Chapter 242
Enatomia Corporation, a corporation specializing in the development of multi-purpose androids and the construction of limited artificial intelligence, is hailed as the overwhelming number one in the industry and holds an undeniable position in related fields.
Recently, there were rumors that they signed a supply contract with Dusk City, and with the announcement that they would soon unveil their new technique and a prototype New Android and AI version, public attention was focused on them.
In short, they were an incredibly successful large corporation. There were even evaluations that if they just continued this upward trend, they would be comparable to a Megacorp.
Enatomia Corporation was impressive, but its owner family, the Meredith Family, also belonged to an exceptionally special category among the various noble families of Dusk City.
Their very origin was different from other nobles. Those who bore the surname Meredith were entirely non-human.
They were people, but not human.
This was because the 22nd century Dusk City, which was politically correct to a degree incomparable to the 21st century world, had a broad category of 'people' that transcended the limits of species.
The Meredith Family was the only Pure Raver Family in Dusk City.
Every single one of the family members was an artificial lifeform that had awakened a limited intellect and consciousness while trapped in a machine body, either Ladam or Ever.
In Dusk City, which had once suffered the terror of the FAIV Virus and the ordeal of the Machine hatred riot, there was likely no upper levels community as alien as they, proudly recognized as a non-human noble house through their wealth and status.
They were born nowhere else but strictly within the family, and rather than attending a regular Raver School, they went exclusively through the Meredith Family’s special and secretive training process to become a member and receive a name.
Furthermore, they did not easily interact with figures outside the family, even if they were fellow ravers, and only briefly showed their faces in noble social skills. Thus, aside from publicly known figures, the personal details of most were shrouded in mystery.
Therefore, hosting a large-scale banquet and inviting the scions of other noble families like this was quite an unprecedented event. Under the Meredith Family’s original principles, it was something close to impossible.
According to Team Leader Hank, this was the reason we had to be even more careful, as there might be some unexpected anomaly or hidden agenda.
“…A Raver Family, huh.”
The repulsion I felt upon first encountering the Meredith Family’s Mirror Castle and the Dolls there might have stemmed from that. Since our very species was different, our sensibilities might be entirely different as well.
Of course, Ms. Kali didn’t seem to feel very positive emotions looking at the Dolls either, but…
I don’t know. Let’s leave the worrying about the Meredith Family at this.
There was another reason Team Leader Hank was keeping an even closer eye on this escort duty.
“Why do you think the Meredith Family is throwing such a flashy banquet? And they’re inviting our great Schneider and all the other trivial hybrid families to boot. Huh? Those bastards must want something too.”
Gasp, tin cans. Startled by Team Leader Hank’s unfiltered derogatory remark, I turned my head to look at Ms. Kali.
Ms. Kali, however, was merely chuckling as if she were used to it. If he said something like that outside, he’d be socially buried and then some.
Wasn’t it the equivalent of openly spewing misandrist or misogynistic remarks in 21st-century Korea?
“…Uh, well. To show off?”
Since he asked, I felt like I had to answer, so I replied with the first thing that came to mind, which made Team Leader Hank put on a fierce expression.
“You’re about half right.”
I wondered why he looked displeased, but it seemed it was because he had planned to use it as an excuse to feed me another hearty serving of curses if I was completely wrong, and that plan had been foiled.
“What would they be trying to show off? Their slick new technique, of course. The performance of the prototype they’re unveiling this time is unprecedented; it’ll change the landscape of Dusk; the absolute limit of a limited AI model; perfect control, blah blah blah. The smarty-pantses of the Analysis Team were spouting all sorts of nonsense. Well, seeing how they’re aggressively advertising for everyone to look here, they must be confident in their technique.”
In short, this banquet was no different from a giant billboard created by the Meredith Family, a means to show off and demonstrate the coveted fruit that was their new technique to other noble families - prospective customers or competitors.
And coveted fruits always attract bugs.
“Schneider doesn’t engage in such petty acts. But in the case of the other hybrid families? Who knows. It must be a coveted technique. The Meredith Family even invited a large number of high-ranking officials from competitor companies. Whether they’re thinking to subdue and take them down a peg or what… thanks to that, it’s become a fucking pain in the ass for us.”
Those guys will be pulling all sorts of weird spying activities trying to steal the technique, won’t they? There will be plenty of bastards willing to use any means and methods, which is why we have to pay the utmost attention to the escort. Especially since our Young Lady is someone with an extraordinary amount of curiosity, even more so.”
