I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 138: Surviving in the Sky Garden (1)

The only problem was... the fairies' sensitive and picky nature.

Even the slightest change in their environment would make them run away, which made managing them difficult.

Thus, an environment solely for the fairies had to be created, one that would prevent any invaders from reaching it.

That was the purpose behind the creation of the Sky Garden!

“Am I dreaming right now? What am I even looking at?”

“Really, ever since coming for the Fixer Exam, it's been a series of surprises!”

“This is not a garden... this is an island!”

Those who witnessed the Sky Garden couldn’t help but be shocked.

They thought to themselves, how is this even a garden?

What they saw through the airship window was a massive island floating in the sky.

The scale was so large that dozens of soccer fields could fit into it, comparable to an entire city.

Even more surprising was that this island was located several kilometers above the clouds.

The white water falling like a waterfall outside the island seemed like a piece of art in itself.

Just how much cost and effort did it take to create and maintain something like this?

The students couldn’t help but stare at the surreal sight, which made reality feel far away.

“Hahaha! You look quite surprised. Yes, this is the Sky Garden created by the Fixer Association! We’ve kept it hidden from the media, so this is the first time you’re seeing it! Even if you fail the exam, at least you can say you’ve had a good experience!”

“Why does Lord Dragon look so happy all of a sudden?”

“Well... who knows...”

Tempest shouted in a lively voice to the students, who looked like their souls had left their bodies.

He looked much brighter than when we saw him at the interview, so I wondered if he had gotten a lot of sleep.

As he scanned the students, his gaze naturally stopped on me.

Then, he smiled a broad smile that clearly showed his teeth.

Why is he doing this? Please don’t act like you know me.

I couldn’t help but glance away awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable.

“Alright, everyone, let’s all get off the airship. The Sky Garden is pretty sturdy, so there’s no need to worry about it sinking, okay?”

After the airship safely landed on the Sky Garden,

we followed Tempest’s instructions and stepped onto the ground of the Sky Garden one by one.

Finally, as we stepped onto the enormous floating island,

we each expressed our amazement at how stable and surprising it felt.

“Wow, it feels like we’re actually standing on the ground. There’s no sense of shaking at all?”

“Yeah, really. I thought it would feel like standing on a boat, but it’s very stable here.”

“This must be the result of some incredibly advanced technology. At least my level of knowledge can’t even begin to grasp it.”

Elizabeth, Alice, and David said this, their eyes wide as they observed the surroundings.

Even when standing on ships floating on water, there’s a natural sense of instability,

but here, the floating island felt firmly grounded, without any visible connection.

Just how amazing must the technology behind the Sky Garden be?

‘The environment is quite pleasant too. I can feel the gentle breeze from afar. At this rate, I don’t think I’ll need my coat.’

The Sky Garden was not just a solid base.

The temperature, humidity, wind strength, and the amount of sunlight were all finely regulated.

This was truly the kind of environment that could keep picky fairies content.

With this kind of weather, I would almost want to live here forever.

But... if I stayed here too long, the fairies would probably feel uncomfortable. I’d be kicked out pretty quickly.

“Did they design it so that magic and science don’t interfere with each other... Hmm, quite impressive, isn’t it?”

“....”

“Yuria, do you think the same? Oh, wait, you can’t feel it since you have no magic power, right?”

What the heck? Did she just dismiss me because I can’t use magic?

I stared at Vespera, who looked like she was having fun, incredulously.

Then, I shook my head and quickly turned my gaze away.

It wasn’t entirely wrong that I couldn’t feel anything because I had no magic power.

There was no {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} need to get mad over something so trivial. Let her say whatever she wants.

“Hey, hey, aspiring Fixers. Don’t wander too far. I need to explain the fourth task now, and it’ll be difficult to explain if you’re too far away.”

“Hehe... You’re full of energy, aren’t you? It’s like I can smell the fresh youth from you... The kind of passion that can only be expressed outside, huh...”

As the students marveled at the awe-inspiring Sky Garden,

suddenly, along with Tempest’s shout, a strange woman’s voice was heard.

The students naturally stopped their distractions and looked around,

and they saw a strange woman standing next to the familiar old man.

“Wow...”

“She’s huge...?”

She was a very tall woman.

What’s big? Obviously her height. Stop with the weird imagination.

But... her size was beyond the average.

She must have been over two meters tall. She reminded me of a ghost.

The students flinched at her overwhelming presence.

