Chapter 128

The red light emitted from the scanner thoroughly examined the opponent from head to toe.

Before entering combat, gauging the opponent’s capabilities is essential. In that sense, Zero’s judgement was undoubtedly reliable.

Although I hadn’t traversed countless battlefields, and due to the transfer of consciousness with only my head intact, some data was lost.

The person in charge, Doctor, had guaranteed access to the mainframe for the kid and somehow obtained the combat doctrine of Haylong, so what we have here is essentially the combined essence of the top two companies vying for supremacy in the area of personal combat data, Mega Cop and another company.

…I’m not joking when I occasionally call it a killing machine, you know?

“Hmm….”

– …. –

Anyway, Zero was evaluating the opponent very seriously.

It seemed the information gathered from the full-body scan was unsatisfactory in several ways, so it pondered while maintaining a safe distance, circling around.

Every detail of the outfit, the tension in the fingers gripping the weapons, even the gaze that followed in nervousness was thoroughly assessed to gauge the combat power of the target.

Whether this person truly qualified to stand on the same battlefield, and if not, what shortcomings they had, as well as how to approach the enhancements needed, it contemplated… and then declared sufficient as it decided to pass.

– …Good. I may need to retie your apron strings, but it seems you are ready to work now. –

“Wow!!”

Mary jumped in excitement, causing her apron and hood to sway, and the small cleaning brush in her hand flailed about.

With a proud lift of its head, as if welcoming someone into the harsh, merciless—though such things ought not to exist at home—cleaning industry, the Carebot adjusted its voice module to a lower pitch and muttered.

– Miss Mary, from now on, I will refer to you as ‘Captain’. And we will not retreat until we have exterminated all the trash and dust in the house. Do you understand? –

“……!! Yes! Captain!”

The wide-eyed Mary, more gleaming than ever, was hoisted onto Zero’s back as it vanished into the storeroom.

I wondered if there was even anything left to clean after daily sweeping, wiping, and dusting… But if it were an excuse to play, I couldn’t think of anything more fitting.

Feeling somewhat like an explorer, the cheerful voice of the princess floated faintly into the living room.

“…They seem to be having fun.”

“Oh my, oh my!”

If Ms. Sylvia had covered her mouth and smiled graciously, I buried my head in the table and muttered gloomily.

It was indeed commendable. How could one be displeased?

Even if their interest was sparked by Zero’s diligent, repetitive actions, what adult could begrudge a young child deciding to help with chores and actually taking action?

It was just that… today my attention was elsewhere, and I lacked the energy to join in, so I could only stare on in discontent.

Ms. Sylvia’s bright face approached me.

Along with it, she offered a drink with ice cubes floating inside.

“There will definitely be better opportunities in the future. So don’t be too down, okay?”

“No… Thank you. Yes.”

The chilling sensation wrapping around my fingers.

I wanted to make a variety of excuses, but I instinctively realized that whatever I said would be pointless to her, who was determined to comfort me with such ease, so I quietly accepted the drink to wet my throat.

Honestly, I hadn’t contributed significantly, but I thought I had done pretty well on that damned group project exam.

Though I hadn’t meticulously examined the vault’s interior due to our team naturally building a finishing atmosphere with almost overwhelming records.

Regardless of whether I passed or failed, I had been assured that a notification would come later, and after returning, I had thrown my body onto the bed last night.

Still… it was only around lunchtime now, so I didn’t know if I had been eliminated or not, nor did I have any details about the results, so I just lay there waiting for communication or a pickup.

But perhaps to her eyes, it appeared that things were not going well, as she continued to tend to me.

Could she possibly be mistaking the battle with mercenaries from the underworld as a regular job interview? I had only mentioned I was delayed in looking for a job, but I hadn’t explained precisely what I had been doing.

“So, if you find it uncomfortable to speak directly to your father, you can consult me at any time and come to work…”

“Ahahaha….”

That was unequivocally the right answer.

I shyly declined the employee position with an awkward laugh. That job would be a bit difficult for me, Ms. Sylvia…!

Tap. Tap.

I was satisfied with screaming internally and with one hand propping up my chin while the other drummed on the table, I thought about the traces of evidence and metadata I had briefly investigated on my way back before disbanding.

Trace evidence refers to the remnants left when a file’s storage location is relocated or deleted.

