"Um… do I really have to wear this?"
Looking at the clothes on his body, Shirou felt extremely uncomfortable.
It was not that it was particularly embarrassing… alright, it actually was quite embarrassing.
"Well, it is a crowded concert after all! So the Guard Department will need some people to move around inside wearing ordinary clothes. This is a benefit that normal people cannot get! After all, you need a certain level of personal combat ability to qualify!"
Hoshiguma said with a smile. On the table beside her, several more outfits were scattered about.
Right now, she was assigning Shirou his upcoming task.
That was to blend into the crowd at the upcoming MSR concert while wearing casual clothes.
Normally, the Guard Department would assign uniformed personnel to help maintain order. However, considering that Chief Wei had recently emphasized strengthening security in Lungmen, this additional task of blending into the crowd had been introduced.
It required good observational ability and personal combat strength, and in the end, Shirou was chosen.
There was simply no better candidate. Moreover, he was familiar with people from Penguin Logistics, which would make things more convenient.
After all, one of the performers at this concert was from Penguin Logistics.
"Can I not wear something more normal?"
Looking at the floral shirt he was wearing, Shirou felt a headache coming on.
It was clearly the kind of style Phal liked to wear. If it were not slightly larger in size, Shirou would have thought it was borrowed directly from him.
At this moment, Shirou was wearing a dark shirt with red patterns, paired with black dress pants and a belt.
On top of that, Hoshiguma was holding a white jacket in her hands, which made Shirou feel that something was off.
Thankfully, his hair had grown a bit longer. Otherwise, with his previous hairstyle and this outfit, he would definitely be mistaken for a delinquent at the concert.
Just imagining it made him feel awkward.
"It has to be distinctive! You do not have obvious racial traits, so if you want other officers to recognize you, you have to stand out through your clothing. If you do not like this one, you can consider these."
Hoshiguma directly rejected Shirou 's request.
"Could I at least have some kind of badge? Or let me wear a Guard Department or Penguin Logistics uniform?"
Shirou did not even look at the clothes she pointed to. This was already the only dark-colored and most understated outfit among them.
He could not imagine himself wearing pink or light purple clothes at all.
So he tried to struggle a bit and proposed his own idea.
"Forget it. The Guard Department uniforms are already assigned for other duties, and as for you wearing a Penguin Logistics uniform, do you want to cause panic among the crowd?"
Hoshiguma rejected the idea without hesitation.
"Why would it cause panic?"
Shirou was confused.
"Think about Penguin Logistics' reputation in Lungmen. Although they have toned it down recently, their past reputation has not been forgotten."
Throwing the jacket in her hand to Shirou , Hoshiguma explained.
It was not that she was deliberately messing with him. This was simply the most practical arrangement.
Well… if she were honest, there was just a tiny bit of desire to mess with him.
Originally, there was only the outfit Shirou was wearing now. The other sets were picked out together with Swire, mainly to see Shirou 's embarrassed reaction.
And indeed, they saw it. It was quite satisfying, even relieving some of the stress from recent overtime work.
As for the Penguin Logistics uniform, it was technically possible, but considering their reputation… it was better not to use it.
If something went wrong, Shirou might even get subdued by others while wearing it.
Although MSR had commissioned the Guard Department to maintain order, they had also hired additional personnel to protect their idols.
She could guarantee that Guard Department members would recognize Shirou , but she could not guarantee the same for others.
"Sigh… fine. I will take this set back and wash it first. Wearing it directly feels uncomfortable."
Hearing Hoshiguma's reasoning, Shirou knew there was no escaping it.
He sighed and adjusted the clothes slightly.
He did not know whether it was because they had not been washed or due to the material, but after only a few minutes, his skin already felt itchy.
"Of course. Do not forget there is an inner pocket here. You can put your Guard Department ID inside, and keep your temporary work permit in your pants pocket. That way, even if you get cut in half, people will know which part is your lower body."
Seeing Shirou accept reality, Hoshiguma pointed to the area slightly below his left chest.
That was a safe spot. The IDs would be stored separately in the shirt and pants.
"That topic is way too horrifying!"
