Subjugation Squad Moving Out

Translator : Elizabeth

Since it was the Settlement Support Division's duty to monitor and record whether interdimensional transferees were adapting to their job experiences, I couldn't focus solely on Lily and Yukino. I had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to go around checking various workplaces where other transferees were assigned.

Although Charles was helping diligently, there were ultimately only the two of us in the department. Consequently, we hadn't been able to rest properly since the one-week break we had right after the initial assignments.

Fortunately, the people in this batch came equipped with the mindset that they "must do their best not to cause trouble for Lady Lily!", so there were no incidents of them causing trouble at the workplaces.

On the contrary, we caught workplaces attempting to force transferees to work overtime—which isn't allowed by regulation—by "crisis-lighting" them, claiming "the company is in a crisis these days."

We caught 11 places I inspected and 7 places Charles inspected doing the exact same "crisis-lighting" to force overtime. It's been three years since the Settlement Support Division was established, yet the script hasn't changed.

Naturally, they all faced full cuts and returns of subsidies, revocation of eligibility as transferee pilot employment companies, a ban on selection for the next 5 years, high-intensity tax investigations, and even heavy fines, making them scream "Ack!"

While writing administrative order forms for the violating companies, Charles grumbled.

"No, I've only been doing this for a year, but are these guys connected via the Khala or something? How are their locations and industries all different, yet their excuses are exactly the same? If every quarter of every year is a crisis, why run a company? If it's such a crisis, they should just close down, file for bankruptcy, and go through individual rehabilitation procedures, but not a single one does that."

She has adapted wonderfully to modern society and become a proper member of society.

When she was first found a year ago, she was like a cat with its hackles raised in anger.

Charles was so commendable I was on the verge of tears.

"Anyway, these people lie whenever they open their mouths. Checking the reviews for some places, they are habitual offenders of crisis-lighting. They need to be hit with financial penalties to experience a real crisis and come to their senses. Where do they get off trying to pull tricks on transferees who don't know anything yet just because they can't scam anyone else? No matter how I think about it, I think we should teach transferees labor laws first rather than job experience or social/cultural education—"

"Sniff...!"

"Eh? S-Senior? Why? Is something wrong? Why are you tearing up?"

"No... I'm just tearing up because I'm so moved."

Perhaps because of the memory of getting injured while swept up in Lily and Yukino's fight, Charles seemed a bit awkward with those two, but in reality, she was such an excellent subordinate.

She was found when I thought I was going to die from overwork, and after going through education like any other transferee, she volunteered saying she wanted to do this job.

Although she had a somewhat immature and willful ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠side, she was quick-witted and adapted considerably fast. Thanks to that, she was now performing the Settlement Support Division's work perfectly.

Seeing me moved, Charles seemed to realize something, lifting her chin arrogantly and puffing out her chest with a confident smile.

"Heheh, what is it? Have you finally realized the value of this junior? Or have you fallen for your cute, pretty, and lovely junior all over again?"

This is why I shouldn't praise her too much.

"Ah, I was about to be moved until just a moment ago, but I changed my mind."

"Ah, whyyy!"

"Never mind that, just hurry up and finish those administrative orders. Still, since you worked well and are commendable, finish that up, and if there's nothing else to do, I'll let you off work early today."

Then Charles's cat ears pricked up.

"Ooh, really? Senior, no going back on your word? You definitely said you'd let me off?"

"I said I would."

Just then, I felt something was off and added a word.

"By the way, why are you subtly speaking informally?"

"Eh? When did I?"

"You're doing it right now."

"Ay, you must be mistaken. Would an embodiment of politeness like me dare to speak informally to my Senior?"

Even now, she used "na-gateun" (informal 'I') instead of "jeo-gateun" (formal 'I').

Suddenly realizing that fact, I recalled that Charles's tone had become like this over the past month or two.

"Half-honorifics." She usually seems to use polite language, but whenever the atmosphere gets a bit comfortable, she subtly drops formalities.

