episode_0091

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed. Time flies, doesn’t it?”

It was, in its own way, a reunion.

The two met each other’s eyes, staring directly, and expressed their respective pleasantries, but it didn’t last long.

“It would have been better if someone hadn’t destroyed the entire in-house security team just to come visit.”

“Ah~ that… what should I say… it couldn’t be helped… we were a bit urgent.”

As he said “just a bit,” ridiculously bowing his head and spreading his fingers thinly, Kathleen let out a small chuckle.

Then she withdrew her gaze from him and looked at the faces of those who stood behind him.

A woman with dark, wheat-colored skin like a Latina, scars that showed she’d lived a rough life, but with sharp eyes that exuded femininity.

‘Perhaps this is the person he spoke of, his unrequited love.’

Her appearance was quite distinctive, so although Kathleen had never seen her in person, she could instantly deduce this.

‘I’m a little jealous.’

The woman, perhaps noticing Kathleen’s scrutinizing gaze, showed a subtle hostility? A small hint of wariness.

In the awkward standoff, Kathleen first stepped back, and while being guarded by her secretary again, she spoke to him as he scratched the back of his head.

“So, I told you to come for Cerberus’s maintenance, but is there a reason you brought so many people with you?”

“…Yes, we need help.”

“What kind of trouble would you get into that would require you to ask me for help, even causing such an incident…?”

Rossmore Classic Vultures had revived and quickly became a large corporation, acquiring significant market share in the high-end cyberware and extreme sports markets with the technology accumulated from creating experimental products. However, if asked whether it had entered the ranks of megacorps, one would have to shake their head.

And the Upper City was an unseen demonic realm where all sorts of megacorps from around the world were situated, engaged in their own power struggles.

No matter that Kathleen had become the CEO of Rossmore Classic Vultures, if he had caused a major incident in the Upper City, she couldn’t protect him, so she couldn’t help but make a troubled expression.

“I will explain that.”

*Clank* The hooded android walked out, its mechanical joints creaking with the sound of cylinders grinding.

***

“I can’t believe it’s actually related to a megacorp…”

Kathleen, after hearing the full story from Dr. Pointless, sat in her chair as if her head ached, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Indeed, if it were me, and someone suddenly showed up saying, “I’m being chased because a megacorp hates me, so please hide me!”, my first thought would probably be, ‘Should I just smash their head in?’

Of course, if there was an excuse, if Yuki and Kana hadn’t needed treatment, they would have looked for another route.

“Is it Roden Global Enterprise? It’s true that their activities in the Upper City are cautious due to the hatred they’ve incurred in many places, but whether they won’t dare touch this place…”

“Even if you refuse, please at least let these two receive treatment.”

As Kathleen pondered for a long time, I urgently pulled Yuki and Kana, who were beside me, by their shoulders.

With the sudden pulling force, they leaned into me, almost as if falling into my arms. They wagged their tails slightly as if pleased, but then, as if losing strength, they drooped them low.

“…Their condition certainly doesn’t look good. There’s room in the staff medical office. We’re partnered with a trauma team, so the facilities aren’t bad; it should be fine.”

“Thank you…!”

“Yes, be thankful. Those two young ladies seem precious to you. I wouldn’t want to be hated for refusing. Chen?”

As Kathleen gave a knowing look, the woman named Chen, who appeared to be a bodyguard and secretary, glanced at me, then beckoned Yuki and Kana to follow her, seemingly intending to take them to the medical office, and then exited the CEO room.

“Jun, then I’ll be going?”

“I’m sorry I can’t help.”

“If you’re sorry, then hurry and get well. I’ll dote on you again then.”

As I gently scratched the inside of their ears, both of them, their faces flushed with shyness, each took one of my hands and rubbed their cheeks against them before bowing slightly to Kathleen and following Secretary Chen to the medical office.

Once the three had left, six people remained.

Kathleen, perhaps to satisfy her curiosity about the most peculiar among them, pointed to the android that had just been rambling explanations.

“You are… Dr. Pointless, right?”

“That’s right. Though it’s a flawed body, that’s what I call myself.”

“I heard that Xenotech was actively researching info-life, like cyberization and super AI, when I was working at Ayakashi. I never imagined they’d actually succeed, though.”

“Even I consider my existence to be merely an illusion stemming from an error.”

Kathleen, who had a background as a researcher at Ayakashi, didn’t seem particularly surprised, having occasionally heard information about their competitor, Xenotech.

She was merely burdened by the fact that if Dr. Pointless were discovered while they were hidden, their company would face intense scrutiny, as his existence violated the Eclipse Point Special Regulatory Clause.

“In this city… no, in this small world where megacorps, which can already be called nations, gather, one of the most famous mercenaries is Shape Shifter… up to that point, it’s irrelevant. It’s a legitimate act for a company to designate a guest as a VIP and protect them. But you are not. According to their rules, you are not human.”

Non-human.

Strictly speaking, Martina would also fall into the same category, but unlike her, who has an organic terminal with an appearance that could deceive someone into thinking she’s human, and whose core body’s destruction doesn’t matter much since her AI main body is in my head, Dr. Pointless clearly has a real, existing main body.

“They truly despise beings like you.”

