Isekai Skill Mechanic Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Records and Permissions

The morning air was dry.
The city lights were quiet, as if last night's rampage were a lie. However, a faint distortion still remained in my field of vision.

《City Skill Synchronization: Minor Anomaly》
《Source: Multiple》
《Progress: Ongoing》
《Warning: Valve Load Increase》

“...It's just 'pretending' to be calm,” I muttered.

Reina stifled a yawn.

I looked at Reina and said,
“You're sleep-deprived. Not surprising after running that much.”

“Even so, Kaito, you're impressive for being awake,” Reina said with a smile.

“Is that sarcasm?” I replied jokingly.

“I'm praising you,” Reina answered seriously.

Celis was looking around the plaza while clutching her staff.

The spot where the crowd had been last night was cleared, merchants were picking up their goods, and a mother was giving her child water.

“...A daily life that doesn't break is amazing, isn't it?”
Celis's voice was small.
“Until yesterday, I thought it was something to be taken for granted.”

Things taken for granted can break.
The moment you realize they can break, what you took for granted turns into a 'reality that must be protected.'

—The weight suddenly lands in the palm of my hand.

“We're going to the Inspection Agency,” I said, and Reina adjusted her sword belt.
Celis also gave a small nod.

Gran arrived late. He was still carrying the scent of oil and had his tool bag on his back.
He had a face that wouldn't run away. A face that had made up its mind.

“...I'm going with you,” Gran said briefly.

“You're coming?” When I confirmed, Gran tucked his chin.

“It's the responsibility for the line I drew. It's a record, right?
Then, leave my signature too. Everything I touched, all of it.”

I nodded.
Keeping records is useful for maintenance as a blueprint, but it also makes the location of responsibility clear, and there is a possibility of being blamed for the cause of an accident.
Records can be a shield, but they can also be shackles.

—————

The Inspection Agency was located in the center of the city.
A stone building. There were no unnecessary decorations.
There were two guards in front of the entrance.
Their expressions were stern.

As I passed through the door, the air grew a degree colder.
Here, correctness is determined by "procedure."
No matter how many people you save, without approval, it becomes a "violation."
It's no use pouring your heart out to an inspector.
You are required to follow authority, management systems, and mechanisms—what they call procedures.

The room I was taken to was not large.
There was one desk and four chairs.
A diagram of the city circuit was hanging on the wall.

The inspector from yesterday—the man in the gray cloak—was already seated.
And there was one other person. A woman wearing white gloves.
Glasses. A faint smile. Her eyes were not smiling.

"Mechanic Kaito," the inspector said.

"This is Mirei, a records officer from the Inspection Agency."

The woman nodded slightly.
"I have heard the story. You added a 'branch' to the city circuit based on your own field judgment, is that correct?"

"It wasn't an addition. I stopped a collapse." When I replied, Mirei flipped through some papers indifferently.

"This is not a matter of how you phrase it."
Mirei said without even looking up.
"The city circuit is public property. Modifications require procedures.
You bypassed that."

"If I hadn't bypassed it, the city would have burned."
Reyna said, almost snapping at her.
"Are you saying that after seeing what happened yesterday?"

Mirei looked at Reyna. Still with that faint smile.
"I did not see it. I am a records officer, after all."

Reyna started to click her tongue. I stopped her with my hand.
If we fight here, we lose.
On the playing field of procedure, we are at a disadvantage.

The inspector looked at me.
"The conditions. I told you yesterday."

"Keep records. Identify those involved," I said.

"We will do that."
"One more thing," the inspector said, his voice not changing.
"Your 'maintenance' can become a weapon aimed at the city at any time. Therefore, the inspection will drive in a 'wedge'."

A wedge. It sounds bad. I understand the meaning.

"We will allow continued maintenance in the field," the inspector continued.
"However, it must be done with an inspector present. Maintenance records must be submitted to the Inspection Agency simultaneously. Modifications require prior application."

Celis gasped.
"Prior application... but what if there isn't enough time..."

"If it breaks when there isn't enough time,"
Mirei said immediately.
"Then there is a possibility that the operation itself is already failing."

Cold.
But the logic is strong.
The language of the system is a blade that cuts off responsibility.

I leaned forward slightly from my chair.
"Then let me ask you this. Is the city currently operating in a way that 'keeps up with demand'?"

Silence.

The inspector narrowed their eyes.
Mirei's hand stopped.

