Chapter 28: Happiness Project

Kamisawa Heavy Industries wasn’t exactly one of the major corporations in the artisan guild.

But just like Akito said, the factory itself was massive. Inside that massive factory, the engineers tinkered with whatever they wanted, however they wanted.

Originally, it had been a profit-driven industrial giant. But that got boring! Or so the current president decided, throwing himself headlong in the wrong direction. As a result, fun now took priority over profit. That’s what Kamisawa Heavy Industries had become.

Monoz churned out the bare minimum of standard products on automated lines, but most of the engineers just made whatever they felt like. That’s Kamisawa Heavy Industries for you. Whether that’s acceptable or not… well, they apparently have fans, so it’s not a problem. If it works, it works—such is Kamisawa Heavy Industries.

“This is the place.”

And now, I stood at the gates of that very company. I’d been hired as a test pilot for their new Centipede model. Since the job required an observer, I’d brought a Rat Unit along.

I glanced toward the little Rat Unit.

Its eyes were lifeless.

Because Rudo was playfully pouncing on it. Covered in drool.

Rudo was originally supposed to stay behind with Eevee while I was out, but somehow he ended up tagging along. By the time I noticed him behind me, we were already too far from the inn he called home. So I brought him along.

And so, with a furball and a metal sphere in tow, I stepped through the gates of Kamisawa Heavy Industries.

With Rudo standing on his hind legs and pestering the rolling Rat Unit, the whole thing looked like some kind of ball game. Kind of funny, honestly.

At the marble-front reception desk, I gave my name and purpose. I placed my left hand on the scanner—my crystal substitute for ID. I granted access only to my name, affiliation, and the “Hound” field in the notes section.

They told me to wait a moment, so I sank into the chair nearby. I was handed an iced coffee. I added only cream and stirred the now-milky liquid with a straw.

Rudo wandered over. With a playful grunt, he reared up on two legs and peeked between my thighs. His long torso let him reach higher than expected, something I’d only recently figured out. For the record, what he was after was the empty cream cup. He started licking the air near my hand with his wet snout, begging for it.

I didn’t really mind giving it to him, but feeding him scraps out in public felt inappropriate. I chose to ignore him. 

Rudo wasn’t so easily discouraged, though. He began trying to clamber onto my lap. Every time he scratched at the air with those little hind legs, it looked unbearably cute.

I gave in and let him up, shielding the cup discreetly from view as I passed it to him.

After licking it clean, Rudo let out a pleased little snort, as if to say I’m satisfied. Cheeky little thing. When I scratched under his chin, he must’ve taken it as an invitation to play, because he pounced at my hand.

“Hey, sorry! Hope I didn’t keep you waiting, Touji!”

After about five minutes, Akito showed up.

For once, his hair was tidy. Instead of greasy coveralls, he wore a company jacket with the Kamisawa Heavy Industries logo on it.

“No, it wasn’t long. But… is it alright if I bring the dog?”

From my lap, Rudo let out a happy yip. His tail swished with delight. He clearly had no intention of going home.

“Ah, sure, no problem. We’ll just say he’s the spotter. Bit of a stretch, but hey!”

“Yeah, well, it is a stretch, but let’s go with that.”

As if in approval, Rudo barked once more.

***

Only two candidates made it to the final round of the current competition: Akito and one other.

In other words, two proposals remained.

The second installment of the Happy Project—a sniper-specialized Centipede called Trigger Happy. That was the name of the product up for trial today.

It followed the successful release of Blade Happy, a melee combat model, and thanks to that hit, the company had poured considerable effort into this follow-up.

The rules for the final round were simple. For fairness, both developers and company-selected test pilots would run trials using the two Centipedes, putting them through a variety of evaluations.

To put it another way: there were currently three snipers here, all of “decent” skill or better.

And among them, I recognized a familiar face.

A leather coat. A ten-gallon hat. A thin trail of cigarette smoke curling upward. By his side sat one Monoz and two Greyhounds, sitting perfectly at attention.

He was the best sniper I knew.

In other words—

“Long time no see, Master.”

“Ah, it’s been a while. How’s my little Puppy doing?”

“Can’t complain.”

Rudo trotted up to Master. He must’ve been hoping to play with Asherica. But compared to the poised Asherica, his lack of discipline was kind of embarrassing.

Asherica grabbed Rudo by the scruff of his neck and carried him back toward me. She set him down, then barked a sharp On!

—You’re the one who needs to train him properly.

That’s what it felt like she was saying. The lady doesn’t pull punches. Scratching my cheek to cover my embarrassment, I scooped Rudo up. He wriggled and protested—Put me down, dammit!—but I ignored him.

