Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Summoned to Publicity by Complaints
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* * *
‘…Hmm.’
Sernal looked down below, feeling an inexplicable sourness in his stomach.
No, it wasn’t just his stomach that felt sour. A headache was coming on, making his head throb as well.
“…Team Leader?”
“Go with Terisha today. She’s already given her okay.”
“No, Team Leader.”
“What’s wrong, Sernal? Something up?”
Something up, she says.
Sernal found the words utterly ridiculous. He pointed below soon enough.
“This… when did you prepare it?”
What Edinal had casually handed him after calling him over was a complaint related to the discrimination that had occurred in the Publicity Department, where Dodo had been employed.
“After notifying Dodo of her acceptance? Honestly, I’m pissed. Aren’t you, Sernal?”
“Does Dodo know too?”
“No. She wouldn’t. Why burden the freshly onboarded Dodo with this?”
“Is this okay?”
“I don’t see the problem. A complainant came in, filed properly, and discrimination actually happened.”
Edinal rested her chin on the back of her hand, arching an eyebrow slightly.
Go ahead, voice your real complaint.
Under that gaze, Sernal sniffled for no reason.
“Hmm… Couldn’t we just send Terisha alone?”
“This is an issue between civil servants. It’s a chance to show that interspecies discrimination isn’t just against civilians, and to demonstrate how seriously the Complaints Department takes it. Better with two people, right?”
‘It’s definitely not a bad choice.’
Sernal thought so in his head, but he didn’t want to say it out loud.
Even knowing he had to go didn’t make him like it any less.
“I’m exhausted right now.”
“I know. You had a tough day, Sernal. And every day.”
“Can I take half a day off?”
“No.”
“Do you know what I did today?”
“Haven’t read the report yet, so not the details.”
“I did… high-fives with the kids. A lot. It’s mentally draining.”
He had to flash varied expressions, maximum joy, matching each piercing ‘Yes!’ shout. That’s what wore him out.
He wanted to catch a cold right now and collapse flat.
“…You’re not feeling nauseous or anything, are you?”
Edinal’s expression, firm just moments ago, stiffened slightly.
She looked worried, wondering if she’d pushed too hard.
“Ah, no, I’m fine.”
Headache aside.
Sernal didn’t bother mentioning it. Just a light headache.
“Then… you can go, right?”
Edinal checked his complexion carefully before asking.
“If I say no, will you not send me?”
“No. Irang would’ve gone if you weren’t here, but you are. We assign people efficiently.”
“Then, the report gets done after?”
“Yeah. Two are backed up, no helping it.”
“…Haa.”
Sernal couldn’t hold back the surging sigh. It was depressing that he couldn’t clock out right away.
“Sernal. Don’t be like that. At least you didn’t do desk work today?”
“…True, but I have fieldwork tomorrow too. All day. No telling when it ends.”
Sernal arched an eyebrow.
Fieldwork or desk work—which is easier? Depends on the person, but for him, desk work.
Taxi rides, grasping complaint essence, site checks, finding culprits.
It resembled the tedious Special Task Force routine he knew so well—familiar flavor, sweeping fatigue crashing over him, drawing out a sigh.
‘…Really hate this.’
“Sernal. Your eyes are glazing over.”
Edinal tapped the desk lightly.
They were already drowsy eyes, but now they looked ready to pass out.
Sernal blinked a few times, mixing irritation into his full-laziness face.
Edinal could see what he was thinking.
Wants to go home.
She had something prepared for this moment.
“Take a look at this, Sernal.”
“What is it?”
“Newspaper.”
At Edinal’s casual toss, Sernal’s gaze sharpened a bit.
Subtle flames seemed to spread.
The Magic Association, told to stop illegal magic users, now encouraging illegal magic experiments!
Sernal savored the provocative headline.
They’d summoned Cusman to the station, leveraging the duck-spell incident with the dullahan Avion Trop, who’d carried off Bren Company President’s head. Turned out well for him, and Cusman made great use of it.
“This is your handiwork, Sernal. Time to appreciate it.”
“I didn’t write it, but the prose is art.”
Cusman Rall.
Even rethinking it, a gutsy reporter. No hesitation in poking the Magic Association.
Sure, his own guts were out there, but he hadn’t expected Cusman to match.
