Chapter 23
#023
1.
Seres's car was a classic chauffeur-driven vehicle.
In other words, a high-end limousine designed for the passenger's safety and comfort, not the driver's.
A black body stretched out long and low like a Rolls-Royce.
The limousine, modified with a higher roof for Seres, was luxurious and somehow intimidating.
After taking the driver's seat, I checked the fresh intel I'd gotten from the monocle again.
1) Seres Cassian had, two days ago, researched a way to break the "Precept".
2) Seres Cassian had, fourteen days ago, thrown out all the high heels in the dressing room.
3) Seres Cassian had, twenty-eight days ago, leaked Twilight Resource Development's 'Project Z' (presumed release of biochemical weapons in Necropolis, estimated deaths 250,000) plan to Overnous Pharmaceuticals.
Let's take a look one by one.
1) She had researched how to break the "Precept".
Well, fair enough.
The Precept is the act of a mage dealing directly with the world, gaining power in exchange for restrictions.
But even a restriction as trivial as "no picking your nose with your right hand for life" would be a pain.
I don't know what kind of Precept Seres has, but she's 250 years old, right? No wonder she's sick of it.
But once a Precept has been made, breaking it is supposedly absolutely impossible.
A person like Seres doing something that stupid would definitely want to keep it hidden from others.
Next.
2) Seres Cassian had, fourteen days ago, thrown out all the high heels in the dressing room.
"Hmm, so she's self-conscious about being tall."
If a woman's as tall as the Eight-Foot Ghost, it'd make sense she'd have a complex.
Up to this point, I honestly didn't think much of it.
It was only useful as a note to be careful with my behavior.
However.
3) Seres Cassian had, twenty-eight days ago, leaked Twilight Resource Development's 'Project Z' (presumed release of biochemical weapons in Necropolis, estimated deaths 250,000) plan to Overnous Pharmaceuticals.
"What the hell is this..."
This isn't what I was hoping for!
Secret♥) Seres Cassian, one day ago. At night... but the method...
I was hoping for stuff like that!
"Ugh, my head hurts."
So Twilight Resource Development is trying to spray biochemical weapons over Necropolis?
And the estimated death toll is 250,000?
At that level of damage, it's practically wiping out an entire mid-sized district.
"That's too much! They're not even human! Why would they do something so horrible!"
If you'd say that, it means you haven't drunk enough Necropolis water.
A Necropolis citizen should answer like this even if you just poke them in the side.
"Twilight Resource Development treats even corpses as resources, so they're probably planning to clean out Necropolis's surplus population, which is already overcrowded, while scooping up the resources too. Aden will obviously turn a blind eye. Very efficient project."
I understood that much.
Considering Twilight Resource Development's influence, it was certainly possible.
But the part about Seres Cassian leaking the 'Project Z' plan to Overnous Pharmaceuticals.
That's where it was obviously strange.
Overnous Pharmaceuticals and Twilight Resource Development are the city's two giant corporations, and longtime rivals.
There's no way Pepsi and Coca-Cola would get along, right?
The under-the-table power struggle between the two companies is obvious even if you just go as far as the border between C-Sector and D-Sector.
Even though Seres is a director at Twilight Resource Development, she leaked what was clearly a confidential project to a rival company.
"Suspicious, suspicious, suspicious."
When you realize such an enormous truth, what should a fired-up Necropolis citizen say?
"As long as it isn't me, I'm good."
I neatly erased all the complicated relationships in my head.
I didn't even think about plans like blackmailing Seres or trying to work with her.
You can feel the scale just by looking at it, can't you?
For a nobody like me, the stage is way too big.
Even Sunhwangjo, a seventh-rank fixer who made his mark on an era with a single hammer, would feel plenty of pressure at this scale.
Besides, in a few days my bunny-like Arbel would be arriving by rocket delivery.
I'm barely capable of handling that one lump of baggage as it is.
So what can I do in this situation...
"Let's see..."
All I can do is memorize the Necropolis map in the limousine's glove box, carefully and thoroughly.
While praying that some huge misfortune won't crush me.
2.
Two days had passed since I became Seres's driver.
As a midpoint check, there's one good piece of news and one bad piece of news.
First, the good news.
Being a driver is way more of a sweet deal than I expected.
Just drive Seres around according to her schedule for about two hours a day, and that's it.
Even then, her range of movement isn't all that wide, so most of the time is spent waiting around, wiping the limousine down with a dry rag, and polishing it until it gleams.
And yet the weekly pay in the contract is as much as 200,000 bios.
It's not like there's some story about Seres being so rich her sense of money is warped.
