He instantly heard a rhythmic stomp on the floor the instant, he left from the office. It was the prideful girl from earlier. She was stomping on the floor, crossing her arms in front of her chest, talking with an officer.

“The Head Captain already left. Where the hell is that guy they called Merik?”

“I’m really sorry, ma’am. Mister Merik is a bit occupied at the moment. If you could just wait a moment...”

“Wait? I have been waiting here for...for almost two hours already. Essence is of the time, you know? Could you go pick him up?”

Isn’t it “time is of the essence”? Both Merik and the poor officer muttered in their head.

“Oh, oh. There he is. It’s Mister Merik. Sir. This young lady is looking for you. She said it’s urgent.”

Merik went straight to the girl and stared at her. She was not in the short area but due to the height difference, she had to look up at Merik. The officer slowly left the scene the moment those two started doing the stare contest.

“You, Merik?”

“Who’s asking?”

“It doesn’t matter who’s asking. Just answer me. Umm, wait, where are you going, hey?”

Merik just left the girl and went out of the office. It was his time for strolling around the neighborhood as his daily mission.

The Overseers had to take care of their own areas in terms of people’s emotional threshold. Surely, they couldn’t measure the mentality of people but at least, they could take a guess at how they must be feeling and so on.

Are they content with what they are getting? Are they getting the sense of safety from the peacekeepers? What kind of false rumors were spreading?

What kind of “Wishes” were they wishing for?

Are there a lot of negativities in their state of mind?

These were essential questions of the “strolling mission” because in this world, the supernatural accidents could come in many forms but majorly from two categories.

One from the “Wishes” and one from the negativities they were accumulating before their life ran out.

When people died, they turned into blobs. It was a common knowledge but the information regarding people turning into monstrosities, were also unfortunately true. This information was withheld from the public to lower the anxiety and panic, to maintain the order within these residential areas.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

All kinds of unwanted accidents could happen to people with unstable mentality and accumulated negativities. It could be varied from slight annoyance over a spill of coffee to the traumas of losing beloved ones. One positive remark would be that not all the people suffering from these problems would turn into monstrosities. There were affinities.

The minimal strength of these monsters was at least twenty people and the strongest one they had encountered till now was equal to around the strength of fifty people, even when not counting the power they possess with their “Beliefs”.

That’s where the Overseers came in. They had to make sure the public was safe and sound in order to maintain the overall order of the neighborhood, in turn cities, in turn the whole country.

They could also be regarded as protectors from the shadow.

Merik couldn’t help but cringed at himself.

All kinds of mundane thoughts would fly into Merik’s head while strolling every morning, but this time the constant nagging of this random short midget of a girl was disrupting the very peace of the neighborhood.

She just wouldn’t stop. What and who is she anyway? Merik hated all kinds of people who were just straight up rude and this girl was one of them. That’s why he didn’t give any of his attentions to her.

But, man, can she talk.

“Was saying, like I was saying, Head Captain Mr. Albert Shaw recommended and accepted me into your division and he said I had to work under your supervision. Surely, you wouldn’t take me for an amateur because I had so, so, so many experiences from my previous division, already. Oh, the division was Aerofall.”

Lady, I heard you when you just said it for the SIXTEENTH TIME! Nevermind, it wouldn’t be a leisure stroll if this girl was going to annoy him all the way.

“I know... “we” know and recognize your strength but just because you are popular, doesn’t mean you can just...”

Okay, that’s it.

He suddenly pulled her hand and dragged her to the nearest coffee shop. It was a kind of place where every layer of society could come to comfortably unlike the fancy ones only nobles could go to. The price was reasonable, but this wasn’t the problem at hand.

He put the girl onto the chair and ordered two cups of freshly brewed coffee, the one he always drank after his usual stroll and a chocolate cake for the lady.

Surely, both the girl and the usual waiter’s eyes were widened, but he just stared straight into the girl’s eyes. He nodded his chin upward, indicating to talk. The poor guy left quietly after quickly reading the atmosphere. It was the second time something like this happened in a day.

“Ahem, so, ahem. So. Umm. Mister Merik. No. Merik. Can I ask...I will ask you a question before all this.”

Why are you correcting yourself to be more informal!?

“---”

“You usually do this to any girl you just met or...”

“---”

“Mister Merik, you usually don’t talk much?”

“I don’t talk to people whom I don’t know names of.”

Like a click in the brain, she just snapped her fingers before getting flustered. She was so obviously so embarrassed, but she was trying so hard to hide. It was a prideful face from before, but red like a fresh tomato.

“Ah, of course. You should have just said so. Why are you being childish?”

“---”

“Ahem, my name is Cora. Cora Wright. The same position as you from my previous division, Silly investigator!”

The amount of people in this world who could say this sentence as serious as her could be counted on one hand.

She didn’t realize instantly but the moment she realized it herself, she was turning to a red tomato, again.

“Ah, Stealthy investigator. Stealthy investigator!!”

She panicked and drank the coffee right as it was delivered and of course the coffee was hot, and she wanted to spit out but then again, the gaze of Merik pressured herself to swallow it with difficulties.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about all of this anymore.