The building where the bikers had been was overflowing with empty rooms. Even the space where they'd been holding their party had been cleaned up at some point.
I doubted Jean or Olivia had tidied it, so the city system must have taken care of it.
In Code, everything related to food, clothing, and housing was provided by the city system. There weren't even any prices listed for food or drink.
People said the tools of an advanced physical civilization were incredibly convenient, but could a city system really change things this much? If every nation could replicate Code's city system, all conflict would surely vanish without a trace.
Well, the civilization that had possessed such advanced technology was long since extinct, though.
"Mm-hm, perfect."
This building had a massive number of vacant rooms. Now that the bikers were gone, the building was virtually empty.
I'd been told I could use whatever rooms I liked, so there'd be no problem recruiting those lower-class citizens I'd spoken with and installing them as royal guards here.
Negotiations with the lower-class citizens had gone mostly well. They'd been quite bewildered — no, frightened, actually — but they said they'd discuss it among themselves, so if we were lucky, I might be able to recruit roughly enough for a royal guard detail. It seemed a large number of lower-class citizens lived in this area.
This time, I was on a roll. Once the guards were assembled, all I had to do was wait for Kaiser and Saya to find me.
For now, I'd made progress on Olivia's request, so it was time to move on to my original objective.
My goal was the protection of the royal family.
I'd said I'd basically leave it to Kaiser and Saya, but I couldn't just sit idle. I'd have time to kill until we regrouped anyway.
I passed through the small transit room and teleported to the top floor, then walked down a long corridor to the princess's door.
No one was in front of it. Despite being the room of royalty, the security was absurdly lax — something unthinkable in the outside world. Perhaps this was the result of absolute trust in the city system.
After all, this building's rooms had transformation functions. Even a spot that looked like nothing could be dangerous. The biker's companions had been reduced to charcoal around here too, after all.
Anyway, I had no intention of breaking down the door. That was impossible. That was Kaiser's job. I stood in front of the door and scrutinized the featureless grey surface.
The first time I'd been guided here, Jean had made the window portion transparent without any visible input whatsoever. The transit room was the same — the advanced physical civilization apparently had technology that could read thoughts.
I tried focusing my intent, and the square panel on the door obediently turned transparent.
…Does this door have no privacy at all?
It seemed the princess had been in the middle of a nap.
When I brought my face close to the window, the princess — who had been sitting lazily in a recliner, rocking as if on a boat — bolted upright and came rushing over.
She pressed herself against the door and looked at me, blinking her eyes.
Despite my sudden invasion of her privacy, she didn't seem angry. Her expression was more one of puzzlement.
I waved tentatively, and she waved back.
But her expression remained confused. She probably had no idea what I was here for. I'd feel the same way in her position.
The window was completely transparent. It looked like nothing was there at first glance, but when I slowly brought my fingertips close, I could feel a solid surface.
It was a strange material. Far more transparent than glass, and hard too.
Just as Jean had explained, the door my predecessors had attacked was smooth and not even slightly scratched. Force alone wouldn't open it. Perhaps if someone had Anthem's strength, it might be possible… but I didn't think Kaiser or Saya were stronger than Anthem, so probably not.
Lock-picking would be Riiz's domain. There was no keyhole, but would Riiz be able to open it?
I tried peeking into the room, and the princess blinked and stepped back a little.
Looking more carefully, the princess's room was perfectly simple.
It was perhaps slightly larger than the other rooms, but apart from the glass walls that offered a view of the outside, it wasn't much different.
There was no bathroom or bath, but they probably appeared on demand just like in the other rooms. I was mostly an indoor person myself, but not even having the freedom to go outside — that was the ultimate shut-in lifestyle.
If the door couldn't be opened, the only way in was from the outside. Glass was generally softer than walls.
Everyone would crack it like cookies. This place looked to be about a hundred meters above ground level, but Kaiser could surely make it in.
It appeared the princess was an ideal candidate for protection.
She was smiling sweetly, with no trace of hostility or intent to shout at me. She was well-mannered — I bowed, and she returned the bow. I couldn't help smiling myself.
