Ch.22Chapter 5. Position (1)

The opportunity to test the equipment would come soon—much sooner than I expected.

The Galactic Federation had never launched a preemptive attack before.

No matter how well you maintain your image normally, a single mistake can completely shatter that carefully built reputation. And once an image is broken, it never returns. Even if you succeed in rebuilding it, the label of “they did it before” remains attached.

On the other hand, entities with poor reputations actually benefit when they do something good for once. Of course, they’ll still be criticized no matter how much time passes, and even that one good deed might be undervalued, but in a situation where “there’s nothing to lose anyway,” it’s not a big problem.

Of course, the Galactic Federation isn’t perfectly clean in its image, and Noir Corporation isn’t perceived solely as a villain, but if we were to compare them side by side, that’s generally how it is.

So, normally, it would be in the Galactic Federation’s best interest not to attack Noir Corporation, which operates legally in the Republic of Korea.

At least, that’s what I had thought.

“But it seems they’re planning to attack after all,” James told me.

To “me.”

“Look at this.”

James manipulated the tablet PC he was holding.

At the same time, various indicators appeared on the screen of the tablet PC I was holding.

Satellite photos of buildings in some area.

And pictures of people moving around the vicinity.

The building didn’t seem to be in the city center. The surroundings were barren. Looking at the photos of people walking around, they all seemed to be wearing the same clothes, probably company employees. It was different from the combat uniform I used to wear.

“It’s a research complex. It’s quite famous in this area. Many locals are employed there.”

I didn’t know that. To be honest, I never really cared to find out.

I had almost no company loyalty. At first, I just thought I needed money to run the orphanage, and I accepted because someone wanted to scout me.

…Now I’ve become entangled in various ways and can’t easily back out.

What’s the use of lamenting now?

“…”

As I stared at the screen with an indifferent expression, James shrugged.

“This time, you’ll need to protect this place.”

“It doesn’t look like Seoul.”

“Of course not. It’s in Gyeonggi-do.”

“…Won’t it take quite a bit of time to commute back and forth?”

If I had to go there because my workplace was there, I would, but I’m a student.

Plus, I live in an orphanage. I had no intention of quitting either of those two places yet. I also refuse to get kicked out.

“Time won’t be an issue. The magical girls are high school students too. The Galactic Federation won’t attack this place while students are at school. They’ll probably target the weekend.”

That’s… probably true.

It even appears in webtoons.

High school students need to focus on their studies, and especially Korean high school students have college entrance exams, so they’re only given tasks that won’t interfere with their studies.

It’s a somewhat realistic answer to the question, “What does a magical girl do if a monster appears during a listening test?”

By the way, Noir Corporation knows this too, so they deliberately cause incidents during those times. Usually, they end up failing because they drag it out too long and it overlaps with the magical girls’ dismissal time.

“So… you’re saying I should go there on the weekend and stay.”

“That’s right.”

“What about the orphanage?”

“That won’t be a problem either. We’re planning to take care of it.”

When I raised my head sharply and glared at him, James shrugged.

“Rather than saying we called you, we’re going to say you were selected for a job experience program. We’ve already discussed it with the school.”

“…”

“So you can rest assured.”

Something smells a bit suspicious, but I decided to bear with it for now.

“Is that all you wanted to discuss?”

“Yes, regarding the job.”

James readily admitted.

“It sounds like there’s something else you want to talk about.”

“That’s right.”

James readily admitted again.

Perhaps that’s why he called me separately.

Combatants don’t receive detailed information about operations. They only get a very brief overview of the operation just before being deployed.

If they just need someone to cause trouble, that’s it. They don’t care if you get injured or arrested after that. You even have to get home on your own. Yet combatants continue to work, so the pay itself must be quite good.

The same goes for team leaders. A team leader is just a combatant who fights well. There are rumors they get paid several times more, but they don’t seem to think they hold particularly important positions in the company.

But here I am, sitting and listening.

Not even a brief summary, but a one-on-one with an executive, complete with satellite photos.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“Do you remember when you first started working for this company?”

“…Yes, I remember.”

I don’t know exactly how scouts select talent, but I caught that scout’s eye.

I had known for a long time that I had crossed over to this world, but I had no specific goals. After all, what goal could I have? I just happened to be lucky enough to become a magical girl’s childhood friend, but I wasn’t a magical girl myself.

My goal was just to live day by day, making enough money to get by. If my goal after graduation was simply to get a job and make a living, is that too unremarkable for someone who’s been reincarnated into a webtoon?

I’ve always thought that was the reason I was reincarnated.

“You’re nothing special.”

The author who drew the webtoon wanted to emphasize what I already knew in my previous world, so they deliberately inserted me into their work—that’s what I’ve always thought.

Maybe that’s why I jumped at that offer.

If I start working somewhere as soon as possible, I might be able to reach a better position later. And Noir Corporation is a major company.

“The scout’s face?”

“I wouldn’t remember something like that.”

