"So how do I pilot this thing? The controls look nothing like anything I've ever encountered before, in this life or the last." I looked around the rather cramp looking cockpit and only saw levers upon levers upon levers. It was like the controls for the forklift from hell in here! It could at least have been a steering wheel! Wait, was there ever a robot that was controlled by a steering wheel?

You cannot.

"Excuse me?" I paused just as I was about to pull on one of the levers at random.

If you attempt to pilot Black Getter F as you presently are, you will likely perish.

"Ummm…" That wasn't the response I had hoped for.

Getters are not easy machines to operate. The required skill and conditioning aside, they also use an esoteric power source. I am presently unsure how your biology will react should it be exposed to Getter Rays.

Was this thing radioactive?!

I immediately scrambled out of the cockpit and back onto the walkway, catching myself on the safety railing. "So I guess we'll take it slow then."

Unless you have a pressing, desperate need for Black Getter F's power.

"Not really. The ship and the island itself will be more than enough for what I want right now. Are those Getter Rays you are talking about dangerous?"

It usually depends on the lifeforms in question. On its own, it is not dangerous to humans unless exposed to an extreme amount over a period of time. No different from most other types of radiation.

I blinked and tilted my head to the side, "But you're talking about humanity from seventy thousand years ago."

Seventy-two thousand. And yes. We will need to perform tests later on in small doses anyway if you plan on eventually piloting Black Getter F. The Nagare itself is also powered by Getter Rays so you will be exposed to very miniscule amounts of it over time.

Speaking of my new red ship, I should really clear up anything I needed to do to keep it running. The power source sounded like a good place to start, "Hmm…will we need to perform maintenance for the power–" was as far as I got before Control suddenly floated right in front of my face.

No. Do not approach the reactor room under any circumstances.

"That's not ominous at all. Any particular reason why?" I asked while I was trying to back away from the floating sphere.

The reasons are irrelevant. No one will be going inside the reactor room. Ever.

Okay, what the hell was powering the ship we were in?! "Now you're just making me nervous." I voiced my concern.

I apologize then. There is no need for any alarm so long as the reactor room is sealed. It is fully automated and will take care of itself forever. Please never attempt to enter it.

"You're not going to tell me what is inside the reactor room, are you?" I asked Control with a sigh. The floating sphere somehow managed to look apologetic with the way it angled its lens downwards, as if it was bowing.

I apologize again. Please trust me on this one thing.

"Just promise me that whatever is in there won't become a problem at some point." I didn't exactly like it, but I couldn't really afford to be stingy. I was still on a time limit.

I promise that there is nothing inside the Nagare that will be a threat to you or those you choose to protect.

"Fine. I'm trusting you on this. You said that you can give me a tour of the place?" Control perked back up at my words and started floating up and down.

Of course. Please follow me. We will use the hangar as the starting point.

Like what I noticed earlier on the way to the hangar, the insides of the Nagare were a lot bigger than I expected. I asked Control why everything was so spacious and got a pretty interesting response.

The Nagare was created to house up to three thousand humans. As the ship is fully automated, the space and housing would nominally be used to transport civilians.

"In case there's another crisis?"

Correct. Though I suspect that Professor Jin would have been more than happy if the ship would never need to be used for that purpose.

I was led through the rest of the ship. The armory and food storage areas were empty of course, something to think about later on. The residential area was pretty big as well. Plenty of space for each room, reflecting what Control was talking about earlier. We avoided the reactor and engine rooms, eventually ending up inside the Nagare's bridge.

If you wish to launch the Nagare, it will take an hour to prepare. I will be accompanying you, so do not worry about running the ship.

"Is it really okay for you to just leave the lab? Aren't you the control system for it?" Then again, I wasn't really sure how much an empty research lab would need an AI.

My entirety is not simply stored within this probe unit. My primary core is located deep within the lab. This probe is merely an extension of it. I am also within the Nagare itself as well as Black Getter F.

"Does that mean we need to keep you within a certain distance from the lab? What's the max range that you can function at?" I immediately followed up. Last thing I needed was needing Control but ending up out of range.

Please be at ease. So long as we remain within the planet's sphere, I will still be able to function as normal.

So that means that the signal range of the lab covers the whole planet?! "How?!"

Don't worry about it.

"Another thing you can't talk about?" I asked with a roll of my eyes.

More like it wouldn't really matter if you knew how it works or not.

I stared at the sphere for a few more moments as if it would actually do anything. Dammit! I even blinked first! Wait, why was I even trying to have a staring contest with an AI?

"Actually, there is one more thing." I started, deciding to change the subject after remembering another reason why I was out here in the first place. "You wouldn't happen to have piles and piles of treasure conveniently located somewhere on this island would you? I kind of need some. Actually, scratch that. I need as much as you can give."

If by treasure, you mean precious metals and gems, we do have stockpiles of such within warehouses within the island.

"I mean, that's fantastic. But why?" My confusion did not diminish the big smile on my face.

Most are there for raw materials. Gold and Platinum for example are primary components for semiconductors. Others are stored as barter material just in case.

I reached out and started gently patting the top of the sphere, "Have I told you how much I love you, Control?"

This is the first time, but thank you all the same. I assume you want a portion loaded into the Nagare?

"That would be great. I need a lot to bring back to show that my expedition has been a success." I explained, reminding Control about my original purpose.

Understood. I'll have drones transport a sufficiently impressive amount.

Looks like things are finally looking up for me!

