Chapter 95

■ Suburbs of the Imperial Capital · Headquarters of the <Triangle of Wisdom> 【Senior Pilot】 Hugo Receps

The imperial capital of the Dryf Empire, Vandelheim.

To describe what kind of city this is... it can be explained from two aspects.

One is a cityscape that can only be seen in monochrome photographs with blurry details, reminiscent of 19th-century Europe.

In this <Infinite Dendrogram>, it is the most advanced, yet to us living in 2045 on Earth, it is an extremely retro city. This is one aspect of Vandelheim.

The other aspect of Vandelheim is told by the scene before my eyes.

"Whaaat!? The new amphibious model sank in the pool and won't float up!!"

"Ah, the MP must have run out. If you use magic mechanisms for the oxygen generator and pressure defense barrier, of course the MP will run out."

"Looks like we have to stick with the traditional chemical method for oxygen supply and handle the pressure with design and materials. We can't solve everything with magic. It's a robot, after all."

"Stop being so relaxed and help me retrieve the [Zelbal Type M]!"

'Gurgle gurgle...'

"Oh, the seal isn't tight enough, is it?"

"Water's getting in. There's a problem with the gasket or the frame."

"Stop being so relaxed!?"

'Gurgle, I'm drowning!?'

At the edge of a ten-meter-deep experimental pool, Engineer Zelbal is in a panic. Meanwhile, Maintenance Engineer Frosch and RoboRomance are taking data and working on their projects, glancing at Zelbal sideways. And the one drowning in the water is probably... Pilot Kuromikage.

"Excuse me, the custom-made [Marshal II] that the military requested is ready, but how do you want it painted?"

"Red, right... so the whole thing should be red. And let's add horns."

"We don't need horn antennas since they're not necessary for the communication device here. Better to paint just the shoulders red."

"......No, if we paint just the shoulders red on the dark green [Marshal II], it'll look too plain."

"If you say so, painting the whole thing red with horns would be the same, right?"

"Just do it quickly."

"‘Just do it quickly’? That's not an option!!"

"Kyaa!?"

The one bringing the report is Ruffia from the General Affairs Department. In response to the request, the [Illustrator] MS Giomad and Assault Tripper, who are passionate about their hobbies... or rather, their interests, are debating the design of the horns.

"By the way, it seems the owner went somewhere and lost."

"Source?"

"MMO Journal Planter."

"I was so engrossed in the final design and testing that I haven't checked for a while."

"Me too, hehehe."

"How many days?"

"Five days."

"I win. Seven days."

"......Is that a win?"

In both the virtual and real world, [Senior Engineer] Burantan, Doraragan, and Black Company are working on <Majingear> parts day and night, with a mad grin on their faces.

While engaging in their respective creative activities, causing trouble, clashing with their principles, and overworking, they continue their daily routines.

"Hmm... the usual scene."

After the penalty period ended and I logged in, the scene before me is the usual state of the clan.

This is a massive facility, covering 200,000 square meters, built in the suburbs of the imperial capital Vandelheim.

It is the headquarters of the largest clan in the empire, the <Triangle of Wisdom>, and a place where the most advanced technology of the empire is concentrated.

Yes, this... the scene of eccentrics, oddballs, and ordinary people playing with robots is another aspect of Vandelheim.

Such scenes can be found all over the city.

However, the <Triangle of Wisdom> is said to be the largest in scale.

Yes, this is the clan created by that person.

A clan where each person's intelligence is combined to "freely create what they desire."

"......"

Just as this city has several aspects, so do people.

If the plan in Gideon is the shadowy side of that person's dream, then this is the sunny side.

"Well, then..."

Turning around, I face away from the daily scene of the clan and head for a certain place.

It is the center of this headquarters.

The room of Mr. Franklin, the clan owner... and his sister.

◇◆

"You're going to be kicked out of the clan."

As soon as I entered the room, my sister, still sitting in her chair, said those words.

