Chapter 87 - New Friend
Throughout history, there have always been rulers and the ruled.
The only difference lies in how they take shape.
The Great Seven Houses, too, have skillfully adapted to changing times, seamlessly blending into new societal structures.
And the effect of that has been nothing short of remarkable.
Even in Lost City's present, a hyper-diversified society, people both respect and fear the Great Seven Houses.
Even now, a thousand years after the Age of Light and Roses came to an end.
That in itself is utterly absurd.
A high-performance cyborg, whose entire body has been replaced with cybernetic limbs, swallowing nervously at the sight of a pureblood aristocrat—such clips aren't just memes.
It's not something to simply laugh off.
Even after countless centuries since the abolishment of serfdom, we still cannot claim complete freedom from their shadow.
And it's all because of ingrained societal perception.
Among these perceptions, one cannot overlook the legend of the House Rotation.
House Rotation (家門會戰).
On the surface, it is nothing more than a festival held every seven years, where young pureblood aristocrats between the ages of 18 and 30 gather to test their skills against one another.
But from the perspective of ruling ideology…
"…What the hell is this?"
Jin furrowed his brows.
His eyes remained fixed on the terminal in his left hand, while his right hand continued shoveling risotto into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like balloons.
Muttering as he chewed through the overstuffed mouthful, his thumb casually scrolled upward.
The text that followed was ridiculous.
It claimed the festival was nothing more than a forced mechanism to foster a false sense of unity between the ruling and the ruled, a cowardly means to justify the power and authority of the elite.
It was a complete mess.
Only then did Jin notice the post's subtitle:
"A Thousand Years of Brainwashing—The Horrifying Truth Behind It."
All he had done was search for 'House Rotation,' so why the hell was he reading this nonsense?
Having lost any reason to continue, Jin swiftly skimmed through the rest before flipping the terminal over and returning his focus to his meal.
Now, hold on a second!
That conspiracy-ridden post wasn't entirely without basis.
The fact remains that the Seven Houses, instead of outright controlling times of upheaval, have chosen to adapt, thus securing their status to this very day.
But to label them as some kind of Illuminati?
That would be an overstatement, considering there are other factions that have grown just as powerful.
The post conveniently omitted any mention of the city government and the megacorporations, which was disappointing in its own way.
This is why a narrow perspective can never gain true resonance.
Jin wiped the unnecessary information from his mind without mercy.
And, naturally, the speed of his spooning increased.
For a while, he simply ate, savoring each bite—until his gaze drifted out the window.
What met his eyes was a vast, gray skyline rising toward the clouds.
A colossal roundabout reminiscent of a whirlpool, with countless autonomous vehicles gliding along its lanes.
Jin's gaze lingered.
It was a strange feeling.
How should he describe it?
If downtown was a melting pot of human emotions, blending joy, sorrow, and chaos beneath neon lights, then this place felt colder—more refined.
A landscape that seemed like it would taste like blue steel if he licked it.
That was Jin's first impression of the 20s districts.
—What the hell is that robot?
His attention was drawn to a hulking, bipedal machine stomping along with heavy steps.
Etched onto its thick armor plating were the letters: LCPD.
Robot cops patrolling the streets—definitely fitting for a city under direct government jurisdiction.
No way to commit crimes here, huh.
Jin smirked at the thought and withdrew his gaze.
And then—back to inhaling his food!
His voracious appetite resulted in an impressive stack of empty dishes, and soon after, he found himself standing at the checkout counter, eyes wide.
"…Wait, why is this so expensive?"
"You pay for what you eat. Would you like me to double-check?"
The employee spun the screen around, and only then did Jin realize the food prices were three times higher than in downtown.
—But it didn't taste three times better?
Speechless at the absurd cost of living, Jin completed his payment with trembling hands.
Dragging his feet as he left the restaurant, he let out an unconscious sigh.
For the first time in a while, he missed his old, run-down warehouse back in downtown.
