NOVEL NEXT Chapter 175
The faint smell of damp oil wafts through the cold air.
Is it because it’s winter?
There were no shadows of humans in the cyberware shop run by Drake.
In other words, it meant no one was here looking for me.
Drake tilted his head in response to my question.
“That old geezer? He’s been gone for a while.”
“…Where to?”
“How would I know?”
……
Would you believe this crazy old man…
I sighed and muttered curses in my head towards my (second) master.
The air inside the shop was cold.
A sigh escaped my mouth through the mask, rising like smoke.
I decided to ignore the chill on my skin and spoke to the owner, Drake.
“…By the way, don’t you have any heating here?”
“Honestly, I just haven’t been in business lately.”
“What? Didn’t you come to work?”
“…I guess that’s how it turned out.”
Drake’s words seemed to hold some truth.
Inside the shop, there were unpacked boxes lying around, and the dust floating in the air had dirtied my mask filter.
I let out a small chuckle and joked with Drake.
“What, have you finally made a lot of credits?”
I thought it was a joke, but Drake answered seriously.
“You know I did this just for fun anyway. And carrying the name of a cyberware implant shop made it easier to provide new products to you guys.”
Drake shrugged his broad shoulders while speaking.
“But now, that’s all unnecessary.”
As he spoke, Drake brushed off the dust lightly covering the implant surgery devices.
…He must be serious.
I asked Drake again.
“Are you planning to shut down the business?”
I wasn’t wrong in my prediction; Drake lifted an oil coffee from the side and nodded lightly.
“Not immediately, just thinking about it for now.”
“Looking at all this dust, it feels like you’re ready to quit at any second.”
“…Heh, that’s true.”
Drake chuckled in a low voice.
…Hmm.
So, is this shop coming to an end as well…
I felt a little down.
Both Maya’s father and I were just standing still in our spots, while everyone else seemed ready to move forward.
But I couldn’t express these thoughts outwardly.
I murmured softly while glancing around the shop filled with cyberware maintenance and surgical devices.
“…Well, you have done this for quite a while.”
“Still, don’t worry too much. Even if I quit right away, I’ll still keep checking on your cyberware scaling and maintenance.”
“……”
I don’t need that….
However, voicing out my thoughts could lead to an unfortunate incident where I’d end up getting a cyberware scaling right then and there.
So, I kept my silence.
…The atmosphere has gotten too heavy.
I carefully cleared my throat and changed the topic.
“…Oh, by the way.”
“Hmm?”
“How’s it going with Lorenda? Are you getting along well?”
I asked about the name of the bride who had married Drake.
Giving birth naturally without using artificial wombs in this dystopian world…
I can only admire that.
It’s heartwarming in many ways.
…But.
“…Well, yeah. It’s great.”
The groom, Drake, whose supposed to be the happiest, answered in an oddly lukewarm tone.
He seemed troubled about something.
After all, even someone who seemed an expert in everything like Drake would be a first-time father.
He must be worried….
I myself was worried, as it seemed like my marriage wasn’t that far away either.
I placed my hand playfully on Drake’s shoulder.
Though he was a dwarf, the cyberware implants made him at least two heads taller than me. I had to stretch my arm high to reach his shoulder.
I asked cheekily.
“Are you happy, though?”
“……”
…Hmm.
If you don’t answer straight away, the mood is going to get weird.
I looked up at Drake, feeling puzzled.
38. Wizard in the Underground (1)
The existence of ‘humans’ is essential for maintaining modern society.
Naturally, weddings that can produce humans additionally are welcomed by the high-ranking individuals (with connections and credits).
In a cyberpunk world dominated by cold capitalism, the view that weddings are a blessing also comes from not being able to escape those influences.
Of course, even when stepping outside that perspective, marriage is undoubtedly something to be celebrated.
It’s good for those involved, and good for those watching.
Some even have multiple weddings just to celebrate how great it is.
(There’s a tiny problem that the partner might not always be the same each time, though.)
But.
What’s with Drake’s reaction right now?
I asked him again about his silence.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
As I squinted my eyes in suspicion, Drake waved his giant hand and shook his head furiously.
“Nothing, really. I swear.”
But who do you think I am?
I’ve seen Drake for years.
I noticed his eyes behind the black sunglasses trembling.
C’mon, it’s only been how long since you got married…
“…Hey, you and Lorenda have been dating for a while now, but you’re not already in a rut, are you?”
“It’s not like that!”
But it sure looked like it.
Especially when I saw him struggling to change the topic.
