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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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The concrete ceiling rained down small bits of rubble.
Inside the collapsed tunnel.
Catherine, Andrea, and I leaned against an overturned train car, surveying our surroundings.
The lights flickered pathetically.
From the other side, shrouded in dark shadows, a hulking figure approached.
It was Drek.
“This isn’t good. Both ends are collapsed, and there doesn’t seem to be a working elevator.”
“In other words, we’re trapped?”
“Exactly.”
Drek, answering my question, habitually put a cigarette between his lips.
He didn’t light it, given the circumstances.
This was Drek’s conclusion after surveying the area using his dwarf-like observation skills.
Judging by the way he shook his head.
The situation was worse than I imagined.
“Furthermore, it looks like there’s some kind of signal jammer in place. In my opinion, this was a planned bombing.”
“Hah, what is going on?”
Andrea sighed.
Catherine and I agreed.
This time, Catherine questioned Drek.
“Since there’s no signal, we can’t contact the surface, right?”
“Right. However, they’ll probably know there’s been an accident. Meaning, if we wait, rescue will eventually come.”
“So we just have to wait?”
“Well… probably. We could go up through a few hundred meters of underground levels and sewers, but I don’t really recommend it.”
“…We’ll have to wait and see.”
It seemed clear that we’d been caught up in something.
I calmly retraced my memories.
I pondered whether there were any quests related to tunnel or train terrorism.
But no matter how hard I tried to recall, nothing specific came to mind.
Terrorism in Neon City was a regular occurrence, like a scheduled event.
In short, It happened so often it was hard to pinpoint anything specific.
As if they had overheard our conversation, two people walked towards us from somewhere.
A woman in a neat suit and a man who looked like her assistant or bodyguard.
The woman, who looked like a businesswoman, asked the man.
“Are these them?”
“Yes, they are.”
I greeted them cautiously.
“What brings you─”
But thanks to Drek’s subsequent words, I stopped mid-sentence.
“…Huh, isn’t that the Chairman of Monolith?”
“……”
I almost held my head high in front of the Chairman of a cyberpunk world.
Unlike me, who kept my mouth shut, Drek continued.
“Someone who spends their life on a private jet, what are they doing in a place like this?”
From what I heard, it seemed like a monologue.
He probably blurted out his inner thoughts in surprise.
The problem was, the tunnel amplified his voice.
The woman, the Chairman of Monolith, spoke.
“I had some business to attend to discreetly.”
For a chairman, she should be quite old,
but she spoke like an ordinary woman.
“But seeing as there’s been an explosion, it seems the secret’s out. I wonder if a rat stole the information.”
She continued, keeping her own pace.
“But that’s not important right now.”
The Chairman’s gaze, which had been wandering, landed back on us.
“I heard you’re famous mercenaries, confident in your skills. Are you interested in a commission?”
“…Yes?”
For the record, that was my answer.
I answered without thinking.
The others were either folding their arms or waiting for the chairman to continue.
“As I said, I’m out here in secret. So, it seems Ko-ozaka’s ninja squad or Heishuqwai’s tactical operatives will arrive before my company’s security team.”
The chairman took a step closer to us.
Her posture felt very assertive.
“The commission is protection… and extraction to the surface.”
Finally, looking at the cigarette in Drek’s mouth, she said,
“And when we reach the surface, you’ll provide me with a cigarette. So, what do you say? Will you accept my commission?”
We exchanged glances.
Our answer was already decided.
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“Hahaha, that was a long time ago.”
“…Haha, it was.”
The Chairman’s gaze was fixed on the area below the glass wall.
I stood respectfully behind him, hands clasped.
The glow of the vibrant neon signs reflected even here.
I cautiously observed the Chairman’s large back.
“We came up from deeper than this building is tall, so I do think about it sometimes.”
“…Haha.”
His manner of speaking had changed with his body, so one might mistake him for a different person.
But it was clear that they were all the same, one person.
He moved his fingers in the air.
The massive desk that dominated the center of the room descended into the floor.
Then, from another location, a luxurious sofa and table ascended.
“Here, have a seat.”
“…Yes, sir.”
At the Chairman’s invitation, I sat on the opposite sofa. The soft sensation felt as if my entire body was being absorbed into the cushions.
I didn’t know how it worked, but the table that rose from the floor was set with two steaming cups of tea, along with delicious-looking pastries and fruit.
“Back then… we never found any evidence that another corporation was behind the attack.”
“That’s… unfortunate.”
