Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: The Mayoral Election and the Round House (3)
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When I returned to the Fixer Agency, I found an unfamiliar kid collapsed on the stairs.
It was a situation where calling the police wouldn't have been strange, but I quickly regained my composure.
After all, I’d been through far more troublesome things while living at the agency.
Finding a kid who looked no older than eight passed out on the stairs was hardly surprising.
…No, actually, when I think about it, it is plenty surprising.
Why on earth was he curled up and collapsed right there? Could he be dead, or…
*Right, doesn't look like that's it.*
Worried he might be sick, I approached the boy and was quickly relieved.
He had some wounds, but he wasn't bleeding. A look at his complexion showed no signs of internal injury.
Judging by his even, quiet breathing, it seemed he was simply asleep.
Well, the fact that he was as filthy and foul-smelling as if he'd fallen into a sewer was a problem.
Should I be glad he wasn't a critical patient in urgent need of treatment?
So, who is this kid, and why is he sleeping so peacefully here?
I quietly crouched beside the boy and poked his shoulder with my finger.
But perhaps he was in a deep sleep from extreme exhaustion.
Despite my poking and gentle shaking, there was no response at all.
*He wouldn't notice if someone carried him off… Hmm, leaving him here doesn't feel right. Should I take him into the agency for now?*
I could just ask him why he was sleeping on the stairs after he woke up.
Having made up my mind, I unnoticeably used my psychokinesis to lift the boy and carry him into the agency.
Once he was inside, Raven would figure out what was going on.
My mind was filled with thoughts of getting this boy sorted out quickly so I could go laze around in my closet.
"...Raven?"
But betraying my expectations, the Fixer Agency was empty.
Did he step out for a bit? I was sure today was a day off, which made this unusual.
Wait a minute, this ruins my plan to leave everything to Raven and go roll around in my closet!
What a pain… I grumbled internally as I carefully set the boy down in the entryway.
I then scurried inside and brought out a guest futon we rarely used.
The floor was too hard to sleep on directly; it would be bad for his body.
But he was far too dirty to be placed on the sofa.
The best option here was to provide a futon that could be easily washed.
*How many days has it been since he last washed? Ugh, I'll have to tell him to wash up when he wakes. As for clothes… I guess I can lend him some of mine.*
He might not like wearing girl's clothes, but I couldn't let him stay in these smelly garments.
After laying the gray-haired boy on the futon, I sat down primly beside him and gently studied his face.
I hadn't been in a position to get a good look at him earlier, so I'd only glanced.
It was because I had a feeling I’d seen this boy’s face somewhere before.
His hair was mostly a deep gray, but here and there were streaks of red, as if drops of red paint had been spilled on it.
And for a young boy to be collapsed near the Fixer Agency at this particular time…
*…Excuse me for a moment.*
I gently placed a finger under the boy's nose to confirm he was sleeping soundly.
Then, extending my psychokinesis to a minimum, I traced his body as if checking it over.
Of course, I hoped no one would misunderstand.
This wasn't some kind of perverted assault.
It was merely a process of identifying physical characteristics and checking for any hidden items.
In fact, I discovered he was a metahuman with slightly protruding bones. With that, I was completely innocent.
"...Hm."
*Clink.*
Inside the boy’s ragged clothes, tucked away in a corner that would be hard to reach without tearing the fabric, I felt something.
It was skillfully done, even wrapped in thick cotton to conceal its presence.
It seemed I’d have to rip his clothes to get it out…
Clutching the object with my psychokinesis, I hesitated for a moment before deciding to leave it be for now.
The mere fact that he was hiding something made my suspicions all the more certain.
*I'm sure of it. This kid, he's the young client from the original story.*
His name was… Nabal, was it? His race was the Bonecarver Tribe, a rare species that used their bones as weapons.
The request he brought was to rescue his precious older sister, who had been taken by the Metahuman Liberation Army.
Incidentally, in the process, they would obtain a clue to the Metahuman Liberation Army's headquarters.
In the original story, this became the catalyst for the fixers to begin their full-scale conflict with the Metahuman Liberation Army.
He had fallen asleep in front of the agency because he’d come looking for Raven after hearing the rumors, only to collapse from exhaustion on the stairs.
Judging by his appearance, it seemed that general flow of events hadn't changed much.
*For a kid, he has a really rough past. He grew up without ever seeing his parents' faces. He lived like a slave in the Black Market with his only blood relative, his sister, and now even she is gone…*
He's been through a lot at such a young age. It's amazing he hasn't become twisted.
Kneeling beside him, I gently stroked the peacefully sleeping boy's head.
Just like the rest of him, his hair was greasy and sticky, as if it hadn't been washed in a while.
But it seemed to speak of all his hardships, and I felt more pity than disgust.
After offering my silent comfort for a long while, I finally stood up.
Then, with light steps, I quietly walked deeper into the agency.
Whether it was Nabal waking up or Raven returning, either would likely take some time.
I figured I’d take a shower in the meantime. I felt a little sticky from sweating outside in the heat.
"...Hic."
"Ah, wh-who…!"
