Chapter 317

Family, to me, does not mean blood ties.

I do not know the faces or names of my biological parents. I have never even thought about missing them.

From the moment I could stand and walk on my own two feet, my life had been a battlefield for survival, and others were obstacles to be trampled over and left behind.

Limited resources, unequal distribution, the law of power, eyes filled with jealousy and malice, and fragile barriers that could collapse at any moment—these were the symbols and imagery of my childhood.

The world had bestowed upon me only one gift, one talent.

‘Innate violence.’

I was raised and educated just like the other children in the orphanage, but I was sharper.

A combination of my isolated sense of self and natural-born violence allowed me to wear the mantle of an exceptional soldier.

Had I continued down that path, maintaining my isolation, I would have followed the road of a soldier without deviation. Perhaps I could have even become a soldier worthy of leaving my name in the empire’s history.

But humans inevitably form connections. Eventually, there appears someone who cannot be dehumanized or treated as an outsider.

During my time at the orphanage, I did not see those around me as human. The children my age were helpless prey who had lost the will to move forward, and the headmaster and adults were nothing more than pigs eager to exploit the weak.

‘Imperial Guard Cadet, Luka.’

It was during that time that I began to be significantly influenced by the outside world.

At the training institute, there were children with similar tendencies to mine, possessing abilities equal to my own, and the Imperial Guards were all adults I could look up to.

That was the first time people felt like people to me.

For the first time, I experienced emotional exchanges between individuals. I realized that others were not just obstacles but beings I could rely on.

And before I knew it, the direction of my interactions, which had previously been focused solely upward and outward, had extended downward as well.

I learned to sympathize with the weak. Rather than simply despising them, I sometimes empathized with their circumstances and understood them. I came to accept the concepts of friendship and family.

‘Family…’

Commander of the Imperial Guard, Hemillas Custoria, gave me a family. It wasn’t purely out of kindness toward me. He brought me in to protect the Custoria Family.

Family protects one another from external threats. Even if relationships within the family are strained, even if they sometimes feel like enemies… when an outside force appears, they join hands and fight together. That was the family I learned from Hemillas.

Family is one of the hardest bonds to sever.

Even now, when I have distanced myself from Custoria, that remains unchanged. If danger were to threaten the Custoria Family, I would help as much as I could—whether the only family left in Custoria was ‘Juppe’ or my adoptive mother, ‘Eva,’ who despises me.

And ‘Juppe’ was likely thinking the same as I was.

Whether I liked it or not, I bore the Custoria name. I was a recognized member of the family, acknowledged by both Patriarch Hemillas and the Elders.

Step, step.

I entered the reception room of Sergeant Jafa’s temporary office building.

“It’s been a while, Luka. I could recognize you just from your eyes.”

The man sitting on the sofa looked at me and stood up.

The family member who had come to see me was ‘Juppe Custoria.’ The current head of Custoria, the second son of Hemillas, and the man I once mocked.

Juppe was now using prosthetics that made him look older than before. Instead of the rigid imperial attire, he wore a retro-style suit from the 20th century—likely to avoid standing out in Border City, where imperial clothing would be conspicuous.

“An unexpected visit, Brother.”

“I’d heard rumors of your return, but I didn’t know where you were.”

“There were circumstances that prevented me from reaching out.”

“I see. That’s just like you. It was always like that. Father and you… you both operated in realms beyond my understanding. And you still do.”

Juppe spoke calmly, with a tone that almost felt melancholic.

The fiery temperament he once had seemed to have settled. Experience and time change people, and a position like the head of a family can alter a person even more drastically.

‘I don’t know how Juppe has lived since Hemillas passed. But I can tell it wasn’t smooth sailing.’

He must have been forced into a situation where he had no choice but to change.

“I apologize for the delayed greeting. It’s good to see you again, Brother.”

I dipped my head slightly before raising it again.

The final days of the Storm Era flashed through my mind. Back then, Juppe and I had acknowledged each other. Juppe had accepted me as part of the family, and I had come to trust him as a brother.

“How have you been?”

I offered a formal pleasantry.

Juppe had sought me out first. If he had something important to discuss, he would bring it up himself.

Even though he was family, I had no intention of revealing my own information so easily. I knew nothing of Juppe’s past ten years.

‘And in the worst case, Juppe might betray me for the sake of Custoria’s well-being.’

Juppe placed a terminal on the table and activated a hologram. Images and videos of Custoria family members played in succession.

Instead of military cadets, I saw academy graduation photos. They were of my nieces and nephews—Juppe’s children or Nikolaos’s children.

“If their aptitude tests weren’t exceptional, I sent them all to Accretia Academy. The era of military families is over. To survive as an esteemed family in the future, we need to control administration and business. The Elders aren’t pleased with me, but there’s no other choice.”

“A wise decision. Only by surviving can traditions be preserved.”

We had seen how military families with the potential to become warlords were crushed. To survive, one had to change rather than cling to tradition.

“Luka, I intend to endure by keeping my head down. My role as the current head of the family isn’t about glory—it’s about surviving, even if it means rolling in the mud. So… don’t return to the Empire or the family. I can’t handle the chaos you’ll bring. Just surviving as it is already overwhelms me. If something happens, I won’t have the means to protect or help you.”

Juppe got to the point.

