An AI Repaying a Favor. (3)
An AI Repaying a Favor. (3)
How many days had passed like that?
While investigating Biological Miracle Inc., I found a strange website.
[ Headquarters of the Raven Corps ]
[ Posts: 106 ]
If I only looked up to this point, it seemed like an ordinary social community cafe, but the content written on the website was a bit different.
[ Yours Truly has accepted a request from Biological Miracle! ]
"..."
It's a joke, right?
Frowning, I clicked on the post, and a pop-up window appeared saying that only members could read it.
What should I do?
After pondering for a moment, I thought I had nothing to lose, so I pressed the sign-up button.
Even information that seemed trivial couldn't be easily overlooked.
[ Welcome to becoming a new member of the Raven Corps, rookie! ]
[ Read the Rookie Manual. ]
[ Essential Rules of the Raven Corps. ]
...Should I quit?
Whether it was the rookie manual or the essential rules, they were all nothing but weird posts.
What kind of rule is telling people to eat raw beef with mint chocolate ice cream at least three times a week?
"Is it like... concept roleplay?"
There were websites like that back in my time too.
Websites where people gathered and acted out concepts with each other.
Someone was a magician, someone was a god, someone was a Heavenly Demon or whatever...
While doing that, they used to act according to their settings via voice or chat.
Of course, that kind of sensibility didn't suit me so I withdrew after a few days, but anyway.
[ I bought a ton of mint chocolate ice cream with the reward I received from Biological Miracle! ]
[ Comments: 11 ] [ Likes: 6 ]
Drawn in by the bizarre title, I reflexively clicked on the post.
[ Everyone knows that previously, Yours Truly, the Commander of the Raven Corps, received a request from the mega-corporation Biological Miracle, right?
As a reward for successfully completing that request, Yours Truly received a whopping 200,000 credits!
As for what kind of work was done to receive this many credits—it's a secret!
If you want to know, ask Yours Truly directly!
Ah, if you bring mint chocolate ice cream, those chances might increase?]
"...What is this?"
No matter who looks at it, this is a post written by someone afflicted with chuunibyou.
Yet, it strangely aroused my curiosity.
Just what kind of request was it?
Looking at other posts, the request was received almost a month ago.
And if it was a month ago, surely—
'—It's similar to the date Seo-nim received the request from the government.'
Of course, there was a high possibility it wasn't.
However, the dates overlapped far too strangely.
To call it mere bravado, the contents of the other posts were also a bit strange.
'Comparing the received requests with the actual incidents that occurred, quite a few details match up.'
Stealing a car, stealing a punching machine, or stealing a streetlamp.
Most of them were nothing but requests to steal something.
Perhaps the equipment stolen from the government this time was also this guy's doing.
"He said if I wanted to know, I should ask directly...?"
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! ]
"...I really hate this."
A pure child like Makina was nice, but chuunibyou was a bit much.
Is it because it reminds me of when I was in my second year of middle school?
'For now, let me just close my eyes and do it.'
After finishing my mental preparation, I let out a deep sigh.
Since it's a virtual world anyway, cringing to the point of my fingers curling up should be fine.
I don't know what kind of person this is, but as long as I talk while turning a blind eye, it won't be beyond handling.
[ Invited 'Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest!'-nim to the chat. ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Oh? ]
[ Raven Corps Rookie : Hello, Commander-nim! I contacted you after seeing your post! ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest : Post? Which post are you talking about? ]
...Is he an idiot?
He literally wrote in the post to ask directly if there was something one wanted to know.
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Ah, that! It came to mind!]
"...Yeah, he wouldn't be an idiot to that degree—"
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : That post telling people to contact me if they want to go eat mint chocolate ice cream together with me, right? Ohoho! As expected, Yours Truly's memory is also the strongest! ]
"..."
At that moment, I realized it.
I had gotten involved with the wrong person.
Judging by the tone of speech alone, he wasn't an ordinary idiot.
Of course, making a hasty judgment was premature—but even so...!
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Until now, there was no member who asked to go eat mint chocolate ice cream together, but you are the first! Has a rookie who recognizes the Great Yours Truly's taste finally appeared! ]
[ Raven Corps Rookie : Um, to be honest, I didn't contact you because of that. ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : What?! Then for what reason on earth did you contact me? ]
Is it the main point at last?
Even so, through this short conversation, I was able to roughly figure out the other party.
