Episode 128: A Story of Future Treatment Decided in Unbeknownst Places
Why did ＜Ringo＞ experience the effects of magic, and why did the man who appeared to be the caster lose consciousness?
And why was there no effect at all on the Doll Machine (Communicator), which was thought to be the initial target?
The Brain Unit of the Doll Machine was thoroughly investigated, but in the end, no problems were found.
In any case, it is certain that some kind of magic, or something like magic, was used and affected ＜Ringo＞.
And although the caster is unknown, the most suspicious person is the Boy (Waiter) who suddenly collapsed.
His background alone is suspicious.
This information seemed to have been communicated to the Royal Navy soldiers guarding the venue, and the unconscious man was not helped but restrained and removed.
“Let’s investigate that Boy (Waiter).”
At Commander (Eve)’s word, ＜Ringo＞ and Asahi (she) immediately began working.
They decided to extract all the information about the Boy (Target) recorded in the Spybot network and analyze it.
A large amount of data is stored in the Spybot network.
However, since it is mainly radio communication, it is not realistic to send all the monitoring data generated in millisecond units to the base. Therefore, a large amount of unused data is accumulated in the relay hub.
Normally, data search parameters are run to select only the data groups with a high hit rate within the hub, download them, and perform detailed analysis. However, this time, all data from the last 10 days will be analyzed.
In order to perform large-capacity data communication, multiple new drones dedicated to relaying are manufactured and launched from Fortress Two (Black Iron).
An Alpha-class drone equipped with an information storage device for intermediate storage is dispatched to receive data on the ocean.
This is a countermeasure taken in response to the concern that ＜Ringo＞ might be magically affected via the communication path. The communication path is physically cut off, and the data is brought into ＜The Tree＞ via the information storage device.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, but it can’t be helped.”
“Yes, Ma’am. However, when it comes to transferring exabyte-class data, storage transport is faster than wireless communication. It would be reversed if a corresponding communication bandwidth could be secured.”
Unlike the game era, where there were various restrictions on radio waves, in this world, the entire range of radio waves can be used without restriction. By relaying communication drones and arranging them in a mesh, it would be possible to communicate freely on the ground.
Well, doing that much would risk being noticed for abnormalities in the sky, so it’s not being adopted.
＜Ringo＞ analyzed the large amount of data obtained in this way, asking for Asahi’s opinion.
Because there are so many bots collecting data, there is a lot of data, but the quality of individual data is a bit rough. It is in a state of so-called low resolution.
However, since the same target is being observed from multiple perspectives, sufficient resolution can be secured when viewed as a whole. The problem is that it is necessary to synthesize multiple time-series data to obtain it.
＜Ringo＞ used the supercomputer’s abundant resources to the fullest and performed the analysis.
“So, did you catch anything?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The Boy (Target) in question has been confirmed to be appearing in the capital Moor for about 7 days.”
As a result of the analysis, it was possible to identify a person with matching appearance characteristics.
By connecting multiple data based on the results, it is possible to trace the target’s detailed behavior.
“After arriving in the capital Moor, he checked into an inn, toured tourist attractions and cafes for a while, and entered a bar that night. There, he hit it off with a man he happened to meet and drank with him for a while.”
After that, he returned to the inn and went to bed as usual.
The next day, he continued to act like a tourist and ended the day.
“…Suspicious.”
“Yes, Ma’am. On the third day, he went to the port and seemed to be checking the ＜Paraiso＞ fleet from a distance. However, at this point, he is a tourist, so he is not caught by the surveillance network and is passed over.”
Of course, all people who come to see the fleet directly are checked.
However, if the actions before and after this are not much different from those of a tourist, no alerts will be generated.
“On the fourth day, he entered a large store and showed movements like he was looking for goods. Then he caught a clerk and entered the negotiation room to start negotiations. This store is a series that has a slight relationship with the Traditional (Legendary) Senate in question. The negotiation itself was not particularly strange, but this is probably where some kind of code was exchanged.”
The target returned to the inn and ended the day.
The next day, he entered another store.
“Here, we lost sight of the target. It is thought that he disguised himself in the store and escaped from a secret back entrance. Spybots have not infiltrated into detailed alleys and gaps, so they cannot be captured if they change their appearance.”
“Well, that can’t be helped. There are limits to the number of bots and the amount of information.”
However, a few hours later, the target was confirmed to be working as a Boy (Waiter) in another trading company, mainly dealing with high-end restaurants and party venues.
“I had the store’s records checked by Spybots, but the records showed that he had been working there for a month and had been transferred from another city. It’s a disguise that you wouldn’t know unless you suspected it and investigated it.”
“I see…”
In this case, it would be impossible unless the entry and exit of people were completely grasped with unique tags.
The Spybots currently infiltrating do not have sensors that can instantly identify people. It is only useful after synthesizing multiple data.
And if that determination is made instantly for all the people in the field of vision, the necessary information resources would be enormous.
“It is possible with a dedicated monitoring device, but it is impossible with the current performance of Spybots.”
“Yeah… I don’t want to put it under complete surveillance, so I have to give up on that. Ultimately, it would be enough to detect only the malice towards ＜Paraiso＞.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Then, the Boy (Target) continued to work as a waiter until the day and managed to enter the venue.
“The actions up to this point are not a problem in themselves. They remain within the range of abilities that a very ordinary adult male can do.”
But, ＜Ringo＞ continues.
“The expressions, words, and actions of the people who faced the target do not match the predictions. The prediction parameters were changed in various ways, but the results were so biased that we cannot help but suspect that the data has been manipulated arbitrarily.”
And that is probably the target’s ability, which was the conclusion reached by ＜Ringo＞ and Asahi.
“We have determined that this target has the ability to make the person they face feel favorably towards them by some means. Asahi called it the power of charm.”
“Charm… Is it that effective?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Almost all of the people who had a face-to-face conversation with this target showed a more favorable reaction than expected. The problem is that it is not a dramatic reaction. It seems to be at the level of ‘I can’t hate him for some reason’.”
And with that power, he can enter any site without difficulty.
This time as well, the Boy (Waiter), who was not scheduled, was able to work at the site without any sense of incongruity. Despite having only been there for a few days, he was able to achieve remarkably excellent results.
Originally, the investigators on the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy side should have been more wary of the target.
In fact, the personnel and high officials who did not directly see the target were giving instructions for caution and investigation to an excessive degree.
However, the actions of the personnel carrying out the instructions on site did not match.
“It is unknown what intentions or orders this target had in approaching ＜Paraiso＞. In the Repuytari Kingdom, which is a rule-of-law state in its own way, it will not be possible to detain the target for a long period of time, at least in appearance, without him doing anything or causing any damage.”
If the detention period is forcibly extended, the peanut gallery will make a lot of noise.
That is not a development that ＜Ringo＞ desires.
“Accurate information cannot be obtained through interrogation. Should we let him swim, or should we kidnap him?”
“That’s dangerous. Do you think he’s a threat?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Asahi also thinks that we should secure him here if possible. However, she is likely saying that out of curiosity, so I don’t trust her very much.”
“Hmm… If he escapes outside the city, should we catch him…?”