Lever, Is It?
Dr. Sau's hologram message flickered unsteadily. What emanated from it was doubt. And a touch of intrigue.
A small mechanical beep sounded, and the airship floating in the water glass ejected yet another hologram.
"……."
This time, it wasn't text. A vivid 3D image appeared before me—a woman who looked barely into her mid-twenties. She wore futuristic yet elegantly luxurious attire that clung to her form. Every natural gesture exuded grace.
I'd assumed Dr. Sau was a man. My mistake. She'd never shown her face before, so I hadn't even known her gender, but my prejudiced assumption showed I still had a long way to go.
Dr. Sau spoke to me as she smoothed her neatly braided hair. This wasn't a silent message. A voice emanated from the hologram's lips. I had no idea how it worked, but Nanoi's tech was impressive.
A husky voice, but not dark—rather likable. Maybe it was my imagination, but her tone seemed a bit softer than before she'd revealed herself.
"Thank you for the compliment. Though I think there might be a slight misunderstanding."
She took my words as a provocation yet showed interest. Proof of her voracious curiosity. The attitude of a researcher who always keeps possibilities open for the unknown, learning from everything and verifying it. Having glimpsed the fragments of her genius in her demeanor, I had to show the respect it deserved.
"How dare a mere banker like me try to match wits with you, Doctor."
She was a genius at the pinnacle of her field at a young age, trying to save stars from crisis. It was wrong for me to opine on her expertise. Until moments ago, I'd been badly mistaken. Dr. Sau was dead serious about this, an authority in her domain. If she said they needed robots, it was probably right. A layman like me doubting why robots were necessary wouldn't magically hit the mark.
Even if she was slightly off, I had to cooperate. Whether fighting mosquitoes with a space fighter or a stylish bipedal robot, with countless lives on the line, there was only one best choice: move fast. Mass-produce whatever weapon it was and pit it against those damn space monsters.
If I, a lowly banker, started nitpicking the decision-maker Dr. Sau's plan, it'd be nothing but a waste of time.
So, what I needed to do now was help her plan proceed as she wished—while maximizing the money it generated. Of course, the premise was repelling the space monsters and ensuring everyone's safety. But for a bank to lend money, the client's repayment plan had to be solid. In our capitalist society, this was crucially important, no matter how often emphasized.
"I just meant to point out that even basic scientific common sense—something even a banker like me knows—applies to banking relationships too."
As I spoke with maximum humility and respect, Dr. Sau's hologram eyes gleamed. It was an explanation I'd given countless times to small business owners and reps seeking loans. The only difference? She was a heavyweight responsible for a solar system's safety. No need to tense up. Just like always, flowing naturally like water—
"Doctor, you need to prove yourself."
"No. You don't have the qualifications yet."
Emotions came through more sharply than in text messages. A chill of disdain laced her voice. Had she felt insulted?
"You heard right. You lack the qualifications, Doctor."
Her eyebrows twitched, unable to hide her agitation. Fists clenched tight. Even as a hologram magnifying her form, she'd likely never heard "unqualified" in her life.
I didn't know her exact path, but her VVIP status at Dimensional Credit Vault predated the Kikiwai Multidimensional Branch. She'd been active here, not in Dimension 0.1, with uncountable assets in real estate, stocks, patents—numbers I'd never seen.
And that was just money. Levi Sau held status and honor as head of Nanoi's Planetary Defense Research Institute. No way a newbie banker like me should tell her she was unqualified.
But right now, I could give her the advice she desperately needed.
"You don't qualify for a 40 trillion gulden loan, Doctor. Not even representing all of Nanoi's people changes that."
"It means you must go through the necessary steps and prove it to them."
I knew it. She'd proven herself countless times. I could easily imagine the battles to rise despite her youth. So this was familiar territory for her. No reason she couldn't.
"Have you designed weapons before?"
"What specifically?"
"…So that's why you're making robots."
It made sense; tech they'd researched, easy to prototype quickly.
"Humanoid form is more intuitive to control… right?"
When I heard "robots," I'd thought humanoid was unrealistic. But my hunch was spot on. Hearing the specifics, it wasn't just for cool factor.
So, one thing to confirm:
"In short, you haven't produced a viable weapon against space monsters yet."
Dr. Sau started to argue, then gave up and bowed her head. Smart as she was, she'd get my point by now.
"Precisely."
Like a first-time entrepreneur, no matter her expertise or talents that wowed others, to attract investors, she needed a tangible product for her new service.
Food's the same. No matter how great the recipe looks, you can't predict a hit without tasting the finished dish. What moves hearts and opens wallets is something real you can see, hear, feel. Coming with just a plan for big money? That's for the unqualified.
In her impatience, Dr. Sau was squandering her and Nanoi's strengths.
So.
"Doctor, go big on the loan. Emergency funds, credit lines—gather everything, even souls if needed. It'll be approved for sure. Then use that money to—"
"Build a 1:1 one-off prototype to serve as the master for thousands, tens of thousands of mass-produced robots."
"Yes. A prototype."
How many Korean boys hadn't watched robot anime as kids? With gratitude for those memories, I continued.
"Create the ultimate war machine with superior specs, eye-catching design, and proven combat prowess—one that can take on multiple space monsters solo—and show it off."
I fanned the embers of childhood dreams and romance lingering in my chest. I poured long-forgotten passion into my eyes and words, passing it to the doctor.
The spark I'd tossed into the engineer's heart, battered by reality's walls, grew. It ignited from the roots, blazing. Eyes swelling with anticipation. Yes. This was what I'd waited for. The cold ashes of her heart catching fire.
Forget the Dimension 0.1 solar crisis, the lives at stake. The moment her parched engineer's heart filled with genuine desire to create.
Paradoxically, that passion would save Nanoi.
"Who else?"
Legs as mere ornaments? Complaints about bipedal impracticality? Ignore them, plug your ears, charge straight like a rhino's horn to the promised land. Glory everyone praises awaits there.
"The bank—"
And the driving force? Inefficient ambition and longing fusing into overwhelming romance.
"—and everyone across the world, every dimension!"
Dr. Sau's hologram was swept in inexpressible emotion. Transparent tears welled in her eyes.
"Remember this: If you build a robot so majestic it leaves every viewer awestruck, Nanoi will overcome the crisis."
"You must balance them. Combining is even better."
Wait, why doesn't she get this?
"Doctor. The prototype is the lever. The small force at its end is the bank loan for mass production."
"Yes. I'll release combat footage of the prototype as a sample, then propose—"
If the bank couldn't provide enough funds.
"—crowdfunding to customers across all dimensions."
Sweep up money from every dimension.