The moment Kana and Irielle stepped into the regional office, Kana felt like she'd just walked into an entirely different world.
Sleek panels lined the walls, glowing with soft light, and transparent screens floated mid-air, flickering with what looked like real-time data. People moved quickly from one desk to another, dressed in smart uniforms, all of them looking incredibly focused.
Compared to the rustic charm of the village, this place was sterile, advanced—and surprisingly intimidating.
Kana couldn't help but gape.
"This looks like something out of a sci-fi movie…"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. This is one of the more annoying places, but they do have some fun toys lying around."
Irielle glanced over her shoulder, still gripping Kana's wrist.
Kana was about to ask how the place worked—what powered it, how it even existed in this kind of world—when Irielle suddenly yanked her forward, dragging her toward the main counter with a grin that was far too chipper to be comforting.
Immediately, Kana noticed the shift in the room.
Several workers visibly flinched at the sight of Irielle. One man spilled a cup of something across his table.
Another woman near the entrance pretended to be busy, even though her screen was clearly off.
Most kept their distance, casting wary glances, and Kana was beginning to understand why.
But the strange part was, despite the obvious tension, no one said anything. And no one paid attention to Kana either—not even a second glance.
'System, is the hood actually working?'
Kana whispered mentally.
[Yes. The robe suppresses visual attention. Your charm-based passive aura is also being masked at 87% efficiency. You may activate the 'Unnoticeable' skill to raise suppression to 99.9%.]
Kana didn't even hesitate.
"Do it."
[Unnoticeable active. You are now virtually invisible to public perception for five minutes.]
The shift was immediate. Even the few people who'd looked her way now blinked past her like she wasn't there.
It was oddly freeing.
They reached the front desk where a stern-looking woman with short brown hair and a badge that read "Clerk 7A" looked up—and groaned audibly when she saw Irielle.
"Oh no. What now?"
She muttered.
Irielle grinned.
"Don't be like that. I've brought someone important today. I'm here to register a poor, unfortunate soul into your lovely system."
The clerk narrowed her eyes.
"You can't just bring people in and expect to get them IDs. That's not how this works. We need documentation, reports, witnesses—"
"But, I do remember someone walking into my establishment late last spring. Asking for services. Wearing a very lovely, if slightly cheap, engagement ring."
Irielle leaned closer, lowering her voice,
The clerk paled instantly.
Kana blinked, her eyes drifting toward the woman's hand.
The ring was still there. Plain, silver, not particularly expensive—but definitely a wedding band.
The clerk stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over her chair.
"You know what? This sounds like a very serious matter. Let's...let's take this inside. Immediately."
She gestured hastily toward a side hallway, her face a mix of panic and embarrassment.
Irielle beamed.
"That's the spirit. Lead the way."
Kana glanced between the two women, slowly putting the pieces together.
She didn't know the full story, but she had a very strong feeling that this wasn't the first time Irielle had gotten her way with this clerk.
And probably not the first time that clerk had something to lose if Irielle started talking.
As they followed her into the private room, Kana leaned in close to Irielle.
"What did you do?"
"Me? Absolutely nothing. I'm just a very good listener. And some people have...interesting stories when they think no one's listening."
Irielle blinked innocently.
Kana raised an eyebrow.
"So blackmail, then."
Irielle winked.
"Only when necessary."
Kana sighed.
"I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried."
"Both. Definitely both. But don't worry. I won't do something like this to a darling like you."
Irielle said sweetly.
The female officer led Kana and Irielle through a long hallway and into a modest but well-maintained back room.
A single rectangular table sat in the center with three chairs, along with a wall-mounted screen blinking softly behind it.
The moment they stepped inside, the officer motioned tiredly to the seats.
"Sit!"
She said, already rubbing her temples.
"And you—"
She pointed at Irielle.
"—fill out the damn form this time."
Irielle chuckled as she dropped into the chair beside Kana and picked up a stylus from the corner of the table.
"You say that like I don't always fill it out."
"You don't. You never do. You make me fill it out while you lean over the counter and flirt until I give in. Every. Single. Time."
The officer replied flatly.
Kana remained quiet, sitting obediently beside Irielle, still cloaked in her near-invisibility skill.
She studied the two of them—clearly familiar, clearly tense, and with just enough underlying history to make her curious.
The officer glanced over her shoulder before continuing.
"Also, let me remind you: I didn't come to your 'establishment' for fun. I was undercover. Investigating a smuggling ring. Gathering evidence. You made it unnecessarily complicated."
Irielle grinned without a hint of guilt.
"Well, that's not what your eyes were saying at the time."
"Seriously?! Stop trying to get me in trouble with my wife! She already doesn't trust me when I work night shifts, and you dragging this up doesn't help."
The officer groaned, throwing her hands up.
"I never said anything that wasn't true. Besides, if you've got nothing to hide, then you wouldn't be so jumpy, would you?"
Irielle shrugged, casually beginning to scribble on the form.
"That's exactly why I'm jumpy. Because I do have things to hide. That's the problem!"
The officer snapped.
Kana blinked at the woman's blunt honesty. Even though she clearly wasn't happy, there was something almost refreshing about how openly the officer admitted it.
Meanwhile, Irielle leaned back in her chair, entirely relaxed.
"Kana, don't ever be like her, okay? Secret wives. Questionable choices. Terrible taste in lingerie. If you want something or someone, tell me beforehand."-
She said with a sigh.
"I—excuse me?!"
The officer choked.
And that's when she noticed Kana.
She flinched so hard she nearly fell out of her chair, her eyes wide and her hand flying to her chest as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Wh—who—where did she come from?!"
Kana offered a hesitant wave.
"Hi. I've been here the whole time."
"You—! Did you cloak her? You know that's illegal without permission! She was right next to me!"
The officer pointed at Irielle, glaring furiously.
"Relax. She just has one of those faces. Very forgettable."
Irielle said, voice syrupy-sweet.
Kana shot her a look.
"Pretty sure that's not the issue."
The officer stared at Kana like she wasn't sure whether to scream or check her pulse.
"Gods, I need a break. You didn't even blink. I thought it was just the two of us in here."
"I was trying not to be a bother."
Kana said quietly.
"Well, mission accomplished. I need to update the record just for the heart attack alone."
The officer took a deep breath, still shaken.
"You do that. Now, how about we speed this up? My girl here needs an ID, and I'm already late for an appointment."
Irielle said, sliding the completed form across the table.
"You're always late for your appointments. Probably because you spend all day dragging mysterious women into government buildings."
The officer muttered, pulling the form toward her.
Irielle winked.
"Only the cute ones."
Kana stared down at the table, cheeks burning slightly.
She wasn't sure what was more overwhelming—the surreal setting, the intense bickering, or the fact that she'd just been invisible in a government office until someone said her name out loud.
This world was weird. And she was starting to think it was only going to get weirder.