Chapter 256

Chapter 256

The Imperial Guards in my memory were brilliant. Especially the close aides and executives of Hemillas—they were superhuman beings beyond reach.  

And yet, one of those superhumans stood before me in a pitiful state. The deserter from the Imperial Guard seemed to have gone without proper maintenance for a long time.  

Signs of rough, makeshift repairs were visible on his limbs, and except for his face, he was practically without synthetic skin.  

‘A mess...’  

On the other hand, his durability and reliability were remarkably outstanding. Even without maintenance, his prosthetics still functioned well enough to hold his own against me for a brief moment.  

"You may not remember, but we’ve crossed paths a few times before."  

"I have a faint memory of you. You were often by the Commander’s side."  

"I was active in the northern part of the Empire. Because of that, I never stayed in Akbaran for long. I’m relieved you remember me. My name is Lante... Yes, just call me Lante."  

It seemed he had discarded the rest of his name.  

"I heard that some former Imperial Guards defected to the Federation. But judging by your appearance, you’re not a defector—you’re a fugitive."  

That could have sounded somewhat rude. But I had no intention of sugarcoating my words. Lante wouldn’t have wanted that either.  

"Those who defected were all low-ranking guards. The Federation government isn’t an easy opponent. From the moment they defect, they become subjects of lifelong surveillance. They can’t move freely. You must already know this well."  

I feigned an expressionless face. But my mind was racing, rapidly piecing together the situation to deduce the cause-and-effect behind it.  

As I stroked my chin, I spoke.  

"Hmm, so the defected guards are working as informants within the Federation government. And that means you must have heard about me from them."  

A faint glow flickered around the edges of Lante’s pupils. He smiled slightly.  

"As the rumors say, you’re exceptionally perceptive. No wonder the Commander took you in as his adopted son. You’re right—many of the former Imperial Guards are tangled together like an underground network."  

That was why people like Ilay were hunting down and killing former Imperial Guards.  

‘Which means... these people are rebelling against the Empire—no, more precisely, against the Imperial family itself.’  

To the Emperor, they were an extremely troublesome presence.  

"What brings you to me?"  

"You already know my purpose..."  

Lante briefly glanced beyond the alleyway. People were passing by. Some hesitated at the entrance of the alley before turning away. It must have been because of the ominous air that Lante and I exuded.

Lante, who had been watching the street, slowly opened his mouth.  

"…We need a unifying force. And the perfect person has appeared. A once-symbolic boy has now become an exceptional man."  

"Are you trying to overthrow the Emperor and establish a republic?"  

I spoke coldly, full of caution.  

"No, we want to return the Empire to its rightful heir. Prince Francec may be in confinement, but he is still alive."  

I almost laughed. If things went their way, the Empire would inevitably become a republic.  

According to Ilay, both he and Francec were preparing for a republican government.  

'…If it's the Francec I know, he would willingly transfer his power and transform the system into a republic.'  

Memories of my time in the Empire kept resurfacing—entangled plans and people, schemes and conspiracies so intricate that no one could tell who was using whom. A bitter chill ran through me, so sharp it felt like a dagger of pure malice stabbing into my chest.  

'The Empire hasn’t changed.'  

A faint smile escaped onto my lips.  

"His Highness has been imprisoned for a long time. He may not even be in the right state of mind to claim the throne."  

"You don’t need to worry about that. We’ve been monitoring his condition regularly."  

It seemed Lante had people within the Empire who were under his influence.  

He then briefly explained the situation.  

At present, a faction centered around deserters from the Imperial Guard existed. It bore the grand name The Empire’s Blade. Their objective was to dethrone the current Emperor, Ivan Accretia, and restore Francec, the rightful heir, to the throne.  

Though The Empire’s Blade was not large in scale, many of its members were elite former Imperial Guards. Using that strength, they were not only operating within the Empire and the Federation but also across the entire planet Novus.  

'Even I have to admit, I make for a compelling figurehead. From their perspective, I’m someone they wouldn’t want to lose.'  

I was the adopted son of the Commander of the Imperial Guard and a cadet personally favored by Francec. If I stepped forward, their forces could expand at critical moments.  

"If you join us… even those brothers who have remained neutral would start to move."  

By "brothers," he must have meant the Imperial Guards who were staying neutral in this conflict.  

"This isn’t a decision to be made lightly. I’ll take some time to think about it."  

"I hope that time doesn’t take too long. We are desperate. Very desperate."  

Lante emphasized his last words. Then, stepping backward, he exited the alley, pulled a hood over his head, and melted into the crowd. His presence faded away, vanishing completely.  

"…Ridiculous."  

Something was coming again.  

*         *         *

Today was the scheduled meeting with Ilay Carthica.  

‘This will be the first time seeing him since the assassination attempt on Gilda.’  

Through Ilay, I had conveyed to Ivan my intention to return to Akies Domini.  

Ilay would be bringing the response.  

Step, step.  

I took out my terminal and checked the encrypted message to confirm the meeting location. No matter how many times I looked, this was the right place.  

"Hm."  

I frowned at the colorful lights. Beyond the semi-transparent glass, men and women flirted and danced suggestively.  

'A brothel.'  

This was a brothel. Prostitutes, barely clothed to an almost shameless degree, walked around boldly.  

True to Border City’s reputation, there was a wide variety of species here, and many were holding hands with partners who were not their own kind.  

As I stepped through the entrance, I brushed off numerous solicitors trying to lure me in. Some cursed at me under their breath as I passed.  

Sss…  

A heightened sense of awareness prickled at my skin. My mind was already processing countless thoughts.  

The meeting place was a brothel. Not the kind of location Ilay would usually choose.  

