LRAB Chapter 26 Please Let Me Be Your Assistant
Chapter 26 Please Let Me Be Your Assistant
Bilan opened her eyes from her sleep, struggled to break free from her landlady's grasp, got up, and drew back the curtains.
Suddenly, the morning sunlight streamed through the French windows of Yuxi Residence and fell on the girls' faces. Douzi, who was still lying in bed, groaned and wrapped her head in the quilt to continue sleeping, looking like a precious cocoon wrapped in leaves.
Is my friend being too carefree? Azure couldn't help but wonder.
The process of checking into the Feather Residence was much simpler than Azure had expected. Just as the detective had planned, on the very night she met Hugo, Hugo proudly showed her the newly renovated second floor.
Perhaps due to his profession, Hugo, despite being a bachelor, kept his house impeccably organized—if Azure knew that this detective had a domineering older sister who needed a lot of care, she might understand why.
“Apart from the small archive room next to the stairs, you are free to use all the spaces on the second floor.” Bilan still remembered the scene when Hugo introduced the layout of the rooms.
"I hope you don't see this as an invasion of your personal space. This archive room is rarely used; it's usually only opened when a case is closed and filed. I'll let you know in advance when that happens. All the materials I need for the investigation have been moved downstairs, including those on the table. I usually keep them in my study on the first floor for easy access."
The detective at the time also pointed to a large pile of plasma clues on the living room table to prove that he did not need to use the archives when investigating the case.
Azure, also curious, inquired about the true purpose of the archives, to which Hugo replied—
"Old case files are the last line of defense for detectives before they run out of ideas. New detectives often linger in the archives because their archives are always piled high with failures and mysteries, while older detectives like to put a chair in the archives and use their past glories to soothe their aging minds and hearts. I am neither the former nor the latter now; I am at a stage where I need to keep my distance from the archives."
Although it's unclear whether this is nonsense or self-praise, overall, Azur Lane is quite satisfied with her current shared living environment.
Yuxi Residence boasts luxurious interior design befitting its location, multiple independent bathroom systems, and a spacious balcony on the second floor. Every morning, the city's towering buildings seem to make way for the perfect amount of sunlight streaming into the interior.
It's like being in a super-luxury hotel.
After getting ready to leave, Azure walked down the stairs to the detective agency on the first floor. What came into view were the detective's Sinnoh starter Pokémon and Fighting's Pokémon.
This group of elves, each with different attributes, were lying together affectionately. Although the sun was already high in the sky, they were just like Douzi, still lazing in bed and sleeping in.
Upon closer inspection, I saw my own little Eevee mingling among the group of sleepy creatures, lying on the soft, green body of the two egg cells, its fluffy tail held by Piplup, its body rising and falling with each even breath.
Azure was somewhat helpless. Maybe... we shouldn't take Eevee out?
Suddenly, I smelled the aroma of coffee.
It was only then that Azure noticed the detective behind the restaurant bar. Hugo was holding a cup of coffee and scrolling through his smartphone, with a stack of newspapers beside him that had already been turned over.
"Is this also a job? Do detectives have to read the newspaper every morning?" the girl asked curiously.
The detective put down his cup. "Good morning, Azure. You're right, this is the incredibly boring detective industry. We have to admit that print newspapers have a depth of information that digital media can't match, and it's also easier to crop out photos of people involved in a case. Most importantly, a private detective with a morning paper at hand looks much more serious than one with a mystery novel."
"I see." Azure took the coffee pot from the detective, poured herself a cup, and as usual, only added sugar cubes without milk. As she began to sip, she mentioned her schedule, "I plan to go out and see the Warrior Eagle who was injured yesterday."
"There's a nice flower shop next to the station. Just be careful not to buy any with flowerpots; it's a taboo in the United States," Hugo kindly advised. "That's because it's said to symbolize a long-term, chronic illness."
"Hugo, I have a question for you. Your reasoning yesterday was quite brilliant, but you probably didn't have any concrete evidence at hand when you made your conclusions, right? Aren't you worried that your reasoning might be wrong, Hugo?"
"To be honest, there is a little bit, but even if I make a mistake, I won't regret it."
"why?"
