LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 16 - Tutoon’s Sad
Chapter 16 – Tutoon’s Sad
With a fierce sound, the pedestrian road caved in, and the Lizardman exhaled roughly.
“Now, do you understand how terrifying the power of charm is?”
Noticing that the magic placed on his bodycam had been dispelled, Sunal spoke smoothly.
The Lizardman trembled at the stark contrast between the situation that unfolded before his eyes and Sunal’s calm voice.
Soon, the Lizardman raised a trembling finger, pointing directly at Sunal. His finger shook noticeably.
“You, you… I’m going to file a complaint! You… interspecies… c-complaint…”
“Sunal, from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit.”
Sunal’s voice, which had been mending the shattered pedestrian road, suddenly turned cold.
“I don’t know how you plan to file that complaint, but you were the one who interfered with an official operation. It seems the power of charm was too strong, and you couldn’t grasp the situation properly. This is a serious matter.”
Sunal, brushing off the dust on his pants, glanced at the restored pedestrian road and spoke casually, as if it was no big deal.
Even with that small gesture, the Lizardman instinctively flinched.
“You think I can’t file a complaint? Don’t come crying later—bow your head now and apologize…”
“Feel free to file it. But I’ll report you for obstructing official duties. Oh, and since you threw punches on the street, I’ll also add charges for violence. Not to mention the Interspecies Violence Prevention Act, which prohibits the use of species-specific powers outside of self-defense. I’ll make sure to inform the police about everything.”
Go ahead and file it if you can.
I’ll show you exactly what being a civil servant with a secure job means.
Sunal couldn’t help but laugh naturally.
“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re pushing an innocent citizen around and even threatening me? Fine, let’s see how this goes!”
“Yes, I understand. If you can walk, follow me. If the power of charm is excessive, it distorts the flow of mana, which can lead to death. From what I can see, you’re in a dangerous state. You need immediate treatment.”
When Sunal extended his hand to release the paper binding the Lizardman, the Lizardman bared his teeth.
Sunal let out a short sigh.
“I’m trying to untie you. And I’m still on duty, so I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
“Don’t give me that crap! I’ve got you memorized. I’ll call the police, too!”
“Oh, I’ll handle that. I actually need their help.”
Sunal calmly pulled out his phone and dialed 112.
“Hello. Yes, this is Sunal from the Grievance Unit. You can come to Mestos Hospital now.”
After ending the call, Sunal showed the screen to the Lizardman.
112.
The numbers were clearly displayed.
“I’ve made the report. Now, if you could follow me without worry.”
“…Huh.”
The Lizardman reacted as if he couldn’t believe it and glared at Sunal.
Whether he glared or not, Sunal reached out again, and the Lizardman bared his teeth once more.
“Don’t want to?”
“Would you like it if you were in my shoes?”
“It doesn’t matter if you like it or not. Please, follow me.”
“What right do you have?”
“Because I’m from the Grievance Unit.”
Sunal lowered his gaze.
Beneath his drowsy eyes, a sharpness slowly emerged.
“The official title of the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit comes with investigative authority, and citizens are obligated to cooperate. This is written in the law. If you have a problem with this, feel free to take it up with a politician.”
As Sunal’s cold gaze bore into him, the Lizardman flinched once more.
“You’re aware that freedom comes with responsibility, right? They teach this in school, too.”
Sunal rummaged through his bag and pulled out a spray.
“Just in case—though I’m sure it’s pointless—do you have any intention of answering the questions I ask?”
“Shut up! Just talking to you makes me sick.”
Realizing that the Lizardman was filled with hatred from the start, making any conversation impossible, Sunal abandoned his fleeting hope. At least he had some consciousness left, so he thought dialogue might be possible.
Sunal briefly shook the spray.
“This is a spray containing ingredients that neutralize the power of charm. It doesn’t trigger any allergies and isn’t harmful to the body, so don’t worry.”
Suddenly, the Lizardman laughed.
Sunal laughed along with him. How could he not see what was about to happen?
As Sunal glanced downward, he noticed strange symbols appearing on the Lizardman’s tail, symbols that seemed to be used in magic circles.
‣ The tail contains a power that destroys magic (it enhances the natural magical resistance to the extreme, allowing the destruction of magic. However, the backlash often causes severe damage to the tail, sometimes even severing it).
“If it fails, only your tail will be cut off,” Sunal remarked.
As soon as he finished speaking, Sunal sprayed the substance.
Chiiiik!
The Lizardman squirmed in discomfort, but Sunal remained unfazed, watching as the symbols on the tail slowly faded.
“No matter how strong your body’s regenerative abilities are, I’ve heard it’s hard to maintain balance without your tail. It doesn’t grow back immediately either; it takes a while. Why not just give up?”
“Shu—!”
Chiiiik!
Sunal, noticing the Lizardman still agitated, sprayed more.
The Lizardman’s tail had long been a subject of investigation, and studies continued even now.