She had never done this before, but suddenly she's acting like this. She's over 20; did puberty hit just now?

"Charles, come here and sit down. Are you trying to walk all over your sky-high Senior now? Back in my day, among civil servants, there was a disgusting culture called 'Serving Day' or handing out probation rice cakes, and nurses who didn't even go to the military did trashy things called 'burning' (hazing) worse than the military as if breathing. You should know how blessed you are right now—"

"Isn't that a culture they said existed only before the interdimensional transfer phenomenon? Wow, boom..."

"What."

"Ahem, anyway, I'm not trying to walk over you. No, aren't you being too harsh? It's already been a year since we worked together seeing each other's faces every day; aren't we close enough for that? Please respect a cute junior's way of expressing friendliness."

Thinking about it quietly, it seems her tone became like this around the time she submitted that petition...

I gained a sudden intense realization and found the answer.

Smirking, I asked Charles.

"Charles, I get it now."

"Get what?"

"Come to think of it, you asked me to grant one wish for submitting that petition last time, right? Don't tell me this was that wish? Asking me to buy a meal was just an excuse, right? Since saying it directly seemed rude, you hoped I'd notice while you subtly used half-honorifics. Ha, really. Should I laugh or be dumbfounded? To think such a trivial thing was your wish... Well, if it's that much, there's no reason I can't grant it."

"Eh? That's not it?"

"Right, naturally I thought... It's not?"

It wasn't?!

"I haven't even decided how to use that wish yet? Huh? But Senior just said that much isn't something you can't accept, right? Then I'm going to treat you a bit comfortably like this from now on? Is that okay? You said it was okay with your own mouth?"

"No, so I have to allow half-honorifics AND grant your wish separately later? You tricked me, Charles!"

"Did I trick you? You tricked yourself. Then Senior, I'll keep my wish for later, so please take care of me! Here, administrative orders are done! I'm going home then♥"

Charles waved at me while wagging her tail and hurriedly left the office before I could change my mind.

She seems to be taking me lightly just because I gave her a wish coupon; I'll have to discipline her sooner or later.

Thinking so, I stamped the administrative orders Charles submitted, wrote additional ones for the violating workplaces I identified separately, bundled them up, and sent them up.

After writing evaluations on the adaptation levels of transferees I checked during additional inspections, it was already close to quitting time.

"Ugh... Since the kid who chatters beside me every day is gone, the office feels a bit lonely. I should get going too."

Stretching and getting up from my seat, I packed my bag and prepared to return to the dorms.

Just then.

Weee-ooo-weee-ooo-

I heard loud emergency alarms from the building with the Headquarters medical center, and saw several ambulances hurriedly stopping in front of the medical building.

Medical staff poured out of the medical center and hurriedly transported people on stretchers inside. The number was quite large; well over dozens of people were being carried in.

Simultaneously, several vehicles were seen lining up and leaving from the building where the Subjugation Squad headquarters was located, heading somewhere.

A moment later, a message arrived on my phone via Talk.

It was Lily.

[Hey Jung Hyun-soo!]

[They say we're deploying somewhere!]

[They say it's actual combat? They told me not to intervene but watch how the Subjugation Squad performs missions, what do I do? Should I really just watch? That's boring]

And around a similar time, a message arrived from Yukino too.

Yukino, perhaps slower to adapt to modern tech than Lily, sent messages quite slowly.

[Dear. It. Is. Yukino]

[They. Say. It. Is. Combat. So. We. Are. Deploying. Too. Did. A. Yokai. Appear? Also. Mr. Lee Min-ho. Keeps. Telling. Me. To. Trust. Only. Him. And. Tries. To. Touch. My. Shoulder. So. I. Am. Annoyed. Can. I. Knock. Him. Out?]

I sent quick replies to both of them.

[Unless the situation gets serious, just watch as instructed for now. I know nothing will happen to you given your skills, but really, if by any one-in-a-million chance something happens, you must take care of your own safety first. Okay?]

