Prototype No. 2 Was Stolen!
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Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
「That’s why I want to borrow Hyoue-san’s strength.」
Takaba Hyoue was inside his office together with a man who was seated in front of Hyoue’s desk. The man was making an effort to persuade Hyoue about something. It was Yoshikawa. Niijima and Yamaoka were also present.
Since he was also a former employee of Hyoue’s company back on Earth, Yoshikawa joined TAKABA as an employee soon after being transferred, then quit to become a mercenary.
Takaba Hyoue also created TAKABA for the purpose of actively protecting his employees right after they get transferred over.
「The Familiars don’t respond to you?」
「Yes. It looks like they got a mistaken view of me. I wouldn’t attempt anything like murder.」
The three had a really desperate time getting back.
First, they could only interact with humans. They got charged an unfair amount of money by an illegal transport company, and when they made it back to TAKABA’s company grounds, they had to wait for an acquaintance to pass by in order for them to enter.
The Familiars no longer recognized their existence, so as long as people didn’t inquire about their situation, they would be able to muddle through somehow. Conversely, if people noticed that the Familiars weren’t responding to them and were asked why, it would all be over.
「I see. Ta-kun. Play that video for me.」
Hyoue called on his partner, the Sparrow hawk-type Familiar he named Ta-kun.
Ta-kun played the video as requested. It showed a fight in the middle of a downtown area. It clearly displayed Yoshikawa stripping a young girl’s wig from her head and his attempt to hit her with a broken glass cup.
「……」
Yoshikawa and the other two turned speechless. The scenes of them getting beaten up and Yoshikawa peeing on his pants were also completely recorded.
「Do you have any more excuses?」
「That woman who presented herself as a witness isn’t trustworthy! I don’t even know who she is……」
「The person who volunteered herself as a witness to your crime is my benefactor. Her words are a lot more trustworthy than yours will ever be.」
Hyoue didn’t show any signs of anger. That actually made him seem a lot more terrifying.
「C-Chairman……」
「Get out. Do not ever step foot here ever again. If we meet in the battlefield, then you better prepare yourselves.」
「Hiii……」
The three men ran out in a panic after witnessing Hyoue’s terrifying expression.
Hyoue sighed and sank deeper into his chair.
He finally understood the reason why Kou hadn’t contacted him until now. It was understandable that he found it hard to get in touch when one of his people actually tried to kill Kou.
「To think he did something so cruel to such a young child……」
Even Ta-kun displayed a dumbfounded look.
「Indeed. It really makes me feel sorry.」
Hyoue couldn’t stop sighing.
「It looks like we managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. Let’s go with that plan.」
「Smile. We need to display a refreshing smile!」
「Got it.」
The three people whispered to one another and walked around the company building with smiles plastered on their faces.
「Uchida-san!」
Yoshikawa and the other two came to the testing lab and called out to its chief, Uchida.
「Oh. If it isn’t Yoshikawa. It’s been a while.」
「We’ve just returned from greeting Chairman Takaba in his office! He told us it was fine for us to take the newly developed machine for a spin.」
「I see. The chairman should have been happy to see you guys.」
「He said he wants us to try out the improved Falco.」
「Alright. Follow me.」
Uchida led them to another area.
「Can you tell us the details about this guy?」
「It’s going to be our company’s new flagship machine. It’s an ultra-high-end machine that improves the flight capability of the Lanius even further……」
After listening to Uchida’s explanation, Yoshikawa asked another question.
「This guy has just been completed, right?」
「It’s the second prototype to be built and the first of its line. It can be equated to the first F-type back on Earth. The chairman created the first prototype for himself, and this second prototype has been tuned with mass production in mind. This will be the base for the mass production model, and the production lines are ready. They will be luxury models, so I’m not sure how many people are going to be able to buy one.」
「Oh, it’s like the dream machine of every mercenary!」
「Do your best to earn money so you can get one of your own. Here, go ahead and take it for a test spin!」
「Thank you very much!」
「Uchida-san, this guy is too much for us, so just let us test those Falcos instead!」
「Alright, alright. That one does sell quite well. There are ones that just finished their scheduled tests.」
Uchida led the other two to another area.
