Chapter 13

[─And so, I confirmed that if I could concentrate computational power beyond a certain level, a strong artificial intelligence could be realized, which I decided to call the Kuroi Law…]

[Dr. Kuroi! But to implement such computational power, you would need an enormous facility, right? No such facility has been constructed recently, so you must be using that device from Evilus, right?]

[Erm, I’ll refrain from commenting.]

[Are you aware that people who possess that device have recently reported being victims of crimes!? There are suspicions in society that you might be the culprit…]

[I purchased it through entirely legal means. I’ll only take questions up to this point. Now, I have brought the android powered by my strong AI here, so feel free to ask anything—]

“Wow…”

Watching Dr. Kuroi’s announcement where he claimed to have developed strong AI, I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of disbelief.

The fact that he had used the circuit from my Namo Buster to create strong AI was utterly ridiculous. Of course, this disbelief wasn’t the same kind of shock that those who had their belongings stolen felt, mixed with anger.

No, it was rather the opposite. I was flabbergasted that this guy had somehow managed to create strong AI using nothing more than a toy circuit.

‘What the… why would you make strong AI with a toy like that?’

The circuit used in a toy robot was, quite literally, on the toy level. It was a circuit meant for kids to play with. Yet, this person claimed to have completed strong AI with just that.

To put it in perspective, that was as absurd as saying you could create a computer by stacking up abacuses. Heck, recreating a computer using redstone blocks in Minecraft would be a more sophisticated technical achievement.

‘For something like that to be possible, it would either take a disgusting amount of grunt work or a stroke of genius… But even then, it’s a pointless effort with zero practicality.’

Since the AI was created just by stacking circuits, there was no potential for it to evolve. It could never progress beyond the performance limits of the circuits. If this were Earth, it would be like a wealthy YouTuber trying something as a joke, only to regret it later when the views didn’t translate into profits.

So from my perspective, this was really a three-way waste of money, time, and effort.

“I really feel like giving a science lesson…”

An ugly sense of superiority welled up inside me, making me itch to shove new knowledge into the brains of those backward scientists and enlighten them. But I managed to calm my racing thoughts and put down my smartphone.

Me teaching these folks science? Totally feasible. If the issue was figuring out how to reveal all my knowledge, I could just play the role of a once-in-a-century genius scientist, dishing out knowledge as needed.

But what would be the point? The knowledge wasn’t something I painstakingly created, and more importantly, if I wasn’t planning to keep it hidden for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be worth my time.

‘No matter how much I try to nudge their science forward, reaching a level comparable to Earth is a long haul… It’s probably impossible before I kick the bucket.’

That means I’d have to spend my life feeling frustrated with everyone else. The moment I couldn’t suppress that urge would likely lead to a major incident. It would have been better not to teach at all from the start.

And what would be the point of becoming a genius scientist? I’d just attract unwarranted attention from people, get targeted by villains, probably end up half-caged in a lab doing research every day, and earn far less than those businessmen playing with money.

It wouldn’t be a better life than what I have now.

“Ah, but maybe I should at least ask for an identity.”

Thinking of Levitan’s case, I contemplated that I should probably have a somewhat useful job in society. After all, it wouldn’t work to introduce myself by saying, “Nice to meet you, I’m an evil scientist.”

With that thought, I pulled out my phone and contacted the Boss. It connected instantly, as if she had been anxiously awaiting another mishap from me.

─…Scientist? What’s going on?

“Ah, Boss. I have something to discuss… Is this a good time?”

─Sure. Let’s meet in the president’s office…

Reaching the highest floor of Evilus Corporation, I walked straight into the president’s office. The secretaries and bodyguards blocking the entrance seemed to have been informed of my arrival, as they moved aside easily upon seeing my face.

Knock knock— I knocked on the door and, after receiving permission, walked inside. Regalia was there, reading a newspaper. The first page visible from where I stood was filled with articles about recent events.

[Evilus Corp: “Thank you for your interest in our products, but they are merely toys—” This statement has caused quite a stir—]

[“Take it if you can.” Evilus Corp isn’t planning to patent…]

“You’ve arrived.”

Noticing me, Regalia folded the newspaper and placed it on the desk. A quick glance at her face showed she looked exhausted, clearly having been through quite a bit because of this issue.

I mean, it made sense. After all, they had crammed such high-performance circuits into a toy that cost only ten bucks. It wasn’t just the customers who were in chaos; the employees within the company must have been in an uproar as well.

They were probably bombarding her with questions about how they could manage to create something like that, and customers likely expected the next product to have a similar level of performance.

Now, on top of all that, with the revelation that strong AI could be created using toy circuits, she would be harassed by all kinds of nations and cities, not to mention various companies.

“You look really tired.”

“…Ah, thanks to someone. But I’m not at my breaking point. At least I have this.”

Regalia said that while shaking a cup filled with a yellow liquid. At first, it was hard to tell what it was, but a moment later, I realized it was Evilus’ energy drink.

Just how exhausted was she that a girl barely in her teens relied on such a thing… I said with a voice full of concern.

“If you keep drinking that, you won’t grow any taller.”

“Pffft! Cough, cough—! Is that really true!? Wait, why are you telling me this now!?”

