Chapter 29
“What do you mean, asking me to attack the vehicle you’re riding in…?”
Vladimir’s brow furrowed.
Well, I had cut out all the context and jumped straight in, so it was only natural for him to be baffled. Still, I had succeeded in getting him to focus squarely on what I had to say.
I emptied my glass of water and answered with a casual expression.
“I’ll have to go on an inspection soon.”
“Inspection?”
“One of our production colonies. I’ve heard recently that a group of [Arcane] has been gathering nearby.”
“Ah, so it’s that thing you usually do.”
Vladimir nodded as if he understood.
Even before I transmigrated, Aaron Stingray—thanks to his overwhelming combat power—often served in the Security Division in addition to his position as chairman of the Stingray Foundation.
In other words, if his usual work was scouting and managing talent useful inside and outside the Academy, then his side job was occasionally being deployed into dangerous areas like some kind of ultimate weapon to sweep away enemies.
“So what about it? You’re back now, so can’t you just do your job?”
“This time, I plan to refuse.”
“What?”
Vladimir seemed slightly surprised.
“Calling you in the first place means this isn’t some routine matter. And yet you’re saying you’ll refuse?”
“That’s right.”
“What are you thinking…?”
“Unlike you, an only child, I have two siblings.”
“…”
That alone seemed enough for Vladimir to understand the situation immediately.
“A corporate politics issue, then.”
“Mm.”
I neither confirmed nor denied it.
But in Vladimir’s mind, that probably counted as confirmation.
His weasel-like face curved into a smile, as if amused.
“How very like you, Aaron Stingray. So you’re saying that even if the company takes a hit, it’s a sacrifice worth making if it means winning the succession war?”
“I’ve never once thought that.”
“Sure, sure. You’ve surely prepared to fight the monsters with everything you have. But during the trip, you’ll suffer an unexpected ambush and, tragically, be unable to join the frontlines.”
“Good. I like that you catch on fast.”
I ordered another glass of water and took it in hand. Quenching my dry throat, I continued.
“I’ll give you information about the production colony being targeted. I think it’s valuable enough for you to make use of.”
What products were being manufactured there.
Where it was located, how big it was.
Even getting such information a little earlier could bring huge profits—it wasn’t a small stake at all.
For example, in the short term, you could anticipate a stock drop and sell at a peak in advance. Or, if a certain production line was paralyzed, you could seize control of the market.
The ways to exploit it were endless.
Vladimir understood this too, and seemed to find my offer quite interesting.
“That’s more than enough for the fee.”
“You’re accepting, then?”
“No. That alone isn’t enough.”
“A matter of trust, then.”
“Exactly.”
In plain terms: ‘How can I believe you right now?’ And indeed, how could one trust the words of the man who had already humiliated Militech through the [Showcase]?
“To be frank, I don’t trust you, Aaron Stingray.”
“That’s a shame, as a friend.”
“I’m not joking. Even if I overlook that laughable ‘friend’ talk, attacking the vehicle of Stingray’s potential heir isn’t the kind of thing you do for fun.”
What if the information I gave was false?
If he trusted my words and prepared the operation, only for me to betray him, it would hand me the perfect pretext to claim, ‘Militech tried to assassinate Stingray’s Crown Prince!’—a justification for war.
“That’s not all. Even if everything you say is 100% true and I accept, the success of the ambush itself is another matter entirely.”
A transport armored vehicle carrying the Crown Prince to the battlefield wasn’t some ordinary flying car.
It would have thick armor that could easily shrug off even high-grade armor-piercing or energy rounds, EMP countermeasures, and state-of-the-art missile defense systems as standard.
The surrounding area along the route would be packed with personnel, checking for anyone suspicious until the vehicle left the city.
“With a half-baked act, you couldn’t even slip past that net. But if you use too much force, you’ll end up actually dying.”
Having said that, Vladimir leaned back in his seat, raising both hands.
“I’m stepping away from this one. The risk is just too high.”
“I see. That’s unfortunate.”
“Well, well. What a pity. What shall I do?”
Vladimir’s voice carried not a hint of remorse.
“Why not look for a skilled back-alley mercenary group instead? Or make a deal with the Mafia. These bottom-feeders have been multiplying lately—put in a little effort, and you could contact them yourself.”
I met Vladimir’s sarcasm with an easy reply.
“Interesting. You already think you’ve won.”
“…What?”
“Isn’t that so? I’ve already given you the information that one of our production colonies is in danger. I didn’t say which one, but Militech could figure it out quickly enough.”
“…”
Hit where it hurt, Vladimir’s brow furrowed again.
