Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Rainy Days Are for Fried Chicken (2)
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* * *
"It's coming."
"I told you, it wasn't me! I didn't drop it."
She kept protesting her innocence.
"Yes. I understand how startled you must have been."
Searnal replied calmly.
He was used to people flying off the handle at the mere suggestion they might be under suspicion, but hers was by far the most extreme reaction.
"I-I've seen one of my own carrying a rock before, but I've never dropped one myself! Not even when I was little! That's dangerous!"
Searnal didn't let her blurted words slip by as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"So you have seen it happen?"
"...Oops."
She clapped a hand over her mouth.
"W-Well, what I mean is... I didn't do anything on purpose. I just happened to see it while passing by, and..."
"I'm not trying to paint you as an accomplice. I just need to know who that harpy was—or at least what they looked like."
"...Do I have to tell you right now?"
"Yes. A description will do."
Harpy feathers might look similar at a glance, but up close, they varied quite a bit.
"Well... I was so shocked that I took a picture with my phone. So I was wondering what to do with it..."
She reached for the crossbody bag slung over her shoulder but froze midway.
Her hand groped futilely inside.
The bag had already been unzipped before she even tried.
"...It's gone."
She swallowed dryly, then wiped the rainwater from her face with her wing.
"It must have fallen off while I was flying."
She looked up at Searnal with eyes that denied reality.
"Or maybe I left it at home. I should go check."
Smack.
Searnal rubbed his forehead at her words.
It must have been her phone that flew off when she flapped around in shock just moments ago.
Searnal cautiously pointed downward with a finger.
"I saw it fall... down there."
"Kya啊啊啊!"
She screamed. A truly awful thing had happened.
"I still have payments left! I haven't even had it a month, and there were 35 months to go..."
"Isn't it a 24-month contract?"
For some reason, Searnal couldn't hold back on the oddity anymore.
"24 months...? Don't they start at 36?"
Searnal said nothing more, feeling a sudden weariness at her clueless expression.
"Anyway, you're saying there's a photo of that harpy on your phone?"
"Yes!"
Her firm nod left Searnal convinced.
Better to have evidence than none at all.
"We'll need to recover it."
Searnal pondered briefly before pulling out his phone.
He knew her gaze was fixed on his head while it rang, but he ignored it.
Anyone would find it amazing that he could block the rain without an umbrella.
[What now? Another incident?]
Edinal asked anxiously.
"No. I have a question. Are you busy?"
[No. It's fine. Go ahead.]
"I encountered a harpy while pursuing the third complaint. She may hold evidence that could resolve it."
[She has a clue to identify the harpy who dropped the object on the complainant?]
"Yes. That's her claim, at least."
[And you're calling because there's a problem, right?]
"The phone is broken."
[Just take it to a repair shop. Searnal, this is...]
"It fell from a rooftop. It's smashed, but we need someone to fix it. Fast."
[How long can you maintain it with magic?]
"Given the damage, I'm not sure it can hold even a day."
Damage. Holding out. Maintenance.
No complex terms, but it sounded technical enough that she stared blankly into space.
[Hmm. In that case, why not ask I-lang? She just got back from fieldwork. The owner might feel less uneasy about privacy with another civil servant around.]
"I get that, but... I-lang?"
[She might not seem reliable, but she's great at it.]
If Edinal said so, it must be true.
"Also, can we get repair costs covered? It happened during complaint resolution."
[Searnal, you're so smart. We can use the repair bill as bait for the evidence. Anyway, yes, it's possible.]
"Got it. I'll head back to the center right away."
[You can look around more if you want.]
"No, that's..."
Searnal let out a short breath as he looked at the disconnected phone.
She took an instinctive step back at his sharp expression when he glanced over without smiling.
"I have something to say."
Searnal forced the corners of his mouth up as he rummaged in her bag and spoke.
"P-Please do."
"They said repair costs can be covered since it happened during a complaint."
"Really?"
She flapped her wings happily, beaming.
"But you have to hand over the evidence. What do you say?"
