Chapter 8: The Human Boy of Punk City Part 7

Lightweight parchment wrapped in synthetic leather, measuring 180mm in width, 205mm in height, 50mm in thickness, and weighing 2kg.

A heavy blunt weapon for fighting against spirits.

A Bible.

This is a highly efficient weapon capable of exorcising low-level spirits in a single attack.

As proof, numerous spirits trapped within Jimmy were exorcised all at once by Amon’s strike.

Unfortunately, in the process, the baby spirit that had cooperated with Amon was also exorcised, making it impossible for him to keep his promise.

Feeling remorse for not being able to perform a purification ceremony, Amon drew the sign of the cross.

‘Amon.’

His mourning for the nameless baby spirit ended there.

Amon looked at Jimmy, who was collapsed at his feet, eyes rolled back, and frothing at the mouth.

There was no denying that Jimmy’s condition was abnormal.

He turned his gaze toward the nun, who was muttering behind him.

“Jimmy doesn’t seem to be okay. Is this all right?”

Her voice was laced with concern.

Amon had no doubt that the nun would recognize his genuine worry for Jimmy.

Of course, that was just Amon’s misconception.

‘Is that really something you should say!?’

The nun was inwardly astonished but didn’t show it on the outside.

She didn’t want to lie down next to Jimmy either.

Consciously moving her stiff cheeks, she reassured Amon.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a side effect of the exorcism… probably.”

The last word didn’t quite reach Amon’s ears.

Thanks to that, Amon was able to calm his racing heart.

Typically, victims of possession foam at the mouth from the shock of their souls being released, so Jimmy’s state was an entirely normal recovery process.

Of course, Amon felt as though his somewhat aggressive exorcism had imposed a harsh burden on Jimmy’s brain, but there was no one present to confirm that.

Thus, at least in this incident, Amon could be considered innocent.

Not long after, the orphanage director, awakened by Amon’s shout, arrived at the scene.

What she saw was a somewhat refreshed-looking Amon, the faintly concave Jimmy collapsed, and the nun pressing on her eyelids.

The director’s experience running the orphanage allowed her to piece together the entire incident without anyone needing to explain.

She knew exactly what she needed to do first in this situation.

“For now, Amon, go to your room and rest. You don’t have to write a letter of remorse, so just relax.”

Thanks to the director’s mediation, Amon was released without any charges.

It was reported that Jimmy had been restrained by Amon while trying to escape the isolation room.

After all, the victim, Jimmy, had been completely devoured by the vengeful spirit, leaving him with no memory of the incident, and the only witnesses—the director and the nun—were on Amon’s side.

As a result, the truth was slightly distorted when shared with others.

“Wow, that’s amazing, big brother!”

The younger children who admired Amon were quick to praise him.

To the children, for whom the orphanage seemed like the entirety of the world, the possessed Jimmy was like a demon lord from an apocalyptic era.

Having single-handedly defeated such a demon lord, Amon’s status was nearly that of a hero.

Hero Amon could only manage a dry smile amid the children’s accolades.

‘I can’t tell the truth about this…’

Not wanting to share the story of the Bible as a weapon with the children, Amon wrapped up the fight with Jimmy in a suitable embellishment.

It became the tale that Amon and Jimmy had fought fiercely in the night, and the spirits tormenting Jimmy had ultimately fled his body.

In reality, methods for exorcising possessed individuals do involve physical punishment, including whipping.

The only issue is that the person might die before the spirit leaves.

In this case, it was concluded that Jimmy had simply been lucky.

“Cool…”

For some reason, Sonia had inserted herself among the children and was listening with shining eyes, making Amon feel incredibly embarrassed.

While the children praised Hero Amon, someone was taking the incident more seriously.

The director sat in her office, contemplating what Amon had accomplished in this incident.

Exorcism.

This exorcism was no easy feat.

Strictly speaking, spirits are born from mystical power rather than magical power, making them impervious to magical or overwhelming physical force.

There’s a reason why the profession of exorcist exists.

Yet Amon accomplished it.

With just a Bible.

In Amon’s words, the Bible was classified as a physical weapon.

Unfortunately, it did not provide any additional holy power damage.

Thus, the cause of the exorcism lay not in the Bible, but in Amon himself.

