Chapter 83
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83
The moment I stepped into the lodging room, I scanned the interior.
There were no cameras or surveillance devices in sight. If something had been hidden well enough to slip past my notice, then I could safely assume nothing was there at all.
Still, even I wasn't infallible. On the off chance there was a wiretap somewhere, I kept up the tone and demeanor of a maid.
'Two beds, but...'
There wasn't so much as a partition to divide the space. It was completely open—a single room.
"I'll rest on the sofa," I said.
Seated there, I could watch the entrance with my back to the bed and the bathroom. It was a position that safeguarded both Giselle's privacy and her safety.
"You can make yourself comfortable."
"One day is nothing, really," I stressed.
Going a day or two without sleep was no trouble for me. Ilay almost certainly wouldn't be sleeping tonight either.
"...Alright."
Giselle trailed off, her voice faintly uneasy. After a moment's hesitation, she disappeared into the bathroom. Soon the sound of running water echoed out.
The steady dripping drummed against my ears. My idiot brain kept conjuring images of Giselle's bare body under the streaming water.
'Focus on the mission, Luka.'
I narrowed my eyes and steadied my breathing.
'If Barbara makes a move... it'll be during tomorrow's prototype field run, or on our way back.'
The worst-case scenario was Barbara doing nothing at all.
In that case, everything I'd done would amount to nothing more than the flailing of a brainless clown. The mere thought was horrifying. All this trouble, all this effort to look like this, and I walk away with nothing?
Please, Barbara. Make your move on us.
I wished it like a desperate prayer.
Ssssshhhh.
Each time the water hissed, my senses kept drifting toward Giselle. This was for her protection. Nothing could go wrong.
Click.
The water stopped, and the door opened. I didn't need to turn around to picture the scene—Giselle stepping out, her body still damp, droplets sliding from her skin and pattering against the floor.
Rustle.
The sound of her slipping into comfortable clothes followed.
Naturally, I hadn't washed. I had to maintain this makeup—which was practically a full disguise—until tomorrow.
"You can look now," Giselle said.
I turned around. She wore loose, flowing pajamas of fine fabric—soft, with a subtle sheen.
Whirrr.
Settling comfortably onto the bed, Giselle operated her terminal and projected a hologram. It displayed the detailed specifications of the Autonovas prototype.
"I didn't realize you were interested in vehicles too. Are you thinking of pursuing that path?" I asked, meeting her gaze.
"Of course not. My interest lies strictly in cybernetic prosthetics. That's how I can be of use to the family."
"I don't know much about it, but Autonovas doesn't seem like a company closely tied to prosthetics."
"They specialize in vehicles. But if you want to master one field, it's best to have a broad grasp of related areas as well. You understand what I mean, Keisa."
She had a point, I had to admit. I was a soldier. But I hadn't only learned how to fight.
To fight well, you needed all kinds of miscellaneous knowledge and skills. A person had to possess a broad—if shallow—understanding of many fields.
"Keisa, you know Lucaus, don't you? My older brother, the family's adopted son."
Giselle brought me up out of nowhere. I nodded, moving only my chin.
"Of course."
"I always thought he was just arrogant and self-absorbed... but this time, I was a little surprised. I saw him in a new light. I think I understand now why Father treasures him."
"I'm not sure what you mean. I don't know him personally."
"He swallowed that fierce pride of his and acted for the good of the family."
"Perhaps that's simply because he's a soldier? I've heard soldiers of the Empire obey any order without question," I said evenly.
"In my eyes, Luka isn't the type to blindly follow orders. He acts of his own will."
"I don't think that's a good trait for a soldier to have."
It wasn't my imagination—my tone had grown a shade colder.
We looked at each other in silence for a moment. I was the one to break it. Rising, I walked over to the table stocked with drinks and snacks.
"Would you like something warm before bed?"
"No, I'm fine..."