Now he understood why people said leaving home meant inviting hardship.
Three days had passed since he set out for the Rotation.
Thinking back, not a single part of the journey had been easy.
The unfamiliar routes were one thing, but the real issue was getting into the inner sectors of the 30s district in the first place.
It was like an immigration checkpoint—strict as hell.
Had it not been for the fact that he had no criminal record and was registered as a Level 4 Solo, he might have been detained for days.
After barely making it in, the next step was navigating through the unfamiliar city.
For days, he had his face buried in the terminal, stumbling through the streets like some clueless country bumpkin.
—Where am I?
What is that?
He constantly compared the map to his surroundings, inching forward bit by bit.
Why was it that his razor-sharp sense of direction in battle completely failed him when it came to finding his way?
No time to take in the scenery—just hopping from light rail to AV, from bus to train, until finally arriving at the 20s districts.
And he still wasn't there yet.
This year's Rotation was being held in District 8, the territory of House Anarion.
The thought of traveling that far was exhausting, but at least from here on out, there was something called the 'Cross-District Train'—a transit system that cut straight through the city in one go.
"…Where the hell is the train station?"
Muttering to himself, Jin locked eyes with his terminal again and resumed walking.
Roundabout, intersection, café, turn right?
Is this the right side?
Hold on… do I rotate the screen this way?
Or that way?
After a ridiculous amount of fumbling, Jin finally succeeded in boarding the train.
"Ugh…"
With a groan, he slumped into his seat.
How much time had passed?
His body, melted into the seat like a deflated slime, slowly slid forward until his knees protruded into the aisle.
The problem was—his knees bumped into someone else's.
Startled awake, Jin stiffened.
"…Hngh—my bad."
Wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, he straightened his posture.
And that's when the person across from him spoke, wearing an easygoing smile.
"You look pretty exhausted."
Jin looked up to see a man standing with his arms crossed.
His overall appearance was neat, but perhaps because of that, the scar running across the bridge of his nose stood out even more.
"You're here to take part in the Rotation too?"
Jin's eyes widened at the unexpected remark.
He rubbed his chin, wiping away a bit of drool, before responding.
"Is it that obvious?"
"I was just like you when I first joined the Rotation. The journey here felt so damn long… Ah, I haven't introduced myself."
The man clapped his hands together with a sharp smack.
"Name's Raph. What about you?"
"Jin."
"Ooh, nice and simple. Mind if I ask where you're coming from?"
"Downtown."
"Downtown… You mean Area 47?"
Raph's eyes widened in surprise.
"Damn, that's really far. No wonder you look exhausted."
Jin initially thought it was just another case of someone looking down on the 40s districts, but it seemed like Raph was simply surprised by the distance.
As Jin, now fully awake, turned the question back on him—
"What about you? Where are you from?"
"Area 36, Regan City. Ever been there?"
"Ah…"
Jin was about to say no but hesitated, tilting his head.
His brows furrowed as he searched his memory, and then—
A flash of recollection struck.
"Actavis Company?"
"Oh! Yeah, you know it?"
Know it?
He had fought Killgit there.
The memory of infiltrating the place with Anna and Eric to rescue Walter, who had been kidnapped by dark mages, was still vivid in his mind.
Hard to believe that was already months ago.
Jin muttered with a slightly nostalgic look.
"Yeah, I… saw it on the news. Heard it collapsed."
"Tell me about it. It was a complete mess. That whole fiasco involved Styx and dark mages. There's even a rumor that the Solard family was the one who fought them. I mean, how else would a massive building melt from the inside out?"
Jin responded with a casual nod.
"Yeah… must've been scorching."
"Right? Oh, speaking of Downtown, wasn't there a huge incident recently? Some famous singer suddenly turned out to be a Psyker?"
Having coincidentally been present at all these major events, Jin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Yeah… I heard about that."
He brushed off the topic and redirected the conversation.
