A great thanks to Elbert Abidin for becoming a patron.
{Chapter 1} Work after work
Part II
Hiroto was suddenly approached from behind and when he turned around, he saw a woman in a suit standing there. The woman, who appears to be in her mid-twenties by all appearances, was looking at Hiroto quizzically.
“Well, is there anything ….”
“This strong spiritual power …… are you a spiritualist? Do you belong to the agency?”
Hiroto was surprised to see this woman who noticed his wasteful spiritual power. Then the woman shifted her gaze, and when she spotted the large rock that Hiroto had restored during the break, she approached it and went around the rock as if to investigate.
“Did you do this?”
The woman, without looking at him, confirms to Hiroto.
Hiroto didn’t know what she meant by that. He’s not sure if it’s about the battle with the extraterrestrial, or about the repair of the large rock and the shifting of the earth’s veins, but when he thought about it, he decided to affirm it, since both were things he had done.
“Ah, yes ……. The …….”
“Excuse me. My name is Shima Kakitate. I’m currently the secretary of the head of the Japanese branch of the World Ability Agency. And you are?”
“Y-yes. I am from the family of Domori. My rank is D.”
“Oh, my God, a rank D at such a young age is very impressive. Did you take the May rookie exam by any chance?”
“Yes!”
“Hmm.”
Shima frowns as she answers with a smile.
“I’ve never heard of Domori …….”
Shima, as the secretary of the branch’s head, Omine Hisae, thought she had a list of gifted people belonging to the Japanese branch in her head.
But Shima had never heard of this boy.
The rookie exam in May is an exam that had a lot to offer, and it’s an exam where there was an unprecedented incident of an S-class non-human being, a vampire, attacking the exam veneu party at the end of that exam.
Therefore, the official paperwork regarding the assignment of new recruits that was to be delivered to the chapters was pushed back to June due to the aftermath of the incident. According to Shima’s memory, they will arrive next week.
However, the number of recruits assigned to the Japan Branch is fixed and not so many. So even before the papers arrived, Shima had heard their names and ranks, and their abilities verbally from her boss, Hisae, who was the organizer of the rookie exams, and had them in mind.
(I can’t think of any …… way that Omine-sama forgot about it.)
Shima thought, and spoke to the boy in a natural way so that he would not be noticed by this boy who had raised his suspicions.
“I just detected a powerful ward being set up here, what did you do?”
“Yes? well about that ……”
Hiroto replies, thinking that he had answered the question earlier.
“Can you tell me more?”
” Uh, I understand.”
When asked by Shima, Hiroto honestly told the incident of the white tiger that almost lost its power, which was probably the land deity earlier.
As Shima listened to the story, the natural expression on her face fragilely crumbled and her face became a mixture of surprise and doubt.
“Is that story true?”
‘Huh? Yes …… it is.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Shima looked at Hiroto with an unbelievable …… face, and when she noticed Hiroto looking at her anxiously, she hurriedly returned her expression back to normal.
But it’s not surprising that Shima was surprised.
This is because, according to Hiroto, even though the other party was on the verge of losing its power, it was a being that had come close to gaining a divinity status.
A deity is an outsider who has received faith, including awe and respect from people, for many years.
Needless to say, it is very powerful.
That’s what Hiroto says he repelled. It’s not only that he stopped at repairing the large rock that the deity is dependent on, he also moved the path of the earth’s veins, albeit slightly.
(How could a rank D do such a thing! Only a person with rank A or higher ability could do that.)
Shima thought so, but she could not believe that the boy in front of her was lying, either. This is because the boy’s story can be explained by the contents of her own examination just now, including the unknown aspects.
Shima tries not to be alarmed by the boy, but makes a soft face while being wary of this unknown boy herself.
“Domori-kun, can I see your rank card? I’ll report to the agency later. That’s a very noble thing you did. Even if you hadn’t been asked to do it, you acted in a way that was consistent with the philosophy of the agency, so maybe we can make sure that there is some kind of reward.”
“Wow Really!?”
Hiroto jumped up and down with joy at Shima’s unexpected and wonderful offer and shook Shima’s hands.
“Yes, yes, it’s true.”
