"Dante, this time, didn't you think the Sinners' combat power was lacking?"
""
Dante seemed to ask back as if to say, "What are you saying all of a sudden?"
Of course, he was the sort of person who would never answer that question.
"You know Mephistopheles has several functions for strengthening the Sinners."
Was he talking about that gacha-system-looking thing?
"Aside from the personality extraction using madness that I showed you last time, several other things are possible. Follow me."
...I'd been seen through.
Faust said that, then started moving toward Mephistopheles' engine.
The Sinners seemed to think this was important information as well, and followed Faust to the engine.
Faust picked up a few tickets neatly arranged near Mephistopheles' engine.
"These are called personality training tickets."
"If you tear one of these tickets, a random experience will flow into a Sinner."
" What happens then?"
"Random experiences help improve the Sinners' combat power."
...In other words, it was basically an EXP ticket from a gacha game, wasn't it?
Mm, I think I get it.
What a company obsessed with details.
They even built background settings like this.
"Once a Sinner's experience passes a certain threshold, their combat power improves."
"A certain threshold?"
"At Limbus Company, we have decided to call that a level."
"Dante, you should be able to vaguely understand as well."
...So they just use that so blatantly as a setting?
"...I think I get it."
What exactly was in that head to have so many different abilities?
At this point, I could only be impressed.
Ugh.
Once Faust finished explaining, she quietly stepped aside.
Dante seemed to think it would be good to use this spare time to perform personality extraction, and began charging up madness.
Will the gacha hit...?
*
After that, several days passed somehow, and we were moving toward our destination again under an even heavier atmosphere.
...We are moving, right?
Since I didn't know the destination, I couldn't even guess whether we were heading in the right direction.
Normally, in a stuffy, oppressive situation like this, Gregor would be the first to step up and try to lighten the mood, but after our exploration of the last Lobotomy Corporation branch, that stopped happening.
"....."
What was certain was that the one who had made the bus atmosphere like this was Vergilius.
How much trouble we'd gone through to find the Golden Bough, how many brushes with death we'd survived, and how many times we'd come close to quitting in the middle of it all.
It wasn't strange that the Sinners' complaints filled the bus when he didn't even try to understand any of it.
As for chess and the like, of course we only played it secretly when Vergilius was away.
And in the end, the one who couldn't take it anymore was Ishmael, who spoke to Vergilius in a tone that was obviously dissatisfied.
"At least tell us where the next place is supposed to be."
"Ah, my apologies."
"I was just wondering whether it was worth explaining the mission to you."
Hearing that, Rodion complained to Vergilius.
"Hah, you're starting to hurt my feelings. Don't you know you're supposed to be more forgiving with the ones who don't live up to expectations?"
"I earnestly ask that you not embarrass us this time."
"I don't want to look like a teacher taking a field trip with a pack of misfits."
"Especially with our Rodion, I have even higher expectations. I thought she might make a splendid guide this time."
"Huh? I know I'm amazing, but guiding us somewhere I don't know myself..."
Before Rodion could even finish voicing her concern, Vergilius cut her off.
"Don't worry. It will be a place so familiar it may as well be intimate."
"A den of revelry where you can drown in money, or die of thirst."
"J Corp."
"....."
After hearing Vergilius's answer, Rodion fell silent.
Good, Gregor had gone quiet, and now Rodion too had gone quiet as a result.
Who's going to talk now?
By the way, J Corp... that was a Wing with a fair amount of information in my head.
A company whose Singularity was locking and binding things shut.
I vaguely remembered hearing that it was a powerful Singularity capable of even locking away concepts.
And J Corp's casino was famous.
Rumor had it that the Singularity itself had begun with gambling, so that alone said enough.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be bad to make a decent haul while we're at it."
"Hey, wake somebody up when we get there."
Vergilius stared at Heathcliff for a moment, then spoke again.
"...Unfortunately, this time I won't be able to drop you off right in front of the branch, guest."
"Charon, stop."
"....."
...Why isn't it stopping?
"...Huh? Charon?"
"What's 'stop'?"
Ah. So the problem started there.
Vergilius kindly answered Charon's question.
"It means to halt."
"Stopping is red. Charon doesn't like red."
Charon said that, then suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Crash!!
Most of the Sinners, except for me, were thrown from their seats or slammed face-first into the seats in front of them by the sudden emergency stop.
Of course, Dante included.
You're asking why I wasn't?
I'd long since expected Charon to brake suddenly, and the timing was roughly what I thought it would be, so all I had to do was prepare in advance.
