Becoming a Mage of the Special Unit in Another World

Chapter 8 – Twin Vampires (2)

He walked down the hallway, turned right, and descended the stairs.
Although the sound of people laughing echoed, Sunal had no business in that direction.
As he followed the trail of faint blue smoke, a garden came into view.
Hiding behind a decorative statue, careful not to be seen, he could faintly hear voices.
“…No. Isn’t this enough already? How far are you expecting me to go?”
It was a woman’s voice.
Shh.
Sunal placed a finger over his lips and signaled Loren, who had followed him.
When Loren nodded, Sunal pointed at the ground.
“Stay here.”
Loren mouthed the words and clutched the hem of Sunal’s clothing.
His eyes seemed to ask if it was dangerous, but Sunal merely smiled and slowly approached.
“I… I can’t do this anymore. This is wrong. Involving the children in this—it’s not right. So, from now on, I…”
She turned her head.
The ground trembled underfoot, the vibration tingling across their skin.
“Hold on. I’ll call you back later.”
Her sharp gaze fixed on Sunal as she noticed him.
Twitch.
The tail attached to her lower body quivered, producing a faint sound as it swayed.
She was of the snake-human race. Clutching a phone in her hand, she slipped it into her pocket and flicked her long tongue nervously, eyeing Sunal warily. Sunal, however, calmly presented his government badge.
“Good afternoon. I’m from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit.”
At the mention of the special unit, she lowered her tail and examined his badge.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought an intruder had broken into the estate. I’ve already been briefed. Hello. Are you lost?”
She retracted her tongue and smiled.
Even with the smile, there was something unsettling about her—sharp and cold, the characteristic look of her kind.
“We’ve found a listening device embedded in a magical tool. We were in the middle of tracking it. I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
“Cooperation…?”
She hesitated, slowly scanning her surroundings.
Sunal pointed to his ear and showed her his earring. The red earring, connecting his earlobe to the rim of his ear, caught the snake-human’s eyes, making them tremble.
Not just anyone—a wizard.
She felt her fingers grow even colder.
“This sticker placed in the room—I’m sure you already know what it’s for.”
“No, I don’t know anything about it. What are you talking about?”
Her voice was already shaking.
Sunal continued to press her slowly.
“I’m aware that there’s an accomplice. Please, cooperate willingly.”
Cooperate.
The word weighed heavily on her, as every citizen of this country, ‘Hilzo,’ was obligated to cooperate with the Special Unit. This obligation was reflected in her anxious eyes, which sharpened in response.
“I don’t know anything about that sticker. An accomplice? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
As she made an attempt to leave, Sunal stomped the ground.
Thud-thud-thud.
The ground briefly rose where she was about to step.
She froze and stared at Sunal, her face twisting in anger.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m a wizard. You know I wouldn’t have come here without certainty.”
“Certainty, my foot. Don’t push me any further. I’m not feeling well today, and I haven’t eaten anything. If you’re from the Special Unit, you know what that means, right?”
“I do.”
Sunal nodded.
‣ Voracious appetite.
He recalled the traits of the snake-human race.
More voracious than other races, they had certain additional characteristics.
‣ Aggressive when starving.
It was an inherent trait of the race, something Sunal had drilled into his mind.
Every race had their peculiarities.
“But that’s irrelevant to the current situation. Why did you place the listening device?”
“If you provoke me any further, I don’t know what I’ll do. I might lose my sanity from the hunger, you know?”
Regardless of her hunger, to Sunal’s eyes, it seemed that she was simply spouting nonsense out of panic.
Desperately trying to find a way out, her mind worked frantically, but it was clear there was no escape from this situation.
“I know the reason, which is why the ‘Special Species Law’ mandates that snake-humans carry emergency rations. We can wait until you eat.”
The Special Species Law contained regulations specific to various species, such as requiring snake-humans to carry emergency rations or forcing medusa species to wear glasses. Violations of these laws typically resulted in administrative penalties, though criminal charges could also apply in certain cases.
“I don’t want to. Why should I eat in front of a stranger?”
Sunal noticed the snake scales slowly emerging on her face, signaling that she was preparing for an attack.
“Are you aware that you’re infringing on my freedom right now? Does being a government official give you the right to oppress me like this?”
Her voice grew sharper, but Sunal remained impassive.
In situations like this, there were usually two possible outcomes when someone realized they were caught.
They either begged for mercy.
Or they attacked.
Sunal believed it would be the latter this time.
