Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Interlude
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Who would have thought I’d end up openly working with the Fixer Association as a psychic?
Just a few months ago, when I was running and hiding in the back alleys, this would have been completely unimaginable.
Is this a good thing? Or a bad thing?
If I had to decide, I’d say it was definitely a good thing.
It would certainly be a burden if I wanted to stay away from people's attention and live quietly.
But for me, who has to run around for the sake of a happy ending, it was an offer I had no reason to refuse.
Now I don't have to sneak around, doing this and that, worried about who might see me.
I can cause trouble openly and just ask the Association to handle the annoying cleanup. How convenient is that?
‘Still, they told me to be careful not to reveal my identity if possible. Though it'll be hard not to go too wild.’
Still, being officially recognized by the Fixers carries a different weight.
Heeheehee, my steps felt lighter for some reason. I bounced along, humming a little tune.
Just then, a familiar calico stray cat that was just emerging from an alley flinched and froze.
Its wariness seemed to say, *Human, you look to be in a particularly good mood today...*
Feeling like I'd shown a moment of weakness, I scratched my head awkwardly.
Then, a mischievous idea struck me. I moved my psychokinesis with my fingertips and gently stroked the cat's back.
“Mreoww!”
“Eek…!”
The moment my psychokinesis touched it, the stray cat's tail puffed up, and it scrambled away in a flash.
It must have been quite frightening to suddenly be petted on the back when there was nothing around.
Silly thing, getting so scared.
I chuckled at the sight of the cat, which had already fled far into the distance as if its tail was on fire.
Then I readjusted my shoulder strap and kneaded my slightly stiff shoulder.
But perhaps because my grip strength is so pathetic, it didn't seem to have much effect.
My body has a decent amount of stamina, but it's strangely weak.
‘When I was a middle schooler without psychic powers, I was incredibly strong. Ah, could it be that my physical abilities weakened as a trade-off for my psychic powers? That seems plausible...’
I mean, it would be a bit unfair to be strong on top of having psychokinesis.
It would feel like I had no weaknesses. A person has to be bad at something.
As I was lost in such trivial thoughts,
my feet naturally came to a stop in front of a very familiar building.
Getting lost in thought really makes the walk go by faster.
I pushed the door open forcefully and greeted those inside with a bright smile.
“Hui!”
“You're here. You look healthy as ever, even after some time.”
“Meow.”
As I strode confidently into the general store, Greg, who was sitting at the counter, greeted me gruffly.
Perhaps because I'd called yesterday to say I was back in Nighthaven, his reaction was perfectly matter-of-fact.
I quite liked that calm and simple reaction.
The way he treated me as if I naturally belonged here made my heart feel warm.
Karen, who had been busy organizing something inside, must have finally noticed my presence.
She came out and gave me, standing blankly by the entrance, a light hug.
“Yuria, welcome back. I really… missed you.”
“Eheh?”
“For the three days you were gone, Yuria, Greg was handling the customers. Perhaps because of that, any non-regulars would turn right around and flee the moment they came in...”
“…”
Ah, so that's the serious situation that was unfolding here.
I mean, Greg is an orc with a scary face that makes you gasp the first time you see him.
And lately, word of mouth about our various successes has brought in a fair number of new customers.
It seems that in my absence, an unfortunate side effect occurred.
But Karen couldn't handle the customers… she's always busy working on artifacts.
So it must have fallen to Greg to deal with them.
As I looked at Greg, who had gone silent, thinking, *That must have been really tough for you,*
he gave a small cough and turned his head away as if to avoid my gaze. There was nothing but a blank wall there.
‘Hmm, if I'd known, maybe I shouldn't have stayed at the Association HQ and come back sooner? But... Tempest asked me to stay just one more day, and it was hard to refuse in that situation.’
The reason I stayed at the Association HQ for two more days, even though my business was finished on the first day, was simple.
There's a considerable distance between Nighthaven and the Association HQ.
It was because of Tempest's suggestion that I shouldn't rush back, but relax and rest before leaving.
If it had been Lukserion or Prau, I might have refused. But it was Tempest, and his words are hard to turn down.
