Web of light. Part 1. part 28

Yes, the story of the "lucky" Hawk-nosed was just a hit with the handymen right now! And I have to say thank you to Yu, who asked Shizuka for an antique coin and punched information on it. Cost... it turned out to be, let's say, slightly higher than the value of the not very pure gold that the coin consisted of. A numismatic rarity, and even several at once, sold in one lot... Yu also chose a place where the treasure could be discovered — fortunately, there were very ancient buildings on the site of the "old Takamiya". However, Kashi had to take out a loan for an excavator — only "deep" ones were suitable for work in a suitable area in order to dig a hole three meters deep. Well, then it's a matter of technique: to find a contract... and "find" the treasure. Then Shinji "put down" in his dorm, telling everyone how he was well acquainted with one "keen eccentric" who raised so much money for him at an auction for crazy antiquity lovers, that they paid for the excavator, and there was still left, and now he decided to do a good deed "for all his own"... In general, several familiar people had already signed up for the OV, and the "Hawk-Nosed gang" still had to distribute leaflets and portray a PR company. It is to depict — the number of people initially did not play any role, the main thing is to depict the expected actions... Rinko entered through the door in the gate on the opposite side of the hangar, admired the "lucky" excavator (it had several fresh "relevant" inscriptions on it) and approached the octopus Pachi and an unknown girl next to him. They were loudly and emotionally discussing a ribbon made of red cloth, which was supposed to be worn over the agitator's shoulder: "Join the OV!" was written on it in white hieroglyphs. Take life into your own hands..." and the couple argued over the last word. The choice was made from "proud worker" and "oppressed proletarian."

Interlude 22. The Department of Investigation of Crimes committed or related to occult purposes, as well as ritual or magical acts (also known informally as the "Mystical" Department)

[Todoki Tsuchimikado]

No matter how super-mag you are, you can't beat the bureaucracy! No, no one dared to put a stick in the wheels of a person with SUCH a surname as you! They just politely asked his to fill out another form, write down and certify the transfer of the next case to the archive, make up an explanatory note, and so on ad infinitum. A special touch of masochism to all this paperwork was given by the fact that, for now, the head of the Mystics could stupidly tell everyone to fuck off, and all sorts of archivists, clerks from related departments and other paper riffraff, overgrown with a lump of mold on the paperwork processes in the police system, would silently swallow and somehow sort out all the inconsistencies. He could have... but the "loss of face" due to the same surname will cast a shadow on the clan! The lightest, weightless, imperceptible shadow... but from the shadows, twilight is forming. Dozens of generations have worked to build their reputation, their respect, and everyone knows that Tsuchi ALWAYS keep their promises. And what else but a promise, an official instruction signed upon taking office? So Todoki clenched his teeth, swallowed another long-winded expletive tirade and walked stone-faced to scribble another document.

Yamamoto and Minako, who did not use their last names, cursed loudly, but continued to pull and pull on the strap. Archival boxes of papers (and because electronic media are supposed to be duplicated in hard copy — according to the instructions in triplicate) grew in towers in the common room of the "mystical" department, and then they were personally distributed under the painting (don't let some freak confuse the boxes and leave something instead of the police archive, say, in the city). Minako, small and fragile, also had to help herself with magic, otherwise she couldn't carry three boxes at a time — and at least one bastard offered to help! The bastards stared, gave way, cautiously called the elevator and smiled sympathetically. And they were silent. Japanese employees have their own traditions, and the "revenge" for the disdainful attitude for several years, following the head of the department, poured out on the "barefooted", finally came true. Petty? But it's nice! Minako was so fucked up that she only noticed her aura, which was not bad by the standards of weak-willed "scavengers," when she literally bumped into the committee magician at the door. The girl no longer had the strength to politely apologize, and Sugowarakouji heard something like "I'm sorry, there are all kinds of boor boor boor" in her address...

[Sugowara Kouji]

In response, the Regional Controller was not too lazy to stop and politely bow after the retreating back, apologizing profusely. Nothing will get rid of him, but to drive a malicious grin deeper. The common room of the "mystics" for Sugowara literally "screamed" in the magical range. The half-dismantled security system on the amulets had not yet been turned off, but it had already been compensated, and the resonance waves were hitting the magician's sixth sense. That's apart from the aura power of the almost former department head himself. Is that how they work here? It's impossible to go "deaf", but loss of sensitivity, even short-term, will be very expensive for a magician. Tsuchimikado himself met the guest sitting down, briefly looked from the monitor to his face and back. Even with his strength and clan ability, it was difficult to sit in the midst of the cacophony of magic, but apparently it was even more difficult to break away from the papers.

