Chapter 86

Tang… Tang…

The sound of footsteps on the floor seemed to carry an undertone of anxiety.

With half-opened eyes, I scanned the surgical room—no, the assembly room of the store—and made eye contact with Zero, who was hanging from the assembly line and staring blankly in my direction, prompting me to wave lightly.

It was as if I should be comforting myself in this situation of self-anesthesia—power-saving mode—yet here I was, looking dazed.

In this world, no parent skims on hospital expenses when their child is sick.

Even if a doctor warns of unaffordable expenses, they’d judge with their hearts rather than their heads and prioritize treatment.

But… this wasn’t about any sob story; it was about mechanical repairs.

Specifically, repairs for robots, which involve replacing parts or upgrades freely and are closely related to the purchase of electronic devices, was a real headache.

“…”

“If you’ve changed your mind, you can let me know at any time.”

“…No, I’ll pass.”

It would be better to just get a new one than to fix this. If I’m going to replace it with something new, it’s better to wait a bit longer for a higher model.

Instead of fixing only this part, which creates an imbalance, it would be advantageous to unify the overall structure to similar specifications for better performance.

If a single carebot isn’t enough, why not consider getting a combat Droid while you’re at it?

I glared at the iron-masked manager who kept spouting such ridiculous sales pitches, but all I received in return was the typical nonchalant remarks of someone in the service industry. There was no substantial response.

Initially, I had simply asked for the damaged hand and the ruined glove to be fixed neatly, and I couldn’t understand what kind of absurd sales sermon was going on.

The most aggravating part was that they hadn’t mentioned a single specific cost so far.

It seemed like there were no regulations in this town regarding service cost notifications… damn it.

This was the Exatech store where I had purchased him.

Still, it was a shop I had received Zero from not too long ago. I returned, holding onto a sliver of trust and the expectation that they would have the correct spare parts, but regrettably, that might’ve been only half-true.

Clank!

Snap, snap…!

“How is it?”

Zero, now on the floor, moved the replaced fingers conspicuously.

It seemed like he was more frustrated about feeling out of sorts now that he had something to compare it to after doing fine without it for so long.

—Synchronization and output delivery are all functioning correctly. Ready for deployment at any time.—

“Deployment? It’s just setting off! You’re not some attack helicopter!”

I corrected the overly aggressive language a bit and gave a small jab.

—If it is a body that cannot always accompany you, I will adapt as quickly as possible should you desire it.—

“Don’t say that.”

…It seemed like not even a small retort would suffice; it felt like he didn’t take my words to heart, but that didn’t matter. As long as he was back to being lively, everything was okay.

So let’s summarize the situation.

The weather was slightly chilly but perfectly clear for a trip.

I had no postponed work or homework, and naturally no unresolved grievances to settle before going.

Thanks to a patch applied to my sore neck from last night’s throat infection, it had improved significantly.

Zero may have handled things a bit roughly, but I had packed my belongings perfectly without losing anything.

So… what’s left to worry about?

I turned my head.

I faced the Exatech manager, who had generously provided repair processes, semi-coercive product consultations, and even drinks and snacks for the regular… customer at an early hour.

“…We don’t handle helicopters in our store, but would you like to see a reconnaissance Drone instead?”

“Enough with the jokes, so how much is it altogether?”

Now I was truly cornered, and I wanted a clear and concise bill.

Even though I was required to prepay when purchasing goods, I felt overly treated with unnecessary leniency, which was rather inconvenient, considering I was already listed in their customer roster.

They must have assumed I had money, but my wallet situation was tighter than they thought…?

Depending on the situation, I might have to engage in some grim negotiation….

“Where… the ultra-fine joint finger parts are 1.24 million, the ruptured internal circuit board is 390,000, the newly installed composite armor costs 1.05 million… and there’s a total of 230,000 for the resurfacing treatment. That comes to a total of 2.91 million credits!”

“…Cough.”

I pretended to wipe away the drink that was about to spill from my mouth.

I might even have to spit out the snacks I received…?

“Well then, dear customer? Let’s proceed with the payment.”

Damn. I understood now why those mercenary friends looked at me with suspicious gazes, calling me bourgeois.

The muscle spasms I had previously experienced might come back again, and they were entirely different from general expenditures for everyday necessities or ammo.

How much worse would it be once I actually began to roll in a gunpowder-scented battlezone… ugh, don’t even think about it.

Even considering consumer fault rates, wasn’t there no AS (After Service) that could retroactively apply?

…In their standards, it must just be CS (Customer Service), whatever that may entail.

The manager, sensing my discomfort, added a few words as if recalling something he had forgotten.

“Oh! I almost forgot. Exatech also has a year-end special policy in effect, so with a discount rate of 0.4%, the accurate fee would be 2,898,360 credits.”

“How very generous….”

I peeked up at the ceiling.

More precisely, I wanted to glare at someone in that scenic high-rise office above the ceiling… but my meek rebellion wasn’t yet finished….

“Um… I’d like to pay using a different method, not in one lump sum.”

