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Reigokai: Happy New Year! 

Did I blink a whole year away? Here’s hoping we all have an awesome year!

Enjoy the chapter :D!

——-

Though it was called a botanical garden, Lanpeach quickly realized that the name didn’t reflect the reality of the place.

“What is this? Do I really have to work at this so-called botanical garden?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach muttered bitterly. Before him stood the ancient ruin known as the “botanical garden”. It seemed the entrance had been cleaned first, as the magical metal plate at the front bore the engraving: “Harkein Corporation, Eighth Botanical Research Institute”.

[It’s a metal that doesn’t rust, but I bet moss and vines covered it before. Only the plate looks clean.] (Libra)

[Yeah. Maybe the rest is left to the hired workers.] (Lanpeach)

The botanical garden before them was overrun with vines and covered in moss, making it look like a rocky mountain. Even though it didn’t rust, dirt had accumulated over the years, obscuring the structure’s artificial origins. If no one had pointed it out, it would’ve been mistaken for just a pile of rocks, not a facility. The only clue that it wasn’t a natural formation was the plate near the gaping entrance.

[Scraping off all that dirt and moss must’ve been a pain.] (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach had a bad feeling about this. His unease grew when he saw a burly man in worn-out work clothes, along with his assistant, striding towards the neatly lined-up workers. 

Lanpeach already knew what would come next even with his eyes closed.

“So, you’re the bunch of washed-up explorers hired for this job? Pfft, you all look like losers. I can smell the failure on you. I’m Genma, the boss here. You’d better be ready to work hard!”

Genma barked, using the classic tough-guy routine to scare the new workers and establish dominance.

His plan was simple: have the workers complain, then punch a few to show who’s in charge. 

But the workers stood silently, backs straight, like soldiers. No, a few opened their mouths to protest but quickly shut them when they noticed the unnatural stillness around them.

“A-As long as you understand. Next is… Right, before we begin, we need to conduct a mana test. As stated in the job posting, we’re only hiring people with power levels below Star 1.” (Genma)

Feeling something was off but unable to pinpoint it, Genma ordered his subordinate to place a crystal on a foldable table.

“Alright, hurry up and get tested… Yeah, just like that.” (Genma)

The workers moved in military-like precision, placing their hands on the crystal to undergo the test. Once confirmed that their power was below Star 1, they were handed work uniforms.

Genma felt something strange about the situation, but couldn’t figure out what it was, so he just watched in silence.

[Hey, Libra. Something’s definitely off with these people. Don’t you think they’re spies or secret agents?] (Lanpeach)

[They’re probably weak agents sent to investigate the secrets of this ancient ruin. Be careful.] (Libra)

Lanpeach and Libra were on high alert. 

Genma and his team seemed to sense something was off, but since the workers had been officially hired, they couldn’t raise any complaints.

It wasn’t clear which organization had sent them, but this was shaping up to be an exciting job. Would a quest appear? It felt like a city adventure -one that Lanpeach could conquer with his cunning and sharp intellect.

Lanpeach grinned in anticipation, but an alarm suddenly sounded.

“You’re rated at Star 2. Sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”

Someone too strong had appeared. He bit his lips in frustration, but left without complaining.

When he passed by Lanpeach…

“Sorry, Boss. Seems my mana grew during the recent conflicts. I’m sorry I can’t be of help.”

He left, mumbling apologetically.

“Huh?” (Lanpeach)

Before Lanpeach could process what had just happened, a window popped up, showing Mira.

[That was one of the members of the Mofumofu Rabbit Brigade. There seems to have been a discrepancy in the information. I should’ve updated it with the latest data.] (Mira)

[What does that mean?] (Lanpeach)

[I snuck some agents from Lanpeach City into the workforce to assist in your investigation, Pla-san. Since you’re not great with social interactions, I figured you’d cause trouble and ruin the quest by solving everything with violence.] (Mira)

[That’s harsh! But thanks. So, how many did you send in?] (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach thanked her, realizing Mira was right. By agents, she probably means those rowdy guys that scream ‘hyahaaa!’, right?

[Out of 50 applicants, I sent in about 47.] (Mira)

[That’s basically everyone! Well, yeah, I guess there are plenty of explorers with low ratings in Lanpeach City.] (Lanpeach)

The mysterious organization turned out to be his own. When Lanpeach looked around, the workers he made eye contact with gave him a thumbs-up and smiled confidently.

[Hey, aren’t these agents a bit too obvious? They’re practically screaming that they’re spies. Isn’t that a problem?] (Lanpeach)

(They are nothing but suspicious. Couldn’t they at least try to act like normal workers? I am dumbstruck, you people!) (Lanpeach) 

[Unfortunately, Tete only taught them the basics of military etiquette. But with your flexible and adaptable leadership, everything should be fine. I’m confident in your skills, so I’ll be enjoying an all-tuna feast back at the colony’s research lab.] (Mira)

Mira abruptly cut the connection after saying only what she wanted to.