Giselle switched off the terminal's hologram. One by one, the bright lights in the room dimmed.
Only a faint glow, soft as moonlight, remained—just enough to trace the outlines of the room.
"...Keisa. More importantly, come here and hold me. Like a nanny would. I left behind the doll I always sleep with."
Giselle's voice was unusually sweet. It made my ears tingle.
She was probably anxious because of Barbara.
I hesitated, then let my footsteps answer for me. Standing beside her bed, I leaned down and reached out my arms.
Giselle lifted herself slightly and wrapped her arms around my neck.
She smelled nice.
Our chins and necks brushed faintly. The embrace was brief. Her hands, which had rested against my back and shoulders, gently slipped away.
Even in the dim outlines of the darkness, I could make out Giselle's expression.
"I think I'll have good dreams tonight. Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
I walked slowly back to the sofa and sat down. Before long, the quiet sound of Giselle's breathing filled the room.
...Even if it hadn't been for the mission, I doubt I could have slept anyway.
* * *
The long-awaited morning arrived.
The indoor lights brightened one by one, their color temperature matched to the rising sun.
"Ugh, mmm... Ah, right. This is..."
Giselle groaned as she sat up, shaking off the last dregs of sleep. When she saw me, she quickly looked away. Waking to find me right there seemed to fluster her. She probably wasn't used to a situation like this.
I didn't bother speaking to her either. She needed time to collect herself. The reprieve was over. From here on, it was back to the mission.
Once we'd finished getting ready, Giselle and I stepped out of the room.
"Ladies, did you sleep well last night?"
Ilay, who had been waiting for us, greeted us with a hand over his chest. I wanted to bury a fist in that smug, smiling face. It was all too obvious what he was thinking.
—Good morning. Today's morning temperature is...
An Autobot rolled up and began its guidance.
The tour proceeded smoothly, right on schedule. After a light meal, we followed the Autonovas guide out to the institute's outdoor testing ground.
Clank, clank.
There, the prototype vehicle—the Arachne—came into view. Technicians and researchers were clustered around it, running maintenance and adjustments.
"Tactically speaking, that's brutal terrain. Even getting a vehicle in there would be a challenge," Ilay said, surveying the sprawling testing ground.
The grounds were a rugged, rocky expanse stretching as far as the eye could see. Boulders of every size were scattered haphazardly across the earth.
—We've prepared a small gift for whoever navigates the rocky terrain the fastest in the Arachne. Please enjoy it as a bit of light entertainment!
The Autobot projected a holographic map in front of us. Several routes wound through the rocky terrain.
"Time to show what I've got."
"Show what, exactly? Just don't crash on the way."
Excited chatter rippled through the crowd. They'd come to enjoy the tour with easy hearts.
Whirrrr, whir.
An Autonovas employee climbed into the prototype Arachne. Accelerating on its quadrupedal wheels, the Arachne shot into the rocky terrain in an instant.
Whirrrrr!
Its four legs functioned as shock absorbers, gliding smoothly over the rough ground. Whenever it met a large rock, it raised its legs to clear it; when it hit a narrow gap, it lowered them to slip through.
"Oh, that's a lot better than I expected."
"Ho..."
Its off-road performance was remarkably impressive. It barely lost any speed.
The distance widened considerably. Those with subpar cybernetic eyes reached for goggles and binoculars to keep the Arachne's run in view.
The Arachne closed in on a massive boulder. Everyone assumed it would swing around it.
Kreeee!
The Arachne's output surged. The roar was loud enough to carry across the grounds, and auxiliary legs shot out in an instant.
Thud!
The Arachne leaped and latched onto the enormous boulder. Despite the steep incline, the auxiliary legs held their grip. From a distance, it looked exactly like a giant spider.
The crowd fell silent for a beat. Then gasps of admiration broke out.
"This is... genuinely impressive."
Ilay uncrossed his arms, marveling. I was just as surprised.
