Unveiling the Bureau's Divisions
But first things first, the Anomaly Management Bureau. In simple terms, it's a global organization that professionally manages "unusual" things.
"When Seoyun-a from the Processing Division visited before, she even encountered the 'White Mother,' right? That monster counts as an anomaly too. And so does this library—and you."
Then... the monster that killed me must be an anomaly as well. And Grandmother, who revived me and helped me take my place here in the library, would be classified as one by the Bureau.
Pioneer Division Chief, she called me an anomaly, but it didn't stir any particular emotions. I already felt far removed from ordinary humanity myself. Still, hearing someone else evaluate me like that felt a bit... embarrassing, in a subtle way, like being judged from an outsider's perspective.
"The Anomaly Management Bureau has tons of teams. And on the big-picture level, they're grouped into 'divisions.'"
"Like the Anomaly Pioneer Division you manage?"
"Exactly! There are four core divisions, plus several departments on par with them."
The pamphlet she handed me listed the four division names.
Anomaly Research Division.
Anomaly Processing Division.
Anomaly Containment Division.
And the Anomaly Pioneer Division.
These were the core departments of the Anomaly Management Bureau. There seemed to be others, but they weren't listed on the pamphlet.
"Shall we go through them one by one? First up, the Anomaly Research Division. Just like the name says, it's all about figuring out anomalies. They handle initial responses and first-contact anomalies. If you want to get technical, every anomaly passes through them at some point. For example..."
The Pioneer Division Chief pointed at the rules posted in the lobby.
"Figuring out rules like those in a place without them? That's their job. For a magic book, it'd be mapping the scope of knowledge written inside."
"I understand."
"Right? Then, based on the Research Division's findings, things split into the other three divisions. There are some fine differences, but nothing to worry about."
Processing, containment, and pioneering. Like the Research Division, their names carried intuitive meanings.
"The Processing Division eliminates anomalies that can't be contained, are useless to humanity, and are outright hostile. Seoyun-a was with them."
"So they came to process me back then?"
"No. ...Seriously, no more petting!"
"Pardon?"
"Ahem. They were dealing with the 'White Mother' at the time and ended up taking shelter here. Anyway, you could say they're the strongest division."
Makes sense. Processing anomalies that transcend the ordinary wouldn't be possible with normal power. The people I met then all carried auras beyond the mundane.
"Um, do you know about urban legends?"
"Yes."
"Some turn out to be fake. Like thinking it's a monster, but it's just a scarecrow. Some are real people who got it wrong, but others were actually processed and replaced."
Oh... Hearing it put like that made them sound pretty effective. With the world so vast, most rumors and lies circulate endlessly—but some are real. As someone who'd browsed creepy pastas online back in the day, the idea that some I'd read were true sent a chill down my spine.
"The Containment Division handles anomalies useful to humanity or too tough to destroy. It's the most broad-reaching in scope. And finally, our Pioneer Division..."
She breezed through the other three and flipped to the next page of the pamphlet.
"...pioneers anomalies to make them beneficial to humanity."
Pioneering anomalies to benefit humanity. It sounded clear-cut yet vague.
Reading my mind, she added more.
"On Earth, we have this creature called the platypus. Know it?"
"Yes. Cute little thing."
"It was originally an anomaly. A nasty one, too."
...What? That platypus?
I knew it had a weird body—laying eggs to raise young despite being a mammal, no teeth, venomous to boot. Definitely odd. But an anomaly? A dangerous one?
"Its anomaly name was something like 'Not a Duck, Not a Beaver.' Its venom was cyanide-level toxic, and it was a grotesque carnivore. But after our Pioneer Division worked its magic, we turned it into 'Weird Animal A.'"
She folded more fingers, rattling off examples.
An immortal deep-sea predator—now the box jellyfish.
A terrestrial behemoth stronger and more prolific than humans, true to its name—now the tardigrade.
"We busted our asses to normalize them."
I wondered how normalizing tied into benefiting humanity, but it clicked soon enough.
Containing anomalies must take a ton of manpower, too.
From what she said, anomalies slated for processing pop up repeatedly and are mostly hostile.
Containment takes fewer people than processing but still requires teams to prevent disasters or harness utility.
Anomalies don't dwindle over time. Like mutations in an ecosystem, they keep emerging.
