Nico Noir Production

Just as she had with Hoshizora Production, Karona set up an interview with Nico Noir.

"Whoaaa…"

This time too, she made the trip to their home, but the scale was on another level. Several facilities stood on the grounds, forming what amounted to an entire town.

The bulk of them were shooting studios, there were attraction-like rides, and, perhaps through a partnership, even a fast-food chain branch. Even Karona was taken aback.

The thing is, in this day and age, space on the network isn't something you can just expand for free. That's because of the disaster called "Dungeons." A PC that only you connect to locally is one thing, but a "space that others connect to" has size regulations.

A "wide virtual space with many connections" tends to accumulate Debris, and there's a real danger of it turning into a genuine dungeon.

"If they can use a space this large, they must be contributing quite a lot to Dungeon Disaster countermeasures. It's the sort of thing only a big box can pull off, Ojou-sama."

"Mmm, in other words, they have money. But the fact that they're pulling in that kind of money also raises the possibility they're up to some shady things to earn it, Ojou-sama!"

Kokuyou in favor, Sebas against. One way or another, the two were evenly matched.

At any rate, they headed for the building at the center: Nico Noir's office.

It was like the office building of a massive corporation. No, it was the office building of a massive corporation. A reception area that resembled the lobby of a luxury hotel. Karona called out to the woman working the front desk.

"E-excuse me! My name is Karona Ryutanji!"

"Yes. The 13:00 appointment, Ryutanji-sama. We've been expecting you. Your visitor pass has been issued, so please take that elevator up to the conference room on the 66th floor."

And with that, she received the guest pass from the receptionist onee-san. One pass. A lanyard type you hang around your neck.

"… Ah, um, is it all right if I bring companions?"

"Those individuals… ah, they're Secretary AIs. Yes, they may go up with you as they are."

"Oh, is that so? Then I'll be heading up as we are, if you'll excuse me. Thank you."

Karona and the others made for the designated elevator. The moment she pressed the button, the doors went "ding!" and slid open.

"Moving through a VR space by elevator has its own charm, doesn't it? Wouldn't you agree, Sebas-sama?"

"… Would it not be simpler to teleport there instantly? Inefficient."

"Sebas, don't go nitpicking like that after we've come this far～? Personally, I think this sort of attention to detail is a plus."

That said, given how instantly the doors had opened, the virtual-space-specific efficiencies had presumably been accounted for in their own way. The "66th floor" was likely using spatial compression as well.

As she waited in the elevator, the illuminated floor number climbed rapidly, and about ten seconds later it showed that they'd reached the 66th floor.

The doors opened onto a vast conference room that took up the entire floor.

Across a long, rounded-corner table, a middle-aged man in a suit with a shady-looking smile greeted Karona and the others, still seated in his chair.

"Welcome. I'm Kuroi, Managing Director of Nico Noir. Now then, let's not waste time. Please sign that document."

"Excuse me?"

On her end of the table, right in front of Karona, lay an employment contract.