“Unfortunately, personal freedom must be exercised within the bounds of public safety. So…”
“Just say it.”
The woman interrupted Sunal as Loren stepped in, cutting him off.
“…M-Master?”
“I heard everything. If you can’t do it, then don’t. Let’s stop doing bad things.”
As Loren moved closer, Sunal restrained him.
“Step back.”
“But she’s been kind to me. You heard it too, Sunal. I know her name—it’s Lina, right?”
Loren stopped in place, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
“Bad things have been happening. Today, there was a note in my sister’s locker. It was filled with mean words, and it made me really upset.”
“Master, I…”
Lina swallowed her words, staring at Loren. Her face twisted in distress.
Sunal, seeing that she was genuinely concerned for Loren, relaxed his expression and softened his tone.
“I know there’s an accomplice. Whether it was just for a moment or not, you got involved in something you shouldn’t have and now want to escape from it. But the longer you delay, the more harm you’ll cause.”
This small incident was like a spark.
Just as a small flame can consume paper and grow into a wildfire, this situation was no different.
Lina had been caught up in a scheme meant to exploit the naïveté of upper-class children for profit.
However, this scheme could easily spiral into a much larger conspiracy aimed at discrediting the upper class entirely.
Whether Lina intended it or not, she had dragged both Loren and Keron into this, and now the children were caught in the middle of a potentially devastating plot.
“……”
The scales on Lina’s face faded, and her gaze slowly shifted to Loren, filled with guilt.
“It’s okay. I just want you to tell the truth, Lina.”
Loren smiled warmly, inching cautiously toward her.
Flash.
Sunal noticed a sudden glint and, without hesitation, cast a spell.
Not knowing what kind of magic it was, Sunal reinforced his spell by using the spoken incantation.
“[Barrier.]”
A dark veil resembling the night sky spread out in front of everyone, including Lina.
Boom!
The magic attack, like a beam of light, was aimed directly at Lina but failed to penetrate Sunal’s barrier.
“I ask for your cooperation.”
Sunal gently patted the startled Loren and briefly addressed Lina.
The black curtain parted like a stage opening, revealing Sunal’s right eye glowing red.
“[Track.]”
He grabbed hold of the mana thread from the earlier attack and immediately activated the next spell.
“[Track.]”
A surge of intense red mana rippled through the air.
“[Wind, guide me.]”
Wind swirled from Sunal’s feet, propelling him forward without hesitation.
Thud.
With a single step, he crossed the garden and leaped onto the wall, fiddling with the miniature body cam attached to his government badge. The device was designed to automatically activate during civil matters to protect both the official and the complainant, especially in situations where cooperation was denied due to discomfort. Its size had been reduced, and the magical stabilizer countered any shakiness.
The body cam was meant to turn on automatically in the field, but Sunal found it bothersome at times.
That’s why he modified it—improving its stability and adding the option to manually switch it on and off.
‘There weren’t any rules against unauthorized modifications, after all.’
Besides, who would dare tinker with a magical device except himself? Not that it was impossible, but modifying them often caused the magic circuits to collapse, so most avoided the risk.
‘…Anyway, I hope it recorded properly.’
As the red mana wove down below, Sunal stood atop the wall, watching the figure who had just cast a spell.
He was ready to jump in immediately, but hesitated for a moment due to the crowd of people.
Calculating a safe distance to avoid injuring anyone, Sunal made a powerful leap toward the suspect.
Whoosh.
The wind howled past his ears, and his hair whipped in the breeze.
The fleeing figure, who hadn’t looked back, suddenly turned around.
Grin.
Whether they were human or another race, it was unclear, but the figure held something in their hand while smiling.
Sunal’s eyes widened as he saw the amount of mana rising from the figure’s clenched fist.
‘It’s going to blow.’
Before landing, Sunal clenched his fist as if to grab something and yanked it toward him.
Clank.
Chains rose from the ground.
The first spell a wizard manifests is called their signature spell, a magic that is cast without any spell circle or incantation. It is a blessing bestowed by mana itself and a spell meant to stay with the wizard for life.
Though this country had long abandoned the practice of using signature spells, Sunal had kept his.
Following his will, the chains wrapped around the figure’s legs and snatched the object from their grasp.
Without any time to examine what it was, he quickly enveloped it.
“[Seal it tightly.]”
As Sunal landed, he cast a spell, and black fabric descended over the object like a shroud, wrapping it tightly as if leaving no room for any opening.
Thud!
