Chapter 38

Nine days had passed since the incident at Konpeki Plaza.

It seemed three days had already gone by when I first spoke with the Little Boss, and I spent the following week recovering.

Apparently, I’d been kept in the basement of the clinic. Normally it was used for cyberpsycho patients, but with the Delamain Medical Services now fully operational, those patients had been transferred over, freeing up space.

"…To be honest, it was hard to watch. Jugra-san was constantly worrying about Vitt and couldn’t get any work done."

"They say she finally got some sleep after Vitt woke up. He was the first case of someone getting their heart blown out, so it was touch-and-go."

"Still, just being alive and on your feet is more than enough. You oughta thank Jugra. And drop by to see Vik and Misty too."

"David was apparently blaming himself for not being able to protect you, but Jugra-san gave him a swift kick and he finally snapped out of it. So make sure to check in with him later."

When I reunited with the members of Jackals at the clinic’s second-floor office, they absolutely wrecked me.

Little Boss had been wearing a serious expression the whole time, so they’d apparently assumed I was teetering between life and death.

I felt pretty bad for the trouble I caused, but since my opponent had been that Adam Smasher, they were ready to let it slide.

Finally freed from the chaos, I slumped onto the sofa, mentally exhausted.

【Heh, not bad people. Kinda wasted on you, though】

(Says the guy who always goes too hard. Humans are built to walk, not sprint.)

【Tch, they’re all too slow for their own good. What you need is more thrill, more rock’n’roll】

(That kind of “rock” is practically dead now. Anything you hear today is just a pale imitation.)

【…That so, huh. Tch, damn softies. You’re supposed to live loud and have fun till you die, ain’t that what we were taught?】

Johnny, who’d been suffering all week without a cigarette, apparently developed a method to materialize one from my memory.

He was puffing away contentedly even now, acting like a clown.

For his part, he’d clearly been cornered too—guy had always been tossed around by the times. He was probably savoring the rare taste of freedom.

Granted, this freedom was nowhere near as intense as what he once knew. More like highly carbonated soda that’s already gone flat.

We’d been so bored the past week that we’d talked about everything there was to talk about. Now we got along like friends of ten years.

…Though, it seemed we’d both thought at some point, “Man, if only this guy were a girl,” which made me wanna laugh.

"Alright then. Now that Vitt’s back on his feet, we need to figure out the future of Jackals."

"Didn’t we already get that from Jugra-san? We’re supposed to gather intel on Vitt’s Relic, right?"

"Right. I was totally knocked out at the time, so I’ve got a debt to repay…"

"Hey, you don’t need to beat yourself up over it, Valy."

"…Sorry. I’ll get it together. Whew. So, the question is, how do we approach it?"

"Let’s start by throwing out some ideas. Anyone got one?"

At Sasha’s words, everyone folded their arms—and then tilted their heads a few seconds later.

Yep, that’s a bust. Not a single techie in the room, so all anyone knows is the name Relic.

"Little Boss gave us a few options. One: question Evelyn, who commissioned the Relic heist. Two: trace the info on Yorinobu, who stole it from Arasaka. Three: find the person who developed the Relic and interrogate them."

"Four: yank it out and see what happens?"

"…It’s fused to me with nanomachines. Pulling it out would kill me, so that’s a no-go."

"Also, shouldn’t we start by clarifying exactly what it is? All I’ve heard is that it’s some hush-hush bioware chip from Arasaka."

Jack had a point, so I shared what Little Boss had told me with everyone.

So far, Relics could be broadly divided into two types: the official communication tools, and mine.

The one inside me was more like a prototype—nanomachines used in mine weren’t present in the communication-type version.

It contained the memory trace of a man named Johnny Silverhand, who had taken up residence in my head. Only I could see or hear him.

With all that in mind, if we could learn more about the advanced nanomachines used in my Relic, there was a chance Little Boss might be able to remove it.

When I finished explaining, the air turned kind of awkward.

