Chapter 66: The Scandal of the Stolen Stamps
š Act I: A Routine Audit Turns Suspicious
Ne Job was reviewing miracle logs when he noticed something odd.
A scroll labeled "Miracle #99-Q: Instant Harmony" had been activated ā but it wasn't in the registry. Worse, it bore a licensing stamp Ne Job recognized from his own trial.
"That's my stamp," he whispered.
Ao Bing leaned over. "Impossible. You earned that during the Trial of the Seventy-Seven Stamps."
Taiyi Zhenren frowned. "If someone's duplicating stamps, we have a problem."
Ne Job reported the anomaly to Lord Xian, who summoned the Bureau's Internal Integrity Division.
A scroll unfurled:
> Investigation Initiated:
> Suspected Miracle Licensing Fraud.
> All interns and departments will be audited.
Ne Job gulped. "This is going to be messy."
---
šµļø Act II: The Investigation Begins
The Bureau buzzed with tension.
Scrolls were scanned. Miracle orbs were inspected. Interns were questioned.
Ne Job was assigned to assist Inspector Quill, a sharp-eyed sprite with a monocle and a suspiciously squeaky voice.
"Stamp duplication," Quill muttered, "is the worst kind of fraud. It undermines trust, destabilizes miracles, and makes paperwork cry."
Ne Job nodded. "I'll help however I can."
They traced the fake stamp's origin to the Department of Divine Stationery ā a quiet wing filled with ink wells, quill racks, and scroll presses.
There, they found a rogue press ā enchanted to replicate licensing stamps.
"Who enchanted this?" Quill demanded.
A nervous intern named Soot stepped forward. "I just wanted to help. My miracle wasn't approved. I thoughtā¦ if I stamped itā¦"
Ne Job blinked. "You forged a license?"
Soot nodded. "I didn't mean harm. I just wanted my miracle to be seen."
---
š§ Act III: The Ethics Debate
Lord Xian convened an emergency ethics panel.
Ne Job, Ao Bing, Taiyi Zhenren, and Inspector Quill were invited to testify.
Soot stood before the panel, trembling.
"I know what I did was wrong," she said. "But I didn't want to cheat. I just wanted to contribute."
Ne Job stepped forward.
"Soot's miracle ā Instant Harmony ā worked. It helped. But it bypassed the system. That's dangerous."
Taiyi Zhenren added, "Regulation exists for a reason. But maybe the system needs more paths."
Ao Bing nodded. "We need a sandbox. A safe space for unlicensed miracles to be tested."
Lord Xian considered this.
---
š ļø Act IV: A New Proposal
Ne Job drafted a scroll:
> Proposal: Miracle Sandbox Initiative
> A controlled space where interns can test unlicensed miracles under supervision.
> All miracles must be logged, observed, and reviewed.
> No stamps. Just feedback.
Inspector Quill reviewed it. "Acceptable. Transparent. Sensible."
Lord Xian approved the initiative.
Soot's miracle was moved to the sandbox, where it was tested, refined, and eventually approved ā properly.
The rogue press was dismantled. The Department of Divine Stationery was upgraded with anti-forgery enchantments.
---
š Act V: Restoring Trust
Ne Job led a workshop titled "Miracle Ethics and You."
Interns discussed dilemmas, shared stories, and proposed new miracle categories ā like "Emotional Nudges" and "Situational Sparkles."
Twinkle hummed approvingly.
Ao Bing created a scroll that glowed only when someone told the truth.
Taiyi Zhenren added a footnote system for miracle disclaimers.
Soot became the first intern to graduate from the Sandbox Initiative.
Lord Xian addressed the Bureau:
> "Mistakes were made. But growth followed. Let this be a lesson ā and a legacy."
---
š Epilogue: A New Stamp
The next morning, Ne Job found a scroll on his desk.
It bore a new stamp ā not for licensing, but for integrity.
> Stamp #I-1: For Upholding Trust in the Divine System
> Awarded to: Intern Ne Job
He smiled.
Twinkle hummed.
And somewhere in the Bureau, a miracle orb pulsed gently ā not with power, but with purpose.