Born Blood-Chapter 154

Chapter 154

- Ha, ha, hahaha! Hahahahahaha!

Ivan’s laughter spread.

- Since the days of the ancient nations of Old Earth... rule has been the will of the heavens and the right of the Son of Heaven. The heavens were not merely the atmosphere but a term referring to the natural order of the universe beyond. Even when humanity’s wisdom had yet to escape the ground, we already knew. That rulers are born through the choice of a transcendent will. That was what they once called the heavens, and now we call it the universe.

The mechanical sound of Ivan’s voice coming from the terminal had low resolution. But the emotions revealed in it were vivid, like the saturated colors of primary hues.

‘Elation.’

Ivan had fallen to the very bottom and then risen to the peak of the Empire. The disparity between those two points was as vast as the earth and the sky.

- No matter how meticulous our plans may be, they are nothing more than human calculations. How can we, mere specks in the blink of the universe, fully comprehend its will and causality? Rise, knights.

At Ivan’s words, the shadows stood. They positioned themselves around him like a wall. They had come here to protect Ivan, the next emperor.

- If not the mandate of heaven, then how else could one explain the current situation? That is why the emperor is sacred. Just as planets in chaotic orbits sometimes align in perfect order, the order that has emerged from chaos now rests upon my shoulders—just as the great first Cracia was chosen by fate.

This was an unexpected outcome.

‘Ivan Accretia will become emperor.’

A possibility that had been dismissed had now become reality. Ivan called it the mandate of heaven. But from my perspective, it was nothing more than the universe playing a joke.

- Look at me now, swords and spears of the Empire. Everyone sought to bring me down, yet the mandate within me has led me to the throne. Yes, you may not yet understand this situation. But soon, you will. The new emperor will lead the Empire to eternal prosperity.

Most of those present did not even know Ivan existed. The publicly acknowledged crown prince was Francec.

However, Ivan spoke with a conviction bordering on madness, and Francec had failed to refute it in time. Because of that, no one here doubted for even a moment that Ivan was part of the Imperial Family.

- Father has made a mistake. In that moment, he lost his right to rule. I will not repeat the same error. All who hear my voice, lay down your arms. The unity of iron is the strength of the Empire. Tonight, no one was disloyal, and no one was seditious. I will uphold the counsel of my brother, Francec, and mend the fractures of the Empire.

Ivan’s voice was subdued, muffled by the terminal’s speaker.

Uuuung, woong woong.

However, the Shadows amplified Ivan’s words through the vocal output systems of their fully-armored cybernetic bodies. His overlapping voice spread outward, sinking into a deep, resonant bass. The vibrations were strong enough to be felt.

- The former emperor remained in power for far too long. Even soldiers have forgotten that they, too, are subjects of the Empire. Imperial Guard, hear me. You do not need to forsake your dignity as humans for the sake of duty. I will do everything I can to help those by my side reclaim their sense of self.

The civil war within the Imperial Guard had long since ceased. They were now watching this side.

- The events of the past few days will not be recorded in any form, and I swear that there will be no retribution because of them.

...The Empire had not weakened due to civil war.

‘The emperor is dead. Whether by suicide or assassination.’

The very cause of this crisis was gone, and rather than responding with force, Ivan had promised peaceful negotiation.

The reason to fight was disappearing.

‘Now, everything depends on Francec’s choice.’

Francec still held power. Many believed him to be the rightful heir.

‘If Francec rejects Ivan’s proposal and declares himself emperor, chaos and conflict will continue.’

My only option would be to smuggle Francec out and bring him to the Imperial Guard at the Arch of Triumph. Once reunited, the Imperial Guard would stand behind him. They would not so easily believe that some unknown member of the royal family could suddenly claim the throne.

‘For Ivan to be recognized as emperor, he needs Francec’s consent.’

Even if the digital systems had already registered Ivan as the next emperor, in reality, the people still believed Francec was the rightful heir.

