“Hey! That’s mine!!”
“It’s mine, okay?!”
Another peaceful day at the orphanage.
The birds chirped, and the children, as usual, squabbled over trivial matters befitting their age.
“Everyone, you shouldn’t do that. Violence towards friends is not good,” Amon gently chided with a warm smile.
Amon’s popularity in the orphanage, which also served as a care center, was absolute.
The children immediately stopped fighting at his words.
The kids, who were just throwing punches, apologized to each other.
“I’m sorry… Here, you take it.”
“No, I’m sorry. It’s fine. You can have it.”
The children immediately acknowledged their mistakes and practiced the virtue of yielding.
It was clear how well Amon had taught them.
Amon watched the two with a satisfied smile.
As they hugged each other in reconciliation, Amon patted their heads and said, “I’ve always told you, haven’t I? The only things you’re allowed to hit are…”
“‘Heretics, beasts, and monsters!’” the children chorused brightly.
“That’s right!”
Amon affectionately ruffled the children’s hair while the light reflected off the cross mounted on the wall behind him.
After patting the kids’ backs, Amon sent them off to play again.
Turning around, he spoke.
“Ah, Director. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Amon turned to face the man waiting for him: the priest with perpetually squinting eyes, who was now the director of California’s Rose Bird Orphanage.
The priest looked at Amon with a disapproving expression.
“What exactly are you teaching these children?”
“The truth, of course.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake…”
The priest pressed his forehead in exasperation.
‘What did this man think the care center was for?’
The priest briefly wondered but gave up thinking further.
Nothing would change even if he did.
Shaking off his thoughts, the priest addressed Amon.
“Would you come to my office for a moment?”
Amon nodded and followed the priest.
***
On the tenth floor, the two entered the director’s office.
The priest’s office was modest, reflecting his unambitious personality.
One door in the office led to an adjacent room, adorned with chains and a cross.
It was a space used for sealing or storing exorcism-related tools and spirits.
Upon entering, Amon pointed to that door.
“Shall I purify it sometime? It’s been a while since I last did it before going on a trip.”
“Well, since you mentioned it, would you mind doing it after today’s discussion?”
Most exorcists lacked divine power.
While they could drive away or seal spirits, stronger ones often needed purification.
Normally, such spirits were sealed and purified periodically with external help.
However, the priest’s case was different; a divine energy facility nearby made it less of a concern.
Though Amon didn’t know formal purification chants, his overwhelming divine energy was often enough to handle malevolent spirits.
“Alright, I’ll take care of it after we finish talking,” Amon replied with a nod.
The priest moved on to the main topic after some light chatter.
“You know I serve as a guest lecturer at the seminary, don’t you?”
“Yes, I believe… for exorcism studies, right?”
“That’s correct, and I’m also an external field practice advisor.”
The priest was a seminary lecturer, though not a full-time professor.
He would occasionally visit to teach, earning little more than honorary recognition for his efforts.
His role as a guest lecturer came from a Vatican recommendation—essentially a mandatory assignment.
Balancing this position with his duties as an exorcist and orphanage director left the priest overworked, but that was a story for another day.
***
“As Sonia might’ve mentioned, there’s an upcoming field practice for the seminary students,” the priest continued.
“Sonia said it would take place in a dungeon, right?”
The seminary trained not only priests but also paladins, so practical field exercises were necessary.
Instead of hunting humans or spirits, dungeons were often used for such training.
“Yes, and you’ve applied to be one of the safety officers for the dungeon practice.”
Amon nodded.
Students formed teams and delved into dungeons periodically to hone their skills as paladins.
This was the purpose of dungeon practice.
To ensure their safety, a safety officer was assigned to each team.
Having heard this from Sonia, Amon applied months ago.
But there was one issue.
“As you know, the dungeon we’ve traditionally used for practice has been cleared,” the priest said.
“Haha…”
The priest squinted at Amon, who awkwardly averted his gaze.