Sunal landed softly with the help of the wind’s power, but the crowd erupted into murmurs.
Several people were just about to take out their phones when the sudden explosion from the black shroud sent them screaming and running away.
Boom!
‘…Did they really just set off a bomb?’
Sunal stood frozen for a moment.
Though his magic had blocked the blast, the faint breeze carried the acrid scent of smoke to his nose.
He scanned the area. Some people had stopped mid-escape to stare at him, while others, still frozen in shock, were watching him closely.
Their gazes were not particularly kind.
Without context, it would be easy for them to assume Sunal was the one who had caused the explosion.
Snap.
He snapped his fingers, and the mana gathered around him.
By interfering with the surrounding electromagnetic signals, any footage of him would be distorted, ensuring that even if someone recorded him, his image would appear warped.
It wouldn’t be ideal for this incident to circulate online or through word of mouth.
Sunal approached the man.
The figure, who had been grinning vacantly, suddenly reached out as if to grab his own neck.
Clap.
Sunal calmly brushed aside the man’s hand and spoke softly.
“This is Sunal from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit. You’ve not only obstructed official duties but also attempted to harm a complainant. As such, I am invoking the authority to use force for the protection of the complainant and to ensure the smooth execution of public duties. In cases like this, Special Unit officers are authorized to use their abilities.”
He issued a warning to the man.
Although the Special Unit didn’t have the authority to make arrests like the police, they did have the power to intervene with force if there was obstruction of official duties.
Why else would he have chosen to join the Special Unit?
Crack.
The man’s fingernails grew sharp, and Sunal instantly recognized his race.
A werewolf.
Boom.
The man began to back away slowly, then abruptly stomped the ground and lunged at Sunal, his claw-like nails slashing through the air toward his throat.
The intent to kill was clear from the deadly force behind such a simple attack. Sunal realized the man was serious about ending his life.
Before the claws could reach him, Sunal yanked the chains that had wrapped around the man’s legs with all his strength.
Crash!
The man was yanked into the air, his balance completely thrown off, and he slammed face-first into the ground.
‘Wolves are tough.’
Even in human form, a werewolf was sturdy enough to withstand that much without much issue.
Knocking out a being like that required something stronger.
“You’ve left me no choice with your resistance. Pardon me.”
Sunal placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.
Boom.
A pulse of mana shook through the man’s body, causing his eyes to roll back as he convulsed briefly before collapsing, unconscious.
‘…What a mess.’
Sunal’s expression twisted.
Was the initial target Lina? Or had the plan changed because of his interference?
‘Or was the real target Loren and Keron all along?’
He pulled out his phone.
This incident would likely need to be handled in collaboration with the police.
“Captain.”
He contacted Edina Ross.

“There was an attempted bombing.”

“…Are you all right?”
After checking the safety of Loren and Keron and scanning for any additional listening devices, Sunal entered the room where Lina was being held in custody and asked.
“I… I was the target. I saw it clearly.”
Lina gripped her hair tightly, her body trembling with fear. She huddled in the corner, wrapping her tail tightly around herself.
“It’s all right. You’re safe now.”
“M-Master and the young lady… Are they okay?”
“They’re both fine.”
Sunal thought back to how composed Keron and Loren had been.
“There were no additional listening devices found. Are you sure there aren’t any others?”
“There shouldn’t be. I only placed them on the stickers. That wizard… Did they catch him?”
“Rest assured, the culprit wasn’t a wizard. He’s been apprehended and handed over to the police.”
Sunal sat down.
Despite the sudden shift in circumstances and the chase after the man who attacked Lina, his primary task remained unchanged.
He had come to resolve a complaint about Loren and Keron being discriminated against due to money and facing threats and stalking. To resolve this, he needed to press Lina for the identity of the accomplice, track down the wizard who had created the listening device found in Keron’s magical tool, and uncover any deeper involvement.
The man who attacked Lina and attempted the bombing had been under the influence of a powerful charm.
And that charm was the ability of the succubus race.
‘Even though the vampire and succubus races don’t get along…’
Before the war, succubi had been subordinates to the vampire race.
Vampires had ruled over them, and the succubi had served their masters.
Even now, despite everyone being considered equal, relations between the two races hadn’t magically improved overnight.
The oppressed would always harbor resentment against their former oppressors.
‘Let’s hope this is just a simple case.’
Sunal silently hoped that Lina, the wizard, and the succubus weren’t connected in a more complicated way as he looked at her.
“Who is the accomplice? You need to tell me now.”