Without either the system’s authority or public support, he could not be emperor.

‘But Francec’s choice is obvious.’

I knew him.

Francec was not suited for this power struggle. He had already reached his limit. He would accept the sweet offer of peace that Ivan had extended.

Step. Step.

Francec walked forward, and the Shadows parted to make way.

“I will gladly stand by your side and aid in ruling, my brother. No—Your Majesty. With this, the Empire shall be one again.”

The sharp, soaring tension and conflict ended with that single statement.

For now, most of this made no sense. People would struggle to understand why a stranger to the throne was replacing Francec as emperor.

But because Francec had acknowledged Ivan, they had no choice but to accept his existence. Everyone was exhausted from the battles and schemes, desperate for a convenient excuse to stop.

The discrepancy in the imperial succession could be explained later with a convenient lie. That was the Empire’s way.

“Lu, kaus, custo, ria. Go see His Majesty.”

One of the fully-armored Shadows spoke to me. I felt the weight of their hollow gaze as I walked through them toward Ivan.

Ivan, who had been listening to the Shadow’s report, turned his head with difficulty. The Shadows had likely informed him of the major events that had transpired on Akbaran.

Creak, creak.

He steadied his neck and looked at me. With his broken limbs, even the smallest movement seemed like a struggle. His fractured jaw was my handiwork.

- You’re about to break down completely, aren’t you? Either you’ll be rendered irrecoverable or you’ll die. One or the other.

“I suppose so.”

I answered honestly. There was no point in hiding it now.

- Things have worked out in the end, so I hold no grudge against you. More than anything, your choices and actions contributed to this outcome. Before you become completely useless, I have something to ask.

“You have a cond—”

- I guarantee your safety and the survival of the Custoria family. You’re no longer a threat anyway.

My unseen eyes widened. Then, as realization dawned, I bit my lower lip.

‘The Custoria family is no longer a threat.’

A soon-to-be irrecoverable me, and the rather incompetent Juppe—neither of us posed any danger. Even if the Custoria family was known for its military prowess, without a central figure, it would be powerless.

...But beyond the family, there was still Hemillas, a man capable of becoming the military’s rallying point. His existence was a real and immediate threat.

I clenched my teeth as I reached my conclusion. For the first time, I despised my own ability to reason.

“My father, Hemillas... is dead, isn’t he?”

I forced the words out. One of my primary objectives had failed.

If only my brain had deteriorated enough to ignore the clues of bad news. If that were the case, I could have died—or fallen into an irrecoverable state—while happily believing I had succeeded.

Just imagining it felt like a dream I wouldn’t want to wake from.

- Hemillas’ body is at the Central Communications Tower. He attempted something reckless to restore the transmission lines. If you wish, I can let you take your revenge. After all, if it’s my order, they would willingly give you their lives.

...So the Shadows had killed Hemillas after all. The emperor must have prioritized his elimination, deploying a significant force to ensure it.

“What’s the point of breaking a sword that no longer has a will of its own?”

Hemillas’ death was impossible to believe. That invincible soldier was dead. At any moment, it felt like he would appear, proving all of this to be a lie.

‘Hemillas wasn’t some transcendent being—he was just a human, like me. I knew that, yet I still relied on him until the very end. I blindly believed that if it was Hemillas, he would somehow make things right. As if I were a child throwing a tantrum...’

Despite being a man with limits, doubts, and struggles, Hemillas acted as if he knew everything and could do anything.

That was why everyone feared him. Even the emperor felt threatened by him.

‘If only Hemillas and I had understood each other sooner...’

It was a regret I had felt many times before. We had guarded ourselves with secrecy, but that had only left us dangerously isolated.

‘Even if betrayal was a risk, we should have stood back to back and protected each other.’

A choice I had failed to make flickered before my eyes.

- Akies Domini, Lukaus Custoria.

Ivan’s voice shattered my thoughts.