Rather, becoming one of Seres's attendants means you're assigned to the Secretarial Office, and the office itself is run almost like Seres's private organization.
"A lucky break indeed."
In any case, in my plan the driver was just a middle step.
The true ending is to curry favor with Seres and transfer into being her kept man.
Being able to cross that middle step while steadily and reliably receiving Arbel's huge treatment bills was a pretty big advantage.
So what was the bad news?
"Sigh... but why isn't she biting?"
My mistress Seres is so cold that Cedric-kitty feels lonely.
Even when we ride in the same vehicle, we hardly exchange a word.
That kind of thing between a man and a woman?
That only becomes possible if even basic conversation is established first.
If you ask whether it's hard to become her kept man in just two days, that's also a fair point.
"On my first run, I definitely ended up in bed just three hours after we made eye contact..."
Wasn't my mistress Seres supposed to be easy to melt...?
Was there really anything different back then?
Was I just too nervous?
Or was it because back then I was so happy after getting Arbel's corpse that my judgment was blurred?
Or was Seres's type a younger brother who sells his own older sister's corpse?
"I don't know."
The most likely theory is that Seres is strict about separating work and private life, so she doesn't bring subordinates into bed.
Or there's the theory that after the Goat Gate she took such a huge psychological blow that she developed misandry.
Hmm, honestly, the latter makes sense.
"Damn it, then I'm screwed."
Should I have just bragged about my build from the start instead of going on about attendant this and that?
Wallowing in belated regret.
Seres, approaching in the distance as gracefully as a black steed.
"Good evening, Director."
"Hi, Cedric. Thanks for working late into the night."
"Not at all. Night driving with Director Seres? It's exciting and great."
I quickly opened the car door, seated her in the back, and grabbed the wheel.
As soon as Seres sat down, she lit a cigarette and exhaled a long plume of smoke.
"Shall I take you home?"
"Yeah, do that."
"Yes, ma'am! I'll drive you comfortably, as always."
The limousine glided over roads far too rough for a luxury car like this.
The destination was Seres's mansion.
Seres, who always sat in the back reviewing documents and staying silent, for some reason took a wine bottle from the car minibar and poured herself a glass.
"Is the job manageable?"
"Yes, thanks to you looking out for me, Director."
"That's empty flattery."
"I'm hurt that my sincerity isn't getting through."
A little smooth-talking is an essential social tool.
Seres lazily swirled her wineglass and snorted.
"I noticed before that you're really good at driving. Where did you learn?"
"I learned while staying in Aden."
"Aden?"
"I was in the position of being driven out of there, so at first it was really hard and hopeless. But when I think of it as a journey meant to bring me to meet you, Director Seres, it comforts me."
"You've got guts, talking like that after getting your eyes torn out."
"I had some astigmatism, but ever since you regenerated them for me back then, they've been completely normal. That too is surely thanks to your grace, Director Seres."
My exaggerated banter made Seres laugh outright, even showing her white teeth.
When a beauty laughs, it makes me feel good too.
If only she were a little shorter, she'd have been a bunny contender on par with Arbel.
By the way... is this it?!
The bait is coming after just three days!
I carefully opened the floodgates of small talk.
"I've never seen you laugh like that before, Director. I've only ever seen your perfect, flawless side..."
"How long has it been since we met?"
"Not long, but... even in the back seat, you've always had such a stiff expression."
Now, here's the grand reveal of the secret to small talk.
The core of small talk is not 'conversation.'
It's about filling the other person's presence through active observation.
If you show that you're observing them this closely, women will feel favorably toward you nine times out of ten (the only requirement is a face above average).
"Hmm~ was I?"
"Ah, that's just my personal opinion. Sorry for speaking so freely."
"No, it was fun. You're the first person who's ever said something like that to me."
As expected, Seres leaned forward and tilted her head as if she found it interesting.
If I can smooth-talk her like this, it'll be straight to bed.
I'll rack up points based on the weakness I already figured out last time.
Arbel! Wait just a little longer! Big bro's bringing home the money!
"Tsk."
In the middle of that warm atmosphere, Seres suddenly clicked her tongue in displeasure.
What? Did I make a mistake?
"Those annoying bastards. They won't leave me alone for a second."
"What do you mean, all of a sudden...?"
"We've got a tail."
"A tail?"
"Nothing to worry about. Probably the other directors sent them. In other words... office politics."
From the side mirror, I could see a vehicle following us from far behind.
Whether or not they were trying to hide it, they had their headlights on as if they were flaunting them.
"Even people in such a lofty position as you, Director Seres, have their own troubles."
