Julia Evergreen
Julia Evergreen. A mage assigned to Violent Crime Team 1 of the Special Investigation Unit, an elite group within the Ellemental Kingdom's police force. Famous even among her fellow officers for her exceptional track record, she was currently sprawled in a smoking shelter tucked away in a corner of Vivaldi Territory, staring blankly at the ceiling like some idle slacker.
Why on earth am I here?
Her sigh sent a thick plume of cigarette smoke swirling across her vision. Gazing into that dense haze, Julia suddenly drifted back into the past.
"You'll need to head out to Vivaldi Territory for a while."
One ordinary day, dressed in her usual comfortable clothes, she had been lying flat on the floor scratching her belly, savoring a rare long vacation. The sudden phone call from her team leader made her frown deeply.
"Do I really have to go?"
Normally, police departments had clearly assigned jurisdictions. Most of their work was limited to the capital, Raymond, and unless there were special circumstances, other territories were left to the local nobles to maintain order on their own. Establishing separate police branches elsewhere was extremely rare.
But the Special Investigation Unit, which handled incidents originating from the underworld, was an exception to that rule. Their operational range covered the entire Ellemental Kingdom rather than being confined to fixed districts. On top of that, the danger level of their work meant they were severely understaffed relative to their workload, so it was only natural that they never got a moment's rest.
That was why being dispatched outside the capital wasn't strange for her. What puzzled Julia was that after the recent negotiations with the underworld, there had been almost no cases requiring the unit's involvement.
Do they really need me to go?
As she'd said, this was an unexpected extended vacation after days of barely sleeping while working nonstop. Once she started resting, she wanted to refuse anything that wasn't truly urgent or important. It was an irresponsible thing to think for a police officer tasked with protecting public safety, but she couldn't help it.
"Sorry, but your vacation is over."
"...Has the deal with the underworld been completed?"
"No. The situation has changed, and we're shifting to a cooperative framework."
"......"
What was that supposed to mean? The police, who upheld law and order, cooperating with the underworld that disrupted it? This isn't some corrupt cop drama. She couldn't make sense of how the situation had developed.
"I'll send the detailed briefing by email later. This matter is classified as top secret, personally sealed by His Majesty the King and the Majoan himself, so be especially careful about maintaining confidentiality."
"Understood. What exactly will my mission be?"
As her team leader said, she could check the details in the email. What mattered now was the content of the mission she would be undertaking. In an instant, Julia's lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by the sharp gaze of the Special Investigation Unit's ace as she listened attentively to what came next.
"The underworld sent us information."
As her team leader continued, Julia's expression gradually twisted. From what she was hearing, this was definitely something that fell under the unit's purview. Whether judged by the need for secrecy or the danger level, it was serious. In fact, even for the Special Investigation Unit, it was exceptionally hazardous. After all, missions involving an eight-star superhuman were hardly common.
"Understood."
Even knowing all that, Julia accepted the mission without hesitation. No one in the Special Investigation Unit was the type to refuse a job simply because it was dangerous. They were people with an ironclad sense of duty, willing to lay down their lives for the justice they pursued. Julia Evergreen was no exception, and her unwavering response prompted an ominous "Ah" from her team leader before he added:
"Now that I think about it, they're running a police experience course for children in Vivaldi. Since you're going anyway, stop by and take a look."
As mentioned earlier, aside from the capital Raymond, several territories maintained public order with assistance from police headquarters. The city of art known as Vivaldi was one of them. With an uncountable number of tourists flooding in every year, the territory's own capabilities weren't enough to maintain security on its own.
"Why me?"
She hadn't shown the slightest hesitation toward the incredibly dangerous mission earlier, yet these additional words from her team leader made her reflexively protest.
"The Special Investigation Unit has a strong image among the public as an elite gathering within the police. And it's true. Wouldn't the children doing the career experience like it if you went in person?"
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do there."
"Just tell them some stories from your experiences or talk about impressive cases. Or take the kids on a patrol around the city."
"I've never done a single patrol."
She had already stood out before becoming a police officer, and the moment she joined, her team leader had immediately snatched her up. There had never been any opportunity for her to do the kind of patrols normally handled by local precincts.
"Then this is the perfect chance to try it. You've been resting plenty until now anyway. It's not that difficult."
That was true. Still, she couldn't help feeling reluctant about being saddled with the task. She had never particularly liked children, either.
"Sigh... understood. I'll do that too."
But what could she do? A mere salaried employee had to follow orders from above. If they weren't at least offering decent hazard pay, I might have thrown a proper fit.
Back in the present, Julia shook her head at the blurring cigarette smoke and stubbed out the butt in the ashtray sitting in the middle of the smoking shelter. The moment she opened the door and stepped out, she had to forcibly swallow back the sigh that nearly escaped at the sight of all those sparkling young eyes focused entirely on her.
That's the Special Investigation Unit officer.
Among those shining gazes was Jeon Raydel, who harbored dreams of joining the unit himself. His usual icy eyes had melted into something gentle, as if welcoming the arrival of spring.
