ch19

…Towering.

…Quite a peculiar remark. In this vast Metropolis, there must be more than just a few places offering lodging services, and perhaps they’re irked by the thought of losing a customer to another establishment, but ‘cheaper accommodations than here’?

I shut down the navigation window I had bothered to open and turn around.

Then what is this, really…? A threat? Or just salesmanship? Even if my painstakingly crafted appearance doesn’t exactly help in intimidating others, I’ve keenly realized through a series of events that it’s attractive enough to the people of this era.

I thought this was a fairly formal establishment, even if it couldn’t compare to the top-tier hotels where I carried out operations in the game… If they’re probing with malicious intent, I have enough thorns to bristle with.

“……”

I cross my arms and raise my eyes.

Alright, I’m ready to hear what you have to say, so go ahead and try your best. If it’s some ridiculous nonsense… I’ll slash the store’s rating, even though I haven’t used it…! …Of course, I’d need a record of actually using it to do that!

The employee’s eyes curved into a gentle arc, as if pleased that a departing customer had shown interest. But that expression wasn’t so much a genuine smile as… a theatrical actor wearing a smiling mask.

“…I apologize if my presumptuous meddling has offended you…. But if I were to let such a beautiful lady leave as she is, I fear she would be harassed by boorish men with no discerning eyes…. So, would you indulge me with my profiling for a moment…?”

“…Go ahead.”

Having obtained permission, he straightened his back, which had been slightly bent, and comfortably rested his elbows on the reception desk. As a finishing touch, he used both hands to support his chin, making direct eye contact with me.

“Well then…. According to our security personnel, who are diligently working out front… you seemed quite bothered by unauthorized scanning. Furthermore, your relaxed demeanor towards our staff, and the gear you possess—a high-quality Suit with no record of being released on the market, and a rifle and pistol that are excessively firepower-oriented for mere self-defense….”

His extended index finger pointed towards the ceiling. Or rather, towards the sky beyond the ceiling and the hotel.

“Wouldn’t you be from a much ‘higher place’…? Perhaps… a noble of the Heihlong Corporation’s lineage….”

“…Are you some kind of pervert who works at a hotel reception desk just to do this? …Too bad, you’re wrong.”

…I was startled. I thought I was using it moderately, but… the residents’ use of Cyberware is too natural. To receive all the data and evaluations collected in that brief moment of walking in from the entrance.

But no matter how sharp a person’s information analysis skills are, they couldn’t have considered the possibility of a lab-born test subject or Modified Human with no traces left behind. Well… even I don’t know exactly what project I’m a product of, so it would be a problem if a hotel receptionist knew.

“Oh…? Am I wrong…? That’s a shame…. Hmm… You don’t seem to have undergone anti-aging surgery, so it’s unlikely you’re retired, but on the other hand, you seem to want to reduce your spending on Credits…. An agent or engineer affiliated with a corporation whose expense support has been cut off, or who is here on strictly personal business…. How about that this time?”

“Think whatever you want….”

Is he implying I’m poor?

And he seems to have no intention of removing the ‘corporate affiliation’ label from his guesses. I’m tired and have a lot of things to sort out, so why am I playing this endless twenty questions game with a pervert?

I averted my gaze from the guy who was tilting his head left and right, surprised that he was wrong twice. Smiling, then looking dejected, then smiling again… Just looking at him is giving me a headache.

…Let’s just go back to where I was going. Let’s not get involved any further. That’s what I decided, and I was really about to leave this time.

“…Are you aware of the types and frequency of crimes that occur in motels or capsule motels…?”

“…What, like stealing ten thousand Credits while you’re sleeping? I can prepare for that much.”

It’s a random event that annoys players in the very early stages of the game. An encounter where Credits or consumables are stolen and reduced if you sleep in a location other than your My Home or a hotel. But since the amount stolen isn’t a percentage of your holdings, I could tolerate some petty thieves’ pocket money schemes.

But… he chuckled at my answer.

“Pfft…! Hehehe…!! Ahaha, I’m sorry…. It’s just… it seems you’re viewing Harvest Planet with such a beautiful perspective… it’s giving me goosebumps all over….”

“……?”

His extended finger was now pointed directly at me.

“This unclaimed gold, this delicate flower, this winning lottery ticket is just lying on the street. Wouldn’t anyone risk their life and become excessively greedy?”

“……Huh?”

They’re directly targeting me…? But that should be impossible in the system…?

…Wait a minute.

……Damn it, system? The system in this neighborhood is the ‘order for control’ created by corporations, not some game system that says, ‘Don’t attack sleeping people’—there’s no way that kind of thing would still exist.

