Chapter 386. Side Story 1. The Two Friends (1)

Sometimes, Cain thought life was outrageously unfair. Some were born as slaves and died as slaves, while others were born into noble houses and spent their lives bathing in luxury.

Still, Cain supposed he was a rather successful slave. No—within the empire, there wasn't a slave who had been more successful than him. He'd once been a boy who fought for survival in underground arenas, and now he stood as the Commander of the emperor's trusted Imperial Guards.

But lately, he had a problem. A big problem.

He'd been doing his usual routine—taking a stroll through the Imperial Gardens, trading venomous words with arrogant nobles—when someone appeared.

"Let's be friends," a young man around Cain's age said.

"You're insane," Cain replied flatly.

"You don't have any friends either, do you? I'm offering to hang out with you, and you're getting mad about it?" the young man asked.

"Do you like men or something?" Cain asked.

"Of course not. I love women," the young man answered.

Cain's morning was ruined by the sheer existence of this lunatic. Just looking at the young man gave him a headache.

He sighed and studied the nuisance standing before him. He was one of the few people granted the right to wear a sword inside the Imperial Palace—an honor reserved for only the most elite families in the empire.

"Imperial Guard Commander Cain Latorre," the young man said with a grin. "I've heard all about you. As for me—"

"Let me guess," Cain interrupted. "Halo Leston. The mad troublemaker of the Ducal Family of Leston."

"Oh, you've heard of me? I'm honored," Halo replied.

"I'm not in the mood to play along. Get lost," Cain snapped.

"Come on, don't be like that. You were just watering the flowerbeds. I even brought some drinks so I could have them with you," Halo said.

Then Halo, who seemed little more than an arrogant fool in Cain's eyes, pulled out a bottle filled with amber liquor and grinned slyly.

"I snuck this from my father's office," Halo said. "You can't get this anywhere else. Brewed in the Zion Kingdom, or something like that."

It was, admittedly, a fine drink. But the thing was, Cain had never met this man before.

He knew of Halo, of course. The latter was the pride of the Ducal Family of Leston, a prodigy destined to become one of the greatest figures on the continent. A man whose life's path had been paved in gold since birth—utterly unlike Cain's. Rumor had it he was even guaranteed to be the head of the Ducal Family of Leston one day.

Cain thought in annoyance,

This pampered aristocrat won't stop pestering me.

He'd known that Halo was a lunatic, but he hadn't realized the latter was this intrusive.

So, Cain decided to give Halo a reality check. He said coldly, "I was born a slave, and grew up as one."

Young nobles who'd grown up in silk sheets despised slaves—especially those from prestigious houses. They couldn't insult Cain openly anymore since he was the Commander of the Imperial Guards, but he could always see that flicker of disdain in their eyes. So Cain expected the same from Halo.

But Halo Leston—this deranged noble—only tilted his head and replied, "So what?"

"...What?" Cain asked in disbelief.

"I said, so what? Whether you were born a slave or a prince, who cares? No one chooses where they're born," Halo answered.

Then, without hesitation, he dropped down to sit on the dirt path, drove his sword into the ground beside him, and waved Cain over. He offered, "Come on, have a drink."

"You're insane," Cain said.

"I get that a lot. Here, I brought jerky too. Have you ever tried jerky from Azureocean Castle? It's perfect with alcohol," Halo replied.

He sat there comfortably, unbothered by the dirt, and Cain realized—this man's brain worked differently from that of any other noble he had met before.

Cain sighed, glaring at Halo as he said, "I swear, I really want to cut your head off."

Ah, the words slipped out before I could stop them.

Despite the insulting remark, Halo Leston merely let out a laugh and shrugged. He said, "That's better. From now on, go ahead and talk comfortably. I heard you're the Mad Dog of the Imperial Palace? Well, I'm the same. Let's see how two mad dogs drink together—who knows? Maybe we'll get along."

Cain nearly drew his sword, but stopped himself. If they fought here, his precious garden—the only place he actually liked—would be wrecked.

Besides, Halo Leston wasn't someone to take lightly. The sheer pressure of mana radiating from his core told him that much.

Unlike Cain, who'd been force-fed mana by the emperor, Halo had cultivated his mana naturally, through relentless effort since childhood.

