Chapter 72: Leningrad Military Department
Otonashi Chiya tasted everything. His verdict: "They're both delicious."
If he had to actually compare whose cooking was better between Kobeni and Denji, he figured a non-committal answer like that was the safer bet. As expected, neither Kobeni nor Denji was entirely satisfied with the response, but they didn't show it. They didn't ask who won either; they were only competing in secret, and asking directly would have seemed too childish.
"What are you standing around for? Let's eat together," Chiya said.
Kobeni and Denji pushed their thoughts aside and sat down to start the meal. During the dinner, Kobeni took a bite of one of Denji's dishes and found the flavor excellent. She couldn't help but praise her, "Denji-chan, you're amazing. This is really tasty."
Being praised made Denji immediately feel like she was floating on air. Forgetting their rivalry entirely, she smiled and replied, "It's just average! Sister Kobeni's cooking is great too!"
In an instant, the secret competition turned into a mutual admiration society. This was exactly the scene Chiya had hoped to see.
After Dinner.
While Denji and Pochita went to the room to play games, Chiya discussed the salary situation with Kobeni.
"Now that your probation period is over, and considering I'm asking you to look after Denji and the others, I won't be paying you by the hour anymore. You'll provide one to two hours of tutoring daily, and your fixed daily wage will be 10,000 yen."
Chiya pulled out seven 10,000-yen bills from his pocket. "I'll prepay you for the week in advance. Since today is Saturday, this is your salary for next week." In Japan, the first day of the week is Sunday, making Saturday the final day.
"Understood!" Kobeni nodded, carefully tucking away the 70,000 yen. She planned to cover all household expenses from now on and save the rest for university.
Chiya didn't just give money to Kobeni; he also left several hundred thousand yen for Denji. He had previously set up a few bank cards, one of which he handed to her. He could afford to be generous—his salary and bonuses from Tokyo Public Safety for the last month had totaled over six million yen, and that was without year-end benefits. With six million a month, giving a few hundred thousand to Denji and Kobeni barely dented his savings.
He had also already exchanged a portion of his funds into Soviet currency—the "Ruble"—to avoid the hassle of exchanging it upon arrival.
The Next Morning.
Chiya headed to the airport to catch his flight. His route took him from Tokyo to Leningrad (also known as Saint Petersburg). In Chiya's previous life, the name reverted to Saint Petersburg after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but in the world of Chainsaw Man, the USSR never dissolved, so the name Leningrad remained.
According to Chief Yoshimura's notice, he would be working at the Leningrad Military Department. Unlike Japan, where Devil Hunters are split between Public Safety and the private sector, Soviet Devil Hunters are reportedly split between the military and the private sector.
Over ten hours later...
Chiya arrived at Leningrad Airport. The moment he stepped out of the cabin and his feet hit the ground, a system notification rang in his head.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement "Arrive in the Soviet Union." Reward: Russian Language Proficiency!]
In an instant, Otonashi Chiya mastered the Russian language—and at a proficiency level that was likely indistinguishable from a native speaker.
Not long after disembarking, someone approached to greet him. It was a young Soviet man wearing a highly recognizable military uniform, presumably a Devil Hunter from the Leningrad Military Department. He froze for a moment when he saw Chiya's eyes; he had never seen such eerie, blood-red pupils before!
Regaining his composure, he addressed Chiya in Japanese, though it was heavily accented with Russian: "You must be Mr. Otonashi Chiya from Tokyo Public Safety, correct?"
"That's right," Chiya nodded, responding directly in fluent Russian.
Hearing his own language, the youth stared in surprise before reacting. "Oh! So you speak Russian? That makes things much easier!"
He was one of the few Devil Hunters in the Leningrad Military Department who could speak Japanese, which was why he had been assigned to communicate with Chiya. However, his Japanese was clumsy and awkward, so Chiya's fluency in Russian was a welcome relief.
Chiya asked directly, "What's the plan? Are we heading straight to the Leningrad Military Department?"
The uniformed youth was amazed that Chiya's Russian was so perfect—certainly better than his own Japanese. "Yes. You'll be coming with me in my car."
After clearing airport customs, Chiya got into the youth's sedan. While they drove, he began to ask questions.
"Do you know what the general arrangements are for my work here?"
"The higher-ups should have everything settled, but I don't know the specifics. I only know that your partner will be that man..." the youth replied.
"...Which one?" Chiya asked, feeling a bit curious.
"The strongest Devil Hunter in our Leningrad Military Department. You probably don't know him yet, but you'll meet him as soon as we arrive."
The youth's tone grew serious; clearly, this man he spoke of possessed formidable strength.
"I see." Chiya didn't press further. He would find out soon enough.
Less than half an hour later, the car pulled into the Leningrad Military Department. The architectural style made the place look exactly like a military camp, with people in uniform moving about everywhere.
"Even though this place looks like a barracks, the Devil Hunters working here aren't soldiers in the traditional sense. We don't have to do daily drills," the driver explained to Chiya. "We are essentially a department under the military's umbrella, but we are separate from the regular armed forces. Our daily work is pretty much the same as yours at Public Safety back in Japan."
"I understand. Thanks for the explanation," Chiya nodded.
Based on the description, he had the general idea. It was just a difference in naming—"Military Department" versus "Public Safety"—but the core duties were essentially the same.
"Good. Once I find a parking spot, I'll take you to report in," the youth said. He had expected the explanation to be a struggle, but thanks to Chiya's Russian, everything was moving much faster.
AN-
Guys,I'm starting to feel sleepy
Because I'm in India,and I woke up at 4:30 to study
Prob gonna wrap up
See yall
Enjoyy