Chapter 315

Mikael Aegis was the Chief Investigator of Border City's Regional Investigation Unit. As he transported me, he casually brought up various personal stories.

The air inside the hover vehicle was thick with Mikael’s cigarette smoke. Despite the clear no-smoking sign plastered inside the vehicle, he paid no heed.

Mikael unraveled his story like the swirling smoke around him.

‘Maria’s eldest son, Mikael.’

Mikael was the eldest son Maria had given birth to in her teenage years. Perhaps because of this, he often clashed with her and had many confrontations.

“…If I had stayed, I felt like I would have ended up killing my own mother with my own hands. So, I just ran away. Our relationship is better now than it was before. Families become more affectionate when they’re apart, but the closer they are, the more they come to resent each other.”

Mikael shrugged his shoulders as he laughed. I wondered if Gabriel would turn out like that when he got older.

“You say your relationship is strained, yet it seems like you’ve helped Maria several times.”

“My younger siblings follow her well. Whether I like it or not, for their sake, my mother has to succeed. I have no illusions about her since I’ve been with her since her rougher days, but to them, she’s an absolute figure of charisma.”

As the conversation continued, it became clear that several of Maria’s children had become independent, much like Mikael. The older her children were, the more pronounced this tendency seemed to be.

‘The children she’s scattered everywhere have become both her insurance and her foundation.’

The bonds of blood aren’t so easily severed.

“I used to serve as a special forces operative in Border City until I caught the eye of a well-off family and became their live-in son-in-law. With a lacking background, marriage filled the gap, and before I knew it, I’d climbed up to this position. That’s my story, Lukaus Custoria.”

The hover vehicle we were in suddenly came to a halt. The propulsion system continued to emit heat downward, keeping it suspended at the same altitude.

‘So that’s why he shared his story.’

It was a common interrogation tactic—revealing personal details to build a sense of familiarity before passing the floor to the other person.

“You already know my history, don’t you, Chief Investigator?”

“I only know about your activities in Border City. I have no idea what you did before that. Even Ismael refuses to say anything, citing confidentiality.”

Mikael seemed to be acquainted with Deputy Minister Ismael La.

“Well, classified information always comes with a reason.”

Saying that, I casually tapped my collar.

Mikael narrowed his eyes before silently mouthing his words. He immediately grasped the meaning behind my gesture.

-So it wasn’t just for show. Here I was thinking you had a thing for wearing a leash.

Since I had left the Pioneering Temple, the collar would now be operational. The fewer people who knew about my identity, the better.

“You’d do well to remember my goodwill. I had to break a long-standing non-aggression principle just to get you out.”

“I understand. It couldn't have been an easy decision.”

Mikael leaned back in his chair and pulled a beer from the built-in refrigerator in the wall.

“More than anything, I’m letting you go because you’re tracking down the bastard who killed Raphael and Uriel.”

His cheek twitched with anger, and the veins on his face bulged menacingly. He took several deep gulps of beer, as if trying to cool his rage.

Vrrrrm.

The hover vehicle restarted and descended onto a private airstrip located on a building rooftop.

Clang.

The door of the hover vehicle opened, and I was pushed outside in a wheelchair, with Mikael guiding it.

Waiting on the airstrip were Maria and three of her children, all armed. Among them was Sariel, the Crawler with a keen nose.

‘Ilay isn’t here.’

I blinked.

There was no sign of Ilay or the Special Operations Unit. Only Maria’s group was present.

“Oh, my eldest son is finally here.”

Maria spread her arms wide in greeting, but Mikael clenched his fist tightly.

Smack!

Mikael’s fist slammed into Maria’s temple.

She was shoved backward, nearly hitting her head against the ground before barely managing to steady herself.

“You’re still the same, you unfilial bastard.”

Maria shook her head and squinted her eyes.

“I despise you for being able to smile after losing two of your children.”

“In the wasteland, losing people is just part of life. If I mourned every single time, I’d spend the whole year holding memorial services. Have you forgotten even that simple truth after living in the city?”

“If you hadn’t been so greedy, Uriel and Raphael wouldn’t have died. If not for your rampant and violent affairs, you wouldn’t have lost Gabriel either. You’re the worst mother.”

Mikael’s words were laced with venom.

“And you have a lot to say for someone who ran away just to live comfortably on his own.”

I watched their argument unfold. Not like I had much of a choice—my arms and legs weren’t working, so spectating was all I could do. Some snacks would’ve been nice.

“And yet, how many times have I helped you? If it weren’t for me, you’d be doing forced labor in some mine. Either way, this will be the last time I help. Honestly, if it weren’t for Gabriel, I would’ve ignored this too.”

“Haha, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard you say this will be the last time. You’re a good kid, Mikael.”

Mikael flared up and this time, he punched Maria square in the face.

Crunch!

Maria’s nose bone broke.

She ran her fingers along her nose, adjusting it back into place as blood streamed down.

“If it helps you feel better, go ahead and hit me some more. If this is all it takes to get your help, I’d say it’s a bargain.”

Maria wasn’t an ordinary woman. Even after having her nose broken by her own son, she could still smile.

“Damn old hag.”

Mikael wiped his bloodstained fist on his pants and stepped back three paces, putting a cigarette between his lips.

“Give your mother one too.”

Without hesitation, Maria snatched a cigarette from Mikael as if it rightfully belonged to her and placed it in her mouth.

Ssshhk.

With a sigh, Mikael lit Maria’s cigarette with his lighter.

‘Every family has its own way of functioning...’