I continued without pausing.
"The wells, the healing tools, the floating boards—everything is running on a 'right now' basis. There's no margin for error. Circuits without margin always end up with uneven stress. Unevenness leads to burnout. And if you try to connect and balance them before they burn out... you end up with synchronization issues."

"In other words, what do you want us to do?" Mirei looked up for the first time.
Her eyes were sharp.

I answered.
"Don't rely on 'individual skill' for maintenance. Make it a city system. Instead of me running around whenever something breaks... create an operation that is resistant to breaking. Share records, appoint supervisors, distribute the workload, and address dangerous areas before they fail."

The inspector said briefly.
"Is that what a 'Maintenance Bureau' is?"

"That's right," I nodded.
"We'll create a Maintenance Bureau. Not a temporary one. As a system for the city."

The inspector's gaze sharpened.
"Who holds the authority?"

"The city," I replied immediately.
"Not me. Not the guild. Not the inspectorate. The city."

Reina chuckled softly.
"That's a surprisingly 'adult answer' for you."

"If I choose the wrong words now, it's all over," I replied.

Mirei said as she kept her pen moving.
"Saying 'the city holds the authority' is beautiful. But where does the responsibility fall?"

That was the wedge.
Systems crave a 'place for responsibility'.
They hate ambiguity.

I took a breath.
"We will have a Bureau Chief. We will have supervisors. We will have record keepers. But to prevent the monopolization of power, maintenance will be divided. We will train people. We will leave behind procedures."

"Who will teach them?" the inspector asked.

"I will," I said, then felt the weight of those words.
What I am teaching is responsibility.
The way I teach it could break the city.

At that moment, Gran spoke up.
"...I'll teach too. If you don't know the quirks of the field, it'll just be desk-based maintenance."

Mirei looked at Gran.
"A craftsman from an unlicensed workshop?"

"I was working without a license because the permits never came through."
Gran said, as if spitting out the words.
"The city stops while you're waiting for paperwork."

For a moment, the guards moved.

But Reina stepped forward, bringing the air to a standstill.
She controlled the situation without even drawing her sword.
...That is a new way to use a sword.

The inspector spoke.
“...Gran. You are to be placed under the supervision of the Inspectorate.
Register as a collaborator.”

“I won't become a lapdog for the Inspectorate.”

“Then you will be detained.” The inspector's voice was indifferent.

I stepped in.
“Register, Gran. This isn't the time to be stubborn. If you want to protect the city, don't make more enemies.”

Gran gritted his teeth.
Still, he nodded.
“...Damn it. Fine.”

Mirei placed a stack of papers on the desk.
“Then this is a provisional agreement. We will begin considering the establishment of the 'City Maintenance Bureau (Provisional).'

As of today, you are registered as the 'Field Maintenance Team.' An inspector will accompany you. Records must be submitted daily. Any violations will result in immediate suspension.”

Reina whispered.
“That's just a leash.”

“Even if it's a leash, it's fine for now if it lets us move,” I said.
“Instead of cutting the leash, I'll turn the whole system into something else.”

The inspector stood up.
“If another anomaly occurs, I will verify it on-site. Return immediately.”

―――――

When we left the Inspectorate, the air in the city felt warm.
But deep in my chest, it felt cold.

“Did we win?” Reina asked.

“Not yet,” I shook my head.
“We just haven't lost. From here on, we build the structure.”

“The structure... the structure of the Maintenance Bureau, right?” Celis said.

“Yes.” I nodded and looked at the display in the corner of my vision.

《New Objective: City Maintenance Bureau (Provisional)》
《Requirements: Authority, Collaborators, Materials》
《Additions: Record-keeping System, Training Procedures》
《Obstacles: Inspectorate, Observers》

Observers. Those black shadows.
An 'intent' more troublesome than any system is mingling within the city.

At that moment, a chill ran down my spine.
The sensation of being touched by someone. But there was no one there.

A short message flashed across my vision.

《Observation: Ongoing》
《Evaluation: Pending》
《Intervention: Undetermined》

“...They're still watching,” Celis said quietly.

She, too, was beginning to understand something.

Gran said in a low voice.
“It's not just the Wedge of Observation. That isn't a 'human eye'.”

Reina placed her fingers on the hilt of her sword.
“Then, next time, we'll smoke them out.”

I looked up at the city.
The lights were flickering gently. But beneath that flicker, the 'same pulse' still remained.

“Smoke them out,” I muttered.
“Along with the whole system.”

We started walking.
Into the stacks of paperwork. Into the system.
And into the invisible shadows.

The mechanic's battle—
had finally become the 'future of the city' itself.

Episode 7 - End