The flight from this hotel to the Kuse separate residence at the foot of Mount Fuji took less than a hundred kilometers in total; on a helicopter, it was merely a short nap's worth of time.
Ryu buckled his seatbelt and leaned against the window to gaze at the scenery below, while the maid stole secret glances at him from time to time.
Hmm... his hair is shorter, and it's a fresh cut. His skin quality seems to have deteriorated; it's slightly paler than usual, giving off a somewhat unhealthy impression.
Ruri immediately took out her mobile phone and instructed the family kitchen to prepare medicinal food for Ryu to replenish his health.
Actually, every time Ryu finished a "silent cultivation" and came out, he would undergo a comprehensive and in-depth physical examination, so Ruri really didn't need to worry that much.
She had always liked observing Ryu; perhaps she was too attentive and focused, but over time, she even developed a strange sense that she could detect any minute change in him.
For instance, right now, no matter how she looked at it, her Master didn't feel like someone who had "stayed in a room for a day," but rather like someone who had spent ten days to half a month in a third-world country with a harsh environment.
His clothes hadn't changed, yet they were tainted with an aura of decadence and cheapness that clashed entirely with Ryu's own temperament...
But Ruri felt no curiosity, and certainly no fear; instead, she felt a burst of joy at discovering another special aspect of Ryu, gaining one more "secret shared with the Master."
Even the Master and Mistress wouldn't know the Young Master as well as she did!
"Lord Ryu, we have arrived."
"Un, thank you for your hard work, everyone."
The helicopter landed on the flat grass. Ryu vaulted down nimbly, turning back to extend his hand to Ruri, causing the maid to feel overwhelmed by the favor, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"I'm going to the Meisetsu Garden to handle some matters. Have everyone stay outside."
"Understood."
Ryu left the villa's remaining staff behind and walked straight to the backyard.
The so-called Meisetsu Garden was actually a viewing point; its elevation was prominent, slightly higher than the surrounding ridges, and it offered an open field of view, facing directly toward Mount Kusushi, one of the eight peaks of Mount Fuji.
Looking from here, one could see a line of the verdant Aokigahara Sea of Trees. Slightly further up, the mountain body echoed the blue sky, faintly presenting a dark azure transparency; whenever the mist rose in summer and autumn, Fuji appeared as if floating in the air.
The very top was a crater crowned with snow, with flowing clouds winding around the peak. The clearer the weather, the better the scenery; even the younger generation, who might be indifferent to natural landscapes, couldn't help but be entranced by it.
This small villa residence was an ancestral property of the Kuse family. Although the style was changed with almost every generation, only this Meisetsu Garden had seen no major alterations, merely reinforcement and repairs.
Because Ryu's arrival was a surprise raid, the gardeners here hadn't had time to clean or prune. The flowers and grass were flourishing but slightly messy. A small pavilion with red pillars was built on the protruding part of the garden, with two lines of Han Shan's poetry written by a famous calligrapher mounted on the pavilion pillars:
[The long, dim path to Han Shan, the quiet, desolate banks of the cold stream.
Chirp, chirp, the birds are ever present; silent, silent, there is no one else.]
Han Shan was a monk and poet of the Tang Dynasty. Although he never came to Japan, Master Jianzhen, the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, regarded him as a "Patriarch of the Ancestral Court," and his poetry had always been deeply loved by Japanese literati.
Inside the pavilion, there was a low table and cushions. There was no dust, so obviously someone wiped it down frequently.
Ryu was not as affecting of artistic elegance as the elders of the Kuse family; ignoring the cushions and wine table, he chose a suitable spot and unzipped the "zipper," carefully placing the life support pod vertically on the ground bit by bit.
First, he pressed the "Start" button. A faint light immediately lit up inside the pod, and it began to gradually lift the isolation effect, allowing sound to pass through. All of this was smooth and orderly, giving the user enough buffer time to avoid being overstimulated when contacting the outside world.
—This was the best thing about the Cyberpunk world: as long as you had the money, you could enjoy the highest quality service.
Hiss!
Odorless gas with a slight sedative effect was discharged. The pod door unsealed and slowly opened. Inside, Lucy subconsciously covered her eyes, but finding it not uncomfortable at all, she boldly looked out—
She instantly held her breath!
Mount Fuji, standing three thousand five hundred meters above sea level, stretched across the world. In terms of sheer majesty alone, it might not rank at the top among famous mountains, but its solitary peak rising abruptly meant there was nothing in the vast world within sight to compare with it. That hazy beauty was full of a reserved and proud Oriental temperament, possessing an unspeakable dignity and holiness.
Lucy herself was of mixed Japanese and Polish descent, and she had a sensibility in her bones that could appreciate Oriental beauty; it could be said she was captivated instantly.
"Is this... a new [Braindance]?"
"No, you are undoubtedly living in reality."
A familiar voice came from behind. The cyborg girl turned around and saw Ryu, wearing casual clothes that seemed out of place in the ancient-style pavilion.
