Redwood.
When people mention the worst slum in Neon City, they never fail to mention its name.
Of course, there are other slums that give a similar vibe, like the new sector of Chinatown or the Buraku of Little Shinjuku.
But since it’s known as the hometown of the ‘Orcs’, I thought the image might be even worse.
But ultimately, still.
A city is a place within the walls.
Having rolled around in a landfill without laws or regulations during my childhood with Catherine, it didn’t feel scary at all.
“Anyway, it’s just a place where people live!”
As if reading my mind.
The ‘Orc taxi driver’ timed it perfectly to chime in.
His speech, translated by the module, sounded quite unique.
I turned my gaze from the window to the driver’s seat in response to his words.
There were many quirky decorations all around. There didn’t seem to be a distinct nationality, so it seemed to reflect the Orc taxi driver’s personal taste.
“Well, yeah.”
“Haha, that’s right!”
The taxi driver responded enthusiastically to my answer.
He was quite the cheerful Orc.
Normally, I would have called a driverless taxi, but today, that was out of the question.
Just as I was about to set the driver to auto and call a taxi, the following message appeared on my taxi call module.
【The area [Redwood] is not covered by insurance services as per city law. Calling a driverless taxi (4-6 passengers) is not possible.】
In the end, we had no choice but to call for a taxi driven by an Orc.
What on earth is the state of this neighborhood?
Why is it that insurance services don’t apply here?
A fleeting thought of hooded guys yelling ‘C-hoodlum’ or ‘F-bomber’ passed through my mind.
….
I could imagine it happening.
Before I boarded the taxi, a brief glance at the bulletin board in Neon City revealed that public opinion in the Net Space treated Redwood similarly to other ‘hoods’.
Always induce your opponent’s complacency.
Stay away from anything but green.
Always move unpredictably.
These were the main points.
What could the reality be like?
With half anticipation, half worry, and a tiny thought about Smith, I felt the vibrations of the rough road through my body.
“I can definitely see why people come to visit. It’s the first time I’ve seen real trees planted in the ground.”
Catherine gazed out the window, appreciating it.
If you just look at her, she seems like a complete tourist.
It’s understandable, really.
While there are occasionally trees planted in the city, the truth is they are just machines disguised with air purifier functionality, so it was indeed a fascinating sight to behold.
The Orc driver glanced at us in the backseat through the rearview mirror as he heard Catherine’s reflection.
“But are you visiting Redwood for tourism?”
Hmm.
I hesitated to answer.
It felt awkward to say we were here looking for someone who went missing.
As I struggled to respond, the Orc driver nodded to himself and continued changing the subject.
“Well, if it’s for tourism… I’m actually from Redwood myself, so I have some idea of what the atmosphere there is like.”
A bizarrely shaped toothy ornament hanging from the rearview mirror swayed back and forth.
“Every year around this time, gang territorial disputes get intense. It’s a loud season, so I honestly wouldn’t recommend coming here for tourism…”
This wasn’t exactly something you’d expect to hear from a taxi driver who just got paid.
He seemed to realize that himself as his voice trailed off at the end.
A brief silence ensued.
“Yes, we’re almost there.”
The taxi stopped at the corner of the road.
“Actually, it’s true that we’ve been in the Redwood area for a while, but the real places where people live start from inside here.”
What stretched out before me was the irregular landscape I had seen in a documentary not too long ago.
Old, low buildings.
Rather than a Cyberpunk city interior, it felt like I had arrived in a slum in LA.
“This is the hometown of the Orcs, Redwood.”
24. Cyberpunk Orc (3)
The Orc, after receiving the payment, smiled innocently.
“Hehe, thank you!”
Maybe it was because of the city’s vibe, but the response felt quite natural.
Of course, every time he did respond, his sharp tusks made his appearance resemble the smile of a ferocious thug.
At least he didn’t suddenly change his attitude and say something like,
“I’ve come this far, so I’ll charge you extra. What? You don’t have any money? Are you kidding me?”
That was a relief. It was a vivid detail based on firsthand experience about how he spoke suddenly in standard language.
Anyway, fortunately.
It doesn’t seem like the taxi driver in front of me would change careers to that of a criminal.
Choosing a (Orc) driver with an above-average social score was the right choice.
Since it was a lower-class area, the road maintenance was poor. We each got out of the taxi and stretched out.
We relieved our stiff bodies with some stretching.
“Hm?”
Catherine pointed toward the inside of Redwood.
“Someone’s coming over there?”
At Catherine’s words, Eve turned her head toward the interior of the area.
“Entity name: ‘Orc’, number of entities: 3.”
“I mean, that’s obvious just by looking.”
“The average height of the three is statistically 201cm, which is taller than the average height of Orcs surveyed in Neon City. A peculiar detail is that each one is wearing a scarf.”
“…I didn’t need the height.”
I listened to the pointless conversation between Catherine and Eve.
Just as they said, three Orcs were swaggering toward us from the inner part.
Pants sagging low enough to see their underwear particularly caught my eye. I never imagined I would see the sagging fashion that rappers often wore in my previous life here.