“…Oh, right. By the way, I heard Maya’s father is going back to Neo Japan? I didn’t know he was from Neo Japan.”
While his intention was obvious, I couldn’t just ignore it.
I had to respond since it was a fact that couldn’t be overlooked.
“He does look a bit rough around the edges.”
I was honestly scared that he might grab my collar for not informing him about the engagement.
Drake carefully set down his empty coffee cup on the workbench.
“Where’s he heading? By airship?”
“I didn’t really ask. But considering the price, he might just use the underwater tunnel…”
In the days of the old world, using an airship for international travel was the norm, but in this cyberpunk world, it was natural to use the widely-opened underwater tunnels.
For price and safety reasons, it just made sense. I mean, you had to avoid the toxic storms when using airships.
Anyway.
“Then again, what complaints could you have about your married life? You two are still newlyweds, right?”
I almost let it slip.
I didn’t forget and asked Drake again.
“…….”
Suddenly, Drake’s gaze turned sad.
It would be apt to say that you could feel the man’s sorrow through his sunglasses. Drake turned his head slowly, directing his gaze towards the blinds of the window.
Slowly, Drake’s mouth opened.
“……You shouldn’t get married yet.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t!”
‘Just don’t!’ or ‘Don’t, you jerk!’ started swirling in my head.
“…So, why?”
But everything needs a reason.
With an inner rebellious nature, I wouldn’t just heed his words of not getting married.
After all, I had already planned futures with seven different women; there’s no way I’d let that go.
“…Hah.”
Drake let out a sigh.
Lorenda didn’t seem like the nagging type…. but who knows what someone’s inner thoughts might be like?
Drake slowly turned his head back to me with a look filled with deep emotion.
“…This time, Lorenda has entered a stable period.”
“Stable? Wait, is she pregnant? That’s good news! I’m glad!”
“Yeah, it’s good…”
But why does it feel so weird?
At that moment, Drake manipulated his sight interface and sent me a few data images.
…Is that a lunch box?
It looked beautifully arranged, capturing the newness of a newlywed couple.
The contents were astonishing.
“Wow… I couldn’t even buy this with credits. Where did you get all this?”
“……”
“Eel, steak, oysters, abalone, and garlic…”
…Wait a second.
I stopped speaking mid-sentence.
This lineup.
There’s something common about all of this.
As a sudden realization hit me, I raised my gaze back to Drake, and I realized something I hadn’t known until just now.
Drake’s cheeks looked slimmer than usual.
“……”
“……”
We exchanged glances for a few seconds.
A moment later, Drake quietly muttered.
“…I figured it out too.”
“Yeah.”
“I heard dwarves are renowned for fertility…”
“…Oh, um.”
“……Now, home feels scary.”
“…Uh.”
Hang in there.
Now I understood why Drake had come to the cyberware shop even when he wasn’t working.
Seeing him like that, my future wasn’t just a feeling.
…….
Still, I was relieved that he wasn’t unhappy.
If anything, it seemed like he was just too happy, and that on its own was a problem.
*
Turning down Drake’s invitation to dine together was incredibly exhausting.
I knew that if I refused the meal, he’d have to go home to face the consequences, which made it harder.
But.
Unfortunately, I had things to do.
I opened my sight interface and typed a message to Merlin.
Recipient: ‘Merlin, the Somewhat Less Great Wizard’
– Master, where are you?
After all, the reason I visited Drake’s cyberware shop was because of Merlin.
After a bit, I thankfully got a response from Merlin.
Sender: ‘Merlin, the Somewhat Less Great Wizard’
– Ah, just stepped out for a bit.
…But seriously, where the heck are you?
Before I could get mad, another message from Merlin arrived.
Sender: ‘Merlin, the Somewhat Less Great Wizard’
– Well, when it comes to wizard matters, I guess other wizards would know better, right? Like I said before, I have a community with other wizards.
– I’m thinking of checking there this time.
– It’s better to move fast in situations like this.
If that’s the case, you should have at least told me in advance!
All that unnecessary walking for nothing.
I irritably closed the sight interface. I’ll reply later.
……
A wizard, huh.
I recalled Merlin’s messages and thought of the wizard I saw underground the other day and Teddy’s look.
I wasn’t sure how to approach it, nor was I not bothered by it.
Ah, but when I think about it, Catherine had suspicious eyes when she mentioned the wizard that day.
I could just start by asking that.
*
Something felt off.
I felt like I was having the same conversation I had at Drake’s implant shop just now.
“…He’s gone.”
“……Where to?”
“I wouldn’t really know…”
Geez…
Where on Earth did you go again?