Chapter 494: Doko-Mii – Everyone(?) is here |
Back in the greenroom once more after walking around the artist alley.
Lore wheeled his wagon full of merch to a corner of the room and then covered it with a spare curtain laying nearby to make it look like a random piece of equipment.
Asako paused in the middle of taking off her wig, noticing him do that. Then she said, "Real talk, Lore... do you just have random knowledge that you can apply to any situation? Because why does that genuinely blend in and not catch the eye unless you know it's there?"
Lore, having changed back to normal clothes, adjusted his smartglasses, eyes flitting as the usual AR gui flared back to life. Then he said, "There is no knowledge that is not power."
Alphy's eyes lit up and she said, "Oh! I know that quote! It's from Mortal Kombatants! Meggie says it all the time!"
Lore nodded. "Yes. Meggie WOULD be into those games... is she a fan of the fatalities?"
"Mm, not really. She likes the brutalities more." Alphy giggled. "She thinks it's more challenging that way."
Asako gave Alphy a concerned look and said, "...Should you be laughing about such a graphic and violent game...?"
"Hm?" Alphy tilted her head. "It's not that graphic though? Compared to making the streets of a kingdom run red with rotting viscera, it's not that bad, is it?"
Asako gave Lore a blank look and said, "Shouldn't you be... concerned? I mean, the normal guy would at least have SOME reaction to hearing that, right...?"
Lore paused and looked Asako dead in the eye. "No offense, Asako. But none of the people working in Myth Incorporated are normal." He paused. "Except for Miss Hope. I've read her dossier and introduction message in the company group chat. I pray she stays unchanged..."
Asako paused. "Wait. There's a company group chat?"
"Of course there is." Lore paused. "...Do you not check Slake?"
"Slake?"
"Yes. The professional server IRC system infrastructure that is used in the corporate environment? The one that Jenny sent an email about last night since we are doing internal restructuring due to myself and some others joining the compnay?"
"WE HAVE EMAIL?!"
Lore paused. "...Have you... been using your personal email for everything? And not the one from @mythinc.jp?"
Asako's ears turned red. "N-No one told me about that!"
Lore paused again. Then he pulled out his phone and started a voice memo. "Note to self: Queen has proven to be incapable at following through with updated technology. We have always known this, but it appears to be even more true with the changing times..."
"OI!"
Alphy giggled and said, "Don't worry, Asako!" She pecked Asako on the cheek and said, "I'll teach you later!"
Lore nodded and then continued speaking. "In addition, Alfi is proven adept at technological utilities despite her lore as an ancient automaton..."
Asako groaned. "Whatever... I'm going to change into something cozy before the concert." She looked at Alphy and said, "We're going to log into those idol bodies or whatever, right?"
Alphy nodded. "Mmhm! Papa said that we should use them to have plausible deniability for us going about in person! That way people think that we're different people!"
Lore paused. "...Ah." He adjusted his glasses. "I see... That WOULD make people second guess themselves. Like the fan server... Since there are so many excellent cosplayers out there, it would be easy to deny things."
Asako took off her headphones and said, "You say that, but no one's ever really seen us in the same room as the IDOL bodies, so won't they just think we're pretending? I mean, they're pretty realistic, but they might just think we're still in cosplay since they ALSO look pretty similar to us..."
Lore nodded. "I agree. But that is probably why Hana has scheduled an interview with her 'best friend' Rin next week."
Asako froze. Then she spun to look at Lore and said, "SHE DID WHAT?!"
Lore held up her phone, showing the waiting room with Hana slinging an arm around Rin, both of them doing a peace sign.
Alphy gasped. "Oh, that's so smart!"
Asako covered her face. "John must be having a heart attack..."
Lore adjusted his glasses. "On the contrary, I believe this is absolutely his M.O. And also... Who would believe that Myth Incorporated has sufficiently advanced black tech robotic bodies that are actually indistinguishable from humans?"
"...I hate that you're right. And I hate that I STILL don't know if it's really robot tech we're using or if it's some black magic voodoo body with real biological features..."
Alphy just smiled.
Lore's eyes widened.
Asako started to shake. "Alphy? Alphy. What's with that smile?"
"Nothing~?"
"I KNOW THAT TONE OF VOICE. AND THAT TONE DOES NOT MEAN NOTHING!"
Alphy giggled and then skipped to the room in the back. "Come on, Asako~ We should change before the others get here!"
"We are NOT done with this conversation!" Asako headed after Alphy and said, "Why did you smile when I said they might be real bodies?! I NEED ANSWERS!"
Lore called out. "If you get them, let me know! The twist of having empty but living spare bodies has TREMENDOUS lore implications!"
At that time, the door to the greenroom opened, revealing Hottie.
As he entered, he looked at Lore, then at Asako still dashing into the back room. After that, he said, "...It seems you survived the initial chaos. And somehow..." Hottie's eyes went to Lore's dark circles under his eyes... or at least, where there HAD been dark circles. "...You seem better rested?"
Lore smiled and adjusted his glasses, deliberately activating a glare feature. "Just as cake."
"...What?"
The door opened again and Foxy peeked inside. "Did someone say cake?!" She walked inside and said, "I could go for some! I'm STARVING!"
StraightGarbage walked after her and said, "At least it's not pancakes..."
Orca walked in as well and chuckled. "Pancakes... the bane of at least one ace detective."
Lore's eyes sparkled. "Ace detective? Like Junpei Io-"
Hottie quickly spoke up. "I'm going to stop you right there. We can't risk it with the sixth game coming out soon."
Lore paused. "...Fine. But in any case." He reached up to adjust his glasses and said, "Shall we begin the preparations for-"
The door opened one more time and two women walked in.
The first was a cold and austere beauty with flowing dark blue hair and frosty eyes.
The second was an ethereal beauty with silver hair and wine-red eyes. And both were wearing
Aoko Ryuusei and Alfi Titor.
And following those two were Knight and Sofa, both wearing full security detail suits with wireless earbuds, shades, and silver briefcases marked with Myth Inc.
Lore froze.
Alfi tilted her head to look at Lore. Then she smiled and did a small wave. Just like Alphy would.
Except Alphy was changing right now.
Which meant that it couldn't be Alphy.
But if it wasn't Alphy-
'Alfi' giggled and said, "The look on your face~ But you can relax, Lore. I am Betty. These bodies are not alive or sentient."
'Aoko' nodded and said, "That's right. And I'm Meggie... But seriously!" She rounded on 'Alfi' and said, "Why do *I* have to be the one piloting this thing right now?! I KNOW you can do both!"
"Because Father said he is worried that I might find my own company too addicting and then make a child to raise on my own instead of finding a proper partner."
"...Oh yeah. You WOULD do that, actually..."
Lore quickly turned on his recording feature on his glasses and pulled out his phone. "P-Please wait a moment. Repeat that again...? No, could someone explain to me exactly the methodology of what is occuring? And the rationale? No, are those bodies silicon, or...?"
Hottie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "...This is going to be a long 48 hours..."