For the time being, I managed to shoehorn Helga into the military under the pretense of being a Locally Employed Researcher in Charge of Rearing Mysterious Creatures—referring, of course, to the Pomeranian.
I requested that the budget be allocated accordingly.
Since filling out paperwork was such a drag, I suggested, "Why don't I just hire her as my personal secretary and pay her out of my own pocket?" An administrative officer from the Chronos Army who happened to be nearby gave me a stern look and said, "If you actually do that, I'll be seriously pissed off."
I’d have to build a house for Pome... oh, right, she was an indoor dog. Instead, I decided I would expand Helga’s house back in the village and add a dedicated Pome Space. I’d throw in a dog run in the yard, too.
Man, I wanted to go home... I wanted to fluff Kinako and Daifuku... even the eagle, though he was half-wild.
First, however, we had to search for the bodies.
It was a grim task, but it couldn't be helped. Even if they were enemies, we had to handle these things with some dignity. Besides, from a public health standpoint, we had to remove the remains on the surface, or they’d become a breeding ground for disease. Well, that would likely have to wait until spring.
More importantly, we had to investigate the factory.
The lower levels were collapsed, so we decided to enter from the top. We took a transport aircraft to the peak and disembarked. The Pomeranian absolutely insisted on coming along, so she entered the facility with Helga. Helga had the pup secured to her chest with a baby carrier.
The entrance to the factory appeared to be at the pinnacle. Since there was an employee entrance, I looked for the Fairy...
Ah, no good. Correspondence was down.
I found a handprint panel instead.
"Don't do it. Don't touch it. Don't you dare put your hand on that."
Eddy sounded so genuinely disgusted that I went ahead and did it anyway.
"Hey! You idiot!"
There was no way they’d set a trap in a place where a child might wander in. At most, it would just send a notification to the manager’s office. And that manager had likely been dead for ages. Sure, there was a possibility they were preserved in a tank like Lou-chan, but if that were the case, they’d be even less capable of doing anything.
I’d already factored in the possibility of the internal security attacking. After all, my backup plan was to melt our way in with a burner. If we were going to be that destructive, we might as well just blast the door open.
"Jester reaction confirmed. Authentication complete."
Apparently, this facility was indeed related to me. The door slid open.
"Alright, combat engineers. Put down the burners and follow me."
I led a daimyo procession into the depths, flanked by Melissa, Eddy, and the Imperial Guard Knights, with the combat engineers in tow. Rikochi and Helga brought up the rear.
The interior really did feel like a factory, though it was filled with dust and drifting gravel. I didn't see any signs of water damage, so the debris must have blown in through the ventilation ducts. Remarkably, the metal parts hadn't corroded. The paint had peeled where it had oxidized from contact with the air, but that much was unavoidable.
Peering through the hallway windows into the offices, I saw that the synthetic fibers on the chairs had crumbled into nothing. The resin-based materials had also rotted away. It was a melancholy sight.
As we walked further, we came across a set of stairs.
"Careful on the steps," I warned as we headed down. "Last time I did this, the building was so dilapidated I thought I was going to die."
Actually, this place seemed fine. It wasn't like earth or rainwater was flooding the interior. It was solid. The previous ruins I'd explored had been crumbling bit by bit.
I spotted a freight elevator, but we avoided it. That would have been a guaranteed accident.
"I’m telling you now, don't use the elevators in these ruins. Don't even think about it."
"Is that a setup for a joke?" Eddy asked.
"No. There's a high probability the cables and safety devices have degraded. If you value your life, stay off them."
"Understood."
Apparently, I was the only one who didn't listen to Eddy's warnings earlier. I’d expected at least one or two people to violate orders and try the elevator, but no one budged. Why did they only choose to believe the things I said when it sounded like a warning? It was only a matter of probability, after all.
Exerting about as much effort as it would take to walk down the stairs of a high-rise apartment building, we reached the bottom floor. It was pitch black and partially buried in debris, so we switched on our headlamps. There was no water seepage here. A massive space opened up before us.
Was this a dock?
I figured we’d just do a quick sweep and head back. With that thought in mind, I panned my light around—and there stood the figure of a giant.
No, it wasn't a living giant; it was a Humanoid Fighter.
Unfortunately, its paint was peeling. It looked like an even older model than a Linear Blazer. Its external condition was certainly worse. Then again, maybe it was just the paint. Perhaps the chemical composition of the coating was just primitive? Or maybe it was a mass-produced machine intended to be repainted frequently? Even so, for a mass-produced machine, it seemed to be in remarkably good shape... I think.
I spotted a terminal.
Dammit! Without Kyoko-chan, the Fairy, or Berger-san, I couldn't make heads or tails of the data. However, I did see one of those authentication devices. It was the only thing in the room still glowing.
I reached out to place my hand on it.
"Wait, you moron! Don't touch it!"
Eddy’s voice rang out, but I’d already made contact. I just had a hunch it would be fine.
Immediately, the lights in the dock began to hum to life. It was blindingly bright.
Snap! Some of the bulbs couldn't withstand the sudden surge after centuries of neglect. A few remained dark, but the majority were functional. The safety devices seemed to be holding up.
"Eddy, where do you think this power is coming from?"
"Stop telling scary stories, you idiot!" he snapped.
Helga walked over to join us. As she did, the Pomeranian started squirming in her arms.
"Would it be alright to set her down?" Helga asked.
"Does she need to poop?"
"Gau gau gau gau!"
I got chewed out. Apparently, she had the heart of a lady.
Once Helga set the Pomeranian down, the pup dashed straight for the terminal. She reached under the terminal table and pressed a small plate that looked like a touch device with her front paw.
"Wan!"
A voice crackled over the speakers.
"Humanity's Decisive Weapon 'Hope' authenticated. This facility is for the Warrior of Hope and his descendants."
Was it talking about the Jester?
"The download of design data for the 'Hope'-exclusive machine is now available. Various adjustment facilities for treating universalization are now operational."
"Universalization? I know I’ve heard that term somewhere, even if the context is different..."
"...Hey Leo," Eddy muttered. "Isn't that basically Alyssa's Sage-ization?"
"But there's no reason to 'treat' or prevent that. It's effectively a power-up."
"Think about it, though. Your ESP can't be quantified, right? Maybe there’s no need for you to power up in the first place? You're already a freak of nature just by existing."
"Eh..."
Was that the trap? The fact that the system specifically called it a "treatment" implied that the condition was a problem.
Then Rikochi chimed in with a mutter. "Ahhh, I get it. It’s like being a genius as a child, only to grow up into a totally ordinary person..."
Everyone turned to look at me.
"Stop it. Stop making that face. I'm going to be a father soon. I can't stay a brat for the rest of my life. Seriously, stop looking at me like that."
Melissa laughed uproariously and slapped me on the back. "It's fine, it's fine! You should just stay a stupid boy, Captain. We’ll be here to look after you."
It was a harsh world where I wasn't even allowed to be a respected father.