I read through the report from Devola and Popola before looking at Rogue, who was standing next to me.
"What kind of world has your planet become, Rogue?"
"Godless world?"
"Even without gods, humanity is successful across much of the multiverse, you know? Your place? They create cybernetics that only work with the same brand as the others, or they malfunction. Not only that, each piece of cybernetics is filled with redundant defenses that cause heavy mental damage to the users."
I gave the report to Rogue, who read through it. I wasn't lying; the twins and the other androids were checking on Maine and his crew. The result was horrendous. Whoever made their cybernetics disregarded the user's safety and only thought of their property. You buy from a competitor? You only receive 25% of the cybernetic's capabilities. Not only that, but the defenses the companies create within those cybernetics also conflict with each other, causing madness in people with too many implants because their minds cannot handle the weight of the programming.
"Lucky for them, they are already receiving the Nanite Injection treatment, which will cut through the redundant programs and make each cybernetic work seamlessly with the others, even when they come from different companies."
That nanite technology came from the first NieR world, where humans had developed it. They are the humans that Zelretch brings and the people who worship me as a God.
"Does that mean they will never go cyberpsycho?"
"Is that what it's called? Well, that makes sense. A madness of machines. To answer your question: no. They will not go cyberpsycho as long as they don't add too much cybernetics to their bodies. One or two will be fine. However, add too many, and the software inside each new device will damage their mental health."
"I understand. I will inform them when they wake up."
"You and your people will also receive the same treatment. I don't accept 'no' for an answer. I can see that each one of them has a problem with their cybernetics."
Before she could say more, I left her and returned to Yasaka. I walked toward her office, and when I opened the door, I saw her already preparing tea for me. I took the tea and sipped it.
"Haaa… I need that."
"Are they really that bad?"
"They are not bad, Yasaka. However, the more I learn about their world, the angrier I become. Everything inside them is designed to depend on the company that made them. What makes matters worse is that the people in that world have already given up, accepting whatever fate they receive. It is a world without hope. Everyone is hopeless and does what they do only because it is demanded of them."
"That sounds like a death world. Even the NieR world still contains hope. The Androids are full of hope, and they keep fighting because they have hope."
"I know! It is bad."
"Then why don't you block that world, Ryan?"
"Because I pity them. I am angry at them, but also pity them."
"Hmmmm~ I want to see this world."
"Are you sure? You will get overwhelmed by the negative things in that world, you know?"
"Don't worry, dear~ I can handle it."
"If you say so. We will return in 45 minutes. The twins should be done with them by then."
"Then let's enjoy a quiet time for now. It's been a while since we enjoyed a proper tea time. I've prepared some mochi and dango for us."
==//==
Yasaka and I looked at the crew in front of us. I looked at Rogue; it turned out she was the one providing jobs in her world. People call her a Fixer, and she acts like a guildmaster would in a fantasy world. She provides the work, and as long as the mercenaries do their job, the Fixer ensures they get paid. She is the middleman between clients and mercenaries.
You can cut out the middleman, but the chance of betrayal increases to 85%.
"So, what do you want as payment? It wasn't that big of a job, though the minotaur took a lot of hits. We managed to butcher the thing and gather all the valuables. All told, you will receive items worth around $50,000."
"How much is that?"
I looked at David and gave him a small list of items. I had already prepared them to show how things work in this world. I also gave a list to Rogue. By the look on her face, she didn't expect to get much for $50k. However, here, that was a lot. You can get tons of fresh food in this world with that amount, especially when you know the farmer.
"Holy shit! Does that mean we all get 50k?!"
I look at the short stack and say.
"Nope. That is the total amount. You need to split that money among yourselves. However, that's still a lot of money."
"No kidding! I can buy a lot of meat! Real meat! Not that fake synth-meat, but meat coming from a living, breathing cow!"
"Write what you want, and I will prepare them."
I watch them talk with each other before I see David walk forward.
"Err… Sir? My Lord? God?"
"Call me Ryan, kid. I don't like formality."
"Right! Sir Ryan! Can I ask for a resurrection? My mother died not too long ago, and I wonder if you can revive her."
"Oh? Is that the woman who is following you around? Yeah, sure. I can revive her."
"My mom follows me around?!"
"Oh yeah. She follows you around back in your world, though she cannot come here, sadly. I will revive her when we return."
"Thank you, sir!"
I wave my hand and watch him reunite with the others. I look at the rest of the people and say.
"Write down what you want, and we will prepare it. We depart tomorrow morning. You can walk around Kyoto in the meantime. I'd prefer you stay in the youkai territory, but you can visit the mundane world if you wish. We try to keep the two separate."
==//==
We returned to that death-world once again, this time with a few scrolls. I could see people looking at us, especially at Yasaka and me, but they were respectful enough not to bother us. I looked at David and used my White, Blue, and Green mana to resurrect the woman who had been hugging him when we arrived.
A few seconds later, the woman materialized fully and continued hugging David with all her strength.
"There you go."
I ignored the murmuring from the audience and the teary reunion between mother and son to look at Rogue, who watched the spectacle with well-hidden shock. She was truly a pro at hiding her expressions.
"So, where do you want to place the goods?"
She snaps from her thoughts and looks at me.
"They will not rot while inside that… paper, right?"
"It is a scroll, and yes. As long as you don't rip the scroll, the goods will stay inside and stay fresh."
"Then put them behind the bar. I will store them somewhere safe."
With a shrug, I put them behind the bar and said.
"Right. With that done, I think my wife and I will explore this place. We didn't have a chance to see the city yesterday."
"Wait! Let me ask someone to be your tour guide."
"Nah. Don't bother. We will be okay going alone."
I knew why she wanted someone shadowing us, but I wanted to spend time with Yasaka alone. So, without wasting more time, I took Yasaka's hand, and we left the bar. While we walked outside, she whispered to me.
"You know they will shadow us, right?"
"Yup. I don't really care, really. I just want to spend my time with you."
"Oh, you~."
She giggled and nibbled my ear. We decided to visit the marketplace first. To know a world's culture, the marketplace is the place to go. Food is a culture that cannot be broken, even after the apocalypse.
The marketplace is the perfect place to go.
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