Not heavy? No,
A fashion regressing in time.
At least the sunglasses worn by the Orc in the middle seemed to be smart lenses, but I couldn’t understand their ridiculous clothing choices.
“I told you they’d be humans.”
“Touring at a time like this? They must want to get a hole punched in their stomach.”
The Orcs gradually approached us.
As they came closer, Catherine’s fist began to clench tighter.
Having Catherine beside me, who could easily smash a punch machine, I felt there was nothing to fear.
But before anything could happen.
The Orc taxi driver was quicker to step out of the driver’s seat upon seeing the advancing Orcs.
He shouted, blocking the way of the Orcs.
“Hey, hey! Brothers! Wait a moment!”
“Uh?”
The Orcs momentarily halted their steps and glared at the taxi driver, who was their kin.
However, the taxi driver still wore a friendly smile as he began to speak.
“While the vigilante activities are all good, you shouldn’t do that to my passengers.”
The three Orcs simultaneously scowled at the taxi driver’s sly words.
Anyone watching might think they were friends, but judging by the Orcs’ nervous reactions, it was clear they were meeting for the first time.
“…Who are you calling brothers? You city Orc bastard—.”
As insults were about to spill, the taxi driver introduced himself.
“Aren’t you the ones below ‘Big Mama’ at the intersection? I can tell you’re all wearing scarves, so the cold season must have already come.”
At that, the Orcs’ expressions softened.
“…How do you know about Big Mama?”
“I’m also from Redwood! That’s why I called you brothers. It’s pretty rare to find someone from Redwood who hasn’t tried Big Mama’s porridge.”
It seemed like there was some connection between people from Redwood; the atmosphere changed in an instant.
“What? You were from our neighborhood? I thought since you were driving a city taxi, that couldn’t be the case.”
“To survive, you’ll do anything, right?”
They exchanged short conversations as if inquiring about each other’s current situations.
“Right, things have been getting uneasy, so keep an eye out for your party.”
“Don’t worry, you all can go in peace.”
Without any issues,
The Orcs turned around and walked back the way they had come.
“Phew, that was close.”
The taxi driver let out a short sigh.
“It seems the atmosphere has gotten pretty rough lately. But tourists generally aren’t bothered, so seeing this right at the entrance is concerning.”
I thanked the Orc, who was very rare in the city (having no criminal record).
“Thank you for looking out for us.”
“Ah, it’s nothing. There can be kind Orcs too.”
He even threw in a little self-deprecating joke.
Finally, the taxi driver looked at me and cautioned one last piece of advice.
“And it would be better to avoid wearing masks here. There are many criminals hiding around, and plenty of Orcs dislike those who wear masks.”
I nodded.
Of course, that didn’t mean I would take my mask off right away.
Just nearby, there’s the factory area, Cloud Park.
For someone with a delicate physique like mine, the air quality was so poor that I could collapse in less than 30 minutes.
But more than that.
Another thought crossed my mind.
“Well, I’ll be on my way now. Whether for tourism or anything else, I hope you enjoy and return safely.”
As I finished my farewell and was about to reboard the taxi, I stopped him.
“Excuse me, sir.”
Using a title like ‘Sir’ at times like this is helpful.
“…What can I do for you?”
It may have been an unfamiliar title, as the taxi driver looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“I heard you speaking and it seems like you’re from Redwood. Is it alright if I request another service?”
“……?”
His frown suggested confusion.
He looked like he might be angry, but that was merely due to the typical grumpy expressions of Orcs.
He was likely just curious.
“Actually, we’re here to find someone. Since it’s our first time here, it would be better if we had someone to help us.”
The taxi driver’s expression distorted slightly as he understood what I was asking.
He firmly said with a serious tone.
“I reject that. No matter what, I’m not so desperate that I would take up guiding jobs—”
Before he could continue, I transferred some additional credits to the account I had used earlier.
“I can offer this much… but if you don’t want to, then that’s how it is.”
“—But, if you all are making that request, then today I’ll take on the role of a guide.”
He couldn’t refuse such a hefty sum.
The credits I received from the chairman of Kojaka, Pete Mc, allowed me to do this kind of spending.
The taxi driver switched gears and yelled confidently while patting his chest, as if he wanted me to trust him.
“My name is ‘Thomas’. You can just call me Tom.”
And so.
We secured ourselves a temporary guide.
*
“Are you looking for someone named ‘Smith’?!”
“Yes, do you know him?”
“There are over 20 Orc Smiths I know personally. I just thought I’d mention it.”
“….”
I continued with additional descriptions.
“Well, he’s an Orc.”
“Of course, that’s to be expected.”
“…He’s about 2 meters tall and a man.”
“Most male Orcs here are around 2 meters tall.”
“…And he’s bald.”
“All the Smiths I know are bald.”
“He works at a place called No Answer…”
“Where’s that? Is it a corporation? Is he a taxi driver then?”
“….”
It almost seemed that just getting Eve to help with tracking Smith’s bio-signature would’ve been quicker…
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