Surveillance, or Something Like It
I honestly didn't expect Lyla to stick to us like glue, acting as both a "guide" and a "monitor" the moment we decided to head back outside.
Perhaps that was why.
The suspicion I’d been harboring, half-doubting all this time, solidified into certainty in an instant.
"That settles it."
"Huh? What does?"
"The Underground Village... they’re targeting me."
"W-what, really?!"
As we walked toward our destination, I quietly shared the sense of unease I’d been feeling with Serika. It wasn't about all of us; the movements were directed solely at me.
The puzzle pieces to prove it were already assembled in my head.
"Think about it. There have been more than a few strange things, haven't there?"
"Hmm... well, everyone was kind to an almost suspicious degree, I suppose."
"That’s one thing, but do you remember when we first met Lyla?"
"Yes, of course. She snuck up on us saying she was hungry, and we almost wiped her out."
I nodded slightly and continued.
"But doesn't that strike you as odd? The Underground Village Lyla came from had way more food than I expected. There were shops, a makeshift market... is there any reason to leave a place like that just because you're hungry?"
"...! Oh!"
Serika let out a small gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Thanks to Revi distracting Lyla from behind, it didn't seem like she heard us.
"You're right... we saw bottle caps being used as currency in the shops. A structure like that implies at least some level of food distribution..."
"Exactly. And yet, a kid living in that village wanders outside like a vagrant and happens to run into us? That’s too much of a coincidence."
I added quietly,
"Of course, it’s possible she really did wander out by accident, ran into a monster, and ended up where we were while fleeing."
"...But the probability of that is significantly low."
"And I have more evidence to refute that."
I lowered my gaze and dropped my voice.
"Serika. Let’s say one day you were on the verge of death and were saved by someone. A lifesaver. But that savior was an 'infected'... would you be able to bring them to our base without any suspicion?"
"No way! Even if they saved me, I’d be wary and watch the situation first...!"
"Exactly. That’s how anyone would act."
Serika let out a belated, "Ah!" as she caught on. It was true; everything had gone too smoothly.
"We were the ones who tried to kill Lyla. And yet, she brings such an enemy into the village's only sanctuary? Even if she was grateful, it would be natural to hide us or keep some distance."
As I continued, Serika’s amethyst eyes sparkled, and she nodded.
"You're right... come to think of it, the villagers welcomed us with suspicious enthusiasm, didn't they?"
"Yeah. Especially their attitude toward Lyla. It wasn't just that she returned... they reacted as if a soldier had come back alive from the front lines."
When Lyla returned to the village, the residents truly rejoiced. It was as if a long-lost family member had returned; some teared up, others hugged her in silence. Their faces were a mix of relief and pure joy.
I suddenly recalled the entrance to the Underground Village we had passed through. CCTV, motion sensors, automated barricades... how could a young girl have bypassed such a precisely designed surveillance network?
"Plus, there was CCTV at the entrance, just like we saw. Lyla 'accidentally' slipping out of a place like that and running into us while being chased by monsters? It doesn't add up."
I glanced back. Lyla was riding on Revi’s shoulders, shouting "Go, go!" and playing around. Her smile was as bright as a child's. There was no sign of the impudence or curiosity of a prankster who enjoyed breaking rules and going on adventures. Instead, she was just a "good kid"—the kind who listens well to whoever tells them what to do. And if she was that kind of child, it wouldn't be strange if she were moving on someone else's orders.
"T-then, no way...! Chanwoo! Did you calculate all of this even when you got that sex offer from Placia?!"
"...Huh?"
That was when my thought process hit a sudden wall. Wait, we were having a high-level conversation about uncovering the hidden intentions and conspiracies of a village, weren't we? Why, all of a sudden... sex?
"Right! That must be it, right? Chanwoo isn't the type to be swayed by such shallow temptations! You countered it strategically, didn't you? Isn't that right?"
Serika looked at me with sparkling eyes, like an officer praising a genius tactician. No, why is her expression so pure and expectant...?
"Ha, haha... Y-yeah. Well..."
Honestly, I just had an erection back then. But with this look in her eyes—this clear, unwavering trust—it was obvious that trying to explain myself would only hurt my image.
So, pretending to be a brilliant strategist, I cleared my throat and shrugged my shoulders.
"Chanwoo is indeed different! You’re truly amazing!"
"Hahahaha... Yeah..."
I suppose so. I really did think that deeply about it, didn't I? After all, there's no way the last human on Earth would let his reason be consumed by mere sexual desire. I decided to deceive myself first, just to deceive the others.
"A-actually, back then... I was even letting pre-cum drip from the tip of my glans to make it look real."