So my return to the general store after three days was, in a way, an unavoidable outcome.
‘I feel a little guilty, like I'm the only one who got a nice vacation.’
Looking back, it was a pretty satisfying two days.
Prau gave me a tour of the restricted areas of the Association HQ.
And I visited an expensive restaurant reserved for Fixers with Luke.
Of course, they're both very busy people, so they had to leave the headquarters soon after, as something came up.
I got Lukserion's and Prau's contact info via Echo and we said our goodbyes, promising to see each other later.
Then I returned to Nighthaven on a very luxurious train, just like the one I took there. That was just last night.
Ah, my conscience is really starting to prickle.
Feeling guilty, I pressed my lips together, unzipped the bag on my shoulder, and rummaged inside.
As I did, Karen seemed to finally notice the bag I was wearing and spoke in a curious tone.
“Oh, now that I look, Yuria. Why are you carrying a bag?”
“…”
I borrowed it for a bit since it was just lying around in Raven's room.
Just as I was thinking that, my fingertips felt something.
*Is this it?* I peeked inside the bag, and there was the exact item I was looking for.
A small, gray box, just about the size that could fit in my palm.
I took it out of the bag and proudly presented it to Karen.
“Oh my, is this… a gift for me?”
“Yep!”
“Fufu, you didn't have to go to the trouble... But thank you, I'll accept it gratefully.”
I was a little worried she'd ask why I was suddenly giving her a gift.
Thankfully, she must have felt it would be impolite to refuse.
Karen happily took the box I offered and even asked if it was okay to open it right now.
Of course, my answer was yes. I wanted to see her reaction right away.
She then carefully opened the wrapping with her fingertips so as not to damage the box…
and after seeing the item inside, she gasped in genuine surprise and said,
“It's a necklace? Oh my… it's beautiful.”
The gift was a silver necklace, similar to her signature color.
I happened to spot it yesterday while wandering around near the Association HQ.
It looked like it would suit Karen perfectly, so I spent my allowance on it without a second thought.
“Hee…!”
“Fufu, thank you so much. I'll treasure it.”
Well, no need to thank me.
I bought plenty of gifts for everyone, not just Karen.
Still, seeing her so happy makes spending the allowance I'd saved up from not using it worthwhile!
A smile spread across my face. I placed my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest.
Alright, that takes care of Karen.
I whipped my head around to look at Greg, who was still gruffly staring at a wall.
Then I dashed forward, stopping right in front of him, and placed my bag on the counter.
“Greg!”
“Hm, you have a gift for me too?”
“Yup.”
You think I'd show up today with a gift for just Karen?
I pushed the fox mask on my face up onto my forehead, revealing a wide grin.
Then, as if to say *look closely*, I opened the bag wide and proudly revealed its contents.
“…I never would have expected this kind of gift.”
Greg doesn't really have any hobbies, and he's not interested in accessories.
So I had a hard time deciding what to get him compared to the others.
Plus, it's not like I went on vacation to some resort; I just dropped by the Fixer Association.
So I couldn't get him something too amazing or incredible or crazy!
So after wandering around, I finally decided.
It'd be nice to get him something he can eat over time.
“This is a ham gift set… and is this beef jerky? Hehe, it's all preserved meat.”
Just as Karen said, leaning over my shoulder, the gifts were preserved meat products.
It was a very meaningful gift of food, meant for him to eat whenever he got the munchies.
“Ahem…. I'll enjoy this. It looks delicious.”
“Heehee.”
Thankfully, it seemed the jerky set was to Greg's liking.
He took the set of preserved foods into the back of the store, as if accepting my sincerity.
Hmm, so that's it for the gifts here.
I was a little worried, but I'm glad they both seem to like them.
As I wiped my brow with the back of my hand, satisfied with the results,
the voice of a news anchor suddenly drifted from the TV screen that was on in a corner of the shop.
[ “…It has been four months since former Mayor Tempest officially announced his resignation. The election to choose the next mayor of Nighthaven is just around the corner…” ]
The mayoral election is really just around the corner.
I hope it passes peacefully without any incidents, but...
A familiar face flashed through my mind, and my thoughts naturally deepened.