While both children were surprised, Rentaro led both of them along.
The place he went to was the Silver King's Area.
"Wait... wait a minute, Rentaro! What is going on?!"
"It's time for school, Enju. Be good."
After enrolling both the blind girl and Enju in the school within the Area, Rentaro breathed a sigh of relief. Enju could go to school, and the other girl was no longer facing life-threatening danger—that was what mattered.
However, there was still one more thing he had to do.
Rentaro knelt before the Silver King, using the highest protocol in his awareness to plead with the figure before him.
He begged the Silver King to save Enju.
Given the current situation, even if she didn't fight or stimulate the Gastrea virus, the erosion rate would still gradually creep toward 50%. Even Sumire couldn't change this fact.
If there was one person who could save her, it could only be the man standing right now before him.
"Agreed."
"But it is highly likely that you may rarely see the girl for the rest of your life, perhaps even never eternally."
The Silver King was not joking.
If he failed, Enju and hundreds of other children would only be able to hibernate inside those cocoons. Although they wouldn't die from the Gastrea virus, this was no different from the eternal separation of the living and the dead.
Rentaro still nodded.
Seeing this expression, the Silver King was somewhat satisfied. From the void, he pulled out a full-body enclosed suit and threw it in front of Rentaro.
He didn't understand, but only when he picked up the suit did Rentaro flinch at its terrifying weight.
It looked like cloth, but this thing must weigh at least hundreds of pounds!
Even a soldier with full combat gear could not compare to the weight of this suit.
Suddenly, a flash of realization crossed Rentaro's mind. He looked up at the Silver King, his voice barely concealing his shock.
"Don't tell me... Your Excellency... accepts...?"
"Put it on, then go to the Personnel office to register for work."
The Silver King neither agreed nor refuted him, merely leaving that one sentence before turning and walking away without looking back. Rentaro was left frozen on the ground.
He didn't dare to guess what the Silver King meant, but in the end, he honestly followed the instruction.
Splat!
The very first second he finished putting it on, Rentaro fell flat on his face.
This seamless full-body suit was not just a heavy piece of clothing. It included visibility and an air filter so that even with the fabric covering his head, he could observe and breathe easily. Furthermore, the shock absorption capability of this thing meant Rentaro was nearly unharmed, even if he fell face-first onto the road.
And so, the Area gained another strange "black figure," staggering while walking and frequently falling into all sorts of poses. The residents were initially curious, but because it was a directive from the Silver King, no one questioned or complained.
"Hah... hah..."
Rentaro was breathless. All his muscles and nerves were crying out desperately for this pressure to stop. It only temporarily subsided when Rentaro lay flat on the ground and made no more movement.
Rentaro felt as if he had been thrown into an ultra-heavy gravity environment, where every single one of his movements required exponentially more effort. He was unable to adapt immediately.
Fortunately, he managed to crawl to the Personnel office and began to apply for a job.
Seeing Rentaro's difficult condition, the manager decided to assign him a somewhat lighter job: working as a janitor/sweeper.
The Area was expanding, but the number of robots in the inner area was very small; most belonged to the protective wall sector. Therefore, these ordinary jobs were done by humans, and because of the strict scrutiny for residing here, there was a relative shortage of labor.
Very quickly, Rentaro started working.
Holding the broom to sweep leaves, every sweep of the broom was a moment of focusing strength, every use of both the broom and dustpan was a moment of straining, and every time he tied a trash bag was a struggle.
By the end of the day, when the sun gradually went down and the shift ended, the suit automatically retracted, shrinking into a thumbnail-sized piece of metal.
Rentaro felt liberated, collapsing onto the ground and gulping for air.
The weight of the suit didn't just exhaust him; recovering also required effort. With his lungs compressed, every deep breath was a great challenge for Rentaro.
"How does it feel?"
The Silver King suddenly appeared nearby. Rentaro was too exhausted to look up. He could only answer intermittently.
"Very... fine... Your... Excellency..."
"Good. Go pick up the girl Enju. Students are about to be dismissed."
"Yes... Your... Excellency."
It took Rentaro a long time to struggle to sit up after the Silver King had vanished.
He didn't know what the Silver King was planning, but he was certainly acting with intention. At least he wasn't trying to literally kill him, right?
Rentaro shook his head. Thinking like that was wrong.
"Looks like I'll have to ask for more time off."
Rentaro held his head, pulled himself up, and went to pick up Enju.
Two weeks passed like this.
Rentaro went to the Silver King's Area every day to work as a janitor. Of course, he wasn't doing it for free; he was paid properly. He even got to choose whether to be paid in kind or in cash.
However, his main purpose was still to do everything while wearing that suit.
With every action, every step, or even every breath, Rentaro felt the difference every time he came back.
He realized how much energy he had wasted before. Facing pressure so intense that even moving a finger caused him to break out in a sweat, the current world felt incredibly light in Rentaro's eyes.
Finally, the shift ended, and the suit reverted to its original state.
In contrast to the first day, Rentaro was not lying face down or falling; he maintained a steady standing posture. Having a background in martial arts and physical conditioning, Rentaro adapted very quickly.
To his surprise, the Silver King appeared again.
Apart from the first day, the Silver King had never sought him out, as if he had forgotten Rentaro's existence. But Rentaro was neither dissatisfied nor questioned him, believing the Silver King definitely had a purpose.
Now, his appearance confirmed that suspicion.
"How does it feel?"
"Very well, Your Excellency."
The same question, the same answer, but the mindset was completely different.
The Silver King nodded slightly, then asked another question.
"Have you learned anything yet?"
This time, Rentaro was speechless and couldn't answer.
Learn?
Learn what?
While his mind was struggling for an answer, the Silver King's voice cut off his thoughts.
"From now on, wear this all the time, with no time limit. You also don't necessarily have to come here to work anymore."
"But..."
Rentaro hadn't finished speaking when the Silver King vanished again. He sighed wearily. It seemed the road ahead was still long. To be accepted as the Silver King's disciple was truly rugged and thorny.
Rentaro looked at the piece of metal in his hand and fell into contemplation.