After a refreshing shower, having changed into much lighter clothes, I returned to the reception area to check on Nabal.
He had woken up at some point and now turned to me in a fluster, a startled look on his face.
He woke up much faster than I expected. Was something bothering him?
Nabal, who had been acting like a terrified hamster, suddenly stared at my face with a dazed expression.
"So... pretty..."
"Myeh."
At Nabal's murmur, I reflexively brought a hand to my face.
My fingertips met the soft, smooth, and supple feel of my skin.
I’d forgotten I wasn't wearing my mask, having just come out of the bathroom…
Well, Nabal was a real kid, smaller than me. I suppose there was no need to hide my face inside the agency.
As I inwardly nodded in agreement with my own thoughts, Nabal, who seemed to have regained his senses, shouted in renewed confusion.
"N-No! That's not what I meant! Wh-Wh-Who are you! Where is this…!"
"..."
"Huh? Crowley… Fixer, Agency…?"
I knew this would happen, so I brought it from the entrance earlier.
I held up the nameplate from the desk as if to tell him to look closely.
Finally regaining some composure, he frantically craned his neck, looking all around.
This was the agency's reception room.
The shelves here and there were filled with various items given as gifts by previous clients.
For example, a limited edition album from the idol, Aisha.
A champion's belt from some pro wrestler, and a planetarium of a rather unusual design.
Did he finally realize where he was?
Nabal looked up at me with an expression of disbelief and spoke.
"Uh… th-then, are you Raven, miss?"
"Mhm."
"Then…?"
"...Hehe."
Feeling pressured by his continuous questions, I averted my gaze slightly and let out a small laugh.
I couldn't speak, after all. I couldn't give him a proper answer even if he asked.
But perhaps Nabal was a rather perceptive kid.
He seemed to quickly realize from my troubled expression that I was unable to answer.
At that, Nabal became even more flustered and bowed his head.
He seemed to feel terribly sorry for touching on what he perceived as a sensitive subject.
"S-Sorry… I didn't mean to offend you…"
"Mhm."
It's not something you need to worry about that much…
I looked at the dejected Nabal and scratched my cheek.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I walked over to a nearby cupboard.
Nothing was going to happen until Raven got back anyway. I might as well feed him some snacks.
I took out one of my favorite snacks and approached him, still curled up on the futon.
"...Here."
"A-Are you giving this to me?"
"Yep."
"Th-Thank you…"
Nabal respectfully accepted the butter cookie I offered with both hands.
Then, like a hamster nibbling on a sunflower seed, he cautiously brought it to his mouth.
"Oh, whoaaa…!"
*Crunch.*
Was the taste of that small bite of butter cookie that fantastic?
His eyes widened to nearly twice their size, radiating pure awe.
To be this happy over a single cookie.
I brought out more snacks from the cupboard and plopped down beside Nabal.
"W-Whoa!"
"..."
He flinched, startled by my sudden proximity, now close enough to touch.
A faint blush colored Nabal's cheeks as he discreetly sniffed the air.
Did I smell nice since I just got out of the shower?
If Raven had done that, I would've shoved my fingers straight up his nostrils.
But since it was a kid smaller than me, I didn't find it particularly unpleasant. What can I do if I smell nice?
"Ahh~"
"Eh, uh… Miss. I-I can do it myself…"
"...Ah."
"Y-Yes! Ah, ahh…"
This little brat is getting cheeky.
I chuckled and fed Nabal all sorts of snacks.
I remembered being quite moved myself when I first tried the snacks here, so I could understand his delight.
But we couldn't just keep eating snacks forever.
A long time passed, but there was still no sign of Raven. What on earth was he doing?
I considered contacting him but then shook my head, took Nabal's hand, and led him to the bathroom.
I couldn't just leave him in this dirty state. I was going to wash him myself.
"I-I'll do it myself!"
"..."
"Ugh…"
Nabal resisted with all his might, apparently embarrassed to show me his bare body.
But knowing from the original story that he didn't even know how to wash properly, my resolve was firm.
And perhaps it was because I'd firmly established who was in charge while feeding him snacks earlier.
His stubbornness eventually broke, and he meekly accepted my help. He should have just done that from the start.
"Mm."
"Ugh, how did I end up in this situation…"
Finally cleansed of all the grime, Nabal at last looked presentable.
He was cute enough that if his hair were a little longer, you could mistake him for a girl.
To think this was the same kid who had been so filthy I'd thought he was some kind of beast.
It felt like watching a dirty sheep being washed clean, its fleece turning fluffy and white.
*It's a bit of a shame he's in my slightly baggy clothes, but what can you do when there are no kids' clothes?*
With the now-clean boy by my side, I passed the time in the reception room.
Nabal seemed to think this wasn't the time to be relaxing like this.
But he also seemed to understand that he had to wait for the real Raven to arrive, so he sat quietly on the sofa.
How long had we been sitting side-by-side watching TV?
Just as I was starting to worry and think I should really contact him, Raven finally returned to the agency.
Wherever he had been, whatever he had been doing, he was completely late.