《Case Files of the Mirror Checker》


 Case File #1: Prairie Farmstead, Loarnant Hills Province

    "Mirrors can''t eat people." The uneducated commoners usually retorted with this response when warned about the dangers of mirrors and staying a reasonable distance from them. Alas, particular mirrors CAN eat people, and mirror checkers arose to deal with them.


    It all began when someone insulted Aphrodite''s beauty and used a mirror to check her face. The divinity possesses an exceptional ability to hear a limited amount of words whenever someone invokes their name, so the goddess listened to the insult and cursed the mirror to swallow the heretic. Then Aphrodite gave life to this cursed mirror, allowing it to reproduce once it killed a victim! This event happened a thousand years ago, so one could imagine how many of these accursed mirrors exist now.


    The kingdoms held an emergency summit to deal with this problem and agreed to fund a program to hire investigators to find these magic mirrors, and these officials became known as "mirror checkers." My specialty was my nose, which could smell these devices from a hundred feet away. My duties involved finding and taking custody of these magic mirrors before they harmed more innocent people.


    My domain was the Ousligalla Kingdom, a minor but prosperous country in the middle of the Eowayor continent. The furthest distance from east to west was fifty thousand miles, but we needed the gnomes'' magic airships for fast travel, or it would require months to reach those endpoints. Thankfully, the kingdom connected its provinces with steam-driven railroads, so I rode in horse-pulled carriages only half the time.


    The Mirror Checker Agency received complaints of accursed mirrors, usually after they eat someone, and it sent a specialist to the supposed victim''s location. Unfortunately, the agency lacked funding, and there weren''t enough field agents. So I inadvertently accumulated a backlog of over a hundred case files across the kingdom to investigate, and I tried to act more efficiently by stringing the sites along the rail lines. However, that meant the rural areas took much longer between the initial complaint and my visit.


    I recognized that each day''s delay could result in another tragic death, but I lacked teleportation magic to speed up my travels. Thus, I organized my trips by the month and hit the sightings within each region.


    Today was the beginning of June, and I took the steam rail to the Prairie Farmstead in the south. The train station stopped in the middle of the Loarnant Hills Province, some five thousand miles from my home base, but I chose the farmstead because the complaint had been outstanding for six weeks, and someone reported a second death at the same site. Thus, my agency kicked the case file to the top of my priority list, and I couldn''t delay my inspection of the area.


    Summer month just started, and I was already dripping wet in the sweltering heat. The train locomotive''s discharge of superheated air from its steam engine only added to my misery. I hurriedly departed the train platform and took a descending escalator to the lower levels of the train station. I felt instant relief when we reached the underground floor as cool air circulated to reduce the temperature before the heated air exited the train station.


    I looked up and studied the gold-colored glowstones illuminating the tunnel during my descent. The rail lines crossed bridges high above the uneven landscape, casting a looming shadow over the natives, animals, farms, and neighborhoods. Some noble brats rode these steam trains and wrote best-selling travel guides, and they pulled the strings to convince the government to connect each province within the kingdom using these railroads.


    The noble houses undoubtedly benefitted from using their advanced knowledge of these construction plans to buy out commoners'' properties along the route. But they also paved the way for building the lines and stations with minimal protest from residents. Moreover, the nobles standardized the train stations with escalators reaching the underground before providing waiting areas for carriages and wagons to send the travelers to their final destination.


    Since I was a government worker, my employer paid for my travel expenses. Otherwise, my meager salary as a public servant would barely afford the train fare. Thus, I took advantage and rode a carriage on the government''s dime.


    Each cabin consisted of four rows of seating facing forward with equal space for luggage in the back. Horses pulled the public carriages while nobles used more exotic beasts of burden, including buffaloes, mammoths, and even tigers! I took a seat in the back row for two reasons: the nobles preferred the front seats closest to the exit, and my destination was the very last stop for this carriage, meaning I would be its final passenger.


    Other passengers noticed my badge of a mirror with a black frame, and they hurriedly exited the cabin to avoid riding with me. Although I wore casual business attire of a long-sleeved button white shirt over navy slacks and black shoes, agency regulations required me to display my badge prominently. Unfortunately, the citizens treated the Mirror Checker Agency as taboo, and the more superstitious folks avoided its workers like the plague.


    When I took my first carriage ride for a case, half the passengers disembarked upon seeing my badge, and I felt hurt then because I was serving the public, including these folks. But as I reduced my backlog and dealt with new case files, I slowly developed a thick skin and didn''t mind their reactions to seeing my official badge.


    Surprisingly, a young woman in her late teens stood before me while staring at my badge. She wore a light green dress with yellow and red floral patterns that accentuated her maiden figure, and her sweet scent tickled my nose. Her lovely, long golden hair and piercing blue eyes dazzled me, and I barely heard her words of introduction.


    "I am Eliza Bensley," she introduced in a girlish voice with a strange accent and curtsied. "May I sit next to you?" the girl requested.


    I stood up and bowed respectfully. "Please, milady." Part of my preparation for each case was to learn the name of the province''s ruler I was visiting, and Baron Timothy Bensley was the local governor. Consequently, I presumed the girl was part of the governor''s family and treated her as a noblewoman.


    Eliza giggled and sat down. She stared at me for a few seconds before opening her mouth. "Isn''t it poor manners not to introduce yourself?" The girl felt intrigued by my black hair and matching colored eyes with a hint of stars swirling inside, meaning I was an arcanist. Eliza judged my age as early twenties, meaning I entered the agency not too long ago because recruits received three years of training before graduating to fieldwork.


