I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 58: Give It to the Kids! 1

The children born in the Immortal Factory clearly had human forms and personalities, appearing to be human, but in Ark, they were treated as industrial products.

Treating living children as objects would be unimaginable under ordinary ethics, but in the year 2288 of Ark, earning recognition of human rights required passing quite stringent conditions.

The girls, for one, were products of the Immortal Factory, and like ordinary manufactured goods, ownership codes were assigned to them.

Currently, those codes were held by Sohi from the Saya Guild.

And now, I, too, had received partial transfer of the codes from Sohi.

You might wonder what a code is; it’s akin to an artifact.

It’s something that, even without mana or special abilities, is engraved into brainwaves and can be activated automatically with mere willpower.

Not long ago, a Third-Class Overseer who suddenly attacked me had powered up in front of my eyes by unlocking a code or something of the sort.

In any case, I had command authority over the 20 girls who accompanied me, allowing me to direct and order them as needed.

“Everyone, wait a moment.”

Thus, the children followed me and responded well to my control, even beyond just calling me their teacher.

‘Play, play, play, plaaaay…’

‘Let’s play, let’s plaaay!’

‘I want to plaaay!’

‘Soft…’

‘But we can’t…’

‘Wait.’

‘Teacher told us to wait…!’

The effects of the code were better than I expected.

The children, who seemed ready to burst out at any moment, instantly stifled their presence and stared straight ahead.

‘Teacher said to wait!’

‘Heh! Heh!’

‘We’re good kids!’

‘Let’s wait, let’s wait.’

‘If we wait, it’ll be fun!’

The girls clad in full armor suits with masks resembling monstrous jaws and blood-red designs looked quite menacing.

However, inside those suits were children struggling with destructive urges but dutifully obeying my orders to wait.

Just like well-behaved kindergarteners.

Of course, even aside from that, I needed to gauge the perfect timing for an attack, confirm whether this was a trap, and check if the main forces of Earnest Rail were nearby.

Earnest Rail’s forces: no significant deviations from the report.

Current status: Main forces are absent, with only minimal security personnel remaining.

Even the number of guards was small, and it seemed there were hardly any Hunters hired under Earnest Rail’s contract.

Or perhaps there weren’t any because the previous battle had turned them into corpses.

It wasn’t unlikely, considering Hunters often died as shields for corporations.

Now was the time to move in.

Even if their numbers were slightly greater, we had a definitive advantage in terms of strength.

Having played with these 20 immortal girls in the shelter for a week, I was confident: even if the enemy’s main forces were present, they wouldn’t be able to handle these girls.

Once I cut off communication with the outside, annihilating them all wouldn’t be an issue.

“…Still, something feels off.”

【Human, is there a problem?】

“Having the kids commit murder doesn’t feel normal.”

【…….】

Theresa remained silent for a moment after my words.

Was she looking at me with disdain? Or was she surprised?

I couldn’t tell what she was thinking since she said nothing, but it was probably the former.

【That’s merely by human standards. In Ark, there are numerous underage offenders, even boys under the age of ten, who commit robberies to survive. You don’t need to feel unnecessary guilt.】

“I know. I understand how hard it is to live in this world…”

【Also, Sohi of the Saya Guild and guild executive said this.】

Theresa spoke to me bluntly, as if to shake off my hesitation.

【In this world, hesitation leads directly to the death of allies.】

【Delaying an attack could result in unforeseen casualties or hesitation might lead to some of the girls being captured as prisoners.】

【I believe that’s something you wouldn’t want.】

“I know what you’re saying.”

【Then do not hesitate. Human, all you need to do is carry out the task you were commissioned for.】

If I thought about it calmly, Theresa’s words were absolutely right.

In a post-apocalyptic world, worrying about morality or ethics was a pointless and pitiful act.

But honestly, let’s face it.

The girls I was leading weren’t actual humans but bizarre creations from the Immortal Factory, synthesized with the True Ancestor’s Blood. Still, how could I order them to kill?

They were children who wanted to live as humans.

They were just kids who loved to play.

Regardless of distinguishing between good and evil, there was nothing as pure and innocent as these children.

Even if they weren’t human at their core, if they wanted to live as humans and recognized themselves as such, then I considered them human.

After all, even I wasn’t a human in the purest sense of the word.

Of course, if the situation became urgent or the client’s children were in danger of dying, I would strike first to protect them. But I wanted to avoid letting the children stain their hands with blood whenever possible.

However, the Saya Guild’s headquarters had ordered a raid with no survivors, essentially demanding a massacre.

“So, wouldn’t it be enough just to achieve the client’s goal here?”

【What are you implying?】

“It’s a bit of a detour, but Theresa, why do you think Earnest Rail and Dawn formed a joint front?”

【That’s a sudden question, but if I were to answer, it’s because the resistance from the natives is stronger than expected.】

“Honestly, if either Dawn or Earnest Rail decided to push forward with full force, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to drive out the local forces near Jain. But what’s the real reason they chose to form a joint front?”

【In the end, megacorps operate on money and figures.】

【If they tried to drive out the natives alone and suffered losses, there’s a risk of losing the initiative to their competitors.】

If corporations decided to act decisively, they could wipe out external forces and native groups, including the natives.

However, if the resistance from the native forces was fierce or monsters swarmed into the conflict, the resulting losses would multiply.

Most importantly, competing corporations wouldn’t sit idly by, letting others take control of the native lands.

They might hire Hunters to destroy supply lines or commission assassinations, making the situation even more complicated.

This is why the two megacorps found common ground and formed a joint front.

“But before the fight with the natives even ended, Earnest Rail backstabbed Dawn first. What do you think this means?”

