Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C144

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Chapter 144: Chief (Drunk Edition)

Unaware that shortly after he left, his home had been visited by Director Aquarius, Leon was now standing outside the Chief’s office. He intended to report on the day’s events and inform the red-haired Chief that he planned to stay overnight at the bureau. However…

Knock, knock, knock.

“Who… is it?”

“It’s me, Chief.”

“You… who?”

“It’s Leon.”

“Leon… who?”

“…”

Hearing the utterly illogical responses from inside—clear evidence that her brain had gone offline—Leon fell silent for a moment before sighing in exasperation.

“Chief, are you drunk?”

“Drunk… who?”

That settled it. She was absolutely hammered, and judging by the smell wafting through the crack in the door, she’d consumed an alarming amount.

“Chief, I’m coming in. Please don’t hit me,” Leon warned as he cautiously pushed the door open just enough to peek inside. The overpowering stench of alcohol hit him like a freight train, nearly making him dizzy.

Good grief, this woman could drink circles around anyone.

Taking in the mountain of empty bottles piled higher than a person beside the desk—and the red-haired beauty sprawled across it, grinning dopily at him—Leon felt both awestruck and deeply troubled.

He’d originally come here hoping to ask the Chief for help. Fearing that the rebel faction targeting him might go after his family, Leon wanted to request transferring the unused "protective talisman" tied around his neck to Anna. If possible, he also hoped to secure similar protections for William and Melanie. After all, getting embroiled with rebels was part of his job, so protecting employees’ families should fall under the Cleansing Bureau’s responsibilities. If that wasn’t feasible, he’d considered trading something—perhaps the “Monster Under the Bed” Jerry had given him, which he rarely used—for protective charms.

But seeing the Chief in this state—her coherence rivaling someone trying to remember “What’s-her-name”—he doubted he’d get any straight answers tonight. Maybe it was better to wait until she sobered up tomorrow. Besides, the Secret Investigation Bureau was about to launch a massive sweep, so the rebels would likely be too preoccupied to cause trouble anytime soon. With Anna and the others protected by Happiness Residence—and their daily safety buffs courtesy of Grandma Manager—they’d be fine for another day or two.

“Little Leon~ You’re Little Leon, right?”

Just as Leon was debating whether to leave, the thoroughly intoxicated Chief suddenly slapped her forehead and sat upright, beaming drunkenly.

“You’re late! Hahaha, I’ve already drunk everything. There’s no way you’re getting any of my booze!”

“…”

This hopeless lush.

It was hard to reconcile the staggering, reeking woman before him with the sharp, commanding Chief he knew when sober. Leon sighed deeply, shaking his head in resignation.

“I’m not here to steal your drinks… By the way, weren’t you perfectly fine during the day? Why did you drink so much?”

“Because I got paid today~”

After shaking her head vigorously, the Chief seemed slightly more lucid, her words regaining some semblance of logic as she grinned sheepishly.

“The last time I treated you, I ended up owing so much money that I couldn’t afford to buy alcohol for weeks. Now that I finally have some extra cash, if I don’t indulge properly, the wine worms in my belly will die of thirst!”

“…”

Honestly, if those “wine worms” were real, letting them perish might actually be a blessing. But… did treating me really leave her in such dire financial straits?

Glancing at the glowing [Martyr of the Wine Realm] entry in his status panel, Leon awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Uh, can I ask… roughly how much debt we’re talking about?”

“Waaah… it was a lot…”

At Leon’s question, the previously cheerful Chief’s expression crumbled. Batting her sultry fox-like eyes, she tearfully counted on her fingers.

“Including what I paid at the bar, there’s still over three hundred Gold Coins in bills waiting for me. And after spending all that money, you drank even more than I did! I barely got anything out of it…”

“…”

Three hundred Gold Coins?! Holy smokes, that single night wiped out nearly half a year’s salary?

“Well… uh, that is quite a bit. Sorry about that…”

Even though he’d mentally prepared himself, hearing a bill triple his initial estimate shocked Leon. Under the Chief’s pitiful gaze, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Chief, maybe I should…”

“Help me pay the bill?”

“Uh… no, not the bill. I meant, maybe I should take you home? Sleeping here isn’t good for you; you’ll catch a cold…”

“…”

Ducking away from the Chief’s bewildered stare, Leon steeled himself and stepped forward. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted the tipsy woman off the table.

Paying the bill? Absolutely not. Not in this lifetime. The Chief had generously treated him to drinks; insisting on paying her back would be ungrateful. Besides, there was Anna’s medication, the rent, and tuition for William and Melanie to consider. Plus, the Chief clearly had a drinking problem. Paying her debts would only enable her destructive habit. Really, it was for her own good.

After rationalizing his decision with a litany of excuses, Leon cleared his throat and addressed the red-haired Chief glaring blearily up at him.

“Chief, where do you live?”

“I don’t have a home.”

“Uh… then where do you usually sleep?”

“In the suite at the tavern, or… or the guest room upstairs…”

“…”

“You pity me?”

“…”

Before Leon could formulate a response, a pale, slender arm reached up and pinched his chin, turning his face toward hers.

Peering into his eyes, which betrayed a hint of softness, the Chief wrinkled her nose. Her rosy lips parted, exhaling a mix of gardenia-scented breath and alcohol fumes directly onto his face as she declared boldly:

“I’m perfectly fine on my own. Don’t you dare pity me. I don’t need it.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“You don’t believe me?”

Apparently offended by this perceived challenge to her authority, the Chief tilted her chin defiantly and glared at him, giving his side a light kick with her foot.

“I’m strong. Whether it’s betrayal, hatred, or being ostracized, I’ve never shed a tear. Even when everyone abandoned the bureau, I never feared being alone. I’m not afraid.”

“…”

So unfamiliar… Was this truly the same person who commanded respect during the day?

Watching the petite woman clutching his sleeve and instinctively curling closer despite proclaiming her fearlessness, Leon hesitated briefly before suggesting gently:

“Chief, it’s time to rest. How about I take you upstairs?”

“No… I don’t want to go…”

Upon hearing Leon’s suggestion, the Chief tightened her grip on his collar, tears welling in her eyes.

“There are so many people cursing at me upstairs. I’m too scared to go there when I’m awake…”

So many people cursing at her upstairs?

Leon blinked in surprise, curiosity piqued. “Isn’t the upper floor empty? No one’s ever up there.”

“There are people! Of course there are!”

Seeing that mere “little Leon” dared to doubt her, the Chief pouted indignantly.

“I’ve counted carefully. From the fifth floor to the top, there are exactly one billion two hundred ninety-six million voices cursing at me. They’ve never stopped, not once in all these years. Listen closely if you don’t believe me!”

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