If I could just figure out a way to communicate, persuasion might actually be possible.
Maybe I'd visit every day until I rejoined Kaiser and Saya.
Oh right — as a goodwill gesture, maybe I should bring a chocolate bar — but just as that thought crossed my mind, a voice called from behind.
"Have you found any royal guards?"
"!? …How'd you know I was here?"
Honestly, having someone suddenly call out from behind was terrible for the heart. I hadn't noticed a thing.
I took a deep breath and turned around. It was Jean who had spoken.
He glanced at the now-transparent window and the princess's face visible through it, furrowing his brow for a moment. But he didn't comment on it, instead speaking in an exasperated tone.
"…You still haven't shaken off your outside-world habits, it seems. You can easily locate anyone by accessing the system. At Class 3, you can't summon a virtual terminal, so I recommend using a portable device."
The floor in front of Jean shifted, and something resembling a black tablet appeared. It looked like a smartphone but was about two sizes larger.
When I touched its surface, the strange characters and symbols displayed on the screen floated up into three-dimensional form.
I had no idea how it worked, but it was impressive. I couldn't read it, though…
"I can't read this…"
"Use it intuitively. Try giving voice commands. The script of the advanced physical civilization is extremely complex — even we can barely understand it."
When I'd received the smartphone from the fox girl, it had properly converted everything into characters I could read… But if voice commands worked, why couldn't it display the text?
Oh well. I'd figure out how to search for Kaiser and Saya later.
"So, have you found any royal guards? Time is rather limited, you know."
"Yeah, I'm working on it. I talked to some people in the area today. I didn't get an immediate answer, but they said they'd think about it. They've got companions too, so there's hope."
I didn't know their abilities, but none of them had jobs anyway. Olivia had said anyone was fine, and they'd surely make far better guards than rounding up people from prison.
I gave a thumbs-up, but Jean's expression didn't improve. He let out a deep sigh, as though gazing upon something hopeless.
"Some people in the area — you don't mean… lower-class citizens? If so, I'm afraid they're… under the system, they aren't citizens. Those without citizenship cannot become royal guards."
!? But she'd said anyone was fine — no wait, she'd said anyone *who was a citizen*.
"…Then couldn't you just make them citizens?"
Jean spoke with visible irritation at my persistence.
"You don't have a card, do you?! A card! The number of cards that can be issued is limited. Only the Code King and high-ranking nobles at Class 7 or above who have been granted issuance rights by the King can produce them. Without a card, they cannot become citizens."
"………………Hmm…"
This was unexpected. The people I'd talked to hadn't mentioned anything, but perhaps they hadn't known. This was a problem.
Still, I'd gained new information. The person who had posted the commission to the Explorer's Guild must have been a high-ranking noble or above. It was unlikely royalty had posted it directly, so the pool of suspects narrowed considerably. I didn't know how many high-ranking nobles there were, though.
A failure that nonetheless yielded useful information — so I'd call it a wash.
"Are imprisoned people citizens?"
"The prison is part of the city system too, so… you need to be a citizen to use it. I'm glad you checked the situation first… In any case, I'll contact the prison. Prisoners are a finite resource as well. Please select ones who seem obedient. And don't forget — the supervisory responsibility falls on you as the leader."
"Oh, right…"
It seemed I had no other options. On top of that, I'd be responsible for supervision…
Well, I supposed that responsibility was only natural, but wasn't this all remarkably careless?
If the loyal and proper noble Franz saw someone selecting royal guards like this, he'd probably fly into a rage.
"I'll call the Arachne for you. Is that all right? This time, all I ask is that they follow orders reliably. I won't require strength. Though, prisoners do have ranks. At Class 3, you probably won't be able to select anyone with notable abilities, but—"
If Jean was willing to handle that much, he outranked me anyway — he could just do it himself… Could it be he was pushing this onto me because he didn't want to deal with it?
Completely ignoring my exasperation, Jean looked at me with a serious expression.
