Chapter 92. SIEG Industry (2)
Enoch's eyes narrowed slightly.
Despite everything, this was a development even he had not expected. To the point where he had to ask Elena again for confirmation.
"...A sponsorship proposal?"
"That's right. Personal sponsorship, specifically, you would have one of SIEG Industry's future successors as your personal sponsor."
At her words, Enoch was half in doubt for a moment. But at least the proposal itself was certainly understandable.
"A semi-independent, unofficial sponsor, then."
"Yes, as long as it's a sponsorship, I won't interfere with Lord Enoch's activities or missions. I couldn't even if I wanted to. It shouldn't affect the Main House's missions."
Elena's words were clearly true.
As long as Enoch was a direct lineage member of a Main House, even a giant corporation couldn't easily control him.
Furthermore, naturally, if he became a sponsor, the priority of his custom order requests would increase, so it wasn't a bad proposal.
Enoch asked Elena pointedly.
"Then, what is your gain?"
"New product testing and stealth marketing. Securing potential promotional talents, and many other things I can't list all at once. But..."
Elena declared with a confident tone.
"The important thing is my investment in Lord Enoch."
"Investment?"
"Of course! Investing in talent is important."
Elena placed her smooth hand on Enoch's chest from right beside him and smiled alluringly. Her body clung close, and her chest was visible through the front of her blouse.
Turning my gaze, my eyes met her moist gaze, and Enoch slightly tilted his head with a blank expression for a moment. Elena looked up at me and said.
"Heh heh. Recognizing someone who will become a big shot in the future is quite an important virtue for someone leading a company, you know?"
"...Your evaluation of me is strangely generous."
"It's just my intuition, after all. But because of that, I'm also confident that I'm not mistaken."
Elena declared with a confident expression, her hand placed proudly on her chest.
Judging by her attitude, she seemed truly full of conviction. She asked in a whisper.
"So, Lord Enoch. What do you think? Will you accept the proposal I've made?"
"Sponsorship, huh."
Without needing to think for long, just looking at the proposal, I quite liked it.
A formal sponsorship agreement that involved filming commercials as a direct lineage member of the Main House was something I was hesitant about, as it carried a high risk of exposure to public attention.
However, this wasn't a condition that would attract such attention, and it was a relationship where Enoch gained tangible benefits, and Elena also clearly gained advantages in her own way.
As it was a clear transaction without hidden motives, accepting it was advantageous in many respects.
"However, Lord Enoch."
Just then, Elena added with a calm expression.
"For this sponsorship proposal, there is one thing that Lord Enoch must do."
"What is it?"
"Although it is unofficial, in order to become a recipient of our products, you must achieve results in a field test imposed by the company's notary."
At the word 'test', Enoch's eyes narrowed.
Another tedious time of proving himself. But by now, he fully understood that there was no more rational way of gaining acceptance.
"Is that so."
"Unfortunately, this is a basic company policy, so it's not something I can change. However, as the next successor, I can decide on the method."
Elena sighed as if she was fed up with company policies, then glanced at me.
"If Lord Enoch accepts the proposal, I will directly explain the details afterwards."
At her words, Enoch lightly nodded.
"I'm listening."
"Heh heh. As expected, you are indeed the person I had my eye on, aren't you?"
Elena, who chuckled, lightly covering her mouth with her fingers, turned on the tablet she had on her desk and leaned towards Enoch, displaying the screen.
The curve of her exposed neck leading to her delicate shoulder. Her softly rising chest beneath her blouse was vulnerably close.
Her unusually uninhibited appearance was quite unexpected for a company heiress, and Enoch looked at Elena with a blank expression for a moment.
But she seemed to be aware of my gaze, as she narrowed her eyes and smiled sweetly, then slid the tablet she had been manipulating onto the desk.
"Then, first, could you look at this?"
"This is?"
"This is the method I decided on, as I just mentioned."
As Elena manipulated the display with her slender finger, a 3D map indicating the destination began to play with an animation effect.
"Soon, I must secretly transport important cargo under my jurisdiction. It is a task I must succeed in to raise my standing within the company. Lord Enoch, could you undertake that cargo transport?"
"Cargo transport, what is the content?"
"It is this."
Elena opened a case in a corner of the reception room and presented a rolled-up blueprint from inside.
"Blueprint?"
On the blueprint, along with a diagram of magic gear, were numerical values and technical terms neatly written in white above it.
The full name [Elena Sieg] as the creator's signature was noticeable on it.
"This is the blueprint for a tactical version of a new rifle-type artifact that I personally designed. It is an improved version of existing automatic weapon type magic gear."
Just then, Sirocco, who had come and sat next to Enoch on the opposite side and was watching, asked with wide eyes.
"Heh, you made it yourself...? You made all of this?"
