I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 12: Welcome to the Ark (2)

Before Alice awakened, Oriana headed to the massive residential area within the city known as “Kowloon” to report an abnormal situation at the patrol base on the outskirts of the Scrap Forest.

Kowloon was named after the grotesque and filthy slum called the Kowloon Walled City, which once existed on the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong.

Of course, there was likely no one left alive who knew the origin of the name Kowloon.

After all, they had long since perished.

In the present day, the collective residential area called Kowloon was a densely populated maze filled with tightly packed windows and homes, with wires and structures connecting houses like a spider’s web.

The area resembled a labyrinth, with roads and alleys twisting like tangled threads, blurring the boundary between sky and ground.

The ceiling and floor seemed to stretch endlessly, and looking down revealed a darkness akin to an abyss, yet the residential sections of Kowloon continued without end.

Advances in technology had allowed billions of people to live in such a confined space, but the resulting landscape appeared grotesque and monstrous from a human aesthetic perspective.

Statistics suggested that as many as 3 million people lived in just 1 square kilometer of the Ark.

Although this figure might not be entirely accurate, most people could feel the staggering population density in their daily lives.

Conversely, this meant even a minor accident here could lead to significant loss of life.

To the untrained eye, it might appear to be a living hell, but Kowloon had its advantages.

This area, being the most densely populated, attracted capital, resources, and administrative power within the Ark.

It also boasted the highest allocation of Executors, leading to better security in places not shrouded in shadow.

For Oriana, a First-Class Overseer, the greatest advantage was the ability to file reports at Kowloon’s local community center without traveling deep into the Ark.

“Ugh, just blending into that crowd will take at least an hour.”

Oriana gazed down at Kowloon’s maze-like streets.

The complicated alleys were an issue, but the bustling streets of Kowloon were filled with endless waves of people.

However, Oriana had no problem with this.

She was flying through the sky, aided by the power of an Artificial Spirit.

More specifically, she utilized the unique properties of the Artificial Spirit that manipulated iron to levitate by harnessing the magnetic fields embedded in the metals scattered throughout Kowloon.

It had many advantages, such as avoiding physical collisions with people, moving around freely, and not being delayed in work due to crowded streets.

She also appreciated being able to distance herself from those who clung to her for all sorts of reasons, knowing her as an Overseer.

High-ranking Overseers often attracted attention—whether good or bad.

Most people showed respect and fear toward Overseers, but not everyone acted accordingly.

Some bypassed formal procedures, grabbing her coat and begging her to find their lost children.

Scammers often targeted Overseers for their wealth.

And occasionally, lunatics would ambush or threaten Overseers to extort valuables—or worse, they would become targets of organized crime groups.

Of course, those crime groups usually ended up as “former” crime groups.

After a while, Oriana arrived at Kowloon’s Barrier Agency.

Unlike the surrounding residential buildings, the Barrier Agency stood out with its clean, high-density magic-engineering design.

This facility did not handle general civilian administrative tasks.

Instead, it dealt with matters concerning Executors, Hunters, Awakened individuals, and Overseers—those responsible for protecting the city and humanity.

In a sense, it was like a barrier itself.

When Oriana descended to the Barrier Agency’s entrance, the Executors guarding the doors immediately assumed formal stances.

“Attention!”

“Salute the Overseer!”

In the Ark, salutes were silent.

As survivors of the Great Catastrophe, where countless nations and humans perished, the culture adopted silence during salutes as a form of mourning for the dead, rather than adding shouts.

“Ah, relax, everyone.”

As numerous Ark Executors saluted her, Oriana waved her hand dismissively, signaling them to be at ease.

Although Oriana herself was not a figure of authority, her position as a First-Class Overseer afforded her power on par with the upper echelons of the Ark.

Despite resolving the situation with Alice, an impurity from the outskirts, through dialogue rather than force, Oriana was a casual and approachable figure in her daily demeanor.

However, as a First-Class Overseer, her authority and strength naturally garnered the respect and salutes of Executors.

Most First-Class Overseers would have considered such gestures from Ark residents and Executors as their due.

[Welcome, Oriana Haleson, First-Class Overseer of the Ark. Your identity is verified by the Barrier Agency. How may we assist you?]

While the agency housed many staff, they typically handled tasks for lower-ranking Hunters and Executors.

However, when Oriana entered, the Main AI overseeing the entire Barrier Agency responded immediately.

“My task is to report anomalies at the patrol base on the outskirts of the Scrap Forest. Additionally, I need to connect with an administrator from the Ark’s core.”

[Understood. I will guide you to the waiting room. Due to the current workload of the administrators, the estimated waiting time is 1,837 seconds.]

