Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Find My House for Me (3)
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* * *
Seonal looked up and immediately frowned.
‘Looks like not many people come through here, huh? There’s a crack in the utility pole, and they haven’t noticed?’
Click.
‘And why’s the manhole cover all dented?’
Click.
Unable to just let it slide, Seonal snapped photos here and there to file a complaint later.
Damn occupational habit.
“Seonal.”
“Yes.”
Seonal answered, but let Toon’s words flow in one ear and out the other.
The sunlight pouring down was so pretty. The autumn leaves were such a vivid red. The breeze brushing against her face felt ticklish.
Not a single word of Toon’s chatter made it into her ears.
On-time clock-out.
Just an on-time clock-out.
She was praying to escape the endless overtime for good.
“Seonal, you really aren’t scared of meee at all?”
“Why should I be scared?”
Seonal methodically wiped away the exhaustion creeping in for the complainant she’d meet soon, though the drowsiness in her eyes was harder to shake.
What she’d gone through as Rinel was far scarier.
“I’m…”
Vrooom.
Right as Toon started to speak, a motorcycle roared by. The exhaust was so loud it made her ears ring.
Click.
Black smoke billowed from the muffler.
Seonal blinked slowly at Toon, who panicked and moved forward.
“Not that way. This way.”
Seonal called out to Toon, who’d gone left, while pointing right.
Toon came running back with a splatting sound.
“…We’ve arrived at the destination.”
With the faint navigation voice, Seonal pocketed her phone for a moment.
“Mind if I ask what you were about to say earlier? Or would you rather not?”
“I don’t have the courage anymoreee…”
“Understood. Then please wait here calmly. Feel free to think it over or enjoy the scenery.”
She adjusted her glasses and placed her ID badge prominently in front.
A narrow alley stretched out before her.
Barely wide enough for two, maybe three people to stand side by side.
The vibe wasn’t ordinary. No. These were slimes utterly unlike Toon.
‘Three of them.’
Stuck to both walls, stretched long, spread across the ground, but Seonal counted them precisely.
She glanced calmly at her wristwatch.
11:10 a.m.
Lunch for the Complaints Division was from noon to one. She didn’t have to stick to it now, but her body had adapted to the routine lately, making her oddly tense.
‘Let’s eat like a human today.’
Seonal wiggled her fingers and approached the slimes.
“Hello.”
A polite greeting.
“I’m Seonal from the Special Division for Otherworldly Species Complaint Resolution.”
Making sure they knew exactly who she was—always a must.
Unlike the cold stares they’d given her at first, the slimes glanced at her ID and infused their voice with amusement.
“No way. What’s a civil servant doing here?”
“You’re currently violating the Form Maintenance Act, not to mention obstructing passage. According to the complaint, you’ve been blocking this alley for three days straight.”
“Three days? We’ve only been here a bit. Like, thirty minutes. Nowhere else to go, you know? People don’t exactly like us.”
‘The report said they exploit their underdog status, right?’
Seonal didn’t bat an eye. Types like this were everywhere.
Reacting only encouraged them to dig in deeper, so she came on strong.
“That’s separate from failing to maintain your form.”
The slimes faltered a bit at her calm civil servant tone. She felt different from the previous official.
They decided to play nice for now.
“Sorry about the form. It’s just kinda stifling, you know? It’s nicer to chat all loose like this.”
“Yeahhh, super stiflinggg.”
Toon’s whisper drifted from behind.
Seonal glanced over, and Toon, who’d been hanging on the wall, hurriedly ducked her head.
“Comfort’s secondary. You’re breaking the law, plain and simple.”
“Sorry. Give us a sec?”
One slime—a black one with white stripes—spoke up.
All three shifted into burly male forms.
“Better now?”
“No. Given the complaint that you’ve blocked the alley for three days and ignored prior warnings, I’m deeming an ID check necessary. You’ll need to cooperate.”
Seonal rummaged in her bag and pulled out her work tablet.
“…ID check? Out of nowhere?”
The slimes’ cheerful grins faded to blank stares at the sudden demand.
Colder than a regular blank look, but Seonal ignored it and opened the app.
“Yes. Regulations require a basic ID check after repeated ignored warnings.”
She pulled three sheets from her bag and waved them at the slimes.
“It details the regulation I just mentioned. For more…”
“We get it—complaint comes in, you show up. But can you tell if the slimes in that complaint are us or someone else? Or is this just because we’re slimes?”
The tone was a bit snide.
Let’s see how you respond. Their faces screamed it.
She shouldn’t, but Seonal found it a little funny.
‘Well, can’t say I don’t get it.’
Anyone would panic and get mad at a sudden ID check.
She wouldn’t do it if regs didn’t require it.
‘But no tantrums.’
Exploiting “vulnerable status” on purpose pissed her off, no matter who.
She knew better than most how the truly weak got crushed by society—made it even worse.
