Bad Born Blood - Chapter 190



Only Krnovel

190

Archetype Victory is a tricky combat technique to use and learn.

Ordinary people cannot even acquire it. It is only possible to access it by strengthening the brain nervous system in some way, whether through surgery or medication.

In any case, those who have mastered Archie’s Victima maximize their observation and insight through abnormal expansion of brain function, and predict the future and infer the past through multi-faceted reasoning based on high-speed thinking.

Simply put, we predict and control what ordinary people consider luck, and thanks to this, we can often bring the possibility of a slim chance into reality.

If you only listen to this far, it seems like an incredible ability. You might wonder why others don’t rush to learn it. However, there is a reason for everything in the world.

‘A skilled Archie’s Victoryma user could take on a single combat vehicle with just a pistol. But if he were to invest his vast brain resources into cybernetic equipment and prosthetics instead of the Archie’s Victoryma, he could take down dozens of combat vehicles, not just one.’

Simply from a combat power perspective, Archie’s Victory is an ineffective combat technique for regular forces. It is only useful in special warfare, and is actually mainly used as a combat technique by rebel forces.

… … and there are some major drawbacks. In particular, the brain, which is an irreplaceable part of the body, is overworked, and the brain’s activity and tension are constantly heightened due to excessive expansion of intuition. This is an irreversible symptom.

“Archies Victory is great, but it’s not the best fighting technique.”

Ragnata opened her eyes. She looked at me thoughtfully.

“I know it’s not the strongest. I’m asking a more fundamental question.”

“You are also an expert in the use of Arches Victory. But asking about Arches Victory’s weaknesses… … Hmm, that’s interesting.”

Ragnata smiled meaningfully.

“You have a lot of experience. You’ve fought a variety of enemies, not just Archie’s Victory. Let’s say you meet an Archie’s Victory user with equal or greater skill than you. How are you going to destroy them?”

“I was defeated by you. If I had that kind of knack, I wouldn’t have been caught like this.”

“It’s your old age. It’s not a matter of experience or skill. In your prime, you acted like you wouldn’t lose to anyone. You actually had that much strength.”

“Thank you for your high praise.”

Before Ragnata could become more assertive, I quickly fired.

“It’s not a high evaluation, it’s a fact. Don’t mistake it for favor. If my question doesn’t get a proper answer, I’ll stand up.”

I groaned and put my hands on my knees. My butt lifted slightly off the chair.

“… … Archie’s Victory shines in chaos and is also good at creating variables. It has value beyond just combat skills. Its name is true to itself.”

I stuck my butt, which was about to fall, onto the chair.

“Just like the name suggests?”

“Acrecia borrowed a lot of vocabulary from Latin, perhaps because they wanted to imitate the old empires of Earth. They often use it when they want to pretend to be noble and hide their meaning from the lower classes. Words that mean various classes and nobility also come from there. The same goes for Archies Victima. Its usage and grammar have changed over time, but if you look at the original meaning and context of the word, you can infer its intention.”

“I know that the meaning of Archies is insight.”

“What about Big Tima?”

I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth.

“… …weak.”

That’s probably right. The Archies Victory is optimized for the ‘powerless’ to outwit the ‘powerful’.

“You’re a smart student. Your teacher must have enjoyed teaching you. A victim is a living sacrifice or a victim used in a ritual. A weak person who is forced to make a sacrifice by others, whose only life is being toyed with by the strong’s finger. A person who cannot resist, that’s a victim.”

I thought about Noel Mulizka’s life. I had forgotten him, pushing him out of a corner of my memory.

“The person who named it Archie’s Victory… … must have hoped that the weak who learned it would be able to hold onto the dagger of repentance even in the face of the tyranny and oppression of the strong. Even the weak are given a chance to sort things out. However, most of them don’t even notice it when that time comes. They end up wasting this golden opportunity. Possibility isn’t so kind. It doesn’t even show its face to those who fail to grab it.”

I understood that too.

The very principle and existence of Aki’s Victory was shouting to the weak not to miss the opportunity. Whether it was changing your life, expressing hatred and anger, or revenge or whatever. If there was an opportunity to achieve the user’s will, it would help them not to miss it.

The strong have no reason to learn it. It is a skill for the weak who do not have it.

Many Archie’s Victima users have eaten away at their futures and injected drugs into their heads. The weak must take all kinds of risks to overcome the strong. They must even have the patience to wait for opportunities that may never come.

Let’s say you took a risk and worked hard, but how frustrating would it be if you didn’t realize it when the ‘time’ came? Archie’s Victory is a way of thinking and fighting for those people.

“Slaves feel anxious when their leashes and chains break… … but humans grab hold of blades. If they don’t have blades, they’ll clench their fists. The weak are not synonymous with slaves. However, most people live without even knowing that their chains have broken. They don’t even notice. Oppression clouds even their cognition and judgment, and furthermore, it changes the structure of the mind and the way of thinking.”

A thrill ran down my spine.

“Then what does Aki’s Domini mean?”