Control was the one coordinating the transfer of the treasure I was going to bring back, so I didn't really have anything to do. I decided to spend my time waiting productively by slowly spinning around in the Nagare's Captain Chair.

Truly, this is the life.

Leon, I would like to discuss something with you.

I turned to Control, who had docked into one of the control consoles in the bridge.

"Sure thing. What do you need?" I stood from the comfy chair and walked up to where Control was.

With the claiming of this island and the acquisition of the Nagare, Black Getter F, and a large amount of material wealth. We can conclude that you have accomplished all of your objectives.

"We still need to get back home in time, but you're more or less correct. Once I make it official with the Adventurer's Guild and give them their cut, what's left should be enough to get me out of the bit of trouble I'm in." When I talked about my dilemma with Control, as I explained the kind of setting we were in, he also cautioned me from keeping my assets liquid.

Raw cash can be taken away through countless means, so I needed to inject those funds into tangible projects as soon as possible. That gave me the idea of helping my parents restore our family lands and renovate all the infrastructure I could afford. I also floated the idea of cultivating the lands of the island we were on, but Control was less supportive of it considering the research lab was still on here. We agreed to table the topic for now.

Very good. I wanted to know what you plan on using Nagare and Black Getter F for moving forward. Do you plan on doing more expeditions such as this one?

I blinked at the suggestion.

"I never really thought about it. I've just been worrying about my immediate future." I admitted as I sat down on the chair in front of Control's station.

I see. I would suggest you think about it once you have the chance.

"How come? I mainly just want to use the money to get out of a horrible marriage arrangement. After that, I'd probably just continue working under my father once the renovations are done." I stated. I had effectively already won at this point. What else was there?

And afterwards?

"I don't understand." I really didn't. Control remained silent and just stared at me with the probe's single lense.

You have uncovered the final gift from the previous iteration of humanity. The legacy of Getter. The last Getter Robo that you can eventually learn to properly pilot. You quite literally have the means to shake the foundations of this World at your fingertips. Do you truly not want to do anything with it?

"I mean, that's better than me ending up abusing it right?" I reasoned out.

So you would rather let all that power languish like it has for tens of thousands of years?

I think I'm starting to see where this was going. "Please don't tell me you're trying to Spider-Man me."

I am unfamiliar with whatever that is.

"With great power comes great responsibility?" Control didn't know Spider-Man? Weird.

An interesting concept, if a bit self-destructive if interpreted incorrectly. But no, that is not what I meant. You've spoken to me of your previous life as well as your current circumstances. I would like to ask: How do you see yourself as an individual?

"Me? I'm just a lowly background mob." I said without any hesitation. Couldn't really go wrong with the truth.

And you truly believe this?

"I mean, I was born as a mob character by definition. I'm not one of the main or even supporting characters of this world's setting." I elaborated. I thought it was pretty obvious. I wasn't one of the capture targets or even related to anyone important.

I think I'm starting to understand now. This talk has been very insightful. Thank you, Leon.

"No problem?" I wasn't sure what Control got from this, but I won't complain.

Eventually, everything was loaded up and secured in the Nagare's storage bays. The time spent doing that also let the ship completely power up without issue. I was sitting back in the Captain's chair and looked at Control. "Okay, can you prepare for launch? I want to get home sooner rather than later."

Of course. We can launch right away. Please use the Captain's Interface to set our destination.

Doing as suggested, I set our waypoints for the Adventurer's Guild headquarters and my home. "Done and done."

Excellent.

"Hey Control. You said that you're also inside Black Getter, right?" I asked when I remembered something the AI said before.

That is correct. I am within the lab, the Nagare, Black Getter F, and this Probe unit simultaneously.

"Does that mean that you can control Black Getter?" Please say yes. Please say yes.

To a simple degree, yes. Though my capacity to do so is restricted to basic movement. Why?

"I want to make a memorable entrance!"

…

Balcus and Luce Bartfort ran out of their mansion after their son Colin. The young boy had suddenly barged in on a heated discussion between his parents and the matriarch of the family, Zola Bartfort. The old woman demanded that Leon be disowned for not returning from his expedition and to hand over Colin as a replacement marriage candidate.

The boy in question was completely oblivious to the whole thing and excitedly yelled about a giant red ship approaching their manor before running back out. Fearing a sky pirate raid or worse, his parents quickly ran after him.

"Look! Look! It looks amazing!" Colin yelled out as he jumped up and down. He was quickly picked up by his mother and she moved them both behind Balcus. The Bartfort Lord stood protectively in front of his wife and son but his blood ran cold when a giant black shape shot out of the red ship and headed straight for them.

It was an Armor. They were all doomed.

Even though the black Armor landed a distance away from the manor, the ground still shook from the impact. Standing to its full height, Balcus could tell that it was more dangerous than any Armor he had ever seen. It was definitely larger than even the models used by Knights. The baleful yellow eyes of the Armor looked even more intimidating because of the red pupils that moved to gaze down upon them.

Balcus could hear Zola screaming something from within the manor but he didn't really care. He had to find a way to distract the monster Armor and give his wife and son a chance to run aw–

"Mother! Father! Colin! Rejoice!" Balcus' thoughts froze when a voice he had not heard for months came out of the black Armor.

"Leon fou Bartfort has returned! TRIUMPHANT!" the Armor crossed its arms as Leon's family watched in complete shock. The only sound that could be heard was Leon's laughter.