Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C110

Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 110: The Impact of the Blood Night

Sure enough.

After hearing Leon's words, the old man furrowed his brow slightly before asking further:

"Why did you kill him?"

"For work reasons."

Since he wasn't entirely sure how much the old man knew about "the world beneath the surface," Leon didn’t blurt out the fabricated story he had prepared. Instead, he countered with a question:

"How much do you know about the Cleansing Bureau?"

"A little bit."

Having thoroughly investigated Leon’s file, it was natural that he wouldn’t overlook details about Leon’s job. After a brief silence, the old man gestured for the two officers to leave and lowered his voice.

"The royal family has a handbook where names can be inscribed. Those who are aware of the existence of anomalies can maintain their soul's 'silence,' preventing attacks from these entities. My name is in that book as well. Moreover, since you mentioned the Cleansing Bureau, does this mean that what happened at the Lions’ wasn’t an internal strife but related to your bureau’s ‘work’?"

A handbook that could keep souls “silent”? It seemed not all “ordinary people” were ignorant of the existence of anomalies, though their numbers were few.

After storing this information in his mind, Leon nodded and said:

"Yes, Bobby Lion merged with an anomaly. He not only tried to seize the anomalous object under my care but also threatened innocent lives to force me to reveal secrets of the Cleansing Bureau. Though the bureau generally prohibits actions against ordinary people unless absolutely necessary, the situation was dire, and he could hardly be considered human anymore. I had no choice but to act."

...

So that was it...

Upon learning the "truth" of the Lion blood night from Leon and comparing it with other known facts, the old man’s tightly knitted brows relaxed somewhat.

Had Leon revealed everything at the start, the old man might have seized on several points to press further.

But Leon had first posed challenging questions, gauged the old man’s knowledge of the Cleansing Bureau, then reluctantly disclosed the "truth" about the Lion blood night.

As the saying goes, it’s better to chase something elusive than to grasp something easily attained. This principle applied here too.

Compared to readily available answers, hard-earned intelligence naturally carried more credibility. At the very least, the Minister of Defense, who had only a rudimentary understanding of the Cleansing Bureau, started to believe Leon’s account. However...

"If possible, I’d like you to change your explanation."

Under Leon’s surprised gaze, the old man spoke earnestly:

"For those within the Cleansing Bureau, say what you must. But for outsiders, I hope you’ll cooperate with us by framing the events at the Lions’ as an internal conflict."

"Us?"

Though Leon, as an "ordinary person," wasn’t well-versed in the kingdom’s political landscape, he had heard whispers about who stood behind the Minister of Defense.

"Is the princess... planning to use this opportunity to move against the old nobility?"

"Yes."

The old man admitted Leon’s deduction frankly.

"If you prefer, I’ll speak even more bluntly… This is a frame-up."

Without hesitation in revealing his intentions, the old man’s hawk-like eyes bore into Leon’s, carefully observing his expression while rapidly explaining:

"Whether it’s rebellion or internal strife, the Lion household has been completely ruined after so many officials died. However, the old nobility function as a collective. Even if the Lions fall, their vacant positions won’t go to outsiders; they’ll be swiftly filled by other noble families."

"Afterward, aside from renaming the Lion Arms Company and replacing Department of Public Works, Treasury, and Ministry of Agriculture personnel surnamed Lion with Yorks or others, everything will continue as usual. This nation won’t see any real change."

After succinctly outlining the potential outcomes, the old man gazed at Leon, attentively listening, and raised his tone with seriousness:

"But now it’s different. If you’re willing to cooperate and prove that the Lions’ incident was an internal conflict, it will provide the princess with an excellent opportunity to push the country toward meaningful reform."

"I don’t understand."

Leon frowned, perplexed, and asked:

"Whether it’s internal conflict or rebel attack, aren’t the victims all from the Lion family? How does this provide the princess with an advantage?"

"Because the kingdom needs stability. No department can or should experience a massive vacancy all at once."

Seeing Leon’s clear lack of understanding of political maneuvering, the old man simplified his explanation:

"Among the over two hundred casualties in the Lion family, more than a hundred were mid-level officials across various departments—especially in the Department of Public Works and the military, where nearly eighty positions are suddenly vacant.”

“One-quarter of the military’s forty-seven subordinate departments are now backlogged with paperwork, and two small divisions have temporarily ceased operations due to the loss of leaders.”

“Though the old nobility will quickly fill these roles, it will take at least a month or two for new officials to take over and become familiar with their duties. Clearing the backlog may take over three months, and some departments could run inefficiently for half a year or more."

After briefly summarizing the immediate impact of the Lion blood night, the old man continued earnestly:

"Just one noble family’s internal strife caused such severe consequences. What if two, three, or even more noble families successively face similar issues within half a year? That would be the perfect pretext to act."

By framing this event as an internal conflict, the princess could argue in parliament for reducing the number of old nobles in each department to ensure the kingdom’s smooth operation, thereby balancing their overwhelming power.

Even if she doesn’t fully succeed, she could demand that noble families cede some authority, ensuring no single family dominates a department. This way, when issues arise, entire departments won’t grind to a halt.

When these noble families can no longer dominate certain departments, those aligned with the princess gain room to maneuver. They can try to unite others to counterbalance influence and even reclaim control over key matters in those departments.

At this point, envisioning the princess’s successful reforms sweeping away years of entrenched problems, the old man grew slightly flushed, his eyes gleaming with excitement:

"Take the Lion family as an example. Imagine if the number of officials from the Lion family in the Department of Public Works dropped to half or even a third of its original count. Could they still monopolize construction in the old city areas? If the number of people involved in military procurement also halved, could the Lion Arms still consume so much of the military budget annually? And if..."

"What is it?"

"...Someone from Her Highness’s side has arrived..."

One of the young officers entered the ward with a warrant, speaking rather awkwardly:

"The person sent by Her Highness said... Duke of Lionheart is on his last legs. All those in the top five lines of succession must hurry there..."

Duke Lionheart is dying?

Upon hearing the officer's words, the old man's expression brightened slightly, and he immediately stood up from beside the hospital bed, decisively stating:

"In any case, consider what I've said. An opportunity like the Lion blood night won’t come again. Your decision might just become... What now?"

"Uh..."

After glancing at Leon, wrapped head to toe in bandages on the bed, the young officer spoke helplessly:

"The person on this bed... is the fifth in line for the Lion family’s inheritance..."

"..."

Huh?

Please vote for this novel at

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-anomaly-cleansing-agent/

If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.

Tier 1: 10 Advance chapters

Access fee $3.00 Monthly