Orphan Discovered!
Base 277. The deepest level. Floor 102 underground.
Tatiana and Yu Seo-ah checked their uniforms one more time.
The higher-ups—well, one of the slightly less high ones—had summoned them.
The Base 277 Director.
The man who oversaw the entire facility and could report directly to the Management Bureau Council.
"Are you ready? Don't be nervous."
"Yes, sir! …Hoo. Haa."
The two women opened the door and stepped inside. The walls and ceiling were painted gray, and there was almost no furniture worth mentioning.
Just a plain steel desk, a couple of chairs, a cabinet, and a guest sofa.
Even a quick glance revealed the personality of the room's owner.
"…Major Karstein."
"Yes, Director."
The man with glasses gave Tatiana a slight nod of his chin.
"Have a seat."
"Yes, sir."
"Y-Yes! Director!!"
The Director didn't offer coffee or tea. He cut straight to the point.
"I've read the report. I'll be direct. The Management Bureau plans to use SIN-998 to subdue other uncooperative anomalies."
In other words, they intended to treat him as a weapon.
"Of course, we'll provide appropriate compensation. Nothing that would cause serious damage to containment procedures or available resources. I'll send the guidelines separately."
"D-Director."
"Speak, Assistant Researcher Yu Seo-ah."
Yu Seo-ah clutched her collar tightly.
If that happens, Oppa will end up meeting far more dangerous entities…! What if it's something like SIN-002 or 003?!
She wanted to stop it. But once the higher-ups had declared their intent, there was no way to prevent it.
So the least she could do was prepare him as much as possible.
"SIN-998 currently perceives the situation as an immersive attraction. At the very least, telling him the truth would—"
"We can't do that. Maintain the current state."
"…Pardon?"
"We're still investigating the scope and limitations of SIN-998's anomaly manifestation. However, if he truly 'alters reality according to what he recognizes as common sense,' then…"
The Director spoke in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.
"We should be able to inject only the common sense we want him to have."
"…You're saying we'll use him as a tool."
"Why are you so surprised? I'm a tool. You're a tool. We're all just cogs in the machine so humanity can survive against anomalies. And…"
The Director added in an utterly nonchalant voice,
"Work attire will consist of a shirtless top, underwear on the bottom, and garter belts. Every employee must apply oil all over their body."
"What???"
"Assume SIN-998 has just accepted that sentence as common sense."
Gulp.
Dry saliva went down her throat. Goosebumps rose all over her body.
"You would be sitting in front of me in that state without a second thought. I wouldn't find anything strange about it either."
Tatiana nodded.
"Or perhaps you would be the one in that state, speaking with us, Director."
"I'm just an old man. That's horrifying. Don't even imagine it."
Common Sense Alteration disaster…!
Now she understood why it was called a disaster.
"So let me give you clear instructions. Play along with SIN-998."
- This is all an immersive attraction for Management Bureau anomaly enthusiasts.
- Yu Seo-ah is acting as an assistant researcher.
- Tatiana Karstein is acting as the Quarantine Special Task Force Captain and Chief Researcher.
- The Base Director is acting in his supervisory role. The previous shirtless-underwear-garter-belt-oil scenario is absolutely not his fetish.
"………"
After hearing the orders, Tatiana felt an existential crisis rapidly setting in.
"You want us to match his ridiculous nonsense…? His IQ test came back at 85…"
"Hmm. Borderline intellectual functioning. Doesn't matter. Just play along."
"C-Chief! You can do it! I'll help you!"
Yu Seo-ah was brimming with enthusiasm, at least.
The Director designated the first target for subjugation.
"Let's deal with the biggest problem child in our base first. SIN-998 was an orphanage director in his civilian days, wasn't he? Have him discipline SIN-1000 <Azazel>."
***
Who am I? A Delta-class anomaly.
"Who am I??? A Delta-class anomaly!!"
I'd been promoted. This body had finally become Delta-class!
It's just a setting, but still, the feeling is great.
I clenched my fist.
What was an anomaly's rank? It was a danger rating!
Epsilon or whatever had obviously been a loser certification mark.
Now I'd escaped loser status!
Clack.
While I was giving myself a self-congratulatory round of applause,
Seo-ah and Tatiana entered my containment cell with exhausted expressions.
"You two are visiting pretty often these days. Here to celebrate my promotion?"
"998. This isn't something to be happy about."
"That's right. Starting from Delta-class, leaving the base becomes extremely difficult."
Hold on.
"Does that mean…?"
"The promise to feed curry to the orphanage children. It means you won't be able to accompany them."
"That's crossing the line."
I…
I couldn't live without those adorable, wacky, bouncy, squishy, soft little kids!!!
"Aah… Yul-ha. A-rin. I miss you."
My two precious children, like my own blood…
While I was clutching my head and rapidly sinking into depression, a stroke of genius hit me.
"Wait a second. This is all an attraction anyway. Can't I just call the kids over? Seo-ah, you like our kids too, so help me out."
If I couldn't go to Haetsal Orphanage—
Then Orphan!!
I'd turn this damn containment cell into a paradise overflowing with orphans!!!
"998. We anticipated you'd say that and already coordinated with the higher-ups."
Oh! That kind of setting??
This blonde crazy woman was actually competent.
"What kind of coordination? If you show me our kids, I'll do anything."
"Good. 998, the Management Bureau has its eye on you. Can you do to other anomalies what you did to <Clown Phobia>?"
"Hold on. You want me to beat up more innocent people??"
"They aren't innocent. Those guys are humanity's… I mean…"
Tatiana seemed to choke on her words for a moment. Seo-ah whispered from the side.