“Even if everything I said was a lie, you’d still have a recording of this conversation—enough to hold a weakness over me. If it came to light that I was willing to endanger the group for the throne, it’d be a huge blow in the succession race.”
“Realizing that now is far too late, Aaron Stingray.”
Vladimir sneered.
“Don’t take it the wrong way. Didn’t you completely screw me over yesterday with the [Showcase]? Consider this payback.”
“Of course. Friends can have this kind of back-and-forth. I have no intention of complaining to someone already in the same boat.”
“W-wait a minute.”
At my words, Vladimir flinched. It seemed he had sensed something off.
“What do you mean, the same boat? I told you I was refusing your offer. What are you talking about…?”
“Vladimir.”
I cut him off.
“You have no right to refuse.”
“…What did you say?”
“All you can choose is how you’ll explain it to the press—whether we were attacked by an unknown assailant, or whether you kidnapped and murdered me yourself.”
“What the hell are you…!”
That was when—
Bweeep—! Bweeep—! Bweeep—!
Suddenly, red warning lights flashed inside the vehicle, and the siren began blaring loudly.
Vladimir, flustered, shouted at the driver.
“What the hell is going on?!”
“P-please be careful, sir! Enemy attack!”
“W-what?!”
At that moment—
Something shot toward us at terrifying speed, then exploded just beside the vehicle carrying me and Vladimir.
It had been intercepted mid-flight by the vehicle’s built-in missile defense system.
KWA-AAAAANG—!
With a deafening blast, the vehicle lurched violently. Even though the interception happened some distance away, the shockwave still hit us.
Vladimir cried out in alarm.
“A m-missile? Are you kidding me?! Who the hell are these lunatics that dare—?!”
“I took your advice and found some decent mercenaries. Just like you said, it didn’t take long to dig around and find them.”
Honestly, I hadn’t thought I could get underworld mercenaries on my own without going through Maria.
I had been close to giving up after a long search when, by chance, I saw an ad for the name of a mercenary broker that had been mentioned a few times in the original story.
It was pure luck for me.
“I was surprised too. Turns out there are more insane guys than I thought who’ll gladly risk their lives to ambush a vehicle carrying both Stingray and Militech heirs, as long as they get paid enough.”
The plan had been set the moment the email from the Stingray Security Division arrived. I had enough in my personal account, so there was no obstacle to carrying it out.
“Y-you did this?!”
Vladimir shot to his feet and tried to grab me by the collar, but I brushed his hand aside in an instant and continued.
“If you don’t want to die, you’d better have your shield ready. This transport will be going down soon.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! The armor and missile defense system are still intact! And if it does go down, you won’t be walking away either—!”
“Vladimir. You have a bad habit of running your mouth too soon.”
Module Online [Cloud Spider].
As soon as the gauntlet covered my hand, I snapped my fingers lightly.
SHRRRIP—!
Threads shot out in all directions, slicing through the vehicle’s interior and sending sparks flying.
THUUD—!
The whole vehicle shook again, probably due to damage to the internal systems.
The driver shouted in panic.
“M-missile defense system error! The energy shield is down too! We can’t block the next attack!”
“W-what?! Aaargh! Aaron Stingray, you crazy bastard!”
Clutching a handle as the vehicle rocked, Vladimir screamed—half crying from the sheer situation.
“H-how the hell does someone this insane exist?! If you want to disappear into hiding, just go alone! Why the hell are you using me?!”
“It’s a tricky problem. Even if it’s rough, this was the only method.”
“Damn it! Damn it! You think I’ll just take this lying down?! The moment we’re on the ground, I’ll expose the entire recording—wait, hold on! What the hell is that in your hand?!”
“The vehicle’s black box.”
“How did you even find that?!”
I had found it earlier while shredding the inside of the vehicle.
When I fired the threads everywhere, one object in particular refused to be cut—so tracking it down was easy.
With the black box handled, and no chance our conversation had been broadcast in real time, only human memory remained.
I informed Vladimir.
“You have two choices. One is to cooperate with me alive. The other is to cooperate with me dead.”
KWA-AAAAANG—!
As if on cue, another missile slammed into the transport.
With the defense system disabled, it was a direct hit this time. But thanks to the thick armor, it only dented the door a bit.
“Daaamn it all!!”
Vladimir roared.
Naturally, he would choose the first option—there was effectively only one choice.
“F-fine, I’ll cooperate! Just tell those damned missiles to stop!”
“Sorry, but that’s impossible.”
“…What?! Why?!”
“This vehicle needs to be destroyed completely. That way the chances of any evidence remaining are slim.”
