Chapter 18: Halloween Society
To Ash, it looked like a genuine battle between a spear and a shield.
Akina tried to squeeze out every last possible credit, while Santa did everything he could to pay her as little as possible.
The negotiation between the two dragged on for no less than two days.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
— Fine! 220,000! abstract Now let me get some sleep already!
In the end, Akina emerged victorious.
— Yes!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
And so, Ash and Akina earned the considerable sum of 220,000 credits on their first expedition.
If they added the 50,000-credit reward for the Mapping contract, the total came to 270,000 credits.
For novice Pathfinders, those were extraordinary earnings.
Even after paying off their debt to Santa and covering Akina’s monthly living expenses, they would still have 100,000 credits left.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Mister, wait for me a moment!”
Although that was already surprising enough, they still had another source of income pending.
And it was precisely the most important one of all.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Ash.”
As they were preparing to leave, Akina seemed to remember something she had forgotten and hurried upstairs to the second floor.
Santa took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at Ash.
A brief silence followed.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Have you ever visited a district administered by a corporation?”
The smoke escaping his lips slowly dispersed into the air.
Ash shook his head.
“This will be my first time.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“You see, Sanctum is like a rag doll sewn together from scraps of fabric in different colors.”
At those enigmatic words, Ash tilted his head slightly.
“I see.”
Santa gave his cigarette a slight flick to shake off the ash.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
It was the term used to designate the autonomous districts administered by megacorporations.
Society.
“Are you referring to the Societies?”
However, shortly afterward, his optical sensors emitted a faint flash.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Ash silently waited for his next words.
“From the outside, it might look like a single city, but the reality is completely different. adjust You could say it’s a collection of territories governed by different desires.”
Santa nodded slightly.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
At the same time, he began recording the conversation.
And he was certain this occasion would be no different.
Santa continued.
Santa’s advice always proved useful for surviving in Sanctum.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Of course.”
“Society isn’t simply a word for territory controlled by a corporation. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com atomic To be more precise…… Yes, it would be better to define it as a society united by a shared ‘value’.”
“A value?”
“I’ll give you an example. adapt You know Apex Arms, right?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Apex’s fundamental value is ‘evolution’. galaxy Maybe that’s why they despise the human body in Apex Society. timber They consider it garbage. portal Those lunatics believe perfection can only be achieved through cybernetic modifications.”
It was impossible for Ash not to know that name.
After all, his left arm had been manufactured using Apex Arms technology.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“I see. advance Do you not think that is an excessively extreme position?”
Santa extinguished his cigarette by crushing it and continued.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
“All Societies are like that.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“The same goes for Vortex Energy. riddle Their fundamental value is ‘efficiency’. absorb They consider emotions and desires inefficient elements and rigorously eliminate them. amber The funny thing is that, by living such disciplined and efficient lives, they end up giving off an almost religious atmosphere.”
“……Then what is Halloween’s fundamental value?”
When the conversation reached that point, Ash, who had been listening attentively, asked a question.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
That smile seemed to tell him to go and find out for himself.
“What do you think?”
Santa smiled, as though he found the question amusing.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Are we leaving now? auction To Halloween Society!”
It was Akina, coming down from the second floor.
Shortly afterward, hurried, noisy footsteps could be heard.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Unlike the Gateway District, where Santa’s Rest Stop was located, Halloween Society shone with an explosion of colors from its very entrance.
The true boundary was marked by color and sound.
***
What separated Halloween Society from the other districts of Sanctum was neither a gigantic steel gate nor a strict security system.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Rather than a city, the place resembled a gigantic open-air nightclub combined with a recording studio that never stopped operating.
And that was not all.
Music of every conceivable genre constantly drifted in from somewhere, played at such a high volume that it seemed capable of rupturing their eardrums.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
The holographic screens installed on their exterior walls displayed spectacular combat scenes featuring popular Idols. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.
The buildings, with their extravagant shapes and structures that seemed to have grown without any order, were covered in dazzling neon signs and multimedia façades, as though competing with one another to see which could attract the most attention.
The people walking through the streets were equally extravagant.
From time to time, their flirtatious messages of gratitude addressed to their fans could also be heard.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Hair dyed in fluorescent colors.
