Bad Born Blood

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Greedy
========================
< Chapter 32 >

The Imperial Guard cadets’ dispatch to the Academy was a longstanding tradition that had continued since the Empire’s establishment. Not only Imperial Guard cadets, but talents were also recruited from various educational institutions to engage in similar exchanges.

Though they were currently cadets or students, exceptional talents would eventually meet again in the Empire’s upper echelons. These dispatches also served as a kind of social gathering.

“Everyone’s really interested. There’s a rumor going around that one of the dispatched cadets is an Irregular. Ah, it’s not a rumor, it’s true.”

Barbara spoke as she guided me through the dormitory’s facilities. The facilities that caught my interest were the fitness training room and the cybernetic maintenance room.

‘Compared to the Imperial Guard training camp, these are just basic facilities.’

Naturally, the Accretia Academy didn’t focus on teaching full-fledged combat methods. In such areas, it was far inferior to the training camp I came from.

“That kind of interest isn’t always a good thing, is it?”

“…Th-that’s true, I suppose.”

Barbara stammered, clearly flustered.

‘She’s a bit difficult to deal with.’

The people around me were never intimidated by my aggressive and rigid demeanor or words. However, Barbara was overly passive to an extreme degree, reacting sensitively even to my offhand remarks.

Barbara was talented enough to have entered the Accretia Academy on her own merit. She had every right to be confident. Her timid attitude was hard for me to understand.

So far, Barbara has struck me as someone very different from my expectations. She exuded the same listless atmosphere as the losers scattered throughout the lower district.

‘Well, there are all kinds of people in the world.’

Leading me on, Barbara climbed to the top floor and opened the door to the rooftop.

“This is my favorite spot. It’s great for clearing my head.”

The sun had set, and the outside was dim. From the dormitory rooftop, the lights of the lower district stretched out in the distance, resembling a sea of stars. Even the chaotic glow from the depths looked quite beautiful from afar.

I remained silent, unsure of what to say. Conversations with a soft tone like this didn’t suit me.

Barbara didn’t seem to mind my silence. She walked to the railing, extended her finger, and pointed.

“On clear days, I can see the neighborhood where I used to live from here.”

Barbara gazed wistfully at the lights of the lower district. I waited for her.

“…Anyway, the rooftop is always open, so feel free to come up anytime.”

Realizing my silence, Barbara spoke again. Together, we descended to the lower floors.

In the corridor, other students passed by. They glanced at me and Barbara briefly as they walked.

Thunk.

I blinked and looked to my side. A male student walking toward us bumped shoulders with Barbara.

‘That was intentional.’

It wasn’t an accident caused by carelessness. The male student had deliberately pushed Barbara. He then frowned at her as if it were her fault.

“Be careful, Barbara.”

“S-sorry.”

I silently listened to the strange exchange. The male student was clearly at fault, yet it was Barbara who apologized.

It was blatant behavior meant to belittle Barbara. If he had acted that way toward me, his face would have met the wall.

As the male student walked away, Barbara let out a sigh of relief.

“I don’t like this,” I muttered under my breath. Barbara’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I-it’s fine, really.”

“What I don’t like isn’t that man, Barbara. It’s your behavior.”

“Pardon?”

I stood in front of my door. The sensor lit up briefly, and the door opened.

“The reason we clawed our way up from the bottom wasn’t to bow our heads in submission. It was to live on the same level as them.”

There must have been disdain in my voice. Barbara looked at me with tearful eyes before lowering her head.

Leaving her behind, I entered my room.

Hiss.

The door closed.

—

I hadn’t expected much from life at the Academy. I just wanted to get through it quickly and return to the training camp. Staying here too long felt like it would dull me.

“The curriculum has been set, so you just need to attend the classes as scheduled. Wear this uniform.”

Giselle had visited me early in the morning to say this. I was sitting there, tousling my disheveled hair as I looked at her.

‘Giselle Kusthoria. Poor attitude, but at least she does her job.’

I pulled the clothing Giselle had placed down toward me. It was a stiff yet soft-to-the-touch shirt. The buttons on the cuffs served as an interface for controlling electrochromic settings.

Swoosh.

I took off the shirt I was wearing and tossed it onto the sofa. Giselle frowned.

“Can’t you at least wait until I leave before you change?”

“If the size doesn’t fit, I’ll need to exchange it. Better to try it on while you’re here.”

Shrugging, I put on the shirt. There was no way it wouldn’t fit. Giselle likely had every bit of data about me at her disposal.

“Changing the color settings will probably be difficult, so I’ll adjust them for you—”

Giselle stopped mid-sentence, her gaze frozen on my actions.

The sleeve had three buttons, each designated for adjusting color, saturation, and brightness. By fiddling with them, I quickly understood their functions.

‘A desaturated purple.’

I handled the sleeve buttons. At first, it felt unfamiliar, but after a few tries, it became intuitive.

A slight electric current coursed through, and the shirt shifted to a subdued purple.

It might sound arrogant, but I had an exceptional ability to learn. Ever since mastering Arkies Combat Method, I had gained a unique insight that even surprised me.

Dressed in the uniform, I checked the curriculum on the terminal. There were no classes related to combat or physical training. “The Empire’s History,” “History of the Seven Major Corporations,” “Immortality and Eternal Life,” “Basics of Social Events,” and so on—listing any more might have put me to sleep.

“…Can’t these be changed?”

“My father arranged them personally.”

I shut my mouth immediately. If it was an order from the Commander of the Imperial Guard, I couldn’t argue.

“Is that all you needed to inform me about?”

“I’ll be waiting in the lobby, so get washed up and come out. I’ll be attending classes with you for the next week. That’s my father’s order as well.”

