The Man with the Frame
Various dishes crowded the table, far too extravagant for a mere breakfast. The room service was already pricey compared to ordinary restaurants, but Kain didn't seem to care in the slightest. Instead, he picked at the expensive food with half-lidded eyes, still half-asleep, as if he wasn't even tasting it properly. His head kept nodding forward, and the thick horn-rimmed glasses perched on his nose gradually lost their battle against gravity, sliding lower and lower.
Across from him, Arina stared at the lavish spread with the same indifferent expression. Getting worked up over expensive hotel room service had only lasted a day or two. At first she had taken photos from every angle, worried whether they could finish it all, and exclaimed over how delicious everything was. But after Kain repeatedly ordered room service every morning, claiming the breakfast buffet was too much trouble, even that initial excitement had completely worn off.
"Where are we going today?"
Kain set down his chopsticks and lifted his head toward her. Had he already finished that enormous amount of food? Arina tilted her head as she looked at the spotless plates in front of him.
Come to think of it, I've never seen Uncle leave any food behind.
Still, finishing all of that was impressive. On the first day she had been too dazzled by the hotel room service to notice, but now she realized just how much her uncle ate since arriving here. He had always eaten whatever she prepared without complaint, but perhaps the portions had been insufficient. Of course, Kain was simply eating more than usual because he wanted Arina to try as many different dishes as possible while they were on vacation.
"Ariaadna Square."
Arina answered Kain's question while reflecting on his unspoken consideration, unaware of it.
"Again?" Kain's voice carried clear surprise. "We went there just a few days ago."
Was there really any need to visit the same place twice? Or had she liked it so much that she wanted to go back? She did seem to enjoy the street busking last time. Well, if she wanted to go again, he would go. He simply couldn't understand the desire to revisit the same location.
"Lila is performing there today."
Arina gave him an incredulous look. Kain let out a small sound of realization.
"Was that today?"
He hadn't forgotten that Lila was doing a busking performance. He simply hadn't cared enough to remember the exact date. Thinking that time really flew, Kain pulled his smartphone from his pocket.
That was close.
The battery was at nineteen percent. If they went out like this, the phone would probably die on the street again. He stood up, plugged the charger into the phone, and placed it on the shelf before adjusting his slipping glasses.
"When are we leaving?"
"It starts at noon, so if we want good seats we should probably head out by ten, don't you think?"
That left roughly thirty minutes. Fast charging should be enough to get a decent amount of battery. Kain nodded to himself.
The police job experience course lasted a full week. As the name suggested, participants directly experienced police work. The curriculum consisted of two patrol sessions—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—along with various indoor training sessions in between.
"As I mentioned yesterday, starting today we'll divide into six teams of two and patrol different districts."
The day after Jeon Raydel met Julia Evergreen of Special Investigation Unit Team 1. Following the officer's instructions, Jeon looked at Togun, who had been assigned to the same team for B District, and spoke.
"We're lucky."
Their patrol area covered Melody Street and Ariaadna Square—a typical tourist route. Unlike Jeon, whose main goal was the police exam experience itself, Togun's primary purpose here was sightseeing. A bright smile naturally spread across his face at Jeon's words.
It looked really pretty when we glanced at it yesterday.
The sound of singing from all directions, the painted art scattered across the ground—when he had walked the entire patrol area with Julia Evergreen the day before, Ariaadna Square had left the strongest impression. He could understand why someone named Ariadna had once performed busking there.
"Hello. I'm Officer Bin. I'll be patrolling with you for the remaining six days."
Today they had more time than yesterday, so they could take it slower. While Togun fidgeted with anticipation, a man approached the two of them and introduced himself. Was he new? He looked relatively young compared to the others and moved with somewhat stiff, nervous motions. Though he wore a smile, it was clearly forced—his expression remained visibly tense.
"Jeon Raydel."
"Togun Masao! Please take care of us!"
The two bowed their heads in greeting. The tension on Bin's face eased slightly.
"We'll rotate patrol zones daily. Today we'll cover B District—Melody Street and Ariaadna Square—as shown on the map we just distributed."
The six teams of two split off toward their assigned areas. Jeon and Togun followed behind Bin like the others.
