Chapter 37

Keita stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

*Hm. It seems he has realized that he is being set up. As expected, he is much smarter than the average kid.*

Normally, when a student at a military academy hears that an order has come from above, they would be delighted, thinking, "An opportunity for promotion has arrived!" unless it was an extremely unreasonable task.

But Keita's reaction was the complete opposite. No, it was even worse. Seeing Keita's suspicion after being told that the order came from above, Ryoubun did not even smile wryly; instead, he decided to raise his evaluation of Keita even further.

Why? Because just as Keita was convinced that someone was behind the mysterious order, Ryoubun, who had received the request directly from the military, also sensed something amiss in the order.

Of course, while Keita interpreted this as an attempt to "kill him," Ryoubun saw it as an attempt to "crush him," but both were suspicious of the underlying motives.

*It's strange from the start.*

This order originated from a suggestion within the military's upper echelons: "Since the Mostou Heavy Industries has produced results with the机体, why don't we ask them to develop a prototype of the powered exoskeleton as well?" The suggestion was met with agreement from those around them.

*On the surface, there's nothing wrong. On the surface, that is.*

The rationale is solid. Not only in form but also in substance, it is a proposition that even military personnel who value results would find hard to reject, precisely because they value results.

However, for Ryoubun, it was odd that such a suggestion to promote new entrants would arise in a system where profits are monopolized by military factions and conglomerates.

After all, under normal circumstances, one would have to pay a substantial amount of money, compile a large amount of data, and make multiple presentations to even get a recommendation—indeed, that was the case with the 御影型. This time, Ryoubun had done nothing.

*Are the people connected to other conglomerates recommending me on their own? No way. It's a nuisance.*

Currently, Ryoubun is fully occupied with data collection for the 御影型 prototype and the ongoing development of the third prototype. He has no spare capacity to work on powered exoskeletons. Therefore, being recommended is a nuisance in itself.

However, whether it is a nuisance or not, this is a formal request from the military.

Even if it is just a request to "try making a prototype," and certainly not a commitment to formal adoption, it is still a formal request.

If he were to refuse, it would likely make it difficult for Mostou Heavy Industries to enter the powered exoskeleton market in the future.

At the very least, the conglomerates and the people who brought this proposal would likely turn them away, saying, "Didn't you refuse our recommendation last time?"

*Well, I guess they are aiming for that. Damn. If this had come at a different time, I would have been overjoyed.*

The 机体 are expensive, but due to their nature, the absolute number required is small.

In contrast, powered exoskeletons, while also expensive, are used by the majority of military personnel, making them in high demand. Therefore, they are a genre with the potential for significant profit.

For Mostou Heavy Industries, this proposal could be seen as a godsend, as they had planned to enter the market after completing the 机体 production.

However, even in a high-demand genre, the size of the pie that can be divided is fixed.

This applies both to the resources that Mostou Heavy Industries can allocate and the distribution that other companies can obtain.

The former is a purely internal issue for Mostou Heavy Industries, but the latter is a reason why some companies would be troubled by Mostou Heavy Industries' entry. It is natural for such companies to try to obstruct Mostou Heavy Industries as part of their business strategy.

The method of obstruction, which involved recommending them, was unexpected even for Ryoubun, but the effectiveness of this strategy is undeniable.

If Mostou Heavy Industries refuses, the other side can still claim that they extended a hand.

If they accept, they won't be able to invest enough effort, and the result won't be satisfactory.

For those who want to undermine Mostou Heavy Industries, either outcome would prevent their entry, making it a win-win situation.

*Maybe we overdid it, huh?*

Ryoubun muttered to himself.

Indeed, the reason they are being so cautious is entirely due to Keita and the 御影型.

From the perspective of the conglomerate-affiliated companies that supply weapons to the military—though Keita is the only one who can operate it—the 御影型, which achieved the feat of defeating ten large and numerous medium-sized monsters in a single battle, is an embodiment of injustice. It is natural for the company that produced it, Mostou Heavy Industries, to be viewed with caution.