Holding the Guard Department uniform, Shirou complained.
What did she mean by identifying his lower body after being cut in half? It would be faster to just tie an ID to his ankle.
"Just joking. If someone does not recognize you, you can show your work permit or Guard Department ID to prove your identity. Keeping them separate is just to avoid losing both."
Hearing Shirou 's complaint, Hoshiguma laughed and then moved aside the clothes on the table to make space for him to change.
After briefly explaining some precautions, she would have to return to work. Recently, under Chief Wei's orders, the Guard Department had been working overtime to strengthen patrols. Dark circles were visible under everyone's eyes.
Only Shirou , as an newbie, could leave work on time, making everyone else envious.
After all, newbie usually did not have much work. In other departments, they might just be errand runners.
But Shirou was different. He was now considered a treasure of the sniper unit. If anyone tried to order him around, the sniper team would be the first to object.
As a result, aside from her, only Chen and Missy would assign Shirou any work. The higher-ups generally did not concern themselves much with him.
The three of them also did not deliberately give Shirou tasks, but whenever something came up, they would still pull him in to help.
For example, the casualty rate of the assault team had dropped significantly recently, largely thanks to Shirou .
The only downside was the windows.
After all, he was a sniper—it was understandable.
Compared to medical expenses and follow-up costs for injured personnel, broken windows were just a minor compensation issue. The higher-ups were quite happy signing off on those reimbursements.
Also… maybe it was just her imagination, but Hoshiguma felt that Chen had gradually started slacking off a bit, often letting Shirou take the lead.
Not just Chen, Missy also seemed to be doing the same.
This was not good news.
After all, Shirou was not a permanent member of the Guard Department. He was only a temporary newbie. After the MSR concert security operation, he would "retire" in about two weeks.
She could only hope that the Guard Department would not develop withdrawal symptoms.
Hoshiguma felt like she was worrying herself sick for the sake of the department.
"Why do you look so troubled? You were just laughing a moment ago."
When Shirou came out after changing clothes, he immediately noticed Hoshiguma's gloomy expression.
She had been laughing so happily just now. How did her expression change so quickly?
"It is nothing. I was just thinking about how much work there is ahead."
Hoshiguma did not voice her real concerns. Saying them out loud would feel a bit like emotional pressure.
Although she hoped the Guard Department could secure a strong support like Shirou , forcing that kind of relationship would not last and could harm their rapport.
Maybe she could discuss it with Chief Wei later and arrange some kind of agreement with Penguin Logistics, allowing them to call on Shirou during emergencies.
Special talents deserved special treatment.
"Work, huh… you all really have been busy."
Thinking about the recent state of the Guard Department, Shirou agreed.
Even Chen's desk which was right next to theirs was piled high with documents. Despite her high efficiency, the stack did not seem to shrink at all.
It was only manageable because it was Chen handling it. If it were someone more laid-back, they might not even show up at work anymore.
Moreover, the number of dispatches had increased recently. In the past, there might not even be one in a day, but now two per day had become normal.
Fortunately, they were mostly minor incidents, so rotating shifts kept things from becoming too exhausting.
"You should work harder too! I still want to pass more paperwork to you!"
Handing a paper bag to Shirou so he could pack his clothes, Hoshiguma patted his shoulder and spoke with a friendly smile.
"…I will try."
Looking at the horn on Hoshiguma's forehead, then at her "kind" expression, Shirou forced a slight smile.
He knew that Oni did not eat people, but some things he had heard since childhood still lingered, triggering a bit of instinctive fear in certain situations.
For example, the pain from the shoulder she had just patted, combined with her expression, reminded him of those childhood stories.
"Look at that face. Alright, let us go. Time to get to work. Give me that, I will put it on your desk."
Seemingly noticing the reason behind Shirou 's forced smile, Hoshiguma withdrew her hand.
"I will head to the shooting range first."
After packing the clothes into the paper bag and handing it to her, Shirou jogged off.
"Hah… he runs fast."
Watching him run off, Hoshiguma glanced upward to the right, though she could not see much.
Rumors about the Oni race were indeed somewhat exaggerated.