- In the end, you truly became my overseer. Your countless unpredictable actions led me to the throne. Whether it was intentional or mere coincidence doesn’t matter. I consider you my overseer. I respect the effort you put in. This isn’t flattery—it’s my genuine sentiment.

He had called for me because he needed my judgment. This was his way of gilding my name. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

- So, I will listen to your thoughts and judgment. Why do you think Yuri Accretia died?

This was an important matter for Ivan as well. He, too, did not know why the emperor had died. Even the Shadows were only aware of his death, nothing more.

I voiced the conclusions I had organized in my mind. Reporting was one of my strengths.

“The first possibility: His Majesty Yuri Accretia faked his death to prevent the Empire from descending into civil war. He is waiting for the chaos to subside and the Empire to stabilize.”

- That is impossible. An emperor of the Empire would never resort to such a disgraceful deception.

“I agree. The second possibility: He took his own life to prevent the Empire from fracturing. In relation to this, I have a question, Your Majesty. And to you as well, Prince Francec. Was your father the kind of man who would sacrifice his own life for the Empire?”

I waited for their answer.

“...I don’t know, Luka. I thought I knew a lot about Father. But in the end, it was all just a mask he had crafted.”

Francec’s voice trembled. His gaze never left Ivan.

‘There is a seed of discord between Francec and Ivan.’

For now, it seemed as though the discord between the brothers had vanished. But the embers had not been extinguished; they merely awaited new fuel.

- ...The third possibility? This isn’t the end, is it? You know more. I’ve promised the safety of the Custoria family. If you become irrecoverable, I won’t hesitate to provide medical support. I hope you won’t betray my expectations.

A monster lived within the Empire. Not at its highest levels, but lurking in the shadows of its spire, watching over the Empire.

I was certain that the thought lingering in my mind was correct. Deep down, I had already known. The other possibilities were weak.

Let’s borrow Hemillas’ assessment for a moment. He was a man with such keen insight that he could stand on equal footing with other factions, even with limited information.

‘Kinuan is not someone who will benefit the Empire. If the upper echelons are making plans through Kinuan, then they are being deceived by him.’

That was Hemillas’ evaluation of Kinuan. And his insight was likely close to the truth.

“Kinuan assassinated Yuri Accretia.”

That was the sole conclusion I had reached. And it had been Kinuan’s true objective all along—the one he had never revealed to anyone, hidden behind layers of veils.

Akies Victima wielded chaos and uncertainty as weapons. The greater the disorder I had created, the more Kinuan must have been smiling.

I didn’t know what had happened inside the imperial palace.

‘But the variables I created became Kinuan’s perfect opportunity.’

I could imagine several scenarios—perhaps the Shadows who guarded the emperor had been called away, or maybe the emperor had moved alone to use an Arcane Relic.

Whatever the case, my actions had driven the emperor into a corner, forcing him to make a choice. And Kinuan had seized that perfect moment.

Once the internal investigation was complete, the full details would become clear. But by then, I would either be insane or dead.

‘Kinuan, Kinuan, Kinuan...’

The more I thought of him, the more I felt like I was losing my mind. Even after burning myself to ashes, I had never been able to fully understand him.

Murmur, murmur.

The Shadows around me seemed to distort. In my auditory sight, their figures twisted and tangled—until they looked like Kinuan.

“So it’s true...”

Even Francec took on Kinuan’s form.

‘Do you truly believe that?’

It was as if his unspoken words rang in my ears. This was madness.

- Understood, you...

Even Ivan was Kinuan. I clutched my head. Even the moon in the night sky, which I could not see through my hearing, looked like Kinuan’s face.

Clatter.

A loose stone at my feet wobbled as I stumbled, and even that bore Kinuan’s face. The sound of it rolling away echoed like his laughter.

...The entire world, every object, was Kinuan.

“If you feel even the slightest bit of sympathy for me, please... call for Ilay Carthica one last time.”

Before I lost my mind completely, I called for the one friend I could still trust.