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“Ahahahaha”

I started to laugh, most likely a result of the chaos.

Father shook my shoulder.

“… I recommend going to counseling.”

The Chief looked at me as if I were a dangerous character, quickly averting his eyes.

“Actually, you must. Her mental state seems a bit off.”

“I-I see.”

Father whispered, seeming lost.

While shaking my head, which would not work, I stood up gently.

“Ariel?”

My father grabbed my wrist in confusion.

“I need to cool down my head a bit.”

Blurred speech came out of my mouth. “Where is the bathroom?”

Please just a.s.sume what happened next.

“Ariel, calm down!”

My father yelled at me as I hit my head multiple times on the wall as an attempt to gain back my self-control.

“F-father!”

I cried out with tears in my eyes. “There was something there that shouldn’t be there! Something!”

“I know, I know!”

“I can’t stand this body! I can’t live like this!”

“Of course! I hate it too! But it’s okay; the police are going to catch that evil criminal!”

This went on in the hallway of the Administration of Justice Department- also right in front of the bathroom- causing any officers who walked by to become fl.u.s.tered and run away. No one dared to look over in our direction.

The Chief, who came to check in on the situation, said something to Matilda, who was with him, then suddenly turned on his heels.

“I’m always left with the annoying jobs.”

After spitting out some abusive language, she walked over to where we were and gave a fake smile.

“Your wife has regained consciousness, so please go ahead and return.”

“Oh, ah.”

Father regained his composure, nodding, but darkened his expression.

When we returned to the room from before- most likely a reception room- my mother was weeping.

As my father put his hand on my mother’s shoulder, she lifted her crying face, which she had been covering as she sat in her seat.

“You! What are we going to do?”

“That is, well…”

Not knowing what to say, my father gave a vague reply.

The Chief sat in his seat in silence as Matilda stared at him gloomily.

“If it’s money you need, we can pay any price.”

My mother’s eyes quickly glazed over. “Please, find that man and return my daughter back to normal.”

The Chief narrowed his eyes as he received my mother’s glance.

“We do not need money. We are doing our best to find and arrest the culprit.”

“Your best is not enough! What are you working for if there’s no result?!”

“Of course we plan to achieve a result.”

“Your words don’t match the situation!”

My feisty mother couldn’t stop. Next to her, father tried to make a commotion to get her attention, but it didn’t affect her state of mind.

“If things continue this way, the Augustine household will use every power in its being to pressure the central Magic Office of the Administration of Justice Department.”

“That, ma’am, would be a crime.”

The Chief seemed to be at his wits’ end. “Also, the central department has its hands full with a various cases, so it hasn’t been able to focus its energy on local ones.”

“I’ve heard that there are extraordinary investigators at the central office!”

“There are extraordinary investigators here, too.”

The Chief lowered his voice as if to lower the energy in the room.

“Central office? This isn’t the central Magic Office of the Administration of Justice Department?”

I turned towards Matilda and she nodded quietly.

“This is the north office. Your case is under our jurisdiction.”

North office…

I definitely had heard before that the Administration of Justice Department had offices split off from the central. It would be difficult if the central department had to take care of absolutely everything.

Also, lately, there had seemed to be a lot of magic-related crimes occurring.

“Can you make us trust you?”

My mother continued her hold on the conversation. “You’re called the Chief, aren’t you? I want you to show us your abilities and save our daughter.”

“I see that is so.”

“The Augustine household has many donations placed into public inst.i.tutions.”

Mother’s eyes carried a dangerous shine.  “It would be splendid if you performed the investigation, without any investments related to criminal matters. We would like this to go as smoothly as possible.”

“…yes, that is what we hope.”

“We have our own connections, so I believe that if you do not comply we will have to work independently.”

“Is that a threat?”

The Chief glared at my mother, but she smiled coldly.

“Oh, do you plan to do something that might call for a threat? Like, perhaps, easing up on the investigation?”

“We do not have any such plans.”

“If that’s so, then fine. I will be expecting the best from you!”

“Your mother is great.”

Matilda whispered in amazement. I simply nodded.

After seeing my mother’s rampage, I felt myself relax a bit. I thought for moment and then asked Matilda.

“Would you say it’s a miracle that I wasn’t killed by Gray Starling?”

“Probably, yes.”

She replied with a straight face.

“Yeah. I would like to make him regret it someday. What he did to me.”

The coldness in my voice shocked even myself. Matilda looked at me with deep interest, letting out a small laugh.

“You have guts, don’t you?”

“a.s.sets, too.”

I then saw, out of the corner of my eye, my father hanging his head in front of the Chief.

“I apologize. She just has a harsh spirit.”

“Extremely.”

“However, I will spare no cooperation with the investigation.  That’s why…”

“I understand.”

The Chief lightly raised his hand, cutting off my father’s words.

“So please pardon any hindrances to the investigation. Also, for now we would like to keep your daughter under our supervision.”