Shima is a little intimidated by Hiroto’s reaction.
She could see the joyful expression on Hiroto’s face at close quarters.
(Ah, maybe unexpectedly I like ……, no!)
Shima, who doesn’t actually admit to liking younger people, inwardly shakes off her thoughts.
After leaving Shima’s hand, Hiroto immediately took out his wallet and presented Shima with a certificate of rank that he had put with the point card(loyalty card) of a nearby supermarket and convenience store.
Shima’s face twitches at the fact that he had put his important and important secret certificate of rank together with his loyalty card, but when she received it from Hiroto, she cautiously confirmed it.
(It’s certainly …… authentic. Moreover, the date of issue of …… belonging to the Japanese Branch is also from this year’s rookie exam)
Shima checks Hiroto’s rank certificate with a serious face.
(No way, I wonder if Omine-sama really misremembered it. ……)
“Yes, I confirmed it. Thank you, Domori-kun.”
With that said, Shima returned the rank certificate to Hiroto. After receiving it, Hiroto looked at Shima as if he had decided to do so.
”Um, Kakitate-san,”
“W-What? It’s not like I am doubting anything.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Is there anything more?”
“I’d like to ask you if you could get me a job at ……, too, at one of your agencies. Of course, I’m sure there are a lot of things that are impossible for my rank to do…..”
“Huh? Then there must be plenty of them, right? We’re so busy right now that the agency is running out of people with skills, you know?”
“Eh! Is that so?”
“Yes, and moreover, at your age, a rank D is a very respectable person. You should have been asked ……was there not any contact to you?”
“Yeah ……. Maybe they forgot about me on the exam because I was surrounded by amazing people …… and I was at the bottom of the class……”
“No way, it can’t be ……”
(I don’t think that would make Omine-sama forget about it. ……)
“Okay, Domori-kun. I will go back to the agency and see if there is any work I can pass on to you. Then I’ll give you a call.”
“Thank you! Oh, but I don’t have a cell phone, so please mail me at …….”
“Oh, really? Any landline then?”
“Not that either…..”
Shima was surprised that he doesn’t even have a cell phone nowadays, ……, but as she looked around, she could see that this is a construction site. It’s also clear that Hiroto is dressed as a part-time worker here.
Shima assumed that Hiroto must have some kind of reason for this, and Shima being an adult, she agreed without prying.
“Okay, I’ll mail your request to the address on file. But yeah, …… that’s an inconvenience from now on, and I suggest you buy a cell phone with the reward after you do your next job because there are no urgent requests.”
“Yes! I understand!”
Hiroto also wanted a cell phone, so it was nice to have one. With a big smile on his face, he agreed.
Shima was caught off guard by the younger man’s smile.
“C-Cute….Not, I’ll b buy it for you….not! Then, Domori-kun, I will contact you again. How about you call me as soon as you get a cell phone?”
“……? Y-Yes.”
Instead of the agency? For a moment, Hiroto thought, but then replied that since she is the secretary of the branch head, she must also be managing the abilities of the branch’s members.
Shima nodded with a smile and returned to the agency’s car that was waiting outside the construction site.
For some reason, Shima’s pace appears to be buoyant, even to Hiroto who is watching from behind.
Hiroto tilted his head and thought that she must have been troubled by the lack of manpower.
Shima, who blushed a bit, was the secretary of the World Ability Agency’s Japanese branch head, Omine Hisae, and was herself a talented woman who boasted an excellent rank B as an ability user.
But now she was just a troubled person with a full-blown fondness for younger people. ……
“Did it work? Master. I’m happy for you…now the work is coming.”
“Oh, Gaston, where have you been? Huh? Goodness …… Oh! You didn’t intentionally bring Kakitate-san here?”
Hiroto says a bit accusingly.
Because while Gaston was supposed to have died during the rookie exams, if he is found to be alive, he is a confirmed wanted vampire.
Gaston has a history of killing four people with abilities from the World Ability Agency and attacking rookie examiners. In the process, he also defeated two of the three assassins sent by the vampire community, who were offended by Gaston’s behavior.
If he was to be alive, there was no way these two powerful organizations would allow him to do so.
