The next day.
Riiing!
I woke up Victoria, who couldn’t get out of bed even when it was time to rise, washed her up, changed her clothes, and then set her by the entrance.
Vroom vroom!
I then took her along as Morris headed to work.
The sky was still a bright dawn. There was a truck parked beside the mansion. I know it, but trucks look pretty much the same everywhere.
It has wheels, a spacious cargo area for goods, and just enough space to sit and drive.
There was enough room for two kids to sit, but I gave up the front seat for Victoria and hopped in the back.
Since there was no objection when I got in the back, it seems there’s no law against having passengers back there. Probably not many people have died yet.
The car started moving, and I sat in the back comfortably.
The car headed towards Bern City. Thank goodness it wasn’t too hectic on the road at this early hour.
No need to sit for long on top of a vehicle, we reached our destination smoothly.
By the roadside, I could see taxis and vehicles passing by, along with weary faces of workers headed to their jobs.
Of course, the laborers aren’t on the main road but tucked away in alleys, as if they’re separated from the world outside.
In other words, there’s discrimination.
I kinda like that idea.
It means just creating a harvesting period automatically fills the area with death.
Hehehe.
As I admired the city’s light and darkness, the car arrived at its destination.
Getting out of the car, I faced a massive building that required a badge just to enter.
The sign at the entrance read “Enchant Company.”
Is this a company that uses magic for technology?
The company Beatrice was writing about didn’t have that name. They must be working for different places.
Well, you don’t necessarily have to marry someone from the same company.
Morris chatted with the security and got something from the inside, then handed guest badges to me and Victoria.
He then drove the car deep inside.
At the back of the tall building, there was a factory-like structure. Morris parked the vehicle not in the parking lot and led Victoria and me inside.
Wow!
Victoria exclaimed in awe. She proceeded to explain the names and uses of the machinery in front of her as if she were a seasoned expert. It seemed like equipment that’s hard to come by.
After a good look around the empty space, Morris took us to where he worked.
It wasn’t a room, but a partitioned area filled with various equipment. In one corner, I could see a document hanging that labeled Morris’ bat and his role as a research team member.
It was a spot far from the central equipment, so it looked like there wouldn’t be many encounters with people there.
Morris eagerly explained the equipment he created to his daughter, talking about its technical aspects, the intended use, how it’s currently inefficient, but with some improvement, it could turn into something amazing. Classic “dad sharing his pride” stuff.
Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the tech.
For reference, the tech was decent in its own right.
Especially with that shining memory?
Daegon. Something like that.
If the costs of humans were low, one could create efficient equipment. It’s just a matter of combining the devices inside!
In that sense, Morris is indeed a remarkable person.
But given that there are no visible corpses around, the acknowledgment of this tech seems far-fetched.
The way to go about it is simple. Just slightly alter the procedure from the blueprint Morris suggests, and instead of absorbing magic from the air, directly implant it into a person.
People are like filters and catalysts, right? The memory sparkles!
But do they really need this?
As I watched the father-daughter conversation unfold, more people began arriving for work.
Surprisingly, there seemed to be no gender discrimination inside, as the incoming crowd had a fairly balanced male-to-female ratio. Even the races were diverse.
There were people with horns on their heads, long ears, and some with fluffy hair, complete with little animal ears and tails!
But one thing was clear.
There was a problem.
The glares from those entering here were downright hostile. They looked at us like “Why are you still here?” with smirks or disdainful expressions.
The moment they laid eyes on me, they tried to mask their expressions, but good luck hiding those feelings from me.
And among them, there were some who openly expressed hostility as they walked past.
A reasonable person would take Victoria and leave this place.
But that’s not what I planned to do.
I’d rather have Victoria do what she wants, if possible.
Feeling the ominous tides of misfortune rolling in, I waited for someone to trigger that misfortune. This was a ripe moment for it.
After a short while.
A grim-looking middle-aged man and a strict young woman came striding toward us. The young woman seemed to be following a step behind the middle-aged man, suggesting she was some sort of assistant.
So, the middle-aged man must be someone of high rank.
He walked right past me and headed straight for Morris.
“You brought a child to the research facility without permission, Morris.”
Gulp!
“Morris!?”
He quickly bowed his head when the supervisor approached hurriedly.
In the presence of civilized individuals, one wouldn’t go ranting in front of the children.
“Is it not enough you’ve been living off research funds without producing anything? Didn’t I tell you to shape up by this week? And now you’ve broken company rules too. Did you forget this is a restricted area, Morris?”
But there are always those without civility.
