The Mages' Outing (1)
The Mages' Outing (1)
It was hard to put into words.
Ever since that shocking incident (Eve's kiss declaration), the atmosphere in the house had definitely shifted.
For example.
Catherine was drinking cola.
"Pour me a glass too."
I said.
"Here."
She handed me the very cup she'd been drinking from with a meaningful look.
(The lip marks were incredibly burdensome.)
Natasha approached me in her suit.
"Could you help me tie my necktie for a moment? The shape keeps coming out crooked."
Since it wasn't a difficult task, I readily agreed and tied the necktie for her.
"......."
She gently closed her eyes and lifted her chin.
Or another time, Dr. Terra came up to me out of the blue holding a beaker.
What's the matter?
I tilted my head.
"Could you possibly spit about 15mL of saliva into this beaker?"
"...Why all of a sudden?"
"I'm researching the hormonal effects on prosthetic bodies~. Chairman-nim said she was suddenly curious. Ah, but this is a secret too."
"......."
Things like that kept happening.
Anyway, it had been a real headache lately.
Maybe it was because everyone had felt something after my runaway, but it was true that the requests to go out and play somewhere had decreased significantly since then.
But the atmosphere was still something else.
Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who felt that atmosphere. Drex, who had returned from his honeymoon, shared my sentiment.
"...The atmosphere here is like a damn battlefield. Did something happen?"
"......Yeah, I wonder."
I didn't know either.
One wrong move and bullets might start flying.
Was this the kind of joy one felt upon meeting a male colleague in a female-dominated workplace? I didn't have much experience holding down a job, but I figured it was roughly like that.
But regardless of the joy, I was curious about what business Drex had come to see me for this time.
Because whenever Drex came to our house, he always had some kind of 'business' to take care of.
Come to think of it, Drex seemed like an 'I' type too.
"What brings you here today?"
"Ahh."
Drex answered my question smoothly.
He sidled up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. It was the posture of a friendly arm-around-the-shoulder.
It was heavy—what the hell was this all of a sudden.
Drex's gold teeth shone brilliantly as he grinned at close range.
"Lately, it seems like the cycle for cyberware scaling has come around again."
"......."
I tensed up, trying to shake off Drex's arm, but I couldn't escape.
There was no way I could beat Drex in raw strength.
...I knew it.
I knew something was up.
.......
I was screwed.
29. A Day Out for the Mages (1)
There's a saying: pain shared is pain halved.
No one knew who first said it. But they were probably a sage who felt the same way I did.
I can't die alone...!
No, I let my true feelings slip out unintentionally.
Anyway, just like that saying, the reason I tried to go to Drex's workshop (hell) with other people was absolutely not out of ill intent.
But...
"I'm not going."
"?"
I had been sure she would say she'd go.
At the completely unexpected answer, I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
I composed myself and asked Catherine again.
"No, normally when we go out you drag me along even if I say I'm not going. So why won't you go at a time like this?"
"......It's cyberware scaling, you said."
"So what about it?"
It didn't sound like she was refusing because she was sore like me.
Then Drex, who had quietly crept up beside me, summed up the situation in one sentence.
"...I told you last time too. Honestly, the process of cyberware scaling isn't exactly pretty to look at. The implants might have to be disassembled. She probably just doesn't want to show you that side of herself."
I answered Drex curtly.
"Anyway, everyone already knows that you all weigh way more than me because of your cyberware—fine, I'll shut up now."
I fled from Catherine, who was lying on the sofa and about to throw a pillow.
Damn it, it looked like going to Drex's workshop with Catherine was going to be difficult.
But that didn't mean there was no one else to ask besides Catherine.
I went to find other people.
I looked for and contacted people like Andrea or Natasha, who had cyberware installed in their bodies.
However.
"...Eck, I'll pass too. I'll get it done separately next time."
"......That's a bit much for me too."
Their reactions were the same as Catherine's.
In the end, unable to share the pain (left to die alone), I groaned out in frustration.
"...Urgh."
Even Maya or the Chairman...
No, they had prosthetic bodies made of bioware in the first place.
Not only did they not need scaling, but they had their own 'prosthetic body maintenance facility' within this building, so there was no reason for Drex to check them.
Come to think of it, Eve...
I looked at Eve with undisguised anticipation.
"This prosthetic body has no need for implant scaling."
"......."
So she said.
"...You'll still come with me, right?"
"Of course."
Still, compared to going alone, having someone to lean on was comforting, so that was a relief.
Even going to the dentist alone is scary.
...Did I have to suffer all by myself again this time?
That was what I was thinking.
Ah, now that I think about it.
There was one more person I hadn't asked yet.
I approached Julia, who was enjoying her game, with zombie-like steps.