I just got their contact information, contacted them, had an interview, and got accepted. That’s all.

“I see.”

“Is that important?”

“It’s important in its own way. There’s a huge difference between talent directly chosen by this company and someone who drifted in from elsewhere. At the very least, you’re not a spy sent from somewhere, are you?”

“…”

“It’s also fortunate for us that you have excellent relationships with your peers.”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at James, who spoke in a very pleasant voice.

“So I’d like to make a proposal.”

“What kind of proposal?”

“Would you consider working as a regular employee at this company after you graduate?”

“…”

“We’ll continue to make donations as a social contribution. And separately from that, your salary will be matched to the same amount as other employees of the same rank.”

I’ve been scouted by Noir Corporation twice.

“…I’ll think about it.”

That’s all I said for now.

I still don’t know how to get out of this. If I try to quit after graduation, they might reveal my identity to Hayun.

But if I continue doing this kind of work, I’ll eventually be discovered. There are such things as eternal secrets, but that’s only possible when the secret is small enough for one person to handle.

“I hope you’ll consider it positively.”

James answered with a grin.

*

“Job experience?”

Jihye made a disgusted face at my words.

“You’re not even going on a trip, but going far away on the weekend just to study? Why did you even apply for something like that?”

“I didn’t apply because I wanted to. They randomly selected people because there weren’t enough applicants.”

I sighed deeply as I spoke.

That’s actually how it was. Only a very small number of students applied directly, and the rest were randomly selected by the homeroom teachers.

I wonder if such a thing is possible in this day and age, but apparently when they informed the parents, they were actually pleased. There was even a hint that they could make an impression on Noir Corporation.

“I’ll be relaxing here, so have a good trip~”

Seeing Jihye waving her hand without even getting up, I poked her side with my toe.

“Eek!?”

That’s an interesting sound.

When I tried to poke her again, Jihye covered her side with her hands.

“Hey, what are you doing!?”

“I think you’ve gained weight.”

“What!?”

“You’re getting fat because you just lie around inside all winter.”

I said that and immediately turned around to run toward the door.

I couldn’t dodge the pillow that came flying after me.

*

After riding a tour bus provided by the company for about two hours, we arrived at a place with a surprisingly large building.

When I saw it on the satellite photos, I didn’t realize it was this big, but looking through the car window, it was indeed worthy of being called a “complex.”

Although it was a single building, it was so massive that you couldn’t tell how many factories might be operating inside.

Maybe I didn’t get a good sense of it from the photos on the tablet because the images of people were quite magnified.

All around me were kids I didn’t know well. A few were from the same class at school, but we weren’t close.

Naturally, there weren’t many kids from wealthy neighborhoods beyond the boundary who came here planning to get a job right after graduation. These were kids who were already worried about employment from high school.

The bus stopped, and the front door opened.

A teacher was sitting in the front row, but they were just an escort; from here on, a company employee would explain the facilities.

As the students were murmuring, the teacher stood up and told them to be quiet. It wasn’t my homeroom teacher. The kids on this bus weren’t all from the same class; they were selected from the same grade.

That teacher was probably just unlucky to be here. Indeed, there wasn’t much enthusiasm in their voice.

Wait, is that how all teachers normally are?

After waiting a moment, a man entered.

He was a very pleasant-looking middle-aged man. His impression was good but not intense, so I probably wouldn’t remember his face a week after hearing his explanation.

He looked like one of those nameless models who appear in corporate promotional posters.

He was wearing a gray work jacket that workers often wear. Underneath, he had a shirt and tie.

“Hello everyone, nice to meet you all.”

Though his impression was faint, he had a very good voice. It would probably make me sleepy if I sat listening to it during class.

The man introduced himself, but I didn’t really pay attention.

“I’ll be guiding you for the next two days, so let’s get along well. We’ll be lending you the company dormitory. While inside the building, you’ll all be treated under the same conditions as Noir Corporation employees.”

Someone raised their hand at the man’s words.

“Do you have a question?”

“Yes.”

A child with a somewhat energetic impression half-rose from their seat and asked.

“Is there a curfew or something like that?”

There were giggles from around that child.

“Not for employees.”

Cheers erupted from around that seat at those words.

“But you can’t go outside the building.”

The teacher said that, but the area outside the visible building was truly desolate. Even if there was a convenience store, it would probably be inside the complex, not outside.

…I see.

The fact that there’s no curfew at night means they’ve made it easier for me to move around.

I suppressed a sigh that was about to escape.

Having few friends helps in times like this.

I can’t quite bring myself to think of it as fortunate, though.

*

Walking around inside the complex was more interesting than I expected.

Inside the massive rectangular building, some parts were still under construction, some were factories making spacecraft, and others were manufacturing semiconductors for their own use.

Seeing all this, I could understand how big Noir Corporation really is. Externally, they’re also in the construction business, and they even have media companies and entertainment businesses as subsidiaries.