After pausing briefly, she quickly left to handle her own tasks.
Meanwhile, since he was in a hurry to get to the shooting range, Shirou ran the whole way.
He should have been there half an hour ago, but Hoshiguma had pulled him aside to brief him on concert security and to choose his outfit, which caused the delay.
Fortunately, no one complained, and they went straight into training.
After the initial enthusiasm wore off, the number of people at the shooting range had decreased somewhat.
Of course, it might also be due to work duties.
Thanks to that, Shirou 's teaching pressure had eased compared to before. With prolonged instruction, he had even become capable of using bows and crossbows without relying on magic.
While not as powerful as in real combat, the results were still quite good.
There was also an unexpected bonus—Shirou had grown somewhat closer to them. During training, they would occasionally chat about the Guard Department or Lungmen.
As everyone knew, every sniper had excellent eyesight.
And with that keen vision, they could notice things ordinary people could not.
However, Lungmen's overall security was quite good, so this sharp perception rarely had practical use. At most, it helped them notice small details and speculate.
"Tsk, let me tell you…yesterday I saw Officer Hoshiguma and Officer Swire picking out little skirts and both of them had suspicious smiles, they must be plotting something!"
One Guard Department member who had just finished sniper training whispered quietly.
"Seriously?"
Another Guard Department member wearing goggles put down his crossbow, turned around, and asked curiously.
"Really?"
"Really!"
The two of them went back and forth.
Shirou was standing nearby, and after hearing their conversation, he looked slightly puzzled.
Little skirts?
Hoshiguma and Swire being together did not seem strange. Swire wore them quite often.
As for Hoshiguma and Chen, they mostly wore pants. Chen would wear shorts with leg guards, while Hoshiguma wore long pants.
Wait… did Hoshiguma not just say those clothes were carefully selected by her and Swire?
No way…
Forget it. At least those clothes earlier looked pretty normal. The two of them could not have gone that far.
"You two, save that kind of talk for later. Speaking badly about Guard Department members inside the department, are you not afraid your workload will suddenly increase?"
Shirou stopped them from continuing. Talking behind people's backs was not a good habit.
Secondly, the other person had not even finished today's training quota yet. Slacking off was not acceptable.
"Got it!"
Hearing Shirou 's words, the two quickly came back to their senses, picked up their crossbows, and resumed training.
"Oh right, Instructor, do you know about the new rumors in the slums recently?"
The same Guard Department member who started the earlier topic fired a few shots, then turned around again to chat—this time directly with Shirou .
Some of them privately referred to him as "Instructor," since most had received his guidance and seen clear improvement.
And this topic had nothing to do with anyone in the Guard Department, so it was completely safe.
"What rumors? The muscular Lupo? The red devil?"
At the mention of slum rumors, Shirou immediately thought of those two embarrassingly cringeworthy nicknames.
Those titles might haunt him for the rest of his life.
"No, those are outdated. Now there is a rumor about a White Wolf in the slums. They say she wields two greatswords and chased someone from North Street all the way to South Street! And aside from her target, she did not cause any other casualties."
Seeing that Shirou was interested, the man continued.
"White wolf? Dual swords?"
Hearing those two phrases, Shirou felt like he already knew who it was.
Considering the timing, it had to be Lappland, whom he had met a few days ago.
When they first met, she was the one being chased. Who would have thought that just a few days later, she would be the one chasing others?
"That is right. With Lungmen people having a certain fondness for white hair, combined with the natural appeal of the Lupo race, the 'White Wolf' has actually gained quite a bit of popularity in some areas."
The Guard Department member shared his thoughts.
"..."
Thank you, but Shirou really did not want to know such strange things.
He already knew that Lungmen people were quite enthusiastic about Lupos. He did not expect the same to apply to white hair.
Sigh… how odd.
"Um… aside from that, the situation in the slums has also been a bit unusual recently."
Seeing Shirou fall silent, the man quickly switched topics.
He was a chatterbox, and his observational skills were quite sharp, so he knew a lot of small bits of gossip about Lungmen.
Most of it was minor, though.
