Chapter 372: A Non-Standard Manifestation
749 deposited the dossier and executed an immediate tactical retreat.
Before exiting, he offered Sora a sharp, formal nod, adding in a tone of heavy
bureaucratic gravity: "Ms. Sora, the nature of your establishment's operations
falls directly under the Empire's prioritized 'Cross-Planar Cultural
Integration' protocol. The State Army will provide full policy support. Should
you encounter any administrative friction or 'Logic Errors' in your paperwork,
contact my terminal directly."
Sora offered her thanks.
As 749 turned to leave, his gait remained as precise as if measured by a laser,
but Sora couldn't help but notice his walking frequency was approximately 15%
faster than usual. It seemed that from the moment he locked eyes with Kaito, his
primary objective was: Mission complete. Evacuate immediately.
Once the door clicked shut, Sora opened the dossier.
Inside were seven high-fidelity profiles of the Elven tourists. These weren't
the simplified summaries from before; these were complete Imperial
Archives—family lineage, educational history, personality audits, specialized
hobbies, allergens, dietary preferences, and even high-definition identification
photos.
The photo quality was exceptional, clearly standard Imperial Border-Control
captures. The Elven features were displayed in sharp detail: the signature
pointed ears, the delicate, refined bone structure, and that unmistakable air of
distant, ethereal composure.
Sora paused when she reached the third profile.
This one belonged to the 230-year-old Elf designated by Zhou Fang. Name: Ayla
Windwhisper. Status: Member of the Imperial Cultural Exchange Squad. Vocation:
Cross-Planar Folkloric Research. Hobbies: Collecting botanical specimens from
diverse planes, auditing traditional cuisines, and learning local linguistics.
Memo: [Temperament: Gentle. High tolerance for new variables. Expert Listener.]
Sora's finger lingered on that last line. "Expert Listener," she murmured. She
flipped back to Wen Xiao's registration. "Temperament: Introverted. Low
expression-variable."
Then, she looked at the Tier-4 Anomaly's requirement card. "Requirement: Must be
alive. Must have temperature."
With the three sets of data spread across her desk, Sora's cognitive processors
went into overdrive. Matchmaking wasn't just about smooth talking or sales
pitches; it was about data-processing and character auditing. Knowing which
variables would fuse and which would trigger a system crash was the core of the
business. Sometimes, two profiles looked like a perfect mirror-match on paper,
only to result in a "Communication Error" during the first session. Other times,
two polar opposites would achieve instant synchronization.
After several months in the industry, Sora had developed a "Matching Intuition."
And that intuition was currently flagging a subtle, high-probability link
between the Tier-4 Anomaly and this Elven researcher.
"Execute the viable tasks first," Sora told herself.
She activated her terminal and sent a message to Zhou Fang. [Ms. Zhou, the
detailed Elven dossier has been secured. If the schedule allows, have your son
manifest at the bureau tomorrow morning to complete his comprehensive personal
data log.]
The reply manifested in less than thirty seconds. [He will be there tomorrow
morning. If he refuses to initialize the sequence, I will drag his physical
frame there personally.]
Sora was no longer surprised by the aggression of Zhou Fang's response-time. She
then messaged Lyra Frost. [Sister Lyra, if Wen Xiao is available, have her drop
by alone over the next two days. I wish to conduct a private audit. She seems to
have a 'Speech Suppression' debuff when her mother is present.]
Lyra's reply was equally swift. [Understood. I'll have her come by after her
shift at the hospital.]
With the logistics handled, Sora looked toward Kaito in the corner. He had sat
there the entire morning, observing the manifesting clients with the detached
air of a director auditing a screen-test.
Bochi remained active under the hood, occasionally poking half his head out to
scan the room with his black-bead eyes.
"Mr. Kaito," Sora began, choosing her words with clinical care. "Regarding the
contact protocol for the Elven tourists… can it truly be arranged?"
"Logistics are already in motion," Kaito's tone was casual. "Greed will utilize
the Tour Supervisor to initiate communication. We will audit the Elves'
willingness to participate in a 'Union' event."