“Whether because of this paper or not, there’s that Magic Association branch raid going on? They were gonna call you as a witness but backed off.”
“Too bad.”
Sernal flicked the newspaper with a finger.
“They could just call me. I’m always ready to throw down with the Magic Association.”
Fight if challenged.
“Sernal.”
“Yes?”
“You think they won’t call you for real? What they’re getting hit with is massive. You saw?”
“Yeah. Last complaint, they whined it was just a couple discriminatory remarks. Bull. Hundreds uncovered already, branch on closure brink. And now settlement? Ridiculous, right?”
As Sernal grinned, Edinal withdrew her chin-resting hand and leaned back deeply in her chair. She lowered her gaze slightly for no reason.
“…Sernal.”
“What?”
“Sometimes, when you smile like that, it scares me.”
“Not smiling would be scarier.”
“No. When you talk Magic Association, there’s this… madness peeking through.”
“Can’t help it. Really.”
Despite the smile, bitterness laced his voice. Edinal gazed at him steadily, wondering if she’d slipped.
“Anyway, Team Leader.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“Could we actually shut down a Magic Association branch?”
That was Sernal’s biggest worry.
Complaints had pierced them like a sharp awl to get this far.
But if it went no further, what use? He didn’t want that hollow letdown, so he voiced what he’d kept inside.
“No precedent. Thirty-plus years since founding, never happened. That’s why they’re prickly now, and the big shots above me… er, people… are too.”
Real slip or feigned, her face lit up refreshingly at ‘big shots.’
‘Team Leader’s struggling too, huh.’
Of course. He exploded cases; Edinal cleaned up.
Headache-inducing.
“But don’t worry, Sernal. I like pioneering. And my connections go higher than you think. They can’t brush this off easily.”
“Good to hear.”
“So, Sernal. Be honest here.”
“Go ahead.”
“Did the Magic Association approach you personally?”
Sernal eyed Edinal’s pupils, trying to read her intent.
Hard to discern.
Vampire species excelled at hiding emotions, manipulating minds as they did.
“…They did.”
Sernal adjusted his glasses as he answered.
That instant, her pupils flashed red. But she smiled.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“No problem.”
“Anyway, thanks for taking the Publicity complaint. I’m heading out early today, so upload the report to the computer, not my desk.”
“…Heading out early?”
“Yep.”
Jealous?
Edinal flashed a smug smile dripping with mischief.
So annoying—Sernal’s lips twitched.
* * *
“…Haa.”
Sernal couldn’t stifle the escaped sigh.
“You okay?”
Terisha, flying beside him, turned her head to look.
“Ah, just my usual habit. Don’t mind it.”
“I heard sighing too much is bad.”
“Does it really not come easy for you?”
“Must you always?”
Terisha blinked her wide eyes, and Sernal awkwardly fiddled with his glasses. Was she from another world?
‘…How do you not sigh?’
Sernal marveled inwardly but didn’t voice it.
“No. No need. Mine’s just habit now.”
“Oh. Kinda fascinating.”
“Fascinating how?”
“Working close like this, I learn new things bit by bit. Like how much you sigh, Sernal—I never knew.”
Terisha flapped her wings gracefully, smiling elegantly. Sometimes she seemed from another realm.
‘…Rich young lady?’
The thought struck; Sernal glanced up at her horn-adorned headband.
He’d found it intriguing since first sight.
Those horns looked unmistakably like dragon horns.
Dragons were a supremely proud race.
When they ended the war and brought world peace, instead of demanding material rewards or power, they’d asked for just two clauses enshrined in law.
That was the dragon horns.
None but dragons shall wear dragon horns.
Non-dragons shall not mock dragon horns.
They saw horns as their pride incarnate.
Seeing Terisha’s made him think her extraordinary, the law flashing in mind.
No one knew the fate of those who toyed with dragon-horn replicas.
What really happened? Or mere urban legend?
“…Hmm.”
Sernal turned his gaze forward.
Whatever fascinated her, nothing amused him much.
“What fascinates me more is your headband, Terisha.”
“It’s dragon horn.”
Pride emanated from Terisha’s confident expression and poise. As Sernal froze in shock, she clenched her fist tight.
“Anyway, I wanted this case. Since I’m Dodo’s mentor after you.”
