“Hmm… So the cute one is sleeping in the room, and you’re the only one who came out to deal with me?”
– Yes. If you have anything you’d like to say or any tasks that need handling, I will help you in her place. –
“…How kind of you.”
Marina sighed as she glanced at Zero, who was nodding his head up and down.
Should I really restrain the excited little young master? If he acts any more noticeable, wouldn’t the Enema security team come barging in immediately? Her body, which had been awkwardly frozen in a half-raised state, plopped back down into the chair.
With the conversation as a solution blocked and only physical restraint left, Marina felt a sense of resignation that she had done as much as she could…
She made them aware of just how dangerous this tightrope walk was, and pointed out the obvious potential for disaster.
I wonder if that naive friend realizes that, considering how firmly I set my boundaries, I’ve really been trying hard to help.
Even the girl who’s sleeping in bed looks much more composed in this regard; if she had another scheme, it might have been easier to handle…
‘…Somehow, if the cute one were here, I feel like she would want to join in rather than just sit back.’
In the end, the response completely changes depending on the actor.
Though various coincidences led them to get safely inside, Zero’s instincts warned him that Kên Takekura, the technician, was far from skilled enough to rob the Enema Corporation.
Well, there’s also the fact that, for this specific instance, there was a history of almost messing up the request by acting on my feelings.
He might not realize it, but fundamentally, it was my responsibility that made him win the contract, and I tried to meddle unnecessarily… but that ends here.
Similarly, if the ‘backup team member’ waiting outside deals with things wisely, it might all be safe, but if we genuinely aim for safety, the best policy is to keep distance from a bomb ready to explode.
– Miss Marina. Unless there is something special, could you please refrain from proceeding with any work before Anastasia wakes up?
“What? No, shouldn’t we be suspicious of that shy one over there before anyone else?? I mean, they blatantly attached wires to the rack!?”
Only then did Zero, seeing the system message floating on the screen that denied logging in and Marina’s flushed face from heightened emotions, uncover the hasty label he had thrown at her.
– …I apologize. It appears that my internal assessment has assigned a lower credit rating to Miss Marina than to Mr. Kên.
“Huh…?”
So, so… it seems I wasn’t trusted much after all.
That even the droid I brought along has such a subtle reception manual in place is a bit shocking.
How is it that there are two reckless kids on the same team…! Of course, I wouldn’t dare say it in front of the party, as I’m not confident about winning even in an arm wrestling match against this escort robot!
For now, since it seems that Anastasia has something prepared, I thought I might place my expectations on her… and started to speak up.
“Um, I think it was Zero?”
– ……. –
“…Oh.”
The atmosphere, which had seemed gentle compared to its appearance, sank as soon as I tried to greet.
It was detected by sharp-eyed Marina, who sensed how quickly her mood soured, much like someone she had seen before who looked ill after taking an enormous bite of pho.
Could it be that merely initiating conversation would result in a NG (No Good; a failure)? Is it programmed that harshly? Or has it anticipated this situation based on the attitude of not even wanting to call my name?
Putting aside how petty that is, it’s a rather unfortunate time for a power struggle…
– The title of Zero is an affectionate name that is only permitted for Ahsa; therefore, if you wish to call me, I would appreciate it if you used my formal title.
“…What does that even mean?”
But concerns were unnecessary. It was an incomparably trivial reason than expected.
After scanning Marina’s entire body sprawled over the table and her bewildered expression carefully with the scanner, he concluded there was no malice.
– ‘Tin Can.’ –
“Uh… um….”
“……”
Indeed, even Kên, who usually had composure, fell into a temporary state of mental paralysis at this.
He’d seen it numerous times over the past month under the same roof. Occasionally, when Anastasia was engrossed in something by herself, she would share her frustrating worries with the robot as if seeking psychological counseling, followed by a light slap to express her exasperation.
But to boldly state that? This thing… is a real tin can.
No matter where it was developed, it must be a rather unique personality model or has clearly undergone a very freewheeling learning process.
What intention does the owner intend to convey by introducing such a thing? Is it a humorous warning not to act recklessly in situations where she is unsure?
