With the unwarranted title of "Black Reaper" suddenly thrust upon him, Luo Shu could only sigh at the Metropolitan Police Department's antics.
Do people in Japan really love giving others nicknames this much?
"Anyway, it's good that the situation is resolved."
Kirika Tachibana scratched her head, looking slightly troubled as she said:
"But the real headache is what comes next."
"Expense reports, audits, reimbursement procedures, and covering up the aftermath..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu silently retreated behind Suzuka Dairenji.
Suzuka Dairenji's eyes widened as she turned her head to stare at Luo Shu, who was hiding behind her.
What the hell?
A grown man actually had the nerve to hide behind her at a time like this?
Meanwhile, Kirika Tachibana also noticed Luo Shu's shameless retreat and couldn't help but deadpan:
"Relax, Meer and I will handle all that. You just need to sign off on it in the end—some of the expenses will need to come from your Hidden Management Department's budget."
Then, Kirika suddenly glanced at Suzuka Dairenji before turning to Natsuki Minamiya:
"Ah, right, Natsuki-chan, have you talked to Luo Shu about that matter yet?"
Natsuki Minamiya instinctively retorted:
"Don't add '-chan' to my name."
Seeing her reaction, Suzuka Dairenji covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
Noticing this, Natsuki Minamiya shot her a dark glare:
"Find that funny?"
"You won't be laughing soon."
Suzuka Dairenji blinked, confused, before Kirika chimed in:
"Well, due to certain... complicated reasons, Natsuki-chan will be recommending some students from the Onmyou Agency to the SDS."
"And, little Suzuka, you're on the list too."
As a branch member of the Tachibana family, an Onmyoji clan, Kirika Tachibana had ties to the Dairenji family as well.
In fact, Suzuka Dairenji's father had been Kirika's teacher in Yin-Yang Arts.
So the two of them were on fairly good terms.
"Wait a minute, what do you two mean?" Suzuka Dairenji suddenly had a bad premonition.
At that moment, Kirika Tachibana said with a somewhat teasing expression:
"Exactly what you're thinking."
"Onmyou Agency fourth-year student Suzuka Dairenji, for the next two years, you'll be transferred to the Hidden Management Department for an internship. Please do your best and spare no effort for this country."
Hearing this, Suzuka Dairenji was utterly stunned.
She blankly turned her head to look at Luo Shu hiding behind her and asked in confusion:
"So... for the next two years, you'll be my boss?"
Luo Shu rubbed his chin at this moment; his expression was subtle.
The Onmyou Agency is sending an intern to work under him, and someone as capable as Suzuka Dairenja at that?
This was excellent news!!
Another piece of firewood to work to death, and a visually pleasing blonde twin-tailed loli at that.
Seemed pretty good.
Thinking this, Luo Shu stroked his chin and nodded:
"If I heard correctly just now, that should be the case."
"What? Do you have any objections about me?"
"Not really..."
Was Suzuka Dairenji resistant to interning at the Hidden Management Department?
Not really.
From the incomprehensible exchange between Luo Shu and Kurumi Tokisaki earlier, Suzuka Dairenji fully acknowledged Luo Shu's capabilities.
After all, even the Time Angel, who had restrained her in an instant, had been forced to retreat by Luo Shu's unknown methods. With such a formidable leader, Suzuka naturally had no reason to refuse.
Still, suddenly transitioning from a free-roaming genius of the Onmyou Agency to becoming Luo Shu's subordinate left her feeling somewhat unsettled.
'My grand money-making scheme, ruined before it even began... seems I'll have to change plans... All those clients I secretly gathered for fortune-altering talismans...'
Thinking of the side business she'd been setting up, and then recalling the notoriously high operational tempo of the SDS, Suzuka suddenly felt like she was getting the short end of the stick, realising she likely wouldn't have time for side ventures anymore.
Unlike Suzuka, who felt hard done by, Luo Shu considered himself the winner here.
After all, unlike Yukino Yukinoshita and Utaha Kasumigaoka, who still needed training, Suzuka Dairenji was already a battle-ready asset.
On top of that, she was rather pleasing to the eye—though her personality remained to be seen.