Click.  

I stepped into the designated establishment.  

A man, his face riddled with flashing light-up piercings, glanced at me.  

Despite his intimidating appearance, he greeted me with a friendly smile and tone.  

"Ah, a reservation… Are you Mr. Hemillas?"  

What a distasteful alias.  

I gave a nod. The man led the way down a hallway, guiding me to a room.  

"She's new here. Quite lucky of you to be her first client. Well then, enjoy your time."  

The man opened the door and stepped aside. I entered, sweeping the space with my senses.  

‘Only one person.’  

There was only one presence inside. No other traces. At least, not that I could detect.  

Creak. Thud.  

The door shut behind me. In the dimly lit room, a red ambient light flickered on.  

A person sat on the bed, legs crossed, watching me in the nude.  

Long purple hair cascaded down their back, reaching the spine. At first glance, their androgynous features made it difficult to discern whether they were male or female.  

Whirr.  

A mechanical hum sounded as their prosthetic body adjusted—waist narrowing, chest expanding into full curves. A high-end, exquisitely crafted adaptive prosthetic body.  

"Hello, Luka."  

A sweet, melodious voice echoed.  

"It has been a while, Your Majesty."  

I knelt on one knee and paid my respects.  

Ivan Accretia had come all this way to meet me.  

At present, he was using a prosthetic body that made him look only a few years older than his boyhood self.  

‘On official occasions, he wears the body of a dignified young man, but this must be the prosthetic that truly aligns with Ivan’s mind.’  

Ivan wiggled his toes and sighed.  

"Drop the stiff formalities. I told you to call me Ivan. Did you already forget?"  

I lifted my head slightly.  

Ivan looked down at me with irises shimmering in a kaleidoscope of colors.  

‘His reactions are quick and incredibly natural, but this is probably a remotely controlled prosthetic. His actual body—the one with his brain—won't be here.’  

The Emperor was at the pinnacle of the Empire, and Ivan was always wrapped in cutting-edge technology. No doubt, he used advancements far beyond my understanding as well.  

"Haha, you’re observing me, Luka. You really are entertaining."  

Ivan stood up. His sleek, naked body had taken the form of a woman.  

Whirr.  

He walked past a partition, and by the time he emerged on the other side, he had already shifted into the appearance of an androgynous young boy. The transformation was as seamless as changing clothes.  

"You must have received my message through Ilay."  

I didn’t wait for Ivan to speak first. I got straight to the point—something that would have been unthinkable in the Empire.  

"I never expected you to voluntarily return to Akies Domini. I was truly shocked! That night, my heart pounded so hard I couldn’t sleep!"  

Spouting such nonsense despite having a full-body prosthetic that even controlled involuntary bodily functions…  

Ivan greeted me as if he were welcoming an old friend.  

I meticulously concealed any emotional signals. He was the ruler of the Empire—someone who could extract a wealth of information from even the smallest details.  

‘Like a machine, devoid of humanity.’  

With an utterly dry demeanor, I stood up to face Ivan.  

"Hmm, but you and I aren’t fools, are we? Your return to Akies Domini is nothing but poison for me. It’s like keeping someone who despises me as my closest aide."  

"But you’ll swallow that poison willingly, Ivan. Because you already harbor something far more toxic than me."  

"This is why you’re so delightful. You’re always so defiant and inventive. A defector who fled to the Federation, only to turn out to be Akies Domini—a servant of the Emperor and a double agent… How could I resist something so thrilling? I’m intrigued."  

Ivan licked his lips, then placed a finger against them, his expression playful and mischievous.  

"Just thinking about playing this game with you again excites me."  

"This isn’t a game, Ivan."  

I narrowed my eyes in contempt.  

"No, it is a game. Now that I’ve risen to this position, I understand it even better. We’re all just playing a game."  

I focused on Ivan’s words. Even in seemingly meaningless remarks, there might be a clue hidden.  

"Your goal is…"  

"Finding Giselle Custoria, right? Do you really believe she’s alive? Haha, how naive."  

'Don’t waver, Luka.'  

He was just trying to provoke me. If Ivan knew Giselle’s whereabouts, he would have played that card already. Even if the truth was gruesome—even if Giselle was dead—he would have used it against me.  

I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them again.  

"Regardless of what you think, right now, I just want to escape this precarious situation. Acting as a spy for the Empire in the Federation is safer than being in an Empire where you are Emperor."  

It was a ridiculous statement, but true. In the Empire—especially in Akbaran—I wouldn’t even stand a chance against Ivan.  

But in Border City under the Federation, Ivan couldn’t exert his influence so openly.  

"Luka, don’t I seem strange to you? How am I reacting so naturally, moving so fluidly? What if… this *isn’t* a remotely controlled prosthetic? What if my brain *is* inside this body? Wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity?"  

Ivan danced naked. The curves his limbs created—awkward as it was to admit—were *remarkably* beautiful.  

"Dance with me, Luka. You like human women, don’t you?"  

As he approached, his body seamlessly shifted into a woman’s form. He took my arm and pulled me into movement.  

It wasn’t that I wanted to dance with him—I had something to confirm.  

'A simple dance could be pre-programmed into the body’s movement system.'  

But dancing *with* someone required real-time adjustments to match their movements. Could a remotely controlled prosthetic execute such delicate coordination? Did the Imperial family possess technology advanced enough for that? And if it *was* remote-controlled, wouldn’t the body collapse the moment the data stream was interrupted?  

A flood of thoughts filled my mind.  

"Let’s just enjoy this moment."  

Ivan whispered into my ear. His voice was sweet—undoubtedly another marvel of Imperial technology.  

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