Well, yeah. Not many people can just shrug it off after being told some stranger lives in your brain.

Immortality is the one thing still deemed impossible, even in this era when the impossible keeps becoming possible.

…That said, seeing Diva—the Delamain assigned to Little Boss—it almost feels like they’ve already cracked that code.

Still, knowing Little Boss, she’d probably ask, “Ever heard of the Ship of Theseus?”

If something looks the same before and after, can it still be called the same thing when it comes to life itself?

Judging by her demeanor, Little Boss would probably dismiss immortality as a farce.

"For now, shouldn’t we go after Evelyn Parker, the one who commissioned the chip heist? It’d be awkward to meet after the job went bust, but maybe we can use the removed Relic as a bargaining chip."

"Yeah, that sounds like our safest bet. I’ll ask Little Boss for Evelyn’s contact info. Valy and Sasha, you two dig into info on Machine Dragon. The fact that no news has reported Yorinobu’s death yet might mean it’s a classic misdirection."

"Wait, like what? He’s still alive and doing a closed-circle murder mystery kind of thing?"

"…More or less. His name wasn’t in the manifesto. It’s possible the whole condemnation act at Konpeki was a ruse, and he faked his death. Shooting at the window right beside him felt too staged."

Thanks to the memory data stored in my optical implant, a few things stood out.

Yorinobu clearly bore lethal intent toward Saburo.

But the handgun capable of cracking reinforced glass? That in itself was strange.

It was obviously prepped to signal someone outside.

Cracking that window with a single shot from a gun that size? Makes more sense if it was loaded with a special round meant just for that.

…Still, I can’t quite believe the look on his face when the gatling gun was turned on him was fake.

He looked like a man betrayed at the last moment.

Whether it was improv from someone in Machine Dragon, or Yorinobu was just a damn good actor—either way, the lack of a body backs the theory that he’s still alive.

『…Ah, Vitt. Looking for Evelyn Parker’s contact info?』

『Y-Yeah, that’s right. How’d you guess?』

『Simple process of elimination. Plus, you lot are the type to tackle whatever’s in front of you first. Well, whatever… Her contact info, huh. It was apparently already deleted. She probably learned of the failed job from the news and ran. There’s a braindance maker in the basement of Lizzie’s Bar. Seems to be close to Evelyn—should be able to get something out of her. Name’s Judy Alvarez. Looks like she’s in her late teens. Report back if you find anything.』

With the intel we got from Little Boss, we decided to head straight to Lizzie’s Bar.

We pulled the Thorton out from the garage. Valy took the wheel, I rode shotgun, and Jack dropped into the back seat with a heavy thud.

"Still, that girl sure knew how to run. Looked like she was walking a pretty dangerous tightrope."

"Well, her target was the son of Arasaka's CEO. Judging from the shared data, it's likely Evelyn got to know Yorinobu as a high-class escort."

"So she ended up playing a part in someone else's scheme because of that connection."

"Maybe protection would’ve gone over better than the chip."

"Then she would've run straight to the Little Boss from the start."

【Or maybe she reached out for help and you were too caught up in your surgery to take her hand. That girl had the same dead eyes as the countless PTSD cases I’ve seen on the battlefield. You’ve caught the attention of a real piece of work, Vincent.】

(Why do you even... ah, right, even if I'm unconscious you can still pick up info from outside. Was it really that bad?)

【‘Bad’ doesn’t cut it. It was the kind of thing you pity. She’s betting everything on us now—it’s like watching a gambler who’s gone all-in on a losing hand.】

Johnny, oddly enough, seemed genuinely sympathetic toward the younger girl.

…Might be worth looking into Johnny Silverhand himself when I have the time.

We parked in front of Lizzie's Bar and headed inside as a group of three.

"Oh, look who it is—Vincent! Back again? That new left arm’s slick!"

"Hey, hey, got any plans after this? If not, let’s hang—got some good booze in stock!"

"You're looking a little worn down. You gotta eat more, y’know?"

