Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C108

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Chapter 108: Being Chief Isn’t Easy

What? Little Leon has already been taken away?

Listening to the gentle beauty recount the situation, the red-haired chief instinctively narrowed her fox-like eyes. Her expression darkened as she asked, “How could this happen so fast? For a case of this magnitude, shouldn’t they have investigated for at least two or three weeks first?”

“I thought it was strange too.”

Emma, who had gone with the chief’s warrant to retrieve him but returned empty-handed, frowned. “It’s good that he’s out of the death cell, but whoever took Leon must be someone special. No matter how much I pressed them, they wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“That’s not hard to guess.”

After mulling it over for a moment, the red-haired chief, well-versed in the capital’s political landscape, spoke up. “The Duke of Lionheart is the Deputy to the Lord Chancellor of the House of Lords. Though the Lionheart family has fallen from grace in recent decades, they’re still considered the face of the old nobility. So yes, this case is incredibly complicated.”

“Anyone capable of interfering with a case like this—someone who could pull him out before an investigation even wraps up—has to be one of three people: Lord Chancellor of the House of Lords, the prime minister, or the princess representing the king’s will.”

Pausing here, the red-haired chief glanced at Emma, gauging her reaction before continuing. “The Lord Chancellor’s seat has been vacant since the coup six years ago, and the prime minister isn’t known for acting this quickly. That leaves only the princess.”

“Ah, I see.”

Emma nodded, her demeanor calm as ever. “If the princess took him, then Leon should be safe… Do you want me to go fetch him back?”

“No need,” the red-haired chief replied firmly. “The less we interfere in normal society, the stronger The Watchers' Palace suppression effect remains within range, keeping anomalies weaker. Besides, if the princess intervened, it might actually be the best outcome. As long as she can rein in both the prime minister and the Chamber of Commerce, Leon will return on his own—but he may end up detained for another ten days or so.”

Rejecting Emma’s offer, the chief sighed softly as she gazed into Emma’s tranquil, mirror-like eyes. “Emma… Six years ago, I didn’t agree to help with that favor. Do you still hold it against me?”

“Chief, let’s not talk about the past.”

Cutting off the red-haired chief mid-sentence, Emma lowered her gaze, speaking evenly. “I was young and ignorant back then. I didn’t understand your difficulties. It was already difficult enough for you to take me in under such pressure. Asking for that favor was selfish of me.”

“…”

“But you never gave up, did you?”

Looking at her best friend, who now avoided eye contact, the red-haired chief rubbed her temples wearily. “With your skill level, there’s no reason for you to keep practicing firearms. Yet these past two years, you’ve trained specifically in sniping—and made a deal with little Leon. You’re planning to use that goat’s soul vision to assist you just once…”

“This doesn’t violate any bureau regulations, does it?”

Interrupting again, Emma’s voice remained steady. “I won’t use any anomalous objects, and Leon won’t know a thing. None of this will connect back to the bureau. After completing my revenge, I won’t run. I’ll turn myself in immediately. Isn’t trading one life for another acceptable?”

“Yes, of course it is…”

Staring into her eyes, harder than granite, the red-haired chief knew she couldn’t dissuade her. With a heavy sigh, she nodded reluctantly, grasping at one last hope. “And what about your daughter? Is she ready for this?”

At the mention of her daughter, Emma fell silent for a beat before deflecting. “Under the redwood tree by my house, nine hundred ninety-seven Allmans have died. Two more won’t make a difference.”

Catching the fleeting hesitation in Emma’s eyes, the red-haired chief quickly interjected, “But can’t you wait just a little longer?”

“I’ve waited six years already…”

“If you’ve waited six years, why not wait a little while longer? Just one month—that’s all I’m asking.”

Gently gripping Emma’s arm to stop her from leaving, the red-haired chief softened her tone. “Think of your daughter. Her birthday is coming soon. I don’t have the right to stop you from seeking revenge, but couldn’t you wait until after her birthday? Please?”

“…”

“I… I’ll think about it…”

“Take your time. Just let me know when you’ve decided.”

Releasing Emma’s arm, the red-haired chief watched her leave the office. Once alone, she sank into her chair, overwhelmed by exhaustion. She wished she could drown herself in drink and forget everything.