"What if the evidence... isn't reliable?"
Anxious, she scratched lightly at the ground with the sharp talons peeking from her shoes.
"It's fine. I was struggling to proceed here anyway. If you help me, it's only right I help you."
"But my phone's totally smashed?"
Her eyebrows twitched at the word "smashed."
It hurt to hear every time.
"It's okay. Could you give me another number to reach you at?"
Searnal waved his ID badge to ease her suspicions.
"Mr. Searnal."
She peered at the badge, then pointed to herself while spelling out her name haltingly.
"I'm Kim Saetbyeol. The number to call me is..."
Searnal opened his phone's notes and entered the number Saetbyeol recited.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Wait."
Saetbyeol grabbed Searnal as he headed to the roof's edge.
"Is this a big deal?"
"I'm not sure yet. I need to investigate more."
"I've seen it around a lot lately, so it's been bothering me."
"A lot... lately?"
Searnal barely kept smiling as he continued.
Frequent sightings meant it could escalate soon, which made him dizzy.
Tomorrow was the weekend, but this hinted he might have to work it.
"Ah, not that many times. But seeing it can be stopped now reassures me. If I spot it again, I'll look closer and let you know!"
"Thank you. Goodbye."
Searnal leaned against the roof railing. The sight was so odd Saetbyeol couldn't help asking.
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"Why do you keep standing on the railing? Are you half-harpy?"
"No. I'm a civil servant."
"You'll... die if you fall."
"I won't. Take care."
Searnal dropped straight off the railing.
"Kya啊啊啊!"
Saetbyeol's scream echoed in the air.
* * *
"...I-lang. Busy?"
Searnal smiled lightly as he held out the phone.
It was in the same pitiful state he'd recovered from below the building moments ago.
Seeing the screen not just cracked but shattered made I-lang oddly sympathetic.
"You ask if I'm busy, then hand me this?"
I-lang lifted her hips briefly before sitting back down, eyes flicking upward.
She'd been sneaking prep to clock out early, so her resolve wavered.
"I need a favor, I-lang."
"Even I couldn't fix that. No way."
Couldn't she see the phone was begging to be put out of its misery?
"It's fine. I can patch it temporarily."
"This...?"
"Yes. I need the video inside."
Even after retrieving the phone, Saetbyeol's words about frequent sightings nagged him, so he'd searched for traces.
But the other four trails had gone cold midway, leaving only the video on this phone as a lead.
"How is it not even wet?"
I-lang eyed Searnal's damp clothes, then her own pant cuffs, still moist despite the time passed.
"Will you do it? Then I'll answer."
"...Wow."
"We agreed not to be friends. A little scheming's necessary. And the team leader recommended you..."
"I'll help. Of course, as a teammate."
"Quick pivot. Nice."
Searnal chuckled lightly, then glanced toward Terrisha's desk.
It was empty.
"Terrisha still not back?"
"No. She left before you arrived."
"Already?"
"Team leader sent her home early, figuring rainy days are especially tough for fairies."
"I recall fairies have fewer restrictions than harpies."
Fairies' small size let them fly in rain with almost no limits unlike harpies.
Both species had altitude restrictions, though.
Harpies walked or flew high above buildings.
Fairies flew low at ground level or high above.
"I wish goblins were weak to rain too."
I-lang showed her envy.
Terrisha had said she was fine, but Edinal insisted she go home.
I-lang had briefly wished she were a fairy too.
Her gaze soon shifted to Searnal.
"So how is it not wet?"
"I'm a mage."
Envious?
Sensing that look, I-lang found him grating.
"But couldn't sorcery do that?"
Searnal adjusted his glasses and asked flatly.
"Unfortunately, no. Rain is a natural descent. Blocking it goes against nature. I could, but my sorcery fizzles the next day or something. Anyway, hand it over."
"How long will it take?"
"Who knows. As fast as I want to clock out?"
"Sounds quick."
Searnal cast magic on the phone in his left hand.
[Restore.]
No magic circle on the phone, so he infused heavy mana, implanting an illusion of rewound time.