Getting showered in attention by the revealingly dressed Mox girls at the entrance, I stepped inside—only to get hit with a death glare from the side. Valy was practically drilling holes into me.

Back in the corpo days, she probably thought I was high and having a good time, huh?

Johnny, who had arrived ahead of us, gave me a thumbs-up—then made an obscene hand gesture with his other hand, looping his fingers.

Shut up, stop grinning. You're just as bad, if not worse.

【No way, you’ve got me beat, Vincent. Way too many. Are you addicted or something?】

(Don’t go snooping through my logs, you fuckin’ rocker. I was stressed and just blowing off steam. It was a mutual win-win, so who cares?)

I was raised with elite education, lost my virginity to a maid, and got intimate training from the staff. Former rich kid, remember?

I hate the smell of raw fish, but I recall Japanese ones tasting strangely good—even as sushi.

…Now here I am in a cyberpunk dystopia. Life’s a damn joke.

I leaned against the counter so the receptionist could see my face clearly, flashed a nihilistic grin, and gave her a sidelong glance.

"Hey, Catherine. How’s life treating you?"

"Been surprisingly good ever since your little boss showed up. Must’ve been all that secondhand smoke from the drugs. It's mostly out of my system now, but sometimes my hands still shake."

"That’s good to hear. Things tend to go smoother when you’re feeling well."

"Oh please, that was ages ago. So, what do you wanna know? I’m off the clock at four."

"Depends on how the job goes. I’m looking for Evelyn Parker. Is she still around?"

"Evelyn? …Ah, the acting manager. She’s on leave for a while. The bar’s still open, but no clue when she’ll be back. Oh, but Judy might know something."

"Where is she?"

"In the back. Judy’s the one editing our original content, so she’s got her own room past the staff hallway."

"Thanks, Catherine. I’ll be sure to repay the favor."

"Mm, I’m counting on it, handsome."

She planted a cute little kiss on my cheek, and as I walked off, I felt another frigid stare pierce me.

A glance at Jack, and he just shrugged like, “Don’t look at me.”

"It’s all just negotiation tactics. See? Got the info without a hitch."

"Would you do the same if it were a man?"

"I’m straight. No interest in a guy’s ass. I’d bond over drinks, smokes, or entertainment. Long as they like me even a little, that’s enough. I had top numbers back when I was still in sales before getting transferred to counterintelligence."

"Is that so? Then how about seducing this Judy girl too, Mr. Ladies’ Man?"

"Sure, leave it to me. There aren’t many women I can’t charm… and usually things work out anyway."

After a few greetings with familiar staff, I headed down to the basement. As I walked, I recalled a few memories of things I’d done here in the past.

The thick tech room door was shut—but just then, a pissed-off Susanna came storming out, one arm in a sling, so I instinctively caught her in my arms.

"Hey, Susanna. What’s got that pretty face all scrunched up?"

"Vincent… it is you. Long time. Now’s not a good time, I’ve got stuff to do."

"That so? Pity. I was hoping we could catch up a bit."

"Sigh… Evelyn, who was supposed to cover for me, up and vanished. I made Delamain do me a solid and got this cast, so I’m back. Judy doesn’t seem to know anything either… wait, don’t tell me you guys did something to Evelyn?"

"No. Sure, we get those kinds of jobs a lot, but not this time. Evelyn was the one who hired us. We’re just cleaning up after her vanishing act. We’re just as in the dark."

"I see… Judy’s probably hiding something. Trying to keep me out of it, but she doesn’t realize that’s part of the problem. …Go easy on her, okay, Vincent? That girl’s got a twisted personality and leans toward girls. Be careful."

"Got it. I’ll help however I can. And you can always come to me, you know that."

"…Heh, you haven’t changed at all. I’m counting on you."

She looked up at me with teary eyes, so I kissed her forehead to calm her down.

…And there it is. A cold gust from behind—someone’s throwing frostbite my way again.

It’s not like I’m some womanizing scumbag who treats girls like garbage… right?