First, there was the promising rookie she’d praised highly in front of Director Taurus—now embroiled in some inexplicable mess, possibly caught in the Lion family’s internal strife, and accused of slaughtering high-ranking nobles.

Then there was Emma, her closest confidante and the bureau’s ace operative, who, after enduring six long years, was finally preparing to abandon everything to avenge her kin, betrayed and massacred during the coup.

And on top of all that, she had to monitor the nobles colluding with the Scale of Gold, stay vigilant against the true god behind the Red Brick Road Hospital incident, warn and discipline the increasingly brazen Scale of Gold, investigate recent anomalies in the capital, and launch an inquiry into Director Aquarius…

“Sigh…”

Letting out a deep breath, the frazzled red-haired chief grabbed a bottle and gulped down a swig of tea. Pulling over a scrap of discarded paperwork, she began listing her tasks on the back, her brow furrowed in frustration.

Leon’s issue had seemed urgent, but now that the princess had pulled him from the death cell, it wasn’t pressing anymore—at least not until the bureau launched its follow-up investigation. Emma’s situation was more critical, though there wasn’t much she could do except stall using her daughter’s birthday as leverage. A day at a time would have to suffice until something else came up.

As for the rest… Investigating Director Aquarius required more time, anomalies in the capital could be delegated to other agents, and the true god behind the hospital incident hadn’t shown signs of activity. Meanwhile, the Scale of Gold, fearing retaliation, had gone underground, halting nearly all operations. Even the nobles working with them were lying low…

…

Knock knock knock.

Just as she stared at her list, wondering where to start, a knock sounded at her office door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, revealing a small, weathered man with kind features and bloodshot eyes. He carried a bag and hurried inside.

“Who are you?” the red-haired chief asked, surprised.

Without answering immediately, the man placed the bag on her desk and introduced himself. “I’m the owner of Char Department Store. This is the Cleansing Bureau’s branch in the capital, correct?”

After a brief introduction, Old Char untied the bag and removed four locked metal boxes, placing them neatly on the table.

“These four boxes contain what you call an ‘anomalous object.’ When faced with unsolvable problems, it offers solutions—if you meet its conditions. It answers questions and resolves issues for me.”

An anomalous object delivered straight to her doorstep?

Covering her task list to hide it from view, the red-haired chief nodded slowly. “This is indeed the Cleansing Bureau, and we do handle anomalous objects. However, we generally don’t accept commissions, and our existence is meant to remain confidential. May I ask how you learned of us? And why bring this object here?”

Relief washed over Old Char’s weary face. Pointing to the boxes, he explained eagerly, “It told me.”

“A few days ago, my daughter was kidnapped. She hasn’t returned. So I asked it a question. It said if I brought it here and handed it over to you, you’d save her.”

Kidnapped?

The red-haired chief’s eyebrows lifted slightly. She recalled reports from Jerry’s rat network and Leon’s Sacred Spirit incident report. Lionheart Lion, Rose Marseille, Tower Shield York—three noble families targeting Char Department Store, only to find themselves cornered. Their summoned Sacred Spirit had been dealt with by Leon, leaving them desperate enough to kidnap the store owner’s only child.

“We’ll take it.”

Agreeing without hesitation, the red-haired chief gathered the four boxes and locked them in her drawer. Turning back to the visibly relieved man, she hesitated. “We can save your daughter, but it might take some time. My apologies…”

More time?

Old Char tensed again. “Why wait? Can’t you find her sooner?”

“It usually wouldn’t be a problem,” the chief admitted, her tone conflicted. “But we’re short on personnel skilled in tracking people. Our best agent for this job recently got entangled in the Lion family’s affairs. He’s been framed as the culprit behind the ‘Lion Blood Night,’ and though the princess wants to protect him, many members of the House of Lords backed by the Commercial Federation are pushing hard. The prime minister and lower house haven’t reached a decision yet…”

“Tell me his name.”

Despite being worn thin by his daughter Amy’s kidnapping, Old Char, seasoned from years in business, caught the subtext instantly. “I’m the vice president of the Commercial Federation. If you guarantee my daughter’s safety, I can get your man out within two days.”

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