“I am aware.”

Even with the polite declaration that he wasn’t considered human, Dr. Pointless was utterly dignified.

“My original mission has long since vanished, and all I do now is contemplate existence. I merely continue to exist because I worry about the kid who lives life so carelessly; I am not afraid of my own erasure.”

“Doctor. Is that something you should say in front of me?”

“Neither of us expected to live like this forever anyway, did we? It just means it’s about time for you to become independent.”

“…”

Dr. Pointless, looking at Shape Shifter as if she were a pathetic child who had missed her chance to become independent, tapped her shoulder.

“If my existence is revealed to the outside, you may immediately dispose of me.”

“That’s troublesome. Mr. Johann told me to buy something.”

“…”

It was a truly merciless, cold, and capitalistic reason, fitting for her indifferent face.

Seira, who had boldly proven the formula “Your melodrama < My errand," gave an indifferent glare to the eyes gathering on her, as if asking what they were looking at.

"Well. There's a way to solve that too."

Dr. Pointless, as if to acknowledge Seira's point, tapped his temple where a human's would be.

"Along with my disposal, I will transfer my memory. It contains blueprints for equipment developed based on Xenotech's technology and links to the connections the kid has made while working."

"That…"

"Isn't that enough for a deal?"

"…It's sufficient."

Kathleen seemed to think this deal was a worthwhile risk, as she agreed to Dr. Pointless's negotiation.

It meant the bait was that attractive.

"The 38th-floor Blank Area is restricted to all personnel except top-tier directors, so I will provide you with a residence there."

"Thank you. May I borrow a treatment room? This kid's maintenance isn't finished, you see."

"Yes. Instead, I'll provide you with artificial skin texture, so please wear it when you're moving around the company."

*Snap* With a finger snap like the cracking of a nut, Dr. Pointless, as if having received data about the location, nodded, his neck joints creaking.

"Swift work, that's good. Follow me, kid."

"Okay."

Dr. Pointless and Shape Shifter left the CEO room to finish the maintenance they couldn't complete at the secret hideout, and Seira followed them out.

Only I, Luna, and Kathleen, the owner of this place, remained.

"I heard from John. You're the one who put that thing in John's back, aren't you?"

"I heard too. They said you're the leader of a mercenary group currently working…"

I felt an inexplicable, chilling tension flowing between Luna and Kathleen.

"Since I'm in your debt, I can't criticize you too harshly… but I don't like that."

"Are you afraid Mr. John might break?"

"Yes."

"I agree. That's why I requested monthly check-ups."

At Kathleen's response, Luna slightly furrowed her brow, then exhaled deeply and relaxed her expression.

After all, I had stated I would keep it on, and it was one of the few follow-up measures of this era with reliable after-sales service, so there wasn't much point in blaming Kathleen.

"I'm Luna Anthony Taylor, leader of Rune's Bar."

"It's an honor to meet a celebrity. I'm Kathleen Rossmore, CEO of Rossmore Classic Vultures."

Kathleen extended her hand for a handshake, and Luna seemed to hesitate for a moment before taking her hand and awkwardly shaking it up and down.

An alliance, or a truce? It was hard to tell, but the sharp, watchful glances from before had faded, and Kathleen offered Luna a guest room.

"You must be tired from your journey here, so I'll prepare a VIP room for you. Please stay as long as you wish."

"I'll gratefully accept your offer."

"Of course, Princess."

"This is why the Upper City…"

Luna glared at Kathleen with a weary look, then patted my arm as if to say she was leaving first, and then hurried out as if escaping.

Now, only the two of us remained.

"Finally, it's just the two of us."

"Haha… you're not angry, are you?"

"I wonder."

Under Kathleen's steady, stinging gaze, I couldn't help but subtly avert my eyes.

Indeed, I had caused quite a lot of trouble on the way here.

"It's fine. The benefits John brought are far greater. Have you heard the news about Patton and Wade?"

"Ah, Goodbrother and Cool Katana Girl, right? I heard they were discharged…"

"We've hired them as our company's external security team."

"Oh."

They seemed to have their own team, but for street mercenaries to be hired by a corporation was practically a promotion.

Goodbrother Patton's support for his younger sibling became more stable, and Wade… well, he must have come in because he wanted something.

Even though it was only once, it felt good to hear that someone I had worked with was doing well.

"Both of them are down in the Lower City, but with the rain coming down like this, I wonder if they'll be alright."

Kathleen rose from her chair and stood before the full-length window, gazing at the night view outside.

Unlike when she wore a lab coat, Kathleen, now in a form-fitting suit that revealed the soft curves of her body, exuded another kind of restrained allure.

"By the way, you really came to visit after a whole month. Didn't you miss me?"

"Ah, that…"

Just as I was about to answer her words, which sounded as if she were disappointed,

Kathleen's fingers caught on her suit skirt and slowly lifted it.

As the hem slowly rose, it revealed her thighs covered in stockings, along with her large buttocks, and the stretched, more transparent parts of her glutes became visible beneath the rising skirt.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd answer quickly."

Kathleen's eyes, turning to look at me with a slight turn of her head, urged me on.

"By any means."

She said, jutting out her shapely buttocks.