Is this what a mega-corporation from cyberpunk that makes everything from toothpicks to missiles looks like?

Thinking about how several such galactic-scale corporations have entered not just Korea but other places as well, I could understand why nations try to partner with corporations.

“Well, that’s it for today.”

4:30 PM. After spending the last 30 minutes assigning dormitories and explaining the rules to follow inside, the man said.

The students all seemed to think it ended earlier than expected. Everyone was excited. There was also a pretty big mart earlier, and it looked like they were planning to buy lots of snacks there.

But I had other things to do.

Now I realized they had deliberately selected an odd number of students, leaving me awkwardly alone in a dormitory. The kids looked at me with somewhat sympathetic eyes, but I actually preferred it this way. I needed to come and go throughout the night.

Entering the dormitory and finally getting some time alone, I looked under the bed.

…Sure enough, there was a case. I opened it to check the contents, then put it back.

“Alright.”

I heard there are many combatants in this complex.

Among them, I was assigned the role of directly confronting the magical girls.

Not an executive, but a role almost like one.

…Could they really be serious?

I pondered James’s words, but since no clear answer emerged, I decided to stop thinking about it.

*

Still, I have to do my job.

No matter how much I tend to go with the flow, I don’t like to just keep losing.

Even if I fail in the end, I want to land at least one good hit. When you keep getting beaten one-sidedly, you can’t help but think that way.

The tablet that came with the suit case contained a detailed 3D map explaining the facilities inside the building.

It’s too large to memorize completely. Instead, I focused on memorizing the parts where researchers were said to be.

There’s no proof this is true. Maybe they’ve hidden them elsewhere and deliberately gave me this information. It would make sense if they said it was to confuse the magical girls.

“…So they’re attacking from that side.”

I don’t know where they got their information, but the fact that they’re going to such lengths suggests there’s definitely a possibility.

Scratching my head, I turned off the tablet screen.

Then I got up and casually went to where the researchers were supposed to be.

The teacher didn’t bother to patrol or anything. I passed a few kids from our school in the hallway, but they were from different classes, so we just passed by each other.

“I see.”

The tablet said “laboratory,” but right now it was just a place surrounded by walls.

The deepest part of the complex. The “secret laboratory” was in the lowest section of what looked like one of the pillars supporting the building.

I’m not sure exactly how to enter. They might be hiding it with some alien technology, they might have painted over the door in preparation for this incident, or they might have just shown me one of the pillars.

My job is to protect this “laboratory.”

I shrugged to myself and turned around—

Poke.

I felt a finger poking my cheek.

“…Did you see this in a drama too?” I asked, moving my face sideways to escape the finger.

“You’re not very surprised?”

“Of course not, I figured you’d be here.”

It was the Earthaboo.

The Earthaboo abruptly handed me a beverage can.

“It’s not coffee today.”

“No, even I don’t get drunk before work.”

What the Earthaboo handed me was just soda.

I took it and we went to the front of a nearby convenience store.

I only realized why the “building” was called a “complex” after coming inside—this place wasn’t simply like a shopping mall, but closer to a “small town built inside a huge square dome.” A “complex” designed for people to stay and work continuously.

There were different floors, but the upper floors weren’t that large. The center was open. Inside that open space were several buildings of different heights.

The most similar place I’ve seen would be… that famous indoor amusement park in Jamsil. The structure itself was similar. The scale was much larger, and it was a square building rather than a dome. Since it wasn’t a dome structure, there were many thick and sturdy-looking pillars, probably to support the structure. One of those was supposedly a “disguise.”

As soon as the Earthaboo sat down next to me, they started talking about various things. At least they had enough discretion not to talk about work. Most of it was about dramas, movies, or comics that didn’t really matter.

…Still, a few of them caught my interest enough that I decided to remember some titles.

*

And then night came.

The magical girls, who can’t openly attack a corporation, were expected to infiltrate this time, according to the company’s speculation. Rather than launching a flashy attack, they would try to extract key personnel by maximizing their abilities.

If that was the case, I needed to move stealthily too.

I had to monitor the area that needed to be monitored while hiding myself.

The black suit was helpful in times like this. The new helmet I received even had a matte finish, which suggests they might have anticipated this to some extent.

Until about 8 PM, I wandered around in casual clothes, observing the situation, and after 9 PM, I put on the suit and hid in places where others couldn’t see me.

I positioned myself inside buildings that only employees could enter, looking outward. It was convenient that many buildings were designed so that the inside couldn’t be seen from the outside, as they contained important facilities.

The magical girl didn’t appear until almost midnight.

My eyes were getting tired. I was starting to think I should have at least gotten a little sleep when…

“…Ah.”

I muttered.

I saw a white dot.

Right after the security guards doing internal patrols passed by, a light appeared from thin air.

The light, dimmed to a minimum, was gradually growing larger, as if checking its surroundings.

…It really is cheating.

That’s what I thought as I watched the magical girl’s ability—or rather, the Galactic Federation’s technology.