Chapter 51

Saying “Leave the 《Machine dragon》 thing to me” and acting all cool about it might’ve sounded great at the time, but maybe I took that job a bit too lightly.

Thinking that, I head down to the first floor and kill time in the living space.

Jugra usually takes a solo break at 3 PM to rest her tired body, so I figured she’d be in a better mood if I waited until after that.

Since it’s already past 3:30, I start walking down the hallway toward the treatment room.

I pull the string in front of the door to ring the bell—something I’d installed just in case the client inside was a woman.

From inside, I hear Jugra’s voice: 『You can come inー』

When I open the door, I see her sitting in a chair, looking relaxed.

...Though, doesn’t she seem kinda tense?

"I-I came to help."

"Heh, I like capable assistants who respect time. ...Haaah, and here you are, thinking you’re hiding it. Idiot. You wanna ask something, don’t you? Out with it."

She leans back against the chair, tilts her chin up, and looks back at me with a bewitching smile. I flinch a little, then give up and decide to spill everything.

It’s faster this way, and more than anything, Jugra hates dumb lies.

She’ll tolerate a kind lie or a bluff, though.

"H-Hahaha… I can’t beat you, Jugra. I took on an investigation of the 《Machine dragon》 from Vitt. …Y’know, since he’s basically the mastermind?"

"I wouldn’t say I’ve done anything that villainous, thoughー? Well, I get the gist. You were planning to get some info about 《Relic》 from Yorinobu, right? …Hey, David. You think aesthetics of form are important?"

"Huh? Aesthetics of form? …What’s that?"

"Ahー... let’s see. Like in cyberpunk, guns are a must-have, right? So you carry one. That kind of principle—it’s a concept of 'This is how it should be.'"

"I see? Hmm, then yeah, it probably matters? Basically like a role model, right?"

"Hmm, then maybe I’ll go ask him tonight. I’ll set up the appointment. Which means—we’re going to Jinguuji to buy a suit, alright?"

"…Huh? No, wait—what about your Ripperdoc job?"

"Who cares, we’re going tomorrow."

"Wait, but tomorrow’s Wednesday, your day oooooff!?"

Lately, Jugra’s become, well… freer.

She’s been pawning off her work more and more.

There used to be this vibe that she took pride in being a Ripperdoc, but now it’s like “It’s a hassle, but it’s my job,” a total downgrade.

...Well, I guess that’s because she’s clearly making enough money not to need to work anymore.

Honestly, I think the only reason she still does Ripperdoc work is to save face with Tiger Claws. Deep down, she probably just wants to laze around in bed.

So, after seeing only the patients with emergencies, she tossed the rest over to Delamain Medical Services.

『Shall I prepare a change of clothes?』

"Nah, I’m good. Delamain, bring the car around."

『Understood』

The Delamain in a butler-maid outfit gave a curtsy and began locking up to prepare for Jugra’s outing.

...It’s like watching some rich kid and their servant. I’m kinda getting used to this scene.

Jugra’s clinic uses analog systems to protect against quickhacks, so locking up takes a bit of time.

I used to help out, but now that Delamain uses the 《Delamans》 maids to perfectly handle it, I just stand beside Jugra and wait so I don’t get in the way.

...She smells kinda nice sometimes, y’know?

It’s that scent like the lemon that was on our cold noodles the other day—refreshing but slightly bitter, kind of soothing in a way.

Jugra notices my gaze, tilts her head cutely enough to kill, and I nearly die of a heart attack.

She does it so naturally—like she has no awareness of her looks or how she appears to others at all.

"Hm? Ah, the smell? That’s perfume I got from Delamain. It’s lemongrass-scented. Pretty nice, right? Kinda calming, don’t you think?"

"Perfume? …Oh, that fancy stuff with fragrance in water? Classy. Smells good, I think."

"That so? Then maybe I’ll keep wearing it for a while. Might help calm down some of the rougher customers too."

"…Doubt it’d work on the Tiger Claws guys though."

I can already see it—“Our lady boss getting all dolled up!?” and then the bratty complaints.

A lot of people misunderstand our relationship.