"If you pass the police exam, you'll usually start as a patrol officer like me unless something special happens."
That "something special" referred to being scouted directly into a unit like Special Investigation right after joining, thanks to outstanding credentials and excellent exam scores—like Julia Evergreen. It was also the very thing Jeon Raydel was aiming for. That was why he had come all the way to Vivaldi Territory for this police job experience.
"And patrol duty will be one of the most essential and important tasks for all of you."
Police ranks were divided into eleven levels, from the lowest patrol officer to the highest commissioner general. The bottom three ranks—patrol officer, senior patrol officer, and sergeant—were non-commissioned and made up roughly eighty-five percent of all officers. Unlike commissioned officers who responded to incidents after reports came in, non-commissioned officers focused primarily on crime prevention and discovery. That was why they patrolled whenever they had a spare moment at the local station.
"Unless you're like me, you'll probably start your police career in the capital. One thing you should know is that the types of crimes that commonly occur vary slightly by region."
For example, in Vivaldi, the high influx of tourists meant pickpocketing occurred more frequently than in other areas. Most reports to the station involved lost or stolen items. That was also why Vivaldi Territory had the second-highest number of street CCTV cameras in the entire Ellemental Kingdom, after the capital Raymond.
"When you patrol later, focusing on those aspects will be helpful. For today, just keep what I've said in mind while looking around. If you have any questions during the patrol, feel free to ask me anytime."
Pickpocketing. It was certainly one of the easiest crimes to commit against strangers. But if not prevented in time, it could easily escalate into violent robbery. Thinking this, Jeon followed Bin while carefully observing his surroundings. Numerous people walked the streets around him—couples walking arm in arm, a child skipping between parents while holding their hands, women chatting happily as they strolled, groups of tourists moving while listening to a guide's explanation, and an elderly couple reminiscing over an old LP record in front of a shop. Their actions differed, yet every single face was filled with happiness.
"……"
Watching them, Jeon renewed his resolve. He would definitely become a police officer and protect their happiness. No matter the form, crime was a despicable act that stole that happiness from people—just like the dark mages who had killed his father and taken his own happiness away.
I won't create any more victims like myself.
His biggest reason for becoming a special police officer was revenge against the dark mages who committed crimes, but beneath that lay this motivation as well. Just as he was steeling his determination with these thoughts, he suddenly noticed Togun staring intently at something.
"What's wrong? See something strange?"
Jeon turned his gaze in the direction Togun was looking. Nothing particularly unusual stood out. All he saw was a man walking among the crowd—an ordinary-looking man with no suspicious qualities whatsoever.
"No, I just thought it was strange how he's carrying a picture frame like that."
"A picture frame?"
Where was this picture frame? Jeon frowned at Togun's words and began examining the man more carefully.
"……"
Then he noticed it. A faint mana field surrounded the man—a simple perception distortion created through a magical tool. It wasn't a crime. Celebrities who didn't want attention often used the same method.
Does the Mana Rejecter constitution make perception-hindering magic ineffective too?
After glancing at Togun in surprise, Jeon focused on the man again. As the misty mana dispersed, the man's true appearance came into view—hollow eyes, a scruffy, uneven beard that hadn't been groomed in a while, and a blank expression as he walked listlessly. In his arms, just as Togun had said, was a small picture frame. It contained a photo of a young girl smiling brightly.
"……"
The moment he saw it, Jeon's expression hardened. The man's face was extremely familiar. It closely resembled the photo posted on the police agency website that he checked every day.
"Officer."
"Yes? What is it?"
"What should we do if we spot a wanted criminal during patrol?"
Bin tilted his head, not understanding the question at first.
"First, report the situation to headquarters. Then, if possible, tail them discreetly until backup arrives so they don't get away."
Of course, it depended on the situation, but the standard procedure was to report before taking action. You never knew what might happen if you tried something alone.
"Could you report it right away, then?"
Without taking his eyes off the man carrying the picture frame, Jeon spoke.
"I think we've found a wanted criminal."
A few months ago, a single incident had occurred. Someone had brutally murdered an elderly couple in the Irumu Barony and fled to another territory. The prime suspect in that case—which had even made the news—was currently walking right in front of them.