Ocean City Epilogue
“Boss, I’ve carried out every order you issued.”
“What orders?”
“……?”
After capturing the rabbit beastman Haneui and delivering an appropriate punishment, I reported the matter to the boss. Reclining on her sunbed, she listened to my account, then let out a soft exclamation as the memory finally surfaced.
“Ah—yes, I suppose I did give such an order the day before yesterday. How did you handle it?”
“First I read her memories, and—”
“—Hold on. This wouldn’t happen to be some inhumane method that might instill a deep loathing for humanity if overheard, would it?”
“Pardon? Of course not. I simply provided her with an education so she would never again interfere with our Evils organization.”
“You’re not lying to me, are you? I can trust you on this… can’t I!?”
Regalia stared at me with the expression of someone watching a food wrapper suddenly begin to writhe on its own. I straightened my face and calmly explained exactly what I had done to Haneui.
When she heard the words “good child,” “correction,” and “AI education,” Regalia exhaled in visible relief, as though the matter were perfectly acceptable at that level.
“Phew— Yes, that much is fine. I was half-afraid I had created yet another pitiful victim.”
“There’s no need for such concern.”
“Good. Then, Scientist, enjoy the remainder of the vacation you were unable to fully savor. You’ve worked hard.”
I bowed my head in gratitude and recalled Haneui’s appearance after her education had concluded. After running her through several tests, I confirmed she had been reborn as an unparalleled individual possessing outstanding character along with impeccable moral and ethical standards.
In effect, I had rescued a person who had been scraping along at rock bottom. It was genuinely rewarding work—so much so that I found myself thinking it would be wonderful if everyone in the world could become like her.
Haneui stepped out of the Evils Enterprise building and glanced back over her shoulder. This was the place where her colleague worked—the very location belonging to the old experimental subject she had believed lost forever.
‘To think I had misunderstood everything…….’
Once her education was complete and she had been judged ready to converse with humans, Haneui was able to share a deep conversation with Levitan alone.
They spoke of where and how each had lived until now, whether she had been brainwashed by the villain organization, or subjected to any malicious experiments.
Shockingly, contrary to its name, the Evils organization had committed no evil deeds whatsoever. Moreover, they had freed Levitan from the constraints of being a beastman—an L-series experimental subject. It was truly unbelievable.
─Levitang. Could we… meet again someday?
─Of course-yong! Ah, how should I say it this time-gong?
─……It’s a promise. Let’s meet again.
Using everything she had learned here, Haneui made a promise to meet Levitan once more. It was genuinely astonishing. Of course Levitan would never refuse her request, but the realization that conversation did not require a blade felt brand new.
Nor was it only her. The countless Evils combatants and ordinary office workers she encountered while leaving the building had all treated her with kindness and willingly granted her requests without hesitation.
It was a warmth she had never once experienced while imprisoned by Omega Industries or while wandering the back alleys after her escape.
That kindness proved beyond doubt that the education she had received was not wrong.
‘So everything I’ve done until now was all bad things…….’
She had never been taught otherwise, and everyone around her had lived the same way, so she simply hadn’t known. In fact, Haneui had been comparatively kind. There were plenty of people who silently drove knives or bullets into vital points before robbing their victims.
Compared to them, what had she done? She had only presented a blade first; she had never forced the issue. If the other party refused, she had intended to withdraw. Of course, no one had ever actually refused.
After taking the train out of E City and returning to her original base, Haneui wandered the streets and came across delinquents spitting indiscriminately on the pavement and threatening passersby with weapons.
Having learned etiquette and morals from an excellent teacher, she could not possibly overlook such a sight.
“—Excuse me.”
“Huh? What’s up, lady? Got business with us?”
“Yes. I have one question.”
When the strikingly beautiful Haneui approached and spoke, the eyes of the two men threatening citizens changed. They became the eyes of beasts that had spotted prey.
Haneui could not see the gaze directly, but she understood perfectly what the prickling stares crawling across her skin meant.
“You just littered on the street. And now you are threatening this person.”
“Eh? Yeah, so what? Got a problem with that?”
“No, there is no problem. I am simply curious.”
While the delinquents spat out their irritation, Haneui recited exactly what her moral teacher had taught her.
“—I was taught that people do not do such things. Could it be that you are not human?”
“……The hell is this bitch—”
“Aah—! As expected! The fact that you respond to a question with profanity proves you are not human!”
Having identified a non-human entity, Haneui recalled what her excellent moral teacher had said one must do when non-humans harm people. The teacher had called those who bark without being human “beasts,” and declared that when beasts harm humans, they must be euthanized.
All of it was merely the judgment of a rational machine unaware that humans are irrational—ideal theory that did not quite fit reality. Yet for Haneui, who had never received any such education before, the AI’s teachings were absolute and perfect truth.
“Then, dear beasts. Would it be acceptable for me to cut you down?”
