Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C86

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"Come on now, no need to be so serious—it’s kind of scary. If I really wanted to steal from him, there’d be plenty of chances, right? Why would I risk doing it right under your nose? Nah, I just heard we had a new recruit in the bureau who managed to take down a Sacred Spirit before even passing probation. Naturally, I got curious and decided to… well, take a little peek."

"So where is it?"

Ignoring the short man’s rambling defense, the red-haired chief extended her hand slightly downward, tapping her knuckles firmly against the table. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she gave a low warning.

"Jerry, don’t make me say it three times."

"On it, on it!"

Seeing the chief’s fox-like eyes squint tighter with impatience, Jerry tensed up immediately. He fumbled through his jacket and placed a photograph onto the table without further delay.

A photograph?

Picking up the photo, the red-haired chief studied it closely. In the picture stood a smiling couple embracing each other, their hands clasped tightly around those of a little girl who looked utterly blissful. For a moment, the chief's expression softened in surprise.

Aside from controlling animals, Jerry’s most remarkable ability was [Thieving Touch], an anomaly that allowed him to forcibly steal the object which held the greatest significance to someone’s past life—whether or not it was physically present or even destroyed.

So if his power hadn’t malfunctioned this time, then the item most pivotal to Leon’s past life must indeed be this very photograph?

"Chief," Jerry began eagerly, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. "What’s the deal with this thing? Can you tell me more about its abilities?"

He scratched at his head anxiously, practically bouncing on his heels. "An anomaly capable of granting a rookie enough strength to single-handedly eliminate a Sacred Spirit after only a month of exposure—that has to pack some serious punch, right?"

Hmm? So this photograph is an anomaly? But why does its presence feel so faint? Could it have been destroyed multiple times before?

Hearing Jerry's question, the red-haired chief raised an eyebrow thoughtfully but shook her head decisively.

"I wouldn’t know. My go-to sensory anomaly used to be that goat, but I’ve already passed it along to Leon. Haven’t gotten a replacement yet, so my current sensing abilities are pretty mediocre."

"If you really want to figure out what this anomaly does, asking me won’t help. However," she added slyly, "we do have someone in the bureau whose ability is called [Information Acquisition]. All they need to do is touch an anomaly, and bam—they’ll know everything there is to know about it. You might want to pay them a visit."

What?! There’s someone like that in our bureau?!

Jerry perked up instantly. This sounded like a match made in heaven for someone like him. Over the years, he’d ‘borrowed’ countless anomalies—but either they refused to activate, or he didn’t understand their rules well enough to use them safely. If [Information Acquisition] could lend a hand, even one-third of his hoard might become useful enough to skyrocket his rank straight to Level One Disaster Handler.

"Chief, why didn’t you mention this sooner?" Jerry whined, though half-heartedly. Then, rubbing his hands together nervously, he pressed on, "Who is this person? And hey, maybe they’d trade their [Information Acquisition]? I mean, they can pick anything from my collection!"

"Trade? Probably not happening. Their ability seems more like an innate talent tied to their soul rather than something physical." The chief paused, giving Jerry a mischievous glance before shaking the photograph teasingly. "As for who this person is…"

She smirked. "Well, let’s just say you’ve already met them."

"...You’re kidding me."

Jerry’s face fell as realization dawned. He stammered awkwardly, "Look, Chief, you know how I am—I may have a bit of a sticky-finger habit, but I never mess with people I know! Usually, I just borrow things briefly and return them. And even when it comes to strangers, unless they’re bad news, I steer clear of taking stuff with sentimental value. So, uh, could you please—"

"You’re hoping I’ll give this back so you can sneakily return it yourself, aren’t you?" The chief cut him off smoothly, wagging a finger. "Afraid Leon will hold a grudge and refuse to help you later, yes?"

"...Yeah, basically."

The chief chuckled lightly. "Ah, but see, that’s tricky. Little Leon here hasn’t been part of the Cleansing Bureau for long, but we’ve bonded quite nicely over drinks. How could I betray such camaraderie by covering for you behind his back?"

Jerry groaned internally. Got it. Time to sweeten the pot.

"How about I treat you to—"

"Cough cough!" The chief interrupted hastily, waving her hands dismissively. "No need to go there—I’m not that kind of person."

Clearing her throat, she leaned forward earnestly. "Now, unless I’m mistaken, you’re hoping Leon will use his powers to appraise all your… ahem, collectibles, correct?"

"That’s right..."

"Well then, problem solved." The chief tapped her knuckle rhythmically against the desk. "Though I don’t know exactly how much junk you’ve accumulated, knowing your style, it’s bound to be a hefty pile. Appraising all that nonsense will drain both energy and focus—it’s no small task. So…" She smiled brightly. "Letting him choose one item as compensation doesn’t seem unreasonable, does it?"

"Not unreasonable at all," Jerry muttered reluctantly. Despite his reluctance, he knew better than to haggle further; experience told him that pushing too hard would only cost him more.

"Great. Leave everything with me for now. I’ll put in a good word for you later."

Satisfied, the chief plucked a strand of hair from her head, tied up the suspicious photograph neatly, and tucked it away into a drawer. Then, still wearing that infuriating grin, she shooed Jerry toward the door.

"Just bear in mind, the appraisal might take a while. Leon’s got an important investigation today—he can’t afford distractions. Once that’s done, I’ll arrange for him to evaluate your stash."

"Understood. I’ll stay put in the bureau until then."

Nodding enthusiastically, Jerry hesitated for a moment before curiosity got the better of him again. Lowering his voice cautiously, he asked, "Chief, speaking of Leon… Is he close with chiefs from other branches? Or perhaps favored by some director? Or maybe… you’re just particularly fond of him because—"

"You’re wondering why I’m going out of my way to look after him, huh?"

The chief shot Jerry a pointed look, clearly unimpressed. "Before you ask questions like that, I suggest you think carefully about the kind of people currently working in this bureau."

Without waiting for a response, the chief started ticking off names on her fingers:

"A failed revolutionary, a philanderer caught romancing the prime minister’s wife, a master thief bold enough to hit the royal treasury, a gambling addict who lost the kingdom’s reserve funds, a supply officer who got lost during battle and almost starved thirty thousand troops, a pharmacist whose experiment flooded half a county in sewage… Need I go on?"

Jerry shifted uncomfortably, suddenly acutely aware of his own checkered history.

"To put it bluntly," the chief concluded, leaning back with a smug smile, "without the Cleansing Bureau, every last one of you would’ve been sentenced to death long ago. Even now, you’re constantly under scrutiny, barely allowed to leave the capital without clearance. Meanwhile, Leon? Clean record, good character, sharp instincts, hardworking, talented—and he took down a Sacred Spirit within weeks of joining. Tell me, Jerry, compared to all of you, who else should I be looking out for?"

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