Her frame was so slender it was hard to believe she belonged to the Special Investigation Unit. The suit that clung perfectly to her body made her look more like a successful career woman than a detective. Her sharply slanted eyes and the neat, tightly bound hair gave off an atmosphere that seemed to tolerate no mistakes whatsoever.
The faint smell of cigarettes clinging to her clothes after the one she'd just finished was unavoidable. Yet even that worked as a positive in Jeon Raydel's eyes. It was as if that scent indirectly spoke for the hidden struggles beneath her outwardly perfect appearance. It carried a lonely feeling, like watching a noir film.
Is she really that amazing?
In contrast, Togun—who had simply tagged along after Jeon—couldn't sense the weight behind the title of Special Investigation Unit at all. He merely tilted his head while watching Julia approach.
To be honest, he had heard plenty about her from Jeon on the way here, but that level of career achievement was basically the baseline for the academy professors they saw every day during the semester.
"Nice to meet you all."
While some watched her with eyes full of admiration and others with gazes more indifferent than expected, she introduced herself for the first time in front of the children, who were being well-managed by the local Vivaldi police.
"As you've probably already heard, let me introduce myself once more. I am Julia Evergreen, a mage with Violent Crime Team 1 of the Special Investigation Unit."
"......"
"To be completely honest, my coming here was a very sudden, last-minute decision, so I haven't prepared anything specific. I was assigned directly to this department right after becoming a police officer, so I only have a general idea of what other departments do."
"......"
"Therefore, today we'll patrol this city together. I'll explain what the Special Investigation Unit does and take any questions you might have."
"......"
"I'm told that starting tomorrow, the patrol routes will be divided among different officers, so consider today's route as preparation. It would be good to familiarize yourselves with the general layout as we go around."
With those words, Julia nodded toward the rear, and a uniformed officer stepped forward to distribute maps to each of the twelve children participating in the career experience.
"Although we call it a patrol, this is also the first day, so please think of it as more of a casual walk to confirm the route we'll be following starting tomorrow."
Come to think of it, it was rather amusing. She herself had only arrived in this city yesterday, yet here she was supposedly guiding others. There was no way she could properly conduct a patrol when she didn't even know the streets.
"If everyone has their maps, let's get moving. I'll leave the guidance to you."
"Yes! Understood!"
It wasn't just the children sending her admiring looks. At Julia's words, one officer gave her a respectful salute filled with longing and walked ahead to lead the way.
"As you all know, the Special Investigation Unit primarily handles matters related to the underworld," Julia continued explaining to the children as she followed behind the officer.
"However, we don't deal with every single underworld-related incident. You can think of us as a sort of special forces team that steps in to resolve major crimes that regular police branches cannot handle."
Suppressing crimes committed by large organizations operating in the underworld. Subjugating criminals of expert level or higher. They were the dedicated department that took on the big, high-stakes cases that sounded impressive just from hearing about them. In a way, the Special Investigation Unit existed somewhere between the police and the military.
"For that reason, we are sometimes deployed to dangerous missions unrelated to the underworld as well."
The Special Investigation Unit specialized in underworld matters, but that didn't mean they never got involved in anything else.
"So if we were to summarize what the Special Investigation Unit does, we're essentially the response team that handles everything regular police officers cannot."
Or in other words, the resolution team. That was why members of the Special Investigation Unit received several times more pay than regular officers under the guise of hazard compensation, and the entrance test was also several times more rigorous than for other departments. They were truly the elite of the elite.
"Money, honor, and skill. If you join us, you can certainly catch all three of those rabbits. However, I don't particularly want to recommend that you come here."
Just like the children present, and like the officer walking ahead of them, the name Special Investigation Unit represented something like a final goal for those who had set their career path in this direction. She had joined at a young age, but honestly, she wanted to discourage anyone among them from becoming her colleague. This was far too dangerous a place to enter with only half-hearted resolve.
The reason the Special Investigation Unit was so impressive was precisely because it carried that much risk. If all you wanted was money or fame, it would be better to look elsewhere.
"Then what should we prepare in order to get into that unit?"
But someone casually ignored her intentions and asked Julia a question. When she turned around, a boy with a cold expression was staring straight at her.
"Well, the most important thing would be skill, of course."
After observing him quietly for a moment, Julia turned her head forward again and answered.
"Either pass the police exam with noticeably outstanding results, or distinguish yourself during your police service to be designated as a person of interest. Then a senior officer at the team leader level will come personally to evaluate you."
That was exactly what had happened in her case. It was a unique scouting system possessed only by the Special Investigation Unit. At the same time, it was the only way to join them.
"Whether it's the former or the latter, skill is what matters most. If you still want to join a place like mine despite my warning, then build up the appropriate abilities to match."
While the others were swallowing nervously at her words, he alone had asked his question without the slightest tremor, as if he already held a firm objective. His bold attitude left quite an impression.
Jeon Raydel, was it?
Committing the name on his name tag to memory, a faint smile unconsciously formed on Julia's lips.