“Huh? It’s basic knowledge. If you drink that, you won’t be able to sleep at night. If a child misses out on sleep at night, they won’t grow taller, right?”

“Ah… So that’s what it was…” Sёarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Watching her vehemently get riled up and then suddenly relax with a sigh of relief made me realize that this was the perfect time to bring up the reason I came here.

“I want to do a little side gig.”

“A side gig?”

“Yeah. I just need an identity to introduce myself to others.”

“If you want, I could create a position as a lab director for you?”

“That’s a bit too grand for my taste.”

“Fair point.”

While creating a fake identity for a stranger like me wouldn’t be too tough for her, going the extra mile to set up a fake degree and appoint me as a lab director would be quite the burden.

What if someone tried to investigate my past and stumbled upon my relationship with Regalia? They could end up finding out that my education and identity were fabricated. And above all, if Regalia just dropped me in her lab as a scientist, that would catch attention wherever I went.

There was even a tiny chance that, through sheer illogical speculation, someone might discover that I was the developer of the toy circuit. After all, human persistence can sometimes bypass logic.

“Alright then. So what would you like to do?”

“I’d like to open a small shop where I could enjoy some fresh air. A quiet shop.”

“Hmm— a quiet shop, huh…”

“Why not a little fix-it shop?”

“…You won’t cause any trouble there, right?”

“Come on—what kind of trouble can you even cause by just fixing things?”

Regalia shot me a skeptical look. After staring at me for a while, she let out a deep sigh and waved her hand, saying she’d make arrangements before practically shooing me away.

As I took the elevator reserved for the president, the walls, which had been obscured for security reasons, transformed into glass. The expansive view of City E unfolded before my eyes.

What a beautiful city. Even more so since it wasn’t polluted by any smog or the like.

Now, I would truly become a resident of this city.

Not as an evil scientist, but as a humble shop owner running a small repair business.

Crunch…

Chunks of broken concrete fell to the ground amid clouds of dust.

The hero Niberna opened her eyes, staring blankly into the void as if she didn’t understand why she was there.

After a moment, a distant roar snapped her back to reality.

─Kuhahahaha—! I’ll end it here for today! Next time, I’ll come back even stronger!

“Ah…”

Only then did Niberna recall that she had been sent flying by Galm’s punch, not being able to endure the shock and ultimately fainting.

Having crashed into a building, Niberna struggled to escape the wall and made her way back to solid ground. As she took a few hesitant steps, she realized her body wasn’t responding and that the power to her hero suit had been cut off.

‘Am I broken?

If the power was out, she wouldn’t even be able to remove the suit by herself. She would need to return to HQ and rely on special equipment and the scientists there for help.

The problem was that she didn’t have the strength to get there. Worse still, the communication device must have fried along with the suit, leaving her unable to contact HQ.

Of course, if she didn’t return, HQ would quickly send someone to rescue her, but the question lingered: could she hold on until then?

“Hah, hah…”

The blow she received had clearly taken a toll, making it hard for her to breathe. She wanted to toss the suffocating suit off quickly, but she couldn’t do it by herself. If her condition worsened, she could even end up losing her life, and that would be the worst-case scenario.

Niberna leaned against a wall, forcing herself to walk toward a place where people were gathered. She thought that someone would probably call the police or firefighters if they saw a heroine like her down.

As she walked, she spotted a shop and came to a halt. The door was open. She could feel the presence of someone inside. It was a person.

‘Quick, I need help…

Tap, tap-

As she entered the shop in her suit, the person inside glanced at her with a quizzical expression.

“Who are you…?”

“I’m the hero Niberna. All of my communication devices are down right now—could you please report that I’m here?”

“…A hero?”

The man paused momentarily at her declaration, then raised his phone to make a call. A little while later, he finished the report and approached her.

“You look uncomfortable. Why not take off your suit?”

“I’m sorry, but the suit’s broken…”

“Ah, I see.”

“And one more thing, I’m sorry, but can I lie down and rest for a bit…?”

“Come this way.”

The man led her into a room with a bed. Normally, she would have refused to lie down on someone else’s bed while wearing her filthy suit, but she was in so much pain she didn’t have the luxury to think about that.

As soon as she lay down on the bed, she felt as if her entire body was being absorbed by the mattress and quickly fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes, a very familiar ceiling welcomed her.

It was the HQ of the Hero Association.

“You’re awake?”

“…Director?”

“If you’re awake, that’s good. You can write the report and go back to rest.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Seeing the director, Niberna said that as she tried to rise, only to realize her suit had been removed. The association’s staff must have taken it off while she was unconscious. They probably knew the suit was damaged, too.

Filled with guilt for having wrecked the suit, she bowed her head and apologized to the director.

“I’m sorry, Director. I broke the suit…”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Yes? I said the suit was broken.”

“No, your suit was perfectly fine?”

“…What does that mean?”

As Niberna stared at the director in disbelief, he scratched his cheek, looking apologetic.

“You seem a bit out of sorts. You can draft the report tomorrow; just head home to rest today.”

“…I’ll do that.”

There were many things she wanted to say, but Niberna held her tongue.

Getting off work on time was far more important than any curiosity.

Getting off work on time was the truth.

Fin of Chapte