"Chief, the setting. The setting."
"A-Ahem. Right. 998, the entities you'll be subduing are a serious threat to humanity… in this setting."
"Aha~ So that's the setting?"
"Yes. Just like how I'm the Chief Researcher and Quarantine Special Task Force Captain… in this setting…"
"Chief, hang in there…!"
"Uuuuugh…"
Her voice was losing strength. She looked like she was having an existential crisis.
"…I'm feeling self-loathing. I kind of want to die now."
Thump thump!!
I cheerfully slapped Tatiana on the back.
"Hey! Even actors get existential dread sometimes! I'm rooting for you!!"
Anyway, I fully understood their request.
"If I do WWE with runaway anomalies, you'll turn this place into a happy orphanage?"
Deal made.
For the sake of those soft little ones!
The moment I sprang to my feet, Seo-ah sat me back down.
"SIN-998. There's something we need to do first. It's like a tutorial. You like kids, right?"
"Of course. I'm an orphanage director."
"We have one problem child on our side. They need some discipline. It's the anomaly in the next room."
The next room!?
How had I not known until now? There was a child who needed love and attention!
I took a deep breath.
"Sssssssup—"
I could feel it. I could feel it!!
This unmistakable fresh, adorable, soft…
Orphan scent!!!
***
"Uuuugh. I feel kinda annoyed. I really don't like it here."
In one corner of the small containment cell sat a cute bed that would suit a tiny little girl.
An anomaly was lying on it, kicking her legs.
"I'm bored. Maybe I should go outside and see what's happening."
SIN-1000 <Azazel>.
A symbolic number. A symbolic name. Everything about her screamed extremely dangerous.
Azazel possessed an extremely rare trait.
The ability to ignore physical and conceptual restraints. Naturally, she slipped out of her containment cell whenever she got bored.
This time, she headed for the corridor outside.
"This body has arrived!!"
The moment she stepped out, Assistant Researcher Yu Seo-ah pressed a hand to her forehead.
"SIN-1000. Return to your containment cell."
"Heheheh. You're trembling again at the sight of this body! That's right. Get on your knees and beg! Before the true terror of humanity, the Great Archdemon Azazel!"
The 140cm-tall kid stood with her hands on her hips, speaking arrogantly. She even had little horns on her head to emphasize that she was an anomaly.
"Azazel. This is your final warning. This is a containment failure right now. Please go back to your room."
Yu Seo-ah tried her best to look stern.
It had no effect whatsoever.
"I don't wanna~"
"Haa. Why won't you ever listen?"
In the end, she opened the door and sat Azazel back on the bed.
Just when it seemed like she had things under control—
Azazel came back with an openly provocative remark.
"That's why you don't have a boyfriend, always acting so grumpy. Old lady!"
"O-Old lady?"
"Boo~ Chicken coop!"
Azazel covered her mouth and giggled.
That black-haired, red-eyed assistant researcher. She's really timid.
She knew her name but had no intention of using it. Was she going to start sniffling like usual? Or was she going to give cute little me a smack on the head?
While Azazel was grinning with her typical spoiled-brat logic,
"…There's a new arrival in the next room. Want to go say hello?"
"Oh, really? No, wait. They should come greet me. There's a hierarchy here, you know!?"
Because I'm the true terror of humanity, after all!
The moment she thought that, Yu Seo-ah lightly pushed Azazel toward the wall.
"Ow! H-How dare you lay hands on this body!!"
It wasn't particularly violent.
Poof.
Azazel passed straight through the wall. When she stood up, she found herself in another containment cell.
"You jerk. How rude! Old lady! Chicken coop!!"
Pat pat.
Azazel stood up and dusted off her skirt with her tiny hands.
So this was the containment cell with the new arrival?
…Hopefully it's a cute girl.
Not because she was lonely or anything. She was just thinking of making the kid her familiar for the Great Archdemon.
If she liked them, she might even make them a friend! Yeah!
While she was striking a confident pose by herself,
"…."
"Eh?"
A shadow fell over her head.
An intimidating— no, downright terrifying presence. A rugged beard and sharp, menacing eyes.
"A-Aaaaaah…?"
"…."
Azazel frantically used her phasing ability to read the nameplate outside the containment cell.
SIN-998 <The Director>.
The anomaly called The Director bent down deeply, bringing his face right in front of Azazel.
"…Hmm."
Scary!!
How could a person look like this!?
"Hiiiiik!!"
"Don't be scared, little one. I'm an orphanage director."
"O-O-O-Orphan maker? You kill parents and kidnap kids!?"
"No. I give love to children without parents. …Do you like curry?"
At the low, heavy voice pressing down on her, Azazel trembled like a leaf.
"I-I want to go back. It's not fun here. Sniff."
Azazel backed away. The Director didn't try to stop her.
Tap. Tap tap.
"……Eh??"
She couldn't pass through the wall. Even though no physical or conceptual barrier should be able to restrain her.
Her anomalous ability wouldn't activate.
"Little one. May I ask what you're doing?"
"W-Why? Why can't I go through the wall!?"
The Director grinned widely, showing his gums.
"People can't go through walls."
"H-Hiiii…"
Azazel felt like she was about to wet herself.
But the nightmare didn't end there.
"Little one. What about your parents?"
"I don't have any……?"
Gasp!
The moment the words left her mouth, she covered it with both hands. Tears had already welled up in her round eyes.
T-This guy said he was an orphanage director…!!
BINGO!
A thunderous roar echoed through the room.
"GOA GET!!! Welcome to Haetsal Orphanage, kiddo!!!!"