"Ohhh! As expected of Chanwoo... *gulp!* But that’s a bit of a waste... I could have licked it off..."
It was while Serika and Chanwoo were having their own conversation a little ways ahead.
"Wow! It’s so high up. It must be nice to be as tall as Revi!"
"...Is that so?"
Just before we left, Revi had been assigned as Lyla’s monitor by Chanwoo’s "request-that-was-actually-an-order." Under the guise of surveillance, she was currently carrying the girl on her shoulders to keep her eyes occupied.
"But Lyla. I have a question."
"...Yes?"
Lyla blinked. Usually, Revi was a person who followed orders silently and without complaint. She had no emotional ups and downs like a machine, and she never spoke more than necessary. For her to suddenly initiate a conversation...
Lyla instinctively hunched her shoulders. Her body trembled slightly without her permission. 'Why... is she talking to me now...?'
Just as she held her breath in tension, Revi’s question was completely unexpected.
"Why do you call me 'Revi-nim'?"
"Huh? Oh, that’s... because Revi-nim is strong, cool, and also, you’re my savior..."
"But every time you say that, your lips tremble slightly. As if you are swallowing your words, and your pupils shake as well."
"...!"
A sharp analysis. It was the result of underestimating a combat android. Under that gaze that pierced through her inner self in an instant, the face Lyla had been smiling with began to stiffen. The corners of her mouth dropped naturally, and her fingertips trembled. Even her breathing rhythm became awkward.
That was when it happened.
"You may call me comfortably."
A quiet voice. But the tone was full of conviction.
"Eh...? Really? But... I’m an infected..."
Lyla asked cautiously. Her eyes wavered as if seeking permission.
"It does not matter."
Revi replied with a calm face.
"I have decided not to view Lyla as a dangerous infected."
It felt like her heart had dropped. Lyla looked down at Revi’s eyes in silence. They held a kind of indifferent but solid trust.
"Really...?"
Lyla’s voice grew smaller. It leaked out almost like a whisper. At that moment, Revi nodded slowly.
"At least... because Chanwoo-nim sees you that way."
It was a short, quiet statement, but those words softly touched somewhere deep inside Lyla’s chest. The fact that someone trusted her finally hit home for the first time. And the beginning of that trust was a single sentence Chanwoo had quietly offered just before we left.
It was right before Chanwoo had assigned Revi to Lyla’s side.
"Revi. Even if it's surveillance, don't treat Lyla like a monster. Understand?"
At the time, Revi had tilted her head.
"But Lyla is an infected. Depending on the situation, she is a target for subjugation."
"I know. I'm taking that into account."
Chanwoo nodded and continued.
"But still... she's just a kid."
"...What if she really is a spy? Honestly, I was planning on kicking her or giving her a few knocks on the head along the way."
"...You're going to go to hell if you do that later."
Revi was silent for a moment. Her mechanical pupils flickered slightly.
"What is... hell?"
"That’s not important. What’s important is this: the kid isn't at fault."
That one sentence.
"If I had been born in an environment like Lyla's, I would have done the same things. To survive. So, Revi, would you knock me on the head for that, too?"
"T-that is...!"
That remark seemed to leave a deeper impression on Revi than expected.
"I'll handle this matter myself. Just trust me. And I want you to trust Lyla as much as you trust me."
Returning to the present...
"Lyla."
"...Yes?"
"I want to be friends with you. So, please just call me comfortably as well."
Lyla blinked in surprise. Then, with a slightly trembling smile, she opened her mouth cautiously.
"C-can I really...? But... I’m actually..."
That was the moment.
Zzzzt—
A faint vibration, as if a crack were forming somewhere, spread from beneath our feet.
Rumble rumble...
"...?!'
Revi’s expression hardened, and she immediately looked up. The atmosphere changed in an instant. The air that had been warm just a moment ago felt as if it were being torn apart by something. The vibration traveled up to her toes.
"The ground... is shaking?"
"Ugh! Revi! It’s a monster that burrows through the ground! Prepare for battle!"
Simultaneous with Serika’s shout, something burst out from the ground: a long, worm-like monster. Its skin was covered in hard shells, and as it opened its mouth, sharp, slime-covered claw-like organs shot out.
"Kreeeeeeee!!"
A subterranean creature capable of hiding itself even under the midday sun. It had lunged out in an instant, aiming for Lyla, who was sitting on the shoulders right in front of Revi.
"Danger!"
Thwack!
Revi twisted her body by instinct to shield the child, drawing her blade with her other hand. This was no longer surveillance. This was protection.
"I will never. Let you get hurt."
Her eyes were glowing with a cold, sharp light.