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Chapter 7: Anomaly
Matching the job description… Wait, did I ever ask about what the Cleansing Bureau does?
It felt as if a foggy window had been wiped clean or a theater curtain had been pulled back. The "job description" Leon had inexplicably forgotten suddenly surged back into his mind, breaking through the blockade of the red-haired woman’s alluring smile.
Otherworldly demons trying to harvest souls, insane evil gods attempting to impose their will, radical deities aiming to control the world, strange entities born from human obsessions, oceanic species planning to invade the land, prehistoric civilizations sealed in polar glaciers, undead spirits escaping the normal time sequence, ancient creatures living deep beneath the earth’s crust, and indigenous creatures thriving on the far side of the moon….
Gasp...
Beads of sweat began to form on Leon’s face, almost instantly. For every additional task he recalled from the red-haired woman’s explanation, his sweating intensified.
A primal instinct seemed to scream warnings into his very being. That stunning yet dangerous red-haired woman probably wasn’t joking with him.
As Leon strained to recall the Cleansing Bureau’s responsibilities and gauge just how dangerous this “out-of-control Contaminated” might be, Anna was wheeled in by two nurses, looking equally uneasy.
“Elder Brother?”
Seeing Leon in the intensive care unit brought a faint sense of relief to the pale-faced girl. Her tightly drawn features softened slightly as she pleaded urgently:
“Cough… They must’ve made a mistake! Cough cough… There’s no way we can afford a private ward, but no matter how much I explain, they just… cough cough cough… Elder Brother, please talk to them! We… cough cough cough…”
“Don’t worry, they didn’t make a mistake!”
Hearing Anna’s gut-wrenching coughing, Leon quickly got up, taking two steps to cover the distance of three. Together with the nurses, he helped transfer his struggling sister to the hospital bed, comforting her gently:
“I got the job I applied for yesterday. I’m now an Accident Handler under the Police Department, and my position comes with medical coverage. We don’t need to spend a coin from home!”
Got the job? And it’s a civil servant position of the kingdom too?
Anna’s eyes lit up, and a faint blush of excitement crept onto her pale cheeks. She seemed ready to say something but quickly reconsidered. Given her brother’s current circumstances, it didn’t seem likely he could land a decent job. But the hospital’s actions couldn’t be faked, so…
“Elder Brother… Please tell me the truth!”
Mustering strength from who knows where, the frail girl gripped the bed’s side rail and forced herself upright, glaring at Leon with urgency:
“Did you… cough cough… did you take on some dangerous work to pay for my treatment? You… cough cough cough…”
“It’s not dangerous! Not dangerous at all! I’m perfectly safe!”
“Liar!”
Hearing Leon’s explanation only made Anna more anxious. Covering her mouth as she coughed, she clung to the rail with an angry retort:
“If it’s not dangerous, then how… cough cough… how could you afford a private ward… cough cough cough cough…”
“You’re in no state to be shouting right now!”
Placing his hands on Anna’s shoulders, Leon gently but firmly pushed his crimson-faced sister back onto the bed. Then, he quickly explained:
“My job really isn’t dangerous. The reason the benefits are so good is because there are no holidays. I have to be on call year-round and respond immediately whenever something happens. The work is also very difficult.”
He pulled out his Black Iron Badge and unfolded his credentials, revealing the title “Level 3 Incident Responder.” With a straight face, he continued his impromptu fabrication:
“See my job title? Incident Responder! My position is part of the Cleansing Bureau under the Police Department. Normally, I… uh… I mainly handle crime scene investigations and cleanup of incidents like murders or accidents.
“For example, if there’s a serial dismemberment case or a massive traffic pileup, I’m the one who cleans up the bloody, gory aftermath—the kind of scenes that make ordinary people throw up after just one glance!
“The work is exhausting, dirty, and downright creepy, so no one really wants to do it. That’s why the benefits are decent. Feel better now?”