"Yes, I did! I'm quite satisfied with these works. If my prediction is correct, the performance test will also be quite excellent. How does it look to you?"
As she said, the blueprint showed designs of slim and mechanical-looking rifle-type magic gear.
Seeing that, Enoch nodded without pretense.
Even at a glance, he could tell that the designs on the blueprint were quite stylish.
"Certainly, it looks quite good."
"Heh heh, doesn't it?"
She became slightly ecstatic and looked at the blueprint she had unfolded.
"As expected, just looking at cool weapons and the word 'tactical' makes one excited, doesn't it? Don't you agree?"
Then Sirocco, beside Enoch, began to look at her strangely, as if seeing a peculiar person.
But Elena paid no mind and exclaimed.
"In fact, from standard staff-type magic gear in the Empire to rifle-type magic gear. All tactical products are my preference!"
By now, Elena seemed to be excited, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Enoch looked at her, who had suddenly become high-tension, for a moment and then shook his head without a word.
Elena was a high-ranking official of SIEG Industry, but her most prominent characteristic was something else entirely.
It was the fact that she was a skilled individual who 'personally' designed and even manually drafted the blueprints for magic gear and artifacts, which were practically the weapons of mages.
As such, Elena was also a military enthusiast young lady who openly spoke about her "tactical" preferences and never hid it.
Enoch turned the conversation back to the main point.
"Time and place?"
"The date for transporting the relevant cargo is this evening. And the transport route will pass through a part of the outskirts of the Outskirts."
Outskirts, huh. Enoch asked back with a puzzled expression.
"With important cargo, specifically through there?"
"That is because it is the shortest route via that place. It is to meet the deadline according to company policy, but also for maintaining the secrecy of the transport. The reason for going to such lengths is..."
Hearing Elena's words, Enoch replied concisely.
"...The company's internal information is being leaked."
Seeing Enoch immediately point out the core of the matter, she widened her eyes in surprise for a moment. And then she gently nodded.
"Yes, that's right. Although it is still a speculation, the situation is that it is highly likely there is an industrial spy operating within our company recently."
"A spy, huh."
In fact, it wasn't anything extraordinary. Embedding spies to steal corporate technology was a common practice.
"Usually, drawing magic gear blueprints is done with graphic design devices, but uploading data online is problematic because of the spy within the company."
Meanwhile, Elena showed a slightly troubled expression and looked at the blueprint on the desk.
"There was also an incident detected before where someone tampered with one of SIEG's confidential online data files."
Elena sighed, placing a hand on her cheek.
"The problem is that the spy's identity has not yet been determined. Until they are caught, anything treated as a company secret has been decided to be processed using analog methods alongside digital for security. This new product design blueprint is also the same."
She tapped the blueprint with her finger.
"Of course, since I sometimes draw blueprints like this in analog as a hobby, manufacturing itself isn't a problem... But this transport route is the issue."
Elena traced a line on the map displayed on the tablet with her finger. As she did, a red dotted line was drawn along her fingertip, labeled [Movement Route].
The line passed through a part of the outskirts of the Outskirts, which was marked with red crosshatching indicating a dangerous area.
As long as the route was limited to the Outskirts, Enoch also guessed what the problem was.
"Scavengers?"
Scavenger Gang. It was the name of the Outskirts gang that Enoch had overheard about while coming here earlier.
As expected, it seemed he was correct, as Elena looked at him with a slightly surprised expression, then gently nodded.
"That's right. The [Scavenger] gang that controls District 37 Outskirts. They are also the biggest threat to our SIEG Industry's distribution route."
She displayed additional information on the screen and said.
"Actually, there have been attempts to steal the company's transport vehicles, including the blueprints, for a long time. It would fetch a large sum of money if sold to other companies."
"I heard the success rate isn't high."
"Yes. Until now, even when there was a clash with the gang, the company's goods were almost never stolen..."
Elena displayed a company document on the tablet.
It seemed to be a combat log of the company's PMC.
"The problem is, there are reports that the power, firepower, and combat capabilities of the Scavengers have been improving dramatically recently. To a level that cannot be compared to before."
Elena looked at Enoch with a serious gaze.
"Therefore, as I mentioned, now that the gang has suddenly grown in strength and is deemed threatening, I want to entrust this transport to Lord Enoch."
"The job is to deliver the blueprint to the destination within the time limit without letting the gang steal the cargo."
Elena nodded calmly.
"Yes. Therefore, we avoid combat as much as possible, and we don't use company vehicles or equipment to camouflage the transport. The number of personnel also has to be reduced to a minimum to reduce exposure."
Elena turned her head, looked at Enoch, and said.
"Therefore, this transport via the Outskirts route must be done by Lord Enoch alone."
