Wise agreed to follow Anton back to their construction site. However, before heading out, he wanted to return home first to make a few preparations so he could drive over later.
Because of that, he brought Anton back to the video store.
Anton jokingly referred to Wise's car as a "galloping turtle." Wise didn't quite get what he meant, but objectively, the car performed well enough.
Once they reached the construction site, Wise stepped out of the car and followed Anton inside. Along the way, he kept bragging without any restraint.
"We're almost there. The president's right ahead. She's young, but already like the King of Beasts, so it's only natural if you're nervous."
"Haha, shouldn't you be telling me not to be nervous instead?"
Wise could only smile wryly. That kind of remark fit Anton's personality perfectly. However, his description didn't quite line up with the information Wise had Fairy look up online.
Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. A panicked scream suddenly cut through their conversation.
Ahead of them, a construction machine that had gone completely out of control burst through a wall and came charging straight at them.
A young woman was sitting on top of it, tapping away at a tablet nonstop, clearly trying to get the machine under control.
"Watch out!"
Anton moved the instant he saw it. Throwing caution aside, he rushed forward and stopped the machine with his own body, forcibly restraining the massive steel frame.
"Hey, what are you doing this time?!"
Anton lifted his head and shouted at the woman above. Judging from his reaction, this clearly wasn't the first incident.
"Oh, it's you, Anton. Don't worry, the system check's almost finished. Just stay right there. Good boy, don't panic. It's only installing a firewall plugin."
As she spoke, the woman slid her finger across the tablet several times and lifted her hand, about to press the red button.
Before she could do so, the machine suddenly moved backward without warning, tossing her off in the process.
Her scream echoed as Wise reacted on instinct, jumping up and catching her in mid-air. The force pressed heavily against him, yet he still landed safely.
Meanwhile, the out-of-control construction machine charged toward a nearby unfinished building.
At the last second, it stopped dead, slowly turned, and began walking back toward the woman who had just fallen from it.
"Honestly, even if it's a little willful, it's still a good child in the end," the woman said as Wise released her and she stepped toward the machine.
But just as she was about to touch it, the construction machine walked right past her and headed straight toward Wise.
Right in front of him, it lowered its head on its own, clearly asking Wise to touch the control panel.
"W-What… why is it doing that?"
She wasn't the only one confused. Even Anton, who was standing nearby, found the scene incredibly strange.
Logically speaking, even if the machine had regained control, whether through programming or its own artificial intelligence, it should have returned to its controller first.
Only Wise knew what was really going on.
At that crucial moment, he had poured all of his charm into the machine in front of him. He had no other choice.
It worked, but the effect didn't disappear right away. For a short while, the lingering charm caused the machine to actively seek him out.
On the other side, the woman stared at the scene, an unfamiliar sense of loss rising within her as her "child" drew close to someone she had only just met.
It was like something important was being taken away right in front of her. People usually called this feeling being "cuckolded," though her situation was a bit different.
"Ahem, okay, okay. Good boy, go back now."
With things already like this, Wise could only cooperate. He reached out, touched the control panel, and gestured for the machine to return.
Seeing how obedient it was, everyone else was left even more surprised. And just then, a deep voice suddenly sounded nearby.
"I heard some loud noises coming from this direction earlier. Sorry for being late. Did something happen?"
A Bear Thiren came closer, his huge build throwing a long shadow behind him. A concrete pillar sat on his shoulder, and a rough scar crossed his left eye. Just standing there, he carried an unmistakable air of authority.
If Wise hadn't known better, especially after Anton's earlier comments, he might have taken him for the president at first glance.
"Oh, it's Ben. No problem here. My bro Wise already handled the out-of-control machine. I really didn't expect you to be this capable. No wonder you're called the legendary Proxy, Phaethon," Anton spoke in a familiar tone as he wrapped an arm around Wise's shoulder.
Knowing how overly enthusiastic Anton could be, Wise didn't resist. Instead, he extended his hand toward Ben.
"Hello, I'm Wise. I was invited to help with your request."
"Oh, hello Mr. Wise. I'm really sorry to drag you into such a big problem the moment you arrived. Just like Anton said, finding you was definitely the right move."
Despite his serious and imposing look, Ben's voice sounded strangely friendly, almost completely mismatched with his appearance.
- Ben[1] -
"Ahem, this way please. Our president has been waiting for you."
"Grace! What are you doing?! Put me down right now!"
A clear, energetic girl's voice suddenly came from behind Ben. From her words alone, it was obvious she was in trouble.
Ben didn't respond at all. He simply stepped aside, exposing the red-haired woman being carried by Grace behind him.
Everyone except the girl herself seemed accustomed to this situation.
'Did they plan this in advance?'
The thought surfaced naturally in Wise's mind. When the red-haired girl noticed him watching, she stopped struggling altogether.
"Ahem, h-hello. I'm Koleda Belobog, president of Belobog Heavy Industries."
- Koleda[2] -
She was dressed in white work pants that showed off her abs, wore a bear-ear headband, and had an eye patch over her right eye.
After the introduction, Grace put her down. Wise didn't know how to describe it, but the way she'd been carried earlier really reminded him of a kitten being picked up, completely helpless.
Naturally, he kept that thought to himself. Saying it out loud would only cause unnecessary trouble.
[Ding! New favorability target detected.]
[Name: Koleda Belobog.]
[Gender: Female.]
[Charm: 93]
[Unique Traits: Cheerful and generous, yet a girl lacking fatherly love.]
[Hobbies: Engineering and construction.]
[Current Status: Embarrassed, annoyed.]
[Current Favorability toward Host: 50]
[Evaluation: A girl deprived of fatherly love, forced to shoulder immense responsibility while pretending to be strong. It is recommended that the Host approach her from this perspective.]
[Inner Thoughts: Grace is unbelievable. Meeting a guest like this and still calling it "more dignified." Where exactly is the dignity?]
[1] IMAGE
[2] IMAGE