I’m just a Ripperdoc’s assistant, okay? If you wanna say something, get a Sandevistan first.

『Apologies to keep you waiting. Lock-up complete. Not even a bug could get in now.』

"Thanks, Delamain. Alright, let’s go."

"Yeah…"

The fact that we’re shopping at that high-end Jinguuji place means we’re probably going to some place with a dress code.

My stomach’s already starting to hurt a bit.

If I said anything, she’d probably just go, “The stuff inked on your back is more expensive anyway,” or something.

Delamain opens the door to the custom Delamain car’s backseat. Once Jugra’s inside, he moves to the driver’s seat.

...I sit in the back with a hard-to-describe feeling and close the door myself.

It’s subtly harsh, like she’s saying, “The only one I’ll be sweet to is Jugra.”

Well, if that makes her chuckle like a sitcom scene, then I guess it’s not so bad.

"What’s up, David? You look like you’ve got something to say."

"Nah, not really. Just thinking it’s nice seeing you happy lately."

"Hmm? That so? Doesn’t feel that way to me."

"I’d rather see you smile. Better than a frown, anyway."

"Ahー… So you noticed. That bastard Vitt made a holocall five minutes before my break at 3."

『He deserves death. Salary cut highly recommended.』

"I won’t, I won’t. It’s not that big a deal."

Delamain started moving slowly, their driving both careful and quiet—so smooth that you could even hear Jugra’s breathing beside you.

Delamain, who also served as Jugra’s personal driver.

Perhaps it was a skill born from the massive amount of driving data they had accumulated through their taxi service.

Watching the scenery slide smoothly past through the smoked windows, I used the brief moment to think.

Why has Jugra been feeling... off lately?

It started after the day V hit the ground with a hole in their heart—after the surgery was complete, resuscitation successful, and they finally drifted off to sleep.

When Jugra woke up, she began to show subtle cracks in her usual perfection.

To be specific, she’d started ditching ripperdoc jobs more often—like today.

The actual content of her work hadn’t changed, but she’d stopped actively marketing her services and no longer recommended tech upgrades.

She used to take a 3 o’clock break before, but now she even started napping during it.

Then there was the shocker—when she completely handed over all research on cyberpsychosis to Delamain once they set up the Delamain Medical Service.

...No, maybe that was just because she realized it would take too long to neutralize the effects of the Biotechnica-made drugs. She probably just got tired of waiting.

And then… something about how she treats me softened. She’s friendlier now.

Not in a romantic way, but more like recognizing me as a close friend.

Even with this current matter, the old Jugra would've handled it over holo or something.

At most, she might’ve made the client come to the office.

It’s like… some new personality merged with hers.

Not in a bad way—it’s a purely positive kind of change. Like she’s going through a late-blooming adolescence… No, that’s not it. I can’t quite put it into words.

Jugra looked out the window with a vaguely cheerful expression, almost as if she genuinely found joy in going out.

Well, regardless, there’s no mistaking it—she’s changing for the better.

The old Jugra was like ice-cold water, but now she’s warmed up to body temperature.

『We have arrived at the destination.』

"Ah, thanks for the ride, Delamain. Come on, let’s go, David. Make peace with it already."

"Ah, yeah. I guess I should at least have one decent outfit."

"...True enough. Hm, I wasn’t planning on it, but… maybe I’ll get a dress too."

"Jugra, getting a dress? …I think it’d really suit you."

"You think so? I’ve never really liked girly stuff, but… for some reason, I feel like I have to buy one."

Before Jugra stepped out, Delamain—who had already gotten out—opened the rear door for her, but I exited first to do my job as bodyguard.

I scanned the surroundings, looking for anyone who was too close for even a Sandevistan to handle, but saw nothing.

I glanced at potential sniper points too, but no suspicious silhouettes stood out.

I gave Delamain a look to signal “all clear,” and they nodded back.

...Well, they’ve got more advanced optics than me. I can’t beat them in zoom capabilities, at least.

With Jugra heading toward Jinguji without any hesitation in her usual attire, I followed close beside her.

A well-built guy in a gentleman’s suit, who looked like he might be with the Animals gang, gave us a suspicious look at first—until he widened his eyes, straightened his back, and gave a deep, graceful bow.