    I pointed at my mirror badge and replied, "Agency regulations forbid us from disclosing our names during fieldwork. Since mirror checkers have poor reputations, my employer worried protesters would use our identifying information for evil purposes."


    "Oh, my!" the girl gasped and clasped her hands. "I''m sorry that people try to hurt you for doing a public service." Eliza frowned at the foolish notion!


    I shrugged helplessly. The government secretly tested for mirror checkers during our mandated annual checkups as teenagers, and I still don''t know how they discovered my sniffing ability. When I applied for college during my senior year in high school, a stranger sat in my college advisor''s office and handed me an official document: "Ousligalla Kingdom drafts Lucheng Tang to serve in the Mirror Checker Agency upon high school graduation, and no college or university will accept your application for higher education. You shall report for orientation on June 10, 2523."


    "Why?" I asked while staring at Miss Tamara Hanson, my college advisor. However, she kept silent while avoiding my eyes.


    "We confirmed your suitability for the position, and you know how important a mirror checker is to our country," the recruiter scolded. "If you refuse, we will arrest your entire family to serve as prison miners," he threatened.


    "Fine," I spat out. "I''ll show up for your damned orientation, so take those threats and shove it up your ass!" I stormed out of the office and returned to class. I ignored questions from my classmates when they asked which colleges I received acceptance from, and, eventually, I ended my casual friendships with everyone because I didn''t want to inform them of my conscription to become a mirror checker.


    Eliza waved her delicate hand before my face. "Sir, are you okay?"


    "I was thinking about something," I answered before I checked my government-issued magi tablet. The screen showed I was three stops away from my destination. I noticed I was alone with the strange noble when I looked around the cabin. "When are you getting off?" I asked.


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    "The same place as you," Eliza answered smugly.


    "Huh?"


    The girl pointed at the corner of my map; it listed Baron Timothy Bensley as my local contact once I completed my assignment. "That''s my father. I heard about the two commoner deaths and wanted to visit the farmstead. But my father refused unless I accompanied you," Eliza explained.


    "So you were waiting for me at the carriage stop," I said, arching my brows. "How did you know I would take this specific carriage?"


    "Your badge is a dead giveaway; it pings your location, and I logged into the government''s intranet to confirm your arrival. Besides, the agency sent a file identifying you by name and face, Mister Lucheng Tang." The noble girl puffed her chest.


    I shivered because I suddenly imagined the mirror eating Eliza!


    "Are you okay?" she asked as my face paled.


    "I''m fine," I responded while politely brushing her hand aside. Although there was no chaperone inside the cabin, I assumed there were hidden cameras to catch me acting impolite toward the noble girl. My fieldwork helped me familiarize myself with their uses and hiding spots. I casually glanced at the tiny groove above the cabin door, where a camera took pictures of us periodically.


    Once the carriage stopped and the driver yelled, "Prairie Farmstead," I opened the door, stepped out, and assisted Eliza in getting off the carriage. My training with the agency included noble etiquette because I often faced them during my interviews at work sites. Besides, I suspected Eliza was sent by her dad to track my movements because the Mirror Checker Agency could declare an emergency and take over the farmstead. Her presence would prevent me from using this power without cause.


    The girl smiled politely and nodded her thanks. I surveyed my new surroundings and matched them with my tablet''s map.


    "That''s north," Eliza pointed while peeking at my device. Her fingers fluttered in the air as if playing the piano before her lips turned into a triumphant smile. "We go that way!" she pointed toward our nine o''clock.


    I peered at my magi map and confirmed her determination before marching in that direction. Although our location was a farmstead, it was surprisingly barren as we saw dirt fields overrun by weeds, and some crops to our east had wilted due to a lack of water. The barn and house to our north were eerily quiet, and I couldn''t sense any living creatures within this area.


    The house was a two-story wooden building with a dining room and kitchen on the ground level and small bedrooms upstairs. "Hello?" I called out after finding the front door unlocked and entering; I didn''t worry about trespassing because my badge granted emergency authority to enter people''s homes without permission.


    Eliza followed me inside like a ghost, and I admired the girl''s courage as her breathing remained stable.


    My magi map included a blueprint of this house, so I followed it to check each room. The front entrance led to the dining room, which separated the kitchen with a small countertop in between them. The hallway led to a back exit at the end; the left atrium had a simple stairway to the upper floor, and the space behind it stored two umbrellas, a mop, a bucket, and a magi roomba that ran out of energy. Two doors along the side led to a full bathroom and a small closet stuffed with towels and cleaning supplies.


    I hoped to find the magic mirror in the dining room or bathroom, but my luck proved rotten. I belatedly climbed the creaky steps while preparing for an ambush because my nose started twitching.


    I held my arcano pistol in my right while my free hand readied a magic barrier.


    *Phwoosh* An evil spirit rushed toward me, and I raised my shield like clockwork because I had experienced these encounters many times already.


    *Buzz* My barrier encompassed the four corners from floor to ceiling, sealing the foul creature inside. The gray phantom slammed its fist against my magi shield, but the obstacle held up without trouble.


    "What is that thing?" Eliza whispered while peeking over my left shoulder.


