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

"You're drunk." 

After a long silence, Rentaro Satomi finally spoke, his tone filled with disbelief. 

It was as if he couldn't sense any sincerity in Nia Honjo's words and instead thought she was out of her mind. 

To be fair, anyone would think the same. Only someone with a confused mind would make such a decision. 

For Promoters, joining a security company and signing a contract is the first step to receiving missions. 

The reputation, strength, and connections of the security company determine how many commissions they can secure and, ultimately, how much money they can earn. 

The largest security company in Tokyo, for example, never lacks commissions. It boasts many powerful Promoters under its command, and most people turn to them first when they need help. Promoters working for such companies live at least a middle-class life. 

In contrast, the Tendo Civil Security Company, where Rentaro Satomi worked, was not only obscure but also had only one Promoter himself. Worse, it was subtly ostracized by other companies. 

It's common sense that water flows downhill, but who would willingly go to a lower place? 

Though it might sound strange to badmouth his own company, the Tendo Civil Security Company was, in fact, a notoriously terrible place to work. 

Not just terrible it was downright exploitative. 

Half of every commission's earnings went to the company, delayed salary payments were the norm, and weekends off were nonexistent. 

Although his relationship with Nia Honjo wasn't particularly close, Rentaro saw no reason to deceive his neighbor. They would cross paths eventually, so he decided to dissuade her from this crazy idea. 

"Drunk? Young man, you're underestimating me." 

Nia Honjo burst out laughing and popped a piece of dried squid into her mouth. "It's just one beer. That's nothing for me." 

"You know the company I work for is a mess. Why would you want to join?" 

"Simple. It's about money." 

"Hmm... that's not the best reason, but I can see why you'd need it." 

Rentaro glanced around the church the weeds growing in the corners, the holes in the roof, the windows that couldn't close properly due to disrepair and nodded slowly. 

No matter how poor he and Enju were, at least they had a proper place to live and paid rent. 

This church, on the other hand, looked like a shelter for the homeless. 

He had never been inside before. From the outside, it just seemed a little dusty, but now that he was standing here, he realized just how shabby it truly was. 

What kind of person would end up living in a place like this? The conditions were worse than his own home. 

"Hey, it's really rude of you to think that way." 

As if reading his mind, Nia Honjo put her hands on her hips and frowned. "I have a proper job, you know!" 

"Really? Every day when I leave for work and come back, I can see the lights in this church are always on." 

"I didn't know you had a habit of peeping! You can't judge someone by their appearance, you know~" 

"That's not what I meant! I only said I could see the lights were on! Don't slander me out of nowhere!" 

"So you came here today because you couldn't hold back and wanted to attack me?!" 

"Didn't you invite me in?!" 

"Haha, just kidding. You're such a pure hearted virgin~" 

A few teasing words were enough to make Rentaro blush. Nia Honjo chuckled and added, "I'm actually a manga artist. I can work from here, so I rarely leave my sanctuary unless necessary." 

"A manga artist?" 

"Yes. Maybe you've read my work." 

"I haven't read manga in years. I don't have the extra money for that kind of luxury." 

"Well... the entertainment industry isn't doing well these days, and production costs have gone up. Fewer people are reading manga now." 

"What's the name of your manga? Maybe I've heard of it." 

"Silver Bullet." 

"Hmm..." 

Rentaro stroked his chin, feeling like the title was familiar. 

Since he often accompanied Enju to watch Magical Shoujo, he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with anime and manga culture. At the very least, he knew about the latest popular series. 

He was sure Silver Bullet wasn't one of the recent hits, but the name felt oddly familiar. 

"Silver Bullet... Silver Bullet... Wait..." 

His expression shifted as a memory surfaced. In a tone half-surprised and half-doubting, he asked, "Isn't that the super-famous shonen manga from before the war? Are you the author, Souji Honjo?!" 

More than a decade ago, before the Gastrea appeared, Rentaro had heard of this manga. 

It was one of the most popular shonen series at the time, filled with themes of passion, friendship, and epic battles, along with a deeply engaging plot. It had been wildly popular among anime and manga fans. 

But with the outbreak of the Gastrea war, most of the entertainment industry collapsed. 

It was understandablewhen the three-dimensional world was on the brink of extinction, who had time to care about the two-dimensional one? 

Many manga artists and light novelists disappeared during the war some died, others changed careers and their works were buried in the past. 

Silver Bullet was no exception. 

Rentaro never expected to hear that name again, ten years later. 

"Yes, Souji Honjo is my pen name," Nia Honjo said proudly. 

"Wait, wait, this doesn't make sense." 

Rentaro raised a hand, trying to sort out his thoughts. "Silver Bullet had been serialized for at least two or three years back then. The author must have been between twenty and forty years old at the time. Ten years later, Souji Honjo would be at least thirty, if not fifty!" 

"Hey." 

"Hey what?!" 

Rentaro slammed the table and stood up. 

Perhaps he didn't control his strength well, because the table between them split into two. 

"..." 

"..." 

"I'll pay for that." 

"Just give me 2,000 yen. I picked up the table anyway." 

"Can I pay on credit?" 

"Sure, but if you're willing to recommend me to your boss, the 2,000 yen can be your referral fee." 

Rentaro hesitated. 

The girl no, the woman in front of him seemed shrouded in mystery, and he wasn't sure he wanted his boss, Kisara Tendo, to have any further contact with her. 

But... 

2,000 yen. 

That was a week's worth of food. 

"You're really weird, wanting to join this dumpster fire of a company." 

In the end, hunger won over reason. Rentaro sighed. 

"Just to be clear, I'm only responsible for introducing you."