[She knows it’s not fine! Whatever, I’ll just have to make use of them.] (Lanpeach)

[This is my time to shine as your support! Don’t worry, you can count on me like a submarine. Full speed ahead, reverse, standby!] (Libra)

Libra playfully swam through the air while spouting stuff that only worried him. She is cute, but it would be better to not expect much from her support.

Well, having more people was definitely better. Since his goal was the underground ruin, he needed to get through the botanical garden part as quickly as possible.

When it was Lanpeach’s turn for the mana test, he used Psycho Cracking to subtly manipulate the results.

“Alright, the rest of you seem fine. We’ll split you into two teams. One will clean the exterior, and the other will work inside. Discuss and decide.” (Genma)

Genma had suspicions, but stuck to the manual and instructed the workers to form groups.

“So, would it be better for it to be inside?” 

“Of course. Numbers 1 to 20 will clean the exterior. The rest will handle the inside.” 

“Got it. Everyone, get to work!”

The workers quickly divided themselves and moved to their post. Lanpeach thought ‘these guys must be enjoying acting as spies’ while looking at them with a deadpan expression. The pitiful regular worker looked around nervously.

“Um, what do you mean by ‘numbers’? Was I supposed to get one?”

“Tch, why did someone who can’t even get a number come here?”

The tough leader clicked his tongue, making the timid worker even more confused and frightened.

“I just came here to work…”

“Fine, you’re in the inside team. If you see anyone suspicious, report them.”

“There’s a suspicious group right in front of me…”

It seemed this poor guy was the only normal worker. 

He tried to distance himself from the agents, but the Mofumofu Rabbit Brigade caught him and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“What will you be doing?”

“Kuh, what family are you from? Do you have any idea who I am? You think you can get away with this?”

“Family backing? That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard today, bro.”

“Yeah, what’s a little family influence from the Surface District compared to our backers? What was our backing, I wonder, bro.”

The Mofumofu Brigade turned into Americans and broke into laughter, pressuring the man further.

“Are you an outsider? We are… Oops, you’ll find out soon enough anyways. Let’s keep it a secret for now.”

Sensing the seriousness in their tone, the spy that must be from some other family swallowed hard, sweating as he forcefully shrugged off their arms.

“Tch, I get that you are a dangerous bunch now. Fine, I’ll back off. —Excuse me, I’m not feeling well, so I’ll quit!”

And with that, the spy fled.

“W-What was that all about? D-Do you think it was some kind of play? A prank maybe? Ahaha.” 

Lanpeach had taken distance from the group, so the spy must have thought he wasn’t part of the same suspicious group, so he approached him, trying to laugh it off.

“Yeah, it’s probably best to keep your distance from weird people like that.” (Lanpeach)

“R-Right? By the way, I’m Hira Taira. What’s your name?”

“Lanpeach Kouza. Let’s stick together, fellow regular worker.” (Lanpeach)

“Yeah, those guys look dangerous.” (Hira)

When drowning, you would cling to even a minor villain. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve kept his distance from someone like him.

“Boss, we’ll send replacements for those who left. I’ve already bribed his assistant, so don’t worry.”

“Y-Yay, this guy was even scarier~.” (Hira)

Hearing the leader of the Mofumofu Rabbit Brigade report to Lanpeach, Hira paled and quickly distanced himself again.

And so, Lanpeach successfully -and peacefully- began his part-time job at the botanical garden. Well, as long as he convinced himself that it was a success.

“Alright, let’s head inside and start cleaning.” (Lanpeach)

“Yes, Boss!”

The group entered the garden, which had a dome-shaped ceiling lit by numerous lamps. Searchlights were set up, and guards clad in spirit armor stood with spears, enforcing strict security.

The facility was filled with measuring devices, terminals, storage capsules, and various other machines. Researchers in lab coats and protective gear bustled around, hard at work.

The garden was overgrown with thick, thorny vines, under the faint glow of the fluorescent lights. But these weren’t ordinary thorns. They were gray as if petrified. Other soil clumps and petrified flora also covered the garden.

[That’s Stone Briar, a magical plant that grows like stalactites. It’s highly resistant to both physical and magical attacks, so it’s going to be tough to remove~.] (Libra)

Libra actually fulfilled her role as a support character for once, though her explanation made the task sound like an incredible pain.

“Alright, listen up! You only get one explanation, so pay attention! Use the holy water over there to wet the stone briars, then chop them down with the axes. See, easy, right? Aim as close to the roots as you can! Now, get to work!” (Genma)

Genma pointed to large containers of holy water, then handed out hefty axes.

“This is…a lot of work…” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach sighed, shoulders drooping, as he reluctantly began his task. Being a secret agent was no easy job.

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