Seeing that, Yoshikawa cackled and displayed a wicked grin.
「Oh, this thing is amazing!」
「This one too!」
「You guys, this one’s entirely different from the ones we’ve piloted before. All other Silhouettes I’ve handled till now can’t even compare.」
The three frolicked around while piloting the new machines.
「You guys, you only have one or two minutes left.」
「We know. Then we’ll just give them a little test run over there before bringing them back!」
「Don’t break them! Well, it’s not like they can easily break down anyway.」
「Yes. We’re heading out!」
After saying so, the three jumped outside of the company complex.
The moment they went out of the Fortress Area’s gate, Uchida knitted his brows.
The three never came back again.
「I’m very sorry!」
Uchida knelt in a dogeza position on the floor of the chairman’s office.
「Get up. It can’t be helped. But……」
Hyoue couldn’t hide his irritation.
It could be said that his management truly was too lax. A case that should never happen such as having a prototype machine stolen had actually happened.
「Good grief. They really are scoundrels through and through.」
He was going to kill them the next time they meet.
They will surely meet again on the battlefield. Hyoue had resolved himself to cut them down.
「I can understand why you let down your guard. You didn’t expect members from the same company who we treat as family would actually betray us like that.」
「Even so, I was still too careless!」
Uchida was nearly in tears as he stared at the floor while sporting a frustrated and guilty expression. Though things couldn’t be undone no matter how much he cried about it.
He wanted to chase after the three and take the machines back, but they have apparently arranged for an escape route already. They had long disappeared from the outer perimeter of the Fortress Area.
「It was my fault as well for failing to ban entering and leaving the company premises immediately. To think they came here on foot. Their brains work well only when it comes to stuff like that.」
In the first place, they probably came to see Hyoue because they no longer had anything to lose. And they already planned to steal the new machines in case seeing him didn’t work out for them.
「TSW-R17 Accipiter. The successor machine of the Lanius. It’s a next-generation machine that was finally completed through Misumaru-san’s know-how and collaborative development with Kou-kun. It was equipped with a new model power pack that employs the new octaoxygen generation device developed from research on the Lanius C type. There’s a danger that they’ll hand those machines over to the Stones.」
「Eh? No way!」
「 Those guys… They’ve already been blacklisted by all Familiars because Yoshikawa attempted murder and even violently attacked someone in broad daylight. The person who was subjected to attempted murder was someone you know from our time back on Earth, Mozuya Kou. He was part of your team back then, right?」
「What? They told me he was accidentally left behind in our old factory and died……」
「It seems the truth is that Yoshikawa pushed him out of the rescue aircraft. My benefactor has put herself forward as a witness. So there’s absolutely no mistake.」
「But that’s……」
Uchida’s expression turned more and more haggard.
His thoughts couldn’t keep up with all the revelations.
「He’s actually alive. Don’t worry. That’s something to be thankful for, at least.」
「Yes. I don’t know if I should be feeling happy right now though.」
「You should. Your head should be a bit messed up right now. For now, you should go home and calm yourself down first. I’ll have Kawakage get in touch with you tomorrow.」
「……Yes. I truly am sorry.」
Uchida bowed deeply and left the room.
「I have notified the Mercenary Association.」
「Sorry, Ta-kun.」
「Think nothing of it. But this is definitely a big blow to us.」
「Attempting to murder Kou, assaulting a young girl, and stealing the latest machines that use technology released by those two girls. And to top it all off, they even made Asia herself angry at them. They have no other choice but to come to the Stones.」
「Since we were mercenaries ourselves, we were a bit lenient on rowdy behavior and our people getting into fights every once in a while, but that’s backfired on us spectacularly.」
「It was only a matter of time. Hey, Ta-kun. How should I apologize to Kou for letting the crystallization of the technology and techniques he gave me get stolen from right under my nose?」
Detecting the frustration and anguish from his partner’s tone, Ta-kun had no choice but to keep silent.
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