The seminary used to rely on the dungeon Howling Darkness for training.
It was perfect: its details were well-documented, it was full of undead—ideal for testing divine power—and it wasn’t far from the university.
At least until someone cleared it.
Ever since Amon defeated the lich residing there, the dungeon began to deteriorate.
Though the lich’s stored mana allowed undead to continue spawning for a while, the mana eventually ran out, and the dungeon ceased functioning altogether.
By the time it was Sonia’s turn for practice, the dungeon had completely shut down.
Of course, this wasn’t Amon’s fault.
It was just an unfortunate circumstance.
“Anyway, as a result, I’ve spent the past few months assessing alternative dungeons with this scorecard,” the priest said, handing over a sheet.
The scorecard detailed criteria such as difficulty level and compatibility with holy magic.
The priest’s meticulous notes reflected how thoroughly he had examined various dungeons.
At the top of the pile was the selected dungeon’s scorecard.
Swamp of Desecration
Score: 98/104
Key Monsters: Poisonous insects and swamp-dwelling monsters (including plant-based types).
Dungeon Creation Cause: Mutation outbreak due to a failed genetic experiment.
Difficulty: Beginner-level. However, it might pose slight challenges for students.
- Holy Power Vulnerability: The monsters pose minimal physical threats, and their toxins can be completely purified with holy magic, ensuring a high safety level.
- Additional Notes: Mutations continuously emerge from the central nest, but they are adapted for survival rather than lethality, making the threat level relatively low.
Amon finished reading the document.
***
There didn’t seem to be anything unusual.
As he reflected on the priest’s thorough investigation, he thought, ‘Surely nothing unexpected will happen in this dungeon…’
Slap!
Amon slapped his own cheek hard.
‘You fool! Are you trying to set up a death flag?!’
‘Had he grown complacent from the recent peace?’ Amon quickly reflected on his own carelessness.
The priest, startled by Amon’s sudden self-slap, looked at him as if he were a strange man.
However, this wasn’t the first time Amon had done something incomprehensible, so the priest decided not to comment.
After calming himself, Amon refocused on the conversation.
“So, why are you showing me this?”
“Before entering the dungeon, the seminary sent me an official document asking you to take on a specific role. Normally, such matters would be discussed over a meal, but… you don’t particularly enjoy such formalities, do you?”
Amon nodded.
Although he understood the importance of procedures and etiquette and adhered to them when necessary, he preferred to skip unnecessary formalities and focus on essentials.
Working in the same building as the priest, there was no need to beat around the bush.
Acknowledging the priest’s thoughtfulness, Amon slightly bowed his head in gratitude.
The priest continued, “So, regarding the seminary’s request, they hope you will act as the safety officer for multiple teams during the dungeon practice.”
“Why multiple teams?”
“Because we’re severely short on volunteers this year.”
“Ah, I see.”
Amon understood immediately.
Safety officer was not a popular role.
It paid poorly, required constant vigilance for the students’ safety, and carried significant liability if anything went wrong, opening the door to lawsuits from the seminary or parents.
Anyone capable of ensuring safety in a dungeon would earn far more by exploring it themselves than by taking on the safety officer role.
Only those seeking prestige, community service credits, or treating it as a side quest signed up for the job.
Even in previous years, there were always shortages, and teaching assistants or graduate students were deployed to barely meet the demand.
This year, however, the switch to a new dungeon had made safety guarantees more uncertain, leading to increased legal risks.
As a result, even regular volunteers declined, and despite recruiting all available graduate students, the seminary still fell short.
In desperation, the seminary requested Amon to take on multiple teams.
“The seminary seems to hold your combat abilities in high regard,” the priest noted.
In modern society, there weren’t objective metrics for measuring mercenary strength, but the seminary had access to word-of-mouth intelligence.
Amon’s combat reputation in the mercenary world was well-established, and his platinum-tier ranking—a badge of completing over 100 cleanly executed missions—made him an ideal candidate.
