Chương 70: Chapter 19 The Little Sister and the Eve of the Akihabara Gate(Part 2)

I really had to stop. The burden on my shoulders had been lifted quite a bit, and I was getting too excited. With my hand held out like that, Mochida froze completely, while Tachibana just smiled. Then, unable to hold it back any longer, he burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha! A request from my adorable little sister? Of course. You can take the card with you. As long as you stay within the limit, I'll allow it." Still looking slightly unsteady, Tachibana got down from the bed, took out his wallet, and placed a card in my hand. Wow... I somehow ended up with a card handed to me. But there was no way I could use someone else's card. That was terrifying.

"I was joking. I'll give it back. There's no way I could actually use someone else's card."

"That is your own income, you know?"

"My own?"

"The money will be withdrawn from your streaming revenue account. I was wondering when I should give it to you, but this is a perfect opportunity. Government employees cannot have side jobs, so you should accept it." He gave me a small smile.

"Besides... I got to see something quite wonderful." I had been tricked! Well, technically, I was the one who played along. But somehow, I felt like I had been completely manipulated. Looking at the card, my name was printed on it. It really was a card under my name. Being a streamer probably looked glamorous from the outside, but I wondered how taxes worked. I had quit my job and become a member of the countermeasure team, but I hadn't even asked about my salary.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Either way... I would gratefully accept this.

"Thank you. I'll accept the card." I turned toward Mochida.

"Please do my makeup." And then the makeup session began. To put it simply... It was annoying. Mochida was probably unhappy about how casually I had stuffed my hair into the hat, because she lectured me while applying all kinds of foundation and base makeup. Powder filled the air. She even put lipstick on my lips, which I normally never bothered with. It felt incredibly strange. And the final step... Colored contact lenses. Yes, my red eyes stood out too much. But I had spent my entire life without contacts.

Putting something directly into my eyes was a huge hurdle.

"Now that the makeup is done, wouldn't sunglasses be enough? Honestly, I'm scared of contact lenses."

"What!? Chloe, you actually have something you're afraid of?"

"What kind of person do you think I am?" I sighed.

"I'm just an ordinary person who can use a little magic... or rather, an ordinary person who wants to become one." I looked away.

"Once the Akihabara incident is over, I'm going back home." A small pause.

"... I want to see my wife. I want to eat dinner with my family." (Chief Tachibana, is that... a yuri relationship?) (Mochida, from an outside perspective, yes. But knowing what's actually going on, I would call her a devoted husband.) I had been too busy lately to even call my wife. I should call her tonight. Tachibana and Mochida whispered to each other, but my priority was clear. My wife and my family came first. If I had to take the blame or get my hands dirty to keep them safe, that was a cheap price to pay.

"Mochida, let's go." I stood up.

"For now, let's check within a four-kilometer radius from the Akihabara Gate." I paused.

"Actually, if Chiyoda has information about the sealed-off area, we should patrol that instead."

"Understood. Let's confirm everything." Mochida nodded.

"If we start from the Akihabara Gate and expand outward, we should be able to identify the major buildings and landmarks." We got into Mochida's car. The place she brought me to was near Akihabara Station. I had flown directly to the Gate once before, but after landing here, I realized something. There were too many tall buildings. Visibility was poor. When people thought of Akihabara, they usually imagined maid cafes and anime. Near the station, countless anime posters decorated the streets.

Mochida explained that because of a past incident, the pedestrian-only street was only held on certain days now. Akihabara had always felt like a place where something strange could happen. Maybe because of games. For example... A place where you could become a vampire and go around stripping people's clothes. Or a radio building where something from space crashed down. Those kinds of images.

Right now, because of the Gate incident, Self-Defense Force personnel in camouflage uniforms and police officers were walking around protecting the area. But because of Akihabara's atmosphere... They almost looked like cosplayers. I wondered if Hyodo would normally be among them. No. If he was part of the Special Forces, he would probably blend in wearing civilian clothes.

"So, where should we start?" Mochida looked around.

"If you're hungry, should we go to a maid cafe?"

"Ah... I haven't eaten anything." I thought for a moment.

"Let's go with your recommendation. After that, we can check the major buildings and their names." At the maid cafe, I had an omelet rice served with a cat drawing on top. I finished it in no time. Wearing a hat and sunglasses indoors was rude, but this time I had no choice. After eating, I wanted to enjoy a smoke, but smoking was prohibited. So instead, I chewed gum. Mochida took my hand and guided me around the buildings. One thing bothered me. Because there was a subway system...

Did we have to worry about monsters underground as well? I listened to her explanations while walking, but I also found myself watching the people passing by. It reminded me of when I visited the Adachi Gate. Office workers in suits. Groups wearing robes. People dressed in black gothic lolita outfits. And among them... A young, intimidating-looking man with a white-painted face, a soft mohawk with shaved lines on the sides, and an expression that screamed discomfort. He was wearing gothic lolita clothes.

His hand was being held by a woman dressed similarly. Probably his girlfriend. I felt sorry for him. Of course, people could wear whatever they wanted. But still... There were also women dressed entirely in black, carrying what looked like airsoft guns. Young men wearing hakama. And many other unique outfits. The people heading toward the Gate came in all kinds of styles. But then...