"And if someone accepts the prompt?"
"Then we arrange a manifestation. You will organize the session; I will observe
the results."
Sora blinked. "You… wish to observe personally?"
"My capacity for auditing 'Soul-Signatures' exceeds human standards," Kaito
stated flatly. "I can detect Soul Resonance in real-time."
Sora's jaw remained unhinged for a moment. Soul Resonance?
What kind of high-order Authority was this? A "God-Tier Matchmaker"? She had
spent twenty years in a world of horoscopes, blood types, and MBTI ratings, but
she had never encountered "Soul Auditing" before.
"In that case… that is an optimal variable," Sora decided not to question it.
With a Sovereign-rank entity overseeing the matches, the bureau's core
competitiveness had just hit a terminal threshold.
Kaito stood up from the chair. "That concludes today's audit. I have Imperial
matters to process. I will manifest again in two days."
"Understood, My Lord."
Bochi scrambled out from the hood, hopping onto the desk and waving a tentacle
at Sora. "Sora! I'll be back to assist as well!"
Sora smiled. "I look forward to it, Matchmaker Bochi."
"Do not call me Matchmaker!" Bochi puffed out his body. "In this establishment,
I am Cupid-Bochi!"
Sora nearly lost her professional composure. Kaito reached down, scooped up the
slime, and stuffed him back into his hood.
"We are leaving."
"Wait, Master! I haven't finished the farewell protocol!"
"Execute it while walking."
"Master, you—mph! Mmmph!"
The forms of the Sovereign and the Slime vanished through the door. Ruby and
Misty simultaneously let out a massive, synchronized breath of relief.
"Boss," Ruby wheezed, slumping into her chair. "Is the Sovereign… truly going to
be our co-worker?"
"It appears so."
"But he's Undead… a skeleton playing Cupid… does that even fit the world-logic?"
Sora thought for a moment. "Logic is irrelevant. What matters is his ability to
see the soul."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that with him here, our 'Success Probability' is about to jump from 95%
to a guaranteed 100%."
Ruby and Misty exchanged a glance. They didn't fully grasp the concept of "Soul
Auditing," but they understood one thing: their boss's eyes were glowing with a
predatory entrepreneurial light.
Sora was no longer afraid. Or rather, in the face of such lucrative commercial
prospects, the "Fear" variable had been de-prioritized.
She neatly organized the dossiers and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper, drawing
a new tracking chart. At the top, she wrote three names:
1. Tier-4 Anomaly (Codenamed: Mr. Cold)
2. Wen Xiao
3. Gu Mu
Below each name, she noted the target and current status.
- Mr. Cold: Target: Living Existence. Status: Awaiting Elven Feedback.
- Wen Xiao: Target: TBD. Status: Awaiting Private Interview.
- Gu Mu: Target: Elf. Status: Awaiting Personal Data-Entry.
As Sora looked at the chart, a strange sensation manifested in her
logic-circuits. She felt as though these three separate threads were destined to
entangle.
A ghost seeking life. A nurse who couldn't speak. An otaku obsessed with Elven
culture. And an Elven researcher whose stance was yet to be audited.
Four individuals from four distinct categories: Anomaly, Human, Human, and Elf.
"If I can actually facilitate this..." Sora whispered to herself.
She looked out the window. The Imperial streetlights cast a soft, ethereal glow
over the manifesting city. Humans and Undead moved through the streets in a
strange, evolving harmony. Half a year ago, this place was a ruin. Now, she was
calculating the "Red Thread" between a ghost and an Elf.
The world was changing at terminal velocity. And she realized she liked the new
parameters.
Sora picked up her pen. At the bottom of the chart, she added a final memo:
[Note: Schedule Gu Mu for an afternoon interview the day after tomorrow.
Simultaneously, initiate contact with Ayla Windwhisper. If the timing is
optimal...]
Her pen hovered for a second before writing:
[Arrange a Three-Way Manifestation.]
The bell at the door swayed gently in the wind. Ding-ling.
☆☆☆
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