"Olivia and I are busy dealing with the fallout from the bikers' blunder. You bear some responsibility for their failure as well. If everything goes well, I'll try to persuade the higher-ups to raise your rank. Pull yourself together."
Oh, right…
§ Jean had prepared even the Arachne transport all the way to the prison, so I had no choice but to head there.
Selecting royal guards from prisoners was absurd, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I should be grateful I even had the choice.
The prison was a massive black structure. It was surrounded by a tall wall and fitted with a huge, ominous gate resembling the entrance to hell — clearly a different aesthetic from the surrounding buildings.
In the sky, silver bird-like objects numbered in the hundreds swooped about — presumably security.
The Arachne stopped in front of the gate. Even this mount, which boasted incredible leaping ability and could scale buildings at will, apparently couldn't climb the outer wall.
Lined up around the wall were rows of Mecha-Soldiers. Tireless Mecha-Soldiers would make ideal security.
This time I had a proper appointment, so I entered boldly through the main gate.
I walked down the long paved road. Compared to the outside, there were fewer guards inside the gate, but appearances were surely deceiving. I should assume there were traps and mechanisms even more lethal than the Treasure Hall.
After walking through the grounds for a while, I reached the building.
The doors opened automatically. Inside, I was greeted by the first actual human I'd encountered since entering the compound.
It was a female staff member dressed in a pristine white uniform. The card on her chest bore four star insignias.
The staff member glanced at the device she was holding and spoke without so much as a twitch of her brow, her expression flat.
"We've been expecting you. Jean sent word that you'd like to select several individuals from among the incarcerated, in accordance with city regulations."
"That's right. It is a bit of a long shot, isn't it?"
"That depends on the city system. Right this way."
Following the staff member's lead, I walked through the building. There seemed to be more Mecha-Soldiers than human staff inside. Most operations were probably automated.
I'd spoken with human staff when I first entered the city too, so there were people around after all. I decided to confirm.
"Do I need a body search or anything?"
"That was already handled when you passed through the gate."
Speaking rapidly, the staff member continued.
"Let me give you a brief explanation. Inside this Code Great Prison, different city regulations apply than outside. For example — the armaments deployed within this prison may, at their own discretion, execute violators and those in similar categories. Please keep this in mind whenever you take any action."
"!? E-Executed!? Good lord, that's alarming."
"The city system determines everything. We prison staff have no knowledge of its mechanisms. The prison reports directly to the Code King — the sole holder of all authority. And currently, to interfere with this prison's regulations, Class 8 authorization or higher is required. With anything less — even if you're a noble — you cannot defy this prison's rules."
Class 8 was… royalty, wasn't it? Could royalty actually change the prison's rules themselves? The thought was genuinely terrifying.
The building's interior was a labyrinth, but the staff member's steps never faltered. A thick door opened, revealing a staircase descending underground. There was no sign of a key being used — in fact, there didn't seem to be a lock at all. Everything depended on the city system.
"The prisoners are housed according to the city's own evaluation system. The main criteria are ability and the nature of the offense, but I'll be taking you to the upper level of the prison — the area where lighter offenders are held. At Class 3, you can only secure temporary release for upper-level inmates."
I felt a small wave of relief at those words.
If it was the area for lighter offenders, finding docile individuals shouldn't be too difficult.
"Thanks. Upper level only is fine for now."
"That's excellent. Recently, there seems to be a shortage of staff, so many more visitors come seeking lower or mid-level inmates, but honestly, upper-level prisoners are lacking in ability, so a fair number remain. For upper-level prisoners, the explosive collar should also be quite effective."
"…The what?"
"A device installed around the neck that can be detonated remotely if the prisoner violates orders. City regulations permit its use on specially released prisoners. It's not enormously powerful, but it should be enough to leave an upper-level prisoner at least half dead."
The staff member explained all this with total nonchalance.
My image of the advanced physical civilization was plummeting… This was too much.
I'd prefer to avoid using anything that terrifying if possible… Come to think of it, Citry had put similar collars on Shiro and the others during that vacation. Those had used electric current, though.