However, Gaston claims to be a friend of Hiroto’s and comes to check on Hiroto from time to time. Moreover, he always tries his best to be of service to his fellow man.
That is why Hiroto is grateful to him, but he also gets worried about Gaston.
Gaston starts to talk through the fact that he’s about to go into lecture mode with Hiroto.
“Well, I couldn’t imagine my master being attacked by the deity of this land, it turned out fine. But, it was good, wasn’t it? Because, if I didn’t do that, master would be dried up before the work comes from the agency.”
“Hmmm, it’s true ……, but Gaston ……”
“What is it?”
“Please, don’t go over a dangerous bridge, okay? I appreciate this time, though.”
“It’s okay~ Master Hiroto. Besides, I am master’s friend, so it’s only natural that I work for your sake, isn’t it?”
“You idiot!”
“Ha!”
Gaston was surprised when he was suddenly loud and angry because he always thought that Hiroto would be happy to see him no matter what he said.
“I’m glad and grateful that Gaston does things for me as a friend? But Gaston is forgetting one thing.”
“…… What do you mean exactly?”
“I mean, Gaston is an important friend to me, too.”(TN: Ugh, I just vomited sugar)
“Eh ……”
“So, Gaston. As Gaston’s friend, I don’t want him to do anything dangerous. You’re supposed to be worried about him!”
“Y…… yes”
Gaston looks down, but that doesn’t mean he’s depressed ……. Gaston had a large body so one could see his shoulder’s were trembling a little.
“Finally looks like someone listened to me. You know, it’s a good idea not to use your satori powers on us, but that’s just because you’ve got to listen to us…”
“Hi-Hiroto-sama! Whaaa!”
“Hey, hey! Don’t hug me! Don’t cry like that, oh no!”
Gaston, who was a loner for most of his 1500 years of life, was vulnerable to this kind of treatment. ……
◆
“Haaah, that’s a tough one. But it’s definitely becoming a kinky case.”
The head of the Japanese branch of the World Ability Agency, Hisae Omine, sighed heavily.
The cause of the sigh is the content of an email from Mizuho, a promising newcomer and rank A.
Mizuho was assigned to guard the VIPs in a small Asian country of political instability, Mirema.
To be honest, it’s not a job for a highly ranked rank A.
However, the current situation in the branch and Hisae’s thoughts made the decision to dispatch.
Prior to dispatch …… Hisae called Mizuho and Marion into the Director’s office and explained to the two of them, along with Shima in the reception room, the content and background of this request.
“Mirema you say? Hisae-sa …… No, Branch Chief”
“I don’t……….. know much about that country,”
Mizuho and Marion looked over the documents given by Shima and gave her a questioning look.
“Just call me Hisae. It’s no wonder you don’t know about Mirema, a small Asian country with not much information. This time, the request I’m going to entrust to you two is for you to protect someone.”
“…… then as escorts”
“Yes, he is the person who is most likely to be the future of Mirema. His name is Mathew Ness Hule.”
“Mathew …… would that person be a politician or something?”
“No, Marion, he’s a soldier. But there is a political side to this country, because the military is the real power in that country. But before you go, I should tell you that Mirema is a very dangerous country right now.”
Mizuho and Marion raised an eyebrow at Hisae’s explanation.
Then Shima adds information about Mirema, the country to which she was sent.
“It’s a country that has been governed by a military dictatorship ever since a military government came to power about fifty years ago. However, in recent years, there has been a movement toward democratization, and it seems that the current government is gradually losing control of this trend. Even within the military, there are factions planning for democratization that are vying for the leadership with the current government.”
“Yes, it’s a relief that it hasn’t led to a civil war, and we don’t know what it will be like in the future.”
“So, the target of the escort is a person engaged in political struggle in the country of Mirema? Hisae-san. That Mathew person you mentioned”
“Well, in a word, yes.”
“Um, ……Omine-sama, do you mind?”
“Okay, Marion-san,”
“I don’t think agencies are supposed to take basic, secular jobs? And I think it’s not a request that the Japan Branch would receive because of its location….”
“That’s right, Marion. The agency’s main business is to save its clients from harm caused by non human and monstrous phenomena that cause harm to people. This request is essentially a political struggle for a country and not within the agency’s purview.