"Alone, does that include follower family accompaniment?"
"Personally, I wouldn't recommend it."
Elena answered directly.
"Of course, there's the reason of not being conspicuous as I mentioned, but in case combat breaks out, there's a very high possibility that Miss Sirocco, who is a Beast-kin, might have her identity revealed by the magic she uses."
And "Perhaps you, Lord Enoch, also wouldn't want your identity to be revealed in a place like the Outskirts," Elena added seriously.
It was a thoughtful judgment that considered the nature of follower families in the Empire and the reputation of special areas like the Outskirts.
Enoch felt a slight surprise and glanced at her, wondering if she had already considered personnel composition to that extent.
Elena continued.
"A point to note is that there are rumors circulating that the Scavengers have even recently been joined by a combat mage of Tier 10 level as their leader."
"A Tier 10 member in a gang, huh. Any information on him?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Elena said with a slightly dark expression.
"I did access the combat logs of five of our company's PMC combat personnel who encountered him recently, but the only record was that they were annihilated."
"Annihilated..."
Enoch's eyes narrowed for a moment at the shiver brought by the two-syllable word.
SIEG Industry's regular PMC was not weak. It was likely a place where even Imperial army or Elsyde combat mages, after retiring from active duty, served.
To think that five such individuals were defeated all at once.
But despite that, I had no intention of letting this opportunity pass. The gains were quite attractive even considering the risks.
If I didn't bear the risks, I wouldn't gain anything.
And if the risk was manageable, avoiding it would have no meaning in the future.
Enoch slowly opened his mouth.
"It seems worth attempting."
"Ah, as expected! I'm sure Lord Enoch will be able to do it!"
Then Elena's eyes sparkled, and she moved her head closer to me to a degree that felt burdensome.
Just like an ardent fan, Elena seemed to have no doubt about Enoch's success.
And that was the same for Enoch himself.
After all, he had already fully thought about the possibility of how the [Reverse Flow] Enoch had inherited this time could be used in real combat.
Testing that possibility in the Outskirts this time wouldn't be a bad thing either.
Having made his judgment, Enoch spoke concisely.
"Time and place?"
"The time is 6 PM this evening. A vehicle repair shop in the area adjacent to the outskirts of the Outskirts. I will provide Lord Enoch with a terminal along with a detailed briefing."
But at Elena's words, Enoch slightly tilted his head. Then he asked in a calm voice.
"Actually, I need a little more."
"Yes?"
Elena looked at me as if she hadn't expected such an answer.
Enoch glanced at Sirocco beside him.
"First, including the basic terminal, my follower family and I would like to receive communication equipment usable in this operation as well."
He felt a slight pang of guilt even after saying it.
However, Enoch intended to get whatever he could get.
That was the purpose of signing a sponsorship contract anyway.
But even though Enoch himself thought it was a rather sudden request, Elena, instead, immediately exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as if it was a good thing.
"Of course! You are clearly someone who will receive my sponsorship in the future. I will provide you with tactical items as much as possible, products I designed myself!"
Seeing her, who was purely enthusiastic and flipping through a catalog of equipment while humming a tune, Enoch shook his head without a word.
Elena was manipulating the tablet, smiling as if finding and choosing products to support was incredibly enjoyable, rather than calculating gains and losses.
...Perhaps the combination of a rich young lady and a military enthusiast was a surprisingly pure soul.
***
District 37 Outskirts.
Even in the darkness of the dilapidated urban area, people lived. The lights turning on one by one as night fell was proof of that.
The scenery illuminated by the surrounding streetlights was completely different from what Enoch had seen in the Commercial District earlier.
The exterior walls of rusted and cracked buildings were covered in graffiti, and the night wind was mixed with a faint stench.
As he looked around for a moment.
Suddenly, he felt Sirocco's voice coming through the communication earset he was wearing in one ear.
[Hey, is this how you do it? They said to test if you can hear my voice. Can you hear me well? Can't you hear meee?]
Enoch answered simply.
"I can hear you well."
[Oh, I can hear you!]
Sirocco was surprised for a moment, then added in a slightly sulky voice.
[Heh, you. If you can hear me, you should say so, okay?]
He hadn't noticed for a moment while looking around, but Sirocco seemed to have been testing the communication continuously.
Come to think of it, I had also received a terminal.
It felt like a smartphone-like communication terminal when I handled it, so it didn't seem to require complicated operations.
He skillfully finished the fingerprint recognition and registration on the terminal and put it in his robe, completing his preparation.
Just then, Sirocco's slightly worried voice came through his ear.
[Are you really sure you're alright without me?]
"Probably."
[Well, since it's you, I guess if you say so, it is.]
Sirocco said that, then paused for a moment, and asked in a slightly subdued voice.