The Arachne's mobility was extraordinary. With the right refinements, it could conceivably see military use—drawbacks of a variable-type notwithstanding.
Clinging to the giant boulder, the Arachne scaled it on its eight legs, then leaped down the other side.
Beep!
The Arachne rolled to a stop at the finish line. Recorded time: around four minutes, thirty-two seconds.
Its demonstration run complete, the Arachne looped along the outer edge of the rocky terrain to make its return.
As it came back, some people applauded. It was a vehicle that had outstripped expectations. A few nobles were already approaching the staff to place pre-orders.
"Giselle, would you care to take it for a test drive?" Ilay asked, stepping to her side.
"Of course. That's why I came."
Giselle nodded without hesitation.
The Arachne was a two-seater. To deliver that kind of mobility while keeping the interior stable, accommodating more passengers would have been difficult.
"Then... I'll ride with you. As your bodyguard," Ilay said, sliding a subtle glance my way.
"I leave the young lady in your hands, Lord Ilay."
Even if Barbara wasn't behind an attack, if any accident occurred, Ilay would find it easier to act. It would look absurd for me to go sprinting after them with my skirts flying.
And that was a measure of how much I trusted Ilay. If it came to it, he would put Giselle's life above his own.
Whir, whirrrr.
The visitors boarded their Arachnes. Autonovas staff gathered around to run through brief explanations.
Four Arachnes ran at a time. Because of that, an unspoken sense of competition hung in the air.
I fixed my eyes on Arachne No. 2, the one Giselle and Ilay had boarded.
'The odds of Barbara approaching here are low. Too many eyes.'
However antisocial Barbara might be, she was still a person of the Empire. She'd want to carry out her plans quietly, out of sight.
I shifted my gaze to Arachne No. 3, where I spotted Enrico Lagan—who had hastily volunteered the moment he saw Giselle climb into No. 2.
'Is he a fool, a romantic... or both?'
I studied the man standing close to Enrico. He was armed with firearms, playing the part of a bodyguard. Come to think of it, it was almost funny. Even bristling with weapons like that, he wasn't half as dangerous as an unarmed Ilay.
Whir.
Using my Watcher Authority, I accessed the Upper Network and pulled up the identity of the bodyguard beside Enrico.
'Nether Along.'
His identity wasn't the least bit ambiguous. In fact, his record was so clean it was practically flawless. Even his Full-Body Prosthetic registration number was honestly listed on the Empire's network.
Following the path of my gaze, detailed information lit up across my retinal display.
'He lived in the Lower District with his mother, but his biological father was a vassal of an Upper District noble house... so he received plenty of support. Illegitimate child or not, he lived a life the rest of the Lower District would have envied. Got himself a decent education, too.'
Nether Along had passed his selection test and enrolled in a vocational school suited to his aptitude.
Flinch.
There, my eyes stopped.
At vocational school, Nether Along had completed a basic clerk training course. It fit neither a soldier nor a mercenary in the slightest.
Well, it wouldn't be strange if he'd thrown himself into the security business later in life—especially since his father's support had landed him a decent Full-Body Prosthetic.
But it was strange. That detail kept nagging at me.
I didn't know Enrico's exact standing within the Lagan family. But would a noble house really assign a half-baked bodyguard like Nether Along to one of its own?
While I was lost in thought, the Arachne's engine climbed to a growl. It was about to launch.
"Wow, so cool! Th-that's the Ar-Arachne, right?"
A familiar voice cut through the roar and clamor, striking my ears.
My pupils snapped toward the sound. I found a girl among the crowd. Her bright reddish-gold hair stood out at once.
'Barbara!'
My right cybernetic eye rapidly verified her identity. Everything, down to the finest biometric data, matched perfectly. Say what anyone might—it was Barbara.
For a wanted terrorist, she'd shown herself with unbelievable audacity. Barely thirty meters away from me.
I moved fast, shoving my way through the crowd.