How Did You Do That?!

Translator : Elizabeth

"Uh..."

I doubted my ears for a moment.

The gentle voice that flowed into my ear, making my heart flutter and react the moment I heard it.

"...."

The Director looked down at me.

As if telling me the phenomenon I just experienced was a dream, she stroked my head stroke stroke as usual with her lips still closed.

No, no.

It wasn't a mistake or anything like that.

"Director."

"Hmm, hmm~"

"Just now, what was that just now?"

At those words, the hand stroking my head stopped slowly.

An expression asking what I was talking about.

At that gaze staring at me intently, I had no choice but to look at her with an expression as if craving something continuously.

"The voice just now, was Director's, right? Right...?"

At my words.

The Director smiled once again and nodded her head slowly.

"....!"

Holding the Director's apron tightly with both hands lest she run away somewhere, I asked again.

"How?! How did you do it...?!"

"....."

"Can't you do it just once, just once more...?"

Please...

Without even realizing my body was trembling finely unknowingly—

I looked up at the Director feeling the stinging sensation in my eyes.

Director, Sunshine Daycare's Director.

The pitiful Director who lost the Daycare she loved due to people wearing black suits.

Thanks to the experience in the 'Underground Merchant Guild' the Director sent me to this time, I could have conviction in various ways.

That the Director is not in her current form because she wanted to be.

But, that's not what's important right now.

"Did, well."

"Hiiiing..."

At my earnest request, the Director's voice flows out through her fine lips once again.

I couldn't control my emotions eventually and jumped into the Director's embrace again.

.. ... ....

We two just stayed still feeling each other's warmth for a long time in that state.

My mind kept spinning, thinking about how this miracle-like situation came about.

The reason the Director's speech opened up suddenly, isn't it perhaps due to the aftermath of my skill.

'Is, Is it too much self-consciousness...?'

No still, the Director must have been here alone continuously—

And I went to the Underground Merchant Guild and learned this and that a lot and grew my skill too... yeah.

Since I definitely felt the proficiency of 'Little Lamb's Embrace' increasing too, I come to think the Director's change is also related to that point.

Above all, regarding Sunshine Daycare changing from that terrible hell-like environment back then to the current warm home—

I get the conviction that I changed the Director unintentionally.

"S, So. At first some big black strange thing was guarding the entrance. But, Bella suddenly appeared there..."

"And wandering around here and there with Bella, went to Dessert Shop too, and suddenly she hugged me and to a hotel..."

"...Ah."

Excitedly conveying this and that story, I looked back at the Director with a thought of 'oops' momentarily.

She had a side reacting sensitively especially to contact with other Anomalies.

There was also the incident where the Doctor left a mark on my shoulder last time.

The Director was still smiling, but instinctively judgment stood that I should have an explanation time here.

"...But you know there. I was talking about people wearing black suits mak, uh... suddenly someone visited from outside the door."

Story about someone related to the Administration Bureau visiting.

That Bella claimed to be my guardian from such an unidentified dangerous existence, and currently in my pocket—

Up to the note and membership card that the unidentified existence handed over.

Finishing the story about the series of events, before I knew it the Director was stroking my head with a gentle touch again.

Phew... She just passes over it.

"S, So this..."

I took out the piece of paper that was in my pocket and showed it to the Director.

Flashing shiny—

"Ah, th, not this."

Pulled out the wrong membership card.

Momentarily felt the Director's gaze looking at the membership card turning cold.

I quickly took out the piece of paper received from the existence outside the door and showed it.

"This is. That bad person gave it to me, yeah... I haven't checked the content yet?"

"Hmm."

"Was thinking of just checking it there, but thought it would be good to open it with Director and discuss..."

I read the content contained in the paper carefully like that.

- The Administration Bureau wants a talent like you! Apply right now!

"......"

- Administration Bureau Location: Seoul Special City xx-gu xx-dong xxxxx....

"Uh..."

The location of the Administration Bureau was written on the paper.

Since it's the place where I worked when I was an F-Rank agent, I know the location at least.

It was exactly that place.

But, but...

"Why this to me...?"

I'm an Anomaly though?

'...No.'

Perhaps, this might be an extension of what I experienced in the Underground Merchant Guild.

Administration Bureau.

Perhaps a place not managing and controlling Anomalies, but where Anomaly itself might be lurking.

'Just what is happening.'

