Ch.6464. Happiness of the Nest

After finishing the experiment and before heading out for a group dinner for the first time in a while.

While the ogre and the dual-class mage were finishing up their late work, their waiting colleagues chatted.

They talked about missions, the current state of the world, and future plans…

During such conversation, Sonia voiced a question she had been pondering.

“By the way, I suddenly wondered, why are these experiments conducted at headquarters?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“That snail seems safe, but you never know. Other companies do it too. I’m just wondering why these kinds of experiments are specifically done at headquarters.”

“Ah.”

Amon nodded at Sonia’s question.

He immediately understood what she meant.

She was questioning why the company would risk headquarters becoming a dungeon by conducting experiments there.

The buffalo tanker who was listening also nodded.

Amon, who received the question, made eye contact with the mute sniper.

The sniper shrugged.

It meant he knew but wanted Amon to explain.

Amon looked at Kathy and said.

“I know the answer, but you explain it. I’m not confident I can explain it well.”

“Alright.”

Kathy took the baton.

Sonia and the buffalo tanker looked at Kathy with curious eyes.

Why would they conduct such experiments at headquarters, risking dungeon formation?

The reason was simple.

“It’s to prevent theft.”

“…Eh?”

“Corporate incidents are certainly difficult for the general public to follow. Especially with these kinds of incidents, companies often bribe the media to cover them up.”

“Has anyone stolen before?”

“Too many to count. There are so many cases I couldn’t even list them all.”

Before explaining further, Kathy pointed at Sonia’s wrist.

“Let’s say you could lend your bracelet with the essence to someone. Ignoring the binding property.”

“Okay.”

Sonia’s gaze shifted to her bracelet.

A bracelet with a legendary essence.

Worth the price of a house or two.

But it contained memories with Amon that were beyond any price calculation.

Kathy pointed at the bracelet and said.

“Then let’s say you want to research the potential of the essence. Who would you entrust that bracelet to?”

“I’d probably trust it with you or Amon.”

“Would you entrust it to a manager at our company?”

“No! That’s crazy!”

“It’s exactly the same.”

That was what Kathy was trying to explain.

“Companies want to conduct technologies with dungeon formation risks outside headquarters. But… the problem is there’s no one they can trust.”

Core technology research is both the lifeline and identity of a Megacorp.

Usually, technology that could turn a Megacorp into a dungeon overnight is so significant that the company’s fate depends on it.

And entrusting that to a branch?

The branch would complete the technology and then take it to establish a new company.

Naturally, a company established with such technology would be at Megacorp level or close to it.

Lawsuits against such companies would be meaningless.

In a world where corporate espionage and sabotage are commonplace, would laws be fairly applied in relationships between corporations?

The absolute principle of cyberpunk:

The law sides with the powerful, and in fights between the powerful, it chooses to turn a blind eye.

Copyright, trademark rights, ownership rights.

No matter how much legal text you present or rights you recite, the courts will look away, and the company that stole the technology will pick their ears and ignore you completely.

The only option left for headquarters is one:

Forceful suppression.

In most cases, suppression is possible.

The problem is that the bleeding you have to endure is beyond imagination.

And other companies won’t leave a bleeding company alone.

Numerous cases prove this.

“You lose the research funds, and if you try to recover them, you have to consider bleeding and invasion.”

Just entrusting technology with dungeon formation risk to another branch creates these risks.

“Plus, if a dungeon breaks out at a branch, the headquarters has to bear the cost of cleaning and managing that branch due to the Dungeon Obligation Law.”

Considering all these risks, ironically, it’s less risky for headquarters to become a dungeon.

At least if the company collapses completely, lucky executives can survive, fake their disappearance, and escape with the remaining assets.

“That’s why they create labs at headquarters.”

When Kathy finished her explanation, Sonia nodded.

It was a truly rational reason.

“Separately, experiments conducted at branches have a higher probability of dungeon formation. Unlike headquarters, they tend to neglect safety protocols, and their relatively weaker security makes them vulnerable to sabotage.”

These minor reasons were just a bonus.

While Sonia and the buffalo tanker were expanding their knowledge about dungeons, the researcher couple who had finished preparing to leave approached.

“We’re done cleaning up.”

“Thanks for waiting.”