“You’re in the final round too, Master?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I thought I’d turn it down. I’m retired, after all, but the company president’s done a lot for me. I owed him. Still, it’s a good opportunity.”

He grinned, sharp and teasing. What did he leave unsaid?

To see how far my pupil has come, maybe?

“Yeah. A good chance for you to retire with peace of mind.”

I smiled back as I said it.

“Hmph.”

He gave me a pat on the shoulder, like you’ve grown a spine.

“Well, well. I was wondering who you were, but turns out you know our dear Hound?”

The warm little reunion was cut short by the voice of the third sniper.

It was feminine speech, but with a very deep voice.

I turned toward the speaker and saw a huge, bald, sunglasses-wearing figure.

It was Alex.

“Your client seems a little short on cash compared to mine, so I was curious what kind of guy they’d send. But hmm, should I start getting my hopes up?”

With a wink, they took off the sunglasses.

“…”

Words failed me. The Alex I hadn’t seen in ages had become… quite something.

Specifically, his lips were full and glossy, like they were inviting a kiss.

“Uhhh…”

I tried to find words. None came. I gave up.

“What happened to you, Alex?”

I asked, bluntly.

Alex blinked several times, as if genuinely surprised. His lashes were long. Curled.

“You know my big brother?”

“Big brother…?”

“Yeah. Alex is my twin brother. I’m the younger sister, Catherine!”

“…Sister.”

“That’s right! L’il. Sis. Don’t mix us up now!”

“…Little sister. Don’t mix them up.”

I repeated it, dazed.

Sister? What… is a sister?

I looked up at the sky.

It was very blue. That’s what I thought.

***

“Are you the sniper Akito-senpai hired?”

I’d just had the misfortune of witnessing something visually traumatic, so I was trying to soothe my eyes with something pleasant when someone spoke to me.

Turning toward the voice, I saw a timid-looking girl.

She had soft, wavy honey-blonde hair and wore round glasses that added to her sweet appearance. The sleeves of her slightly oversized lab coat were rolled up, and for some reason, that small detail was oddly endearing.

Flanking her on either side were two men in suits—likely colleagues, or more accurately, bodyguards. I’d never seen someone who actually hired bodyguards before.

Who was she?

As I wondered that, I replied, “Yes, I’m Touji from the Doggy House.”

I didn’t have a business card, so I showed her my dog tag instead.

“I knew it! I’m Primula Arawn. I’ll be competing against Akito-senpai in today’s final round. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Her voice bounced with cheerful energy as she introduced herself.

“Uh… likewise.”

I gave her a return greeting for now.

“Um, that Monoz, that’s an Esus, right?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

The Rat Unit she pointed at blinked its eyes rapidly, like it was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“Uh, so… um, do you usually equip yourself with gear made by the Arawn Corporation?”

“Not particularly. I don’t really have a preference.”

What was she trying to get at? I couldn’t quite figure it out, so we just ended up staring at each other in silence for a moment.

“Um, does my name ring any bells?”

“…Your name?”

Primula Arawn.

Arawn Corporation.

Ahhh…

“Wait, you don’t mean you’re with the Arawn Corporation…?”

“That’s right! The Arawn Corporation is my father’s company! So, best of luck today, Touji-san!”

Beaming, she left it at that and cheerfully walked away.

“…”

What was that all about?

“You just got a warning, Touji.”

Akito arrived, wearing a wry smile.

“A warning?”

I honestly had no idea what he meant. Akito watched my blank expression and muttered, “Guess it didn’t work on you,” sounding half-exasperated, half-impressed. I really wish he’d stop making assumptions and just explain it properly.

“She was saying, ‘My daddy’s the president of Arawn Corporation. You do know what might happen if you don’t pick my Centipede, right?’ That kind of thing. The other two snipers have names that carry weight, but you’re still a rookie, she figured a little intimidation might work.”

“I see.”

In other words, a complete waste of time.

***

First up for testing was Akito’s Trigger Happy.

The unpainted gray unit looked slimmer than the Arakane. Its head armor resembled that of the Arakane as well, with a single mono-eye reminiscent of a Monoz. There was also a schematic for a ghillie suit included in the documentation, so I asked the Rat Unit to craft one for me.

I donned the Centipede along with the ghillie suit and started moving.

“…Huh? No operational noise?”

Centipedes are designed to enhance physical capabilities. Normally, that means they include support motors, so you’d expect to hear some whirring while moving.

But this one was silent.

“…”

Well, that’s all there was to it.

Akito looked like he was itching to explain something, but I wasn’t particularly interested. So I didn’t ask.

