Fatty and Elly strolled up to the convergence site wearing matching oversized lab coats they had borrowed from the Pearl Institute's supply room.
Elly's coat trailed so far behind her that she had to hold it up like a princess's train. Fatty had tucked his into his waistband to look more "official," though it only made him look like a duck bun vendor pretending to be a scientist.
"Just act natural," Fatty whispered.
"I am the definition of natural," Elly whispered back, tail swishing proudly beneath the coat. "Let's interrogate someone!"
They approached a cluster of field technicians huddled around a mana relay terminal, who were all sweaty, tired, and absolutely not in the mood.
Fatty cleared his throat and puffed out his chest. "Greetings, fellow… manaologists. We're here for the Level Five grid inspection check… for magical inconsistencies."
One of the older engineers looked up, squinting. "You mean a mana audit?"