    "That is the ghost of a former occupant of this house. When a victim of a devouring mirror rejects the heavens, they will remain soulbound at their place of death. I encounter enough of these ghosts to protect myself from them," I explained, "even though they appear in only 10% of the cases. So, we got lucky in that sense."


    "What will you do with it?" she pondered with a frown.


    I inserted a holy bullet into my pistol, took aim at the evil spirit, and dropped my shield. *Bam* My bullet dispersed crystallized holy water, and the salt gobbled the ghost''s figure within seconds.


    My target waved their hands and shook their body, but nothing could dispel the bullet from erasing the evil creature. Finally, they screeched before winking out of existence, leaving behind a tiny gray pebble. I carefully stored it in a clear bag and wrote the date, time, and location where I retrieved the stone. Then I slowly checked the rooms until I found the mirror in the main bedroom.


    I raised my left hand again and cast Telekinesis to wrap a magic barrier around the cursed item. I manipulated my spell like a rope to pull it across the room. As the magic mirror hovered over the unmade bed, it suddenly came alive! Tendrils grew from the mirror''s surface like a mustache, and a big mouth appeared beneath it. Saliva dripped from its razor-sharp teeth before it took a big bite of my magic barrier!


    I took out my Item Box and sent a mana spike into it. The device instantly grew into a vortex in the middle of the room, and I created a barrier to wall off my side from the spiraling hole.


    Suddenly, the magic mirror entered my Item Box, and I confirmed its addition to my Inventory. I pulled my mana out of the box, and the vortex reluctantly dissipated with a sigh.


    I dropped the magi shield and sat cross-legged on the ground; I closed my eyes and meditated to recharge my mana pool.


    I smelled Eliza''s scent nearby as she sat beside me and waited until I recovered my energy. A part of me tensed up because this was the best time for her to strike during my moment of weakness if Eliza harbored ill intentions. To my relief, Eliza acted like the curious teenager she seemed. More importantly, she rested her head on my shoulder and dozed off!


    I barely suppressed the chuckle threatening to leave my chest at the absurdity. Did I land in a rom-com without knowing it? However, I still worried about this girl because I felt something off about her but couldn''t quite put my finger on it. But since Eliza didn''t seem hostile, I was content to let her play. Nobles faced difficulties, and I thanked Baron Bensley for sending a representative to oversee my fieldwork.


    After ten minutes, I completely recharged my spent mana, but the girl showed no sign of awakening from her beauty rest. Thus, I compromised by setting a half-hour alarm with my tablet. Unfortunately, I couldn''t doze off like my companion because we were inside a haunted house, and it had a second victim. Thus, I worried that another vengeful ghost might appear. I passed the time visually checking the bedroom.


    Although I completed my mission to capture the cursed mirror, I hoped to discover a trace of its progeny. Once the device reproduces, the parent and child will remain in the exact location temporarily before the new mirror leaves for another place. Typically, the child jumps out the open window or flies and lets the strong wind carry it afar.


    Since these mirrors were magical and retained some intelligence, they could travel solo or sneak into a cart or trunk. Alternatively, they could hop into a person''s sack and leave without notice. For the Prairie Homestead, there were two victims, meaning the parent likely created two child mirrors. Thus, there remained a decent chance the second kid stuck around.


    Sure enough, my nose picked up something within the sheets. I watched a tiny mirror the size of my thumb lift a bedsheet and grow a dozen stumpy legs. It crawled like a caterpillar down the bedframe, pausing occasionally to sniff the air for movement.


    I remained still like a stone and watched as the baby mirror searched for an exit. It hit the far corners of the room, tried the closet with no luck, and approached my direction since I blocked the doorway. The caterpillar felt reassured that the room held no danger and moved as if marching to a band. I waited patiently for the damn monster to get within range: 10 feet, 7, 5, now! I flipped open my Item Box and a spiral formed in mid-air.


    The baby mirror recognized the danger and hurried turned tail. Too late! I latched onto it with my Telekinesis spell and watched the kid''s feeble struggle with delight.


    Suddenly, Eliza stirred awake. She watched in amazement while leaning on my shoulder as the tiny mirror slowly lost its grip and became airborne. *Whoosh* Once the monster entered my hole, I closed the lid and stowed my container.


    "How did you know about the second mirror?" my companion asked with puzzlement.


    "The second victim increased the odds of a baby mirror sticking around to accompany its parent. Normally, these monsters are solitary and leave the nest when they can. But when there''s a second victim in the same place, the child stays because the original mirror monster won''t eat a person for at least another month. Their weird biology requires the mirror to spend that long to digest a human victim," I explained.


    "Interesting," Eliza hummed. She gingerly removed her head from my shoulder, and I rose first to help the girl get up.


    I opened another tab in my magi tablet, corrected the number of mirror monsters on the electronic form to two, and handed a stylus to her. "I need your signature to confirm I took two mirror monsters into custody at the Prairie Farmstead," I noted.


    Eliza accepted, made a neat and delicate signature on my tablet, and returned the stylus.


    I clicked "enter" to send the completed form, and my folder turned from red to yellow, meaning my supervisor would review the case file before closing it.


    "Please allow me to escort you home," I offered, but the noble girl waved her hand. "The baron''s manor is far from the train station. "Let''s go there, and we''ll separate," she proposed.


    "Sure!" I took the lead as we exited the bedroom but didn''t lower my guard because other dangers might lurk around. Fortunately, no monsters appeared, and we departed the abandoned farmstead safely.


