Anyway, I didn’t lie. It’s true that the wallet exploded when I touched it, and neither the manager nor I know why that happened, so that’s not a lie either, right?
The elf officer who reviewed the CCTV footage agreed with this.
“So, you have no idea about this, correct?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“…Understood. Thank you for your cooperation.”
She still looked a bit doubtful, though.
I’m only half-sincere when I say sorry. I mean it, but at the same time, I have absolutely no desire to end up being dragged into some underground National Intelligence Service facility just because I cooperated too diligently and ended up eating beef bone soup there. I don’t want to live with electrodes stuck to my body either.
If it were anyone else, it’d be different, but this is the law enforcement we’re talking about. It’s not like I have a close relationship with the NIS, right? Still, I answered all the other questions to the best of my ability, so I trust they’ll figure out the rest with the power of the law. The thief’s ID was in the wallet, so they should catch him soon enough.
“After reviewing the CCTV footage, we confirmed that, in addition to the employee, there was another witness captured on camera….”
Oh, this must be about that little kid. I quickly added,
“As you saw, she’s just a little kid. Even if you ask, I doubt she’d be of much help.”
To be honest, it was thanks to that kid that we caught the thief, but I can’t let a 7-year-old get involved in this mess. The elf nodded, seeming to understand, and the questioning wrapped up.
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
“Uh… there is.”
“What is it?”
“Do you think there’s a chance that wildcat kobold might come back and cause more trouble?”
That wallet seemed pretty expensive, and I did blow it up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back, furious, and threw a flurry of cat punches at my face. Maybe he’d even bring some of his feline buddies.
The elf thought for a moment, then pointed outside as she replied,
“I’ll be stationed around this area for a few days.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Yes. I’ll request a reassignment from the station… and if you call, I’ll be here within two minutes.”
Her words were reassuring. If only it weren’t for those dark circles under her eyes, I’d have felt even more at ease.
“Is there anything else?”
“Oh, there’s something I’m curious about too.”
“What would that be?”
“Officer, do you usually sleep well?”
That question didn’t come from me; it was from the manager. What’s she asking out of the blue?
“…I sleep just fine. About 30 minutes a day.”
And the elf actually answered her. But how is she surviving on just 30 minutes of sleep a day?
“You really should sleep more. What if you doze off while driving?”
“My motorcycle has an autopilot function, so it’s fine…”
“If you come later, I’ll make you a potion, so take one with you.”
“…That would be a violation of the Anti-Graft Law.”
“Even though it’s less 30 thousand won than the original price?”
I also tried the potion the manager mentioned on my first day of work. It’s true that the elf’s face looked like she would run someone over out of drowsiness, so I chimed in to back manager up.
“I’ve tried it too, and it works well. It tastes like strawberry.”
Maybe it was the cost that was the issue, or perhaps she just didn’t like the strawberry flavor. The elf, who alternated between looking at me and the manager with a rather bewildered expression, let out a small sigh before responding.
“…I’ll come back another time.”
And then she left. Was that a yes or a no? I stared at the spot where she’d been and asked the manager.
“What do you think would’ve happened if I’d told them everything?”
“She’d probably tell Chan to become a police officer? People with anti-magic abilities are welcomed wherever they go. They’re in such short supply.”
“Even if I don’t have a fixed address?”
“Well, maybe not in that case.”
Not that I was planning to join anyway. A police officer would have to deal with thugs, and what could I possibly do against orcs or trolls with double-axe tattoos on their backs? (H: Reminded me of Kungfu Hustle ahahaha)
“But still, given that she mentioned the anti-graft act, she seems like a proper elf….”
“Oh, is that why you brought up the potion?”
“I was just feeling sorry for her, you know? She looked drained.”
“Hooh.”
“And her rank is just patrol officer… plus, she’s an elf. She’s probably having a rough time at the station too.”
The manager once told me that elves are treated like an ethnic minority because their ancestors were war criminals. Considering how those old elf geezers always act up, I’d say it’s less about their history and more about how there’s probably just something inherently off about the elven race’s personality…
But this elf officer didn’t seem to have any major personality flaws. At least she wasn’t acting like a jerk. Though she did seem to be suffering from some severe overwork.
Just then, two customers walked in. One was a kobold with a wolf’s head, and the other had a fox’s head. They walked in an unsteady gait—not completely drunk but definitely tipsy.
I checked the time: 10:15. I turned to the manager and wrapped up our conversation.
“I’ll make sure to speak to Noona directly about this. For now, why don’t Manager head home first?”
“I’ll do that. Hopefully, nothing else happens tonight.”
“Likewise.”
“Alright, take care.”
And with that, the manager clocked out. While the two kobolds wandered further inside to pick out their alcohol, I sat at the counter, letting my thoughts drift for a moment.
An anti-magic constitution by itself isn’t all that special. Even the manager said so.
But what comes after is the real issue. In just one week of working here, I’d already developed some kind of detection ability that would be more suited for a jewelry shop owner. What’s next—am I going to wake up next week with an electromagnetic heart in my chest? Or is a shield going to suddenly fall from the sky? (Hoamzz: Is it Avenger??)
Whatever it is, if I keep developing weird abilities and someone else finds out, there’s no way I’ll be able to keep living like this. I’d end up as some research specimen, right? And let me be clear: I have no intention of spending decades eating beef bone soup in a government basement or living with electrodes stuck to my body.