"Good afternoon," Kouji greeted him very politely, but without fawning, and after waiting for an answer, he put a thick folder with papers on the table from his briefcase. It was so thick that they would have packed it in a box at the post office. "I have brought you, personally, a short list of requests and clarifications for the transferred cases, as well as comments on previous official correspondence..."

Was it heard, or did a barely audible groan come from Tsuchi with a frozen face?

"... as well as a request for the transfer of special items "L-A-507". Here he is."

Todoki studied the request sheet for a couple of seconds, then nodded wearily to himself, locked the computer and invited him to follow him. The security guard assigned to the "mystics" turned out to be on the minus third level of the basement, behind two doors with electronic locks and one protective barrier allowing access to the amulet. The special storage was practically empty — the cabinets were open, showing the absence of contents, and the shelves were pristine. Only the large freezer window, such as every self-respecting supermarket has, was occupied, and by no means with food. A long straight double-edged sword with slightly swollen cutting edges and a two-meter-long partially white, partially melted (but slightly reddish tip was clearly visible) spear.

"Here, take it and own it. I doubt you'll be able to find out more than we can. Ice is ice in Africa, and "L" is just a blade and a spear made of ice."

"Ice is an artifact that is as strong as steel."

"There is no magic in this "artifact". The police expert to whom we took the samples was thawed and tested for chemical composition — just very clean river water. However, you know that without me. Perhaps," Tsuchimikado slightly indicated the irony in his voice, "you can find a Mizuchi or an Ice Maiden capable of such a thing... If the spirit is still wandering around Takamiya."

There was clearly an unspoken "and she's coming to town for you as soon as we get out of here" in the police magician's voice.

Sugowara nodded politely and packed the "object L" into a special container. He already knew everything he needed to know about the "object" from the transmitted reports — he looked at the information on the transferred magical items first. It won't take long to get exposed if you don't track the amulets that the "competitor" transmits. It's a pity he can't check the objects and the room with a scanning spell right now — damn etiquette, the Tsuchi themselves probably use it all the time, and here you sit and wonder what was just handed to you. The police building should also be "licked out", the "mystics" will "accidentally forget" (or really forget in the confusion) some godlessly magical stuff, and the loss of non-Committee civil servants who are at "risk" in advance will greatly damage his reputation and career. It's better not to frame the clan.

That's why the Committee's Controller had to go after each artifact or special item on his own — there was a good chance to deal with the new "toy" immediately after leaving the police department building, and at the same time to prevent the arrogant freaks from mocking his subordinates. Low self-esteem or, God forbid, conflict just before the departure of the Tsuchi squad is the last thing he needs. Well, it was also nice to look at the faces of the proud fuckers who were blown away by the influx of unusual work!

After all, they still caused hemorrhoids. It's okay, another week and they'll finally be out of town. Unfortunately, he would have preferred the "mystics" to stay — now there are literally one and a half to two quiet months, and the problems will start completely different, and there were not so many "bright spots" ahead. In particular, yesterday, the Amakawa boy, about whom he had forgotten a little during all this series of troubles, wrote off that he would open the protection of the estate "within two weeks." I wonder how? However, it was impossible to single out someone for trusted monitoring of events with Yuto-kun right now — the woodpeckers had not all been caught, and it would be difficult to "sew on" an "attempt at violent manipulation" or some other crap in relation to the heir of one of the "old eleven" (although kami sees, he worked honestly here). It's pretty simple. And the clan will definitely not intercede in SUCH a matter. In figs-in figs. It's better to just hope that the boy finds the right blanks. The bet is weak and controversial, but if he plays, half of the problems are negative! In the meantime, the old proven ways remain — to give a couple of more expensive gifts to a slightly familiar head of the inter-regional squad for the suppression of magical manifestations and cleansing at the Committee, so that his fighters would load into the helicopter more quickly in case of a "hot" call, and reconfigure the protection system so that it would stop "shining" into the entire building like a beacon at night...

...What the Social Controller did not know was that, after sending an e-mail with a notification, Amakawa Yuto nodded in satisfaction and waved the escorts to load onto the suburban "dog". An eleven-year-old boy, a girl of the same age with a scythe, two adults with small backpacks and a tent, and another girl with short hair and a wooden bokken, sat in a compact group on the seats and had an animated conversation about something. Tourists who decide to spend a couple of weekends in nature, although in the opinion of another adult it is already too cold to spend the night in a tent for children — it's autumn. But even the most caring Japanese mothers are very reserved and cultured women, so none of the "tourists" heard anything about themselves from fellow travelers. The "Amakawa Inheritance Quest" has begun.