Chapter 284

I know Kinuan, yet I do not know him.  

After all, who in this world can claim to completely understand another?  

I do not know Giselle. Her actions remain a mystery.  

How could I ever comprehend my father, Hemillas' inner turmoil and agony? The dead do not speak, so there is no way to know now.  

Not just Ivan Accretia—I've only skimmed the surface of Mushir al-Kashura's mind as well.  

Ilay Carthica, who risked his life for me, is no exception. His emotions and inner thoughts were like muddled paint, so chaotic that even discerning their hue was difficult.  

And they must feel the same. Who could claim to fully understand me? They can only grasp the existence of ‘Luka’ through my outward words and actions, through faint traces I leave behind.  

But there is one thing I do know for certain: ‘There is no such thing as a perfect person.’  

Even the superhuman emperors of the empire struggle desperately to achieve perfection. Mushir al-Kashura, a monster who has lived for centuries, was still an incomplete being.  

Kinuan is no different. He is not some god of chaos, nor is he omniscient or omnipotent.  

‘Kinuan is like me.’  

He must be pushing himself to the extreme every time, barely clawing his way to success.  

All I had ever seen was Kinuan’s results. I never witnessed his struggle, never saw the effort he had poured into each achievement. Like a fool, I stood there with my mouth agape, assuming that the great Kinuan must have accomplished everything with an effortless scheme.  

……Kinuan had been building his own tower in places I could not see, stacking it higher and higher. From its lofty peak, he looked down on me with an air of detachment.  

But in time, the tower he built crumbled, again and again, until finally, he stood at my eye level.  

I no longer need to look up at Kinuan.  

“Hm, where should I begin?”  

Ivan paced through the garden, lost in thought. Watching him, I finally spoke.  

“Start from what you know about Kinuan’s origins. I don’t want to see him as an enigma anymore.”  

Ivan turned slightly, flashing a grin.  

“A good decision. Mysteries and secrets lose their power once the reasons behind them are revealed. The moment you understand someone's background and motivations, their actions become easier to predict. The unknown is the root of fear, after all.”  

With a tilt of his chin, Ivan gestured toward a rock near the pond—an invitation to sit.  

Sensing that this would be a long conversation, I took my seat.  

This garden was supposedly cultivated with original Earth flora, but it evoked no special feelings in me.  

To me, it was nothing more than meaningless luxury.

Ivan sat on a rock opposite me, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hand.  

“Luka, the imperial family is more complicated than you think. The emperor and the direct bloodline may seem absolute… but that’s not entirely true. There’s also the troublesome side branches constantly keeping them in check. The moment Accretia weakens, those opportunists will bare their fangs.”  

With that opening, Ivan began. He intended to explain the intricacies of the imperial family as a prelude to Kinuan’s story.  

“So the secrecy of the imperial lineage isn’t just meant to keep common citizens and nobles in the dark, but also to shield themselves from their own kin.”  

“Secrecy and perfection share common ground. We can’t be perfect. But we can hide our imperfections and pretend to be. That’s why Akies Domini is such a useful tool for ruling.”  

Even without direct orders or actions from the emperor, Akies Domini ensured that the flow of power moved according to his will from behind the scenes.  

‘Watching that flow, it’s easy to mistake the emperor for an omniscient being who sees and prepares for everything.’  

Even the Storm Era incident nearly unfolded as the emperor intended. It was supposed to be an opportunity to root out dissidents within the empire and unify the people under his rule. If not for my interference, that’s exactly how it would have played out.  

Had the Storm Era concluded as the emperor desired, the empire’s consolidated strength would have rapidly extended outward. In other words, war would have begun.  

“Luka, you bear much of the responsibility for this current instability. The abrupt transfer of the throne has weakened imperial authority. No matter what excuse is made, the unnaturalness of that shift is undeniable.”  

“And… His Majesty, the late emperor’s reign, was exceptionally stable. That makes the current situation seem even more unstable by comparison. People will inevitably draw comparisons.”  

Before Ivan’s explanation could drag on any further, I cut to the point. What I wanted to know was Kinuan.  

“Akies Domini… Kinuan played a significant role in maintaining stability, even as far back as I can remember. That’s why my father trusted him without question. But despite that, I still know very little about him.”  

Ivan searched his memory in silence before speaking.  

His account didn’t differ much from what I already knew.  

Kinuan came from the lower districts. Like me, he was an Irregular.  

‘Around his cadet years… Kinuan caught the eye of Zvely, the former Akies Domini. From then on, he served loyally as the emperor’s hound.’  

At that, my thoughts drifted to Mushir al-Kashura. I spoke.  

“Zvely’s brain was in Mushir al-Kashura’s possession.”

“That was something my father and Kinuan orchestrated. I don’t know the details. But it seems my father felt that Zvely had to be eliminated—whether Zvely was truly disloyal or Kinuan manipulated things behind the scenes.”  

I barely stopped myself from scoffing. Kashura’s words resurfaced in my mind. Kashura also possessed Zvely’s memories.  

‘Kashura said Kinuan handed over Zvely. It’s likely that Kinuan had a hand in the conflict between Zvely and the emperor. Perhaps Zvely was untrustworthy, but Kinuan’s schemes must have played a part.’  

Kinuan wasn’t the kind of person who openly altered the course of events. If he were, he would have been suspected and killed long ago.  