    I hailed a carriage on my magi tablet, and we waited in the shade until the vehicle arrived a quarter hour later. During this period, the two of us kept silent because we didn''t share much common interest besides the cursed mirrors, and I wasn''t the type to chitchat either. However, I noticed Eliza glancing at me periodically as if she wanted to say something but couldn''t.


    The carriage took us back to the train station, and I descended the cabin. Eliza put a happy smile on her face as she tearfully waved goodbye, and the vehicle drove off.


    I waved back until the carriage disappeared on the horizon before taking the train back to my home base.

 Interlude One

    "That went well." The middle-aged manager saw the ping on her tablet''s screen, and her eyes lit up when the reader noticed "2" cursed mirrors in Agent Tang''s custody. But the magi system highlighted the signature in red, meaning it had a problem.


    She tabbed on it, and a popup appeared: "No matching signature." However, the supervisor could read the words "Eliza Bensley." The manager tapped the baron''s name and selected the call function. After several ringtones, the recipient answered with a belated, "Hello? Baron Timothy Bensley speaking."


    "Your Grace, my name is Sienna Johns, the supervisor from the Mirror Checker Agency for your domain. My field agent submitted paperwork indicating he captured two cursed mirrors in your Prairie Farmstead, and ''Eliza Bensley'' signed the confirmation. Do you know this person?" she asked directly.


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    "Impossible! I had a daughter named Eliza, but she fell victim to a cursed mirror when she was six. I don''t know who would impersonate my child and why they would become involved in this case," the baron answered with a raised voice. Eliza''s death had been a thorn in Timothy''s heart, and he didn''t appreciate a fresh reminder from a stranger!


    "With your permission, I will set up a dragnet to catch the fraudster. But since my worker didn''t get an official signature to close the case file, I will also send the documents for your review and confirmation," Supervisor Johns requested.


    "That''s fine. Should I mobilize some trusted men to join your operation?" Baron Bensley proposed.


    "I appreciate your offer, but two cooks in a kitchen wouldn''t produce good food. I will keep you informed of the results of our mission," she assured him.


    "I hope to hear a good outcome shortly," Timothy ended the call.

 Case File #2: Pitchfork Estates, Loarnant Hills Province

    I checked my work tablet in the morning and saw a message from my supervisor. Sienna Johns was a petite woman with a dull-looking face and a cunning mind. Whenever I visited her office, I felt like an insect trapped in her spiderweb. Thus, I braced myself when I opened her email with the subject: "Loarnant Hills Province." The body of the message was one sentence: "Continue clearing your backlog in the south."


    I filtered my cases and highlighted the ones in Loarnant Hills. Of the three remaining complaints, I picked the Pitchfork Estates for my first visit. Although the site was furthest from the train station, this case file was four weeks old. I hopped on the steam rail, ignored curious glances at my mirror badge, and dozed off until my magi tablet vibrated at the Loarnant Hills stop. Unfortunately, casting spells drained me mentally, and even recharging my mana pool didn''t help reduce my mental exhaustion.


    Although my employer provided unlimited leave with supervisor approval, I declined to use this benefit because of my backlog of cases; I didn''t want to learn a person died while I hit the beach or hung out at the bar because my guilty conscience wouldn''t take it well. Working as a mirror checker was a thankless job, and I pretended to be a superhero saving the world--by capturing one cursed mirror at a time.


    Eliza Bensley predictably joined my carriage again, and the noble girl sat beside me. The other passengers saw my mirror badge; they chose to back out of the cabin and avoid riding with me. However, the bypassers looked weirdly at the girl beside me, wondering if she was a mirror checker groupie. Yup, that was a thing among the younger generation, and I''ve encountered these kids occasionally during my fieldwork. My fans typically split into two groups: the curious and the hardcore. The former knew very little about us and liked to ask questions to dispel myths and gossip. The latter were unhappy with their lives; we became their fantasy fulfillment.


    I inhaled the sweet fragrance from Eliza''s body, which helped me relax. Before I knew it, my magi tablet''s alarm awoke me because I arrived at the Pitchfork Estates.


    I checked the time and noted the carriage ride took over two hours, and a minimap showed my location was roughly twenty miles to the west. I disembarked and helped Eliza alight the cabin. She thanked me for my courtesy before we turned to examine the property. The Pitchfork Estates was originally a winegrape farm before the owners entered the wine business because the latter was more profitable.


    However, the report of a mirror monster devouring a worker caused the rest to flee, and distributors dropped the Pitchfork brand of wine to avoid hurting their reputations. Thus, the owners were in dire straits and tried to bribe my agency to expedite the case. I only heard this through the grapevine as bribery of public officials was illegal, but I had never received such payments as a lowly field agent before.


    The manor occupants heard the carriage''s arrival and came out to greet us. I saw an elderly couple in their sixties dressed in fine noble clothes and two raven-haired men in their late twenties or early thirties with some facial resemblance to their father. Both sported deep tans and wore wifebeaters to display their bulging frames; neither youngster exuded the noble aura I expected.


    "Thank you for coming! I am Sir Torkild Buhl, and this is my wife Dorit, my eldest son Brent, and my second son Paul. I would offer our hospitality if the house workers hadn''t all quit," the retired knight chuckled at the poor joke.


    "Dad!" Brent hissed because he felt no need to disclose an embarrassing fact to the outsiders. However, he saw Eliza and became enchanted by the girl''s lovely charm. "Beauty, may I have the pleasure of learning your name?" he approached, took her hand, and kissed it.