Under Shirou 's questioning gaze, he continued:
"Did you not hear about the Infected kidnapping case that was recently solved? After it was reported, many Infected who were alone started grouping together to avoid similar danger. But then, because of the larger groups, some people developed bad intentions, and now the atmosphere in the slums is not very good."
"That happened?"
Hearing this, Shirou frowned.
He had been busy at the Guard Department lately and had not gone to the slums, so he did not know how things were on Rope's side.
Even though the shop was located near the outskirts, it was still quite dangerous.
"Yeah, but there is not much that can be done. The Guard Department is already overwhelmed just handling things in the city. If they also take on the slums, everyone will be overworked. Besides, most people in the slums are quite hostile toward the Guard Department."
"I see… I understand. I will mention it to Chen later."
After thinking it through, Shirou decided this was something Chen should know.
Even if they did not have the manpower or time to deal with it, at least she should be aware of the situation.
After glancing at the name tag on the man's uniform, Shirou told him to go take a break.
The reason was simple, he talked too much. Shirou would say one sentence, and he would respond with several.
Though, to be fair, the information was quite interesting.
White Wolf… heh, maybe he should mention it to Texas later.
Ever since Lappland was brought up, Texas's expression had become slightly more animated.
From completely expressionless to… slightly less expressionless.
And she had also been gathering information herself, so this was not Shirou indulging in some strange hobby.
He was just providing her with information she wanted.
Still… Infected people grouping together for protection, only to end up oppressing others?
If they had simply gathered and worked hard to survive, that would have been a good thing.
But once they began to bully others, it became something entirely different.
From victims to perpetrators, what a bitter irony.
Shirou made a mental note of it before continuing to assist with training.
Afternoon, Lungmen Guard Department office.
"I understand what happened. What do you think about it?"
Stopping her work, Chen listened as Shirou reported on the situation in the slums.
This kind of thing was not new. Usually, after some time, the gangs in the slums would step in and suppress those who bullied the weak.
Although saying this somewhat undermined the Guard Department's authority, the truth was that it was very difficult for them to intervene in the slums.
Manpower was one issue. The prejudice of most Lungmen citizens toward slum residents was another. And the distrust that slum residents had toward the Guard Department was yet another.
With these three problems combined, it made any operation in the slums extremely difficult.
That was why Chen would change clothes after work and go there herself to gather information. Only when things escalated to a certain level would the Guard Department officially intervene.
As for what Shirou had reported now, it was still a minor issue. Being aware of it was enough. However, Chen was more interested in Shirou 's perspective.
"…The Infected grouping together is for their own safety, but what they do afterward is somewhat excessive."
Shirou 's view was relatively straightforward.
"It is mainly because the Infected have been oppressed for too long. A spring that has been compressed for so long will only have three possible outcomes once released."
As she spoke, Chen raised three fingers.
"One is that it remains in its compressed state. Two is that it slowly returns to its original form. And three…"
She curled one finger down with each point.
"…the moment it is released, it snaps back violently."
"I understand."
Watching Chen lower her fingers one by one, Shirou grasped her meaning.
On this land, Infected people who had been oppressed either broke under the pressure or found a way to survive.
And some chose another path, eruption and resistance, using their strength to harm others.
Some targets might be those who once oppressed them. Others might simply be innocent people caught in the backlash.
The moment they harmed the innocent, they themselves became oppressors.
"It is good that you understand. The issue between ordinary people and the Infected is not something that can be easily explained. Do not think too much about it."
Observing Shirou , Chen saw a look of understanding on his face.
Not the kind of expression that would lead to naive or misguided questions.
It was difficult for ordinary people to truly understand the plight of the Infected. In an environment where being identified as Infected led to discrimination, abuse, and humiliation, the pressure they endured was immense.
And when that pressure became too much and broke a person, no matter what actions they took afterward, it would not be surprising.
Chen was not a psychologist, nor a doctor treating Oripathy.
She was the head of the Special Inspection Unit of the Lungmen Guard Department—Chen.
Her duty was to suppress all crime within Lungmen and protect the city.
She would not allow anyone to cause trouble in Lungmen.
Even if that person was someone close to her.