Chapter 82
Our aerial vehicle arrived at the research facility in Autonovus. Dozens of aerial vehicles were already visible at the airstrip.
Beep.
From the airstrip, a guidance signal was transmitted to our aerial vehicle, indicating the designated landing point. A green dotted line appeared at the front of the vehicle.
Ilay maneuvered the vehicle, following the guidance line to land.
Chiiiik.
As soon as the door of the landed aerial vehicle opened, an android with glowing green eyes poked its head inside.
- Welcome, Giselle Custoria, Ilay Carthica, and Keisa. I am Autobot, Autonovus's in-house android.
Autobot was not a standardized android of the Empire but an independent-spec model. While its upper body was not particularly different, its lower half was unique. Instead of bipedal legs, it had four limbs, and instead of feet, it had wheels.
If Autobot were a commercially available model, its independent specifications would pose issues with expandability and compatibility, but since it was used exclusively within Autonovus, that wouldn’t be a problem… or so Giselle explained.
- We will now proceed with security procedures in accordance with Autonovus's internal regulations. We ask for your understanding.
Autobot’s glowing eyes flashed brightly. A net-like green light swept over Giselle and Ilay. It was verifying whether their registered data matched their actual identities.
Beep, beep.
Each time a verification was completed, Autobot’s glowing eyes flickered red. It happened twice for Ilay.
- In accordance with our regulations, we recommend that Ilay Carthica disarm.
"I'm here as security detail. And… those people over there are disembarking while still armed."
Ilay spoke while gazing at another aerial vehicle. Just as he said, armed guards carrying firearms and protective gear were passing through Autobot's security procedure.
- By our standards, an unarmed Ilay Carthica is classified as a red-tier risk factor. Those individuals, even fully armed, are classified as green-tier risk factors. This is a relative assessment, and we ask for your understanding.
Ilay’s cybernetic body itself was as good as a weapon. As Autobot implied, even if that entire group of armed guards attacked him at once, they wouldn’t be able to handle Ilay alone, even unarmed.
Considering the difference in combat capability, Autobot’s assessment wasn’t unreasonable.
“…Fine.”
- Thank you.
Arguing further would be pointless. Ilay obediently removed his protective gear and stowed his sword and pistol in the aerial vehicle.
Whiiing.
Autobot’s gaze turned to me. The net-like green light scanned me up and down multiple times, lingering slightly longer than usual.
‘Signal jammer.’
Autobot’s sensors would perceive my body shape as that of a woman. That was because I had adjusted the distortion value of the signal jammer to create that appearance.
Of course, since it was merely a distortion and interference at the signal level, the deception would fall apart if I were to remove my clothes. However, no one would make such a rude demand of a "servant of the Custoria family." That would be equivalent to admitting that Autonovus did not trust the Custoria family.
- On behalf of our company, we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Autobot said that and backed away. Its four-wheeled lower body smoothly reversed with ease.
"It’s been a while since I’ve walked around without even a pistol. Feels a bit empty."
Ilay stepped out of the aerial vehicle, now unencumbered. Giselle and I followed behind him.
- The 9th Research Facility was established 21 years ago, beginning with the assault vehicle Salamander…
Autobot continued its guide-like speech, but no one was really paying attention. Those who were interested already knew this information, and those who didn’t know had no interest in it to begin with.
Kwaaaang!
A deafening mechanical roar erupted from the distance. The people at the airstrip turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
Outside the research facility, the terrain was as rugged as a rocky mountain. A tracked vehicle was moving aggressively across it. Its undercarriage smoothly adjusted to the uneven terrain, absorbing shocks as it went. The way it moved almost resembled a giant insect scurrying at high speed.
- To ensure optimal performance in even the harshest terrains, we conduct our product tests in the most extreme environments within the Empire.
It was no exaggeration to call it a harsh environment. This was precisely why a major corporation’s research facility was located in a remote region far from Akbaran. With the entire surrounding area being undeveloped rough terrain, it was an ideal location for test drives.
Autobot led us to the exhibition hall of the research facility. More people had gathered, many of whom were also being guided by other Autobots, creating a bustling crowd.
