The letter inviting me for the job came with a proper reply set.
So, I wrote that I would accept the job at the amusement park, and once I dropped it into the mailbox, the black-suited man came to pick me up on Saturday.
And so, he would be taking us there.
Which is how Nina-chan and I ended up being escorted to the amusement park by the black-suited man.
Of course, this is a job.
Sure, the destination may be an amusement park, but the objective is to face monsters.
And this isn't just any place—this is a location where several children have gone missing.
The monster we are dealing with is said to be Third-Rank, the same rank as the headless man I fought during my last job, so as long as we don't let our guard down, we should be fine.
No, that's arrogance speaking.
No matter how careful you are, this job always has an element of danger.
For example, there was a monster I fought with Irena-san when we went to the countryside, one that had inscribed a Mark Spell into a PDF file.
No one had been careless, and yet that monster still managed to do ridiculous things like making the townspeople unaware of the multiple disappearances occurring.
Even when no one lets their guard down, you can end up in dangerous situations like that.
So, I needed to re-center myself and be fully prepared for what was to come.
That said, the last time I had gone to an amusement park was when I was around 10 in my past life, maybe even before that.
I wasn't the type of person who had friends to go out and have fun with on weekends, nor was I active enough to go to an amusement park alone.
And to add, this was the first time I was going to an amusement park with someone who wasn't family.
Then again, since Nina-chan and I were here for a job, I wasn't even sure if this would count as a fun outing.
As I was pondering these thoughts, we arrived at the amusement park's parking lot.
It was a small park located in the suburbs, and given that it was Saturday, it was decently crowded.
It took us about five minutes of circling the parking lot to find an open space.
"Shall we head in?"
"Yeah."
The man in black stepped out of the car, signaling that it was time for us to do the same.
The autumn breeze, on the verge of winter, blew gently between us, feeling refreshing.
"I will be accompanying you in the park, but please note that I won't be able to fight. Please understand."
"That's fine. We get it."
I nodded and took the tickets the man in black had purchased for us.
As we passed through the entrance, I noticed that the staff member at the ticket booth gave him a puzzled look, as if wondering, "Why would someone come to an amusement park in a suit?"
But the man in black didn't seem bothered as he led us inside.
As we were entering, the woman at the reception desk gave him a warning.
"Recently, we've had an increase in lost children. Please make sure to keep a close eye on them."
Nina-chan responded, but there was still some hesitation in her voice.
After all, we came here for work, but our first task was to "play" at the amusement park. It didn't sit right with her, and understandably so.
Of course, there was the condition that only children playing by themselves would attract the monster.
"So, Nina-chan, which ride do you want to go on first?"
"Uh, well... How about that one?"
Nina-chan shyly pointed to the carousel.
"Alright, let's go then!"
I nodded, a little amused that she chose such a classic ride.
You'd think, coming from a well-off family in England, she'd have experience with horseback riding or something. Or maybe that's just my bias showing.
Anyway, with our first ride decided, I started heading towards the carousel, when suddenly, someone spoke to us.
"Hey there, kid! Want a balloon?"
I turned toward the voice and saw a rabbit mascot.
In its left hand, it held a bunch of colorful balloons, and it was offering one to me.
The costume was white, not pink.
So, not a monster.
I shook my head in response.
"No, I'm okay."
"Is that so? What about you, little lady?"
"I don't need one either."
"I see... And where are your parents?"
Nina-chan quickly responded with the excuse we had prepared beforehand.
"They're in the restroom."
Hearing that, the rabbit shrugged its shoulders and moved on.
"Be careful not to get lost, alright?"
It turned away and headed toward another family with children.
"Shall we go?"
"...Yeah."
That interaction had thrown us off a little, but I quickly regained focus and took Nina-chan's hand as we headed toward the carousel.
As we walked, she mumbled under her breath.
"I almost used magic out of surprise back there..."
"Me too."
The saying "hiding a tree in the forest" comes to mind.
Maybe this job will be more nerve-wracking than I thought.