We descended one floor, passed through a massive metal door, crossed a wide room where five Mecha-Soldiers stood by, opened a barred gate, and beyond it stretched a long corridor.
Countless rooms lined both sides.
There were no doors between each room and the hallway. No — there were. Glass doors. Doors made of the same ultra-high-transparency material as the window in the princess's door.
The contents of every room were completely visible from outside. My cheeks tightened involuntarily, and the staff member spoke.
"This is a prison. Code has no imprisonment sentences, so prisoners remain restrained indefinitely. The doors are transparent by design. Well, so that their condition is easy to assess."
"What about privacy?"
"Privacy? In this country, prisoners have no human rights. Especially upper-level prisoners — they're both weak in number and weak in power. So the city system doesn't consider them important. The only way for them to survive is… to pray for fortune."
"…!"
I hurried after the staff member, who had already resumed walking without the slightest hesitation.
Each room was small and simple, but clean. They were being cleaned and fed, it seemed.
Clothing was sparse but provided. They weren't chained or anything like that.
But the expressions of those imprisoned were wretched.
A quiet anguish, despair — you couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. Some lay slumped motionless, as though already deceased.
In front of each room, names were posted as if labeling merchandise. They weren't being treated as human. This was awful. Worse than the prisons of Zebuldia, which already had a harsh reputation.
"Their health is maintained by the system. Physical abilities barely deteriorate. They're valuable resources, after all. They're not even permitted to die."
When they saw me, the prisoners' eyes briefly flickered with a glimmer of light.
Some were muttering something, but no sound could be heard. It must be blocked.
"The energy they generate is periodically extracted and used to power the city. Very eco-friendly. Even accounting for the food generation, it apparently comes out net positive."
…I've never heard of eco like that.
I was deeply disturbed, but I hadn't come here for sightseeing. Reluctantly, I peered into each room.
The prisoners varied in age and gender, but they all shared one thing in common — none of them had any vitality. Would they go on a rampage if released?
"You can check each individual's information on the terminal. Let me know if you'd like to use it. With Jean's recommendation and meeting the Class criteria, you should have no trouble getting release approval for any of these prisoners."
"…Are there cases where approval doesn't go through?"
"The final review isn't conducted by me. It's the city system."
How arbitrary. Now then, who should I pick?
I needed twenty-seven… I couldn't possibly manage twenty-seven new people right away. I should probably release personnel for management roles first.
Ideally, I'd pick someone who hadn't committed violent crimes.
Walking along with those thoughts, I stopped in front of one particular room.
The staff member accompanying me furrowed her brow.
"I see — you've taken an interest in this prisoner. Her abilities are impeccable, and she's quite easy on the eyes as well, but I'd advise against it. There are… complications."
"No… she just reminds me of a friend, is all."
Sitting on the floor of the room, hugging her knees, was — a member of the *Mourning Specter*, Elisa Beck.
No — to be precise, she was definitely not Elisa.
Unlike Elisa, her hair was black and her eyes were green. She was a bit shorter too, and above all, Elisa was Spiritfolk — this woman was not.
And yet, she bore an uncanny resemblance to Elisa. If you changed the hair to white, the eyes to red, darkened the skin, and made her taller and Spiritfolk — she'd be Elisa. If she'd been Spiritfolk, I would have assumed she was Elisa's sister.
The Elisa lookalike raised her head and looked back at me with eyes that showed no emotion. That too was quite Elisa-like, actually.
In Elisa's case, it was less "no emotion" and more "sleepy," though.
Then I checked the terminal, and my eyes went wide.
"Elise Beck…!?"
Even the name was similar…?
…They say there are three doppelgängers in the world, but I couldn't accept that she was a stranger.
As I stood frozen in shock, the staff member explained.
"She's a party member of the Hunters who, just the other day, foolishly attempted to assault Code for the first time in a hundred years. That alone should tell you how dangerous she is. The leader was sent to the deepest level, but since she and the other members were weak and barely useful in combat, the city system sentenced them to the upper level. Even so, they're the type who could do anything."