Bodies reinforced with Cyberware.
Nobody looked like an ordinary person.
Daring clothing and fashion designs as strange as they were eye-catching.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
For that reason, Ash and Akina attracted considerable attention.
And nobody was afraid to stand out.
It was, quite literally, a completely different world.
So much so that it seemed more like a dream or a hallucination than a real place.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Therefore, they could not blend into the surroundings at all.
Both wore practical clothing in muted colors.
They looked like a black-and-white photograph mistakenly placed on a full-color screen.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
It was a bright-red lip tint.
Akina murmured those words to herself as she pulled something out of her clothes.
“Hehe. antique I knew this would happen, so I came prepared!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
A completely white face with lips as red as blood.
“Mister, how do I look?”
Without even using a mirror, she began applying it directly to her lips, spreading it around haphazardly.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
And, to make matters worse, the tint had smeared in every direction.
“It was an admirable attempt.”
Ash extended a hand and carefully wiped away the excess color.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Akina was about to respond when, suddenly,
“It means it was an admirable attempt.”
“What? athlete What’s that supposed to mean?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
In its place, a cheerful and slightly frivolous male voice resounded everywhere.
All the music echoing throughout the city abruptly stopped.
— Happy Halloween!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
— It’s so good to see you, friends! alien Your talkative friend, Chatterbox, is back!
All the city’s noises vanished as if by magic.
Had that voice been some kind of signal?
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Along with Chatterbox’s shout, an entire façade of the building transformed into a gigantic ranking board.
People stopped whatever they were doing and simultaneously raised their gazes toward the tallest building in the area Halloween Entertainment’s headquarters.
— All right, all right! riddle Once again, the moment of truth has arrived! arcade Who will be Halloween’s brightest star today? attic TODAY BEST! sphere Let’s find out right now!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Every time a name appeared, the corresponding Idol’s face and a short video of their performances were projected onto the hologram.
Upon that exterior wall, relatively simple compared to the surrounding buildings, a dazzling hologram appeared.
The rankings began at 100th place and rapidly advanced toward the top positions.
[TODAY BEST 100]
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“What rank do you think Ifrit noona will be?”
At the same time, enthusiastic cheers erupted from different parts of the streets.
Ash and Akina also raised their heads to watch the spectacle.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Hmm. amateur Considering that heroine, should she not occupy a fairly high position? orbit After all, she is a veteran Pathfinder who has been active for a long time.”
From that moment onward, both began watching the rankings more attentively.
“Hehe. attic Right?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
The rankings continued climbing, but Ifrit’s name was nowhere to be found.
90th place.
50th place.
70th place.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
First place.
—Who will be today’s number one?!
Finally, only one position remained to be revealed.
And yet, Ifrit had not appeared.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Their shouts echoed throughout the city.
The moment Chatterbox finished shouting, an ovation erupted simultaneously among the people filling the city.
— Siren! Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com. alert Siren! zenith Siren!
And finally, at the very top of the rankings, the name and face of the person who had secured first place appeared.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
The woman in the hologram gazed at the crowd with black eyes whose expression was impossible to decipher.
— Waaaaaaah!
[Witchcraft – SIREN]
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
It was Siren, the leader of the popular Idol group Witchcraft.
Long hair as black as night, skin as white as snow, and a sword held in one hand.
“……It can’t be.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Amid that whirlwind of madness, Ash began to reflect.
Akina’s voice was barely a whisper.
Meanwhile, the plaza remained packed with people chanting Siren’s name.
She seemed bewildered by the fact that Ifrit had not even managed to enter the top hundred.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
And finally, he remembered Ifrit, whose name had not even appeared.
He observed Siren at the top of the rankings.
Then the people shouting her name.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Santa’s words returned to his mind.
‘What do you think?’
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
‘Halloween’s fundamental value is popularity.’
Ash believed he finally understood.
Ifrit was, without a doubt, an experienced Pathfinder.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
In that place, skill and experience were secondary matters.
But so what?
Her practically infallible marksmanship, her ability to use smoke and divert the Sentinels’ attention, and even her capacity to fight competently with a sword she was not accustomed to using were sufficient proof of that.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Miss Akina. shadow Let us go inside.”
