Chapter 16

…My… route? The phrase about affection conditions I just glimpsed made my head hurt.

No, it’s more than a feeling of pain; my vision actually blurred before me. The only thing I managed to find out was that most users are unreasonably favorable towards this unexpected presence named Anastasia, and here I am, missing an opportunity so painfully…!!

Desperately, I chased after the blurred words on the monitor.

Although there’s still some time before the original story starts, if I could at least understand how I met the main heroine, Helena…!

‘What is the Harvest Planet incident that’s occasionally mentioned during the game? To put it bluntly.’

“…!”

I forcefully stretch my stiff hand out. The Harvest Planet is right in front of me—where I need to go to obtain citizenship. If I can verify that article’s content, it will be a huge help in planning my future…

[Beeep–!!]

“…Ah.”

My eyes shot open at the loud alarm I had set.

No matter how much I wriggled my hand reaching toward the ceiling, the missed signal and opportunities wouldn’t return.

“Ha… this is really driving me crazy…!!”

Like all dreams, the detailed memories hazed over, leaving only the general circumstances and keywords swirling in my mind.

Helena and I, the Harvest Planet incident, and… numerous adult-content materials.

“Ugh…!”

I wanted to tear my hair out and kick the blanket, but I managed to calm down.

I had woken up early, setting an alarm to sneak out, so there was no reason to cause a commotion.

Rustling… I packed my sparse belongings and restored my room to its original state while checking my upper body in the mirror, which was scratched and wounded. A perfectly white canvas, with no scars.

Then… it’s time to leave for real.

Beep…!

[ Transfer of 1,000,000 C to the Orthodox Machinery Shop complete. Balance: 2,653,600 C ]

[ Transfer Memo: Grandpa! Put this toward your debts… and please don’t keep spending money on strangers. ]

I carefully deposited the credits into the shop account and slipped out. The refreshing dawn air and morning dust wrapped around my body.

The currency given by the rat boss totaled three million credits.

Excluding the price of citizenship, I have approximately… one and a half million left. Considering I will need to secure a base within the city and my living expenses, it’s quite tight. If I think about the droid body I’ll need to acquire later, I might as well have a negative balance.

However, I wasn’t so shameless as to postpone repaying my debts just because I had some money.

Rent… food expenses… the cost of medicines… and some intangible debts weighing on my heart.

At the very least, if I could settle that debt, I believe with my skills and facilities, I could manage just fine. So, I quietly said farewell to the unknown grandfather and hurried to Mr. Schneider’s house.

“Ah-choo…!!”

I rolled down my rolled-up sleeves again. I had overlooked how extreme the temperature difference was in a desert-like place.

I opened my contact list via cyberware.

The holographic screen, as always, was awe-inspiring, displaying the names and numbers of just three people. The stormy-eyed Mr. Schneider, the extraordinarily kind Ms. Sylvia, and little Mary. …Hmm. Looking again, it doesn’t seem so meager after all. In fact, it feels abundantly invigorating just by gazing at it.

It felt like proof that I wasn’t wrong.

When I called Mr. Schneider, he picked up immediately, not even waiting for a single ring.

“Ah, Mr. Schneider…? I hope I’m not too late.”

– Late? Nonsense! I could wait a year for you. Just in time, we finished organizing our stuff… Ah, there he is! –

Around the corner, I could see Mr. Schneider and Ms. Sylvia waving at me, already having loaded their belongings onto the cargo truck.

Mr. Schneider’s family, who are the top tycoons of the settlement and openly confront the Way Long family, will be relocating their residence to Neo Haven, specifically, the Emerald City. Even if the police operate as a pseudo-public authority driven by the corporate money, Metropolis is far better than a place filled with unpredictable threats, or so they say…

I felt a slight discomfort, sensing the oppressive force of fate and scenario…but thanks to that, I not only obtained the whereabouts of a citizenship broker but also transportation to reach Harvest Planet.

…To put it plainly, Mr. Schneider, after listening to Sylvia and Mary’s situation, somewhat forcibly extended his goodwill. Sylvia even mentioned to Mary, “Don’t you really want a big sister~?”

“Ah! Sister~!!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

I hugged Mary, who came rushing in like a little tornado.

Ms. Sylvia merely wore a smile, watching her precious daughter embrace what must have been a heavily armed hacker. …I guess it’s just my imagination that the maternal love radiating from her has included me as part of her target…?

“By the way… you are quite peculiar. If you had just waited in the shop, I would have come to get you. After all, we have to renew our citizenship as well…”

“…? No. I wouldn’t want to burden you too much. I already feel sufficiently cared for.”

