Matere Headquarters, 1st Floor
“Haah! Haah! I thought I was going to die…”
“Seriously! Why do you have to follow us all the way here?”
“Exactly! This isn’t a game for us!”
Both Kurinka and I were furious, and it was all because Shin had brought a horde of machine hounds with him. With his cries echoing in the air, there was no way we could just leave him to fend for himself. But if he kept being a burden, I really wished he wouldn’t tag along. Why did he even come with us in the first place?
“Could it be related to what you always write about?”
“D-Don’t look! You can’t pry into a maiden’s secrets!”
“I’m a girl too, you know…”
“Ha!”
I felt a surge of annoyance at his laughter, but I was an adult, so I wouldn’t get genuinely angry at a child like him. I decided to ignore the fact that Kurinka was also trying to hold back her laughter.
“More importantly, you guys are looking for evidence, right? Wandering aimlessly in this vast building won’t help you find anything. Honestly, this is why you carefree fools…”
“What do you mean by ‘carefree fools’? And if you’re going to say that, do you know what we should do?”
“Unlike you guys, Shin’s quality of birth and intellect is different. Listen, instead of searching for something that might not even exist, it’s better to catch one of the employees here and make them talk.”
“I see! If we’re looking for something, we should start with those connected to it! Hans said something similar!”
“Got it! Now hurry up and walk quickly. Oh, and don’t forget to protect Shin properly!”
I never thought I’d be taught by a kid like this. He was still a mystery, but it seemed he wasn’t a bad kid after all. We really struggled with searching for things and detailed tasks. I remembered how much trouble we had with that pet-finding request back when we were D-rank. Still, the client was so happy that it made it worthwhile.
I wondered if the King would be pleased. Weiss would probably act like it was a given, and thinking about that made me lose motivation. Why was he always so insufferably smug?
Matere Headquarters, 4th Floor
As we walked down the corridor, suddenly the walls collapsed, trapping us inside. Almost immediately, smoke began to spew from the ceiling. No, this was probably poison. The moment I inhaled it, a sharp sting shot through my nose and into my body. Kurinka seemed fine as she covered her mouth with her hand, but the real problem was Shin.
“Hold your breath! This is poison!”
“Migyu!”
I scooped up his small body and smashed through the wall with a single swing. Once we reached a spot where the poisonous smoke couldn’t reach, I took a moment to catch my breath, only to be confronted by that pack of hounds again. Just how many were there? No matter how many they lined up, there was no way they could stop us.
[Defeated 4 Ruthless Execution Hounds! HP 0/2490]
This was nothing that required the use of Disballade. I was actually curious to see how much I had been reborn. But for now, facing these opponents didn’t give me that feeling. I wished at least a slightly stronger foe would show up.
As I was lost in thought, I noticed Shin, who I was holding, making a muffled, pained sound.
“You’re okay now. Here.”
“Puhah! Puhah! Ah, thank you…”
Once I set him down, Shin fluttered around like a little bird. He stared at our faces as if he were trying to burn holes through them. What was he going to say after we saved him?
“W-Well, um, I guess I should thank you…”
“Huh? Thank you?”
“Walk quickly! If something weird comes again… Ah!”
[3 Ruthless Execution Hounds have appeared! HP 2490]
[A Strict Observer has appeared! HP 3570]
Something unfamiliar had shown up. It had a body like a pillar and a head that looked like half of a round fruit. Despite its awkward appearance, it wielded a gun and a sharp-looking axe. It seemed slow, and the hounds looked like they could fight better. Why did they even create something like that? Oh, I see.
“We might have to take that one down first; it could be a hassle.”
“Intruder Confirmed! Intruder Confirmed! Executing Protocol!”
[3 Armored Executors have appeared! HP 4310]
[6 Ruthless Execution Hounds have appeared! HP 2490]
With a jarring voice and a red light flashing, new defense machines gathered under that machine. Between the awkward armored machines and those hounds, just how many were there? If we kept dealing with them one by one, it would never end. Maybe it was time to break through the ceiling and head straight to the top floor.
“With all these monsters around, it’s way more dangerous than anything else… Matere Trading Company is a weapons company, yet they’re spending money on the wrong things. Right, Lua-chan?”