I could feel Team Leader Hank’s desperate sincerity in the words, “someone with an extraordinary amount of curiosity.”
The sorrows of being the team leader of Security Team 4 in charge of a Troublemaker Young Lady were evident. For a brief moment, the fierce-looking Team Leader Hank almost looked pitiful.
“And this guy is the most famous among those petty bugs. I heard he might infiltrate the banquet today. Check it out.”
The hologram message Team Leader Hank transmitted contained brief Personal Information.
『Phantom Thief Zodiac.
Criminal with a danger level of ★★★☆☆ according to DCPD standards.
Identity: Unrevealed. Completely a managing director.
criminal record: unauthorized entry into the Chiba Data Bank’s Grade 1 Account Room and data theft, seizure and Destruction of Megacorp Shin Alibaba Corp. Chairman Chen Longfei’s Airstream Private Aircraft, unauthorized entry into Dusk Watch Headquarters and Seizure of a top-tier Net Diving cybernetics device (Note: not publicly known), kidnapping of third daughter Sonya Titov of the Titov Family, which owns the military-industrial corporation 'Rostula', for three days, etc.
special notes: master of disguise art, possesses top-tier hacking skill or has a helper with such skills. (Presumed to be a former net diver)』
Phantom Thief Zodiac… It was a cringeworthy nickname. It was even a little funny.
The problem was that his record wasn’t funny at all.
If a criminal record counted as a type of qualification, this person would easily be a shoo-in for a Megacorp executive position.
To think he’d kidnap the Royal Family of a military-industrial corporation, of all things in the world to mess with.
Since I knew nothing about Rostula Corp. or the Titov Family, the rest of the record was even more terrifying, even if I set that aside.
It was the very impregnable Chiba Data Bank that I had experienced firsthand. The metal wall of the three-dimensional cube that closed the distance as if it were alive alongside the cyborg ninja still occasionally appeared in my nightmares.
To think he breached the brutal security system of that Chiba Bank.
Furthermore, Dusk Watch, the organization of certified net divers that people said was the net’s equivalent of the DCPD in reality, and Shin Alibaba, ranked 3rd in the Megacorp overall ranking.
Did he have ten lives or something?
He had pulled off those crazy stunts multiple times and was still alive and actively operating.
Just what kind of monster was he?
A news report I heard a while ago came to mind.
[Declaring him “a prime example that no criminal can escape the judgment of the law,” the Police Department has launched a special operation for the arrest of Phantom Thief Zodiac, who boldly threw down the gauntlet against the City Public Authority.]
Hah, so you had to go this far for the DCPD to set up a special operation just to catch one person.
It would be a lie to say a certain someone didn’t come to mind at the words “former net diver”, but…
Well. That Tony who found everything in the world bothersome? Probably not.
“You see the Sonya Titov kidnapping incident in this guy’s record? It’s a hushed rumor so it’s not written in detail, but it seems he went all the way with Sonya Titov during those three days. Even after that Titov bitch was rescued, she supposedly suffered from lovesickness for a while… You get the gist, right? He’s a vulgar playboy who can’t control himself when he sees a pretty woman, especially a noble house scion. And as luck would have it, the Young Lady we serve fits all of his criteria perfectly.”
As high-ranking nobles, there were few families that could match Schneider, and likewise, there were few people who could match Young Lady Alexandra in looks.
She was more than enough to become the secondary objective of Phantom Thief Zodiac, who would have come aiming for Enatomia Corporation’s new technique.
Anyway, a phantom thief who couldn’t control himself around women. Thinking about it again, maybe it really was Tony?
Seeing him throw sleazy passes at female customers in the bar made him highly suspicious.
“A man who’s had a taste for women knows how to get what he wants; and since he’s already had a taste, he’ll be even more frantic to seduce her. Keep this in mind. You must never let any bastard whose identity hasn’t been verified - no, even if it has been verified - approach the Young Lady.”
The gaze that glared at me suspiciously as he said that.
I could guess what Team Leader Hank was thinking.
The person with the most uncertain identity in Security Team 4, and on top of that, a young man who had shown an unusually close dynamic with Young Lady Alexandra.
For him, there was ample reason to be wary of me. Though it was an absurd suspicion for me, who was neither a phantom thief nor anything else.
“I am not Phantom Thief Zodiac. If I were that elusive phantom thief, would I infiltrate in such an obvious and suspicious manner?”
At my protest, Team Leader Hank snorted and said.
“I know that without you telling me.”