Not that it meant Halo could beat Cain without a doubt. If Cain went all out, he would probably win through sheer combat experience. But it was early morning, and he had no desire to start the day with a duel.

Unable to chase Halo off or kill him, Cain admitted defeat. With another deep sigh, he sat down across from Halo.

Halo Leston grinned triumphantly and suggested, "Good. Now, take this glass."

"It looks expensive," Cain said.

"I also stole this from my father's office. A crystal glass on a dirt floor—come on, doesn't that have a certain charm?" Halo chuckled and poured the amber liquor into Cain's cup.

The liquid shimmered beautifully as it filled the glass. Cain took it without a word and drank.

"...Mhm," Cain responded.

A satisfying warmth slid down his throat. It was excellent liquor—far too good to be drunk on a dirty path.

"I heard you like liquor, right?" Halo asked.

"Who told you that?" Cain asked.

"Kerra. I asked him, and he told me. It seems you're really good at looking after your subordinates. He even asked me to hang out with his commander. He said you're always tending flowers with no friends; it's kind of sad to watch," Halo explained.

It was typical of Kerra. Cain was sure that Kerra must've gotten something out of this lunatic, Halo, for betraying him.

Cain sighed again, then snatched the bottle from Halo's hand and refilled his own glass.

"Oh, are you pouring for me too?" Halo asked, offering his cup with a grin.

Cain hesitated for a second, then poured him a drink as well... out of pity, more than anything.

"So," he began. "Is there something you actually wanted to talk about?"

Halo nodded confidently, then replied, "I have a lot that I want to talk to you about."

"I doubt there's that much for the ducal family's golden child and the commander of the Imperial Guards to talk about," Cain said.

"That's something we can think about later. First—before we toast—let me ask you one thing," Halo continued.

Cain was actually almost looking forward to hearing what crazy notion Halo was going to spout.

But a moment later, when the words came out of Halo's mouth, Cain was left speechless.

"Would you be interested in overthrowing the empire with me?" Halo asked.

"...What did you say?" Cain asked in shock.

"I'm thinking of starting a rebellion. And if the commander of the Imperial Guards helped, it'd be a lot easier to take down the emperor," Halo answered.

Halo was a lunatic who invited him to start a rebellion from the very first meeting. That was Cain's first encounter with Halo Leston.

***

After their memorable first meeting, Halo had begun visiting the Imperial Palace so often it was as if he lived there.

The Imperial Guards were meant to protect the royal family—nothing more, nothing less. For someone to propose rebellion to the commander of such an order was something only a lunatic could do.

The emperor had to have heard the rumors. He could see Cain's every move if he wished. But the emperor said nothing. And Halo Leston continued to come and go freely through the palace gates.

"Truly, nobles from great houses think on an entirely different scale," Kerra said, chuckling.

"Drink! Drink!" Halo shouted, raising his glass. "Kerra, you'll stand with me when the time comes, won't you?"

"Ah, you'd better discuss that with our Commander first," Kerra replied dryly.

"How about you just join the Oceanwolf Knight Order instead?" Halo said. "Ugo, you too."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll stay with the Imperial Guards," Ugo answered politely.

By now, Halo was drinking openly with Cain's subordinates. He had grown quite close to Ugo and Kerra—but not to Beatrice.

There was a simple reason for that. Last week, Halo had tried flirting with her and earned himself a solid slap across the face.

Afterward, Halo went to Cain and muttered,

"I didn't know she already had someone."

Cain truly thought that Halo was a walking disaster.

"You've been looking busy lately too, Cain," Halo said, grinning as he leaned back.

Cain shrugged, then said, "His Majesty has me running everywhere. Too many rebellions, too many traitors. I've been thinking about cutting them down before they even start dreaming of rebellion."

"The world's rough these days," Halo said. "So, who's dreaming of rebellion?"

"You, you bastard," Cain snapped.

"Did I get caught?" Halo asked.

"You lunatic," Cain muttered.

He thought Halo really was insane. And somehow, being around Halo made him feel as if he was losing his mind too.

Halo took a long gulp of rum, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and asked, "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About His Majesty kidnapping children? Do you know anything about it?"

"Unfortunately, my only duty is to guard His Majesty," Cain answered flatly.