    The target blushed. "I am Eliza Bensley, daughter of the Bensley Barony," she announced while executing the perfect curtsy.


    Her words struck the hosts like lightning because the baron was their liege! All four bent their knees and lowered their heads. "We mean no disrespect, Your Grace!"


    "It''s fine," Eliza giggled. "I''m here to observe this Mirror Checker''s activities rather than inspect your domain," she explained her purpose for the abrupt and unannounced visit.


    However, the foursome became visibly nervous because they feared noble conspiracies and doubted her words.


    "Is something wrong?" Eliza probed with a neutral voice.


    "No, milady!" Dorit shook her head. "Would you like some refreshments?" the noblewoman offered.


    "I apologize, but we''re in a hurry to resolve this case," Eliza rejected, "so I ask for your full cooperation."


    "Father, please allow me to guide them," Brent requested.


    "Yes," the headship granted permission before bringing his wife back inside the modest manor. Torkild felt embarrassed at the two boys for wearing commoner attire, but they worked in the vineyard as replacement farmers. Besides, some noble girls preferred diligent men over brothel-visiting wastrels, and the father believed Eliza held a similar preference because, otherwise, she wouldn''t perform an inspection personally.


    Paul accompanied his brother, and the pair led the way across the silent estate until they reached a secluded area west of the main house. The visitors saw several simple thatched cottages facing a large warehouse with stone walls. Brent opened the door of a residence in the middle of the group but refused to enter.


    I peered inside and saw a mirror. However, my nose didn''t twitch, meaning the item WASN''T a devouring monster! My eyes narrowed as I slowly surveyed the interior of the one-room house. It had minimal furnishings, including a hay bed against a wall, a pot in the fireplace, a table, and four stools. "How many people lived here?" I asked.


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    "Two. The victim''s name was Brix, and his friend Talos reported the killing before fleeing the estate. Unfortunately, we don''t know where the witness went and couldn''t follow up on the incident," Brent answered. He pointed at the pool of blood before the mirror. "That is the evidence of Brix''s death."


    I raised my hand and cast a magic shield over the mirror before entering the house. Although I had confidence in my nose, agency training taught me to secure the mirror to prevent an ambush. I strolled around the room, surprising the onlookers with my behavior.


    "May I ask what you are doing?" Paul inquired.


    "He''s searching for a baby mirror," Eliza answered proudly. "A cursed mirror reproduces itself after ingesting a victim, and the child might stay with its parent."


    The two boys became nervous, and their heads swiveled like a weather vane while checking the bare room for signs of a tiny mirror.


    Eliza giggled at their silly antics because she knew I would protect everyone from harm.


    I ignored their conversations by the entrance while doing my due diligence work by the book. I scoured the bed because it was the most likely hiding spot for a child mirror and used Telekinesis to lift the mattress and blanket. Empty. I lowered my head to the ground to check under the bed but only found dust bunnies. I meticulously checked other hiding spots, including grooves within the wall, the corners, and the ceiling.


    Once I eliminated these possibilities, I approached the pot and used Telekinesis to make a fist and smash its interior. *Gong* I turned the container upside down, but nothing fell through. Finally, I directed my attention to the mirror, and the observers became breathless. I slapped it with Telekinesis and cracked the mirror!


    "This is a dud," I announced. "An authentic devouring mirror would react instead of allowing me to break its surface." I drew closer to the dried liquid on the ground, sniffed, and frowned. "This isn''t human blood. I''m afraid your workers created an elaborate hoax to escape from your domain," I concluded.


    While the two men froze at this declaration, Eliza applauded and laughed. "I can''t believe someone would have the audacity to deceive their lord!" Her face turned serious. "How long ago did they make this complaint?"


    "Four weeks," I answered with a shrug. While I was disappointed at discovering this hoax, it wasn''t my first encounter with one. When farmers and other workers were unhappy with their employment conditions, they invoked a devouring mirror to ruin their mistreating noble employer. Since devouring mirrors were taboo, even the nobility would empathize with commoners who fled for their lives because nobles blamed the governing peer for having a magic mirror appear in their domain and treated its occurrence as a disgrace.


    Brent''s face turned livid because he appreciated these implications, and Paul patted his back as a gesture of support. Brent was the heir to the Pitchfork Estates, and the responsibility of cleaning this mess and clearing their good name became his. However, the first son''s eyes turned malicious as an evil thought entered his mind. "How much?" Brent asked while staring at me.


    My brows arched while circulating the mana within my body. "What do you mean?" I responded.


    "I can''t allow this to be a hoax. I purchased an insurance policy for our family wine business, and they cover losses due to a devouring mirror incident. Unless I get your confirmation, our family will go bankrupt, and my father will lose his knighthood!" Brent''s words grew louder until he shouted at me.


    Paul shook his brother''s arm, but Brent refused to drop this idea. The crazed son cracked his knuckles. "If you don''t cooperate, then the cursed mirror will have more victims," he threatened.


    I pulled Eliza behind me. "You seem to believe I''m no threat. Perhaps, you need a proper lesson to treat mirror checkers with the respect we''re due."


    Brent smugly pulled out his necklace and pressed on the stone. An anti-magic shell erupted and covered the entire room! "I know you''re an arcanist, but helpless without magic! Be a good boy, and let this uncle beat you to death!" Brent dashed forward and pulled his right fist for a windup.