“…Wait. Dragon horn?”
“Yeah. Looks just like one. Anyone can see it.”
Terisha smiled anew, as if what’s the issue?
‘…But Terisha’s a fairy.’
The words lingered at Sernal’s lips.
“I don’t force unpleasant tasks unless necessary. You can rest a bit, Sernal. You worked hard today.”
“No. Hate it, sure, but I finish what I take on.”
“Like a creed?”
Creed.
Sernal figured her casual drop of the word confirmed dragon ties.
Dragons acted like righteous nobles.
But not important now.
“No. Not a creed.”
Sernal eyed another residents’ center in Merhen District.
“Could you explain what that is?”
Rude, he knew, but something compelled him to ask Terisha.
He didn’t know why.
“…Well, if I must, it feels like the final wall.”
Sernal smiled faintly, pointing at the center.
“We’re here. Let’s go. Gotta clock out early. Feels like my stomach’ll turn if only Team Leader does.”
Turning toward the center, Terisha felt a chill from Sernal’s stride.
Unsure if ‘hazy’ fit people, but like mist.
Fitting description?
Present yet absent.
Terisha touched her horns, watching his back.
‘…Like me.’
Memories surfaced of herself, unaligned with any interspecies group.
‘Similar.’
Now she knew why Sernal nagged at her.
Like glimpsing her own past.
* * *
‘…Huh?’
Dodo, awkwardly pecking keys to learn typing, twitched her ears mid-keystroke.
No sign of the two, however she looked.
First time both vanished together; she glanced around.
“Something wrong?”
After seeing off a complainant, Irang pushed back his chair and stood.
“Terisha senior and Sernal senior are gone. Dodo can’t see them.”
Dodo looked a bit downcast.
“Ah. They went to Publicity to resolve a complaint.”
“…Publicity?”
“Yeah. Where you worked, Dodo.”
“Why… are both seniors going to Dodo’s old Publicity?”
Dodo fidgeted her front paws on the chair, staring seriously.
Irang scratched his nose bridge, pondered briefly, then murmured slyly.
This much should be fine.
“A complaint came in to Publicity. Not about you, but when one comes…”
“Can Dodo go too?”
Dodo hopped off the chair, approaching Irang.
Grabbing his hem with front paws, he startled.
“Y-Yes…?”
“Dodo has nothing now, but really wants to go.”
“But I can’t decide that.”
“Ask Team Leader?”
“Right.”
Clack.
Door opened before Dodo reached it.
Edinal emerged, grinning.
“What do you want to do there, Dodo?”
“Publicity Team Leader will definitely bully Terisha senior and Sernal senior! Dodo will go say don’t bully!”
“That won’t cut it. Too vague. Complaints isn’t that lenient.”
“Th-Then.”
Dodo panicked, squeezing eyes shut.
“Don’t want seniors suffering Dodo’s discrimination! Dodo will stop it! Dodo will say it all happened!”
“That’ll do. Go on.”
“Thanks!”
Dodo wagged her torso, darting out urgently.
As the Complaints entrance door opened and shut, Irang said in surprise.
“Didn’t expect you’d actually send Dodo. It didn’t end well anyway.”
Edinal grinned.
“Might be over already, but good catalyst, right?”
“…Dunno. Sometimes better a clean bad end than twisted ties. They’ll survive, and no need to meet again.”
Irang gazed at Dodo’s exit door, exhaling shortly.
* * *
“…No! How does that make sense? Who the hell took our livelihoods on their say-so?”
Opening the door revealed someone furiously on a call.
“Complaints my ass—who processes department transfers in a day? Makes no sense! What about us? Huh?”
Face flushed with rage, plain as day.
‘Just said Complaints? Dodo’s thing?’
Sernal scratched his nose bridge, scanning Publicity lazily.
He anticipated their reaction to his gaze questioning who.
What happens when Complaints drops here.
“Hello, Publicity everyone. I’m Terisha from the Special Department for Resolving Interspecies Complaint Counseling.”
Terisha greeted politely, then indicated Sernal flashing his ID with both hands, continuing.
“This is Sernal from Complaints as well.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
Sernal bowed crisply, relishing the Publicity staff’s dumbfounded stares at him and Terisha.