Cleansing Bureau? Responsible for crime scene cleanup?
Hearing her brother’s explanation, Anna hesitated before cautiously asking: “Really?”
“Really!” Not wanting to reveal that he had joined a perilous and mysterious department where death was a constant shadow, Leon solemnly raised his right hand, swearing: “If I’m lying, may I remain single for life, never finding—”
“Elder Brother! Don’t say such things!” Anna grabbed Leon’s arm and pinched it hard, forcing him to swallow the rest of his sentence. Only then did her gaunt face show a measure of relief.
Cleaning up gruesome crime scenes wasn’t an ideal job, but it was certainly better than mining, furnaces burning, or becoming a test subject. Given their current situation, they couldn’t afford to be picky.
While it was under the relatively risky Police Department, the Cleansing Bureau sounded more like a logistics branch, similar to the Department of Public Works’ Cleaning Bureau. Aside from being dirty, exhausting, and terrifying, her brother probably wouldn’t face much actual danger. Still…
It’s all my fault for burdening him…
Biting her pale lips, Anna clasped Leon’s hand, lowering her head apologetically: “Elder Brother, when we get back to Veteran’s Alley, if anyone asks about your job, just say you work for the Police Department. Don’t mention anything about dismemberment or your specific duties.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Because you’ll still need to settle down someday.”
Holding her brother’s hand tightly, the thin girl looked at him with concern: “Cleaning up dismembered bodies isn’t shameful, but it might still carry… certain perceptions. If word spreads about your job, it’ll be hard to find a good match.”
“…” Looking at his frail sister, who despite her condition was worrying about his prospects, Leon couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Seriously? Someone like me thinking about marriage?
Considering the Cleansing Bureau’s absurdly hazardous duties, he was more likely to consider a posthumous marriage partner than a living one.
“Don’t worry; I’m not stupid. I won’t mention it.”
Aware that his job might claim his life at any moment, Leon had long abandoned any thoughts of settling down. But there was no need to tell Anna that.
Looking at his sister, who clearly took the matter to heart, Leon couldn’t help but laugh as he promised:
“As for marriage, leave that to me. When the time comes, I’ll find the best sister-in-law for you.”
Having reassured Anna, Leon, still preoccupied with the “out-of-control Contaminated,” took a deep breath and turned to one of the nurses.
“Excuse me, where is the, um, more robust doctor? Didn’t he come?”
“The doctor wanted to come.” Hearing Leon’s question, the nurse immediately explained apologetically:
“But as we were on our way, the hospital’s emergency alarm sounded. A large number of critical patients were admitted due to what seems to have been a public emergency.
“According to hospital rules, all doctors of head level and above must respond to such incidents. He had no choice but to go… but don’t worry. Before he left, he emphasized that your sister would receive the best treatment.”
A public emergency… Could it be related to that “out-of-control Contaminated”?
Recalling the Cleansing Bureau’s nightmarish scope of work, Leon tensed. He instinctively wanted to grab Anna and run, keeping her far from the danger.
But glancing at the IV in her arm and her utterly frail appearance, he hesitated. Instead, he pulled one of the nurses aside into the hallway and whispered:
“How bad is my sister’s condition? Can I stop her IV and take her home for now?”
“Uh… that’s not advisable.” The nurse looked troubled as she explained: “The doctor knew you would ask about the condition, so he specifically briefed us on your sister's situation earlier.
“Because she stopped her medication for two months, three-quarters of her right lung has been destroyed by alchemical fumes, and her left lung has significant damage as well. Her condition is only stable thanks to the constant intravenous infusion of cell regeneration agents.
“If you stop treatment and take her home, it could delay her recovery. Worst case, her right lung might need to be fully removed, significantly shortening her life expectancy. She could even—wait, where are you going?”
"I’m just heading home to grab something," Leon said, hurrying out of the hospital room. "Please, stay with her and don’t go outside, no matter what happens!"
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