“Y-Yeah, that’s true.”
Now that I thought about it, he was right. What was Matere thinking? Were there really that many intruders? Still, this felt abnormal. Or maybe the thoughts of the wealthy were beyond our understanding. Considering it was Formas’s father, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he was a bit eccentric.
[Armored Executor’s Hammer Punch!]
[Ruthless Execution Hound’s Flame Axel!]
[Strict Observer’s Saber Arm!]
“Enough already…”
“Kyahhhhhhh!”
The moment I heard that high-pitched scream, I felt exasperated, thinking Shin was being chased again. But this time, he was clinging to my back. No wonder it felt warm. That meant the scream was coming from somewhere else.
“Ah! A woman over there!”
At the end of the corridor, an unfamiliar woman was spotted by the hounds and was about to be attacked. For me, it wouldn’t take more than a few seconds to reach her from here. I charged forward, smashing through the machines in front of me and inserting myself between the hounds and the woman.
Kurinka should be able to take care of the stragglers. I could handle getting bitten, but if a normal person was attacked by those things, they’d definitely be torn to shreds. After smashing the dangerous hound with my right hand, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
[Defeated 3 Armored Executors! HP 0/4310]
[Defeated 6 Ruthless Execution Hounds! HP 0/2490]
[Defeated Strict Observer! HP 0/3570]
“I’m glad I made it in time. Are you hurt?”
[Defeated Ruthless Execution Hound! HP 0/2490]
“Y-Yes…”
I gently took the hand of the woman who was completely paralyzed with fear. She was dressed similarly to Lady, so she must have worked here. I hadn’t expected to find anyone at all. More than that, I was irritated that those machines had attacked someone who worked here. What were they trying to protect by creating such dangerous things? Shouldn’t they be protecting people like her?
“Th-thank you…”
“Are you an employee here? What on earth is going on?”
“W-We were told to evacuate because intruders were coming… but I got left behind…”
“Is everyone else safe? If so, we need to get you to a secure place…”
“It’s too late! The path to the evacuation point is completely blocked… I’ve endured so much just to keep working for the president… I just want to go home… Waaaaah!”
This was really troublesome. Maybe the shock from earlier had been too much for her. I couldn’t just leave her like this; I needed to get her to a safe place. And I couldn’t help but wonder if she had any information, just like Shin had mentioned earlier.
“Anyway, can you guide us to where the others evacuated? If the path is blocked, Lua-chan can break through…”
“I-I don’t understand what you’re saying…”
“I mean it literally; please trust me.”
“We’re fighting to expose Matere’s wrongdoings. So if you know anything, we need your cooperation.”
“Y-You really are…”
“Even if machines like that attack, we’ll be fine, okay?”
The woman seemed hesitant to believe me, but after a moment of silence, she brushed off her skirt and slowly stood up. Staying here would only get her attacked by those machines again, so I hoped she would follow my lead. Plus, I wanted to get Shin off my back.
“Um, I’ve been bullied for a long time, and I can’t fight, so if something happens, I’ll need you to protect me… um, this way.”
Suddenly, she began to guide us. She positioned herself between us to stay safe in case more machines showed up. Ideally, I’d carry her on my back for maximum safety, but the child on my back was really getting in the way. He could fly, so I wished he would just stay away.
“Shin, can you move away a bit? You’re too hot.”
“Considering you’re completely unfazed by being bitten by a hound, this doesn’t count as a fight.”
It was incredibly frustrating, but I couldn’t deny it. No matter what I said, he wouldn’t budge. I even thought about slamming him against the wall, but I figured that would probably kill him, so I stopped myself.
Thanks to all the machines we had defeated so far, it felt like their numbers were dwindling. They couldn’t possibly be infinite, so they had to run out eventually.
“This must have taken a lot of money and time to create…”
“Everything is being cut from the funds we receive… Because of that, no matter how hard we work, we can’t catch a break. In the end, we’re forced to live like prisoners, not even allowed to step outside the premises… The president plans to market that machine as the next-generation weapon to the world… Ugh… Waaaah!”
