Ch.124Night of the Returned Children (5) – Work Record #019

With blue hair contrasting sharply against her reddened face, she reached out and gently cupped my cheek. The warm sensation rising from within her palm was quite pleasant.

Ms. Eve seemed completely comfortable now, resting her face against my palm without any awkwardness. She appeared to be enjoying the moment briefly, but suddenly her eyes widened as she looked at my wrist.

Biting her lip, I heard a slightly flustered voice. It seemed she had forgotten about the gift. In the office, she had been busy making excuses about the dress.

“Arthur. Did I… not give you anything at the office?”

“Well, I didn’t receive anything except seeing you in that dress, but that was more than enough for a Christmas gift, wasn’t it?”

Ms. Eve, who had pulled her face away from my hand, groaned for quite some time as if embarrassed and disappointed in herself. Then Kay discreetly approached and rather obviously handed her something from behind her back.

Judging by the size… no, that’s not right. The charm of Christmas gifts isn’t in guessing but in anticipating. I deliberately suppressed the natural urge to deduce from the size and packaging.

“Do you know how many times I was thinking, ‘Huh? Why isn’t she giving it to him?’ I don’t need any thanks! Just watching you two is entertaining enough.”

She must have been watching the whole time. When I turned toward the gaze I felt, Ms. Mila was staring intently in our direction. I responded with a slightly grumbling reply.

“Are you planning to dive into the entertainment industry with talk like that?”

“I’d rather jump off a skyscraper than dive into that industry! Don’t worry, that won’t happen! Anyway…”

It was perhaps the worst thing to hear right before going to work as an additional cast member at Heroism & Hope, but generally, brevity is wisdom. What Kay said was quite wise too.

Kay returned to Ms. Mila’s side. They became friends remarkably quickly. They must have something in common… but today I didn’t have time to worry about that. Ms. Eve took another short deep breath.

“Give me your left hand, Arthur. It’s just… an ordinary watch. I deliberately didn’t include any weapon functions, is that okay?”

“I don’t recall writing ‘wristwatch with nerve toxin injector or electric shock’ when Belwether surveyed Christmas gift preferences. And you’re saying this while facing Belwether’s biological weapon?”

I showed her my hand with a smile. Running Heroism & Hope’s training program eight hours a day makes you realize just how useful a weapon this can be.

But to Ms. Eve, it wasn’t a weapon. She rubbed the barely discernible boundary between the artificial skin on the back of my hand and the palm skin with her finger, then said with confusion:

“What biological weapon are you talking about? I didn’t even know you could punch people until I saw you face the Inquisitor.”

The number of people I’d killed with my bare hands was… still countable, but not zero. Yet, is it good that I can hear words like that? It’s probably a good thing.

I knew how to distinguish between people who needed to be beaten to death and those who didn’t, and I knew how to differentiate the purposes of my hands. I unbuttoned my shirt cuff to expose my wrist and gently extended it to her.

She fastened the wristwatch she had prepared. Not used to wearing it on the outside of my wrist, I habitually reached for it, but now there was no particular reason to save even a second to check the time.

“Is it uncomfortable, Arthur? Did I fasten it too tight?”

“No, I’m aiming for security team, remember? I always wore watches on the inside. It feels strange, but… not bad.”

All my usual belongings were either matte black to diffuse light, grayish-brown for camouflage in wastelands, or smoky white for smog concealment, but the watch was relatively ordinary.

I leisurely followed the second hand moving across the ordinary cream-colored dial, then rebuttoned my shirt cuff. I was still too young for my mind to be rigid. Perhaps too young.

Just as Ms. Eve was gradually discarding her memories of Hollowed Creek, I too was slowly filling the definition of a person not with what Belwether had created, but with what I wanted.

Mr. Günter would probably welcome this act of betrayal against Belwether. While employees are made by the hands of countless megacorporations, no megacorporation chairman had ever created a person.

The Christmas afternoon flowed warmly like that. Ms. Eve laughed a little more than yesterday, leaned on me more naturally… compared to two months ago, she looked almost like a different person.

But then I heard the sound of a commotion outside the party venue. I noticed it first, then Vola and President Yoon, and finally my colleagues slowly turned their heads toward the sound.

So much for saying there are no security threats on Christmas. After slowly exhaling, I briefly let go of Ms. Eve’s hand.

“I’ll go check what’s happening. If someone has to go, it should be the freelancer, right?”

“If you’re going, I’m coming with you. Tell the kids to stay here.”

I evaded Robin’s attempt to stop me with a smile, then unbuttoned and twisted the holster where Little Misdeed was secured. Kay’s voice reached me.

“Um… are you leaving Eve behind? I think it’s a Hollowed Creek Inquisitor! Why is that bastard causing trouble in front of a partner company’s building?”

