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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I thought about the orc I had met when I appeared on the broadcast at Andrea’s request.
Her name was probably ‘Jane.’
My meeting with her was brief, but her presence still held a place in my memory.
In this world, ‘classes’ existed.
Although it was not legally established like the medieval nobility, anyone living in this world did not deny the status of the ‘classes’ that existed in society.
The class in the cyberpunk world, where the spirit of capitalism, that is, capitalism, reigned, was established in a more primitive form.
Usually, the classes were divided into representatives, executives, employees, etc. And at other times, they were divided in the order of elves, dwarves, humans, and orcs.
Naturally, in the former, the representative was the highest.
And in the latter, the orc was the lowest.
And I could not easily forget the existence of an ‘orc’ ‘representative’ in this cyberpunk world.
Of course, there was also the reason that she was the representative of my acquaintance (Andrea).
I didn’t think that she, who had overcome the disadvantage of being an orc and had obtained the class of a representative, would handle her work so immaturely as to not be able to properly manage a celebrity under her agency.
This was something I could be more certain of after having been to the orc street, Redwood.
It could be described as a dragon rising from a stream.
Therefore.
“Me?”
It was not so strange that I had asked Andrea back in a dazed voice.
Whatever Andrea answered.
Me? That? Why?
I was planning on responding in that order.
One of the reasons was that I didn’t know much about a manager’s work.
Except for the memories of my past life, I didn’t even have the common experience of a part-time job.
If, by any chance, the manager’s work Andrea was talking about included a case where I had to cause an ‘explosion,’ the story would be a little different.
But this wasn’t a garbage dump, and there was no way that magic would be needed for a simple manager’s work.
I imagined it briefly.
– Who? A manager? Whose? Ah…, Ms. Andrea’s? I don’t think so, security over here!!
– Is social life a joke? I told you to bring whole bean coffee, did I say to bring molecular coffee?
– Hey, stop! Who said you could carry a drink around! Don’t you know that food and drinks are not allowed here? Huh? The PD asked you to? The PD says no? Yes, yes. I get it, so please just leave.
Numerous futures flashed through my mind.
“……”
Ugh, my head is already spinning.
I shook my head to come to my senses.
I lowered my gaze and looked at Andrea.
Andrea, even after hearing my question of ‘me?’.
Was looking at me without any answer.
At this point, she should have gotten the hint of my opinion, but her eyes showed no signs of giving up.
At this point, it was a bit much to just say no.
I asked Andrea again.
“Is there some other circumstance? Why.”
I asked, saying the name of the country that Neo Japan, the nation of cyberpunk, was called a long time ago.
As if Andrea also knew that her request for me to be her manager was close to being unreasonable.
Andrea hesitated a little and then opened her mouth.
“…I’m really sorry, but.”
“What on earth is going on?”
“A terrorist got involved in this concert.”
No.
“You should have said that first!”
I almost refused without listening.
I was almost trash.
I asked Andrea for the detailed circumstances.
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In fact, ‘terrorists’ in cyberpunk were a much more common existence than people thought.
Just by turning on the news, they would assert their presence.
In the morning, the terrorist who had caused an incident in the morning would be on the news, at lunch, the terrorist who had caused a problem would be on the lunch news, and in the evening, the terrorist who had caused a problem would appear on the evening news, in order.
I also, having gone to a cafe for a short break, had run into a terrorist, so I knew that fact better than anyone.
Of course, in my case, it was because they had come under Pete Mac’s orders.
Anyway, the identity of the terrorist group Andrea had mentioned was as follows.
‘Neo-Luddite activists.’
They say its origin is the machine destruction movement, the Luddite ideology that occurred in the early 19th century.
But since they couldn’t use the same name in the cyberpunk world, which was a good 2-3 centuries later, they say they distinguish it by adding the cliché word ‘neo’ in front.
As technology develops more and more, the darkness of the shadow that appears on the other side of that society becomes deeper.
Starting with the drivers who were hit hard by the unmanned driving technology, there were countless people who had lost their jobs due to the development of technology, without even having to be said.
This terrorist group was said to have grown in power by receiving the support of such people, and on top of that, by receiving the political support of corporations where naturalists or traditionalists were involved.
There were 3 groups that appeared every day just by turning on the NCB24 news.
The first was ‘eco-fascism.’
The second was ‘extreme transhumanists.’
And the one that capped it all off was the ‘Neo-Luddite’ group.
To be honest, they were famous enough that there was no one who didn’t know them if they lived in Neon City.
Andrea, wearing cosplay glasses, continued her explanation like a teacher.
