"Sir, for people like us… this job is really important…"
From a jog to a full sprint, the W Company employee desperately chased after the car, needing—no, begging—to know whether this important person he could not afford to offend had taken his actions to heart.
But unlike the cordial attitude he had shown toward Arthur and the others, Supervisor Lentz did not spare him even a glance. He merely raised a hand and calmly rolled up the window.
"Sir! Sir—!"
The vehicle's soundproofing was excellent. Once the window sealed shut, the man's voice was completely cut off.
As the driver accelerated into Road 3, the W Company employee who had been chasing them finally fell behind.
In the rearview mirror, Arthur saw him collapse to his knees.
"Is L Company's influence really that great?" Komini asked in disbelief.
Having lived only in K Nest, she couldn't understand why that employee behind them had broken down so completely.
"Nonsense," Yulia replied, sinking back into her seat and speaking in a listless tone.
"If L Company didn't supply massive amounts of energy, do you think W Company's Warp trains—this kind of spacetime technology—could operate across the entire City?"
She glanced out the window.
"For many Wings, the energy provided by Lobotomy Corporation is already indispensable. Offending L Company… those employees won't have an easy time surviving in W Company."
"Oh… I see…"
The conversation ended there.
In the quiet that followed, Arthur leaned against the window, watching the indicator lights flash past one after another along Road 3.
There was only one thing he couldn't stop thinking about.
What kind of incident could push W Company into such a neurotic state—so much so that they were willing to sacrifice the most critical aspect of transportation efficiency just to manually inspect every vehicle?
After some time, the car carrying the L Company group finally entered a massive, dedicated employee access point within W Company.
The area was crowded with W Company personnel clad in blue uniforms and equipped with various weapons and devices. Employees poured in and out of elevators—some returning to headquarters, others departing to different workstations.
Amid the sea of blue, one figure stood out.
An elderly man in a suit.
His attire sharply contrasted with the standard W Company uniform.
At this point, everyone from L Company stepped out of the car as well.
"Artemis Lentz, long time no see," the suited old man greeted with a warm smile.
"Old Aaron," Supervisor Lentz replied easily, clearly familiar with him. "Back from your vacation in U Nest?"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lentz went straight to the point.
"What's going on outside? It wasn't like this when I visited three months ago."
"…Something happened in the Nest recently," Old Aaron said, shaking his head. "It caused widespread panic. Even the Warp train's security had to be reinforced."
He paused briefly.
"Those youngsters at the entrance didn't give you trouble, did they?"
"Strict security isn't a bad thing," Lentz replied calmly.
The two executives continued their conversation as they walked toward the elevator.
As guards, Arthur and the others did not interrupt. The topics being discussed were relatively mundane—nothing that outsiders weren't meant to hear.
It wasn't until they reached the elevator entrance that Old Aaron finally noticed the armed group behind Lentz.
He smiled politely.
"Lentz, does L Company really need this many people to accompany you just to sign a contract?"
"Haha…" Lentz laughed awkwardly.
He knew better than anyone that bringing so many armed L Company employees into W Company's internal area was highly discourteous.
He turned slightly and gestured to Arthur and the others.
"You can wait here for a while. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Eh? No need for that," Old Aaron waved his hand dismissively.
"They're all employees of Wings of the World—servants of the City. There's no reason to treat them like outsiders."
He then called out to a W Company employee who had just stepped out of the elevator.
"Rose! Your team—pause your work for now. Take these guests around."
"Director, we still have other tasks," a blue-haired woman replied as she approached, accompanied by two teammates carrying various tools.
"Set them aside. Others will take over."
"…Yes. Strictly following superior orders."
...
The Warp train was the complete opposite of Earth's high-speed rail.
As a so-called god-tier transportation method—requiring no tracks and producing no noise—Warp train stations were typically built in the very center of each Nest to maximize operational efficiency across the City.
Now, under Rose's guidance, Arthur and the others—having parted ways with Supervisor Lentz at the elevator—arrived at the Warp train's exit platform.
The Warp train followed peculiar rules.
Passengers entering and exiting used entirely separate trains. Officially, this was to allow staff time for cleaning and maintenance.
As a result, non-staff members would never see a Warp train that had just arrived.
Some City residents might find this odd, but they would simply reassure themselves:
Tens of millions ride the Warp train every day. What could possibly go wrong?
And with that, they would continue riding without concern.
In truth, this arrangement was also a mercy.
Because even though the Warp train was irreplaceable, if ordinary people were to see those passengers—flesh stitched inside out and fused into the walls over countless years—no one would ever dare board it again.
For the City and its people, this was a necessary sacrifice.
Standing before the L Company employees, Rose recited W Company's usual explanation with practiced ease.
"The train will exit the cleaning workshop. Passengers will remain seated until staff unbuckle their restraints before disembarking…"
There was clearly something amiss—but no one behind her questioned it.
After all, which Wing didn't have secrets that others weren't meant to see?
Even Arthur only wanted to ask the question that had been troubling him.
"Rose, can we talk about what happened in W Nest? After all, your company—"
Before he could finish, the gate to the cleaning workshop opened.
With a violent roar, a Warp train slammed onto the platform.
Pffft—
The next second, the carriage doors burst open, and a massive crowd poured out.
"Whoa—so the Warp train really lives up to its reputation!"
"That was insane! It didn't even take ten seconds!"
"Yeah… though, do you feel like your hand's a little lighter? Or is that just me?"
City life was relentless.
The passengers rushed off without pause, instantly scattering Arthur and his group.
"…."
Arthur stood in the crowd, no longer able to see Yulia or the others.
Do they really have to interrupt me right when I'm asking something important?
He wanted to sigh.
He wanted to find Rose and press for answers.
But pushing through this crowd was more trouble than it was worth.
I'll wait until most of them are gone.
After about thirty seconds, the platform finally cleared enough for visibility to return.
And just as Arthur began searching again, he suddenly froze.
Three meters ahead, two figures dressed in black stood out sharply in the thinning crowd.
"…."
"…Huh. What a coincidence."
Arthur couldn't help but murmur.
It seemed that on this particular Warp train, he had run into two acquaintances.
Even amidst the remaining crowd, he could clearly make out their conversation.
The gray-haired woman who had just stepped off the train stretched lazily, clearly in a good mood.
"…How about we grab lunch before heading to work?"
Beside her, a man wearing a pure black mask walked toward the exit, knife in hand, completely ignoring her suggestion.
"…Let's go. We still have a mission."
"Hey, hey, you're in such a hurry? I'm treating."
"…It's been two years. This mission should end."
"…Sigh. Roland…"
At his words, the gray-haired woman's expression turned more serious.
She lit a cigarette and quickly caught up to him.
And as if she had sensed a gaze from afar—
When she passed by Arthur,
Her azure eyes swept over him.