    I stayed still to let the foolish man make the first move and establish my legal right of self-defense, and Brent misunderstood my reaction as fear. The aggressor chuckled as his meaty fist inched closer to his target''s face.


    *Snap* Pain erupted in the attacker''s elbow as it dangled out of its socket! *Bam* His nose broke, and hot blood rushed into his mouth. The victim''s eyes lost focus. Another hit made Brent''s world turn black.


    I shrugged at the witnesses'' astonishment because the fight ended within five seconds! "My three-year training at the Mirror Checker Agency included barehand fighting against multiple humans. Brent isn''t very skilled either; he telegraphed his punch with a big windup, and I took advantage of the opening to end this fight efficiently," I explained like a professor teaching college kids.


    Eliza cheered and applauded while Paul stood helpless and gritted his teeth. Although Paul wished to assist his brother, he couldn''t join Brent in killing a government agent and the baron''s daughter! Paul raised his hands and knelt. "I surrender," he declared.


    I approached until I stood three feet from the second son. "Why didn''t you join your brother to attack me?"


    "I am loyal to Baron Bensley and refuse to rebel and harm his daughter," Paul answered, staring at me like a condemned facing his executioner.


    I nodded at the man''s stoic behavior and granted Paul a small favor. "I won''t prosecute you; Brent acted solo against the barony," I declared because I visited the Pitchfork Estates with Baron Bensley''s permission and became his de facto representative. Thus, any harm against me was the same as attacking the barony.


    Eliza nodded her agreement to this decision and helped Paul to his feet. "I admire your courage and conviction. It''s hard to go against your family," she sympathized.


    Paul sighed while looking at his unconscious family member. "I will go and get my father."


    I nodded my permission, and the crestfallen man departed. I brought out iron shackles to tie the culprit''s wrists and ankles. When I felt Eliza''s stare, I said, "Disappointed?"


    The noble girl shook her head. "I understand the heir''s desperation to keep what he should have inherited. Learning the worker''s death was a hoax made Brent lose his mind, and I doubt I would react differently in his shoes," Eliza admitted.


    "This is one of those days I''m glad to be born a commoner," I mused, earning a giggle from my companion.


    The parents quickly arrived and saw their son in shackles, and their faces turned gloomy. Paul had explained what happened, and Brent''s condition dispelled their illusions of a mistake by the mirror checker. "Please have mercy on our son!" Dorit cried while hugging her husband tightly.


    "The baron should judge Brent''s crimes," I answered before calling for a carriage on my tablet. I also entered "0" on the cursed mirrors in custody, and Eliza signed the confirmation after reading my footnote about a hoax created by former workers in the Pitchfork Estates.


    We waited in awkward silence at the estate''s driveway. Brent awoke and dropped his head in shame. Dorit cried while hugging her eldest because the mother worried Baron Bensley would execute him for endangering Eliza''s life.


    Once the carriage arrived, Eliza ordered the driver, "Take us to the guard station." When they reached it an hour later, she refused to enter! "I don''t want to mix with my father''s affairs," Eliza excused herself and watched me bring my captive into the building to process formal criminal charges. She hailed another carriage to go home.

 Interlude Two

    The coachman halted his carriage because a group of people blocked the road. The driver noticed each person wore a mirror badge and cursed under his breath, "How unlucky am I today?" The owner took off his cap and disembarked from his vehicle. "How may I serve the Mirror Checker Agency?" he asked with a polite bow.


    However, the group leader motioned for the man to step away from his carriage as her team tightened their circle around it with one arcanist around the clock. "I am Supervisor Sienna Johns, and I wish to speak with Her Grace, Eliza Bensley," the agent introduced herself while bowing at the carriage.


    A pretty teenager with noble bearings slowly descended from the cabin, and her blue eyes surveyed her environment with an amused smile. "I am Eliza Bensley. How many I help you?" the girl curtsied.


    Eliza had seen Sienna''s name as Lucheng''s supervisor in the paperwork, so the former was curious about the latter. The noble saw a petite, brunette woman standing five feet tall and wearing a dark blue suit over a cream blouse. However, Sienna''s dark brown eyes swirled with mana, meaning she was an arcanist rather than a simple paper pusher.


    "You accompanied Agent Tang during his investigation at the Prairie Farmstead recently, and you went with him today to visit the Pitchfork Estates. In the previous case, you signed the confirmation document certifying his custody of cursed mirrors," the supervisor noted.


    "Did I do something wrong?" Eliza challenged the older woman.


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    "I called Baron Timothy Bensley, and he confirmed that Eliza died at age six. So that makes you an impostor, and we are arresting you for impersonation and falsifying government documents," Supervisor Johns explained the girl''s crimes. "I don''t know who you are, but you''re definitely not Eliza Bensley," the agent accused solemnly.


    Eliza giggled and started walking toward the prosecutor.


    Supervisor Johns signaled her men to capture the criminal. The agents standing at six and twelve o''clock cast Telekinesis while the remainder combined their mana to form a magic wall around the imposter and cage her inside.


    Eliza blew at the incoming invisible ropes, which twisted and coiled like snakes, and they snapped like twigs! A lazy wave of her hand instantly disintegrated the blockade, but the caster never slowed her stride. The girl giggled at the frantic looks of the mirror checkers as they recast their spells, but something froze their mana! Moreover, Eliza casually looked at each male arcanist, and their figures relaxed as their minds became enthralled. "You guys are tired, so take a long, relaxing rest," the enchantress cooed.