"......Kicked out, huh."

To be honest, I was already prepared for this. So, I wasn't surprised.

When Plan C, which I hadn't been informed about... which had been hidden, started, I betrayed my sister.

If I hadn't released the <Gate of Hell> at that time, my sister's plan would have proceeded more as she intended.

"By the way, Belldurber is also leaving the clan. Well, he was a guest, so this was expected."

When announcing my dismissal and talking about Belldurber, my sister's tone remained the same.

She continued to play the role of Mr. Franklin, the male mad scientist avatar.

"Belldurber even left three new soundtracks as a parting gift. He was meticulous, so it's a shame... but it can't be helped."

"......Can't be helped?"

"Yes, he was originally in this clan to find a 'real hero.' But in the end, he overlooked many things because he followed my plan. Additionally... he must have had his own thoughts about me."

Saying this, my sister... closed her eyes as if recalling something.

"I don't have much popularity. Even before the war, AR·I·CA... the [Ace of Aces] left me. ...That child is a <Super> in Cardina, isn't she? I'm truly... someone who is abandoned."

My sister smiled bitterly... and looked at me.

"You."

That one word was not part of her role as Franklin,

"Why did you come to save me at the last moment?"

It was my sister speaking.

"I thought you had given up on me."

"That's not true..."

"Didn't you feel betrayed by me?"

Interrupting my denial, my sister continued.

"......"

If I answered "no" to the question of whether I felt betrayed, it would be a lie.

Not causing casualties in Tien was something my sister had calculated from the beginning.

"So, I want to ask you one last time. Why did you come to save me in Pandemonium at that time?"

She is asking.

She is questioning.

But...

"I don't know... I don't know..."

The answer is not within me.

It doesn't come to mind even if I think about it.

Because... I acted before I could think.

"I don't know..."

Before I realized it, tears were streaming down my face.

They were tears that came late.

Tears that flowed when I realized that this would be the last time I would see my sister here.

I finally understood.

Even if I was lied to, betrayed, and no matter how cruel she seemed to me...

I still... I still... like my sister.

"Maybe you couldn't find an answer, so you acted without thinking."

My sister concluded this as I cried without a clear answer.

She stood up from her chair and walked towards me.

"Then, next time, think carefully and come to a conclusion. A conclusion you can be satisfied with until the end."

As she said this, she wiped my tears with a handkerchief she took from her pocket.

"Ah..."

The gentle force she used to wipe my eyes... was the same as the old days.

"You. Go on a journey and broaden your horizons. I did the same on Earth."

"Eh...?"

"Fortunately, the experiences in this world... especially those related to the heart, are not wasted. If you leave me and go on a journey, you will surely gain a lot. So, for now... see the world of <Infinite Dendrogram> freely, without being bound by the clan or me. If you want to come back... I will accept you."

"Sister..."

"Ah, and one more thing."

Saying this, my sister took something out of her item box.

It was a [Garage] containing <Majingear>.

"A parting gift... and a birthday present. I believe your 15th birthday is next Tuesday, right?"

"You remembered...?"

In response to my question, my sister smiled wryly.

Then,

"Of course. I wouldn't forget your birthday."

She smiled.

That smile was different from any smile she had on her face in Gideon.

It was... the same gentle smile from long ago, when my sister and I lived together.

"Sister..."

The tears that were supposed to be wiped away were wetting my cheeks again.

Ah, I finally understood.

As that demon said, I hadn't been facing my sister's bad side.

That bad side did exist and might have hurt many people.

But... it was there.

The kindness of my sister, like the sun, for me.

It wasn't an illusion... it was real.

"Sister... thank you... see you again, someday."

"Yes, You. See you again, someday..."

◇◆

And so, I left the clan <Triangle of Wisdom>.

As I left my sister's room, Kyuko appeared from my left hand, who had not shown up until then.

"You look a bit better, Hugo."

"......Yeah."