This time, Ms. Eve didn’t tremble. She just rolled her eyes wearily and sighed.

“It’s their Christmas routine. In a city where everyone has to grovel and tremble before their cult leader, do you think they’d allow a happy day? Is he alone out there?”

“No! He’s got nine of those dull-eyed Creek people with him… that’s all. We could wait for the security team, but if they’re just making trouble on the road, there’s not much we can do…”

At those words, I looked back at Ms. Eve. I asked in a quiet voice.

“Is it okay if I do it?”

“Do what?”

“Something I might enjoy.”

Ms. Eve hesitated for a moment. But eventually, she nodded. This would be enjoyable for her too.

“Don’t do anything dangerous, Arthur. Understand?”

“I understand perfectly.”

What maintained Hollowed Creek as a megacorporation was Belwether. If the connection with Belwether was severed, Creek’s limbs would be cut off too. One must make diligent efforts.

After looking around the party venue, I connected to a colleague from Information Security who had worked with me during the Ray incident. I spoke only through the communication channel, without opening my mouth.

‘Janet. Do you still have what we sent to those nationalists during the Ray incident?’

“Of course! Do you know how much we accomplished with that simple little click? I’m still lovingly improving it. Why? Do you suddenly need it somewhere?”

A colleague in Belwether uniform glanced at the window where the noise was coming from. With a giggle, she continued.

“Farmers Corp takes Christmas seriously. They spend so much money to give people hope for just one day, and it wouldn’t look good if a Belwether-owned city allowed a Belwether partner company to act up like this.”

‘So I want to handle it efficiently. Can you help me quietly?’

“Efficiency is good, inefficiency is evil. You’re still the same, Alsatian One, even after quitting. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of fireworks you’ll show this time. Quietly.”

A file arrives via short-range network sharing. I pass it to Kay. This place was outside the Belwether headquarters, but it was still Belwether property—a building used by Belwether for events.

The buildings around megacorporation headquarters are almost always designed to match the atmosphere of the headquarters. Besides this hall, there were countless buildings with designs similar to Belwether headquarters. One couldn’t distinguish them with the naked eye.

Now that preparations were complete, I approached President Yoon. He had dropped his deliberately kind expression and returned to his usual cold demeanor. I whispered so others couldn’t hear.

“It’s not a good day to see an Inquisitor making my excellent employee anxious. I could call the Harriers, but… do you need help, or permission?”

“Permission, I’d say. You didn’t seem to like relying on your former workplace after retirement.”

“That sounds like proof that while I made nine Harriers into excellent employees, I failed to make them into excellent managers. I’ll grant permission if your plan doesn’t involve casualties.”

“Would some broken glass be acceptable?”

Seeing him nod cleanly, I tidied my clothes and stopped Harri who was about to go out.

“No matter how senior you are, the business team shouldn’t steal work from the security team. I’ll go check it out—it’s a job for a freelance mercenary in a Type 4 suit.”

“You’re not even on the security team anymore, Alsatian One. What’s the plan?”

“To come back with clothes intact, hair intact, and most importantly, the watch I just received as a gift intact, then drink a few more glasses of champagne.”

I pushed through the party doors and walked out. Two security guards from the patrol division were looking at the Inquisitor occupying the road with displeased expressions, holding rifles as they watched outside. An unpleasant noise rang out.

“There are no holidays for sinners, no festivals! Only the sons and daughters of the Anointed One can be filled with joy on feast days! Repent, Los Angeles! Repent!”

I was almost tempted to ask Heroism & Hope if they’d consider hiring a Creek Inquisitor next time. Being able to say such things seriously was a talent. I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically.

I connected to Kay through my computational assist device. Again, I spoke only through the communication channel.

‘Could you relay a communication to that Inquisitor? Make it so the program I gave you installs when he accepts the connection. That’s how we found the Venus Meditech shareholder’s location last time.’

“Planning to do that again? Bluffing to turn the tables! Someone lectured me for an hour about not lying when it’s unnecessary…”

‘He’s the one who’ll turn the tables. And yes, I’m lying despite what I said. Whether it’s necessary or not is for you to decide, Kay. Oh, and make it delete itself after about a minute.’

“So many demands! Hmm… no popcorn at the party?”

‘There are some finger foods, but this isn’t really a place for popcorn, is it?’

While we were having this pointless conversation, Kay established the communication channel and connected it. She had taken measures to prevent anything from infiltrating my system. I passed through the security checkpoint and approached the glass door.

The security guard watching the hall entrance sighed and said to me. This city was a place of procedures and rules. And I was on the side of those procedures and rules.

“It’s a Creek Inquisitor. Since he’s just passing by, there’s nothing we can do about it, so you can just continue enjoying the party, freelancer.”