Magic wasn't omnipotent; tampering with original time was incredibly hard.
He merely dressed it in mana-fueled illusion to mimic the past.
That's what elevated illusion to true magic.
"...Does this work?"
I-lang gaped at the fully restored phone.
"Try it."
At Searnal's words, I-lang tapped the screen skeptically.
It lit up instantly. Shocked only briefly, she understood why he'd asked her.
It worked, but not perfectly.
"Magic can restore the appearance, but not erase the impact damage."
Searnal returned to his desk, slumping down. He magicked the break room door open, started the coffee pot, and brewed while asking again.
"How long now?"
"Wait."
I-lang inspected the phone.
"20 minutes? Or under 10."
"Password's 4829. Don't touch anything else—just access the recent video. That's the evidence."
"No worries."
I-lang grinned, disassembled the phone, reassembled bits, plugged it into her computer, and typed.
'Dunno what she's doing.'
Not his interest, so Searnal levitated the steaming coffee to his desk and sipped.
Rain-pouring coffee wasn't bad.
'Coffee always brings him...'
No way.
He'd just seen Tutoon on the tree, mouth open for raindrops, then come inside.
"...Ha."
Warmth spread from the coffee down his throat, loosening his wrist so he set the cup down.
Thud.
An unfamiliar noise followed by a ominous 'shooooop'.
Searnal rolled his eyes. Tutoon blinked back at him.
"...Urk, slurrrp!"
'...?'
Searnal didn't get Tutoon's action at first.
"Tutoon, you just..."
"I'm cleaning noww. Dumping coffee means slimes at the sewer plant handle it later, so I ate it instead."
"I was drinking that."
"Searnal's stomach hurts, right?"
"It's just a little now."
"Edinal said it's okay if I eat Searnal's coffee. Coffee's bad for stomachs?"
"...Pfft."
Laughter from beside him. Searnal turned as I-lang bit her lip, maintaining poker face.
"Haa..."
Searnal pressed his brow hard and leaned deep into his chair.
Sudden fatigue washed over him stronger.
His coffee was stolen again.
Was he too relaxed at the center?
"Searnal, Seaarnal."
"...Yes?"
"Searnal brews coffee so good it makes me wanna eat it just watching."
No joy in the praise. Searnal stared blankly at the empty mug.
"That good?"
I-lang sidled up and asked casually. Searnal dropped his hand from his brow. No need to fan the flames.
But Tutoon nodded brightly.
"Yup! I-lang, try some. But too bittter."
"Should've added sugar, Searnal."
Searnal huffed in disbelief at I-lang's jab.
"That was my coffee."
"Oops."
"Oopss."
Tutoon mimicked I-lang's word with a big grin.
She looked so happy Searnal couldn't bring himself to speak.
His stomach just ached.
"But Seaarnal, really not coming in this weekend?"
Tutoon leaned on the desk beside him, swinging her feet.
"I'm not..."
"You might pop in sometimes."
I-lang cut in, extending her hand with Saetbyeol's phone.
"All done."
"Already?"
"Gotta clock out. Rainy day—let's grab some fried chicken, everyone. Sound good?"
I-lang sneakily mimed scooping food with chopsticks, out of character.
"You look like you hate eating alone. Pass."
Searnal declined. Tutoon piped up immediately.
"Can I come too? Edinal gave me moneyy."
"Of course. Searnal's buying."
I-lang replied confidently. Searnal blinked rapidly.
"...Pardon?"
"Let's go, Tutoon."
I-lang stood first and headed for the center's exit.
"Yay!"
Tutoon beamed and splashed after her.
Clack.
Then the team leader's door opened.
"Me too! If Searnal's buying, count me in."
Edinal declared energetically.
Stunned, Searnal saw Edinal dash after I-lang with a smirk.
"Order the most expensive!"
Edinal gripped her umbrella, grinning fangs fully bared.
"Wait a sec."
Searnal finally stood.
Realizing they weren't joking, sweat beaded down his back.
"Wait!"
Searnal bolted after them too.