Giselle spoke with a blank expression, as if determined not to expend any emotion. She must have spent the night contemplating my impertinent behavior.

‘So, her conclusion is to avoid showing emotion.’

Even if she disliked me, we would inevitably continue seeing each other. It wasn’t as though she could defy her father’s orders.

From my perspective, this was better. If Giselle remained strictly businesslike, I had no reason to provoke her further.

After showering, I stepped out of my room. Many students were heading toward the main building for morning classes. It didn’t take long for the unfamiliar figure that was me to draw their attention.

‘They’re observing because they don’t know what kind of person I am.’

The students neither approached nor antagonized me. They were likely trying to determine whether befriending me would be advantageous.

‘That’s why the Commander of the Imperial Guard placed Giselle by my side.’

The presence of Giselle Kusthoria was proof that Hemillas Kusthoria, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, favored and acknowledged me.

From another perspective, Giselle had every right to be annoyed. A noblewoman raised in comfort, now relegated to playing second fiddle to someone like me, a person from the lower district.

“Ah, L-Luka.”

The person who addressed me just now was Barbara. She was also on her way to class.

Last night, I harshly criticized her timid attitude. Yet here she was, mustering the courage to speak to me.

I silently stared at Barbara. She hesitated, then gave me an awkward smile.

“How was your first night in the dormitory?”

“I’ve been trained to sleep soundly anywhere.”

“Even t-training like that in the Imperial Guard? That’s amazing.”

Was she trying to flatter me? What would she gain from that? Right now, Barbara looked like a dog wagging its tail even after being kicked.

Despite my cold response, Barbara persistently tried to make conversation.

The moment we stepped out of the dormitory’s front gate, Giselle spotted us. She looked at me first, then narrowed her eyes upon noticing Barbara.

“Get out of my sight, Barbara.”

Giselle bared her teeth as she spoke. Barbara shrank back, her face tense, and hid behind my back.

It seemed Giselle and Barbara had some kind of history. And just as she was with me, Giselle was equally hostile toward Barbara.

I had no intention of mediating between the two. Stepping aside, I let them face each other.

“It-it’s been a while, Giselle.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“I just wanted to greet you. You always seem to avoid me….”

I began to understand why Barbara had stuck to me since the morning. She was trying to use me as a way to approach Giselle.

Giselle glanced at me, then bit her lower lip.

“Hello, Barbara. And goodbye. Is that enough? Luka, hurry and follow me. We can’t be late for the first class.”

I left Barbara behind and moved to stand beside Giselle. Barbara remained where she was, waving a hand at us.

“Do you know Barbara well?”

My curiosity about the two of them had been piqued.

“Just barely. We enrolled around the same time, that’s all.”

Giselle’s curt answer suggested she didn’t want to say more.

“You dislike Barbara.”

That seemed to be a trigger. Giselle suddenly stopped in her tracks and glared at me.

“Luka, this is the first time I’ll be giving you advice out of genuine goodwill: don’t get close to that girl.”

“And why is that?”

“She’s Accretia Academy’s worst psycho.”

I grinned widely. Giselle’s comment didn’t just pique my curiosity—it made me intensely interested.

Giselle didn’t mention Barbara again after that, as if even speaking her name left a bad taste in her mouth.

‘I won’t be able to get any more information about Barbara out of Giselle.’

There was no one I knew at Accretia Academy. Though two other cadets had been dispatched with me, they likely didn’t know much about the Academy’s internal affairs either.

As we approached the main building, the number of students passing by increased. They were all dressed in clothes accented with purple.

The corridors of the main building were wide enough for vehicles to pass through. Even with dozens of students moving through, there was ample space, making it feel spacious.

I occasionally caught snippets of their gazes and conversations. They were all murmuring about me being with Giselle Kusthoria. Speculations about my relationship with her were being tossed around.

‘At this rate, they won’t dare to look down on me for being from the lower district. Unless they’re complete fools…’

But fools exist everywhere. Just as someone like me emerged from the lower district, there were bound to be idiots among the nobility too.

After enduring the tedious classes, lunchtime arrived, and Giselle and I went our separate ways. She didn’t stay with me for the meal.

I felt a sense of relief. I had no desire to eat in such an uncomfortable atmosphere. Sitting on a bench near the main building, I chewed on a bar-shaped ration.

“You, your name’s Luka, right? The Imperial Guard cadet?”

A male student stood in front of me. I looked up at him from my seated position.

“What do you want?”

I spoke while swallowing my food. My tone was as stiff as the ration in my mouth, making the male student furrow his brow before letting out a sigh.

“What’s your relationship with Giselle Kusthoria?”

He asked as if commanding a servant.

“Do I have a reason to answer that?”

“Do you even know who I—”

It was so predictable it was almost funny. The kind of idiot you’d think came straight out of a caricature.

“How would I know if you don’t introduce yourself? I’m Luka, an Imperial Guard cadet.”

I extended my hand while still seated. The male student hesitated but eventually shook it.

“Uh, I-I’m Enrico Lagan.”

“If you want to talk, sit down. Want some?”

I pulled another bar-shaped ration from my pocket and offered it. Enrico hesitated for a moment before sitting on the bench. Taking a bite of the ration, he grimaced.

“This tastes awful. It’s like chocolate made out of sand.”

“That’s military rations for you. So, you’re curious about my relationship with Giselle? Why? Have you fallen for her or something?”

I threw out a casual, teasing remark.

Thunk.

Enrico dropped the ration. He looked at me with wide eyes.

“H-how did you know?”

I was equally dumbfounded. Wait, was this for real? He had fallen for someone like her?