With the ogre and dual-class mage joining, the group of six was complete.

The six headed toward the elevator.

“Today’s on the director!”

At Amon’s shout, Kathy was flustered.

“Hey! Why are you deciding?”

“Well, Director, you have lots of money.”

“Augh!”

The elevator doors closed with the boisterous laughter of the six.

*

The day after eating the most delicious meal in the world—one paid for by someone else.

Kathy was wrestling with numerous tasks in her office, while Amon was rolling around on the sofa with nothing to do.

There were no separate appointments today.

Yet the reason he guarded Kathy’s office was simple.

“Is it okay for my bodyguard to work so carelessly?”

“But there haven’t been any problems so far, right?”

“Sigh…”

Kathy sighed.

The reason Amon became Kathy’s bodyguard was obviously because he was trustworthy.

And the reason Amon accepted the bodyguard position was partly because his fixed party had disbanded, and partly because of Kathy’s request.

Kathy looked at Amon.

His rolling around on the sofa hardly inspired confidence as a bodyguard.

He would roll around, occasionally watch videos on his phone, and sometimes listen to hymns with his earphones.

It was so like Amon to do things his own way even in a director’s office.

When department heads occasionally came to deliver documents, he would miraculously correct his posture and put on a solemn expression, and that act was so funny and cute.

Kathy wished this peaceful daily life would continue forever.

But…

‘He’s not the type to belong anywhere.’

Amon didn’t belong to the company.

He was her personal bodyguard.

One who could leave her at any time.

Originally, Kathy had offered Amon the position of security chief, but he declined, not wanting to be bound to the company.

With equipment upgrades, he had reached a level comparable to a security chief, but Amon himself wasn’t the type to be tied down anywhere.

If he had wanted stability in the first place, he wouldn’t have become a mercenary.

He was an infinitely free spirit.

– “Just to be clear, I’m not saying I want to cut ties completely. It’s just that I don’t have confidence in taking responsibility for that position.”

Hearing that, she had nothing to say.

Of course, Kathy was disappointed.

She wanted to keep Amon by her side.

Going to work with him, working under his protection, and going home with him.

Simple, but what a happy daily life it would be.

But Kathy couldn’t bring herself to ask again.

The bird she loved was one that flew freely in the sky and chirped.

If she caged the bird, it would no longer be the bird she loved.

‘Sometimes, if you love something, you should be able to let it go.’

Having seen the negative examples of her mother and Owen, and with Amon showing her the right kind of love by her side.

Kathy decided not to cage Amon.

As she was thinking this, her father’s closest aide, the executive director, visited her office.

As always, with a beaming smile on his face.

She still couldn’t believe this man had dealt with the security chief with that expression.

The executive director briefly glanced at Amon and approached Kathy.

“Miss. The chairman has given permission.”

“Really?!”

Kathy brightened at the executive director’s words.

Amon was curious about what was happening but tried to maintain disinterest as an outsider.

At that moment, the executive director said something impossible to overhear.

“Congratulations, Mr. Amon.”

At the executive director’s words, Amon turned his head toward Kathy.

Kathy was looking at Amon with a meaningful smile.

Holding a piece of paper in her hand.

She handed the paper to Amon.

“Read it.”

Amon’s eyes scanned the paper.

The content was a contract stating that the company would unofficially sponsor Amon as a mercenary.

Not an obligation, but one option:

The company could assign requests to Amon if needed.

In return, just one requirement:

He would help the company in times of crisis, like he did this time.

Since he was planning to help Kathy again if such a situation arose anyway, Amon looked at the paper and then at Kathy with a puzzled expression.

Kathy said triumphantly.

“You’ll accept this, right?”

Amon nodded readily.

Unlike the security chief position, there was no specific duty, nor was there a leash.

Seeing Amon accept the sponsorship, Kathy’s smile deepened.

She clearly loved a free bird.

That’s why she didn’t cage it.

But there was nothing wrong with giving the bird feed to make it visit often.

A comfortable nest to return to when tired or hungry after freely soaring the skies.

Kathy was satisfied with that role.

Moreover…

– “Mom! I’m home!”

– “Honey, I’m home.”

Because she had seen that the nest was the form of happiness she desired most.

Knowing that birds eventually return to their nests.

She decided to wait.