“In detective novels, there’s often a situation where the detective figurees out who the murderer is, but due to insufficient evidence, he has to let the criminal go until he makes more mistakes before arresting him,” Hugo said seriously, putting away his phone.
"But that's not right. While the detective waits for the right moment to stop the investigation, the criminal may still continue to commit atrocities. If the detective sits idly by just to reduce the possibility of making a mistake, then he is violating the duty he is entrusted with. So my belief is that when something is amiss, take immediate action; if you are really powerless, immediately share your reasoning with the parties involved or someone who is capable of solving the case."
“Great principle,” Azure praised sincerely, then added, “If all detectives were like you, I think it would be a wonderful job.”
"If we disregard the risks, being a detective is indeed a good profession in Unova. Unlike Sinnoh, the League here is extremely lenient towards the private detective industry, much like a rotten fishing net full of loopholes. The laws related to illegal investigations are extremely inadequate, the protection policies for clients are almost non-existent, and the industry tax rate is quite lenient. This is one of the reasons why I was able to live comfortably at the Feathered Residence before you arrived."
“Hugo,” Azure suddenly called the detective’s name solemnly, “I’m planning to meet with the trainer of the Valkyrie Eagles on this trip. If your deduction hits the bullseye…”
Under the detective's surprised gaze, the girl took a deep breath: "Please let me be your assistant!"
"Oh?" Hugo tilted his head and looked Azure up and down. It was hard to tell what kind of complex expression was on his face at this moment. It seemed to be somewhere between being moved and surprised, but for some reason, it was also somewhat bitter.
“I can help you solve cases, conduct detective investigations, deduce with you, and handle miscellaneous tasks in the agency—I hope to join the Hugo Detective Agency!” Azure said expectantly as she took out Detective Hugo’s business card from her pocket and handed it back to the agency’s owner.
“I would be overjoyed if I had the honor.” Finally, the detective regained his composure, but couldn’t help but reveal a slightly smug smile. “In that case, I’ll have to spend the rent I save this month on other things.”
It seems he is not as worried as he previously claimed about his reasoning being wrong.
.
The ward is white.
White walls, white sheets, and nurses in white coats occasionally visiting the ward.
The Warrior Eagle lay quietly on the bed, wrapped in white bandages, with complicated IV tubing inserted into his body—the IV set controlling the flow rate was also white.
Azure is actually very familiar with this kind of scene.
In high-level Pokémon battles, there are often impacts more powerful than a 30-story freefall. Even if the attacker has the same level of stamina and defense as the attacker, unfortunate accidents often happen on the field.
Advanced trainers must learn a skill—that is, to bandage a Pokémon that is too badly injured to continue fighting, while simultaneously commanding the next Pokémon to battle the opponent.
Her team was fortunate enough to never experience these things, but they witnessed such tragedies happening again and again. Over time, she also became a regular at the hospital.
"Mommy, it's the older sister from that day." A childish voice interrupted Bilan's thoughts; it was that little boy.
My mother, whom I had met once before, came out from behind the curtain, looking much more haggard than yesterday.
Bilan handed her the bouquet of pale yellow carnations: "I was a little worried about the Warrior Eagles' recovery, so I wanted to come and check on them. The emergency call operator happened to be the same one from yesterday, and he kindly told me the location of the ward."
The mother held Azure's hand tightly: "I am so grateful for what happened yesterday. You saved the life of the brave eagle. I can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been there."
The child hid behind his mother, timidly approaching Bilan, and after hesitating for a while, finally stepped forward with red eyes.
"Big sister, I'm sorry," the boy said, his voice trembling with tears.
"Actually, it was because I accidentally knocked the Poké Ball off the table. And I even said that you were a big sister..." Large tears welled up in the boy's eyes. Azure quickly knelt down to comfort the child, telling him not to say anything more, that she had already forgiven him.
She gently wiped away the child's tears with her fingers, but her azure gaze couldn't help but drift toward someone behind the boy.
The mother turned slightly to the side, covering her face with her hands, as if she didn't want to see her child admitting his mistake. Her hands, which were holding her cheeks, trembled uncontrollably, as if she was hiding her shame.
Azure felt a sinking feeling in her heart.