So I'm a Snake, Who Cares

’Leave of Absence.’

That’s what was written in neat, black ink on the crisp white envelope Obern had carefully prepared that morning.

Obern entered the zookeeper’s office, footsteps echoing on the worn linoleum floor, and placed the envelope squarely on Kadam’s cluttered oak desk.

Kadam, who was methodically checking feeding schedule documents while wearing wire-rimmed reading glasses, looked up from his work with deliberate slowness.

Kadam’s severely crossed eyes, a condition he’d had since birth, were still something Obern couldn’t get used to, even after three years of working together.

Obern was already nervous, fingers fidgeting with the hem of a uniform shirt, mouth going dry.

But all the mental preparations made during the sleepless night before proved completely futile in this moment.

When the thunderous voice burst out, Obern almost fell backward.

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There was no need to be too scared.

Because he had an answer prepared in advance.

It was a weapon that could calm even the enraged Kadam.

"His Majesty the Emperor has urgently assigned me a task."

"Oh, is that so?"

Kadam smiled broadly as if he had never been angry.

"W-well, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped."

He even chuckled.

Then he reluctantly accepted and filed away the leave request.

Obern, taking long-term leave after only working at the zoo for a few months!

’Will I still get paid during leave?’

’Well, probably not.’

’Don’t worry too much. Once we finish this job well, I’ll give you plenty of incentives.’

Obern was overjoyed.

By the way, I am indeed a wealthy snake.

However, just because I became wealthy doesn’t mean Obern did too.

The contract we signed didn’t mention anything about salary increases. Money matters are important.

But I did promise to give him a definite incentive if we find Pelerian’s lost treasure this time.

’I’m going to meet Lilah now. You’re going to see Daisy?’

’That’s right.’

Obern seemed to have quite a serious relationship with Daisy.

’Won’t Daisy dislike it?’

He can’t explain the details to her.

After all, he can’t go around telling people that he’s going to chase after a criminal with a top-level warrant.

So for now, he can only tell the surface-level story.

’Hmm...’

We will use new identities while traveling with Oliver.

More precisely, it’s not exactly leave but a temporary job change.

’...if I suddenly tell her I’m becoming a bounty hunter.’

That’s right - a bounty hunter.

Such a girlfriend-pleasing occupation.

But Obern laughed.

"Hahaha!"

And said not to worry.

’I’ve got Daisy wrapped around my finger.’

He’s incredibly confident. This is why handsome guys are...

I parted ways with Obern for a moment.

And headed to where Lilah was.

Lilah was in rehabilitation training.

Evolution heals most injuries.

While it could sometimes regenerate severed limbs, this didn’t apply to Lilah whose prosthetic arm had become a trait.

Her severed arm remained as it was, but her crushed leg had healed.

So, Lilah’s ’rehabilitation’ meant adapting to her new prosthetic.

She was doing a handstand with one arm.

A mature White Storm Gorilla.

Weight, approximately 350kg.

Supporting it with just one arm wearing a prosthetic.

She must have been holding that position for quite a while.

She noticed my arrival.

"Oh! Boss!"

The prosthetic on her left arm wasn’t complete yet.

Pushing off the ground with her right arm, she amazingly maintained balance in mid-air and landed.

’Are you okay? The new prosthetic, I mean.’

"I love it. Duiman did a great job."

Duiman was staying at this zoo.

When he heard that Armament No. 0 was destroyed, he made an expression that was hard to tell if he was crying or rejoicing.

’What’s the new prosthetic called?’

Since Armament No. 0 was destroyed, it seemed natural that a new prosthetic would be called Armament No. 1.

But neither Duiman nor Lilah liked that, so the prosthetic was given a new name.

"Invincible No. 0!"

’I-I see.’

Since she likes it, there’s no need for me to comment.

I explained the situation to Lilah.

Basically, it meant we’d be staying in the lower district and working as bounty hunters.

First employment followed by first job change - things are moving quite fast.

"Going to the lower district? Where?"

Duiman cut in while wiping oil from his hands with a towel.

’First, Nahagu?’

"That’s my territory."

What territory? But Duiman just grinned.

"Planning to enter the sewers too?"

’Yeah. We have to.’

The sewers are an interesting place that exists only in the imperial capital.

In my previous life on Earth, France had something called the catacombs.

Underground tunnels built so long ago that their construction predated the city’s history.

Reaching down to the fifth underground level, covering a vast area of the city.

The ’sewers’ here were similar.

Due to their size and complexity, it was practically like having another small city existing beneath the imperial capital.

Naturally, it became a slum where those who couldn’t live under the sunlight gathered.

Throughout history, the underground was regularly cleaned out, but this current sewer system had been maintained for 300 years.

There were rumors that the empire intentionally left that underground city alone.

The reasoning was that if shadows were inevitable, it was easier to gather and manage them in one place.

"There’s a must-visit landmark in the sewers."

Like a proper illegal doctor who originally lived in the lower district, Duiman talked about it as if it were a tourist attraction.

"You must visit the underground auction house."

’Underground auction house?’

"That’s where I got the black iron."

Black iron refers to the metal used to make Armament No. 0.

And Duiman’s comment sparked an idea in my mind.

"The world’s most precious things all gather there."

Underground auction house.

A place where precious items can be quietly disposed of.

If that bank director fellow stole Pelerian’s items, wouldn’t he have disposed of them through there?

"And I have a friend living in those sewers? His name’s Janga. He’s a decent old man, so if you mention my name, he might help you out."

He gave that potentially helpful information too.

’Thanks!’

"Ah, y-yeah!"

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