“Then …… why”
“There’s a situation where the agency is working. I’ll explain them to you in turn.”
When Hisae turned to Shima, she nodded and began to explain the background of the request.
“I told you earlier about the political instability caused by the democracy movement in the Mirema under the military regime, and now there are three people who have a stake in the future trend of the Mirema.”
Shima handed Mizuho and Marion a document depicting the power structure within Mirema.
“One is the representative of the current government, General Khaliguda Tess Ho, and Prime Minister Guaran Seth Yen, whose domestic skills are valued for their ability to prevent civil war from breaking out in the country, and the other is Brigadier General Mathew Ness Hule, the representative of the leading democratic forces.”
According to Shima’s explanation, the Khaliguda faction in control of the current government does not approve of democratization and is not outwardly suppressing the people’s demand for democracy, but it is suppressing the democracy movement from behind the scenes, and it is being led by Guaran, Khaliguda’s confidant.
And Brigadier General Mathew is a moderate and popular figure in the army that controls Miramar.
“Well, the situation inside is terrible. The current military regime imposes severe taxes even when the people are starving, and spends a lot of money on building up the military’s equipment and developing new weapons in case of an unwanted enemy. And the embezzlement of the military brass and corruption are on parade. And as you can imagine ……, bribery is rampant.”
“Yes, the very top of the heap is General Khaliguda. But the people, too, have risen to the occasion, risking their lives in the face of long years of force rule and corruption. Perhaps this is also the inevitability of history. Even if we just sit back and let it happen, the people will starve.”
“This situation has given power to the subject of this escort, Brigadier General Mathew. Brigadier General Mathew was so sympathetic to the democratization movement, in addition to uniting the disaffected in the military, that he was able to gain control of a quarter of the army. He is now the head of a powerful force in Miramar.”
Mizuho and Marion are listening intently as they look at the pictures of Khaliguda, Guaran, and Mathew.
“And if you’ve heard this far, you can imagine what’s going on with the guards this time, right? Mizuho-chan”
When Hisae said this, Mizuho put her hand on her chin and focused on her eyes.
“Assassination ……?”
“…… Yes. That’s probably common in these countries. Brigadier General Mathew was attacked several times by assassins, probably …… or perhaps more certainly hired by the current government of Khaliguda. So, Marion-san, here’s what led the agency to receive this request for an escort…..”
Marion and Mizuho look up.
“That assassin is a …… ability user.”
“!?”
“…… No way! Then this ability user is”
The two girls widened their eyes.
“Of course, it must be a freelancer who does not belong to the agency. The agency strictly forbids wielding abilities against civilians who do not have super powered abilities. But that’s why Brigadier General Mathew traced a line to us and asked for an escort.”
Shima nodded to the surprised Mizuho and Marion.
“Yes, we have solid information that a person with abilities outside the agency has attempted to assassinate Brigadier General Mathew. It is a matter that cannot be overlooked by an agency whose purpose is to enhance the public trust in ability users. Moreover, the use of abilities in political struggles can leave a bad example. That’s why we have been asked to do this.”
Mizuho and Marion, who were silent for a while, nodded when they heard this story.
“I understand. Hisae-san. I will accept this request.”
“Ah, me too.”
“Well then, that’s good ……. And also, the reason this request came to us is that the entire agency is over-solicited and understaffed at the moment. This is a rare occurrence, but every few years, there is a time like this. It’s customary for us to ask for help from other branches and try to get the requests passed around. Geographically, the Chinese or Indian branch should be the one to take care of the job, but they screamed that they were on the verge of a blow out, and both branches asked for help from Japan.”
Hisae crossed her legs and arms with a sigh.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to accept this request, because the Japanese branch has a lot of requests at the moment, but in times of trouble, we help each other. It’s the other way around, and it’s not good to have a bad relationship between the branches. Sorry about that it’s a little far, both of you.”
“No, don’t worry about it, Hisae-san. …… It is just fine for me to distract myself from the gloom, too.”
“…… huh?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,”
——Part II end—-
Part 3 will be last
Join me on discord to get update notifications and release schedules.
Thank you so much for the update