Early the next morning, Shizuku took Mayu Hinase by car to their destination to meet Hara Masako.
"Miss Shizuku, this commission... it isn't going to be dangerous, is it?"
Watching the scenery outside the window, Mayu asked uneasily in a low voice.
"Oh? What makes you think that?"
"Because... it's a commission from Miss Hara Masako, isn't it? I know she's a famous Esper who often appears in the media. If even she can't do anything about it, then it must be a very dangerous incident."
"Hahaha, not at all."
Hearing that, Shizuku burst out laughing and patted Mayu on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Mayu. I can tell you that for this kind of commission, that phone you brought is basically enough to solve it."
"...Huh?"
"You seem to have some misunderstandings about our line of work."
Looking at the completely bewildered Mayu, Shizuku smiled faintly and began explaining.
"Our work is actually pretty similar to what the police do."
"The police?"
"That's right. Ordinary police officers mainly patrol the streets, mediate disputes, and handle relatively minor cases like fraud and theft. That's their job. That's also what Espers do on the surface. But if there's really a case where seven or eight people have been hacked to death, or everyone in an entire house has died, then ordinary police definitely can't be allowed to handle it. That's when we step in."
"So, Shizuku, you mean Miss Hara Masako is just an ordinary Esper? If that's the case..."
"Different duties."
Shizuku waved her hand.
"We also have to consider the social impact. People like Hara Masako only exorcise spirits and communicate with them. That doesn't pose much harm or impact to most people, so it's fine for them to appear in the media. But we're different. Take Himuro Mansion, for