The truth was—he didn't know.

The emperor held his life in his hands. The emperor was the one who had plucked a slave-boy from the gladiator pits and turned him into an 8-Star knight. Cain's entire existence belonged to the emperor.

Rebellion wasn't even a dream Cain was allowed to have. If the emperor decided his life should end, he could end it whenever he pleased. After all, his dark mana resided within Cain's heart.

Some called Cain a knight who had sold his soul to a devil. He never bothered denying it, because it was true. Everything he had came from the emperor.

"If the emperor vanished tomorrow," Halo asked, smirking, "what would you do?"

Cain gave a bitter laugh, then replied, "I never thought about it. I've lived my whole life as a slave."

"There's no guarantee you'll die as a slave as well," Halo said.

"Do you think I could escape him?" Cain asked.

"Don't worry. I'll kill him," Halo said.

He didn't even understand the kind of bond Cain had with the emperor, so he probably thought Cain was just another loyal knight.

Halo was reckless, loud, and often spoke nonsense—but strangely enough, Cain didn't hate him for it. He'd felt a sense of familiarity from the very beginning. Maybe that was why he drank with Halo in the first place.

"You're the only man alive who'd say that kind of thing to the emperor's loyal guard dog," Cain said. "But tell me—were you serious?"

"About what?" Halo asked.

"Are you seriously trying to start a rebellion?" Cain asked.

At first, he'd thought Halo was just running his mouth. But lately... he wasn't so sure.

According to Cain's informants, members of the Ducal Family of Leston—including Halo—had been making secret contact with several noble families.

The emperor's tyranny was worsening, and the people of the empire were suffering. Rebellions were breaking out everywhere, proof that His Majesty's influence was waning.

If the Ducal Family of Leston turned against him now... It would be a checkmate. After all, they'd stood with the empire since its founding. They had legitimacy, prestige, and an army strong enough to rival the emperor's own.

When Cain asked, Halo looked at him and said, "There's a long, tangled history between the royal family and the Ducal Family of Leston. The time has simply come."

"Then I suppose we'll meet on the battlefield," Cain said quietly.

"I'm not saying it'll happen right away. His Majesty still deserves a chance," Halo said.

"A chance?" Cain asked.

"A chance to make things right. To become a just ruler again, and lead the empire back to glory," Halo answered.

"And if he doesn't?" Cain asked.

"Then we all have to make our choice," Halo replied.

The emperor was losing control, spiraling further into madness. No one knew where that would lead—but everyone suspected it would end in tragedy.

Cain watched Halo calmly and said, "I have a favor to ask."

Halo raised an eyebrow and said, "A favor? First time I've heard you ask for one."

"If we ever find ourselves crossing blades... Make sure you kill me," Cain said.

"If you want to die, why not do it yourself?" Halo asked.

"Unfortunately, I can't," Cain replied.

"Well, that's a damn shame," Halo said with a crooked grin. "So you just want me to kill you, huh?"

He didn't even pretend he'd refuse. They both knew the truth: That the conflict was inevitable.

The one bound to protect the emperor, and the one destined to bring him down. One of them would have to shatter completely.

Still, they both remained calm.

"Fine," Halo said at last. "If it comes to that, I'll kill you. But do me a favor—try not to die. Better yet, run away."

"You're telling a knight to run and throw away his honor?" Cain asked in disbelief.

"Honor's worthless if you're dead, you idiot," Halo said.

"The idiot is the one announcing rebellion here," Cain shot back. "You stupid, reckless bastard."

"Draw your sword, you idiot. I'll grant your wish today," Halo said with a smile.

"You think I'm afraid?" Cain asked as he rose to his feet with a faint smile.

Before long, Kerra and Ugo were sweating bullets trying to keep the two of them apart.

Cain's one and only friend—Halo Leston. The fact that he could even call him that didn't feel half bad.

***

About a year later, Halo stopped visiting the palace.

And before long...

"Commander," one of Cain's subordinates called.

"I know. I've heard the reports," Cain replied.

"What shall we do?" his subordinate asked.

"We do our duty. Gather the men. We'll stop the rebels," Cain declared.

The rebel army, led by Halo Leston, had marched upon the Imperial Palace.