Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World-Chapter 169: Not an Idiot Policeman

"Haaah~"

After a long night of hard work, Miwako wasn't in the best mental state this morning.

Even so, her mood was quite good.

Yesterday, she had led her team in capturing the notorious supermarket robbery gang that had been causing a stir recently.

Their leader had been shot dead on the spot, while the four core members were successfully apprehended.

Since this gang had been creating quite a bit of trouble, their capture was a significant achievement.

Not only did Miwako earn credit for the operation, but all the officers who participated in the arrest also shared in the merit.

However, because Miwako had been the one to provide the crucial intel on the robbers' hideout, her promotion file had been moved up the chain.

"Yesterday's success was really thanks to his information."

Miwako was truly grateful that she had trusted the intel Ren had provided.

To be honest, even she hadn't been completely sure of its accuracy.

But she had instinctively felt that he was trustworthy.

And as it turned out, everything was exactly as Ren had described.

"I still can't figure out how he knew for sure."

Miwako pursed her lips slightly, her curiosity about the young man growing.

Of course, no matter what, she needed to properly thank him for his help.

And from what Inspector Matsumoto had said, it seemed he supported her in doing so.

Yet, Inspector Matsumoto's attitude had been somewhat unusual.

Miwako had noticed the oddity in his reaction.

Inspector Megure had remained silent at the time, but she knew that the whole situation was rather unorthodox.

Still, Inspector Matsumoto hadn't seemed concerned about where she had gotten the information.

Miwako paused, feeling a bit confused by it all.

She looked down at the phone in her hand, and suddenly, an idea struck her.

Checking the time, she saw that it was 6:35 AM—around the usual time people would be waking up.

With that thought in mind, she called Ren.

The call connected quickly.

"Good morning. Yesterday's case has been wrapped up, and I finally got some time to rest."

"...While I'd love to say congratulations, Officer Sato, I'm not your superior."

The implication was clear, there was no need to call him so early just to report in.

"I know. I actually wanted to ask for your opinion on something—I can't quite figure it out."

"Something you don't understand?"

Hearing this so early in the morning, Ren was momentarily thrown off.

"What is it?"

"It's about the information you gave me yesterday."

"In general, informants need to be reported—especially to higher-ups."

"But for some reason, Superintendent Matsumoto chose to overlook that."

"After confirming that I could take responsibility for the intel, he just let it go."

"I don't understand why."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"...Hold on."

Ren took out a maple leaf coin and flipped it, watching how it landed.

"Officer Sato, this is just my personal guess."

"Before Tsukikage Island, did you have any informants?"

"No."

"In that case, your informant only appeared after Tsukikage Island?"

"Yes."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"Then, Officer Sato, do you think Superintendent Matsumoto might have already guessed where your intel came from, through the connections of the young ladies you protect?"

"...Ah!"

It suddenly clicked for Miwako.

"So, Superintendent Matsumoto deliberately chose to let it slide?"

"No, I think Superintendent Matsumoto overlooked it for a different reason—he wants to give you more room to advance."

Ren flipped the coin in his hand again. It landed the same way as before, confirming his suspicion.

"Officer Sato, you're not from the professional track, right?"

"Hmm..."

As a non-career-track officer, she did indeed lack certain advantages, especially when it came to promotion channels.

"Superintendent Matsumoto likely understands that too, which is why he's left you with a unique path to rise through the ranks."

"But I think they're mistaken."

"I don't have any special connections that could help you get promoted."

Miwako chuckled, unconcerned.

"That doesn't matter."

"Compared to sitting in an office drinking tea, I'd rather be out on the field."

"I think Superintendent Matsumoto and Inspector Megure hope to push me toward the rank of inspector."

Now, Miwako understood their intentions.

She couldn't help but feel a little exasperated at their excessive concern.

Though she appreciated their support, their real goal was to see her promoted to inspector.

She had a good idea of how both Inspector Megure and Superintendent Matsumoto thought.

Especially considering what had happened at Superintendent Matsumoto's daughter's wedding not long ago.

She figured that Superintendent Matsumoto must be feeling a lot of pressure, which explained his reaction.

"Most inspectors don't personally rush into dangerous situations."

"Well, at least not on the front lines of combat."

While inspectors still handled cases directly, they were more like commanders at the scene rather than officers engaging in direct confrontations.

"Although they might have misunderstood my intentions, I can't really say this arrangement is bad for me."

"And since this was a one-time thing, I don't have to explain myself too much in the future."

"Officer Sato, you're really... a very traditional police officer."

You're not rigid, nor do you stubbornly cling to rules. But at the same time, you genuinely enjoy police work.

Ren thought that Miwako was the kind of officer who simply wanted to do her job well.

She didn't particularly care about rank or promotion—she just loved being a cop.

"Officer Sato, you just don't want to deal with the dirty politics that come with higher positions, do you?"

The maple leaf coin flipped once more and landed the same way again.

"..."

"Seems like I guessed right."

It wasn't surprising.

Miwako wasn't naïve—she was well aware that the upper ranks of the Metropolitan Police Department had their own set of unspoken rules.

Only officers at the inspector level and above were privy to those inner workings.

That was precisely why she had little desire for promotion. She preferred to focus on her work rather than navigating bureaucratic power plays.

"Inspector Megure and Superintendent Matsumoto probably know your thoughts on this as well."

"That's why they don't want you constantly throwing yourself into danger."

"By pushing you toward an inspector position, they're hoping to rein in your reckless tendencies."

(To be continued.)