*That's not all. The failure of the mass-production model is also a problem.*

They had almost forcibly seized the second prototype that Mostou Heavy Industries was developing for the Second Division, yet they have still not produced satisfactory results.

If this continues, their position will be in jeopardy. Moreover, Mostou Heavy Industries is already working on the third prototype, which incorporates data from the first prototype.

If one side fails to produce the mass-production model and the other succeeds with the third prototype, the purpose of seizing the second prototype will be unclear.

For the military engineers and conglomerate-affiliated companies who are struggling with the mass-production model, the current situation is like sitting on a bed of nails. Hence, this move.

By having Keita conduct the test, they can interfere with the data collection for the first prototype and delay the production of the third prototype by diverting resources to the powered exoskeleton.

If the production of the powered exoskeleton fails, that's fine.

Even if it succeeds, not adopting it is also fine.

After all, other companies are also developing and improving powered exoskeletons. Unless there is a significant difference, it is natural to maintain the status quo or use the same company's upgraded version.

Therefore, even if the person who recommended Mostou Heavy Industries says, "It seems we may have expected too much," and decides not to adopt it, they won't be criticized.

*They probably have a response ready, like 'Thank you for your hard work on the development. We look forward to your next application.'*

In the end, what will be left for Mostou Heavy Industries is a half-completed first prototype, a half-baked powered exoskeleton, and a third prototype that can't be fully assembled due to insufficient data.

This is a brilliant strategy that buys time to get the mass-production model on track and harasses Mostou Heavy Industries at the same time.

The person who came up with it must have been quite proud of themselves.

Indeed, this strategy has no apparent flaws.

Even Ryoubun, who understands the general flow, has no choice but to comply, even knowing the other side's intentions.

If there is any benefit for Ryoubun, it is that the more effort they put into the powered exoskeleton, the more knowledge they will gain about its production.

If we force a positive spin, it could be seen as an investment in the future.

Indeed, "looking forward to the next time." Conversely, it could also mean "there is no choice but to look forward to the next time."

*Ah, right. Perfect. We will be cornered. We might even lose the military as a client and go bankrupt because of this incident.*

Then what will you do?

Give up?

No way.

A pervert who continued to pursue his romantic ideals despite cold looks from his wife and daughter would not give up at this level.

"…Don't underestimate us."

Ryoubun snapped.

At the military officials who had underestimated them.

At the conglomerate-affiliated companies that had used underhanded tactics to exclude them.

Most of all, at those who had assumed, "You can't produce anything decent," and planned their strategy accordingly.

"Let's do it, then."

The person who proposed this strategy and those who implemented it did not know:

How much Ryoubun loved his company.

That Mostou Heavy Industries was a perverted company even Keita, who has memories from his previous life, acknowledged.

That it was a perverted company even the elite Second Division, which handles the cutting edge of national defense, recognized.

The existence of perverted individuals who could make the company known as a perverted company.

And the existence of a female leader who, even before the 御影型, had explained to the perverts, "I don't deny your romantic ideals, but you can't eat if you only pursue them, and you won't have salaries to pay! If you don't like that, make something that sells!" and had already ordered the production of the high-demand powered exoskeleton as a sellable equipment.

"Yes, yes, let's do it."

"You… Ah, right. You're a victim too. Alright, let's do it."

And Ryoubun did not know:

The fear of a child who, due to memories from his previous life, had lost all inhibitions.

The fear of a child who, even in the midst of a major monster offensive, had tried to bombard the command center with "stray shells."

The fear of a child who, in his relentless pursuit of a peaceful life for himself and his sister, had lost all hesitation, even more so than a fanatic.

On that day, at that time, and in that place, the perverts truly joined forces.

—Strategists drown in their own schemes, and those who touch what they should not will have their brains burned without question. That is common sense.

The day when the perverts, who had snapped, would turn the tables on those who had acted as perpetrators is not far off.

Big corporations are the enemy. No doubt about it.

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