“My girlfriend is a Creek escapee. It would be better if I check that he’s properly passing by, then go back in and tell her he’s gone.”

The security team returned to their proper stance at this reasonable explanation. The walking Inquisitor paused briefly, and the communication connected. Now even if he tried to enter the Belwether building, no alarm would sound.

“Who is this? The Lord walks with me. I hope you’re not attempting some foolish infiltration. If not, are you a brother or sister offering support?”

‘You should recognize my voice, Gestapo.’

It was the ultimate insult one could use for Belwether’s security team or similar organizations. It was a word I was taught never to use lightly, but Hollowed Creek fanatics were far from ordinary.

He turned his head, trying to locate the source of the communication. Finally seeing my face through the glass door, he began pouring out his anger through the communication channel.

“Ah, it’s you. The unbeliever who drove the Inquisitor from this city with your wicked tricks last time! The deceiver who stole Eve, who rightfully belongs to the Holy City…”

‘Seems like someone’s taking their Silicon Valley rich boy church game a bit too seriously?’

“Blasphemous, utterly blasphemous. But your wicked tricks won’t work anymore! Provoking us from inside Belwether headquarters… wait, no. Then…”

He deliberately prolonged his words. He was trying to move after confirming that no restricted area warning appeared. If that Inquisitor had been a little less fanatical, he would have tried to expand the map as much as possible.

Then he could have discovered that no restricted area warning appeared at the Belwether branch office either, but he wasn’t that smart or thoughtful.

People who always believe they’re right tend to become stupid. Believing without doubt is the worst disposition. I suppressed the smile rising to my lips and took a couple of steps back.

“Then the Lord is with us! Acolytes, follow me. If someone has insulted a partner company employee, even Belwether will be on our side!”

In my head, I heard Kay burst into laughter. Inside the party venue, she was giggling, then completely closed her mouth and output the sound of suppressed laughter. It didn’t interfere with my ability to hold back my own laughter.

Taking a few more steps back, I spoke to the security team guarding the checkpoint. I’m still not good at feigning surprise.

“Why is he running this way? Um, since this is also Belwether headquarters, no warning message appears, right?”

At my words, the two security guards saw the approaching Creek Inquisitor and acolytes and urgently shouted.

“What the… shit! Get behind the checkpoint! This is Security Division 7, Inquisitor from Hollowed Creek charging toward J-2 sector conference hall, ignoring warnings! Requesting assault team support!”

This is right in front of Belwether headquarters. Of course, it was also inside Belwether headquarters. The glass door shattered, and the Creek Inquisitor, still stubbornly wearing a display helmet… entered the building.

He swung the armored body of his flamethrower, breaking the entire glass wall to make space for the acolytes to enter, then came in himself as flames began to rise from the tip of his flamethrower. How considerate.

As even the acolytes set foot inside the building, and he aimed the flaming tip of his flamethrower at me… a program in his head began to delete itself.

The program that had been deactivating a very small, trivial function in a tiny part of his computational assist device was deleted. He suddenly clutched his head as warning sounds flooded his mind.

The communication channel had already been cut off, and he turned on his exosuit’s microphone and spewed out a hate-filled cry. Kay was making choking sounds in my head, trying not to laugh so hard she might cry.

“Again, again with your wicked tricks to the Lord’s child…”

“You’re quite skilled at finding others to blame when you mess things up. Why don’t you look behind you?”

It takes the assault team three minutes to get from headquarters to the Farmers Corp entrance. It takes less than a minute to get from the main headquarters to the conference hall.

Behind him stood the LA branch security assault team in closed exosuits, a head taller than him. The Inquisitor lowered his flamethrower when he saw ten armored figures aiming at him.

He spoke in a trembling voice, just like Walter’s stupid surrender declaration. It was unpleasant to think about how great a sin this would be to his cult leader, but overall it was an enjoyable sight.

“Acolytes, put down your weapons… I won’t forget this, you… you mortal enemy…”

“That’s right. You’ll need something to hold onto your sense of self in brain prison.”

Even Belwether wouldn’t immediately shoot and kill a partner company’s employee. Fortunately for him, there would be an opportunity for a disciplinary committee hearing, and unfortunately for him… his offense was as bad as it could get.

Belwether had rescued the returned children from the aftermath of terrorism. And now, the Inquisitors of Hollowed Creek, supposedly a partner company, were essentially attempting to commit terrorism against those returned children again.

Everything was so clear that the information processing team wouldn’t even need to sift through his white matter. There were hundreds of witnesses, and the security team had already filed a report.

I turned back toward the party venue, hoping to see his name on Turner & Tucker news this evening. The only damage was the broken glass door.