I glanced at the expressions of the other children. It seemed this kind of fight between Maria and Mikael was nothing new. Even when Maria took a solid hit, none of them showed any sign of concern.

“When we go to see Gabriel, I’m coming with you. Don’t go running off on your own.”

Mikael warned her. But judging by Maria’s expression, she didn’t take him seriously in the slightest.

She exhaled a stream of smoke and walked toward me.

“Maria Oganov, I never imagined you’d be the one to come save me.”

I spoke my honest thoughts. If anyone had come for me, I would’ve expected it to be Ilay.

“You seem like the type who always pays back a favor, Luka. If I help you now, you’ll never forget our family. Besides, I happen to like you too.”

Maria hadn’t helped me solely because of Gabriel. She had seen through my nature and was making an investment for the future.

“What about my comrade?”

“That handsome young man is already on Kinuan’s trail. And as for you…”

Maria trailed off as she reached into her coat.

Even though I saw her movement, I couldn’t react. I would’ve needed functioning limbs for that.

Sssst.

She pressed a syringe into my neck. It seemed to be a sedative.

“…Damn it.”

I tried to keep my eyes open, but the drug spread through my system too quickly.

“If I didn’t do this, you’d never get any rest. You’ve got a good friend.”

Maria’s voice grew distant. My consciousness faded into darkness.

*         *         *

When I opened my eyes, I was met with a familiar sight—blue skin.

‘Lapis?’

Lapis was repairing my prosthetic. She wore a pair of goggles and skillfully handled a plasma cutter.

“Don’t move. I’d rather not turn your intact body into charcoal.”

She used the plasma tool to sever the damaged lower section of my left arm.

My mind was still foggy.

‘Why am I here?’

I tried to absorb information from my surroundings, but the lingering effects of the sedative dulled my thoughts. It felt as if my brain was malfunctioning, like trying to run but tripping over a stone every three steps.

‘Maria wouldn’t have known that Lapis is my mechanic.’

This had to be Ilay’s arrangement.

As I surveyed the room further, I noticed Lars lying on a nearby bed. Like me, he was undergoing repairs on his prosthetic, his outer shell completely exposed.

“Hoooyot, it’s been a while, Luka.”

Even in my dazed state, I turned my gaze toward the familiar, peculiar laughter.

Click. Click.

In the corner, Jafa sat tapping her long nails together. She seemed to have recovered from her severe injuries enough to move on her own.

“Jafa…”

“I’d love to spend the night drinking snake wine and having a heart-to-heart… but I doubt you have the time for that, hooyot.”

Jafa stood up and started communicating through floating holographic text.

‘Jafa knows about the surveillance on my collar.’

I stared at the projected letters in the air.

- Ilay entrusted you to us. Not that it matters, since you’d need Lapis’s help to repair that prosthetic anyway.

But I had no intention of relying on Lapis. I planned to replace my broken left arm with a mass-produced model and immediately resume tracking Kinuan.

‘Just one more step.’

…That was all it would take. Just one more push, one moment of assistance from someone drawn into my pursuit, and I could disrupt Kinuan’s calculations and finally capture him.

So it was only natural that I was impatient.

- According to Lapis, she can also deactivate your collar. The problem is, you’d have to stay completely still for two full days.

I frowned. That wasn’t an option.

‘Kinuan used the Mind Transfer Device. I don’t know what his goal is… but if I lose his trail now, I’ll never find him again.’

I flexed the fingers of my right hand. The prosthetic was already synchronized with my nervous system.

“I’ll send you off as soon as the prosthetic repairs are complete.”

Jafa spoke words different from what she had written. At the same time, she added more sedative into the IV drip attached to my neck.

‘Ilay, what the hell are you doing?!’

I wanted to scream.

Before the drug took full effect and I lost consciousness, my gaze landed on Lars. He was still unconscious.

‘Lars hasn’t woken up because of the drugs, just like me.’

He hadn’t sustained any fatal brain injuries—his only damage was to his prosthetic. That meant he had been put to sleep with sedatives.

‘Ilay has tied me and Lars down here while moving separately.’

…A wave of unease surged through me.

I forced my mind to think before my consciousness slipped away completely. Just as I reached a conclusion, my awareness was cut off.

*         *         *

…How much time had passed?

- This is a predatory-type nanomachine. Once programmed with a specific chemical compound, it selectively breaks down only that substance. This is one of the latest nano-technologies from the Tarfa species. It’s incredibly rare, so please stay still. I’ll be decomposing it layer by layer from the inside out.

When I opened my eyes, Lapis’s holographic message appeared before me. She was holding a dropper, carefully dripping a silvery liquid onto my collar.

Multiple monitors surrounded me, displaying analyses of my collar. Many sections were marked ‘Unknown.’

Tzzzzzt.

The silver liquid instantly seeped into the collar, vanishing on contact.

‘No way…’

A flood of questions rushed through my mind. I wanted to speak immediately.

‘After Ilay separated from me, everything that unfolded in Border City…’

I had thought Ilay was moving separately to track Kinuan, executing his own plan.

But that wasn’t it.

‘Jafa and Lapis are cooperating with Ilay to keep me restrained.’

Ilay had no hesitation in deceiving me. But his lies and deceptions were for my sake as well.

Since arriving in Border City, he had orchestrated everything for me.

‘Lars got caught by Kinuan while trying to contact Ilay.’

Lars wasn’t incompetent. Beneath his lighthearted demeanor, he was a capable soldier.

…A dark, simmering emotion roiled inside me toward Ilay.

This was a deep, tangled mess of love and hatred.