“Yeah, yeah, thanks.”

[Given the considerable waiting time, I can arrange refreshments and drinks for you, Overseer.]

“I’ll pass on the refreshments…”

At that moment, Oriana thought of Alice, peacefully sleeping back at her residence.

“…Actually, forget refreshments. Do you have spare meal kits?”

[Certainly. We have ample meal kits ordered for the agency’s staff lunches. Overseer, you may dispense as many kits as needed. However, if you take more than 30, you will need to fill out a form.]

“A form? I’m just planning to share it with someone I know. I don’t need that many kits.”

[Is it a small gathering? In that case, no form is necessary. I’ll prepare 29 meal kits and send them to the waiting room. Feel free to take what you need.]

“Thanks.”

With that, the agency’s Main AI transported Oriana to the waiting room.

Although the AI couldn’t cast magic, it had the authority to control and operate all spatial transfer arrays and magical formulas within the agency, allowing Oriana to be transported to a comfortable waiting room with a single command.

“Ugh, I still can’t get used to transfer sickness.”

As with all teleportation magic, mechanical transfers were particularly harsh.

“Oh my, Oriana dear, is that you?”

Hearing an unexpected voice in the waiting room, Oriana frowned slightly.

For reference, the Overseer waiting room was not a private room.

The rooms were categorized by rank, meaning lower-ranking Executors often crowded their shared waiting rooms.

However, since it was rare for multiple First-Class Overseers to gather at once, this spacious room usually ended up as a private space for whoever arrived.

Yet today, someone’s schedule happened to overlap with Oriana’s.

And it was someone quite familiar to her.

“Well, well! Oriana, my dear, what a surprise! I never expected to meet you here~.”

Turning her head, Oriana saw a woman lounging on a sofa, dressed in a bright red dress.

The dress revealed a hint of her thighs as if to tease, though it was more a subconscious display of her upbringing as a so-called “seductive noblewoman.”

“Fira Dunhill? It’s been a while.”

“Oh-ho-ho-ho! I’m delighted to see you too!”

Fira Dunhill had golden blonde hair styled in elegant rolls and the face of a princess straight out of a fairytale.

Her tall figure, standing over 180 centimeters, and an alluring figure that captured the gaze of passersby only added to her charm.

Yet beneath her glamorous and seemingly harmless exterior, Fira was, like Oriana, a First-Class Overseer.

While Oriana had a distinctly commoner-like demeanor, most Overseers came from Ark’s upper-class families and carried an air of nobility.

In a world where power and ability determined one’s status, there was no discrimination among Overseers based on their lineage.

Fira Dunhill, unlike Oriana, carried herself with a demeanor befitting a princess or queen, making her stand out significantly.

To clarify, describing Fira as “noble” didn’t mean she was arrogant or conceited.

In fact, Fira was widely admired and loved across many circles.

Her demeanor, though extravagant and flamboyant, struck a delicate balance that remained charming rather than off-putting.

She was well-mannered, quick-witted, and showed genuine consideration for others.

Regardless of one’s social standing, Fira was the type to strike up a conversation first and offer help without hesitation.

Once, there had been an Overseer who came from a poor slum and rose against the odds to achieve his position.

The moment Fira met him, she greeted him by saying:

“Hohoho! You must be starving, coming from such a poor household! No wonder you look so gaunt!”

“What the hell? This pompous noblewoman…”

“So, I’ll treat you to some meat! Be grateful, hohoho!”

“Mm… sniff… t-thanks…”

“Are you short on equipment as an Overseer? Since you’re new and haven’t received your salary, I’ll give you my old gear! Be sure to thank me, hohoho!”

“Uh… th-thank you…”

Encounters like this were not uncommon around Fira.

Anyone familiar with her would likely cite her bold sociability as her greatest strength.

Even socially awkward Overseers found themselves drawn into conversations with her, often unwillingly.

Incidentally, Oriana was among those socially awkward individuals.

“By the way! I wanted to see you at the last Pioneer Team’s departure ceremony, Oriana, but why weren’t you there? It’s been a year and nine months since our last meeting!”

“I’m an Overseer, just like you. While you risk your life on the Pioneer Team at the frontlines, I’m busy managing things within the city. I’ve got plenty to do as well.”

“Oh, of course, I know that. Hohoho. Ah! I wasn’t dismissing or belittling your work, Oriana. I’m well aware of the challenges you face even within the barrier.”

This was quintessential Fira.

Whenever her words might be interpreted as condescending, she quickly apologized and clarified herself.

“Anyway, what brings you to the Kowloon Barrier Agency?”

“Hohoho, isn’t it obvious? It’s time for my return.”

“Ah, has it been that long already?”

