I don't want to be an elf!

"Just call me Erya."

"Okay, Erya."

Rentaro Satomi was clearly not used to such an intimate form of address, but Nia Honjo didn't mind, so he had no choice but to use it as well.

“I’ve been living here for almost a year now, and I haven’t had a proper visit yet. I hope you don’t mind.”

"It's okay, it's okay. I know being a police officer is very busy, and being a police officer in a struggling company is even busier."

Upon hearing this, Rentaro Satomi's expression changed slightly.

He never told Honjo Niya that he was a police officer, nor did he tell any of his neighbors.

Police officers, also known as facilitators, are people who fight against Gastrea in this world. Although they may sound like heroes, they are actually hated by many.

Because the duty of the police is to defeat Gastrea, what is needed is not virtue and glory, but pure strength.

Therefore, a considerable number of police officers are thugs and hooligans who frequently tarnish the reputation of the police.

But that's all. Thugs and hooligans are just people that ordinary people don't want to get close to or associate with. What really makes the police officers ostracized is their associates.

The initiator, or rather, the cursed child.

The cursed child is a child infected with the Gastrea virus, possessing power no less than that of a Gastrea, yet still retaining human intelligence and appearance.

However, the gastritis virus in their bodies will spread day by day. When the gastritis virus spreads to a certain extent, the cursed children will completely transform into gastritis.

It's like a bomb that could explode at any moment.

That is why people vehemently reject the police.

Because the cursed children are inevitably with the police officers.

This is also why Rentaro Satomi did not tell his neighbors that he was a police officer.

Unexpectedly, the girl living in the church somehow learned her secret.

"I don't think I told you about this, so how do you know?"

"Speaking of which, I haven't prepared anything yet since the guests are here. Would beer and dried squid be alright?"

"...No, I'm still a minor. More than that, I'd like you to answer my question."

Nia Honjo walked up to a dilapidated refrigerator and took out a can of beer.

Although the refrigerator looked like it was on the verge of completely breaking down, it was still working normally for some reason, fulfilling its job of chilling beer.

As if oblivious to Rentaro Satomi's wary gaze, Nia Honjo opened a beer can and took a few gulps.

"Hmm? It tastes pretty good?"

The real Nia Honjo has always enjoyed drinking.

But the girl didn't actually like it.

The reason I'm drinking in front of Rentaro Satomi now is simply because of the need to play the role.

Unexpectedly, her sense of taste seemed to have changed to that of Nia Honjo. The beer that was originally bitter now tasted refreshing.

The fresh taste made her savor it for a long time.

For a moment, she even forgot about Rentaro Satomi, who had become uneasy after being teased by her.

"that......"

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I was just spacing out."

Licking her lips with lingering satisfaction, Honjou Nia put down the empty bottle and said casually, "Don't worry, I didn't investigate you, nor am I interested. I just happened to see you and Enju carrying out a police assignment when I went out before."

"I see. Well, there's nothing I can do then," Rentaro Satomi said helplessly. "But you wouldn't use that as a reason to threaten me, would you?"

"There's no need, you won't get anything out of it."

"That's right."

"However, I do have a request."

"So you still want something from me, right?"

"It's just a request. Whether you agree or not is up to you. Even if you refuse, I won't tell anyone."

"Okay, they're all neighbors, I'll do my best to help if I can."

"It's a great help that the boy is easy to talk to."

Honjou Nia let out a burp and said with a grin.

"Can I join your police force?"

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Author's note: I originally wanted to change the cover to feature Nia, but the reviewers thought it wouldn't work.

Auntie, you're the most daring! .jpg

Chapter Four: The Silver Bullet

"Are you drunk?"

After a long silence, Rentaro Satomi couldn't help but utter this sentence.

It was as if they didn't feel Nia Honjou's sincerity at all, and instead thought she was out of her mind.

In fact, anyone would think that only someone who is not thinking straight could make such a decision.

For police officers, the first step to receiving assignments is to join a police policing company and sign a contract with it.

