084. Bunny Girl (2)
084. Bunny Girl (2)
Cheonwolhyang.
Around five years ago, she had suddenly appeared and, backed by immense financial resources, seized control of the black market.
A magnate who had rocketed to prominence as a supernova of the underworld.
And, at the same time, a mysterious figure who at present had completely vanished from sight—
"Was none other than this woman."
Eve spoke with as much dignity as she could muster.
Unfortunately, however, Eve was currently using a custom body her maker had manufactured specifically for her, and that body was based on a Mini-mallang Frame even smaller and more diminutive than Laika's.
On top of that, her facial features were classically cute.
The voice that answered was the high-pitched voice of a little girl.
Including the oversized hoodie she was wearing, her entire appearance simply radiated harmlessness.
Even looking like that, what she'd been doing until moments ago was shredding documents in the command center.
Maybe that was why she'd read the utterly unconvinced expression on my face.
Eve let out a deep sigh and explained.
"It was a kind of alternate persona."
"An alter ego?"
"Indeed. Let me see... it must have been over ten years ago now."
At the time, as everyone knew, Eve was a full-brain biodroid with twenty-seven connected brains.
Every Eve except Eve No. 27—the one talking to me now—had been infected by the Legion Phase and fallen into the Legion's hands.
In that situation, Eve had made various attempts to subdue the Infected Eves—
"As part of that effort, this woman tried to raise a military force of her own."
Huh.
"A force, you mean...?"
"Naturally, a force capable of overthrowing the Infected Eves."
"So you're saying you went into business under the name Cheonwolhyang to build up a war chest?"
"That is correct."
"...Where did you get the seed money for the business?"
"I farmed and sold in-game currency for cash."
Eve nodded, a slightly sheepish smile—the kind unique to someone reminiscing about the good old days—playing at her lips.
I was dumbfounded.
"Anyway. So what you're saying is that this Cheonwolhyang has the materials I need — or rather, you have them?"
"Indeed. As it happened, my collection included the 'Kaleidostone' you so desperately require."
"...But it got confiscated by the military? When the organization fell apart?"
I asked.
But Eve shook her head.
"It was not confiscated by the military."
"Huh? Then what happened to it?"
"Before I explain that, there is one point I must make clear."
Eve said.
"As Sumire herself noted, this woman's organization — the White Flower Trading Company — was dismantled by the military."
"You even gave the company a name?"
"...Do not fixate on the irrelevant parts. You are disrupting me."
Eve snapped open the fan she had ordered online a few days earlier.
Perhaps because the fan hid her youthful face, Eve recovered just a little of the dignity of a former trading-company chief and continued.
"To repeat myself, this woman's White Flower Trading Company was dismantled. But that was not because it was a criminal organization. Let this woman be clear: she did business honestly and fairly."
"Doing business on the black market is itself illegal in principle."
"...With the exception of that, I conducted business with integrity."
Eve shamelessly amended her statement.
Well, I took her point.
The black market, as I'd just noted, was illegal in principle.
But so many people depended on the market for their livelihoods, and it even served a public-welfare function of sorts by supplying Commanders like me with needed parts cheaply. For that reason, the military called the biodroid-parts market the Gray Market and did not crack down on it merely for existing.
What became a problem was the Black Market.
"This woman never handled drugs, cultured brains, or anything else classified as Black Market goods. Employees were paid properly, and good performance earned bonuses. That upright approach was how this woman came to dominate three Gray Market distribution networks within two years of opening shop."
Well, la-di-da.
"Then, getting back to the point — why did the military blow your operation away if you were conducting honest business in the Gray Market?"
Eve answered.
"Because I was betrayed."
"...Betrayed?"
"Yes. Betrayal."
A faint tremor ran through Eve's voice as she continued.
"As you know, this woman had no body at the time. So this woman recruited members online and ran the business remotely. But as the business grew, some work inevitably required face-to-face activity. This woman therefore selected a Vice-Chief from among the members and delegated much of the business decision-making to her—but..."
"That Vice-Chief stabbed you in the back?"
"Indeed."
Specifically, the Vice-Chief conspired with the military in advance, cooked the books, and submitted a tip claiming Cheonwolhyang had dealt in Black Market goods.
Then the military insider targeted the 'Chief's faction,' arresting and removing them from the organization.
Then the traitors, led by the Vice-Chief, seized control of the White Flower Trading Company.
And in that process, naturally, not only the war chest Eve had accumulated over time but also the rare material items she had collected as a hobby fell into the Vice-Chief's hands—
"And the Kaleidostone is among the things she took, right? So you want us to retrieve the Kaleidostone that originally belonged to you?"
"Exactly."
Eve nodded.
I finally understood.
I understood, but...
