I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

Chapter 3: A Request

Nia Honjo was familiar with Rentaro Satomi and Enju Aihara. 

In the fabricated life created by the system, she had lived in this neighborhood for a long time, while Rentaro and Enju had moved here a year ago, drawn by the cheap rent. 

The two families lived close to each other, and since Nibelcole and Enju were around the same age, they naturally became friends. 

"Hey, Nibelcole! Rentaro bought me a Magical Girl Transformation Wand today. Let's play with it!" 

Enju Aihara pulled a pink magical girl wand from her schoolbag, pressed a button, and the top of the wand lit up with a cheap, flashing light. 

Nia Honjo recognized it. The wand was from *Magical Shoujo*, a popular children's anime in this post-apocalyptic world. 

As a seasoned 2D otaku, Nia Honjo was well aware of the series and even had a soft spot for it. 

Her eyes drifted to a display cabinet in the corner of the church, filled with neatly arranged high-quality figurines, including several from *Magical Shoujo*. She couldn't help but twitch her lips. 

"Typical of me," she thought. "I can barely afford food, yet I still splurge on luxury items like these. Such a hopeless otaku." 

"Excuse me, Miss Honjo." 

While Enju dragged Nibelcole to the backyard to play, Rentaro Satomi followed Nia Honjo into the hall, slightly out of breath. 

He looked thin, with sallow skin, but his features were still handsome. The uniform he wore added a sense of seriousness to his appearance. 

However, Nia Honjo knew the real reason he always wore uniforms: it wasn't out of preference, but because he had no other clothes to change into. 

After all, most people living on this street were struggling to make ends meet. 

"It's fine. I enjoy watching the two of them play together. You know, Nibelcole doesn't go to school, so she doesn't have many friends her age." 

Nia Honjo glanced at Rentaro standing awkwardly by the door and casually added, "If you're free, come in and sit down. It looks like they'll be playing for a while." 

"Ah... alright. Thank you." 

Rentaro stepped inside, his eyes scanning the sparse interior of the church before he stiffly sat down on the sofa across from Nia Honjo. 

Though Enju and Nibelcole were close friends, the relationship between their guardians Nia Honjo and Rentaro Satomi was barely more than acquaintances. 

Rentaro was usually busy with work, and Nia Honjo had little interest in three-dimensional social interactions, so they had never gotten to know each other well. 

As far as she could remember, their previous encounters had been limited to brief neighborly greetings. 

If it weren't for Enju dragging him along today, Nia Honjo might not have seen him at all. 

"Miss Honjo..." 

"Just call me Nia." 

"Okay... Nia." 

Rentaro seemed uncomfortable with the informal address, but since Nia Honjo insisted, he went along with it. 

"I've been living here for almost a year now, and I haven't properly visited you yet. I hope you don't mind." 

"It's fine, really. I know being a police officer is demanding, especially when you're working for a struggling company." 

At this, Rentaro's expression shifted slightly. 

He had never told Nia Honjo or any of his neighbors that he was a police officer. 

In this world, police officers, also known as "Promoters," were the ones who fought against the Gastrea creatures. While they might sound like heroes, they were often despised by the public. 

The job of a Promoter required not virtue or honor, but sheer strength. As a result, many Promoters were thugs, which further tarnished their reputation. 

But that wasn't the main reason for the public's disdain. 

What truly made Promoters outcasts was their partners: the Initiators, or Cursed Children. 

Cursed Children were kids infected by the Gastrea virus. They possessed powers rivaling those of Gastrea creatures but retained human intelligence and appearance. 

However, the virus in their bodies continued to spread. Once it reached a certain level, the children would transform into Gastrea creatures themselves. 

They were like ticking time bombs. 

This was why people avoided Promoters with disgust because every Promoter was partnered with a Cursed Child. 

It was also the reason Rentaro had kept his profession a secret from his neighbors. 

Yet, somehow, the girl living in the church knew. 

"I don't recall telling you about this. How did you know?" 

"Speaking of which, I haven't prepared anything for guests yet. How about some beer and dried squid?" 

"...No, thank you. I'm still a minor. I'd rather you answer my question than offer me a drink." 

Nia Honjo walked over to a shabby refrigerator that looked on the verge of breaking down but somehow still functioned. She pulled out a can of beer, opened it, and took a few long sips, ignoring Rentaro's wary expression. 

"Mmm... not bad." 

The real Nia Honjo had been fond of drinking, but the girl herself didn't particularly enjoy it. 

She was only drinking now to stay in character. 

Surprisingly, her sense of taste seemed to have adapted to Nia Honjo's preferences. The beer, which she would normally find bitter, now tasted refreshing. 

She savored the flavor for a moment, almost forgetting about Rentaro's growing unease. 

"Uh..." 

"Oh, sorry! Got a little distracted there." 

Nia Honjo licked her lips, set the empty can aside, and spoke casually. "Don't worry, I didn't investigate you. I'm not interested in that sort of thing. I just happened to see you and Enju carrying out a police commission when I was out one day." 

"I see... Well, there's nothing I can do about that." Rentaro sighed. "But you're not going to use this to blackmail me, are you?" 

"No need. There's no 'oil' to squeeze out of you anyway." 

"Fair point." 

"I do have a request, though." 

"So you *do* want something from me." 

"It's just a request. You're free to refuse. Even if you say no, I won't rat you out." 

"Well, we're neighbors. If it's something I can do, I'll help." 

"It's a relief you're so easy to talk to." Nia Honjo let out a small burp and smiled. 

"Can you let me join your police company?"