Episode 666: One Case Solved
I head to Haulon—Linlin’s place with a watermelon filled with fluffy-fluff. I really want that underground passage.
In the office, Linlin is as intense as ever, or rather, she looks cornered as she goes through the piled-up documents, making decisions.
“Taking a break or a nap would improve efficiency, you know? Why don’t you rest a bit? Here, a watermelon as a treat.”
It’s not filled with fluffy-fluff, it’s properly packed inside.
“That was fast. Did you already solve it?”
Linlin raises her face.
Should I let go of the documents?
“Solved, or rather, I brought the Spirit that’s the cause. Linlin, does this look familiar to you, or do you have some kind of déjà vu?”
I offer the watermelon, turning the hole so the fluffy-fluff is visible.
“Déjà vu…?”
Linlin tilts her head slightly.
Unlike Haulon, her movements are minimal, like… She always has a frown between her eyebrows and looks grumpy, but this is Linlin’s normal mode.
“I see, this is ‘Panda’?”
“Panda?”
Why!?
“I’ve been curious since I heard it from you. But if the field is going to suffer from crop damage, it’s better if we didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Me!?
…
When we first met, I thought Linlin’s name sounded like “Panda,” so I guess it’s coming from that. Or rather, the word “Panda” definitely came from me, didn’t it? Because everyone else doesn’t know what a Panda is.
Were you that curious about Pandas? So much that your imagination gave form to a Spirit? Or rather, it’s not a Panda. It’s a black and white fluffy-fluff.
“A black and white, fluffy thing that gnaws on plants—but doesn’t seem like a Bear? It had a specific annotation, didn’t it?”
Linlin says, looking at the fluffy-fluff in detail.
Her memory is amazing!? Even though she’s an Grandfather!!!
I’m surprised by the Great Sage’s memory, and I shudder a little at the possibility that she might have imagined a Bear!
“To be ‘visible’ means it’s quite compatible with me. I’d like to make it my familiar, but its existence is too faint for that. We must also deal with the watermelon crop damage.”
“I think Linlin should rest.”
Or go somewhere and use up your Magic Power with a bang.
“If trade doesn’t proceed smoothly, the workload will only increase. Stopping the crop damage caused by this Spirit will also reduce the work in the near future.”
“Yeah, Linlin should rest.”
I say the same thing again to Linlin, who’s holding the watermelon filled with fluffy-fluff.
“…”
“…”
Linlin deepens the frown between her eyebrows and looks at me suspiciously. I receive that gaze with a smile, a.k.a. my expressionless face.
Linlin’s expression crumbles.
“—Am I the cause?”
“Yes.”
Haulon appears. Great Sage, I’m glad you’re quick to understand.
“It might be my fault that it’s in this form and gnawing on plants because I didn’t explain it properly, but the reason it was born is Haulon’s Magic Power. I think it’s stressed from gnawing on the desk.”
Please don’t leak Magic Power as a substitute for venting.
“It’s not a strong enough existence to take root, so if Haulon’s Magic Power doesn’t leak, the watermelon crop damage will stop.”
Instead of making Linlin work, please sleep a little or take a vacation on a southern Island.
Please rest before you mass-produce new-age Pandas?
“I understand.”
Haulon sighs and replies.
“What’s the next problem Spirit?”
There’s more?
“It’s not necessarily decided that it’s Spirit-related, you know. I didn’t investigate it myself, so it feels like things that couldn’t be identified are being blamed on Spirits.”
Haulon says, correcting herself as she hands me the documents.
That’s right, having a preconceived notion that it’s the Spirit’s fault is no good. If it’s an investigation by Haulon, who can ‘see’ Spirits, that’s one thing, but conclusions drawn without seeing them can’t be said to be certain.
I think Haulon is more flexible than Linlin as I check the documents.
“It’s a pain to come for reports one by one, so can you summarize a few cases?”
When I say that, about ten documents come.
Aren’t there too many Spirit incidents? Well, thanks to Karn and Es, the Gods, the Spirit population is high, so I guess it can’t be helped.
“Please. I don’t have to prepare for when the watermelon runs out anymore, and I’ll rest a little as advised—after I finish giving instructions for the documents I’m working on now.”
She says, dropping her gaze to the desk.
“The type who says that and keeps going. Well, I guess there are some you can’t just drop right away, but try to rest by evening.”
There are probably subordinates waiting for instructions, so you’ll need time to contact them and tell them to postpone the instructions until tomorrow.
“I understand. Will you tell me about ‘Panda’ later?”
Haulon listens to the story obediently.
Well, if the problem is caused by your own overwork.
“Yeah, I’ll make a vacation set too.”
“Vacation set?”
I turn my back to Haulon, wave my hand, and leave the room. I want to solve the incidents in these documents by evening!