She felt eyes on her back.
‘…Ugh.’
Seonal stifled a short sigh and a urge to stare blankly at the sky, refocusing on the task.
At least Toon was keeping her promise not to interfere.
“Yes. I can tell.”
As smiles crept onto their faces, Seonal read the complaint on her tablet.
“Three slimes.”
To avoid any quibbles, she extended her hand, palm up, politely pointing to the leftmost slime first.
Three indeed.
“One with a black base and white stripes.”
She pointed to the middle.
“One with a yellow base and grape-cluster patterns.”
To the left.
“One with a green base and partial red checkers.”
Finally, right.
“Matches the complaint description exactly, doesn’t it?”
‣Slimes look alike by species, but their patterns differ big or small—every one unique.
Recalling species traits, Seonal beamed.
‘Enough dodging. Let’s make it easy for everyone, yeah?’
She took a step forward. The slimes flinched.
“Time to cooperate now.”
“We admit the patterns match, but this is unfair! You don’t do this to other species! Why always us?”
The slime snapped openly, but Seonal smiled.
“No. We do ID checks regardless of species for any law violation. That’s standard. Simple example: Medusa folks with their protective goggles.”
Slimes felt the form rules were stricter than for others, but they were the ones not complying with the law.
Breaking the law and acting so brazen.
“If you hate it, maintain your forms diligently to avoid complaints. Step aside for passage, or chat in a park.”
Seonal tapped the ID verification on her civil app, activating the camera.
Unlike other species, slimes secreted dissolving fluids, so they had magic tags made of unmelting ore implanted—with their consent, of course.
“You didn’t come to this hard-to-reach, sunless spot where word doesn’t leak for some shady plot, right? Right?”
The slimes took her sarcastic words and glare as insults.
“This every day? We gather, it’s a plot. Others gather, it’s fine?”
Suppressed resentment over discrimination seeped through their discomfort.
She knew it wasn’t aimed at her, and Seonal knew that discrimination well.
“That’s not right. I’d say the same to any species in this situation. If you feel discriminated against or oppressed repeatedly, that’s why the Special Division exists. Come see us. Consult anytime.”
But she wasn’t a god or even the president—had to work within the system.
Within the nation’s framework. In institutions everyone built together.
‘Someday, they’ll accept me too…’
Seonal watched the slimes hesitate.
That grievance wasn’t for her. Their wariness was fading.
Maybe no one had ever said this to them.
“I’m Seonal.”
She waved her ID again.
“Happy to help anytime.”
“…You mean that?”
“Want a recording?”
The slime hesitated at her boldness, then extended a palm.
“…Here.”
Seonal touched the pre-drawn magic circle behind the tablet. Light flashed from the camera, materializing an ID on the slime’s palm.
Light swept left to right on the screen with a “Verified” chime.
“Yes. Confirmed. Next.”
Verified.
All clear, Seonal checked her watch.
11:43 a.m.
“No more blocking the alley. Now that IDs are verified, another complaint means I won’t come alone—could be with police.”
“We can… just go?”
“Yes. You’re free to go. Thanks for cooperating.”
“We can really leave?”
“Yes. IDs check out—what else is there?”
The slimes softened at her genuinely clueless look.
“Thought you’d pull some power trip.”
One muttered, too quiet for Seonal to hear. When she looked, he shook his head.
“N-no. Goodbye.”
“Thank you. Have a great day.”
Seonal bowed to the slimes. Once they’d retreated, she snapped a photo with her tablet.
Click.
A triumphant moment bringing on-time clock-out closer—perfect shot, she thought.
“…Can I come over there nowww?”
Seonal flinched at Toon’s voice.
She’d forgotten the one she should watch most.
‘It’ll be fine… right? …On-time clock-out.’
She swallowed her unease.
“Can’t I come over thereee?”
Toon’s tentative poke pulled Seonal back to reality.
“Stay put.”
“Did I do something wronnng?”
Toon fidgeted with the hand gripping the wall.
“No. Let’s go eat.”
“I’m brokeee.”
“I’ve got it.”
Seonal pulled a card from her pocket. It sparkled temptingly, despite the shade.
“The team leader gave me this card. Said to eat something nice with it.”
Edinal had tons of money. Not a guess—straight from her mouth.
—It’s fine. I’ve got plenty, so take it easy. Obviously bragging.
More endearing than annoying. She knew that “rich” feeling.
No need to hold back. If she’d wanted that, no card.
“I’m fine with anythinggg. That rock there’s okayyy.”
Toon pointed at a stone by her foot.
‣Can eat almost anything.
Slimes could consume nearly everything, or so it was said. Seonal knew, but one thing always bugged her.
“Do rocks taste good? What flavor?”
“Nahhh, awful. But I love how they just melttt.”
“Does it fill you up?”
“Never felt fullll.”
“Then let’s test it today.”
Seonal grinned, holding up the card.