[Yukino, let's hold off on beating up Lee Min-ho for now. Given your level, nothing will happen, but please take care of yourself. Unless the situation gets serious, don't intervene unnecessarily and just watch as instructed for now.]

I advised the two that it would be better not to intervene unnecessarily and returned to the dorms.

Rolling around in the dorm for a while, I sent this and that message to Lily and Yukino, but since neither knew the place names here well, they didn't know where they were going.

I didn't know the details of Subjugation Squad work either, so I had no further advice to give. After conveying light worry and regards as a husband to be safe, I had dinner at the staff cafeteria, drank a cup of tea at a cafe, and returned to the dorms.

Walking down the hallway to my room, I met Hunter Lee Jung-woo from the Search Team this time.

"Oh my, isn't it Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo!"

Last time, when I made the "request"—no, bribe—to write the petition against punishment, I gave him and the other injured people pills. After taking them, they were extremely grateful to me, saying they became stronger by a level physically and ability-wise.

Seeing me, Lee Jung-woo was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠very glad and ran over quickly to shake my hand.

"Hunter Lee Jung-woo, long time no see. Is your body healthy now?"

"Healthy and then some! Since taking the medicine the Section Chief gave me back then, I'm overflowing with power I can't control! I'm thinking of applying for a transfer to the Subjugation Squad at this opportunity. Hahaha!"

"Is it to that extent? I hope it works out well."

Smiling and shaking hands with Lee Jung-woo, since I had at least a little acquaintance with him, I asked him a question to find out where Lily and Yukino went.

"By the way, Mr. Lee Jung-woo. Around quitting time earlier, I saw a huge number of patients being transported to the medical center. Did something happen outside?"

"Ah... Yes, the Search Team Hunters dispatched this time suffered heavy injuries..."

"Did monsters pour out or something?"

"No, that's probably not it. According to the people who were hit before, they definitely saw a silhouette of something human-like..."

"It wasn't just one or two people; you must feel bad. They must be your fellow Search Team colleagues..."

Lee Jung-woo's face darkened.

"It's a miracle they aren't dead. Total accumulated casualties right now are probably well over 800."

"800 people were hurt like that, and there was no action until now?"

"You know how the Countermeasures Headquarters works. They hide bad news and make sure commendable achievements are reported extensively in the media... Since there was nothing good about letting this be known, they hid it."

I clicked my tongue. Tsk.

I knew the Headquarters handled things that way, but delaying until over 800 people ended up in that state was too much.

"A few hours ago, the Subjugation Squad lined up and deployed somewhere. It must be because of that matter."

"Ah, correct. Originally, the Headquarters was hesitating to clearly define the faction that caused this as an enemy, but since there are too many injured Search Team Hunters this time, it seems they finally drew their swords."

"Do you happen to know where they are going? I have two interdimensional transferee acquaintances in the Subjugation Squad, but they aren't familiar with place names, so they don't even know where they are going."

"It's Taebaek. Specifically, not the city area, but the rugged mountain area nearby. Since those guys' range of activity is so wide, the Subjugation Squad will suffer a bit too."

"I see, Taebaek..."

Muttering following Lee Jung-woo's words, I felt something gradually surfacing in my mind.

"...... Wait a minute, did you say Taebaek?"

"Yes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that's right. You know, interdimensional transfers occurred in 4 places at once a few months ago? It's one of those places, and it's been causing trouble continuously since then. If my memory serves, someone was caught on the surveillance camera right before the fog spread back then, but it was so instantaneous..."

I fully recalled the memory and broke out in a cold sweat.

If left alone, it would be a disaster of no ordinary proportions.

'That... That's where Grandine is...! N-No!'

"Eh? Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo?"

Without even being able to say goodbye to Lee Jung-woo, I ran straight to my room, grabbed my car keys, ran back down to the parking lot, and started the engine.

And stepping on the accelerator full throttle, I raced towards Taebaek.