"Ah, Giselle? You’re here too."
A noblewoman greeted Giselle. Others who recognized her also stopped to say hello before moving along.
Meanwhile, Ilay and I carefully scanned the surroundings, keeping an eye out for any suspicious individuals.
"Ilay Carthica! Fancy meeting you here. I didn’t think you were interested in vehicles."
This time, a middle-aged man approached Ilay.
"I am here on a security mission."
Ilay responded curtly, subtly rejecting the conversation.
"Come on, this is Autonovus’s private property. Relax a little. There are plenty of others handling security besides you."
Ilay forced an awkward smile. The middle-aged man persistently clung to him, and he wasn’t the only one.
‘The strongest candidate for the next head of the Carthica family.’
A crowd of people was eager to strike up a conversation with Ilay. From his perspective, it was difficult to coldly brush them off. In noble society, making enemies unnecessarily could only lead to trouble.
I was the most at ease in this situation.
‘Looks like the disguise is working well. No one recognizes me.’
I observed the people approaching Giselle and Ilay. Some had attended Custoria’s banquet before. They glanced at me as they passed by, seemingly assuming I was just Giselle’s attendant.
Well, who would expect a promising adopted son of the Custoria family to be here in this state? Even I found it hard to believe.
But it was worth enduring the humiliation and disgrace. No one paid me any attention. I was completely outside the scope of surveillance and suspicion.
‘If I were Barbara… where would I attempt to kidnap Giselle?’
I tried thinking from Barbara’s perspective, but there were too many flaws in my reasoning. Barbara was an electronic warfare specialist. Her expertise was completely different from mine.
It was difficult to predict how she would approach.
‘About 40 hours until we return to Akbaran.’
The Autonovus tour was scheduled to last two days. The first day consisted of product demonstrations in the exhibition hall, while the second day involved test-driving in the field.
‘If Barbara makes a move, it’ll likely be tomorrow.’
But if she wanted to catch us off guard, she might act today instead.
I closed my eyes briefly and recalled Barbara’s personal information. Normally, even as a trainee overseer, I wouldn’t have access to such classified data, but Hemillas had shown it to me for this mission. Strictly speaking, it was an overreach of authority.
‘…Barbara is an Irregular among Irregulars. No, calling her an Irregular doesn’t quite fit. She was designed for this.’
The Witch, Barbara, was a genius beyond my expectations.
For years, the Empire had sought the ideal candidate for Operation Juliet—a plan to infiltrate Nemesis with an elite hacker. Barbara was the product of that meticulous selection process.
According to Hemillas, Barbara was an even rarer talent than me.
‘Barbara possesses extraordinary talent, but she has a personality disorder and antisocial tendencies.’
Shockingly, the Empire was fully aware of Barbara’s unstable mental state. But that instability made her the perfect candidate to infiltrate Nemesis.
To recruit a sociopathic Barbara, the Empire must have offered a reward she couldn’t refuse.
‘Just how many spies does the Empire have inside Nemesis?’
Kinuan, who had long colluded with Nemesis, was also on the Empire’s side. Barbara, whom they had painstakingly recruited, was another imperial spy. Aside from them, there were likely numerous others planted within Nemesis by the Empire.
‘So even the largest terrorist organization in the Empire operates under its surveillance.’
No—if I thought about it, the only reason Nemesis could maintain its size was precisely because it was under the Empire’s control and watchful eye.
If the Empire ever determined that Nemesis had slipped beyond its control… it would mobilize every asset it had embedded within the organization to annihilate it. No one would escape the purge.
Murmur, murmur.
While I was lost in thought, our group entered the exhibition hall. The atmosphere quickly became lively.
"I told you, it’s a quadrupedal tracked vehicle! Now hand over your credits—"
"It’s not quadrupedal, you idiot!"
"If it’s not quadrupedal, then… huh? Huhhh?"
It seemed some nobles had placed bets on the identity of the prototype. The vehicle unveiled by Autonovus defied their expectations.
