NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 106
In case something went wrong, I had Rene wait in the lobby on the first floor of the building while I took the elevator to the designated floor.
With a soft “ding,” the elevator arrived, and the doors slid open to reveal a space that had been entirely converted into a restaurant. The place prepared for my meeting with the agent from the Sakura Empire, courtesy of Sears, was a luxurious restaurant with décor reminiscent of a high-end Chinese restaurant.
The restaurant was located in one of the buildings near the very center of the city, offering a panoramic view of both the Star Administration building and the orbital elevator, the core of the city. The restaurant, operated by Sears, was situated on one of the higher floors of this central tower.
I walked into the restaurant and quickly realized there were no customers, just neatly dressed staff attending to the place.
“Are you Mr. Allen?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
A staff member greeted me at the entrance with a kind, warm smile. However, beneath that pleasant exterior, I could sense an underlying intimidation. His well-built physique hinted that he might be a professional in some field beyond hospitality.
He wasn’t an alien species like Rene, nor one of the dark-skinned Wemael people. He appeared to be from the Holy Kingdom, a pale-skinned human.
The staff didn’t have the flashy hairstyles seen in the pleasure district, but some of them had cybernetic enhancements, like a man with a shiny metallic prosthetic arm. It was a clear reminder that I was in a futuristic world.
I briefly wondered if the restaurant had a Chinese influence because of the design and ambiance.
“Your guest is already waiting in this room,” said the staff member.
“Understood.”
Not wanting to appear too curious about the interior design, I waited where I stood. After tapping a tablet-like device a few times, the staff member led me to a private room deeper inside the restaurant.
The path was lined with polished floors resembling marble, and after walking through the spacious establishment, I was guided to a particular room that looked more special than the others. When I gestured toward the door as if to confirm, the staff member nodded and bowed slightly, stepping back, signaling for me to open the door myself.
It seemed I wasn’t supposed to meet with anyone else except the agent. Given the secretive nature of agents, it made sense that they would want to avoid revealing their identity.
“Excuse me.”
As I gently touched the silver panel on the door, it slid open with a quiet hiss, much like the sound of carbonated gas escaping. Inside, the room was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering an expansive view from this high floor. There were tropical plants for decoration, and several fountains lining the walls emitted gentle cascades of water, illuminated by soft lights.
In the center of the room stood a massive, glass-walled aquarium filled with vibrant fish I’d never seen on Earth, swimming gracefully.
The room itself felt like something straight out of a movie set, but my attention was quickly drawn to the two women already seated near the aquarium.
“Pleased to meet you, my name is Allen,” I greeted them as I approached.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Yuzu Kisaragi, and this is Eri,” one of the women replied politely.
“I’m Eri Katou,” the other woman introduced herself.
I returned their formal bow and took a seat across from them.
“My image of the Sakura Empire was one of black hair, but I see I was mistaken.”
Upon sitting down, I couldn’t help but notice Yuzu and Eri’s appearance. I had expected black-haired, black-eyed individuals, given their affiliation with the Sakura Empire, but both women had the look of people from the Holy Kingdom—more like the flashy characters from the pleasure district.
Perhaps after thousands of years, intermingling of races had blurred those old distinctions. As I was mulling over this, Yuzu nodded as if she understood my thoughts and lightly touched her neck.
“Oh…! Is that a disguise?” I exclaimed in surprise.
“I apologize for the confusion. For the sake of our mission, we have been using these disguises,” Yuzu said as she revealed the true form of her appearance.
Just like me, Yuzu wore an access gear around her neck. When she touched it, her previously flamboyant look shifted to that of a traditional Japanese beauty—a Yamato Nadeshiko. Her short, bright orange mohawk transformed into sleek, long black hair, and her eyes changed from blue to dark brown. Her skin, already fair, remained mostly unchanged.
Eri followed suit, placing her hand on her neck and reverting to her original appearance. Her soft, medium-length brown hair and distinctly feminine figure became apparent as she shed her earlier guise.
(That’s incredible. They can even change their body shape.)
I was already familiar with nanotechnology and the augmented reality functions of access gear, but this transformation was on a whole different level. It was a shocking display of futuristic technology.
“I sincerely apologize for keeping such things hidden from you,” Yuzu said, bowing her head slightly.
“N-no, it’s alright.”
Eri, who had just completed her transformation, deeply bowed as well, following Yuzu’s lead. Their overly formal demeanor made me feel a little uncomfortable, and I averted my eyes reflexively.
(Where exactly am I supposed to look…? Wow, Eri is… quite something… She’s not some sort of seductress, is she?)
During Eri’s bow, her very womanly features gave a slight bounce, and her low-cut top revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage. Caught off guard, I quickly looked away, trying not to stare.
Eri and Yuzu, however, seemed completely unbothered by it. Yuzu kept her composed expression, while Eri smiled warmly, radiating a pleasant, friendly aura.
Despite their contrasting personalities, both women were stunning, with looks that would easily land them roles as actresses or idols in the modern world.
I felt mentally exhausted from the unexpected encounter, but Yuzu maintained a sharp, serious expression, while Eri continued to smile brightly.
For a moment, I wondered if their behavior was deliberate, testing me in some way. If it was, I had to admit, these two were formidable.