“Additionally, they’re willing to pay you the combined wages for all the teams you supervise.”
“Is this a command or a request?”
“Judging by the phrasing, it’s a request.”
The official document contained no language indicating compulsion.
Declining wouldn’t result in any penalties.
This rare politeness had its reasons.
Had Amon been an unconnected mercenary, the seminary might have invoked authority or laws to force him into the role.
However, the seminary was aware of Amon’s ties to the Reketio Corporation, thanks to Duchess Cassie’s influence.
While they didn’t fully understand the nature of their relationship, they knew enough to tread carefully.
Taking this into account, Amon deliberated briefly before reaching a conclusion.
“I can manage up to four teams.”
With his current capabilities, he could comfortably handle that many.
The priest relayed Amon’s response to the seminary, which promptly replied.
“That will be sufficient,” the priest informed him.
Amon then signed the electronic contract sent by the seminary.
“You’ll be responsible for four teams, each consisting of five members. Understood?”
“Make sure Sonia’s team is one of them.”
“Of course.”
Ensuring Sonia’s inclusion posed no issues, as safety officers weren’t involved in grading.
With that, Amon was officially assigned as the safety officer for four teams.
***
After some casual conversation with the priest, Amon resumed his duties at the care center.
“Hey! Don’t destroy your friend’s belongings! The only things you’re allowed to destroy are heretical symbols!”
The priest glanced at Amon’s back with exasperation.
***
The day before the field practice, Amon informed the children that he wouldn’t be able to volunteer for a while.
Hearing this, the children wailed and clung to him, making Amon feel a twinge of guilt.
But he had no choice.
After bidding the children farewell, Amon headed to the Reketio Corporation.
Cassie had summoned him.
Upon arrival, a routine security check was conducted.
Beep!
The detector’s alarm went off due to the interdimensional coat packed with weapons.
A security officer reached for a weapon, but their supervisor, horrified, smacked the back of their head.
“You fool! Do you know who this is?!”
The other guards dragged the officer away and staged what appeared to be a group beating.
Amon quickly intervened. “It’s fine.”
Only then did the mock scuffle stop.
The supervisor bowed repeatedly.
“I deeply apologize, Advisor Amon.”
“I’m not an advisor,” Amon replied.
“My mistake, Sir Amon. That officer is new… only joined yesterday.”
“I understand.”
Amon wasn’t upset.
The officer had merely been doing their duty to protect Cassie.
In fact, Amon found it odd that he was allowed to bring weapons into the executive office.
Glancing at the “beaten” officer, he noticed they were uninjured, confirming the scuffle was staged as a symbolic act.
Amon got the message.
“I’m truly fine. Please don’t penalize them for this.”
“Understood.”
After the incident, Amon entered Cassie’s office.
Sonia, who had arrived earlier, was leisurely reading a book on the sofa.
Though it was a weekday, classes were canceled to allow students to prepare for the field practice.
As Amon entered, both women greeted him.
“Great to see you!” Sonia said cheerfully.
“Welcome,” Cassie added softly.
Amon nodded in acknowledgment and took a seat.
Cassie finished her work, walked to a safe in the corner, and entered its code.
Beep beep.
She entered the date of her first meeting with Amon, and the safe opened.
Cassie retrieved two small wooden boxes.
“I finally found what you asked for. It was so hard to get!”
Her face lit up with joy—the kind of happiness that came from giving a gift.
Cassie placed the boxes on the table.
Before opening them, Amon pulled out his phone.
“I’ll transfer the payment.”
“Don’t. You don’t need to.”
“But I have plenty of money.”
“Do you really want to say that in front of me?”
“Now that you mention it…”
After a brief argument, they agreed on a 30% payment of the market price.
‘It’s a waste of fees… but fine,’ Cassie thought, hiding her frustration behind a composed expression.
Once the payment was made, Amon opened the boxes with anticipation.
Inside were two golden essences.
“Finally,” Amon murmured.
He had secured the perfect combination he’d been seeking.