A severed tail couldn’t manifest that power; it only worked when attached to the body. The most accepted theory was that the tail, like a lizard’s ability to shed its tail and escape, had evolved to regenerate quickly, and thus housed its final line of defense.
Sunal raised his gaze, locking eyes with a slime that was trying to sneak away.
“You there, Mr. Slime. Don’t try to slink off. You’re still in violation of the Form Maintenance Act for refusing to maintain your form despite the warnings.”
“…Nooo. This is unfairrr,” the slime moaned, its body drooping like a grilled rice cake.
This was his home after all.
—
It seemed someone had intentionally chosen this busy time when the area was swarming with people. Nurses and staff were distracted by patients, when a figure approached and attached something to the air purifier before walking away.
They lingered nearby, checking their phone as if keeping track of time. Then, suddenly standing up, they returned to retrieve the object they’d attached to the air purifier before heading out, all of which was captured on camera.
As they left, a nurse called out, startling the figure into turning their head—right toward the CCTV camera.
As the footage zoomed in to reveal the person’s face more clearly, Sunal couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Wow. Why are CCTV cameras so clear these days? And you look great on camera, don’t you think?”
Sunal turned his attention from the laptop screen to the Lizardman.
The police Sunal had summoned had arrived and placed the Lizardman in a vacant hospital room, restraining him. All he could do was glare or thrash around.
‘He’s always been good at thrashing about suspects.’
This was all too familiar. Even before his work in the Grievance Unit, Sunal had dealt with various species.
It was a bit different now. No—actually, a lot different.
“This, this is the power of love, right?”
As Sunal winked with one eye, the Lizardman’s fury boiled over, and he opened his mouth wide in anger.
“If you hadn’t messed with Maeve, none of this would’ve happened! I have to protect Maeve! I have to! I’m the one who has to protect her…!”
Despite the Lizardman’s voice filled with hatred, Sunal remained entirely unbothered.
He had known this would happen anyway.
People ensnared by the power of charm always deluded themselves into believing their love was real.
They saw anyone who interfered as an obstacle to their pure love, or even worse, as an enemy.
It was easier to think of them as someone drunkenly rambling nonsense.
The Lizardman glared bitterly at Sunal, whose expression remained unchanged.
‘That piece of garbage.’
To the Lizardman, Sunal was the one who had destroyed everything he held dear.
No, Sunal was the one who had ruined his hope, his love—someone who should disappear from the world altogether.
The corners of the Lizardman’s mouth curved upwards.
Confident as ever, he believed he had found Sunal’s weak spot.
“That guy used magic! He’s a government official, but he used magic! That’s illegal, isn’t it? What are you doing? Arrest him!”
The Lizardman pointed at Sunal’s earrings, the ones that connected his earlobe to the outer rim of his ear. The color of the earrings was red.
“Only mages wear red earrings, right? Magic is reserved for mages, but a civil servant used it! That’s illegal, isn’t it? Why aren’t you arresting him?”
“Do you see now why the power of charm is dangerous? Officer, you’re not even wearing a mask. You still don’t want to put one on?”
Suppressing the urge to click his tongue, Sunal urged the police, who sheepishly put their masks back on.
“This is a biased investigation, isn’t it? Isn’t it?” the Lizardman growled, glaring at the now-quiet officers.
‘He doesn’t even realize that the earrings are just decorations.’
Sunal hid his amusement.
The earrings worn by mages were indeed decorative, too.
In order to use magic legally, one had to obtain a mage certification from the Wizards’ Association or a combat license issued by the government specifically for public servants.
For someone like Sunal, his combat license came with a note in parentheses: “magic.”
‘It was just a formal license, different from the usual combat ones, wasn’t it?’
Even with a combat license, the government was very wary of magic use, and thus, those who practiced magic, whether they were mages or public servants, were required by law to wear red earrings. That was all there was to it.
Sunal lazily shook the government ID card hanging from his neck.
“You seem to be confused about something. The only professions authorized by the government to use magic are mages and public servants. What’s the issue?”
“A mage working as a public servant? Don’t make me laugh! You expect me to believe some idiot would throw away the privileges of the Wizards’ Association to become a public servant?”
The Lizardman let out a mocking laugh, but Sunal remained unbothered.
“Well, I’m that idiot. And you got caught by that very idiot. What should we call this situation, I wonder?”
Sunal stood up from his seat.
“Well then, I’ll leave this to you.”
He couldn’t count how many times he had heard such words.
Of course, even Sunal agreed that a mage abandoning the Wizards’ Association to become a public servant was a crazy idea to some extent.
‘That’s enough now.’
The charm power that had spread beyond the hospital had been subdued, and the culprit had been apprehended.
Sunal felt a sense of both weariness and relief. Finally, it was time to go home.
That was the extent of his responsibility. Figuring out why the Lizardman had done what he did was now the police’s job.
As exhaustion settled in, Sunal’s eyes grew heavy with drowsiness.