"I'm glad you had a good talk with your sister."

"Kyuko..."

It seems my usually sarcastic partner had been watching over my conversation with my sister.

"Kyuko, thank you."

"But, regardless of the content, both of you are male avatars, right? The scene of two male avatars saying tearful goodbyes in female language is a bit... weird."

......Kyuko, isn't that comment a bit too much...?

◆◆◆

■ [Grand Professor] Mr. Franklin

I am watching You leave from my room through a monitor.

As she leaves the facility, a large number of clan members have gathered around her.

They must have gathered to see her off after I notified them that You was going on a journey.

Everyone is bidding her farewell with regret, but also encouraging her.

Although she has only been a member of our clan for a little over a month in real life, You was well-liked by everyone.

She was too kind, always meddling in everyone's affairs.

By the way, she can remember the names of hundreds of clan members effortlessly.

That might be one of the reasons she was well-liked.

Speaking of which, the female members are crying in a circle. That must be the fan club formed within the clan.

Yes, yes, but that child is a girl inside, you know?

I'm a woman too, but I wonder if they don't notice.

Or maybe they have a Takarazuka fan's mindset.

I don't understand.

"Well, I'll miss her."

"Yeah... We're losing a good test pilot."

"I wanted her to test the [Supersonic Death Revolver Catapult]..."

Wait, I haven't heard about that device with the nice name.

"Uwaan, we're losing a handsome <Master>."

"There are quite a few handsome guys, but..."

"Beauty is short-lived..."

You are not dead, you know?

"Such a rare pilot with a maiden..."

"She looked good... even in thin books."

"Ah, I'll send you the new book by the owner and Hugo when it comes out."

Secondary creation department... maybe I should feed them to new monsters later.

"But the owner should come to see her off at the exit."

"No, knowing him, he might be watching us through the surveillance cameras."

"Should I hack and take down the camera network?"

"......We'll have to restore it later, you know?"

I don't want them to destroy the surveillance network of their own facility.

I am indeed watching, but...

The farewell from the members continues for a long time.

In just one month... or three months in this world, You had become well-integrated into the clan.

"......"

A month ago, I invited You to join the clan.

Or rather, I invited her to <Infinite Dendrogram>.

I could have invited her much earlier, but for some reason, I didn't think of it until recently.

However, when the empire gained the upper hand in the war with the kingdom, and the ones who put me in penalty were defeated, and the <Triangle of Wisdom> as a clan reached its peak... I suddenly decided to invite You.

I don't know if it was because I wanted her to see what I had created, or if I had the leisure to invite her.

But at that time, I made the decision to meet You again.

So, You and I met again in this <Infinite Dendrogram>.

......I didn't expect her to come in with an avatar of the opposite gender.

It was difficult to meet up at first.

The You I met after several years was a very good child.

Although she was playing a pretentious role of a knight or prince from a stage play, she hadn't changed at her core.

I knew she cared about the existence called Tien in this world because her <Embryo> was a maiden. That was also her unchanged kindness.

Yes, she is truly kind.

However, she has one misunderstanding.

"No, I made her misunderstand, but..."

I am not just letting You leave the clan for her own good.

That is one of the reasons, but... the reason lies with me.

It is a very simple matter.

"If she is around, I can't do anything worse than that."

The plans, including Plan C and Plan D, have failed.

Then, when I devise a new strategy... and when I eliminate those who defeated me, I will need to use even more extreme methods.

If she is around, she will put a stop to me.

Reflecting on the recent plan, I could have taken a more ruthless approach.

Her presence is a comfort to me, but it acts as a brake when I need to win.

In any case, she is gone now.

My beloved sister, the one I want to show my gentle side to, and the brake on my conscience, has left.

Now, I can... go and defeat my enemies.

I can win against those who defeated me, without choosing my means.

"Be prepared... Ray Sterling."

I said this, thinking of my enemy.

To be continued

The next update is tomorrow at 21:00.