In other words… it means records left in the registry or references or browsing records of that data from other applications.

Metadata, although categorized in various ways according to its purpose, generally refers to items that describe other data, noting access permissions, modification dates, usage restrictions, or relationships. In the end, it’s like a footnote for a document.

Based on that clear, specialized knowledge, Ken quickly deduced the conclusion of digital forensics and had asked me.

Since we had already performed the best, was there really any need to search for that kind of information?

“…Tch.”

If I had known this would happen, I should have insisted on thoroughly examining the vault instead of yielding to the atmosphere.

What if finding trace evidence and figuring something out based on the contents of the clandestine spying had been the real test, and there had been someone among the previous participants who managed to gain extra points for noticing that amidst dealing with a head injury from a virus?

I had thought I would soon sign a regular contract and begin work, but instead, having settled into an ad-hoc situation waiting only half a day’s worth of part-time pay, I found myself dwelling on negative assumptions.

Even if each of us discreetly hinted at passing to avoid embarrassment, it was inevitable that if I failed, I should have been informed promptly so that I could look elsewhere for work!

Thinking back, the fact that the attendant hadn’t come to check on me at home was troubling, and aren’t these guys supposed not to know my exact residence?? Otherwise, how could aftercare be this sloppy?

“Captain! There’s Dad’s toy box! Can I open it?”

– ……Let’s only clean the outside of the box. Then Mr. Schneider will compliment Miss Mary as well. –

“…! Yes!”

A box… yes, a black, bumpy, smooth gun case counts as a box too.

As I watched the little lady diligently squeezing cleaner onto the storage box while Zero couldn’t sit still, I felt a warm healing from the sight and began to seriously consider what I needed to do next.

Just believing it was a hefty payday, how could I go poking around blindly without knowing exactly how much my reward was or who was behind this?

Having roughly settled into a corner of this stage called Neo Haven, I decided that from now on I would need to utilize my knowledge more proactively and aggressively to establish a working foundation.

For that, rather than targeting events or quests for rewards like playing a game, I should find stable jobs with low risks and reliable income. Unlike games where wealth just accumulates, reality incurs various maintenance costs even just by living.

…Wait a minute, it seems like there are many job options in this neighborhood, but when you really think about it, isn’t it rather narrow?

Aren’t all the alternatives just company employees or self-employed individuals?

“Hmm? Do you have something you want to say?”

“…Nothing at all.”

I almost asked Ms. Sylvia if there were jobs with guaranteed leisure time and steady pay, with flexible hours, but hurriedly turned my head away.

…If I asked her something like that, I’d end up immediately getting hired as an employee.

I had already heard her mumble something ominous like, “You’d look good in a waitress outfit~” more than once whenever work-related topics came up.

Having gained some battlefield experience, my seasoned intuition warned me that today was not the day to be brash, so I ought to avoid loitering nearby.

“Ah, Dad! I cleaned with the Captain!”

“…You’ve had a lot of work, too.”

– …I’ll clean that up later. –

Has it been that long already?

As Mr. Schneider rose to head out to open the store, he looked at the storage box dripping with jelly with a subtle expression. Mrs. McQueen merely smiled cheerily.

As I took in this relaxed and peaceful scene, a glimmer of hope emerged that perhaps I wouldn’t have to struggle for answers.

Then, the moment I had been waiting for—and, in some sense, the last thing I wanted—arrived.

Bang! Bang! Bang—……!!

The doorbell rang once before the door rattled rhythmically.

There was a strong sense of intent behind the action, rather than any rudeness or threat, yet everyone in the house froze as if in agreement. Specifically, one person and one machine prevented the others from moving recklessly.

Mr. Schneider held back Ms. Sylvia, who was about to respond, along with Mary in his arms, while Zero stood in front of me.

“Why…?”

Though I hadn’t seen a guest or even the homeowner at all during my time in this house, was there a reason to take such a serious stance all of a sudden?

Anxiety morphed into suspicion, and suspicion turned into certainty.

– No matter how much space is between us, there were no signs of someone climbing the steps at all. While it can’t be concluded that there’s ill intent just because they made their presence known late, I suspect they must have received some kind of training… –

However, there was no time to properly finish the explanation.

The mysterious man across from us, whose face I hadn’t seen yet, calmly—and in a way, quite blandly—revealed his identity.

“I have come from Enema.”