Eventually, the Bureau might not have enough hands for every containment or processing job.
So the Pioneer Division "normalizes" some, cutting manpower needs while potentially aiding everyday humans.
That's some seriously massive work...
But one natural question arose with these creatures.
"So."
"Yeah?"
"Unicorns—are they real?"
Her golden eyes blinked behind the cracked sunglasses. Then she snorted, bursting into laughter.
"Why laugh?"
"I just never expected you to ask that! Anyway... yes. Currently an anomaly."
Unicorns exist...!
"Normalization's almost done, but one trait's holding it up."
"Trait?"
"...Its thing for virgins. More precisely, its hostility to all non-virgins."
Ah. Yeah, that's tricky.
"Animals aren't our main gig anyway. We focus on partnering with anomalies for greater human benefit."
"And the next target is me and the library?"
"Bingo. You and this place could be huge helps. Like the afterlife."
"...The afterlife."
"It exists. Not twisted maliciously—just a real otherworldly realm."
The afterlife. Everyone ponders it at some point: the world after death.
Legends abound—heaven, paradise, hell, the underworld, Valhalla, Hades, the Yellow Springs, and more. Death being humanity's end, countless afterlives have woven into lore over millennia.
And this woman claimed they truly exist.
"Our biggest achievement? Contracting afterlives to fulfill what humanity believes."
"Contracting?"
"Reaping souls for punishment, eternal rest, or reincarnation."
She twirled a finger in the air.
"Now humanity needn't fear post-death horrors like souls devoured by eldritch beings or abandoned in dimensional sands. We've slashed those incidents."
Her serious face cracked into a grin as she pointed at herself.
"And I sealed those afterlife contracts!"
"..."
The mood shattered instantly. But regardless, I saw her anew.
I'd been jotting notes in an ancient tome to track her info—no lies detected so far.
So the Pioneer Division Chief had truly pioneered the afterlife.
"Our staff hate the afterlife outposts—reaper duty's a grind."
"...Sounds fun."
"Huh?"
The afterlife contracts. Platypus normalization. Her words sparked my curiosity like wildfire. I wanted to see the platypus's past form and the afterworld's truth with my own eyes.
And her genuine attitude drew me in inexplicably.
...Grandmother didn't forbid side gigs or outings, as long as I don't leave the library or stay out long.
Maybe try this "cooperation" she wants.
The Shinbi Library holds countless books brimming with unknown knowledge. But the world doesn't run on books alone—and some volumes never make it here.
Maybe Grandmother appointed me librarian to expand it—not just space, but by acquiring books and patrons.
Teaming with the Bureau and her could yield big gains there.
And it's not like I can only partner with the Bureau.
The mages who'd visited before—knowledge junkies—could work too.
Even the 'White Mother' and other anomalies, if they follow rules like she initially did.
That could mean so many new books to acquire and read.
My heart raced.
So I told the Pioneer Division Chief I'd consider her cooperation offer positively.
"But first things first on the details."
"...Heh. Smart choice. You won't regret it."
She grinned confidently and left. A subtle excitement bubbled up about where this would lead.
***
Emerging from Goru Bookstore into the outside world, the Pioneer Division Chief let out a massive sigh.
"Phew... Finally over."
Black vehicles screeched in from alleyways.
Screech!
"Chief! You okay?!"
"Yup~. I'm fine."
"Field support team reporting in to join you. Reviewing your 'contract' status."
"No need. I didn't die, after all. That thing probably knew about the contract and held back from killing me?"
She recalled her contract with that anomalous space—a last-ditch safeguard, or insurance. A headache of a deal, but it kept the brain-squeezing entity from finishing her off.
Wiping her face with a subordinate's towel, she chuckled wryly.
"Man... Thought I was goners for real this time. If not for being a 'deity,' it'd have toyed with my mind and body before killing me."
"Should we bump the 'Shinbi Library's' rating and hand it to Processing?"
"Huh? No way. We just got a positive response. Gotta play nice. If Processing Chief gets it... Ugh, Earth's doomed. Our afterlife outpost teams would drop dead. Or worse, everyone there too."
"Pardon...?"
"Anyway, I'll handle the Shinbi Library from now on—spread the word! Heading back. I hurt!"