ch421-ch440 · 436-ch436

Chapter 436: A Place That Serves Robots

(Can't take it anymore. I'm joining in!)

But barging in as-is would be breaking and entering.

First I use the 'Eye Gate' to slip outside.

Then I knock on the door.

Legal!

Cheating police, coming through! Hands in the air!

"Wh-what is it at this hour? H-huh? Kasugano-kun?"

Robo-ko-san comes out.

Not as tiny as Mia-san, but still petite, with a small face that makes her glasses look enormous.

"Soushi-kun—let's plaaay!"

"Huh? Huh? Ah—whatever, come in, come on up."

I have permission this time, so I stride right in.

In for a penny, in for a pound—straight to the room from before.

"Geh, so that WAS you just now, Haruki."

"Geh? Do you have something to hide, perhaps?"

"N-no, it's not like that......"

Hmm.

Well, Soushi can wait.

More importantly......

"Doctor, what's this?"

I ask about the humanoid machine hanging from the ceiling.

"D-Doctor? Me? Er, well—it's just what it looks like. A powered suit, that's what they call it. My specialty's the remote-operated robot type, mind you. But Soushi-kun said he wanted a robot you wear, so I special-ordered this one. French-made frame, model number......"

I don't know Robo-ko-san's name, so I'm committing to "Doctor."

She doesn't seem to mind.

If Soushi wanted it, that makes it Soushi's—which means it's mine, right?

The Gian logic of "what's Soushi's is mine" aside, what I want to know is......

"So what did this thing cost?"

"Four million yen for the frame alone, power assist included. Just the FRAME, mind you. We can't bring its official armament into Japan, and even then, that's the bargain price I got a friend to let it go for."

F-four million!

You could buy a car.

"How do you even have that kind of money? Does Aikawa know about this?"

"You get about that much too, don't you? Natsuki...... doesn't know."

GUILTY.

This is cheating.

Endo-san called it, dead-on.

It's exactly like paying money to a lady at a place that serves alcohol!

He's handing cash to Robo-ko-san at a place that serves robots!

I don't get anywhere NEAR that much, you know.

Maybe a tenth of it......

"So, Doctor—what can this thing do?"

"That depends partly on the armament, but basically it comes down to power. Electric motors—anyone riding it should put out power on par with a Triple-Rank combat job. And there's the reach. The arms and legs each extend one meter. That's the sort of thing you two understand better than I do, no?"

One meter, huh.

Reach aside, longer arms mean more centrifugal force—more power behind every swing.

And a taller frame means attacking from above.

Not exactly "home-field advantage," but blows from above hit harder and are harder to block.

"So anyone riding it gets Triple-Rank-or-better power?"

"I wouldn't go that far. There are weaknesses. First: it's slow. Triple-Rank power, but the speed might drop below Single-Rank. Evasion-style fighting is out of the question—it'll be shield up, take the hits head-on. Overseas they'd have firearms and just keep enemies at range, but that wastes the power entirely. That's the tricky part."

Unlike the robot, the one taking hits is whoever's wearing this.

The legs carry the whole suit's weight so it never bears down on the pilot—that's why the speed suffers, I suppose.

Could you force it to move on the pilot's own muscle power?

"The robot did look like it'd struggle against ogres."

"But I think it'd give a golem a real run for its money. Stick a pile bunker on it and it'd take one down in a single hit."

Depends on the matchup, then......

"So this thing is bare right now? The armament?"

It really is nothing but a frame. No armor, let alone a shield.

"That's my job. I build the armament and mount it on this frame—but I'm still consulting with Soushi-kun on it."

So THAT's why he kept coming back, over and over.

Here's hoping they buy that excuse.

"The budget, man. The frame alone was four million, and it only costs MORE from here?"

The budget, huh.

I don't have one either.

"Can you get another one of these?"

But I have an idea.

"Hmm, for four million?"

"Hey, were you even listening? It's FOUR MILLION."

"Might as well make them fight. I'll ask Mia-san to build mine—when they're both done, it's a duel."

"WHY!? I'll build yours too! Don't go asking Mia—you're eating my profit!"

Apparently she's been passing the frame along at cost.

Then I'd better slip her a little something extra......

Robo-ko-san should be a 【Blacksmith】, but what job did she take at Floor 30 again......

"Ah, is it safe to put this on right now?"

"Hey, that's MINE!"

What's Soushi's is mine!

"Just let me test whether my skills take on it. No shield? I need a shield. And since Mia-san won't make me a drill—a drill too, please."

At last—the drill of my dreams!