“We’ve replaced the traditional motorized support with artificial muscle fibers! That significantly reduces operational noise, making it harder for enemies to detect. Plus, we’ve integrated an auxiliary neural processor that learns your movement habits over time, allowing for smoother operation the more you use it. It’s also more energy-efficient—”

He launched into the pitch anyway, unprompted.

Well, it was the final competition after all. I figured he was also speaking for the benefit of the others present. Killing time, I ruffled Rudo’s fur. He let out a loud, enthusiastic Hawan! and drew everyone’s attention. Embarrassing.

With no other option, I picked Rudo up and pretended to listen.

Apparently, Akito’s Trigger Happy had been designed to avoid detection through visual, auditory, and radar means. I made a point of saying “I see” at the end to make it look like I’d been paying attention.

Next came the test shooting.

Targets at 300, 500, and 1000 meters. First stationary, then moving.

I hit them all. Everyone did. No one missed. Is that good enough?

It certainly was easy to hit. Thanks to reduced recoil from the second shot onward, the difference became more noticeable after the first round. That reduction in muzzle rise after each shot was a major improvement, at least for me, since I use a bolt-action rifle. I wondered how much difference it would make for those using semi-autos.

Akito’s Trigger Happy clearly prioritized staying hidden. It felt like the whole design philosophy centered around supporting the user from the shadows.

Now it was time to test Primula’s version of Trigger Happy.

They took away my trusty Type-5 and handed me a semi-auto rifle.

“…”

Semi-autos are notoriously inconsistent when it comes to precision due to component variability.

Since this Centipede was supposed to be a sniper model, I figured accuracy would be a critical factor… so was this really okay?

That was my impression, but regardless, I needed to train the Centipede with the weapon, so I ran through a ten-round clip.

Next, they told me to install an app on the Monoz I’d brought along. I had the Rat Unit handle it, and it rolled back over to me.

Beep

A message popped up—not on the Centipede, but sent directly to my device.

Complaint: It’s too heavy.

“…”

It was a complaint. I decided to pretend I hadn’t seen it. Sorry, but I needed the Rat Unit to bear with it for now.

Apparently, the app I’d just installed would assist with sniping. A wireless link was established between me and the Rat Unit.

With that, preparations were finally complete. Just as I was about to move on to the test firing—

“Since we’ve come all this way, shall we spice things up a little?”

Primula made that unsettling suggestion.

At her signal, her bodyguards brought in a group of children. Every single one of them looked terrified.

“…”

A bad feeling crept over me.

“Friendly fire during a sniper operation is terrifying, isn’t it? But fear not! My version of Trigger Happy comes with features to prevent just that! These children will now rush the targets from nearby. Yes, directly into the line of fire. And the three of you will perform your sniping from behind them.”

“…”

My bad feeling was dead-on. I fiddled with my necklace. Looked to Master. Looked to Catherine. Neither of them said a word. I ran my fingers over the sharp point of the pendant.

“Um, we’re using live ammunition here. If something were to happen, wouldn’t that be a problem?”

“It’s perfectly safe, Touji-san! My Trigger Happy is flawless!”

“Yes, but… in the event something does happen—”

“That’s taken care of too. These children are all Sleepers.”

“…”

I see. That’s how it is, then. Fine.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a few people smiling with relief at those words. Should I be smiling too? I wondered.

“There’s no need to force it,” came Catherine’s voice in my ear. When I looked at her, her face was completely serious. I was glad. I gave her a silent nod of thanks.

The test firing began.

There was no issue with stationary targets. But when it came to moving ones, that’s when it happened.

Because I’d expected something to go wrong, I was on high alert. I quickly identified a safe shooting window. At that timing, none of the kids would be in the line of fire.

But I couldn’t pull the trigger.

Physically, my finger wouldn’t move.

Panic rose. Then a message flashed across my headset:

FIRE.

I couldn’t react in time. I didn’t fire.

But my finger pulled the trigger anyway.

The bullet grazed one child’s cheek… and punched clean through the dead center of the target.

“Did everyone see that? That’s the Auto-Snipe System I developed!”

Primula’s voice rang out with excitement.

She went on with her product pitch. It probably was a groundbreaking system. The audience seemed thoroughly impressed.

“A hell of a system, wouldn’t you say, Puppy?”

Master chuckled softly.

“Really now. Nailing a moving target at a thousand meters, dead center? Incredible,” Catherine added, with exaggerated charm.

“…Neither of you are smiling with your eyes.”

I pointed out.

And that—finally—made the two of them burst into genuine laughter. They smiled as they said:

“You aren’t either.” / “Neither are you.”