"The highlight of this public exhibition—a transformable multi-legged walking vehicle… Arachne!"
An Autonovus executive stood on the podium and proudly made the announcement.
Whiiing.
Simultaneously, the guiding Autobots projected holographic screens in front of the attendees. Detailed specifications of the Arachne were displayed.
"Under normal conditions, it operates with four wheels. In rough terrain, auxiliary legs with high traction extend—"
Before people could finish reading, Arachne’s auxiliary legs extended. With those included, it had a total of eight legs.
Arachne was a vehicle that could switch between different numbers of legs depending on the terrain. It was designed for both speed and stability, but its transformable nature meant lower reliability and higher costs.
‘A vehicle purely for the wealthy.’
It would be difficult to use in the military. On the battlefield, reliability was paramount. That was precisely why transformable weaponry, prone to malfunctions and failures, was rarely considered.
There were eight prototype vehicles on display, including Arachne, each designed for a different purpose. How many of these would actually make it to mass production was anyone’s guess.
Whirrr, whirrr.
Apart from Arachne, a construction robot vehicle also caught my attention. It was a collaboration with Roman, a robotics company. Its upper body was a piloted humanoid robot, while its lower half used Autonovus’s continuous track technology. Since the upper body had two arms, it could be utilized for multiple purposes.
This type of robot vehicle had existed before, but according to the murmuring crowd, its performance and responsiveness had greatly improved.
Not that I really understood the technical details.
"Have you considered developing a system where only the robot’s arms are directly linked to the nervous system?"
Giselle asked a researcher standing in front of the prototype.
"With this level of output and size, the response time isn’t much different from manual operation. Right now, it’s not cost-effective to research and develop such a system. Besides, if we want to enhance operational freedom, it’s better to install sensors that mimic human movements."
"I see… That makes sense."
Giselle seemed highly interested in the Autonovus exhibition. She would have wanted to attend even if it weren’t for the mission. She eagerly explored the exhibition hall, asking questions as she went.
While Giselle was enjoying herself, I found the exhibition dull. As I idly scanned my surroundings, I noticed a man intently staring at Giselle.
…It wasn’t our first time meeting. That said, he wasn’t a threat either. I let out a wry smile.
‘Enrico Lagan.’
A student from Kracia Academy who had confessed to Giselle. Thanks to my little push, he had been utterly rejected.
Even now, he was watching Giselle from afar with a wistful expression.
‘You can see her at the academy, yet you followed her all the way here? Are you really a stalker…?’
Enrico clearly had no interest in the Autonovus exhibition. He was only looking at Giselle.
‘Hmm. I almost feel bad for him.’
He didn’t even have the courage to greet Giselle, let alone approach her.
Not that I blamed him. I recalled what Giselle had said to him back then.
‘I am not interested in you. No, it’s beyond mere disinterest—I find your presence uncomfortable. I would appreciate it if you stopped hovering around me without reason.’
Her cold words must have been etched into Enrico’s heart.
In any case, the exhibition was coming to an end. Accommodations had been arranged for the visitors. It seemed the staff dormitories had been vacated for us tonight.
It was only when we arrived at our rooms that I realized something important.
"Well then, I’ll be in the room next door. Have a lovely night, ladies."
Ilay flashed us a smile before stepping into his room. The sight of his grin sent a chill down my spine.
"Ah…"
"Hmm."
Giselle and I hesitated.
…We had to share a room. That was how Autonovus had assigned the accommodations. It made sense—after all, I was her personal attendant.
Right. It wasn’t a big deal. We were siblings, even if not by blood.
No. It was a big deal. To be honest, this was a problem.
"Lady Giselle, perhaps we should ask Autonovus for a separate room…"
"What are you talking about? Of course, we have to share a room, Keisa. I can’t even change my clothes properly without you."
Giselle’s words snapped me back to reality.
This was the whole reason I had gone as far as crossdressing in the first place—to stay by her side 24/7 without arousing suspicion.
The fool of the day was me.
Creak.
We opened the door and stepped inside.
Thud.
The door shut behind us, sealing us in our own private space.
…This was going to drive me insane.