‘Kinuan must have noticed the subtle tensions between Zvely and the emperor and naturally exacerbated them.’  

Of course, this was only a hypothesis based on circumstantial evidence. The truth could be different. I had to keep that in mind.  

“My father trusted Kinuan… Hm, wait a moment, Luka.”  

Ivan groaned and pressed a hand to his forehead. He gasped for air, wincing in pain.  

Ivan Accretia was the emperor. On top of that, he used a prosthetic body crafted by the finest geniuses of the empire, undergoing daily maintenance and check-ups.  

If anything were to go wrong with Ivan, the issue could only stem from one thing—his brain.  

‘A malfunction.’  

I silently observed him. He was showing me his vulnerability.  

‘Is this a trap?’  

I ran my fingers along my dry throat. The metal collar tightly fitted around my neck was Ivan’s leash on me.  

‘Is he revealing his weakness so openly because I’m wearing this collar? Since he can kill me at any moment if I leak secrets?’  

After about five minutes, Ivan finally managed to glance at me out of the corner of his eye. Every now and then, he mumbled something under his breath.  

“…Enough… it’s fine… not yet…”  

I committed his incoherent words to memory. He was resisting something.  

“Luka, who am I?”  

Sweat trickled down his fully prosthetic body. A luxurious model, considering even his perspiration carried a fresh fragrance.  

“You are the emperor of the empire.”  

“That’s not what I mean. Say something closer to my essence.”  

“The guardian of humanity. The heir of Dino Accretia, the founding father—”  

My flat response made Ivan grimace.  

“No, that’s not it!”  

He shouted. A powerful wave of force erupted from him, causing the pond to ripple and the grass to sway. Stunned fish floated to the surface.  

I hesitated, then spoke.

“You are ‘Ivan.’ Among Nero, Ivan, and Selim, it was the name I chose for you.”  

As soon as I finished speaking, I bit my lower lip.  

Something tickled at the edges of my mind. It felt like I was on the verge of grasping a crucial clue. The secret that Emperor Ivan Accretia carried was right in front of me.  

“Yes, I am Ivan. Ha, ha… Good. Excellent.”  

Ivan’s expression brightened.  

…Please, let my suspicions be wrong. I frowned.  

“We were talking about Kinuan, Ivan.”  

I deliberately called his name again, pulling his drifting consciousness back.  

Satisfied, Ivan ran his sweat-drenched fingers through his hair.  

“My father trusted Kinuan, and Kinuan betrayed that trust. That’s all you need to know. He is a traitor bold enough to deceive the emperor himself.”  

As he said that, he looked at me.  

“Then… am I a traitor as well?”  

Hm. That came out sounding like a guilty confession.  

Ivan only laughed at my words.  

“That depends on your actions from here on out. You’re about to learn as much about the empire and the imperial family as Kinuan did.”  

He continued, his tone measured.  

“Luka, whether you liked it or not, you’ve seen your fair share of relics from the Arcane Civilization.”  

I nodded, recalling my encounters with them.  

“There’s a common misconception people have. They think that to use a technology or phenomenon, they must first understand its structure and principles. But reality is different. Before we understand the mechanics, we first deal with the effects and results. Causes and interpretations come later. Even before humanity could scientifically explain combustion, we already mastered fire. The same applies to the technology and relics of the Arcane Civilization. Even if we don’t yet understand their origins and principles… as long as we can make them work, that’s all that matters.”  

Ivan brought the tips of his fingers together and then slowly pulled them apart.  

Chzzzzk.  

From the tips of his fingernails, threads of a holographic display unraveled, forming a screen in midair.  

Images of ruins and artifacts from the Arcane Civilization flickered past.  

Among them, I recognized some. One of them was a capsule-shaped teleportation device I had seen before.  

“Imagine giving one of our guns to an ancestor who once carved stone axes. One of them might hesitate, but eventually, they’d pull the trigger by accident and realize it fires a powerful projectile. The one who figures out its mechanics would become the ruler of their land. They might even be worshipped as a god… at least until they run out of bullets.”  

“So you’re saying that, compared to the Arcane Civilization, we’re nothing more than primitive men wielding stone axes?”

“You understand so well, I almost feel like tossing you a treat. Don’t make that face—it was a compliment, in its own way.”

“…I’m sure it was.”

The images on Ivan’s holographic display froze.

A single helmet lay at the center of the screen. Its exterior was adorned with intricate, winding circuit patterns that shimmered beautifully in the light. At a glance, the complex design resembled the folds of a human brain.

“The empire has researched countless Arcane relics and technologies, but this one is among the most important.”

As I stared at the helmet, countless threads of speculation wove together in my mind. Not a single one of them led to a conclusion I liked. Every last one was unpleasant.

For once, I wouldn’t mind being a fool—if it meant my suspicions were all wrong.

“…What is this?”

“It hasn’t been long since we identified its function. We call it a ‘Mind Transfer Device.’”

Why is it that bad premonitions are almost always correct? Life is endlessly absurd.

The fragments that had been sinking in the depths of my mind surfaced all at once. The sequence of events came into focus.

I closed my eyes, then reopened them.

“How much longer can the ‘Ivan’ I know remain? I’d rather not wait another week, so we should hurry with this conversation.”

Ivan smiled, his face slick with cold sweat.

“I’m still fine. Your presence helps suppress it, after all. Right now… I can’t hear ‘Father’s Whisper.’”

…This was the worst possible scenario.

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