…Yeah, Jugra’s name really carries weight.

Anyone else dressed in oil-smeared overalls and a vintage jacket would’ve been kicked out on sight.

The Jinguji staff seemed confused by the guy’s sudden behavior, but once their eyes landed on Jugra, they seemed to understand and approached us with eager, respectful gestures.

They didn’t get too close—hovering toward the bodyguard side, probably to show they had no funny ideas.

That’s the level of high-class customer service you’d expect from a place like Jinguji. I had to admit—I was impressed.

"Welcome, and thank you ever so much for visiting us. It is a tremendous honor to have someone of your stature grace our establishment. If you’d like, I’d be happy to assist with your wardrobe selections. How may I be of service?"

"…Hmm, no need to be so formal. It’s not like you’re one of my subordinates or anything."

"Not at all. Extending our utmost courtesy to valued customers is only natural."

"That so? Got it. We’re here to buy a gentleman’s suit for him and a dress for me. Since I’m doubling as his bodyguard, make it something easy to move in—if you’ve got armored options, that’d be even better. For mine, anything in a dark tone that covers my back will do."

"Understood. I’ll guide you both to adjacent fitting rooms. We have a VIP booth prepared, so please, this way."

At the receptionist’s signal, a female attendant appeared from the back and gave both Jugra and me a graceful bow.

The attention to detail was impressive—as expected of Jinguji.

Led by the female attendant, we headed deeper into the store and were shown into a luxurious fitting room… or rather, it felt more like a private lounge.

On the table was a hologram device, which the attendant activated with a few taps.

Somehow, we’d already been scanned—two mannequin-like holograms of us floated in the air, blank-faced and expressionless.

"This is our signature fitting simulator. Only your height and body outline have been used for this display. If needed, we can provide full system data access—please don’t hesitate to ask. Using the terminal I’m about to hand you, feel free to browse product data and project your selections onto the screen. If you'd like to try anything on, the fitting room is just over there for your convenience."

The female attendant finished her explanation and took up position near the entrance wall, standing by.

...I tried dressing up the holographic version of myself using the provided device, but I couldn’t tell the difference at all.

Wondering what to do, I glanced to the side and saw Jugra, effortlessly switching through product data like a slot machine via thought-control.

Every now and then, she must have seen a dress that caught her eye—she’d rotate the hologram to inspect it, but seemed dissatisfied with the back, prompting another high-speed round of holo-try-ons.

Turning back to the device, I started fiddling with the search filters.

I checked off the criteria Jugra had mentioned earlier, and something that looked about right came up.

...Yeah, well, guess this’ll do, I thought, and glanced at the price. It was decent enough to justify it.

Good stuff is expensive—same as how tasty food is always packed with calories. Yeah.

In the end, Jugra chose a chic black long dress paired with a red stole.

We decided to try them on, so I slipped my arms into a suit that cost more than the Academy uniform.

Range of motion... is solid. Easy to move in, and armored fabric is used in key areas for decent protection.

I stepped out of the fitting room and looked to my side—only to freeze, completely captivated.

Jugra, clad in that elegant dress, looked as beautiful as a masterpiece painting. Even without any makeup, she had this clear, breathtaking radiance.

"…You look beautiful."

"Hm? Ah, you’re looking good too, David. Wait, your tie’s crooked. It’s a good suit, so even a small mismatch sticks out."

With a soft smile, Jaggra stepped closer and straightened my tie.

...As she leaned forward, the opening of her stole gave me a glimpse of her chest, revealing a faint hint of cleavage that nearly killed me on the spot. I had to force myself to remain upright and motionless.

Damn. That was dangerously powerful.

If Delamain saw her like this, they’d probably overheat and break down right then and there.

Since the clothes we picked needed no alterations, we bought them on the spot with cash. The clothes we came in with were stuffed into paper bags bearing the Jinguuji logo to take home.

By the time we stepped outside, quite a bit of time had passed—the sky was starting to dim into evening.

...And just as expected, the moment Delamain saw the dressed-up Jugra, they overheated on the spot, blasting high-temperature steam from the decorative earpieces.