“What did you just say?! You son of a—!”
“You have a Level 5 shield module, don’t you? It should protect your body just fine.”
“Why is it always me, huh?! Do I look like an easy mark?! Do I look like a pushover, you son of a—?!”
“Because you’re the most reliable.”
“Bullshit!”
Vladimir raged—but I was half-serious.
I believed he was someone who would bow to power.
If it was Vladimir, he’d likely avoid breaking his word out of fear of my retaliation.
And even if he did spill the conversation here, the title of ‘Militech heir’ would cast doubt on its credibility.
At the very least, the confusion would last until I ended my disappearance.
Compared to staging this entirely alone, dragging him into it had a much higher chance of success.
“As payment for your cooperation, I’ve sent the information I mentioned earlier about the production colony. Use it however you see fit.”
“You insane bastard! Listen to me when I’m talking—!”
“Watch out. Another one’s coming.”
A missile was inbound.
It struck the vehicle, causing another explosion—but once again, it only dented the door further.
“It’s holding up too well.”
Militech engineering, I supposed.
It was lasting longer than I thought, and at this rate, the plan might not work as intended. Reluctantly, I used [Cloud Spider] to cut off the loose, damaged door.
SLICE.
The ridiculously thick door fell away, revealing the outside completely.
The fierce wind rushed into the cabin, and the already unstable vehicle shook even harder.
I grabbed the handle and looked out. Sure enough, more missiles were inbound from the ground.
“They’re coming. Get ready.”
Barely a second.
Leaving only those short words, I tore open the object in my inner pocket.
“Aaaargh—!”
Vladimir’s scream was drowned in—
A massive explosion.
The world flipped over.
“Uh… so…”
“…”
“Your name was Miyu, right?”
“…”
“My name is Iri.”
“…”
“Iri Elisbell.”
“…”
“So you’re just Miyu? No family name?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
No matter how much she tried to start a conversation, the other party refused to answer, and Iri felt like she was dying inside.
‘This isn’t just shyness…!’
At least when Aaron had been there, things were somewhat better, but once it was just Iri and Miyu alone, Miyu completely froze up.
It was hard to tell whether the one she was dealing with was a person or an android whose power had been shut off.
‘What am I supposed to do with this?’
She couldn’t even get angry about being ignored, because it was obvious Miyu was scared.
It wasn’t that she was staying silent because she wanted to snub her—it was because she was so frightened that she couldn’t say a word.
Like a prey animal frozen in place, unable to even think of resisting when faced with a predator.
Iri took her time observing Miyu.
First of all, she was very small.
Iri herself wasn’t that tall, but Miyu’s head came at least one shorter than hers.
The Academy only accepted students over twenty years old, but no matter how she looked at her, Miyu didn’t seem like an adult at all.
Her skin was pale enough to be called white, and her arms and legs were extremely thin—a sign she barely exercised.
‘Looks like she never leaves her room.’
What stood out the most was her unusually long hair.
Not only did it cover most of her face, but it was long enough to drag on the floor. It looked incredibly inconvenient, yet she seemed not to care even if it picked up dust.
Through the long bangs covering her face, Iri caught a glimpse of eyes so full of fear that it looked like she might burst into tears any second.
‘Why is she so terrified…?’
Even Iri, who had been through her fair share of ups and downs, didn’t know how to deal with her.
To exaggerate a little, even androids who had been tortured extensively by their owners before fleeing to the Fallen Sector were in better shape than Miyu.
‘…Well, I guess she has her own scars.’
She decided not to poke carelessly at that part. Instead, she kept trying to talk to her.
“How long have you known him?”
“You know a lot about modules, right?”
“Could you help me out?”
Still, Miyu gave no answer.
Iri didn’t show it on the outside, but inside, she was fuming. She thought she finally understood why Aaron had given her the ‘punishment’ of looking after this girl.
“If you don’t want to talk, I guess it can’t be helped…”
In the end, she gave up.
How was she supposed to coax someone like this?
If she kept trying, she’d be exhausted before they even got to class.
Still, sitting together in silence doing nothing was too awkward, so she decided to turn on the TV. Iri rummaged around Aaron’s office until she finally managed to get it working.
And then—
[Breaking news. Moments ago, a Militech transport vehicle was attacked and has crashed. Onboard were Mr. ‘Vladimir Kharitonov’ and Mr. ‘Aaron Stingray’…]
“W-what the hell…!?”
Just moments ago—
The news was reporting that the transport Aaron had been riding had crashed.
And the report was followed by news that Aaron was missing.