But I can’t just give up and become some bum either. I guess I’ll have to wait until the manager figures out the cause or a solution…
“Boss, I’m ready to pay.”
While I was lost in thought, the wolf kobold placed a few bottles of soju and a pack of pork head meat on the counter. As he asked for the bill and handed over his card, the fox kobold who’d come with him freaked out and shoved the wolf aside.
“Huh? What are you doing now?!”
“What do you mean? I’m paying.”
“You already paid last time! What are you talking about paying again for?! Boss, charge it on this one.”
I think I know this pattern. I reached out to take the card the fox offered, but then, this time, the wolf panicked in the opposite way.
“No, I’m paying today. Boss, use mine instead of his, this one!”
As he shoved away the wolf and handed over his card, the fox tried to push his card forward again, so I reached out to take it, but then…
“You said you’re broke, you idiot! Don’t listen to him, Boss, just use this one!”
There are plenty of times when a bunch of drunken customers come in, each insisting on paying. It’s heartwarming to see such strong bonds of friendship, but why do it here? Are they trying to show off their friendship?
Since they were wobbling around and it didn’t look like this would end anytime soon, I just took the card closest to me, ran the transaction, and handed it back. The fox, whose card didn’t get chosen, growled at me under his breath.
“Ei….”
If you’re going to complain, maybe come back when you’re sober. It’s not like you’ll even remember this.
As I handed them their stuff in a bag, the wolf slung an arm around the fox’s shoulder, trying to cheer him up, and slurred something in his drunken voice.
“Hey, what do you think that puppy was earlier? What breed was it?”
“Oh, damn it, how many times are you gonna ask that?!”
“I keep asking ‘cause I still don’t know.”
“I’m telling you, it looked like a Spitz!”
“No way it’s a Spitz. What was it… a Poodle?”
“No, Poodles are fluffier and bigger!”
Spitz? Puppy?
It sounded like the usual drunken nonsense, but as soon as they mentioned a puppy, something clicked in my mind. I called out to their backs as they were halfway to the exit.
“Are you talking about a Pomeranian puppy, by any chance?”
The wolf froze, then slapped his paw against his forehead and exclaimed in an excited voice,
“That’s it, a Pomeranian! How did I not think of that?”
“What do you mean Pomeranian?! I told you it’s a Spitz!!”
“Ah, stop yelling already. Thanks, Boss. Want me to buy you a drink or something?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“I said it’s a Spitz!!!”
“Alright, alright, let’s just look it up later. We’ll see who’s right.”
With that, they supported each other as they left. As I watched them walk out, I noticed a light-brown furball waddling toward me from the right side.
It stopped right in front of the entrance and stared at me. When I stepped outside and opened the door, a Pomeranian looked up at me and wagged its tail cheerfully.
“Greetings, Boss. It’s been a while.”
“Good to see you too, little guy. Have you been….”
I was about to ask how he’d been, but judging from his condition, it didn’t seem like he’d been doing all that well. His fur was a mess, dirty and matted. It looked far more glossy the last time I saw him before he left home.
To make matters worse, there was a wound on the inside of his right ear. The fresh scab suggested it hadn’t been there long. I changed my question and asked again,
“…Have you been living outside this whole time since you left home?”
I asked, but the Pomeranian glanced sideways and quickly pulled his tongue back into his mouth. I looked in the direction he was glancing and sure enough, a group of kobolds was approaching.
“You didn’t talk to anyone while you were out there, did you?”
This time, he just nodded in response. As the group of kobolds got closer and started looking at me like I was some weirdo, I scooped him up and brought him inside. I sat him down behind the counter, and only then did he finally respond.
“Have you been well, Boss?”
“I’ve been doing okay. How about you? Did you manage to keep your peanuts safe?”
“Safe and sound, as you can see—”
“You don’t have to show it. And what happened to your ear?”
When I asked, the little dog lowered his head with a melancholy look and responded in a solemn voice.
“It’s a rather long story… Is it alright if I tell you?”
When I told him to do whatever he wanted, he cleared his throat before launching into his tale.
First off, he managed to leave the house just fine. Right after running away from the convenience store, his owner chased him, swinging a leash, but with sheer determination not to lose his peanuts, he ran like his life depended on it and somehow managed to escape.
After he escaped like that, he found himself in some back alley.
“At first, it didn’t feel real. That I was really… a free dog.”
It didn’t feel real, and he was scared, but he kept moving anyway. He didn’t know when his owner might catch up, so he had to keep going. As he wandered aimlessly through the alleys, he eventually encountered a pack of stray dogs.
“At first, I was glad to see them. After all, I thought we were in the same boat, and that they might become my comrades. So, I tried talking to them…”
“So?”
“They suddenly pounced on me and nearly tore me apart. This wound on my ear happened then. I tried to resolve things through conversation, but all they did was shout, ‘Get out of our territory!’”
It was the same no matter which alley he went to, and his wandering continued. One day, then two. He managed to find water from puddles here and there, but there was nothing he could do about food.
“Hey. I’ve got some expired stuff left over. Want me to give you some?”
“I’d be truly grateful if you did, but… that’s not why I’ve come to see you, Boss.”
“Then what is it?”
When I asked, the puppy, looking embarrassed, drooped his tail and asked,
“Would it be possible… for me to get a job here?”
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FROM NOW ON THIS NOVEL WILL BE UPDATED HERE.