Chapter 39: Light Sickness

’Wait... huh? What do they mean they’re going to assign me as a Supernatural companion to a Response Unit!?’

No, no, no! Don’t you dare!

My plan was to get classified as a supernatural object and be placed in the storage area with the other supernatural objects.

Once I got there, I’d find a mind-control immunity item, steal it, and then use Nica and Marcus to help me escape!

That was the plan! A perfectly reasonable plan that shouldn’t have been too difficult to carry out!

But if they assigned me to a Response Unit as a Supernatural companion, all of that would go down the drain!

I’d be dragged into one Supernatural Space after another, constantly surrounded by A.E.G.I.S. personnel, with absolutely no opportunity to sneak into the storage area and steal anything!

Fuck! Absolutely not! I refuse!

My thoughts descended into complete chaos and I could already imagine myself being carried around by some overworked Response Unit, forced to accompany them into all sorts of dangerous places while my carefully prepared escape plan became nothing more than a distant dream.

...Wait. Calm down, Moon. Calm down.

I still had a chance to change things up...

’If I just act like an ordinary doll that can only say a few words, they should classify me as a paranormal object rather than a supernatural companion, right?’

After all, just because an object could speak didn’t necessarily mean it could hold a proper conversation.

If I kept my answers short and avoided doing anything that might make me seem too intelligent, there was still a chance I’d end up in storage.

Having finally convinced myself to calm down, I waited patiently as the researchers finished examining me with their equipment.

Eventually, the male researcher with the raspy voice approached and took hold of my doll-like hand.

He pressed his fingers against it for a few seconds, apparently following the instructions written in the inspection team’s report.

"Hmm... Let’s see. The report says we’re supposed to press its hand and ask it about our fortunes, right?"

He glanced at his colleague for confirmation before looking back at me.

"Alright, little doll. Let’s see what you’ve got, tell me my fortune for today!"

The moment he finished speaking, I activated [Augury] and examined the light that appeared above his forehead.

It was a light orange.

From what I remembered, that color indicated conflict, though the faintness of the light suggested that it wasn’t anything particularly serious.

It could mean a simple argument, a disagreement with someone close to him, or perhaps some inner turmoil he hadn’t properly dealt with.

I took a closer look at the man...

He was wearing a ring on the "marriage finger", and the dark circles beneath his eyes suggested that he had not been getting much sleep lately.

He also looked thoroughly exhausted, with the sort of expression I’d expect from someone who had been working overtime for far too many days in a row.

While examining me, he’d even been eating from a lunchbox that looked suspiciously like a home-cooked meal.

...Could it be a marital dispute? Perhaps he’d been arguing with his wife recently...?

Considering how tired he looked, it wouldn’t surprise me if they’d been fighting over how little time he spent at home.

Well, whatever the case, I had my answer.

I didn’t need to explain the details... In fact, I probably shouldn’t because the less I said, the better.

So, keeping my response as short as possible, I spoke in a toy-like voice that seemed to come from somewhere inside my doll body.

"Today’s fortune... conflict and arguments."

The two researchers immediately froze.

"...Huh?"

The female researcher looked at the doll in his hands, as though she hadn’t quite expected to hear an actual voice come out of it.

"Woah, it really talks?"

"Well, what did you think the report meant when it said the doll could predict future events?"

The male researcher muttered, rolling his eyes.

While the two of them exchanged a few words, the male researcher had already fallen silent. He stared at me with a rather strange expression, his eyebrows gradually drawing together.

"Conflict and arguments, huh..."

He repeated my words under his breath, then let out a tired sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"...Damn. That’s actually a little concerning."

"Is the reading accurate?"

"Mm. Well, I’ve been having some arguments with my wife lately. We’ve been going back and forth over a few things for the past several days. I was hoping we’d finally have a peaceful evening today, but... it seems we’re gonna be arguing the moment I get home."

He said, his eyes glancing tiredly in my direction.

"Ahaha! That’s hilarious as hell!"

Despite the light mood, the man didn’t look particularly amused. He picked up his lunchbox again, only to stare at it for a moment before putting it back down with another sigh.

"...I should probably buy her something on the way home then..."

Listening to their conversation, I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved.

Good. They seemed convinced that my predictions were accurate, and the fact that I could only produce short sentences probably helped my case.

Now, all I had to do was keep up the act until they finished testing me.

"Alright, my turn!"

Before I could even finish congratulating myself, the female researcher stepped forward with an eager expression.

She reached out, took my other hand, and pressed her fingers against it for several seconds.

"Okay, little doll! What about me? Am I going to get rich? Find love? Win the lottery? Come on, give me something good!"

’Lady, I’m a fortune-telling doll, not a benedictor...’

Suppressing the urge to complain, I examined the light above her forehead.

It was an extremely faint green.

That usually indicated a minor illness that was nothing too serious. Perhaps a common cold, a mild fever, or some other temporary ailment that would go away with a little rest.

After considering my options, I gave her a simple answer.

"Light sickness."