I was complacent, thinking I had overcome various crises with actions and wit that were originally impossible. A prison can restrict the rights of those confined within, but conversely, it can also protect them from external threats.

Right now, I’ve entered Metropolis with no information, with that safety net completely gone.

Seeing my slightly stiff and pale complexion, he straightened his posture again and returned to his duty as an employee, asserting his role.

“Will a standard room be sufficient? Beautiful lady?”

“……”

It’s expensive if you think of it as a lodging fee, but if you consider it cheap tuition instead of my life, it’s practically free.

“Just pay for one… no, two days. ……You must never have to worry about performance in your life.”

Beep…!

“I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t provide this kind of service to every guest. Here’s the key to room 701 with a great view.”

After paying the Credits from his outstretched wrist, he handed over the card key to the assigned room, uttering another incomprehensible remark. Then why me…?

“……If you were to die on the street. The investigation team from your affiliated Mega Corp and the Aftercare Service team from your life insurance would mobilize and turn the places you visited upside down… I don’t want to get involved. Absolutely.”

“…You’re quite something.”

“Not at all…!”

In the end, it’s an extreme case of self-preservation stemming from a misunderstanding.

An individual who seems to be proving that you need to be able to judge and handle this much to fulfill the duties of a top-notch hotel receptionist. I thought I had a firm resolve, but seeing this, my confidence is waning a bit. How can a person prepare for every possible scenario…? Just constantly be careful.

Instead of leaning on my chin seductively, I politely receive the card handed over with both hands and walk towards the elevator.

“…Ah! Dear customer?”

…This guy, could it be that he just can’t stand other people moving away from him? I know you’re great, so can you stop calling me?!

Ding…!

Ah… I can’t take it anymore. If it’s really important, he’ll convey it himself.

I board the arrived elevator, press the 7th floor, and repeatedly press the close button.

“Which gender of staff do you prefer for room service or other discreet services??”

“Pfft?!”

That crazy bastard, he really goes all the way…!

“……I’m never calling!!”

“Then, let’s see~ Based on my intuition, I’ll mark it down as female preference…!”

A shout that pierced the unstated core of the matter echoed through the slowly closing elevator doors.

If even his androgynous appearance was a ploy to observe reactions… I’ve completely lost. People really do have their own areas of expertise. ……Just you wait.

I get off on the 7th floor, which arrived in an instant with a cheerful bell sound.

Room 701 was… at the end of the hallway. The elevator is far, but the emergency stairs are close to the room. I like it.

Beep…! Click….

The door opens as the key is recognized by the sturdy-looking door lock. As I step inside, the lights turn on without needing to insert the card key, and the interior structure comes into view at a glance.

“……Ah?! Aaaah…?!”

Were you surprised by the panoramic view of Harvest Planet visible from the open glass? Not at all.

I was just surprised once by the plush mattress bed in front of it. And twice by the shower visible in the direction of the bathroom. Of course, I wasn’t just surprised!

I carefully removed even the gun I was wearing. But it seemed to take less than 10 seconds to strip off the Suit, work boots, and underwear I was wearing and enter the shower booth.

Squeak… Whoosh…….

“Hooah……!”

Even though I just grabbed and turned the faucet I hadn’t seen in a long time, moderately warm water poured out. From head to toe. The grace full of life’s energy flowed down my body. Even my skin, which had always complained about cleansers, was quiet, as if it liked this.

Trickle….

“……Huh?”

The luxury, which was closer to enjoying the flowing water than washing, was cut off arbitrarily before I was satisfied.

A very stingy message was displayed on the panel installed inside the booth.

[You have used all the free water provided today. Please note that any water used thereafter will be charged at 10,000 Credits per liter!]

“……Achoo!”

My excitement faded, and my body cooled down twice as fast as the warm water stopped.

They say they don’t want to take a loss no matter what, so what can I, a mere guest, do?

Inevitably, I roughly dried myself with the provided large towel, wrapped it around my whole body, and jumped into bed. The sensation was… difficult to describe as plush. Unless it was just ‘plush’.

“Euboob!”

I expected to be bounced out with a pleasant rebound, but the mattress and blanket of 2195 accepted my body like a wisp of cloud. I thought I was being swallowed.

Rustle, rustle.

I pushed aside the blanket, turned over, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

The sunlight coming through the gaps in the ambiguously drawn curtains is warm, and I’m a little hungry because of the trait I exhibited earlier, but… I mustn’t forget that even this interlude of happiness and comfortable time was bought with precious Credits.

So just a little. I just need to rest for a moment and then get up…….

Blee-lee-leek—!

“Huh…? What? Aw, man…!!”