“I understand. I have no intention of bringing harm to the family. I will always be grateful to the Custoria family.”

I understood why Juppe had come to see me in person. And now, it was my turn to ask the questions.

Taking a breath, I spoke.

“Was it Ilay Carthica who told you where I was?”

“A week ago, someone from the Carthica Family contacted me and told me to come to Border City. They said they would arrange a meeting with you. I’ve been waiting here ever since.”

My suspicion was becoming reality.

Ilay had planned to divert me from the moment we left Akbaran. He had likely analyzed every variable and prepared for every contingency.

‘Why did Ilay send Juppe to me?’

Well, the answer was obvious.

Juppe did not want me to return to the Empire. For the sake of Custoria’s stability, I must not go back.

Meeting Juppe had added another shackle to my feet.

“…Ilay used you as well, Brother.”

Juppe tilted his head slightly in confusion.

“I was the one who kept demanding information about you from Ilay. The moment I heard rumors of your return, I started searching. If anyone knew anything about you, it would be the fox of Carthica—your dear friend.”

I lifted my head and widened my eyes slightly. I hadn’t expected Juppe to seek me out first.

“Why were you looking for me?”

“I don’t know about the dangers and conspiracies surrounding you. In the past, that ignorance frustrated me, made me feel inferior. But now, I think it’s a relief. As the head of the family, my priority is the safety of our family and house. If ignorance is safer, I’d rather remain ignorant. However… you are still a member of this family.”

Juppe took out a data chip.

“Giselle didn’t explain anything to me. I didn’t ask her for an explanation either. She only had one request. If you ever resurfaced, I was to give you this data chip. I came here to fulfill my duty as your brother and as family.”

I silently stared at the data chip. Inside, I was in turmoil.

‘Something Giselle left behind.’

My throat tickled as if I might burst into laughter.

‘Out of all people, she chose to entrust it to Juppe?’

Juppe was family, but I wouldn’t say we were close.

Ilay, Gabriel, Gilda, Barbara, Martina from La Vie en Rose, Diva, and Grace…

Giselle had bypassed all of them and left her message with Juppe.

Could Juppe keep a secret? Could he successfully deliver her words to me? What about the possibility of betrayal? Choosing Juppe as the messenger was a dangerously precarious decision.

But precisely because of that, the truly exceptional individuals never paid much attention to Juppe.

As he himself admitted, Juppe was a man who endured by lying low. To avoid offending anyone, he even used his own ‘incompetence’ as a weapon.

The more others underestimated him, the longer he could survive.

‘This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.’

It was the complete opposite of our father, Hemillas, whose exceptional talent had ultimately put the family in danger.

“Don’t ask any questions, Lukaus. I know nothing. I can’t even promise I’ll keep this a secret. My role ends here.”

I took the data chip and nodded.

“Thank you, Brother. Sincerely.”

Juppe had taken a risk by coming here. For his survival strategy to work, he had to act as if he had nothing to do with any of this.

‘Just meeting me is a dangerous move.’

Yet Juppe had not entrusted the data chip to someone else. He had swallowed Giselle’s secret alone, only to finally deliver it to me in person.

‘…He did this because he acknowledged me as a member of the family and was fulfilling his duty.’

He could have given the data chip to Ilay. He could have passed it through someone else.

But Juppe had chosen to personally deliver it, just as Giselle had asked.

A feeling I couldn’t quite define welled up inside me. I had no particular memories with Juppe. We weren’t related by blood. And yet, Juppe was my family.

It was such a strange emotion.

“I hope it never comes to that, but if you ever need my help, just say the word. I’ll come whenever you call.”

Juppe let out a hearty laugh.

"Your way is different from mine. I can survive without your help."

Juppe put on his fedora, which he had set aside, and stood up. With a light wave of his hand, he left the reception room.

I watched him go, feeling the texture of the data chip in my hand.

‘This is an internal message from the Custoria family.’

I searched my memory.

Neither Juppe nor Giselle had mentioned it, but this data chip was likely sealed with Custoria’s chemical encryption.

Hemillas had once demonstrated it to me. When members of the Custoria family needed to exchange confidential information, they used a sealing method.

In the Empire, prestigious families had their own analog sealing techniques to safeguard secrets. It was a measure against information leaks and hacking.

‘If I try to access it without chemical neutralization, the data will evaporate.’

I had learned how to neutralize Custoria’s seals before. My memory was hazy, but if I focused, I could recall the process.

"…It won’t take long."

I rolled the data chip between my fingers before slipping it into my pocket.

‘There’s a mark on my neck.’

Before leaving the room, I glanced at the mirror. The spot where my gorget had been was now darkened, bruised red-black. It looked like someone had strangled me with a rope.

Lapis had apologized for the scar, but I didn’t mind. I was grateful that my skin hadn’t been torn off. Scars were the least of my concerns. I wasn’t the type to live worrying about things like that.

Step.

I stepped into the hallway and headed toward the infirmary. There were always various chemical substances there.

It was time to check Giselle’s message.

Ssshhh—

A chill suddenly ran down my spine. It felt as if Giselle’s ghost was right behind me. I could almost sense her cold hands and arms wrapping around my neck, pressing against my chest.

‘This is just my imagination.’

Giselle wasn’t dead.

…She had to be. For my sake, if nothing else.