Unlike Oriana, who worked rotational shifts, Fira was an Overseer assigned to the frontlines, where she was responsible for intercepting and reclaiming areas beyond the outer walls every six months as part of the Pioneer Team.

While Hunters, including Trackers and Interceptors, performed the actual combat, Fira, as the “eyes of the Ark,” monitored the entire situation, intervening or guiding efforts when necessary for the city and the Ark’s benefit.

In many ways, she was akin to the commander-in-chief of the Pioneer Team.

Though an official commander existed, Fira’s role was equally pivotal.

“Hoho, with a bit of luck, we might even open a direct route to the uncharted regions near Baltagrant!”

“…Uncharted regions?”

“Oh, aren’t you particularly interested in those, Oriana?”

“I was… yes.”

Oriana’s expression darkened slightly.

The uncharted regions.

A place Oriana longed to visit but couldn’t.

For reasons even Fira didn’t know, Oriana seemed deeply fixated on that place.

-Clap!

“Oh, right! Oriana!”

Noticing Oriana’s gloom, Fira clapped her hands to swiftly change the topic.

“Come to think of it, what brings you to Kowloon, Oriana?”

“Ah, me…?”

“Well, I’ve explained my situation, so it’s only fair for you to share yours, isn’t it?”

“…The usual Overseer work. I’ve just been patrolling the Scrap Forest’s base.”

“But if you’re here at the Barrier Agency, there must be something unusual, isn’t there?”

“Something unusual… Yeah, there is.”

“What is it? Is it a calamity? Or perhaps a returnee?”

Instead of answering directly, Oriana gave a faint smirk.

That alone was enough for Fira to catch on.

“Oh my, my! Is it really a returnee? A returnee! How marvelous! Has Oriana finally found a successor?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“What do you mean, Oriana? We Overseers perform noble yet precarious duties, akin to flickering candles in the dark! If you’ve encountered a returnee, I would have tied them up and started training them as my successor immediately…!”

“Training?”

“Ah, slip of the tongue, hohoho.”

Fira’s enthusiasm stemmed from the unique and often burdensome destiny of high-ranking Overseers within the Ark.

For lower-tier Overseers and Hunters, irreparable injuries or personal choice allowed them to retire.

However, First-Class Overseers were bound to the Ark and the city until their dying breath.

As humanity’s last bastion, the Ark demanded its guardians produce successors to continue their lineage of protection.

Although they received countless privileges, Overseers couldn’t comfortably settle down, build families, or have children.

The position of a high-ranking Overseer itself was the city’s highest honor, but it came with equally significant responsibilities.

The more one had to protect, the greater the vulnerabilities, and if an Overseer had children, there was a high likelihood they would grow up as orphans.

Overseers often perished during perilous missions.

For this and other reasons, successors were typically chosen for their abilities, not bloodlines.

Most Overseers didn’t establish families in the first place.

Additionally, the exceptional abilities of awakened individuals rarely passed to their offspring.

Thus, finding and training a successor was a tradition, even a cultural norm, unique to the Ark.

High-ranking Overseers who failed to name a successor before their death left a void that sometimes threatened the city’s stability.

“Hohoho~ So, who is it? A girl? An old man?”

“‘Who’ sounds like I’m matchmaking. Be mindful of your phrasing.”

“Oh, whatever it is, just tell me already!”

“…It’s a girl. If there’s anything unusual, it’s that most of her body—possibly her entire body—is a mechanical construct made of unidentified metal.”

“Oh my! Prosthetics and mechanical constructs! How fascinating! And since you said ‘girl,’ she must be younger than us. How old is she?”

“Mid-teens. Maybe just past adulthood.”

“Perfect!”

Successors were crucial for Overseers, and returnees held an even more special place.

Returnees were people who had gone missing during the Great Calamity and dimensional fractures but managed to return to this world.

Most who transitioned to other dimensions perished.

Other worlds teemed with danger and monstrous calamities.

A returnee, having survived such conditions, was inherently capable and more than qualified to succeed an Overseer.

While not all returnees met the criteria to become Overseers, many of the current high-ranking Overseers and Ark’s key enforcers were returnees.

The term “returnee” itself was like a badge of assurance.

“I’d love to meet her! If Oriana has such luck, she must be a strong and lovable girl!”

“I’ve only known her for less than a day. Stop overreacting. I haven’t even decided if she’ll be my successor.”

“Ah, Oriana! If she’s truly a returnee, then she’s your destiny! Hurry and name her your successor before someone like me steals her away!”

It was an obvious joke, but Fira’s eyes seemed half-serious.

Come to think of it, Fira also didn’t have a successor, despite being a high-ranking Overseer.