Every time she spoke, she burst into tears. It seemed like she had been through a lot of suffering. The treatment here was no different from that in the factory, and perhaps most of the people working at Matere Trading Company were in a similar situation. I thought about how it was back at the factory, but against those machines, it was impossible. To be honest, that dog was already on par with the Floor Monsters found in dungeons, and I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if such things were sold worldwide.
“If we leave this company unchecked, it seems like they’ll keep doing terrible things. We need to find some decisive evidence quickly.”
“Even so… At this rate, the cavalry of the Kingdom of Kashiram will be wasting their efforts.”
“The Kashiram army has moved?! Can’t we use our testimonies? Actually, I know the president is dealing with some shady businesses. They often obscure that data, and the reason we aren’t allowed to step outside is probably to prevent any leaks of that information. Most of us are treated terribly, and while it’s not the case for everyone, some backups of the data have been taken by others.”
“B-backup?”
She suddenly seemed to get fired up, speaking rapidly and even walking faster. I hoped she wouldn’t get too far ahead.
“I think everyone will stand up once they hear the army has moved! I know how strong the cavalry is, and even this company won’t stand a chance! Come on, over there! It looks like a wall, but actually…”
At that moment, her momentum faded. Why? Because there was a large, spider-like machine occupying that space. It had six legs, a round body, and a single eye. It reminded me of that monster we encountered in Mist Village.
【Proto Guardian has appeared! HP 8180】
“Ah, ahhh… m-my back… my back is giving out…”
I told you so. While she was panicking, what I thought were legs suddenly adhered to the walls and ceiling, releasing electric currents and turning the machine itself into a wall blocking the corridor. It was clear it wouldn’t let us pass, even without words.
“Hey, everyone is taking refuge back there, right?”
“Y-yes… but it’s over… That’s a Guardian… It’s a prototype, but if you get too close, the laser ports beneath its eye will open and it will retaliate in a straight line… The power of that attack is just… ugh… oh, wait?”
【Proto Guardian defeated! HP 0/8180】
“What? It didn’t even shoot at us?”
I simply punched its round body with all my might, and it completely crumbled. The legs that had been connected to the walls and ceiling fell to the floor, bursting apart with the electric currents. Just as it looked, it was fragile.
“Maybe it was broken?”
“I see, if Kurinka says so, it might be true.”
“I was right here… H-how did it get so far… Oh, could it be that the Guardian couldn’t react due to its speed? Just kidding… That can’t be… Ah, ahahaha…”
The woman, who had collapsed to the ground as if all the air had been sucked out of her, was letting out a dry laugh. It might be best to reunite her with the others before she got any more out of sorts. I thought this as I smashed the wall with my fist, only to end up knocking myself out.
“She probably just couldn’t keep up with everything happening… Poor thing.”
“This is all Matere’s fault. We really need to do something soon.”
“It would be better if they took care of things faster…”
Something whispered behind me, but I pretended not to hear.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Using my back, I diligently report.
Fools and something are useful.
I aim to secure the woman who got left behind and head to the refuge.
However, machines stand in our way.
The machines, unable to do anything, transform into scrap metal.
Shin thinks:
When creating this, I must have gone through countless trials and tests to finally complete it.
Who could have imagined it would be so easily subdued?
Before reviewing the development, it might be better to stop the development altogether.
Something seems to be happening with Matere.
Soon, wherever these machines pass, not even a blade of grass will grow.
Oh, how terrifying.
Monster Compendium
【Strict Observer HP 3570】
A machine that looks like a tin toy for indoor security.
It is equipped with only minimal combat weaponry but can relay signals to other machines to gather them at the scene.
【Armored Executor HP 4310】
A knight-type machine for indoor security.
Focused on close combat and defense, it can withstand most mid-level wizard spells without taking significant damage.
The Armored Executor restricts the area while the Ruthless Execution Hound delivers the finishing blow in a combination attack.
【Proto Guardian HP 8180】
A spider-type machine for indoor defense.
It blocks the corridor and targets anyone approaching in a straight line with its large mouth laser. However, as a prototype, it has the flaw of being too slow to detect enemies and switch to defense mode.