“Well, for one the data centre here is powered by nuclear power right? I doubt that they do not know that, despite the government’s lies that it runs off solar and wind. But more to the point it’s most likely the fertility rates which bug them.”
Ryouta pressed a button on a remote to change what was displayed on the screens. First it was a graph with many lines showing that the quality of life, wealth etc. of the UK had improved. Then he pressed the button again, and it was the same graph but with just one line which showed that fertility rates had increased 0.2 to 0.4, virtually doubling, although still far below replacement rate.
“That is all in terms of evidence that I have, which I know is rather sloppy but in my defence it’s hard to investigate crimes which happen in the outside world while being stuck here. Before I pass the torch to Lain, let me just suggest in which direction any real world investigation should go. Unlike the other organisations, VHEPTO, is a home grown enemy, sure it has many foreign branches and government and private backers but all of those branches lead back to your predecessor and mentor mister prime minister.”
The screens all showed the picture of a man in a suit and a cravat. The man was in his seventies and had white hair, and had a yellow front tooth, but he was smiling and his blue eyes looked lively and intelligent. It was Lord Eric Arthur Blair. He had been Prime Minister when I was a child, and although I remember that Chamberlain had served under him as Chancellor of the Exchequer, nothing sprang to mind. It could be said he was more influential after serving as the prime minister than when he was officially in power.
“So you want me to go after old Eric?”
“Well, rather than ‘go after’, I’d say to ‘look into’ him for us. If I could do it myself then I would do it but then again I am stuck in this virtual prison where there are no murders to solve.”
“I see. I’ll see what I can arrange for that. It’s true that he has gotten a bit too audacious as he has gotten old. Perhaps it’s that he feels he doesn’t have much to lose now.”
There was no sign that Chamberlain would hold back or that it bothered him that his old mentor was opposing him.
Next it was Lain’s turn but she didn’t get up from her seat and just snapped her finger she made the screens disappear, slightly disorienting Rina since she was the one who had set them up, and at the same time a hyper-realistic hologram displaying the scenes from when the Saintess appeared and gifted the White Dragon Knight Frame to Nanashi.
“There is no explanation that I can give about the appearance of the ‘Fairy in the lake’ who gifted the White Dragon Knight Frame to Nanashi, I literally can’t analyze them, so I couldn’t really be bothered to write a report saying just that.”
The holograms now changed to a scene of the White Dragon Knight Frame slaying the White Dragon, along with another party. Basically like any other boss, it was being farmed for resources.
“The powers of Nanashi’s new Frame go beyond those of the White Dragon by a fair margin and its powers are only rising. And what’s worse, is that it’s outside our control. Obviously, we lied to the players saying that this was Nanashi’s reward for breaking the World’s Egg. However, the issue is that we are struggling to add new content for players to do because Nanashi is clearing the content at a monstrous rate. I suggested the idea of getting some faction to steal the White Dragon Knight, but that would immediately raise suspicions so father discarded it. I am somehow managing for now with the help of most of the after school clubs but doing so means that I have less time to focus on content for new players which could impact the adoption rates of new citizens. That is all.”
Lain, perhaps noticing my fuming face and the crushed paper from the report in my hand, at her not having prepared a report, continued speaking abruptly.
“Err— However, there is one discovery that I was able to make. The reason why the VHEPO even bothered to attack was most likely in order to stop that white Frame from falling into the hands of a player. Think about it, killing yourself and hiring North Korean spies and hackers just in order to lock a door which I would have eventually been able to open. Therefore we can rule out that the so-called Lady in the Lake works with the VHEPO. Also when looking at the logs I realised that the saintess’ power was weakening the seal on the door, otherwise not even the Kaiser frame’s power would have been able to open that door.”
So it was just a bunch of speculation? Honestly, it was true that she was busy, so I shouldn’t blame her, except that saying careless things like that in this meeting just because she was not prepared could get us killed.