“…No, what on earth is with those glass—.”
“That’s just how it turned out. A few singers who made their voices with AI were also invited to the concert this time.”
My question was lightly ignored.
What’s with the glasses?
“And there are so many singers who sing with cyberware vocal cords these days.”
In the end, unable to ask about the glasses, I asked the next thing I was curious about.
“So why did those guys get involved?”
“They say something like, songs should be sung by people, not machines. I read the text used in the threatening message, and it was so funny I couldn’t even say anything.”
What Andrea was saying was that.
“They’re telling you to either cancel the performance, or to sing without AI voices or cyberware vocal cords.”
“That’s right.”
Andrea answered my words, snapping her fingers.
Perhaps because she was a celebrity, her gestures to express her emotions were quite exaggerated.
The performance itself was the same as the concert held in the upper level, Royal Vegas, where I had gone with Catherine before, Andrea said.
To tell someone to sing with only a pure voice in cyberpunk, what kind of nonsense is this.
“To be honest, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Andrea said, lightly denying my thoughts.
“I only have a voice-amplifying cyberware, and my voice is my own.”
It was a voice with a subtle pride.
Andrea naturally continued to speak.
“But apart from that, I think I’ll be angry if the concert is canceled because of a terror attack.”
It was a worry that only Andrea, who had dreamed of becoming a singer because she purely loved singing, could have.
I asked Andrea, who was suppressing her anger.
“But won’t there be a separate company in charge of security anyway, and since it’s the upper level, they wouldn’t have made a contract for a penny or two. You don’t have to worry, do you?”
“That’s true, but…, I’m still worried. Because I want to ask the mercenary I can trust the most.”
Then you should call Catherine.
Andrea, who had lightly ignored my dumbfounded expression, continued to speak.
“I did think about calling you for security instead of a manager. I even asked the company about that part.”
“And then?”
Andrea cleared her throat briefly.
Perhaps because she had been on a few entertainment programs, It seemed she had acquired a talent for impersonation at some point.
Andrea spoke in a completely different voice.
“Ah, we are also aware of that part. The security company we hired said they are paying more attention to security, so please don’t worry too much. You don’t have to worry, Ms. Andrea, just focus on singing.”
As if she had gotten angry while talking, Andrea touched her temple, adding an F-word at the end.
It seemed the impersonation wasn’t over yet.
“And as for hiring new security, there are several parts involved in the contract, so we ask for your understanding on that part, Ms. Andrea. ……is what they said! Really!”
Hmm.
I was slowly starting to understand why Andrea had asked me to be her ‘one-day manager.’
In a word.
“You want me to disguise myself as a manager, right?”
“That’s it.”
Next, Andrea muttered softly.
“……And also, since we can stick together. The role of a manager is also appropriate.”
It was a line with a personal feeling.
Ugh, hmm.
It wasn’t without reason, and if she wasn’t calling me out of boredom.
There was no particular reason for me to refuse Andrea’s request.
“What about Catherine?”
It was my honest opinion.
Because Catherine was more capable of responding to variables in an unexpected situation than I was.
“I already asked Catherine and Eve separately.”
“When?”
“Just now.”
She’s fast.
But the request Andrea had made to the two was not the role of a ‘manager.’
“I gave the two of them the audience seats.”
“…Is there a need for that?”
You can just take all three of us as managers.
Andrea, who had read my expression with a quick eye, said.
“There was a problem with the Neo-Luddites this time, and it was said internally that each person should only bring one manager, so it really can’t be helped.”
“……”
Is that so?
I don’t know much about the entertainment industry, so there’s no way to know if that’s true.
I looked at Andrea intently.
Andrea did not avoid my gaze.
It feels like there’s some personal feeling….
Of course, the result of having a staring contest with a (pretty) and famous celebrity was obvious.
I said, avoiding Andrea’s gaze.
“…Anyway, I get it.”
Since she had said ‘one-day manager,’ it would probably be over in a day at the longest.
I answered without much thought.
It wasn’t a difficult thing to help a friend.
“So what time should I be there tomorrow?”
Andrea, who had heard my question, tilted her head as if she had heard something strange and answered.
“What are you talking about?”
“?”
What do you mean, what am I talking about.
Of course, I have to go to work tomorrow—.
And just then.
A shiver that had suddenly risen ran down my spine.
As if she knew my heart, Andrea smiled brightly and continued to speak.
“We have to go right now, hurry up and get ready to go out.”
And just like that, my painful experience as a working adult for 1 day (full-time) began.
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