Of course, paying close attention to what people say isn't exactly a virtue most of the Sinners possess.
"Aaaagh!!"
"How the hell are you driving!"
"This crazy—!"
The Sinners' shouts and complaints burst out in a jumble.
Of course, I said nothing and quietly got up from my seat.
"It's good to have so much energy. Get off."
At Vergilius's signal to disembark, an unexpected Sinner objected.
"Mm... but we're still a long way from the destination... Ah~ are you going to call us a taxi?"
Vergilius looked at Hong Lu for a moment, then ignored him and continued.
"...Faust will explain in detail, but this mission will differ greatly from the last one, Dante."
"Because the place where we must reclaim the Golden Bough this time is..."
"...the basement of the casino."
I'd never heard of a casino having a basement.
Just as I unconsciously tried to turn my gaze out the window toward the casino, Otis pointed at something and said,
"Wait, those flashy buildings in the middle of that alley?"
"Yes, one of those."
"The Lobotomy Corporation branch we infiltrated last time was a place that had been abandoned for a long time, yes?"
As Sinclair mulled over Ishmael's words, he asked a question.
"Then... does that mean that was a special case?"
"Looking at it this way, it's not like there weren't employees who could think for themselves... so why did the previous operation fail so miserably?"
"You really do hold a grudge, Vergilius."
"....."
Vergilius seemed to be considering whether he should answer me, but this time too he ignored it and kept talking.
"The Golden Bough is a powerful energy source condensed from many technologies."
"Strong energy naturally draws in money and people, and before long a civilization springs up on top of it."
Faust continued Vergilius's explanation.
"Therefore, the places we visit from here on out are likely to have been occupied by other groups."
"...And that also means we'll have to visit all sorts of places besides the casino."
"It also means the first mission was relatively easy. Though we failed it in spectacular fashion."
He really does hold a grudge, doesn't he?
"...Ahem."
At Dante's sudden interruption, Gregor managed to keep his expression in check.
So he's listening, even if he doesn't say anything.
"Who knows~ The time Dante and the rest of us have seen it isn't all that different."
"What did he say again? 'Welcome to Limbus Company. I am your guide, Vergilius.' And then..."
"...Pfft."
I couldn't hold back my laughter at Rodion's perfect imitation of Vergilius.
"Ha! That was a really good impression just now, wasn't it?"
"Rodion, you're really good at impressions. The vibe is just..."
"Right, right! Exactly~ Saramago, you get it!"
"Come to think of it, he really did put on a lot of airs. I almost asked if I could submit my resignation the moment I got hired."
Gregor spoke up for the first time in a while.
Looks like he's feeling better.
"I'm sure most of us were thinking the same thing?"
At Dante's words, Don Quixote, who usually didn't belong to the majority in any situation, reacted.
"What nonsense! That was a historic day! To be summoned by the Color Fixer, the Red Gaze! Truly, it was a glorious—"
"Ah, so there was at least one fan."
"Ufufu, so it seems."
"This is why you've got to get famous first, you know. Once you get a little fame..."
I snickered between Rodion and Gregor, both of whom had recovered their energy before I knew it.
It felt like the bus finally had a familiar atmosphere again after a long time.
"You all talk more than necessary. I'd rather you not make me want to establish a third rule for the bus."
"Hey, we're allowed to badmouth our boss a little among employees. You're awfully petty."
"I'd appreciate it if you did it somewhere I can't hear next time."
"I'm more easily hurt than I look."
"(He's really shameless. To think those words would come out of someone who looks like he wouldn't bleed a single drop even if you stabbed him.)"
"I can hear you, Saramago."
Cheh, his ears are annoyingly good.
"Everyone, disembark. This time, I sincerely hope we can meet while holding the Golden Bough."
"What if we fail again?"
Heathcliff asked Vergilius with a doubtful expression.
"Who knows. Maybe Charon will suddenly forget the open-and-close button and the door won't open."
"Button, red. Tasty color."
"...This guy is a complete lunatic..."
Before Heathcliff's murderous muttering could even finish, Ryoshu cut in.
"Get off."
Get off?
"What does 'get off' mean?"
"It means, 'Get out, you idiots.'"
Heathcliff looked like he wanted to unleash a torrent of curses at Ryoshu, but in the end he only let out a long sigh to one side and started getting off the bus.
It seemed he'd finally realized killing her would be meaningless.
Still, where exactly is the mission site this time...?
With that question in mind, I began to disembark from the bus.