"Julia?"
"......!"
Light came into her hazy eyes.
She turned her head as if startled and looked up at me.
"If you're not busy right now, do you want to come with me to get cyberware scaling?"
"Yes!"
Unlike the others, Julia nodded immediately without hesitation at my request.
"......."
This stung my conscience in its own way.
It felt like tricking an innocent child, even if she was a wanted criminal.
On top of that, Julia was significantly smaller in stature than me, so my round conscience ached as if it had once been square-shaped.
Even though I was the one who asked her to come, I spoke to Julia again in a trembling voice.
"...Uh, will you really be okay?"
"Yes, ah. I'm not doing anything right now anyway."
I looked at the old-fashioned monitor in front of Julia.
Hmm.
No matter how I looked at it, she was in the middle of a raid.
"......I don't think that's true. If you're busy, we don't have to go together—"
"...It's really okay! The others will understand."
Julia hurriedly typed in the chat.
She turned off the monitor right after typing, so I almost missed the message.
But whether fortunately or unfortunately,
I managed to see the chat history before the monitor turned off.
[ Tokkigyeongdyu-nim(Archer) : Oh, my mom asked me to run an errand for tofu so I have to go out urgently ]
[ P2034871140(Warrior): Dealer? ]
Julia got up from her seat and said,
"I'll just go grab my doll real quick!"
For Julia, a wanted criminal, to go outside, the rabbit doll that blocked camera recognition was essential.
Anyway, I should ask the capable people around me sometime if her wanted criminal status could be erased.
In any case, Julia dashed off somewhere to get the rabbit doll.
"......."
It wasn't my fault, but as always, I silently offered a brief moment of mourning for the guild members of Jeonjangyeon (Warrior Artisan Union), who were suffering today too.
* * *
......Should I just run away?
Before getting into Drex's car, I mulled it over again.
But maybe not if I were alone.
I glanced back slightly.
I could see Eve and Julia sitting amicably together in the back seat.
Seeing Julia's innocent expression like that made any thoughts of running away disappear on their own.
No, but still, running away was...
My mind wavered with internal conflict.
The vehicle was filled with soft city pop music.
It was Drex's taste, at odds with his appearance.
At that moment, Drex, sitting in the driver's seat, adjusted the seat position and spoke.
"Come to think of it, how's that implant we installed during your last scaling? Is it fine?"
"Ah, that. It's fine."
He meant the artificial muscles.
As I answered, I recalled the recent time that cyberware implant had helped me.
"......."
Since the memory of punching the (former) Chrome Psycho, (current) cohabitant and sending her flying came to mind, I shoved it to the back of my mind.
I had no choice at the time.
I rationalized to myself.
Perhaps not noticing my state, Drex smiled in relief and continued.
"Have there been any other discomforts?"
"With the surgeon being who it is, how could there be discomfort?"
"You talk well. Then you should've come at least once on your own for a scaling checkup without me having to fetch you like this."
That was a bit much.
Even now, I was thinking about opening the door and running away about every 30 seconds.
The drive began, and city lights flashed past beyond the car window. Enormous holographic billboards swam between the buildings.
When I didn't continue, Drex shifted the conversation to the back seat.
Drex's green eye was reflected in the rearview mirror.
"Your name is Julia, right?"
"......Yes."
Come to think of it, they probably first met properly at Drex's wedding. This was probably the second time they were interacting properly.
Anyway, even if Julia was a wanted criminal, she wasn't a bad person.
Since they were both good people, I figured they'd get close quickly.
"When was the last time you had cyberware implant scaling? From what I can see, your overall cyberware balance looks a bit off right now."
It sounded like lighthearted ice-breaking.
But Julia's response was not the kind of common answer you'd expect.
"......Uh, I've never had it done professionally, not even once."
"?"
Forgetting he was driving, Drex turned back, and I also turned toward Julia in surprise.
What did she just say?
Perhaps not noticing our surprised reactions, Julia continued calmly.
"......Because of my identity, and after I left my previous organization, all my connections disappeared, so..."
...Her nerves must hurt unbearably.
It was a wonder she hadn't developed Chrome Psycho disorder yet.
Drex must have realized that too, as the vehicle's speed increased.
"...I'd better drive fast."
To paraphrase the conversation more gently, it went like this.
A doctor sees a critically ill patient and asks,
- 'When was your last check-up?'
The patient, who looked ready to keel over any second, answers,
- 'Check-up? What's a check-up?'
Then naturally, the doctor would end up shouting breathlessly, 'Nurse!! Schedule an examination immediately!'
We had gotten in the car and driven off quickly.
The peaceful atmosphere inside the vehicle had instantly turned to suspense.