"You've got a way with words, don't you?"
I copied the line Seres had liked last run, word for word.
At the same time, a question came to mind.
Seres was at least Tier 4, wasn't she?
"Wouldn't you just be able to julienne them and be done with it?"
"If I did that, every director would have to hold open recruitment for new hires every two weeks. That's not even crossing the line, so just ignore it and keep driving."
Ah.
I roughly got a feel for how things worked.
Inside Twilight Resource Development, there are ten other directors besides Seres.
There seems to be some kind of unwritten rule among the directors, even as their internal fighting is fierce.
Why, even international counterintelligence agencies don't just kill every opposing spy the moment they catch them.
Lucky.
Just when I was wondering what I should do, a chance to score points had appeared.
"With Director Seres being so stunningly beautiful, even stalkers are getting out of hand."
"...What a lame joke."
Seres's straight eyebrows twitched.
Since we had a tail on us, she seemed irritated, and unlike before she reacted to the flattery with displeasure.
"Would you care for a bit of night driving with me?"
"No."
"Just for a moment."
"Kid, don't get cocky..."
I swayed the car body gently left and right, giving the tires plenty of heat, and then...
-Bwoooooom!!!
I stomped the clutch and upshifted in an instant.
Seres's body was shoved back into the seat.
As I raised the speed, the pursuer immediately closed in behind us.
"Cedric? What are you doing?"
"Seat belt! Hold on tight!"
The roads in Necropolis are narrow and rough.
Since the city was originally built between massive ravines, should I say the roads are narrow and winding like Monaco's?
Before long, a 90-degree left turn came into view.
Given the speed we were going, the building wall would be closing in on us in an instant.
Normally this would be a section where you'd slow down a lot and turn lazily.
"What the hell are you doing!"
The instant Seres cried out in alarm.
I stepped on the clutch with my left foot while steadily pressing the brake.
It wasn't as immediate as my beloved ride, which had been sold off to the bank as collateral, but I slowly gauged the G-force as the 2.5-ton body leaned over...
Right now!
I went for a braking move that was half a beat late.
-Screeeeech!
At the same time, while my left foot kept the clutch fully depressed, I maintained steady pressure on the brake with the toe of my right foot.
With the heel of my right foot, I slammed hard on the accelerator.
The sound of burning tires, the surging RPM, the engine's roar.
-Bwoooooong!!!!
Krrr! That's the stuff!
Thrilled, I slammed the gear from 4th into 2nd.
I stabbed into the corner with textbook heel-and-toe and mashed the accelerator even harder.
-Screeeeech!
The rear wheels lost traction under the powerful torque and slid.
The moment that happened, I wound the wheel the other way to control the slide and burst out of the corner.
Finally, I straightened the wheel and shifted all the way up to the highest gear.
Accelerate, accelerate, and accelerate some more!
After that picture-perfect drift, the heavy limousine howled under the acceleration technique.
-Bwoooooong!!!!
"That engine sound is insane!!!!"
Hey, hey, isn't that way too beastly a sound for a refined limousine to be making?
I gave an encouraging honk to the pursuer, who was already falling behind and struggling at the very first corner.
Still, you're putting in quite the effort.
Back when I was high on dopamine and roamed through every extreme sport, the two I enjoyed most were...
One was wingsuit flying, and the other was amateur motor racing.
In other words, a half-hearted tail like this was easy to shake off.
"How is it? Pretty fun, right? Night driving."
Honestly, I just went and did it, so I'm a little worried.
The women's reactions when I showed them this in my own car were exactly two:
either they would giggle and call me a bad-ass older bro, or their faces would go ghost-white and they'd ask me to pull over before throwing up.
"Hahaha! Ahaahaha!!!"
Yep, our Director really is no ordinary person.
Seres laughed until her face went red and clapped.
"Should we go farther?"
"Go farther!!!!"
"Then I'll shift up to sixth!"
"There's no seventh?"
"There isn't!"
The limousine's exhaust note grandly painted the road leading to G-Sector.
"Here? Isn't this a little..."
"It is a bit of a shame that it's too dark to see Director Seres's beauty clearly."
"Wait, there...? ...How naughty..."
"You're adorable."
With the accelerator floored, we arrived at the 'dock' and then put the limousine's suspension to the test as well.
Sure enough, a 2.5-ton luxury limousine is heavy, and it didn't budge an inch.
The deep night passed with the sound of waves crashing.
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::: Challenge Achievement (NEW!) :::
- Enjoy a chase while riding in a vehicle. +1pt
- Become a wizard's attendant. +1pt
- Spend a hot time in the car. +1pt
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