Otaku Translation: I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent! C173

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: If

Thud.

"Ow…"

Leon groaned as he rolled off the desk, landing flat on his back. His head throbbed like a drumbeat gone wrong, and when he finally managed to sit up from the carpet, it felt like the world had split into three versions of itself—all spinning in some unholy carousel.

… what an absolute menace. Literally.

As fragments of last night's disastrous drinking session came flooding back, Leon shuddered at the memory. He swore his ribs still hurt even though they weren’t actually broken—just metaphorically crushed under the weight of her enthusiasm. Their boss might be a stellar leader who looked out for everyone, but she was also utterly hopeless when it came to alcohol.

Before Leon entered the picture, Chief would drown her sorrows alone, nursing solitary glasses of liquor. But once she discovered that someone could match her drink-for-drink (or at least pretend hard enough), she’d unlocked a whole new level of revelry. By the end of the night, she’d probably drag anything with legs onto the table for another round—even if it happened to be a dog. And poor Leon? Despite faking unconsciousness twice, Chief saw right through him both times, hauling him upright to keep pouring shots down his throat.

But hey, all things considered, it wasn’t a total loss.

Glancing at the three strands of red hair wrapped around his wrist, Leon couldn’t help but crack a faint smile despite the dull ache behind his eyes. His siblings were safe now, tucked away in the . With the muscular old man patrolling the halls at night armed with , and the protective blessings woven into the building by day, coupled with these hairs he’d wrangled from Chief during one of their drunken escapades, their safety was practically guaranteed. For now, at least, he could breathe easy.

Still… damn, his head hurt. Maybe agreeing to this hadn’t been worth it after all. Too much booze always left him questioning life choices.

Rubbing his temples where the pulse pounded relentlessly, Leon sighed and slumped back into his chair, watching the room continue its sluggish spin. One thing was certain: next time Chief tried roping him into a binge, he’d channel ’s cold efficiency and shut her down without hesitation. Sure, it smacked of betrayal—taking what he needed then bailing—but honestly? Drinking with Chief wasn’t humanly possible. If he ever let himself get dragged into something like that again, well…

Woof.

Huh?

Blinking blearily at the source of the sound, Leon spotted a husky sprawled across his desk, limbs splayed akimbo, reeking of stale alcohol. The sight made him pause before shooting a resigned glance toward Chief’s office door.

“I was joking,” he muttered under his breath. “I didn’t think you’d actually start giving dogs shots.”

“Hey. Wake up.”

Carefully flipping the dog over, Leon patted its back until it let out two tiny, pathetic hiccups. Slowly, very slowly, the husky blinked open bleary eyes clouded with intoxication.

“Whine… whuff…”

(Scared me half to death. Who gives booze to a dog?!)

After offering a few lackluster complaints, the husky wobbled forward like a furry caterpillar, its stubby legs trembling as it nosed its way toward the bottle sitting innocently on the desk. Clamping its jaws around a photograph inside, it tugged it free and dropped it onto the table with a soft thunk.

“Yip… yawn…”

(The thing you put inside changed. I’m going back to sleep.)

And with that, the dog collapsed face-first into the bottle, snoring loudly within seconds.

Shaking his head, Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, then rubbed his hands together briskly before pressing them against his eyelids. When the room finally stopped spinning, he reached hesitantly for the photo.

---

[Name: What If (Replacement, Modification)]

[Appearance: A pristine photograph featuring a beautiful woman smiling softly outside the frame. Staring too long evokes an inexplicable sense of longing.]

[Ability: ; ]

[Cost: None]

[Record: One of many functional anomalies created by the to fulfill personal desires. Provisional designation: #0006.

This artifact lost its original power due to the creator’s resistance and denial. However, recent events have shifted the creator’s mindset, sparking new yearnings—and restoring the artifact’s capabilities.]

[Evaluation: An extraordinarily potent anomaly capable of replacing any identity or altering related traces without cost.

However, hearts are trickier than worlds. Even reshaping reality won’t make someone love you—they’ll only adore the borrowed persona.

For those seeking happiness via this artifact, disappointment looms larger than hope. Perhaps the true price lies in unrequited longing.]

[Contamination Value: 9]

[Due to your unique connection with the creator, you possess full access rights to this artifact.]

[Your Contamination Value has increased.]

[Current Contamination Value: 4.1]

---

This thing… Is this ’s family portrait?

Staring at the newly restored artifact, Leon frowned deeply. While its ability to modify the world remained intact, it had transformed almost entirely into something else. The description hinted at deeper changes in its creator:

"The creator’s thoughts shifted."

"New desires emerged."

"Even altering the world cannot change a heart that doesn’t love you."

Add to that the artifact’s Identity Replacement function and the familiar-looking woman in the photo… Could it mean…?

No way. Was Anna in love? With this woman? So deeply that it altered the artifact itself?

Ugh. Trying to piece this puzzle together with a hangover-induced headache was pure torture. Running fingers through his hair in frustration, Leon groaned aloud.

What the hell was going on? Just yesterday everything seemed normal. Now, waking up feels like stepping into an alternate universe.

---

Knock knock knock.

Just as Leon was contemplating whether he should consult the about how long he’d been asleep—a night? A week?—a polite knock echoed from the doorway.

“You’re finally awake.”

pushed the door open slightly, relief washing over his face upon seeing Leon upright. “Listen, we’ve got a situation. Someone came in today claiming everyone suddenly forgot them. My guess is they’ve fallen victim to some kind of anomaly affecting memory or identity.”

“Chief’s still passed out from last night, so it’s just Emma and me holding down the fort. Neither of us specializes in , though. If you’re free, can you lend a hand? We’ll split whatever rewards we find based on effort—if it turns out to be something soul-related, it’s all yours. Deal?”

“Well…” Leon hesitated, glancing at the photo. As tempting as the offer sounded, Anna’s predicament weighed heavily on his mind. “I do need to check on something at home first. If it’s nothing urgent, I’ll—wait…”

The woman standing in the hallway peered curiously into the office, her presence striking a chord of recognition. Lowering his gaze back to the photo, Leon froze.

It was her. The same person.

What in the world was happening?

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