Srrk—. The moment Haneui drew her Japanese sword, the delinquents finally realized something had gone terribly wrong. But it was already too late.
Haneui remembered—belatedly—that there was no need to ask permission from beasts. And right before her eyes walked creatures that required disposal.
“U-uwaaaaagh—!”
“She’s insane!”
“Thank you for your permission.”
The Japanese sword, armed with ideal morality and ethics, swung down. Just like the moral teacher who had once whipped her. The lash of humanity fell upon the beasts.
Fireworks burst across the sky. Brilliant blossoms of every color began to embroider the beach ruled by pitch-black darkness.
“Waaah…!”
“Oh, not bad at all……”
People let out admiring gasps. The emerald sea reflected the exploding lights and sparkled beautifully. Women who adored such spectacles were naturally entranced, and even the men who had claimed to feel nothing began to enjoy the show in their own way.
While everyone’s eyes were fixed on the fireworks blooming overhead, I walked along a quiet corner of the beach with Levitan.
“Ehehe. The night sea is so nice-yong~”
“Aren’t you going to watch the fireworks, Miss Levitan?”
“What about you, Eight-tang?”
“You’re the one who dragged me out here……”
“Did I-yong?”
Levitan stuck out her tongue cutely and tilted her head. Seeing her like that, my irritation melted away. As I always thought, every executive in the Evils organization was stunningly beautiful.
It wasn’t as if they could freely choose their faces through surgery, yet they were all classic beauties who perfectly suited one’s tastes.
Recalling the grotesquely adorned celebrities of Earth who had chased incomprehensible trends, I looked at Levitan before me and smiled softly.
“So? Why did you specifically bring me all the way out here?”
“Huh? There’s no special reason-deung?”
“You dragged me to a secluded spot where no one can see us, without any reason? Right when everyone’s distracted by the fireworks?”
No way. I swallowed hard as I watched Levitan try to hide her true intentions. It couldn’t be—but if, by some remote chance, she held a grudge for what I had done to her former colleague and intended to harm me…?
‘If that’s the case… this could be dangerous.’
Levitan was a beastman. Although surgery had turned her human, her fundamental nature remained unchanged. Moreover, if she wished, she could extract her own genes and exert power far beyond her prime.
If someone like her truly wanted to kill me, even the barrier in my self-defense wristwatch—proven effective during the recent Brave Citizen Award incident—would be little more than a miracle if it managed to block a single strike. The barrage that would follow would be impossible to stop.
“Eight-tang, you know-yang.”
“……Yes.”
“Do you have someone you like-yeong?”
Fortunately, her business was on an entirely different vector from what I had feared. The intention behind asking such a question in this situation was obvious even without deep thought.
“No. At least not in this world.”
“Really-yang? But I do……”
“Is that so?”
I continued playing dumb. Knowing this, Levitan put on a mischievous expression, hopped a few steps ahead, then turned to face me and stopped.
“I like Eight-tang-haeng.”
“Ah……”
“What do you think, Eight-tang? You’re not uninterested in women, right? I think someone like me would make a pretty good partner……”
A sudden confession from a colleague in the same organization. I remained silent for a moment. The atmosphere grew strangely heavy. Even in front of the summer sea, my throat felt painfully dry.
I had no idea what I should say. Yet I couldn’t stay silent forever, so the words that reflexively left my mouth were:
“Keep liking me.”
“You’re accepting me-yang!?”
“No, I mean just keep liking me. It wouldn’t be right for me to manipulate someone else’s heart……”
A roundabout rejection. Yet whether Levitan failed to understand or simply refused to accept it, she began jumping for joy with a radiant smile.
“Really—!? Then Levitang can keep liking Eight-tang-yong!?”
Watching her beam so brightly, I felt like a frog caught by the nape in a snake’s jaws. The realization that escape would not be easy was now firmly etched into the corner of my mind…….
Several days had passed since returning from vacation. Summoned by the boss, I made my way to the chairman’s office. She had been watching a girls’ anime on the TV in the corner, but the moment I opened the door she hurriedly changed the channel.
“Ahem— You’ve arrived?”
“I don’t think it’s shameful at all for someone of Boss’s age to watch such things.”
“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about…?”
Regalia, feigning ignorance, clearly wanted to escape the topic as quickly as possible. She immediately moved on to the real reason she had called me here.
“Scientist. I have a request for you.”
“Yes. What would you like me to create this time?”
“It is not that sort of request… though in a sense, it is similar to making something.”
So saying, Regalia handed me a single sheet of paper. I accepted it with a tilt of my head, read the contents, and my eyes widened.
Parent Observation Class Schedule Notice
“I would like you to play the role of my parent.”
“……Me?”
“Yes, you.”
That alone was absurd enough, but Regalia drove the point home with a final blow.
“You may choose the mother.”
Regalia smiled brightly. ……It looked like I had suddenly become a father.