Her pale skin, so pale it looked almost translucent, and the eerie atmosphere in the backlight made them flinch twice.

She had a slight hunch to her back, making her feel more like a ghost than a living person.

Well... since she’s a different race, I guess calling her a ghost isn’t entirely wrong.

She was a Fixer too. If I remember correctly, she was at least a triple-number Fixer.

She forced a smile, her mouth twitching as she spoke to the students.

“Hello... My name is Sayoko... I’m happy to meet you today...”

“Oh, uh, yes...”

“Greetings...”

“By the way, this person is the examiner for the fourth task. Don’t be too nervous, okay? Though she looks like this, she’s a senior Fixer, you know.”

“Hehehe... Rank 144... I think the number is dangerous, so I personally like it a lot... I look forward to working with you...”

After Sayoko’s introduction, a cold atmosphere lingered.

I guess it was because she looked so scary, like a ghost.

The students seemed unsure of how to react.

So, I clapped my hands, taking the initiative.

I knew she seemed intimidating on the outside, but I also knew that she was actually a warm person inside.

Thanks to me, Alice and David soon followed suit and clapped as well.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

And so, Sayoko’s introduction ended in a not-so-bad atmosphere.

“Hmm, well then, I’ll go now. See you later, Tall One.”

“Oh, yes... Senior... I’ll contact you later...”

Tempest waved his hand lightly and left.

Since he was the examiner for the third task, it seemed like the right decision to leave now.

At least, I was glad he wasn’t leaving altogether but heading toward the airship.

With the potential for an accident, I felt much more relieved knowing Tempest was staying on-site.

“Now then... Let’s begin the explanation for the fourth task...”

After Tempest left and Sayoko was left alone, she looked around the students with movements that didn’t match her large body.

Then, suddenly, her gaze fell on me.

With a grin that seemed to say, "You're my next prey," her smile was quite terrifying.

I didn’t understand why she kept looking at me.

Maybe she was just thanking me for clapping. It was so scary that I felt like it would haunt my dreams.

“The fourth task of the Fixer Exam... is to make a friend...”

Making a friend, huh.

Fortunately, my knowledge from the original work was still intact.

If things go as they should, I’ll manage to handle it somehow.

I silently clenched my fist and steeled my resolve.

***

The long-awaited fourth task of the Fixer Exam: Making Friends.

The task itself was, in a way, quite simple.

The Sky Garden was a place inhabited by fairies with various personalities and characteristics.

In other words, the goal was to become friends with one of the fairies living here and return with that friendship to pass.

However, there was a problem. Fairies were extremely sensitive and picky.

They were highly sensitive to hostility and murderous intent, making the process anything but smooth.

In fact, in the original story, there was a candidate who, underestimating the fairy and trying to forcefully take one,

got thoroughly beaten up and was sent flying out of the island, completely naked.

Of course, there were staff members present, so no one would actually die, but it was definitely not an easy task.

The Fixer Association knew about these difficulties, so they would either minimize their presence or provide items that the fairies liked.

Still, the task of becoming friends with the fairies without causing any harm was definitely no easy feat.

“Hm, fairies won’t show themselves if there are two or more together. Looks like we’ll have to scatter.”

“The time limit is 12 hours... That means it will be a thorough solo mission. It seems like collaboration won’t be possible, just like in the second task.”

Alice and David said this as they looked over the information provided on their watches.

This task was more similar to the second task, a solo mission, rather than the first and third tasks, where they were able to work together.

The wary fairies wouldn’t approach a group, even if there were tempting items around.

It seemed like they were a little disappointed that their team would have to split up after finally coming together.

“Still, at least it’s a relief that attacking fairies, as well as attacking other candidates, is prohibited. That means we won’t be able to reduce the number of competitors like last time.”

“Oh, great. Then I can’t even hang out with the kid.”

“...!”

For me, this was a relief.

If someone was watching, it would be difficult to mess around with the Sky Garden freely.

I wasn’t really worried since I already knew the rules beforehand, but still.

After briefly reviewing the rules, we cheered each other on and decided on our individual paths before moving in different directions.

Except for Vespera, who was hiding her strength, we all had a pretty good understanding of each other’s abilities.

There was no real sign of concern, especially since this wasn’t a fighting task.

‘Well then, let’s begin.’

Being alone for the first time in a while, I slowly lifted my head and looked up at the sky.

Maybe I didn’t know about the huge event that would soon unfold.

But with the gentle breeze unique to the Sky Garden, the high morning sky was exceptionally clear.