"...There's no way they'd just hand it over, is there?"
Even if I marched Eve in there and shouted, 'This is the former boss you betrayed! Hand it over!' I doubted that would get us anywhere.
If she had been the type to feel guilty and return things, she wouldn't have stabbed someone in the back in the first place.
Eve held a similar opinion.
"Of course. There is no way she would give it up willingly."
"So then?"
"I am suggesting we take it back through physical force."
Ah-ha.
So that was what she meant.
It was not a proposal I could simply accept.
"Are you telling me to go wage an all-out war with a gang boss right now?"
"Indeed. You must do at least that much to be worthy of being this woman's master. Go and show them what you are made of."
I was her Commander, not her master.
"That's too dangerous."
"Can a so-called Commander not even accomplish that much?"
I could not do it because I was a Commander.
The military force granted to me existed fundamentally to kill Legions.
On the other hand, if I mobilized my soldiers against humans or human organizations without some truly solid backing, I'd face a court martial for sure.
Perhaps it was because I had repeatedly dissuaded her.
Eve, who had fallen silent with thought, changed her proposal.
"Then how about stealing it?"
"Stealing it? How?"
Did she mean we should just hop the fence and go?
Eve shook her head at my question. She had a much more plausible plan.
"When I looked into it earlier, as it happens, that wench who was the Vice-Chief is planning to hold a grand party at her own mansion. I will assist you in forging an identity, so infiltrate the party and steal it for me.
"At least that much would make this woman, as the item's true owner, feel inclined to tolerate the situation."
...Though claiming ownership now, after having it taken from her two years ago, felt a little rich.
Still, I understood how she felt. She'd probably thought the restoration of the Eves was nearly complete, only to have everything fall apart.
All because a subordinate she trusted had betrayed her.
And I, having already received considerable help from Eve and being her Commander on paper, wanted to protect her pride as much as possible.
There was no other legitimate way to acquire the Kaleidostone.
So,
"Let's set one condition."
"A condition?"
It wasn't anything big.
"If we steal it successfully and salvage your pride, use your old specialty and start a business again."
I'd provide the seed money.
Eve stuck out her lower lip slightly.
"...This woman would rather become stronger than earn money, though."
"You can earn money and buy a better body. I'll give you a proper cut of the profits, too."
Whatever the case, Krädel needed to stop being a 'poor base.'
To do that, I had to make use of someone who knew how to make money work.
"Then what am I supposed to do with all the paperwork and operator work I worked so hard to learn?"
"For now, do both."
"...You mean to tell me to do double the work."
"It's still a decent deal, isn't it? More importantly, you're in a position where you have to follow my orders."
A moment later, Eve answered.
"Well, I suppose there is no helping it. As you yourself said, this woman is bound to you."
The deal was struck.
***
"...So that's what happened."
That evening.
I caught Alicia as she was returning to the living quarters after finishing her training, and I explained the situation so far.
"I looked into it, and Eve's claims all seem to be true."
That she had organized a distribution business called the White Flower Trading Company online.
That a subordinate she trusted had subsequently stabbed her in the back, stealing the company and her collection.
That in the process, the 'Kaleidostone' that Alicia needed had also been plundered.
"The Kaleidostone is almost certainly in the basement of the Vice-Chief's own mansion."
Because it was so valuable, Eve had attached a tracker to it, and ever since it passed into the Vice-Chief's hands, the signal had continued transmitting from that location.
The problem was that there was absolutely no method of infiltrating the mansion.
It was the home of an underworld magnate who had taken over Cheonwolhyang's wealth and organization wholesale and openly branched out into the Black Market.
The mansion had ironclad security.
That was the case under normal circumstances, but.
"Tomorrow evening, that person is apparently planning to hold a lavish party, gathering military and financial sector figures."
If we infiltrated under cover of that party, we could steal the Kaleidostone and get out.
Of course, we needed tickets to attend, but Eve solved that by hacking the system and forging them for us.
The only catch was that the tickets she'd duplicated like this were for two people.
In other words, I needed a partner to attend the party with me.
"...I see. I understand clearly what you are saying."
As soon as I had finished speaking up to that point, Alicia responded.
"In short, you are saying you would like me to accompany you as your partner."
"Right. So, would you be okay with that?"
"That is fine."
A moment later, Alicia added.
"That is fine. However, there is one thing I would like to ask."
She looked at me with dead eyes and asked.
"What is this latex outfit you have just placed in front of me?"
"...It's a bunny girl costume."
"I had already gathered that much. What I want to know is... why you brought this ghastly thing to me, and why now."
Why else?
"Apparently, female partners attending the party are required to wear bunny-girl outfits."
So.
I lowered my head once more and begged.
"Alicia, put on the bunny suit and come to the party with me! Please!"