Of course, recruiting an Onmyou Agency prodigy into the SDS carried some risk of intelligence leaks. But Luo Shu wasn't worried, knowing Suzuka could eventually be developed into a dependent.
'What a joke. Once she's my dependent, leaking secrets would require my approval.'
'Does she really think that Divine Pantheon of mine—useful or not—is some kind of charity?'
Though he already had ideas about how to 'handle' Suzuka, Luo Shu kept them to himself. Instead, he checked his phone and said:
"It's getting late. We should probably wrap things up."
"The three of you still have to handle the remaining matters at the Metropolitan Police Department, right?"
Hearing this, Kirika Tachibana and Natsuki Minamiya remained unmoved, merely glancing at Luo Shu.
It was then that Suzuka finally sensed something amiss.
'Handling matters at the Metropolitan Police Department? Didn't only Tachibana mention that? Why include all three of us?'
Meanwhile, Kirika, realising Luo Shu was baiting Kurumi Tokisaki by acting as a decoy, played along:
"What? Eager to go home to your little sweetheart?"
Kirika was hinting for Luo Shu to bring Kisara along. A pureblood demon's methods were unpredictable, and Kisara's loyalty to Luo Shu was obvious—having her assistance would make dealing with Kurumi easier.
"Ah, I do want to go back to her," Luo Shu admitted readily. "But first, I need to buy some red beans and barley to make congee."
The sudden shift to cooking left Kirika speechless.
As a staunch takeout enthusiast, she never cooked.
"How... leisurely of you."
With that, Kirika waved at Natsuki:
"Natsuki-chan, want a ride in my new sports car? Bought with public funds, you know."
"No. Piss off." Natsuki's blunt refusal left Kirika visibly dejected.
Luo Shu, intrigued, asked: "How does embezzling public funds work? Won't the Chairwoman find out?"
Kirika blinked, then gave him a strange look: "Since when do you care about the Chairwoman finding out?"
The day Lacus sat in the sports car Luo Shu bought with public funds wouldn't surprise her at all. And now, Luo Shu was worried about being caught embezzling?
"That does make sense." Luo Shu suddenly found Kirika Tachibana's words quite reasonable.
Why should he fear the Chairwoman? Could she actually eat him alive? So perhaps he really didn't need to worry about being caught embezzling.
Suzuka Dairenji watched speechlessly as these two openly discussed embezzling public funds, wondering if the rumours about the SDS might be somewhat inaccurate.
The supposedly most efficient official organisation, the crown jewel of Earth's technology, the uncrowned king of absolute integrity in Japan.
These titles should refer to the SDS, not the Metropolitan Police Department, right?
Suzuka Dairenji thought with deep suspicion.
After detailing various ways to creatively account for and embezzle funds—receiving many interesting suggestions—Luo Shu nodded and bid farewell to the three.
Just as Luo Shu turned and walked alone towards a side alley.
Boom!!
Fireworks blossomed across Adachi Ward's night sky, dazzling colours dominating the darkness.
This was the Nura Clan's cover team arriving in Adachi Ward, hosting their so-called Nura Fireworks Festival.
Simply put, it was a group of yokai pretending to be humans, performing across Tokyo's 23 wards while continuously setting off fireworks to mask the sound of gunfire.
Any ordinary person noticing anything unusual would have had their memories modified by a specialised Onmyoji, changing recollections of gunshots to memories of the Nura Fireworks Festival's displays, thus maintaining the stability of ordinary society.
Walking through the alley, Luo Shu gazed up at the small portion of visible fireworks and muttered:
"The Nura Clan really has money, manpower and creativity. Sending people to set off fireworks simultaneously across all 23 wards of Tokyo, even creating a fireworks festival—are they trying to invent a holiday out of thin air?"
Shaking his head with a sigh, Luo Shu continued down the dim alley.
As Tokyo's poorest ward, Adachi's infrastructure was lacking—several alley lamps remained broken and unrepaired, leaving Luo Shu to navigate by fireworks and moonlight.
Though for Luo Shu, this might not be entirely beneficial.
For example...
Luo Shu slightly raised his head, spotting a still figure in the dark alley ahead, his lips curling:
"You're quite prompt, Sharon."