"Alright, stop standing there daydreaming. I still have things I need you to do."
Roland looked at Kelly, who was currently staring blankly at Lissandra's projection, and spoke with a hint of helplessness.
"Um, boss… Miss Lissandra is right here… you probably don't need me, right…?"
Kelly shrank back a little as she spoke, sneaking a glance at Lissandra out of the corner of her eye.
"Lissandra has more important matters to handle. That's exactly why I need you to step in. Besides, your abilities are no longer limited to the cyber world. Once you finish the task I'm assigning you, you'll be able to officially join the PROJECT team."
"Oh—then, boss, what do you need me to do right now?"
Kelly tilted her head slightly and looked at Roland with curiosity.
"Mm. In a bit, Lissandra will release some cyber viruses and AI consciousnesses for you to fight. I need you to first get used to the power that belongs to the Spirit of Seduction. Once you've adapted to it…"
At this point, a sharp glint flashed through Roland's eyes.
"…I need you to steal the core intelligence and key technologies of the major corporations in Night City."
"What (⊙_⊙)? Me?"
Kelly was so shocked she froze on the spot, lifting a finger to point at herself.
Me? Going after corporations? Seriously?
"That's right—you. With your current capabilities, once you're fully accustomed to them, I don't think anyone in Night City can compete with you in cyberspace."
Roland nodded calmly.
"Am I… really that strong?"
Kelly was still unsure. She could feel the changes in herself, but she lacked confidence.
"All you need to do is trust our corporation's technology. I'm not asking you to take control of their AIs—just infiltrate and collect data and intelligence."
"I understand… I'll do my best."
Kelly nodded, accepting the assignment.
Seeing her agree, Roland shifted his gaze to Lissandra nearby. Lissandra nodded in return.
"Then, Miss Kelly, please follow me."
A concealed door opened inside the room. Kelly glanced inside curiously, then followed Lissandra's projection in.
Roland withdrew his gaze. Kelly's side didn't need his attention for now—Lissandra would handle her training in cyberspace. What he needed to do next was meet Sasha.
Ever since Kiwi brought Sasha back, he hadn't met her in person yet.
...
Sasha stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the neon-lit city below. After watching for a while, she seemed to lose interest and returned to the sofa, hugging her knees as she stared off into space.
After bringing her back, Kiwi had arranged for Sasha to rest here, without telling her anything else.
Several times, Sasha tried to go out, but each attempt was stopped by the security robots. It made her feel stifled, as if she were under some kind of soft house arrest.
What unsettled her even more was that Kiwi hadn't come to see her again during this time. As the only person she knew here, that absence made Sasha uneasy.
Just as her thoughts began to wander, the sound of a door opening reached her ears. Sasha immediately turned her head.
A handsome man in a well-tailored suit, with light stubble on his chin, walked in at an unhurried pace. His bearing and appearance reminded her of the corporate representative who had visited them before.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Roland Vimers. In terms of status, I'm Kiwi's boss. Kiwi is the one who saved you—you remember her, right?"
"Yes. My name is Sasha Yakovleva. Where is Sister Kiwi?"
After hearing Roland's introduction, Sasha straightened up and couldn't help asking.
"She's been working overtime lately. There's a lot going on, so she doesn't have time to come over for now."
Roland softened his tone, smiling as he spoke.
"Oh… then, Sir, is there something you need?"
The corner of Roland's mouth twitched.
Kiwi gets 'sister,' and I get 'sir.' Great.
"It's nothing major. I just came to check on you and ask what you're planning to do next."
Roland collected himself and continued.
When asked about her future plans, Sasha blinked, lowered her head to think for a moment, then explained what she had originally intended to do—carefully avoiding any mention of Biotechnica.
Roland understood her caution. She was most likely afraid of Biotechnica's influence.
"In that case, why not join my corporation?"
"Huh?!"
Sasha froze, staring at Roland in confusion, clearly not processing what he had just said.
"B-but… is it really okay for me to join?"
"It's fine. You have excellent talent, so I'm willing to cultivate you. Once you've learned enough, you can help me."
Roland smiled and stepped forward, gently patting Sasha on the head.
Feeling the warmth on her head, Sasha fell into a brief daze. The last person who had touched her like that… was her mother.
"I'll cover all your expenses during this time. I just hope you won't stand me up, little Sasha."
Roland rubbed her hair lightly, silently noting how good it felt, then withdrew his hand.
Sasha blinked, then nodded firmly.
"Yes! I'll definitely repay you properly!"
"Oh, right—Sasha, you have an older sister, don't you? Bring her to Night City as well."
"…Is that really okay?"
"If I say it's fine, then it's fine. Also, since you seem closer to Kiwi, I'll have her take care of you from now on. Haha."
"Well… I'm not really at the age where I need someone looking after me anymore…"
Sasha scratched her cheek shyly.
"It's fine, it's fine. I'm sure Kiwi won't mind."
At this very moment, Kiwi—soon to be saddled with babysitting duties—was at the corporation, reviewing records of Yi's movements and quietly noting down traits related to him.
After settling matters on Sasha's end, Roland instructed someone to arrange her schooling.
Thinking about it, Roland suddenly remembered V. If he recalled correctly, the last investigation records showed that… V seemed to be attending school as well.
"Hmm… we definitely can't forget that top-ranked young lady. Put Sasha into V's class. If they can become friends, wouldn't that be another wave of essence?"
Roland stroked his stubble and nodded, finding the idea quite promising. After all, according to the events of 2077, V and Sasha could barely be said to have crossed paths.
It was just that… this 'barely' was really stretching it.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser