The conversation wrapped up with Greg standing to leave, his usual unhurried demeanor giving no hint of hesitation.

"Then, I’ll be on my way," Greg announced.

"Already?" Alice asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah. My flight’s this afternoon, so no sense in lingering."

Greg’s straightforward nature was evident even in this farewell. He had made his decision, packed me up, and brought me here without wasting any time. That was Greg—direct and decisive.

He turned to Raven, his calm gaze steady.
"Thanks again for this, Raven."

"Don’t mention it. You’ve helped me out before. Gotta return the favor. But, uh... think we can discuss a free appraisal service later?"

Greg gave a small shrug, his version of a concession. "We’ll see."

Watching the exchange made me feel a pang of guilt. Greg was clearly cashing in a favor for my sake. I shot him an apologetic glance, though my masked face likely made the effort invisible.

As Greg’s attention shifted to me, his expression softened.

"Yuria," he called.

“…?”

"Stay safe. I’ll be back soon."

I nodded vigorously, offering my brightest smile—even if it was hidden by the mask.

Realizing I owed him a proper goodbye, I lightly tapped Alice’s arm to signal her to let me go. She released me, and I trotted over to Greg.

I wasn’t particularly sentimental about farewells. As long as people were alive under the same sky, they were bound to meet again someday. Greg wasn’t vanishing forever; he’d only be gone a month at most.

I raised my hand high, signaling a cheerful goodbye. Greg chuckled, placing his massive hand against mine in a gentle high-five. With that, he gave Raven and Alice a nod and left the office without looking back, his usual cool demeanor intact.

With Greg gone, the office felt unusually spacious. For a moment, I simply stared out the window at his receding figure, the weight of the transition settling in.

“Yuria looks so forlorn,” Alice remarked, clasping her hands dramatically. “It’s like she’s watching her favorite fish swim away from its bowl!”

“What?” Raven quipped, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, don’t you think she looks like one of those cats staring at a fish tank?”

I shot them a sharp glare, silently protesting the comparison, and sighed. The reality of Greg leaving hit harder than I expected.

From General Manager to Temporary Part-Timer

My first official task as a temporary employee?

"Why don’t you take a seat and relax for now?" Raven said with a shrug.

Ah, the luxury of resting. It wasn’t surprising, though. New hires rarely had much to do on their first day, and I was essentially parachuted in thanks to Greg’s recommendation.

Determined to stay out of trouble, I perched on the sofa, doing my best to remain unobtrusive.

"Hey, do you know how to make coffee?" Raven asked suddenly.

I tilted my head, confused by the question. Alice jumped in to answer for me.

"Why coffee? You don’t even like it unless it’s drowned in sugar! Five sugar cubes minimum, remember?"

"Shut it. She’s the new employee, so she should do something. She can’t come out with us, so serving coffee to clients sounds like a good fit."

Aha. So I was being delegated the role of receptionist. Honestly, I didn’t mind at all. It was similar to what I did at Greg’s shop and far safer than running errands around Night Haven’s dangerous streets.

Still, Alice looked dissatisfied, her lips jutting out in a pout.
"I wanted to take Yuria with me outside! This is tyranny! Free Yuria!"

"As if you wouldn’t drag her shopping the first chance you got," Raven retorted.

"Ehh… what makes you think that?" Alice feigned innocence.

Raven ignored her, scribbling on a piece of paper before handing it to me.
"Here’s the deal. Show up by 9 AM, 10 at the latest. We’ll have lunch together, and you’re free to leave by 6 PM. Your job is to greet clients, guide them to the lounge, and serve coffee or tea. If there are no clients, you can spend your time however you like—read, play games, whatever. Got it?"

I nodded firmly, suppressing a grin.

"Good. Pay won’t be extravagant, but it’ll be enough to keep you fed for the month. Deal?"

Again, I nodded enthusiastically. This job was perfect: short hours, low stress, and flexible downtime.

Alice leaned over and whispered with mock seriousness, "Don’t worry, Yuria. If he ever tries to cheat you out of your pay, my sister will handle it!"

"Don’t joke about that. It sounds too real coming from you," Raven muttered, rubbing his temple.

Thus, my new life at Crowley’s Detective Agency began.

At first, everything seemed simple enough. My duties were straightforward, and the office had a cozy, almost laid-back atmosphere.

That was until the clients started pouring in.

“Please, help me find Etellion-Darkfeathered-Ciaran-Floraelis-Spectralis!” wailed a middle-aged reptilian woman decked out in punk attire, tears streaming down her scaled face.

Raven blinked. “…Sorry, could you repeat that name?”

“It’s Etellion-Darkfeathered-Ciaran-Floraelis-Spectralis! Pay attention!”

“Excuse me,” said a somber, kimono-clad cyclops. “I’m searching for an unused restroom. Every facility I find has been… sullied.”

"…Sir, there are plenty of restrooms in Night Haven."

“They are unusable. Even if I was the one who used them first.”

"…Have you tried lining the seat with tissue?"

"…I will consider it."

Then there was the tree-like wooden golem who entered at a snail’s pace, muttering about overpriced plant supplements.

“…Affordable fertilizer…,” it groaned.

It was chaos. And as the agency’s new receptionist, I was the first to deal with these eccentric individuals. Each encounter tested my patience and resolve in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

‘Maybe this isn’t the cushy gig I thought it’d be…’

By the time the sun set and the office lights cast long shadows across the room, I was ready to collapse. My first day was over, and all I could think about was how much I longed for the comfort of my makeshift bed.