I decided to sneak out of school and see what this so-called base camp looked like. Arthur suggested that he go first and send me his GPS location so I could follow after. Given how tight security was around the school, sneaking out together wouldn't be ideal.
I just nodded.
When I finally arrived at the location… I could barely hide my disappointment.
What the hell is this place?
A junkyard. A literal pile of garbage.
"Ah… Boss! You finally made it!"
I looked up to see Arthur waving at me from the top of a heap of scrap metal. Is he alone? Usually, he's surrounded by his group of troublemakers, yet now it was just him.
I approached him.
"This is what you call a base camp? A dumpster?"
"Whoa, whoa—Boss, don't get mad! This isn't our actual base camp."
I narrowed my eyes. "Then why the hell did you send me GPS coordinates here?!"
Arthur grinned sheepishly. "Well, the entrance is here."
I crossed my arms. "You literally just said this isn't your base camp."
"Yeah, because this is."
Before I could ask what he meant, a deep rumbling sound echoed through the junkyard.
Right before my eyes, the massive mountain of garbage split in half, revealing a hidden metal hatch rising from the ground. The heavy steel doors groaned as they opened, revealing what looked like an elevator.
What the—? How the hell did these delinquents manage to build this?!
"Come on, hurry up before someone sees!" Arthur grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside.
Sure enough, the box was an elevator. But not just any elevator—this thing looked high-tech as hell.
I glanced around, my mind racing.
Did I die again and reincarnate into a steampunk world without realizing it?
I mean, wasn't this world supposed to be a normal one—just with a few historical alterations?
I frowned, my thoughts spiraling. Was I mistaken this whole time?
The elevator continued to descend, the hum of machinery filling the enclosed space. This ride was taking longer than expected, which only fueled my growing unease.
I glanced at Arthur, who seemed completely at ease.
"Say, Arthur…" I finally spoke, keeping my voice steady. "Who made this?"
He tilted his head, thinking.
"Some special individual that Iris found… What was his name again? I kinda forgot." He scratched his cheek. "But I heard he's super smart."
Special individual?
I looked down at my own hand, slowly clenching and unclenching my fist.
I should have realized it earlier. There's no way it was just Iris and me. There had to be others out there. People like us. But even then, it had never crossed my mind to gather them—let alone build something this elaborate.
I took a deep breath. "Was Iris gathering a lot of these 'special individuals'?"
Arthur grinned. "Right now, there are only five, including Iris."
Five…?
"And why exactly is she gathering them?" I asked, my suspicion growing.
Arthur blinked at me, his expression blank for a second before he tilted his head with an innocent smile.
"Isn't that your instruction, Aneki?"I grabbed my forehead upon hearing that… This is giving me a headache.
Sigh…
As I exhaled, the elevator finally came to a stop, and with a soft chime, the doors slid open.
What lay beyond was… not what I expected.
A grand throne room.
Massive pillars lined the sides, stretching up to an arched ceiling adorned with intricate golden engravings. The floor was polished to perfection, reflecting the dim glow of elegant chandeliers. And at the very center of it all—elevated on a platform—was a throne.
And standing right beside it…
A little girl.
One I hadn't seen in quite a while.
"Welcome, my Lady, to our headquarters."
Her voice was calm, composed—carrying an air of authority that shouldn't belong to someone her age.
Iris.
The same girl I met a few years back.
I narrowed my eyes. My Lady?
Why the hell is she calling me that?
No… That's not important right now.
I should have questioned it the moment I saw that elevator.
Where the hell are they getting the resources to build all of this?
This place… the technology… the sheer scale of it all—is this even legal?
I can't voice all my thoughts right now… There's so much I want to say, yet none of it seems to come out. My mind is a tangled mess of questions, doubts, and disbelief.
How? How did they build all of this? How did a group of kids manage to construct something this advanced without attracting attention? And more importantly—why?
"Is something wrong, My Lady?"
Iris's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. She tilts her head slightly, her eyes filled with curiosity and perhaps a hint of concern. She's probably confused as to why I'm just standing here, silent, staring at everything like I've walked into a dream—or a nightmare.
Should I just be honest with her? Ask her everything that's been running through my head?
Or should I play along and figure things out first? Screw it!! If I start overthinking everything, I'll just end up with a headache. Let's have fun while we're at it.
I step closer to Iris and gently pat her head, feeling the silky strands of her hair beneath my fingers. A small smile tugs at my lips as I say, "Good job."
Iris beams, her face lighting up with pure joy. She almost looks like a kid receiving praise from an older sister. I guess, in some way, that's what I am to her.
Arthur trails behind me, a small, mischievous shota at my back, while a proud, refined-looking loli stands before me in this utterly ridiculous throne room. This doesn't feel real at all.
For a moment, I get lost in the absurdity of the situation, nearly forgetting the reason Arthur brought me here in the first place. Right—the arcade machine.
"So… the arcade machine…" I start, trying to bring it up.
Before I can even finish my sentence, Iris interrupts me with a confident nod.
"Of course… follow me this way, My Lady."
I follow her, my curiosity growing with every step. The hallway leading to the arcade machine is dimly lit, with sleek metal walls and an almost eerie silence. It feels strangely high-tech, like I've stepped into a secret underground lab rather than some hideout built by a bunch of kids.
Eventually, we arrive at a secluded room to the right. Iris stops in front of the door, placing her hand on a small panel beside it. With a soft beep, the door slides open with a smooth mechanical hum.
Inside, the room is surprisingly small compared to the grand throne room we just left. The only source of light comes from a single large screen embedded into the far wall, illuminating the space with a faint glow. In the center of the room sits a lone arcade machine, unlike any I've seen before.
At first glance, it looks like a standard retro arcade cabinet, but upon closer inspection, I notice intricate designs along its frame—almost like engravings or circuitry. The screen flickers slightly, waiting for someone to start the game.
Arthur steps forward excitedly. "See, Aneki? This is what I was talking about!"
I raise an eyebrow. "Okay… but what makes it so special?"
Iris smiles knowingly. "You'll see soon enough, My Lady. Why don't you give it a try?"