    The victims fell to the ground, and their eyes stared at the sky, seeing something extraordinary. Each man sported a goofy grin, and some drooled like idiots.


    "What did you do?" Sienna snarled as she loaded a solid lead bullet into her arcano pistol and pointed her weapon at the powerful witch.


    "Your friends are enjoying themselves. Now, put that silly toy away before you get hurt." Eliza''s words became a command to the listener, and Supervisor Johns couldn''t control her movements as her body stowed the gun in its holster. "Sit!"


    The victim fell to the ground and took a dogeza stance!


    Eliza then turned toward Baron Bensley, who secretly watched the failed operation atop a nearby roof. "Hi, Dad!" she giggled, waved, and vanished.

 Case File #3: Sunset Town, Loarnant Hills Province

    I knew something significant had happened when I heard a dozen field agents take medical leaves at my home base. Since our campus in South Fest employed only two dozen of them, our power abruptly dropped in half.


    However, Supervisor Johns kept her poker face, deflected all questions about what happened to our colleagues, and stonewalled our requests to visit them. Supporters, such as secretaries, campus security, and machinists, helped piece together the relevant information, and we concluded that Sienna brought them to capture someone important, and the team lost! Witnesses claimed some arcanists became addled and lost their abilities to cast spells, and the medical leaves involved treatment at special facilities focused on recovering their minds.


    Despite the big blow to the South Fest branch, my boss never vented her anger or lashed out. Instead, she emailed me to continue clearing my backlog in the Loarnant Hills. Thus, I obeyed her order and picked Sunset Town for today''s visit. This location had five thousand residents and was the second most populous area within the Loarnant Hills Province. Its importance meant merchant groups offered regular steam bus service between the local train station and this town.


    I wasn''t surprised to find Eliza Bensley waiting at the bus station. She followed me as I entered a bus, and we sat in the rearmost row. Customers couldn''t see my mirror badge since the bus had a dozen rows, and the rows of seating obscured me from view. Thus, they sat inside the bus as my fellow passengers.


    "You''re so naughty," Eliza giggled, looking at my badge before turning away.


    Per custom, I set my alarm to buzz when our bus reached Sunset Town, and the trip took only a half hour. But since I used minimal mana during yesterday''s visit to the Pitchfork Estates, I was bright and alert and didn''t need the tablet''s alarm to wake.


    I waited in the aisle and gestured for Eliza to walk before me. My reason was two-fold: I used her body to block my badge from view because other passengers might curse me for hiding in the back of the bus. Secondly, I was responsible for the noble girl''s safety and couldn''t perform my duty while standing before her.


    The other travelers ignored us and dispersed while we walked the streets like a young couple. My mirror badge was prominent, and most pedestrians avoided us. However, some groupies started following me, and I could not stop them.


    I checked my magi tablet, which provided a minimap to direct me to the address: B90 Everspring Street #17. The B referred to the second sector (out of four) within Sunset Town, and the first two digits were the building identifier along the named street.


    The founders of this development gave names to match the outdoorsy theme of this town in hopes of attracting wealthy residents. Unfortunately, the marketing ploy failed as corporations viewed this location as too far from the provincial train station, thereby depressing the property values. Consequently, middle and lower-income families bought and rented apartments in these new developments and entrenched the lowered commercial value of Sunset Town.


    I knew this town''s history because I lived here briefly before my family moved after the landlord demanded a nosebleeding rent increase to renew our lease. Thus, I boxed out the first six years of childhood, and returning to Sunset Town made me feel melancholic because my life would have changed if I remained in this area. I wouldn''t qualify to become a mirror checker and would be working a desk job in a tiny cubicle.


    Eliza read my unusual mood and wisely kept silent beside me. We checked the minimap periodically until I reached Everspring Street and ignored the various bars, eateries, and coffee shops and their patrons until someone mustered the courage to mess with me.


    "Look here, mister mirror checker; I think there''s a mistake. We got no complaints about devouring mirrors in Sunset Town, so you should turn around and return to the train station," a ruffian asserted while blocking my path.


    I decided to humor him by showing the official complaint on my tablet. "Our agency received a complaint two weeks ago for a place on Everspring Street." I pointed at the street sign, and its name matched the document. "I see that I''m heading to the right place. Please excuse me before I arrest you for impeding an official investigation," I said while glancing at the man''s buddies.


    "Hahaha! Take him, boys!" the leader barked. Six men rushed toward me while Eliza smartly backed away. The attackers ignored her and threw punches at me.


    I jumped while circulating mana to control my body; it spun like a top as I reinforced my leg to harden my bones and flesh. My hurricane kick slapped everyone''s faces and knocked them down instantly. I landed and stared at the provoker. "Anyone else wants to play?"


    The witnesses captured my melee on their magi cams, and some uploaded the files to the public internet. People started posting reactions, and I ignored the hornets'' nest that I had stirred with my public demonstration. Since these kids threw the first punch, I acted in self-defense, and Eliza will support my claim. I pulled her hand, stepped over my defeated opponents, and continued walking along the street until I reached building B90.


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    The apartment building was part of a group of similar-looking five-story walkups with no elevators. I lived in the same type of building during childhood, and running up and down the stairs became my daily exercise routine. At the front entrance, I checked the directory and saw apartments 1-20, meaning each floor held four residential units.