【There’s no need to analyze it too deeply. They simply decided they had gained the upper hand against the external forces and moved quickly to ambush Dawn.】

“Why do you think Earnest Rail suddenly believed they had gained the upper hand?”

【That’s…】

“The external forces were said to consist of major criminals from Ark. But criminals wouldn’t band together just because a corporation invaded. They’d probably just run away instead. Yet here, the resistance is strong enough to form a front line, isn’t it?”

【A few powerful individuals capable of opposing the corporation must have been controlling the external forces.】

“Exactly. And those few strong individuals either died or were captured while resisting the joint front of the two megacorps. Earnest Rail then immediately backstabbed Dawn.”

【It’s not an unreasonable theory.】

It was a fairly rational deduction.

The Saya Guild’s commission aimed to prevent Earnest Rail from monopolizing the front line and driving out the native forces.

Although the Saya Guild had sent me and the girls for ambush and combat, their actual goal was simply to drive Earnest Rail out of this area.

“We can become the external forces.”

【That’s something Sohi already mentioned.】

“No, I mean let’s think long-term, not just for this case. Let’s continue causing disruption while wearing the guise of external forces.”

【Are you suggesting supporting forces that oppose the corporations? That’s reckless.】

“Let’s discuss the details later. For now, we need to deal with what’s in front of us.”

Finding a way to fulfill the Saya Guild’s commission without forcing the children to kill.

Honestly, it was incredibly difficult.

The easiest way would be to give the ambush command, but now that we’ve come this far, I didn’t want the kids’ hands stained with blood.

Of course, if the need arose, both I and the kids were prepared to get our hands dirty without hesitation.

At least our side had the upper hand in terms of strength…

“Oh, there is a way.”

Neither they.

Nor us.

Would have to spill a single drop of blood.

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Earnest Rail was practically in a celebratory mood.

They had captured the leader of the external forces on the northern front and crushed Dawn, which had been a thorn in their side.

The Hunters hired from outside wouldn’t know, but Earnest Rail’s full-time employees secretly cheered while also sensing victory.

This victory directly translated into their wages, compensation, and annual salaries.

The corporation’s success was essentially their own success.

“But Deputy, isn’t it too early to celebrate when the external native forces are still intact?”

“Even monkey-like creatures won’t be a problem once their leader is captured. If we establish a base here and let time pass, they’ll disband on their own.”

Particularly, the northern mountains offered fertile land suitable for establishing mining facilities, resource extraction sites, and even artificial soldier cultivation labs.

“After driving out Dawn, if we can withstand their external plots and assassination requests, this mountain range will be entirely ours.”

“But there’s still the Saya Guild. If Dawn asks the Saya Guild for help…”

“No, the Saya Guild doesn’t want to make enemies of either Earnest Rail or Dawn.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Saya Guild knows better than anyone that taking sides could shorten their lifespan in Jain. To them, it’s better to keep milking the cows quietly than—”

-Thunk!

“…!?”

“Ugh!”

At that moment, the D112 Combat Unit employees of Earnest Rail felt a ripple of mana.

If it had been an attack from afar, the source of the mana waves would gradually approach from a distance. But the ripple just now came from right nearby.

“Enemies!”

“Confirmed attack. Confirmed attack.”

“Verify ally identities. Verify identities.”

Caught off guard, Earnest Rail employees and their hired Hunters immediately went on high alert.

They had anticipated potential ambushes, knowing that the remnants of Dawn’s forces hadn’t been completely wiped out.

However, something was strange—there was no killing intent.

The presence of the attackers was felt close by, yet it didn’t seem to be directed at them.

Three minutes passed, then five, even ten, and the attackers still didn’t show themselves.

“This won’t do. Detection espers, locate the enemies immediately!”

“The enemies might be snipers!”

“They’re already close. If they’re sniping, we can intercept in that direction instead!”

Using the abilities of detection staff, Earnest Rail employees pinpointed the location of the attackers.

“The cafeteria?”

Unusual coordinates were detected in the cafeteria.

“Unusual coordinates” meant there was no registered personnel in the system, essentially identifying the attackers.

“The enemies are in the cafeteria!”

Though it was unclear why they were there, Earnest Rail employees, led by Hunters, immediately armed themselves and rushed to the cafeteria.

Some questioned why the attackers would head to the cafeteria.

Typically, external native force ambushes targeted key personnel or employees for assassination.

There seemed no logical reason for them to head toward the cafeteria.

-Bang!

“Clear.”

“Confirmed.”

“Secured.”

“Clear.”

The employees skillfully assessed the interior environment.

Even the hired Hunters seemed to earn their paychecks, standing guard at the forefront while surveying the surroundings. But the attackers had already vanished.

“What is this?”

“Why is there no one here…?”

“Were there even attackers?”

“D-Deputy!”

Then, from inside the cafeteria, a voice called out from another employee.

The deputy, a senior officer of the combat unit, immediately rushed toward the source of the voice, brandishing Earnest Rail’s standard-issue loaded spear.

However, the interior was unexpectedly quiet.

There were no signs of a battle, no attackers, only one employee who appeared dazed and bewildered.

“Employee Illus, what is the matter? If this is a false report, it will reflect on your performance review…”

“They’re gone!”

“What is? Are you saying the attackers were here and disappeared?”

Now that they thought about it, the place was quite messy.

Since it was a cafeteria, it had been easy to overlook, but on the way here, various storage areas and doors had been found open.

Clearly, the dirty, monkey-like natives from outside were still hiding somewhere.

But then the deputy heard something that struck him like a bolt from the blue.

“No! Our meal kits have all disappeared!”

“…What?”