“Our regulations limit the available payment methods, but which one would you prefer?”

I’m relieved that they didn’t view my payment ability with suspicion, but that didn’t ease the dryness of my throat.

They say you have to be careful even of falling leaves in your later years—can I really do this? What if I get rejected after making this bold declaration?

…Well, they called me at an ungodly hour demanding this and that, so surely they wouldn’t dare deny travel expenses to a strategic partner.

“Please charge the full amount to Aron Drayfuscus, Strategic Planning Department, 48th floor, Paradise Corporation.”

“…”

What do they call this in commercial terms… a promissory note? Trade credit?

I wasn’t sure which expression was appropriate, but I could tell that the manager behind the mask had a distressed expression.

I was indeed too shameless.

Paying in kind (items other than cash or credits) was an action that would raise eyebrows, and now I was making an irresponsible verbal promise.

It would be better to simply take on the debt and promise to repay the balance later.

Until that point, I had been thinking that way.

“…The cross-verification with Paradise has been completed, dear customer. Thank you very much for using our store today.”

“Oh.”

A polite, exaggerated gentleman’s greeting, the kind one might encounter at a gala, struck me squarely.

In that brief moment, perhaps from the moment the company name was mentioned, had they begun contacting various channels to get this sorted out? It was terrifying—the corporate connections—what kind of ruthless psychological battles were occurring beneath the surface?

Of course, I wasn’t in any position to speak given that I was trying to finish my calculations with connections.

Nevertheless, it seemed that even hundreds of millions of credits were mere pocket change to some magnate, as they graciously spared me this time.

Now it was time to hurry off for lunch and catch the train before anything else came up… before anything else…

“…Zero? About that toy you wanted… ahem, sorry. Do you have a separate list of parts I organized?”

I wasn’t trying to imply I was planning to embezzle millions… but if I were to say that 3 million or 4 million credits are similar numbers to Aron, would that be excessive speculation?

After all, it’s said that corporate outings are most enjoyable on the company card, so I would argue—excuse—that taking advantage of opportunities is part of social conduct.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

“Mr. Drayfuscus, there was a question from the General Affairs Department regarding any public funds that may have been beneficial to Exatech…”

“Was there an unallocated budget proposal existing?!”

“Let’s erase those records. Didn’t they clarify that it pertains specifically to Aron Drayfuscus on the 48th floor? This is merely a personal expense, not a corporate transaction. If we convey that, Wise-man will surely comply without any fuss.”

His casually crossed legs gave a slight shake.

In one fell swoop, Aron brushed off the questions pouring in from various departments within the company.

This was one of the advantages of managing expensive Droids.

He could catch and respond to topics that wouldn’t benefit much from being widely known, all while boosting his grip on the departments.

Furthermore… if it wasn’t an urgent matter, there was no need to involve other employees in the office.

Zing….

Like a movie screen, the data sprawling across the glass began to flutter and soon became organized.

Recent disputes with Enema, who had grown increasingly curious about Paradise’s inner workings, Elysium requesting capital infusion citing excessive network load, Exatech negotiating satellite usage fees—all these suffocating tasks were shoved to the corners.

Instead, what filled that space was simply a receipt from a robot shop.

It was a tolerated deviation for Aron, who treated every hour as a working hour.

“Hmmm…….”

Reversing the applied discount from the store, he calculated the total payment to be 14.62 million credits.

His eyes, gazing at that subtle figure, flickered with urgency.

Strictly speaking, this was the first contact initiated by Anastasia Valentine since the contract.

If so, it surely must signify something, but considering his own limitations compared to her, it wouldn’t be easy to discern at a glance.

Should he call in one of the company’s codebreakers?

However, he found it displeasing to transfer this message to another person or to be caught standing empty-handed without being able to resolve this.

“…Oh?”

Still, it seemed he had no intention of overly pressuring his strategic partner.

The responses were written with a degree of shyness that exceeded expectations.

The details of the receipt, confirming the repairs and replacements, triggered a whirlwind in the mind of the politician and schemer.

Two severed fingers of the robot; this must symbolize his declaration to solidify his position as the second-in-command of Paradise.

Communication components and memory reinforced above standard levels; was this a reminder not to neglect contact and contracts, even as he departed for Neo Haven?

Most notably, the small wound by his neck and shoulder…

Gulp.

Excitement, anticipation, and joy. A surge of emotions distorted themselves into a resolution that now resonated in Aron’s eyes and deeper still.

“…So you’re nudging me to conclude this ant trap that the chairman had left to me to sort out on my own, huh?”

Strike before it strikes you. Excise the rotten parts.

Take the initiative before being acted upon.

The resolve to sweep away the power structure that had remained in a prolonged deadlock had just formed.

If they all cooperate willingly… no one would die. Only the rank would be clearly established.

Moreover, while they would initially wobble and weaken due to immediate internal strife, post-storm, Paradise would grow into an even sturdier entity.

And Aron Drayfuscus would transform into an indispensable presence for them all.