    I placed my magi tablet close to the door lock, and my device granted access instantly. The tablet was tuned to my unique mana signature, so others couldn''t use it even if they somehow stole my government property. The magi tablet contained a unique program operated by law enforcement personnel to gain access to commoner properties. Only nobles could prevent entry from us by withholding permission.


    I opened the door for Eliza and entered the front lobby. I turned around and said, "My destination is on the top floor. Are you sure you''re willing to walk five flights of stairs?"


    The noble girl nodded. "I could use the exercise!" Eliza puffed her chest.


    I took the lead and set a slower pace than usual. The staircase led to an inter-floor platform with a window for circulation within the common area. Government regulations dictated this architecture for new residential buildings after a tragic fire broke out decades ago, and trapped occupants on the upper floors asphyxiated while descending the steps to escape. These windows also provided firefighters and rescuers openings to bring out the trapped residents.


    I halted for a minute break at each landing before ascending the next flight of steps. Eliza displayed her fighting spirit and kept up with me, even though she breathed heavily and sweated profusely upon reaching the top floor.


    My nose twitched heavily, and I realized multiple devouring mirrors were inside Unit #17. I knocked on the door of the adjacent apartment, #18, but no one answered. I used my work tablet to override the door lock and quickly checked the apartment to ensure it was empty. Then I went down to Unit #13 and repeated the process.


    Eliza stayed on the landing between the two floors.


    When I exited the fourth-floor apartment and passed her, I explained, "I detected multiple magic mirrors, so I need to clear out the units adjacent and below to avoid civilians getting hurt in a crossfire."


    "Should I go downstairs?" Eliza proposed solemnly.


    I shook my head. "I think you''ll be okay," I responded confidently. "Here goes!" I jogged up the stairs and opened Unit #17''s front door with my magi tablet. I immediately cast a magic shield to block the hallway. *Bam* A mirror monster slammed into my barricade!


    Other creatures appeared, and I counted six in all! I used my magi tablet to call for backup because there were too many devouring monsters to defeat safely. "Leave now, Eliza!" I yelled.


    The girl started descending the stairs while the monsters slammed against my shield like cannonballs. After a minute, I couldn''t resist them any longer. I crouched in the landing and pulled out all the holy bullets from storage. After loading one into my arcano pistol, I dropped my shield and blasted a mirror monster. Then I descended the stairs while adding another holy bullet. When the creatures appeared, I shot my second target before raising my shield.


    I repeated the process while burning up my mana pool. Unfortunately, there were more than six devouring monsters! I took my final stand in the front lobby and shot at an approaching monster, killing my sixth enemy. My mana pool emptied, and I resorted to using melee combat. I pulled my knife, coated with holy water, and slashed at the silvery tendrils.


    I managed to cut four before the rest slapped me around; my body slammed against the wall, and my vision blurred.


    "This won''t do," Eliza interrupted with a hint of annoyance. The noble girl stood before me and waved her hand. The three remaining devouring monsters froze solid before their bodies cracked and dispersed as fine mists, leaving only their monster cores! The rescuer turned toward me with a kind smile and pointed at my forehead. "Rest."


    I lost consciousness.


    ***


    I awoke in a patient room at the local hospital. Thick bandages wrapped my body like a mummy, and braces kept my limbs and neck in place. My eyes landed on the magi screen on the left wall, which showed my body''s condition: a cracked skull, broken lower spine and neck, and a shattered pelvis.


    I tried wiggling my fingers and toes, but they felt like stone, meaning I sustained partial paralysis! However, I didn''t resent my fate because I knew my job as a mirror checker had a high mortality rate. Moreover, I didn''t become an idiot like my colleagues, so I could do something else within the agency after recovering from my severe injuries. I succumbed to the lull of sleep.


    Supervisor Johns visited my room several days later. She smiled and said, "I wish you waited for backup to arrive, but I understand the threat was extraordinary. If the monsters exited the building, they would kill the pedestrians in a rampage. You set a world record and defeated nine devouring mirrors solo; we found their monster cores in Unit #17 and within the stairwell and lobby."


    "Unfortunately, you paid a heavy price with your body. Our government lacks the funding to buy you an elixir; without it, you won''t recover fully and regain medical clearance for fieldwork. Therefore, I am dismissing you from service as a mirror checker and submitting paperwork for your permanent retirement with full disability benefits. I know you were reluctant to become a mirror checker after high school graduation, so your early dismissal is the best reward for your service to our Ousligalla Kingdom. It has been my honor to supervise you."


    Sienna saluted and exited my patient room without waiting for my response. But her clenched fists revealed my supervisor''s guilt at my condition, so I accepted my abrupt firing gracefully.


    I stared at the magi screen, wondering if Eliza had escaped because I would never see her again. My last memory of Eliza was watching her run down the stairs under my order.

 Epilogue

    The girl in question appeared in another realm, and she dropped her youthful disguise. A gorgeous woman with silk-smooth skin, radiant hair with rainbow highlights, and eyes that sparkled like gems replaced the person. She wore a see-through dress of stardust covering her private parts but accentuating her perfect figure. A diamond tiara rested on her pretty head.


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    The domain owner waved her hand, and a large mirror materialized. She peered into the sentient device and asked, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who''s the fairest of them all?"


    "You are, Goddess Aphrodite."


    "Good boy!" the deity cooed at the ancestor of those roaming devouring monsters and waited for another victim''s soul to enter her domain.


    THE END