“But it was an opportunity for some internal restructuring. And it was a good memory and experience in its own way.”
“…Climbing several hundred meters from underground?”
I asked honestly without thinking.
The Chairman answered with a smile.
“Haha, it would be a bit much to do it twice, but the taste of a cigarette after changing bodies on the surface is quite something.”
“Ah, feel free to smoke now.”
“No, I should be mindful in front of non-smokers. We aren’t going to see each other only once or twice, are we?”
The Chairman raised his teacup.
Seeing this, I also lifted my cup and took a sip.
It was the same tea as in the reception room.
“I’ve actually commissioned you several times since then.”
“…I’m grateful for your favor, Chairman.”
“Hmm, you’re alright, but your lack of confidence compared to your abilities is a problem.”
He picked up a pastry with his thick fingers, unconcerned with formality.
Sharp eyes, visible between the scars on his face, looked at me.
Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong,
I felt like I should apologize.
“Is it because the people around you are all strong-egoed, or is it because you’re from outside the city?”
He continued slowly,
“There seems to be another reason, but I don’t know what it is yet.”
Even if I didn’t say anything, it felt like he was reading my mind.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
“Even so, you should say something to an old man on the same floor. Even I think he’s too rude.”
…But how do you know about Bill?
“…Did you investigate him separately?”
“By the way, what brings you here today?”
The Chairman munched on a pastry.
“Even if you said you just came for tea, I wouldn’t mind, but you’re not that kind of person.”
He was incredibly skilled at changing the subject.
But I wasn’t bold enough to confront him about it.
I began to briefly explain my current situation.
Of course, I mixed in a little lie.
It couldn’t be helped.
Even if Smile John knew about Eve’s identity and the fact that I had her, it was still a secret, for now.
If the emergence of a super AI became known, every corporation would drool, trying to take the information in my head and Eve along with it.
Well, the Chairman in front of me wasn’t that kind of person, but…
He’d lived much longer than me (over a hundred years), so there might be something about him I didn’t know.
It was better to be safe than sorry.
After listening to my explanation, the Chairman nodded.
“Virtual terrorists, and a party hosted by corporate executives.”
His fingers tapped on the table.
Perhaps his body was craving nicotine.
“I think I know what kind of party you mean. I’ve never been, it’s not my scene.”
The chairman continued, leaning back on the sofa.
“But I can’t ignore a request from someone who saved my life.”
“…I wouldn’t say we saved your life. We were just doing our job.”
“Anyway, I understand. I’ll find out the place and time and let you know.”
I immediately bowed my head at his words.
As expected, power and connections were meant to be used.
“Thank you, Chairman!”
“I wish I could go, but I’m busy. It might be difficult.”
“Ah, just the introduction is more than enough.”
In fact, I’d welcome that news with open arms.
Now that the business was concluded, I should get ready to go home.
“Are you just going to leave?”
What?
I stopped my attempt to stand up.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you have a meal with me?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s lunchtime, isn’t it?”
Honestly, I wanted to refuse.
But this was a situation I couldn’t refuse.
If I refused the Chairman’s invitation to a meal,
his loyal staff (Chief Secretary) might send assassins after me.
The pressure would probably make me unsure whether the food was going down my throat or my nose.
In the end, my answer was predetermined.
“…Thank you for the invitation. I’ll enjoy the meal.”
“Haha, that’s the spirit.”
Since things had turned out this way, I’d try to be positive.
A meal with the chairman…
I was already looking forward to what kind of food would be served.
I’d been living on a diet of soy protein and krill.
I never thought I’d have the opportunity to eat such high-quality, natural food.
The Chairman manipulated the visual interface again.
Soon, something huge emerged from the corner of the office.
It looked like a wine cellar.
“I recently acquired some decent liquor.”
“…Aren’t you still working?”
“Haha, what’s there to leave out? If I get drunk, I can just switch to another body. Let’s go eat.”
“…Yes, sir.”
The Chairman, in the form of a middle-aged man, had a hearty, refreshing personality, which was all good,
But one problem I could think of was that he really liked alcohol.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Still, I had things to do later, so I should be discreet and drink only a little.
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It was absolutely not my fault that the Chairman, having become a heavy drinker, fell asleep.
It was an emergency for the company.
The Chairman, who was supposed to handle the afternoon’s work, had collapsed.
All the important tasks that the Chairman had to personally oversee had come to a grinding halt.
The murderous glint in the Chief Secretary’s eyes as he looked at me was probably not my imagination.
But it really wasn’t my fault.
I felt wronged.
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