Her mind was in a trance; she vaguely guessed something but didn't dare confirm it: "The world of 2075 doesn't have such a beautiful Sea of Trees and Mount Fuji... where exactly am I?"
Ryu bowed leisurely, like a gentleman butler: "Welcome to Earth in the year 2022, Miss Lucy."
"2022..." Lucy pursed her lips, trying hard to calm her emotions, then turned sharply to look at the azure sky that felt like one could melt into it with a single step. She couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Suddenly, a flood of grievance, joy, bewilderment, excitement... various complex emotions surged into her heart simultaneously, leaving her with mixed feelings, not knowing what to say.
"At a time like this... what kind of expression is appropriate?"
"Probably," Ryu said softly, "just smiling is enough."
Lucy felt somewhat uneasy, not because she had come to a strange place, but because, standing amidst true green mountains and clear waters, wrapped in the vitality of nature, she inexplicably felt an emotion similar to "inferiority" regarding the cyberware on her body.
This set of equipment was a reliable partner that could increase survival rates in Night City or other cyber-cities, but here it appeared exceptionally glaring. Lucy had never missed the flesh she had lost as much as she did now; she even felt a faint phantom pain.
She only now confirmed that Ryu really was a "natural human" who hadn't undergone any cybernetic modification!
She originally thought the degree of modification was just low, but she didn't expect...
Once she calmed down and Ryu introduced her to the situation here, her heart became even more apprehensive.
There was no concept of "cyborgs" here at all!
The vast majority of people were natural humans like Ryu. Only a small minority of disabled people would attach prosthetics, but in Lucy's eyes, those couldn't be counted as cyberware at all... This was too shocking, completely opposite to her inherent cognition!
Confirmed: Ryu had taken her on a parallel world traversal, not a trip to the past! (Cyberpunk began to deviate from the normal track in the 1990s; by 2022, cyborgs were already everywhere.)
"Is it really okay... for me to stay here?"
Lucy hugged her arms. She had been incredibly eager to escape Night City, but now she was somewhat timid.
"I don't seem to fit in here..."
She somewhat understood why so many people couldn't leave Night City, and why some even returned after leaving. It wasn't that Night City possessed magic, but that to some extent, they had been unknowingly domesticated by the environment, like tropical fish that could only live in a small, warm tank.
Another form of prison inmate...
She was very grateful to Ryu. Although she didn't know how he did it, he had given her such a precious opportunity, yet she might not be able to grasp it... which made her hesitate even more.
"You're overthinking it. No one fits in here better than you, or rather, the people of this world need you very much."
Ryu held his hand to his chest: "For example, me."
"...Are sweet words a specialty of this world too?" Lucy broke into a smile, the hesitation in her heart dispelled significantly.
"I am a man who speaks according to facts. Believe me, you can play a role in this world that no one else can replace—and you can definitely make many people blossom with smiles."
Ryu extended his hand to her: "Don't ask anything. Can you come with me to a place? You'll understand everything when we get there."
"I have no reason to refuse you."
Lucy revealed a rare, docile side, holding Ryu's right hand. The warmth transmitted from it settled her down.
She obediently followed Ryu out of the Meisetsu Garden. Ruri, who had been waiting outside for a long time, immediately came up to meet them. She was just about to speak when she saw the silver-haired girl walking out from behind Ryu. Her small mouth opened slightly, evidently very surprised.
"There's actually someone else... How do you people do your jobs? Why is there an outsider in the garden?" Ruri's first reaction was that the subordinates had made an error, but Ryu spoke and dispelled that notion.
"Don't be surprised. Lucy is a guest I invited. With her skills, infiltrating this place is as easy as turning over a hand; you can't blame them."
Ryu smiled indifferently: "Besides, she isn't an outsider."
"..." Ruri blinked. As expected of someone professionally trained, she reacted instantly to this sudden situation, folding her hands over her lower abdomen and bowing to Lucy.
"Greetings. Even though you are Lord Ryu's friend, we failed to fulfill our duties as hosts. Please forgive our poor hospitality."
"No... um, that, no need for formalities." Lucy scratched her cheek. Her family background was good when she was young, but she was no longer used to this way of speaking.
In Night City, no one was this polite—except for Ryu beside her.
By the way, why are there so many subordinates, and every one of them looks very professional, completely different from street gangs... Does this guy Ryu have a lot of status?
The moment Ruri lowered her head, she quickly sized up Lucy's attire. Unseen by anyone, her brows furrowed tight:
Not a normal human! Even... possibly non-human!
Lord Ryu shows no signs of being held hostage; let's just watch and wait for now.
By the way, this smell of cheapness and decadence... it's the same as what's on Lord Ryu...
"Ruri?"
"Yes?"
The maid raised her head: "Do you have any instructions, Young Master?"
"Have the crew get ready, we're flying again."
Ryu glanced at Lucy, the corner of his mouth hooking up in an arc of inevitable success: "To the 'Medical Integration Organization.' I want to show Lucy the [Medicuboid]... and those children."
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