Whether Marina grappled with her kindled suspicions or not, the attention of a certain robot focused on Kên, the problem child who materialized her worries.
– So, may I ask you the reason for conducting work at this odd hour, Mr. Kên? –
“…What’s the point of explaining it to a robot? Why did that sister install such additional authentication logic….”
Grumbling under his breath, Kên’s fingers busily moved across the keyboard.
It was a truly childlike complaint. Even knowing he’d be causing trouble for his teammates, blinded by the uncertainty of his future, he followed orders without thinking of the consequences, like a slave.
Zero had no specific thoughts about this self-deprecating attitude or the passive life stance.
That’s only natural, considering he was completely filled with the resolve to successfully complete the independent task assigned to him for the first time since he had abandoned his ‘guarding the house’ orders back on the Harvest Planet—if he considered the server room, which was just tens of steps away from his lodging, as another space.
– ……. –
Zero observed Kên’s unusually prickly demeanor, which indicated he wasn’t particularly willing to cooperate.
He had no complaints about being treated by the miracle embodiment known as Anastasia Valentine as a complete individual. In context, it was practically close to zero.
However, the concern about his extremely low utility outside of combat deepened day by day.
After all, it wasn’t like he had occupied a closed network like back at the lab, and with his current body unsuitable for multitasking or handling various tasks, the reasons for the lack of clarity and the absence of solutions certainly made him uncomfortable.
For now, though he didn’t know the exact sequence of events or the details of the quarrel, the most straightforward way to subdue this situation would be through force.
It wouldn’t take much—just grabbing the boy by the nape of his neck and lifting him or delivering a light blow to the head… with the overwhelming difference in physical conditions, he could easily knock him unconscious.
…But if external parties, alerted by that action, came rushing in, wouldn’t he be unable to keep even such a simple request of not disturbing sleep?
Considering the given conditions and achieving tasks, he pondered but found no alternative.
In such cases, he had no choice but to actively utilize the tools personally bestowed upon him by his self-proclaimed “non-expert but possessing decent problem-solving capabilities” legal overseer.
Click…! Thud!
“…?”
As if to protest the disappointing responses from his opponent, Zero sat down opposite Kên, connecting the connector he had pulled from his back to the same server.
Was he thinking about just watching? Or was he collecting data to show his owner, after all?
In either case, it didn’t matter much. The mission was to extract as much information from the external sources as possible, so while creating a cautious gap in the Enema network had been difficult, this makeshift firewall wasn’t a big issue…
[ Boot system override failed, reverting to debugging steps in 5 seconds. ]
[ …Source code auto-load failed. Please perform system stabilization through manual operation. If technical errors persist… ]
“Whoa!?”
…or so he thought.
Reality always exceeded expectations.
The lightly attempted access was blocked in an instant.
The developer tools console he had laid out to examine what structure they operated on was now completely covered in self-replicating malicious codes.
This is… a macro barrage that Marina had shown him before?
No, it’s different from that. That had at least a subject that could ponder over moves, observe changing trends, and connect fragmented codes; this is…
Kên raised his gaze and stared at the droid casting a dense shadow across from him.
In old-fashioned games, there was said to be a contest close to blind chess.
If one were to unpack the archaic language… commonly known as dark go. In an era when implants were limited to artificial teeth, people gave up on the most relied-upon sense, sight, to grasp battlefield conditions and control ongoing fights solely through brain simulation; it was elevated leisure.
However, it didn’t stop there. The opponent had a shadow acting purely according to protocols—an artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, if the droid was to be believed, while resting, it arranged both the moves and positions in advance, effectively forcing the contest?
Though he wanted to protest that such treatment undermined him too much, the reality was that just a moment ago, he was bounced out without even managing to set foot on the server.
He could try to argue that he hadn’t been serious, but that didn’t change the fact he lost the positional battle. …That alone was spine-chilling and sent shivers down his back.
– Given that I’m in a situation where it’s hard to exert force… I will at least entertain Mr. Kên until he’s had enough. If you have any complaints, I will relay them to Miss Anastasia later, so feel free to speak up at any time. –
“…Hah.”
It seems that… even the road to d*ath isn’t as simple as strolling in a state of resignation.
