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Chapter 8: A Sophisticated Member of Society
For the second time in a day, Leon dashed out of the hospital room without hesitation. This time, he bypassed the crowded reception area entirely, leaped from a second-story window, and sprinted toward the Cleansing Bureau.
If taking Anna away wasn’t an option, then his only choice was clear: report to the Bureau immediately and bring back someone capable of dealing with the “Out-of-Control Contaminated.”
It was hard to tell if it was his tense state making time feel slower or if his task of “reporting to the Bureau” qualified as work and activated the boost from his Probationary Worker Badge.
Despite not sleeping all night and being utterly exhausted, Leon ran even faster than before. It wasn’t long before he reached the Bureau building.
But when he pushed through to the innermost office, lungs burning, what greeted him was an empty room.
Where was everyone?
Looking out the window at the darkened sky, Leon realized with a jolt that the workday for Civil Servants had long since ended. That enigmatic red-haired woman must have left.
This was bad. Maybe he could check the building for someone on duty?
Biting his lip in frustration, Leon was just about to leave the office when he heard a heavy thud behind him, as if something had fallen onto the carpet.
Turning back in surprise, Leon saw that a goat-head figurine had fallen off the desk. He was about to ignore it and move on when the goat head twisted unnaturally and turned to face him.
In the shocked gaze of Leon, the mouth-sewn goat head rolled its eyes a few times, then glared at him fiercely.
What the-?!
The dim hallway, the bizarrely ornate office, and now this grotesque goat head glaring at him...
“What the hell are you staring at?!” The furious voice erupted in Leon’s ear, shattering the creepy tension.
The black goat head rolled several times on the carpet, unable to right itself, and then angrily stared at Leon, ‘speaking’ with an unpleasant voice: “Don’t just stand there! Pick me up! When I was still a great demon, punks like you would’ve been slapped to death for such disrespect!”
A… great demon? That black goat? How are you just a head now after only an hour?!
“He… hello.” Recognizing that this was the same black goat from before, Leon, worried about his sister's situation, took a deep breath and directly asked: “I think I encountered an Out-of-Control Contaminated just three streets away at the hospital. Is there anyone on duty here in the Bureau?”
On duty? Ha! If there were, would you have been able to barge in so easily?! If those lunatics were around, they’d have dismembered you already.
As the goat rolled its eyes and prepared to unleash another tirade, Leon quickly interjected: “If you help me find someone, I’ll buy you a pack of cigarettes. Gott brand! No, two packs!”
“....” The goat hesitated. Two packs? Hmm… Damn it, I’m such a benevolent demon. Alright, I’ll help this guy. But…
In Leon's anxious expression, the black goat first sighed, then shook its head with some regret and said: “Forget the deal. I’m a demon of integrity. I won’t take rewards for work I can’t complete. There’s no one left in the Bureau; even if I wanted to help, I can’t.”
No one at all? Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but anxiously say. “How can such a big building be completely empty?”
“Blame that red-haired woman.” The black goat snorted in dissatisfaction. “Her sloppy work led to poor evaluation scores. Afraid of failing the year-end audit, she sent everyone out to boost performance stats. Now the Bureau’s empty enough for mice to set up shop.”
The black goat’s tone then turned conspiratorial. “Kid, I’m telling you, don’t be fooled by her looks! Sure, she’s stunning—even more so than pureblood Succubi—but she’s a drunk, greedy, petty, unhygienic mess! I’ve seen her lock her office door to pick her toes. She’s a...”
The goat’s rant stopped abruptly. Its eyes darted eastward, and its stitched mouth stretched into a sly grin. “Well, well, looks like you’ve got some luck, kid. Someone capable of handling this just returned. Pick me up and follow my lead. Remember, you owe me two packs of Gott! Not a stick less, or I’ll end you!”
If you can solve this problem, I’ll get you two crates, not just two packs!
Energized by the possibility of a solution, Leon grabbed the goat head and bolted out of the Bureau. Following the goat’s directions, he ran two streets east and stopped a tall, bandage-wrapped woman at the corner.
“You’re… new, huh?” The woman exchanged a glance with the goat head in Leon’s arms, as though silently gleaning information. Then she smiled and extended her hand to Leon.
“I’m Emma, with the Cleansing Bureau for six years. I’m familiar with the work here, so if you need help in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Th-thank you…” Leon hesitated, startled by her courteous professionalism.
When Leon first stopped the bandaged woman, he thought she would be another "eccentric" character like the black goat, full of personality. However, he didn’t expect to hear such a "street-smart" opening line.
But... it seems like she’s quite easy to talk to?
Thinking about the situation at the hospital, Leon immediately suppressed the feeling of awkwardness within him, gave the bandaged woman’s hand a quick shake, and then urgently said: “Um, about the hospital...”
“I’ll handle it,” Emma interrupted gently, “but not now.”
She smiled warmly, continuing at a deliberate pace: “According to the Bureau’s Four-Step Operational Manual, we must first observe and identify the anomaly type, danger level, and the identity of the Contaminated. Then, based on the victims’ condition, we hypothesize the abilities of the Contaminated and potential impact.
“Next, we locate appropriate tools and special items, assess our own readiness, and devise a detailed action plan. Only then can we act, aiming to resolve the issue with minimal casualties and disruption.”
Leon gawked, struggling to process her clinical explanation.
Emma chuckled, her tone soft but firm: “Night has fallen. With diminished visibility and the absence of sunlight’s suppressive effect, most anomalies grow more active. It’s a poor time to act. Also, I just completed a two-and-a-half-month long mission. I’m physically and mentally exhausted and need at least a week’s recovery to ensure focus. It is not suitable for me to immediately take on a new task with unknown risks. Therefore, the best course is to wait until the Director returns and transfer the task to her. So, we should…”
"Why are you doing this again..." Shaken by the other person's professional, even somewhat cold attitude, Leon was momentarily at a loss for words. Meanwhile, the goat’s head in his arms squirmed a bit, and with a displeased expression, it complained: "Your director has already gone on a business trip to Wales. She definitely won't be back within three days. Are you seriously going to wait for her?”
"Let's wait for her to return." Seeing Leon's expression suddenly change in front of her, the bandaged woman, Emma, smiled gently again, her eyes showing a hint of apology as she said: "By the look on your face... Do you have a relative in that hospital? I’m sorry, but I have my own reasons for needing to survive no matter what. Until I can be sure that it's absolutely safe, I won’t take any reckless actions. So, please wait for three days."
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