The reputation, strength, and connections of police and security companies are the biggest factors determining how many cases they can handle, and also affect how much money police officers can earn each month.

Tokyo's largest police and security company has no shortage of clients and a large number of capable police officers under its command. Most people will go to them first when they have a need, and each of its officers lives a middle-class life.

As for the police and security company where Satomi Rentaro works, the Tendo Police and Security Company, it is not only completely unknown, but he is also the only police officer in the entire company, and he is even being subtly ostracized by other police and security companies.

It's common sense that water flows downhill, but do people inexplicably move to lower places?

While it might be a bit disparaging of his own company, it's actually true that the Tendo Police and Security Company, where Rentaro Satomi works, is a notoriously bad company.

Not only is it rotten, but it's also heartless.

Half of the profits from each commission is taken away, delayed salary payments are the norm, and there are no weekends off.

Although his relationship with Nia Honjo was so-so, Rentaro Satomi had no reason to mess with his neighbor, since they would run into each other all the time, so he tried to dissuade her from this crazy idea.

"Drunk? Kid, you underestimate me."

Honjou Nia chuckled, took out a dried squid and put it in her mouth: "It's just a bottle of beer, one glass is too lame, isn't it?"

"You know the company I joined is doing poorly, so why did you still join?"

"Simply put, it's all about money."

"Hmm... okay, it's not a very good reason, but I can see why you need money."

Rentaro Satomi glanced at the weeds growing in the corner, the hole smashed in the roof, and the window that couldn't be closed due to years of disrepair, and slowly nodded.

Even if he and Lan Yuanyanzhu were poor, at least they had a place to live, a place to pay rent for.

This church was entirely intended as a refuge for the homeless.

He had never been inside before; from the outside, it just looked a bit dusty. Now, standing inside, he truly understood what real shabbyness meant.

What kind of unemployed person would end up in a place like this? The environment is even worse than his home.

"Hey, it's really rude of you to think that way."

As if sensing Rentaro Satomi's thoughts, Nia Honjou, hands on her hips, said irritably, "I have a proper job!"

"Really? Every day when I go to work and come back from get off work, I can see from my window that the lights in this church are always on."

"I never knew you had a voyeuristic tendency! You can't judge a book by its cover!"

"No way! I already said I could only see the light was on! Don't slander me out of thin air!"

"So you came to my house today because you couldn't wait to attack me?!"

"Didn't you invite me in?!"

"Haha, just kidding, just kidding, young man, you really are a pure virgin~"

With just a few words, Nia Honjou made the unsuspecting Rentaro Satomi blush. She said with a grin, "I'm actually a manga artist. I can finish my work here. I won't leave my sanctuary unless it's absolutely necessary."

"cartoonist?"

"That's right, the boy might even have read my comics."

"I haven't read comics for years. I don't have any spare money and can't afford those luxuries."

"Well... after all, the entertainment industry isn't doing too well, and production costs have increased, so there are definitely fewer people reading comics."

"What's the name of your comic? Maybe I've heard of it."

"SilverBullet".

"Um......."

Rentaro Satomi stroked his chin, feeling a sense of familiarity with the name.

Because he watched Tenchu ​​Girls with Aihara Enju, he was actually quite familiar with anime culture.

At least I know about the most popular anime recently.

He was certain that Silver Bullet wasn't a recent hit anime.

But he felt like he had heard the name somewhere before.

"Silver bullets...silver bullets...wait..."

His expression changed, as if he had remembered something, and he said with a mixture of surprise and doubt, "Isn't that the super famous shonen manga from before the war?! You're the author, Honjou Souji?!"

More than a decade ago, before Gastrea even existed, Rentaro Satomi had heard of this manga.

As it was the most famous shonen manga at the time, it not only featured elements such as passion, friendship, and battles, but also had a very deep storyline, which was enthusiastically received by anime and manga fans.

However, with the outbreak of war with the Gastrea, the vast majority of the entertainment industry collapsed.