[...Hey. Just now, you and that brown-haired girl seemed to get along really well.]
"Elena?"
If it was a brown-haired girl, it must be Elena. But I wasn't sure why Sirocco was bringing that up now.
But the next moment, Sirocco hesitated a bit, then asked with a slightly wary tone.
[You, you want to get along with her too?]
Enoch almost laughed at the sudden remark. Why was she bringing that up now?
"There's no harm in getting along, I suppose. With you too."
[...]
Silence hung for a moment.
Then Sirocco returned to her usual pouty voice and replied.
[Heh, okay. I see.]
"As you would know from when you saved your tribe last time with Elsyde's help, there isn't much one can do alone in this world."
[...]
Enoch said this while checking the communication quality.
Although he was currently undertaking this alone, in the future there would be cases where Enoch would not be operating alone, including Sirocco.
At that time, it wouldn't just be used for idle chatter like this. It was a quite useful piece of equipment.
Just then, the voice changed.
[Excuse me for interrupting the communication for a moment?]
It was Elena's voice.
She asked Enoch.
[Lord Enoch. How is the clothing you received?]
At that, Enoch slowly pulled down his hood. Then he glanced at his reflection in the window of the building beside him.
What he was wearing was a stylish black long robe with an urban techwear feel.
Just by moving his arm, it felt like a decent item, no less than the robe he had received as a 'gift' in the Underworld initially.
It had a brim at the tip of the hood, and also a mask that covered his entire lower face, so when he wore the hood, only his eyes were visible in a V-shape. At first glance, it even looked somewhat like the shape of the knight's helmet he had seen in the Inner World.
With this, there would be no worry about his face being seen at the very least.
"It's more satisfactory than I expected."
[Heh heh, actually, I collaborated on the design of that tactical robe! It's for men, so I haven't had a model wear it yet, but seeing Lord Enoch wear it just now, it looks very cool!]
Enoch smiled wryly at Elena's genuinely enthusiastic voice.
Anyway, the robe could hide his face and conceal his identity.
Unless it was an official mission of the family. If he were to hide his face with a robe like this, even if he used his sword outside, no one would recognize Enoch.
Then using the sword also became somewhat freer.
Enoch slung a long, rectangular black bag over the robe that fluttered in the cold night wind.
It was an item Elena had prepared for him when he requested a case sized for the two-handed greatsword he had obtained this time.
Of course, he didn't tell her he would put a sword in it.
It was fortunate that he needed a moderately slim bag to hide the silhouette of the two-handed sword, which was much longer than the one-handed sword he had been using until now.
Elena's voice continued.
[Just to confirm again, if we were to attach company subsidiary PMC, there's a possibility that information about transporting the blueprint could leak. So, we've temporarily hired freelance mercenaries.]
I walked and listened to the communication.
[The cargo is inside the case I gave you, Lord Enoch. You just need to deliver it to the destination within the time limit.]
At that, Enoch glanced at the duralumin case he held in his hand. This was his current objective.
The rendezvous point was already approaching before his eyes. Enoch briefly touched his earset and said.
"This is the arrival point."
[Understood. Then it begins now.]
She said vigorously.
[Then I wish you success in the operation, Lord Enoch! I'll remain on communication standby. I'll be cheering you on!]
Enoch cut the communication on his earphone.
Then he moved his steps and entered the underpass, the designated location.
Metal valves and outdoor units lined the gray walls of the passage, and between them, square fuse boxes emitted red light, illuminating the graffiti in crimson.
Inside, several figures stood around a vehicle, silently waiting for him.
One of them, leaning against the car door, asked.
"Are you the person with the cargo that SIEG mentioned?"
"Yes."
Enoch nodded.
"Then, as scheduled, four of us have gathered on site, so I'll deliver the details. Some of the PMC personnel, who are taking the company vehicle, have already departed for transport ahead of us."
A woman wearing a cap pulled low said, glancing at the duralumin case Enoch was holding.
"What. The cargo is here, isn't it? Is that one a decoy?"
"Yes, as you guessed, the ones who went ahead are decoys. We are the ones transporting the real cargo."
"I get the gist. Just tell us the plan."
The man replied dryly to the woman, who spoke with a shrug as if everything was a hassle.
"If they encounter the decoy team and a clash occurs in the Outskirts, their role is to hold on for a bit and then retreat. We will take that opportunity to detour and leave the Outskirts quickly."
"Simple. Alright, let's go."
At the woman's words, the others also silently nodded, moved away from the car, and opened the car doors.
The man, who seemed to be the leader, spoke in a low voice, looking at Enoch.
"Then we depart now for cargo transport. We will go with you. What is your name?"
Somehow, his voice sounded familiar as I listened.
And seeing the man in the darkness, Enoch realized he already knew him.