"So, you've been in the Rotation before?"
"Yeah. This is my second time."
Raph made a V-sign with his fingers, revealing the thick callouses on his knuckles.
"Oh."
Seeing the marks of hard work, Jin let out a small exclamation.
Not realizing it was his fingers Jin was impressed by, Raph puffed up proudly.
"If you've got any questions, feel free to ask. This meeting's gotta mean something, right?"
"I don't even know what I don't know yet… But can I ask anything?"
"Of course, of course! Fire away."
"Is there a clear favorite to win this Rotation?"
"Eh? Isn't that obvious? The heirs representing the major families, of course."
Jin nodded and pressed further.
"And among them?"
"Among them…"
Raph stroked his chin thoughtfully before snapping his fingers.
"If I had to pick one, I'd say Ryucard Anarion."
He nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied with his answer.
Jin tilted his head.
"Anarion? That's the family hosting this Rotation. Is it because of home-ground advantage?"
"…Huh?"
Raph scrunched his face as if he'd just tasted something bitter.
Jin blinked.
What, he doesn't know about home advantage?
Should I bring up South Korea's 2002 World Cup semi-final run?
Raph finally responded.
"Sure, being in a familiar place might help performance. But even if the Rotation weren't being held in Area 8, I'd still choose Ryucard."
"He's that good?"
"In my opinion, yeah. A once-in-a-lifetime talent, an unparalleled swordsman. Even his epithets sound legendary. He was already considered a top contender seven years ago. He just couldn't participate back then because he was a year too young."
As he listened, Jin mentally logged the new information.
Ryucard Anarion.
Successor of a sword-wielding family.
A once-in-a-lifetime prodigy? Unparalleled swordsman?
…Hold on.
There's a guy out there living the life I always wanted?
Jin's expression soured.
He could already imagine it—someone who grew up never knowing hardship, pampered in luxury.
A prejudice-fueled irritation poked at his gut.
So, he updated his mental notes.
Greenhouse-raised flower (most likely).
Tiny chili pepper (probably).
Arrogant brat (for sure).
With that entirely speculative conclusion, Jin huffed through his nose.
If they ever met, he'd make sure to show that pampered noble what a true rogue's life was like.
Meanwhile, Raph continued.
"Kendrick Zahad is impressive too. He reached the second rank before turning twenty. Damn, his family must have huge expectations for him. They don't call him 'Zahad's Hope' for nothing."
"…Huh?"
Jin, who had been lost in his own brooding, snapped back to attention.
"…The Young Thunder king? He's Zahad's Hope?"
"You really don't know much, huh? That's kinda refreshing."
Raph chuckled and went on.
"Ever hear about how Lokan Zahad excommunicated himself? He was supposed to inherit the family head position, but when he suddenly disappeared, the patriarch had to delay his retirement to keep the seat warm."
"…What?!"
A bolt of lightning struck Jin's head.
A realization cracked through his thoughts like a rock splitting in two.
"L-Lokan was supposed to be the family head?!"
A familiar line popped into his mind.
"Yena Sunjeong is my daughter."
Jin had assumed Lokan held some important position in the family, but he never imagined he was meant to inherit the seat itself.
His jaw dropped.
"…Didn't realize he was that big of a deal."
"Twenty years ago, he won the Rotation two times in a row. He's a monster. You should've at least heard of him."
Raph spoke as if it was common knowledge.
Jin could only let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
Meanwhile, the train sped on.
Gliding smoothly above the rails using maglev technology, it devoured the distance at an incredible speed.
As landscapes outside the window flickered by in an instant, the two men continued their conversation.
Raph was a natural chatterbox, and Jin never turned away good company.
Before long, they were casually addressing each other like old friends.
And from a distance, someone was watching them.
"…"
A cold-faced beauty with a sharp nose.
She casually brushed her long black hair behind her shoulder, flashing a crimson smile.
"We meet again."
Her obsidian eyes never once left Jin.