It wasn't a group active to rescue people from Anomalies, or to protect the world.

There is an Anomaly there.

It is clear that something terrible and vicious unimaginable when I was an agent is lurking.

'Gallery and Manual.'

Weren't they existing to protect their precious things from exactly such existences.

I grabbed my mind trying to go blank, and followed the additionally described content.

- To foolish ones, a false god they can believe and follow is needed.

False god?

It was around the time I was reading down to there.

"Ah."

Just when black smoke seemed to come down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seureureuk from the edge of the paper, soon it spat out something yellow additionally.

That thing falling onto the Director's lap fluttering pallang pallang.

Soon, I realized it took a form similar to what I saw on TV.

"Talisman?"

Piece of paper emitting a shamanistic atmosphere lushly, drawing an ominous shape in red on a yellow background.

"...Doing as they please from beginning to end."

When talking back then, saying it's goodwill or whatever and sign of sincerity.

Is this telling me to solve a riddle homework or what.

Rather give me a bill made of yellow...! Hmph.

"Ah, Director."

Leaving me like that, the Director stroked my head slowly again as if telling me to calm down.

...Ah, suddenly became tired.

As soon as I came back, couldn't rest and talked this and that with the Director—

Feel like fatigue I forgot in the meantime is rushing in suddenly...

"Director. I'm sleepy."

"Hmm."

"You know, there is something I really want to ask when I wake up, yaaawn..."

Eyes keep closing.

Since I went out, have to wash and sleep though.

Since tension is released, keep, consciousness becomes hazy—

"Zzz..."

Before I knew it, I fell into deep drowsiness on the Director's lap and consciousness sank down, further down.

.. ... ....

"Ing?"

When I regained consciousness again like that, I became a state of regaining consciousness somewhere in a forest thick with fog—

Not the Daycare I knew.

Ey, surely. No, right?

Shoulders trembled oso-so at the familiar feeling, but I looked around collecting my mind with effort.

Back straightens stiffly on its own, and mind becomes clearly clear.

However, some sense of heterogeneity was felt continuously.

「▶ This place seems to be inside your dream.」

Dream?

Never had such a strange and vivid dream in my life...?

Vividness comparable to virtual reality, incomparable even to be treated as a lucid dream!

"So, why..."

When I couldn't move from the spot standing for a long time and was looking around here and there.

"....!"

From deep in the forest, someone's voice flowed in faintly.

"Wh, What..."

Tone emitting a dreamy feeling lushly, as if a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grandmother ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠telling an old story.

"Wh, Who are you...?"

Mountain Lord...?

Tiger reigning in the mountain, something like that?

As my thoughts reached there, I remembered the existence of the talisman I received through the existence outside the door.

'Because of that...?'

Am I hearing a strange voice and words in the dream world like this now.

Rustle...

Between the trees of the forest full of fog.

Something passing by rustling was felt.

What was glimpsed was a huge something with black stripes engraved on a yellow background.

Appearance of a tiger of a size that wouldn't be strange even if it snatched a small physique like me in an instant and disappeared was seen.

"W, Wait..."

Ending with such appearance, my consciousness drifted away in an instant, and submerged in deep darkness again.

... ... ...

"Haaat...!"

Waking up startled in place, this time a familiar scene welcomed me.

My room, fluffy bed and pleasant smell.

...Did the Director move me here? No, wait.

Lowering my head at the alien texture felt in hand, the yellow talisman I unfolded earlier is located crumpled.

"...This."

As expected, seems related to Mountain Lord or whatever earlier.

Just what did they give me and leave...

Going out with such icky sensation, Director's figure was not seen.

Is she resting for a moment now.

Shall I go to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the kitchen and eat rice first, and think slowly...

Think I have to call out the Gallery Mod and ask this and that. And, think I have to think about whether I might get involved in this matter once.

'Goodwill.'

Can the experience just now really be viewed as goodwill toward me as the existence outside the door said...?

No in the first place, it's questionable how much they know about me too.

"Hmmmmm...!"

Mm, will eat rice first for now.

Wouldn't something come to mind if I put delicious things in my mouth?

Walking the hallway and going to the kitchen like that, a familiar shape was seen from afar.

White gown, and a somewhat simple-looking man.

"Uh-uh!"

"Haha, hello."

"Doctor!"

What! How did you come?!

With heart beating thump thump, I ran to the Doctor who visited the Daycare suddenly.