“Hmm… I think it’s more of a matter of efficiency than inconvenience or consideration… It seems that mega corp talents have a unique sense of etiquette…”

“! Dear…!”

*SLAP!!*

Ms. Sylvia’s hand, swung nearly full force, struck Mr. Schneider’s back.

Mr. Schneider, who had operated the hovercraft, showed no sign of worry regarding my assumed identity. Conversely, if he’s a mercenary with a strong aversion to corporations, he might be gaslighting me to package me, a naïve hacker.

“?? Sis, what’s etiquette?”

“Uh… um… You greet when you meet someone, you don’t touch other people’s things, and you listen to your parents…? Mary, if you follow these well, you can become a wonderful adult like your father or mother…?”

“! Okay!!”

Guided by the cheerful Mary, we climbed onto the truck and departed immediately.

Inside the shaking vehicle, I fell deep in thought.

The dark citizenship broker… I only knew the market price of citizenship, so I realized I was far from being able to negotiate alone with such a dangerous figure. I couldn’t pressure them with appearance either,

Had Mr. Schneider not readily taken the initiative, it could have been dangerous.

But… why are we stopping here? I have left nothing behind!

“…? What are you waiting for? You should be asking the Valentine elder… or could it be finished already?”

“Huh…? No? Huh?”

Mr. Schneider pressed on as I blankly stared at the Machinery Shop sign, unable to catch up with the sudden shift in circumstances.

Moreover, Valentine? Valentine… wasn’t that the last name of Helena, the most beloved character for all Neo Haven players?

……Huh?

As my mind, which had been in a daze like a broken cooler, frantically collected puzzle pieces to fit together, it was already too late.

*Clang!*

The door of the shop opened, revealing an elderly mechanic, doing his utmost to contain his laughter… or perhaps it was more like to hold back tears.

“Um… ahem…!! Ahem. Today, I will be responsible for your safe and flawless new lives. I am Heinrich Valentine. Welcome!”

It wasn’t a fraud in the strictest sense… as there had been nothing disclosed from the beginning. Nobody asked until the end. Feelings? They aren’t particularly bad… it’s just a bit absurd.

“…You’re remarkably kind for an elder.”

“Hmph! That was a compliment for the lovely lady beside you!”

“Then… I can’t really help it.”

Following the gentle gesture, old Heinrich began to cast dazzling magic over me, resting on the chair.

The mechanical arm and surgical tools I used on my first day in this settlement functioned entirely differently.

It drew blood for analysis, superimposed new data onto the implants, and forged history. Before I knew it, a phone number—Heinrich Valentine—was being transmitted as the fourth contact.

Most importantly, as I stole a glance at the display panel, I saw an impressive cyber engineer’s citizenship for ‘Anastasia Valentine’ being assembled.

…I don’t know. My eyes unexpectedly brimming with tears.

If this is how it’s going to be, then I’ll definitely be asking questions without holding back.

“…Why did the broker have debts in the first place?”

“The citizens’ database is managed by corporations! It’s a tiny business of Paradise Corp. So… unless you provide the leash over here, we can’t do this.”

…Crazy. I just learned this. It seems that this too was one of Mega Corp’s countless projects.

“…Why didn’t you tell me…?”

“I thought it was just the whims of a naïve lady. I figured once you got tired of it, you’d just go back… ah, life is full of surprises.”

It was a vague expression but insufficiently clear as a response.

With a whirring noise, the citizenship registration and procedure seemed to be complete, and the equipment was withdrawn while wrinkled hands smoothed my shoulders and bangs.

Now that I have obtained the contact information, I could talk whenever, yet nobody knows when I would see their faces again. This conversation, locking eyes, was the last one.

“…Elder, why did you assign a surname without asking?”

The kindly old man snickered.

“I told you to take full advantage of anyone with a weakness…? Now, you have at least a home to return to, even if formally; you should be more careful with your life. …Should you ever find it tough to survive in the city, go seek Helena Valentine. I’ll drop a hint…”

“……”

Without either of us needing to say it, we turned our heads at the same time.

My heart raced, and my face felt hot. It was maddening. But I wasn’t going to express my gratitude. After all, it was merely a service bestowed upon me without asking by Heinrich.

While Mr. Schneider laid back on the chair, I calmly savored the nine letters spelling ‘Anastasia Valentine’ before me.

Had an unexpected family popped up out of nowhere… it was… truly… tear-jerkingly joyful. I’ll just leave it at that.

“…Mr. Valentine. Your thieving skills are exceptional, aren’t they? My wife had her eyes on it first…”

“……Ugh!!”