The sun was still high in the sky, but the time displayed on the holographic clock was easily 8 hours past. Moreover, the alarm that seemed to have been set was dead again.

In the end, it was none other than the phone that awakened this languid body and mind. And the person on the other end was….

• Unnieeeeeee—!! Why aren’t you cominggggggg—! –

“Aigoo…. Merry, did you arrive safely in Neo Haven…?”

A message was displayed that Cyberware had automatically lowered the volume to protect the user’s hearing… but my ears are still ringing.

I diligently coaxed and soothed Merry, who was lamenting that everyone had deceived her and that she would skip dinner to show her tremendous rebellious spirit… dreaming of a cute escapade. Moreover, for the peace of a family and the authority of the head of the household, I even promised to come later because I had urgent business right now.

Beep! The call disconnected. To be so happy over a half-promise without even a specified deadline… At this rate, she might call again tomorrow asking when I’m coming. …Not that it’s bad. I received overflowing energy thanks to it.

“…Alright. Recharging complete!”

It’s not like I was just recklessly spending money and resting without any countermeasures.

I meticulously sprayed detergent on the Suit scattered on the floor, shook it out in the bathroom with a flourish, and pushed the Cyberware hard.

I searched for hidden links on the web, and kept typing remembered words into the address bar to see if I could connect.

What I’m looking for now is a request brokerage site favored by mercenaries and hackers. It was a function provided as a kind of repetitive mission in games, but… there’s no way it wouldn’t exist here.

Even corporations used it as a channel to bypass their own rules and try to screw each other over somehow, so surely Harvest Planet must have it too…!

[youregonnadieyouregonnadieyouregonnadie.]

[There wasn’t even a confirmed virus attack in the first place, why are you guys being such assholes!! Go outside and see for yourselves!]

[Nope~ I’m not going out even if I die~~ I already saw it on the camera~ Humans can live their whole lives indoors~ A washed-up old fart who doesn’t even look up research wouldn’t know, right? Mad, aren’t you? You’re too unskilled to find me too, right?]

[7KeE7KCV7ZWcIOuSt+yEuOqzhOyXkCDsmKgg6rG4IO2ZmOyYge2VnOuLpC4g]

[…Ironhide Avenue, 23rd Street, basement level 2 office. You.]

[This post has been deleted.]

“……!! Found it!”

The keywords I used in Neo Haven didn’t work at all, but I found an encrypted connection link in a hacker community. The posts were being updated like crazy, so I almost missed it.

Beyond countless, a number that could even be called infinite, a list of requests appeared in a flash.

Finally…! At last, a battlefield where I can demonstrate my strengths is prepared.

First, I limit the requests displayed through the filter.

Requests looking for skilled, high-level hackers, and among those, only the ones with high pay. And… only the ones with a separate direct combat team.

“Hmm…….”

The sooner the execution date, the better, and the closer the meeting place, the better. I can’t know if a request is shady or will cause problems later until I hear the details anyway, so if something feels really off, I can just back out then.

Beep…!

“…Huh?”

Among the displayed requests, I saw one where the reward allocated to the hacker was increasing in real time.

With the deadline only about an hour away, it seems the mission broker is pouring in their own share because there’s no suitable person.

I might lose it if I hesitate, so I quickly applied for the vacancy and put on my shoes. As expected, they were desperate, and a reply came back quickly.

[The password given to the hacker is ‘Ivory’. To Hora Dorada Hotel, room 804 by 15:30 on Monday, August 3, 2195.]

“………What the fuck?”

What is this, a trap? It’s too obvious…?

All sorts of suspicions bloomed in my head, but I left the room for now, pushed open the creaking emergency exit door, and entered the stairwell.

Still, it can’t hurt to be careful, so I calmly climbed the stairs with my palm on the handle of my pistol.

Creak…!

“…….”

I only peeked my head out to check the 8th floor hallway, but there was nothing particularly suspicious. Yeah, if they were targeting me, something would have already happened while I was sleeping….

I took a breath and knocked on the door of room 804.

This is also a kind of interview. I have to create an image that is as confident and skilled as possible.

“……Who is it?”

“…Ivory. If you waste any more time, I’ll reapply after the reward goes up even more.”

“…Hmph!”

The door opened smoothly. The initial pressure seems to have worked well. At this point, they probably can’t even imagine that I rushed over because I was desperate.

Now, if the other prospective team members waiting inside are just normal people, there won’t be any problems….

“Oh…?! Miss!! You mean you’ve been following me all this time? Or is it the green thread of fate?? This is the best, really!”

“Ah, seriously, fuck…!”

A cabbage bomb was waiting in the room.