The sound of a flattened bullet clattering against the tiles lingered longer than it should have. I stared at the bullet for a long while, trying to digest the sudden climax of her crude explanation. My focus turned to the spot where Anh was shot at. Nothing. Not a drop of blood. Not even a wrinkle in his long coat as he adjusted the sides of the fabric.
"You understand now, right? Your vulnerability in this world. It's an unstable variable that neither of us can control, not without an Origin Signature."
Anaelle's sudden interruption pulls me out of my thoughts. But still, this is going a bit too fast… mitigation. Does that mean I can actually die in this world?
"But it shouldn't trouble you. There has been no report of fatality records for almost a millennium. And the crime rate in administrative districts is relatively low. "Have faith in the system," Anh said. For someone who just got shot in an office, this man is rather calm.
"So I guess… I need to be more careful with my surroundings, huh? Seems doable; there's no difference between this existence and a mortal life. If… I'm still mortal, that is."
"You're perfectly mortal, which is why I think those Internal Tribunal Committee folks called you a contradiction. Now, let's get back to the matter at hand."
Anaelle put on her glasses once more, adjusting them slightly on the hinge to make them even and symmetrical. At least, that's what I think she's going for.
"As I've said, there are two crucial factors to discuss regarding your arrival into our world. Your safety… and your role as a living thing."
I crossed my arms, looking down at the document on the table. 'Potential missing variable of the Sanctum Equation' was written under my name.
"My role? Like a job or something?"
"Precisely, but the problem is we can't assign you to any random job, given that you don't have an Origin Signature."
"And such a thing isn't rare, Fumiko. From the beginning of Cain's death, there's nothing similar to this," Anh added.
Anaelle paused for a moment before continuing.
However, there is something worth trying; I don't recommend it, but your sudden appearance is exactly what 'he' had left behind before disappearing."
I raised an eyebrow. 'He?' What did 'he' know about me before my departure from the living world?
"He? Who's 'he'?" I asked.
"The former general chancellor went missing a few months ago. He left nothing but a note, and that's all. None of us know his whereabouts, and no one knows what has happened to him."
She reached into the pocket of her black vest, pulling out a folded paper and handing it over to me. I took the paper and unfolded the sheet; on it read
'Let this message reach the variable of our world. Lead them to the archive that I have built. Our roots.'
"An archive?"
Anaelle nodded.
"Yes, but it's not what you're thinking of. Before disappearing, the chancellor constructed the foundation of a new government project: an extrajudicial authority bureau."
She pressed a button on the table—the tabletop instantly shifted into a projector pointing upward as a vertical holographic blueprint of a building appeared before us.
"He called it IASM: Independent Archive Security Management. However, this decision was made through the chancellor's personal discretion without referring to the Board of Directors and the Chancellors Assembly."
The hologram changed, now projecting an insignia of IASM with a folder and a lock motif on it. I thought such sci-fi concepts only existed in… well, sci-fi!
"We know this is much to ask of someone who is still confused about our world. But we need someone to fill in the vacant spot the chancellor left."
Vacant spot, fill in, chancellor's wish. Is this really who I wanted to be? Perhaps… not. Yet, I could not find any reason to decline her offer either. After all, what's left for me in this world?
"Alright, director. I—"
Before I could even finish my sentence, someone barged into the room, panting while sweat trickled down from their forehead. They fixed their postures and footing before saluting directly at Anaelle.
"Officer Sylvia, reporting in, ma'am!" There's currently a situation in the General Administrative District."
Anaelle turned her gaze to the officer, her face turned irritated.
"What's the situation?"
Sylvia dropped her hand to the side and stepped inside the room, keeping a respectful distance from others.
"We received a distress signal from the Peacekeeping Bureau regarding a terror attack taking place at the Sanctum Tower. Our informant warned that the Discord Maker was behind the incident."
The Sanctum Tower… I just read that somewhere, didn't I?
"Oh? How convenient; we were just about to head there ourselves. After all, that's where IASM headquarters was addressed."
Anaelle walked to a coat stand, retrieving a long piece of white coat, the same pattern that Anh wears but with a light blue armband and a custom insignia.
"Wear this."
She handed it over to me so suddenly, forcing me to accept it.
"Every piece of clothing made in this realm is bulletproof, but I can't guarantee you will survive the impact. So do not be reckless."
I paused, looking down at the coat then back at her.
"W-wait! Do I have to go there too? Isn't that… I don't know, dangerous?"
This is not right… Are they really taking me to a battlefield on my first day here?! This is really not one way to start a day!
"Yes, since you've basically agreed to take on the vacant position. I consider you part of the team now; the faster we end this riot, the faster you can settle into your new job."
"So, uh... I'll just leave, I guess."
Anh mentioned quietly, already retreating towards the door.
"Not so fast; you're coming with us. Someone needs to protect Fumiko from possible dangers that could harm her mortal body."
Anh stopped in his tracks, his shoulders slumped slightly to the side as he let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine, fine. I guess my job is being someone's bodyguard for a day."
Anaelle turned to face Officer Sylvia again.
"Dispatch the Clean-Up Crew to the location; I will personally oversee the operation at the rendezvous point."
I watched the officer salute and left as I put on the long white coat; it's quite comfortable actually for a bulletproof material. Without wasting another moment, we all headed down to the underground garage using a specialized elevator passkey. When we arrived at the underground level, we were welcomed by an armored black sedan with airless tires and a radio antenna.
"Anh, you'll be driving."
She tossed the key in the air as he caught it and nodded. We entered the sedan as the engine roared to life, uh… I guess 'roaring' isn't the right word since it's an EV. Well, I guess that doesn't matter to anyone. The warning light turned flickering yellow as the platform beneath us ascended upwards, which is… kind of pointless.
Why bother putting a vehicle inside an underground basement in the first place?
That aside, as the platform reached the ground level, Anh quickly drove off as another sectional garage door was lifted open for the car to pass. As we hit the road, I looked out the window at this alien city… a foreign landscape.
Will I ever fit in a society like this?
Being put in the position of power sounds terrifying, and it's even more worrisome to be so in such an unknown place. The car sped up down the busy highway; I guess even in the realm of death, the highway has always been a busy place.
From afar, I could see the Sanctum Tower that I saw in the holographic blueprint in the meeting room. Thick black smoke was coming out from everywhere around the tower.
Is this really a normal life to live in…?