“Hmm, well, I’m not an expert so this might not be exact, but… … Dominus, if you look at the variant, is the owner of the ruling position. If Archieus Victoryma is an insight for resistance, then Archieus Domini would be an insight for control.”

I swallowed my complicated feelings without letting them out. Ragnata would not know about the complex surveillance system of the empire.

“I see.”

I spoke briefly. I felt like if I spoke at length, my emotions would be read.

“And as history has shown, it is not the masters who watch over the slaves. It is always the better-serving slaves who watch over the slaves.”

A corner of my heart felt cold.

“It was a useful lesson, Professor Ragnata. However, I feel like the answer is going around in circles. The point of my question is what you think Archie’s Victima’s weakness is.”

“Aging weakens the mind and heart. Think of it as a poor old man talking to you. Yes, your question, the strategy for conquering Akiess Victory. What a vague question. Do you really think you can get the answer from me?”

“I’m not asking for the answer, I’m asking for your thoughts. I don’t think you know the answer.”

I said harshly. Ragnata closed his eyes and chuckled.

“I don’t know about Archie’s weaknesses, but I think the way to deal with it is ‘common sense.’ Archie’s users surround themselves with chaos. Its existence itself is not chaos. Its insides may be more normal than you think. Just like you.”

I stood up without saying anything, neither positive nor negative. And before I left, I opened my mouth.

“Even if you strip away that chaos again and again… … how can it be that the inside is a chaos that cannot be seen even an inch?”

Ragnata just laughed at first. After a while, she stopped laughing and pointed at me with her index finger.

“If there is such a being, it would be a monster that has been consumed by chaos and has turned the tables on itself. A monster that does not use chaos as a means, but for which chaos itself is the goal. My answer of ‘common sense’ will not work on such a being.”

I nodded and went back the way I came.

… … It wasn’t a waste of time. It seems to have helped.

* * *

Jafar was a very busy man. I watched him for three days and his workload was murderous. It seemed like he hardly slept at all.

“I don’t usually work this hard. My workload has been piling up since the raid.”

Jafar, sensing my gaze, said:

“I didn’t say anything, I just ignored it.”

I said this while sitting on the sofa across from me. Of course, Jafar didn’t just guess, he read my thoughts exactly.

Jafar is good at reading other people’s emotions and intentions. This was also a characteristic of Tajirun.

“No, I don’t. I thought you might be curious, so I answered, Hoyo. Let’s take a break and have a cup of tea.”

“I’m resting well anyway.”

Most of my security duties involved standing by like a bum. The Equsians took care of the detailed scheduling. Since I was a temporary worker anyway, no one gave me any complicated tasks that required learning.

Dalgrak.

Jafar took out the mysterious tea bag and soaked it in hot water. The tea bag box had something about snakes and such, a phrase that was now too annoying to explain. To put it briefly, it said that the tea was made with ingredients derived from snakes. It is questionable whether that can be called tea.

Shh, shh.

Japa ran his tongue over the surface of the tea. He sat down and waited for the temperature to be just right.

“The Menoa family will not make any more attacks. They will also suffer great losses from losing their guard. Tajirun does not like to use violent means to get his way. He only equips himself with force when necessary.”

“In the end, deals and negotiations are enforced by force. You are only buying force with money. The reason money is valuable is because you can use it to hold a knife to someone’s neck.”

“Well, that’s a good point, but… … you’re a bit off topic. What I meant was that there won’t be any raids or assassination attempts for the time being.”

“Then is there a need to send me as a bodyguard? I’m nearing the end of my rehabilitation. I’m thinking of getting serious about finding Kinuan.”

“But in this world, there are only ifs and no nevers. Finding Kinuan is important, but if I die, everything will be over. Above all, there will be a negotiation with the Menoa family sooner or later. It will be reassuring to have you by my side then. The power of Akies Victima is useful in many ways.”

Archie’s Victory Masters are adept at observing people. Naturally, this is a useful skill in negotiations.

“I see Kinuan has also helped with negotiations.”

I asked quickly, questioning him.

“Hoyot, I won’t deny it. Just like the question you asked me earlier, Archie’s sharp side will be helpful in negotiations. I’m also from the Menoa family… … but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my family.”

“By the way, why did the peace talks with the family break down? If it was a time-limited peace, you would have been more prepared than you are now.”

Jafar had expected the attack to come at some point, but he didn’t know the exact date.

“The Menoa family, the party to the treaty, my father, has died. Sooner than I thought. By the way, the average lifespan of a Tajrun is not that short. It is longer than the average human lifespan.”

“Is there a possibility that it was murder?”

“Officially, it is said to have been an accident, but like other Tajrun families, the Menoa family was very closed off, so no one except his close associates and immediate family would know the exact cause of death.”

I frowned.

“There’s no need to list the details. Just ask your gut. Do you think it was murder?”

Jaffa brought the slightly cooled tea to his lips. He took a deep sip and exhaled faintly.

“Yes, it is murder. So I intend to visit the Menoah family with you. Do you know what I want from you?”

I let out a hollow laugh.

… … Detective Luca is going out again this time. If he can solve this problem, he won’t be ashamed to add ‘name’ in front of him.