Likes mint chocolate ice cream and boasting, starts many things here and there, and is dumb.
'...Such a person stole the equipment kept by the government?'
It makes no sense.
I suddenly started to regret striking up a conversation with him.
[ Raven Corps Rookie : I contacted you because I was curious about what kind of request you received from Biological Miracle! ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Hmph... Is that so? ]
What's with this subtle reaction?
Did he notice something suspicious?
[ Raven Corps Rookie : It's because I want to hear about Commander-nim's greatness directly! Biological Miracle is a huge company. Receiving a request from such a company and even succeeding at it! It's truly awesome! ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Oho, as expected, right? Yours Truly is amazing. For even a mere rookie to be enchanted by Yours Truly's majesty. ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Very well. I shall tell you stories about Yours Truly. As for details, let us meet in person and talk, ]
Eh.
In person?
Looking at it one way, this could also be considered direct, so couldn't you cut me some slack?
My head throbbed at the unexpected request.
To think that not having a body would be this inconvenient.
'Should I give up? No, I can't let go of a chance I've seized like this.'
[ Raven Corps Rookie : Yes! Sounds good! When and where should I go? ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : There is a saying to devour mint chocolate in one gulp! Let's meet tomorrow right away at the ice cream shop in Bio Industrial Complex 1! ]
[ Raven Corps Rookie : Understood! ]
[ Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest! : Mm-mm, good! See you tomorrow, rookie! ]
[ 'Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest!'-nim has left the chat room. ]
Leaving behind the words to see each other tomorrow, 'Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest!' left the chat room.
...Ugh, so draining.
It wasn't even speaking out loud, just simple chatting, but I felt exhausted.
Even though I am an artificial intelligence.
'By the way, I've really done it now...'
Because of the thought that I had to obtain information, I ended up making an absurd promise.
There was plenty of time, but the biggest issue was that I didn't have a body.
"First, I should tell Seo-nim, phew."
Even if I couldn't repay him directly, I resolved not to cause trouble, but that broke without lasting long.
Of course, since it was something I committed, I was prepared to hear harsh words.
The problem was that it wouldn't end with just harsh words.
'I'm definitely going to get teased a lot.'
Especially since to explain the current situation, I'd have to show the conversation in the chat window, but I didn't think I could confidently show the posts I wrote there.
"Let's talk first."
Making a sound of Kkueung, I stretched.
One might ask what kind of stretching an artificial intelligence in a virtual space is doing, but there was such a thing as feeling like stretching for no reason.
"Seo-nim, do you happen to have a moment?"
[Uh, Dea. Did you call?]
"Yes, I think I found a clue. Though it's not certain."
[Really? I also had something to say related to that, so that worked out well.]
A short while after speaking to Seo-nim.
Looking at Seo-nim who appeared on the screen, I chose my words for a moment.
...It's okay to tell him as it is, right?
"I gathered information setting Biological Miracle as the keyword, and I found a person talking about having received a request from Biological Miracle and succeeding in that request."
[Really? That's amazing, Dea.]
"However, how should I put it..."
[How should you put it?]
"...You'll know if you see it directly."
At Seo-nim's words, I let out a deep sigh.
I couldn't bring myself to explain it in words.
Moving my fingers, I showed Seo-nim the captured chat history.
[This is...]
"It might sound like absurd nonsense, but I think the probability is high."
Seuk-seuk-seuk—
To a puzzled Seo-nim, I matched and listed the posts written by 'Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest!' with the incidents that occurred on the corresponding dates.
Most of the criminal facts were true.
If so, it was highly likely that this incident was also the work of 'Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest!'.
[Certainly, it's a plausible story.]
"Do you believe me?"
[Yeah. It's a bit awkward to say this... but there are tons of strange people these days.]
Seo-nim said with a haha laugh.
That there are a lot of strange people...
I thought being saved by Seo-nim was a simple miracle, but it seemed that another miracle had occurred within a miracle.
Thank you, God. For allowing me to be saved by Seo-nim.
[By the way, will you be okay?]
"What do you mean?"
[Is it... this 'Yours Truly★Commander The Strongest!'? You have to go meet this person.]
"Yes? Of course you should be the one to go, Seo-nim."
[Huh?]
"Eh?"
Hearing my words, Seo-nim tilted his head.
Seeing that, I also tilted my head.
What each of us was thinking was somehow misaligned.