Morris kept bowing, constantly mumbling apologies, while behind him, Victoria looked on with a tormented expression.
The factory’s humidity was on the rise.
Grrr!
Many individuals want positions at the research facility, and despite working overtime, they would hurl insults at him for not producing work worth their time.
Severe insults, at that.
No one around was watching,
but I could feel the ears perking up. I noticed a few people stealing glances at me—some out of mere curiosity, others with mocking expressions, and a few clearly worried I might become a target.
Of course, there were faces concerned about Morris, but fear of the supervisor seemed to loom larger.
This is typical in companies.
The supervisor is just doing his job, and it’s reasonable for him to demand results or leave if there aren’t any.
Thinking logically, bringing a child into this secure area is a bad move.
What a delightful situation!
Victoria can cross any line she wants.
Morris can throw her under the bus.
Life can change in very simple ways. All it takes is one wrong step.
A tiny theft, a little lie, a simple choice of a different victim.
You might strive to live freely, but you’ll end up living a life where freedom isn’t a possibility.
Smack!
Overwhelmed by anger, the supervisor, who had been shouting at Morris, lost control and whacked him on the head with a stack of papers!
“You, to my dad—”
“Victoria!”
Gasp!
Before the supervisor’s grip tightened around Morris’ neck, he shouted loudly.
“I’m sorry, Supervisor! Victoria. I can’t show you my workplace today. I’ll drop you off at the entrance, Supervisor. I’ll take the children outside and handle the remaining matters.”
He spoke while wiping the blood from his face.
Between the sobs and moans, there was a flickering resolve within him.
Remarkable.
Is he really a father after all?
Or does it mean he isn’t completely rotten yet?
Maybe a bit more corruption is required before the warmth can pool together…
But instead of choosing to be acknowledged at the company, Morris took his daughter’s hand and headed outside.
In the chaos, he did make a slight mistake by forgetting about me, but I’ll let that slide since everything was so frantic.
“Hey kid,”
“What’s up?”
As I followed the first two out, the supervisor turned to me and spoke. I turned around to see him staring at me; then, he took a step back.
It was as if he forgot what he intended to say, fixating on me.
When his assistant asked him if he was okay, he pointed a finger at the entrance.
“Have Morris Batt deliver this resignation letter.”
“Got it.”
Possibilities are fleeting, but this is also a form of luck. Depending on Daegon, it reflects the very early tech, but it’s also the start of technology that could lead somewhere.
At the time, it was efficient, but as time passes and technologies advance, it would become obsolete.
Using living beings for fuel is much more effective when you utilize souls as well.
I stepped outside.
As soon as the two exited the building, they were spotted.
Outside, Victoria was hugging Morris, sobbing loudly, while Morris gently patted his daughter’s head.
“I didn’t mean to show you such a sorry sight.”
As I approached, Morris offered me a half-smile and said, “The supervisor wants a resignation letter.”
Morris nodded with a resigned expression.
Watching him, I suddenly felt curious.
“1473256?”
Whether he knew or not, I wondered if that might spark some dark glimmer of malice, so I mentioned the most efficient form of the tech he had showed earlier.
He had flipped the order of the equipment shown earlier, from left: 1, 2, 3, with the rightmost being 7.
His expression stiffened.
Ah, that’s the look of someone who knows something.
“Even if you do know, don’t discuss it. That’s tech that shouldn’t be messed with.”
“All tech developed in this company belongs to the company.”
“I know. But what’s so great about dragging up this individual’s tech? Besides, while leaving, I’ll discard anything that doesn’t legally tie me.”
Victoria was puzzled, glancing between me and Morris, while Morris held her tightly, as if shielding her from me.
“You’re much scarier than I expected,”
“A monster.”
I corrected him and walked closer to him.
Even though it’s easy to stray from the path, I had to give credit where it’s due, especially since most people can’t make that choice and are too busy ridiculing the good deeds of others, right?
“You did well to keep your daughter safe. I commend you.”
So the monster pays him a compliment, knowing the value of what he attained.
And also that the moment that value crumbles, it could happen in an instant.
Morris gave an awkward smile at my words and rubbed his blood-soaked head. He took out his wallet and handed me some money.
“Please take care of my daughter.”
He then hugged his daughter once more and went back inside.
Watching him, a thought struck me.
Such a devoted father. What choice would he have made if she didn’t return…?
I gazed blankly at the other reality of the Enchant Company, already stained with blood, and then grabbed Victoria’s hand, who was still sobbing, as we left the company.
Time to explore the city!