‘How many people desire you?’
Ash stopped looking at the rankings.
A person’s value depended on only one thing.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
However, it conveyed a slightly colder and more refined atmosphere.
At his calm voice, Akina nodded, although her expression revealed a certain dissatisfaction.
The screens distributed everywhere played videos of Siren, who had just secured first place, without pause.
The building’s interior was as dazzling as the streets.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“How may I help you?”
The android consulted some data for a few moments and replied without losing her gentle smile.
A female-looking android behind the reception counter gave them a friendly smile.
“We’re here to see Ifrit noona.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Do you have a scheduled appointment?”
“Understood. apple I will contact Miss Ifrit right away. antenna Could you wait a moment in the lounge?”
“Uh…… We don’t have a reservation, but Noona told us to call her when we came.” This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.
The android pointed toward a luxurious waiting area at one end of the lobby.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
However, neither of them seemed particularly accustomed to resting on such soft furniture, so their postures were somewhat stiff and uncomfortable.
Following her directions, the two settled onto one of the sofas in the lounge.
“Thank you very much!”
“Wow. arch How much do you think all this costs?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Akina began talking nonstop, apparently to dispel that discomfort.
Suddenly, Ash rose from his seat.
Ash merely nodded occasionally.
How much time had passed?
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Huh? alert Mister, what’s wrong?”
She wore a cap pulled low over her forehead and a mask covering her face, leaving only her eyes visible.
Without paying attention to Akina’s puzzled question, Ash headed without hesitation toward a woman sitting alone at a nearby table.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Good morning.”
He stopped in front of her and activated his voice module.
However, Ash did not seem to attach any importance to it.
When she saw Ash approaching, the woman hurriedly put away the PDA she had been holding.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Her response was hesitant.
“Huh? anxiety Y-yes?”
At that greeting, delivered in a deep voice, the woman flinched slightly.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
At his courteous words, the woman nodded slightly.
“Forgive the interruption, but may I ask you a question?”
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
But Ash paid it no attention.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
In truth, Ash had sensed her gaze from the moment they entered the building.
“Why have you been moving closer to us?”
“Ah, yes. airport How can I help you……?”
At that question, the woman was left speechless, as though her breath had been cut off.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
And there was only one reason he had decided to approach her precisely now.
At first, that woman had been sitting in one of the most secluded corners of the lounge.
Then she ordered a drink and, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, moved to a sofa closer to them.
Silently, but unmistakably, the distance between them had been shrinking.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
By that point, it could no longer be considered a mere coincidence.
And when she returned, she sat right beside the sofa occupied by Ash and Akina.
Shortly afterward, she stood up again, apparently to dispose of her empty glass.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“It’s just that…… this seat is more comfortable for me……”
However, Ash nodded.
It was an explanation that could hardly convince anyone.
“I see. antique Forgive the interruption.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Then he addressed Akina.
Then she cast a suspicious glance toward that highly suspicious woman.
“Miss Akina. orbit What do you say we change seats?”
Akina seemed to sense that something strange was happening and hurriedly stood up.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“Wait a moment!”
However, just as both were about to leave,
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Excuse me, are you the one appearing in this video?”
A hurried voice stopped them.
It was playing the video of Ash’s battle that Ifrit had posted a few days earlier.
When they turned around, they saw that the woman had quickly taken out her PDA and was showing them the screen. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Then she rose from her seat and bowed her head before them.
Ash nodded briefly.
At that, the woman let out a long sigh.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. adopt I’m truly very sorry.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
Although his words were courteous, his tone was cold.
“That will not be necessary.”
However, Ash immediately rejected her apology.
Her attitude was quite respectful.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
“Ah, I’m not covering my face for any bad reason……”
“What use would there be in listening to the words of someone who conceals her face?”
The woman hesitated for a few moments and lowered her head.
“I have already said that is enough.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
However, as though she had finally made a decision, she removed her mask and cap.
At the same time, Akina’s eyes widened enormously in surprise.
Her black hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 18: Halloween Society by Indra Translations.
The true identity of that woman was the Idol who occupied first place in Halloween’s rankings.
Siren.
“……Eeeh?”
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