“Oh, and please make sure to let me know when you find out why this person did all of this.”
Sunal reminded the police again, just in case they forgot.
After all, exchanging information was the first step in successful cooperation.
As he bid them farewell and was about to leave, a thought crossed his mind—the disheartened slime came to mind.
“That slime didn’t maintain his form, but he helped resolve the situation. Please show him some leniency.”
Sunal bowed his head slightly toward the police officers.
‘With that, he’ll probably just get off with a warning.’
Feeling that he had done everything he could, Sunal reached for the doorknob, but when he opened the door, his eyes widened.
Standing there was Maeve.
“I told you that you didn’t need to come,” Sunal said, trying to suppress his fatigue. She had gone through more than anyone and was undoubtedly more tired.
“I didn’t need to, but I could, so here I am.”
Maeve looked up at him, biting her lower lip slightly.
Had she seen the Lizardman thrashing around behind the door?
“True, but it’s not a pretty sight. You’re better off not seeing it.”
The power of charm was relentless.
While it could be treated, the memories of those under its influence were often erased—nine out of ten times—creating more victims.
Maeve, being a succubus, understood that better than anyone.
Some stranger, claiming to care for her, had wrecked a hospital, all without knowing that Maeve herself had been the one who spread the charm’s power.
How overwhelming the shock must have been for her.
“But I… I caused this whole situation, and that man is a victim of my power…”
“Just go home, Maeve. You can curse the day as ‘the worst day ever’ and shake it off before you have to come back to work.”
Sunal gave her a soft smile, and Maeve forced a small laugh in return.
“I’m on night duty today.”
“Oh… right.”
Sunal’s expression, once filled with weariness, now had a tinge of sympathy.
Night duty… of all things.
Maeve couldn’t help but smile at his expression.
“Follow me for a moment, Sunal.”
“Why?” Sunal asked, a flicker of unease in his eyes as Maeve’s wings fluttered briefly.
“The case is over, so I’m asking you to follow me as a patient.”
“I’m not a patient, though.”
“You were exposed to the power of charm.”
“But I’m a mage; I can block its effects with magic…”
“Are you uncomfortable because I’m the one who spread the charm? Thanks to the spray you gave me, I’m fine now. Are you still uncomfortable?”
“…No, of course not.”
Sunal shook his head from side to side.
“Then, follow me.”
Maeve smiled brightly as she turned around, her wings fluttering slightly as she walked ahead.
Her smile was radiant.
—
“…It’s gastritis. Be sure to take your medicine regularly, and no drinking alcohol for a while. You should also avoid spicy or stimulating foods.”
Maeve spoke firmly.
“…What?”
Sunal’s eyes widened in shock, the joy of having a drink after work crumbling instantly.
“You must be under a lot of stress. If this keeps up, it could become chronic.”
“…”
Even though Maeve kept speaking, Sunal just stared at her in disbelief.
“Sunal, as a doctor, I won’t disclose any patient information to anyone. Are you under a lot of stress normally?”
“…Yes.”
Sunal averted his gaze as he answered, knowing full well that stress had been an overwhelming presence in his life.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
Sunal turned his eyes back to Maeve.
“For not blaming me… I honestly thought you’d say it again this time.”
Maeve looked down, fidgeting with her fingers.
“You don’t need to hold onto those feelings because of trash like that. They don’t even know they’re trash.”
Sunal’s voice was gentle, but resolute.
“…Trash?” Maeve asked, her tone curious.
Sunal chuckled softly at her question.
“If it were truly love, they wouldn’t do something like that in the first place.”
After answering, Sunal stood up from his seat.
“Come back the day after tomorrow,” Maeve said, her voice calm but firm.
Sunal’s face immediately showed frustration.
“…Why?”
“Because you’re not going to get better overnight. The pharmacy is to the left of the reception desk on the first floor. Make sure to take your medicine properly.”
“So, does that mean no drinking until then?”
“Yes, no alcohol. It’ll be obvious if you do.”
Maeve’s round, gentle eyes sharpened slightly as her expression turned more serious.
“And keep wearing the bracelet until then. I’ll check it myself when you come back.”
Just as he was about to turn to leave, Sunal let out a small sigh and looked back at Maeve. Whether or not this was her first time dealing with something like this, he felt it was something that should be said.
“…The police will probably come and ask for your statement soon. Just tell them exactly what happened, and they won’t bother you further. You don’t need to worry. Just go back to living your normal life.”
Normal life.
It was a word he was familiar with, something he had always thought would remain familiar. But today, for the first time, it felt distant.
However, hearing it again after the case was over, Maeve found the word beautiful.
“Thank you, Sunal. I’m fine, but that slime outside… He’s been waiting this whole time.”
“…What?”
Sunal blinked in confusion.
A slime?
“I’ll… see you next time.”
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over Sunal, making him want to close his eyes and sleep on the spot.
But instead, he turned the doorknob.
When he opened the door, there indeed stood a slime in the form of a small child.
“Hellooo.”