Amon was well aware of this fact, and the director knew it too.

And the late-arriving exorcist priest was also aware of this fact.

“What a fascinating child.”

Through the thin gap in the exorcist priest’s glasses, a faint glimpse of blue eyes captured Amon’s photo.

He was the priest called by the director as soon as Jimmy was possessed.

Due to a nationwide uproar over possession incidents following Thanksgiving, the priest had arrived late at the orphanage.

By the time he reached the orphanage, the incident had already been resolved, making his visit essentially pointless.

As a result, the director felt sorry for the priest and offered him tea.

The initial atmosphere was pleasant.

They chatted about how good and cute the children were, how well the orphanage was running lately, and more.

During this exchange, the priest suddenly began to bring up Amon.

“That child named Amon. Was he the one who exorcised the vengeful spirits?”

The director sighed deeply before responding.

“When did you realize?”

“When working in this field, it becomes clear to whom the spirits’ grudges tend to attach.”

“Is Amon that child…?”

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s just a fragment of thought. If you were to compare it to something, it’s like a ghost’s bloodstain. If left alone, it will naturally fade away.”

“Phew.”

The director let out a sigh of relief.

However, the priest’s inquiry didn’t end there.

“By the way, besides that child, I felt a divine power emanating from another child. I think her name was… Sonia?”

Thud.

The head of the orphanage halted her movements.

She raised her gaze and met the eyes of the priest.

Thin eyes reminiscent of a snake.

Though she had known the priest for a considerable time, she could never become accustomed to those eyes.

The head of the orphanage averted her gaze from those snake-like eyes and fell silent.

However, this series of actions only reinforced the priest’s conviction.

Nodding slowly, the priest began to recount what he had discovered during his time here.

“The girl named Sonia. She’s leaking holy power. Since she doesn’t use the holy power she accumulates, the excess keeps overflowing. It shouldn’t be a problem for her health, but she can no longer keep it concealed. Anyone with a bit of sensitivity will notice right away.”

The head of the orphanage’s fingertips trembled slightly.

She placed the teacup she had been holding down on the desk.

In contrast, the priest calmly raised his teacup, savoring the aroma, before slowly broaching the main topic.

“How long do you plan to keep this holy power hidden from the parties involved?”

“I won’t tell them until they graduate.”

“You do realize this could lead to overprotection, right?”

“There’s no such thing as excessive protection in this harsh world.”

“That is true.”

The gazes of the head of the orphanage and the priest clashed in the air.

The victor of their silent battle was the head of the orphanage.

Love is the most powerful stubbornness in the world, so it was only natural for the priest to concede.

The time for persuasion and coaxing was over.

Now, it was time for intimidation.

The priest calmly presented the reality.

“There’s no such thing as eternal secrets in this world. The more brilliant the secret, the more so. No matter how dark and filthy the place, a gem remains a gem. You understand that, don’t you?”

The head of the orphanage fell silent.

As the priest said, it would become increasingly difficult to keep this secret.

Sonia’s holy power was leaking out a little at a time.

Amon radiated holy power so intensely that the whole town would notice if he got even a bit excited.

Moreover, Sonia had recently become famous as the “Saint of Guns.”

The rumor that she could shoot without any recoil was something anyone with even a basic understanding of holy power would find suspicious.

Considering all this, it wouldn’t be difficult for anyone with even a slight interest in the orphanage to realize that they were holders of holy power.

The head of the orphanage was well aware of this fact.

Still, she wanted to keep it hidden for as long as possible.

They were particularly dear to her, making her desperate to protect them.

Even if it was futile, she wanted to keep them safe until they graduated.

However, the head of the orphanage’s feelings were of little concern to the priest.

He peered through the gleam of his glasses, calmly informing her.

“In two years, I will come to take the children.”

The head of the orphanage’s eyebrows trembled.

She was well aware of the power held by the priest before her.

She also understood that he had the ability to implement this notification.

But the trembling lasted only a moment; her resolve solidified, filling her eyes with determination.

“The children will decide their own lives.”

“You must distinguish between what is good and what is preferred. You know that the Vatican is the safest place for those children, don’t you, head of the orphanage?”

“The Vatican? The safest place?”

With a hint of indignation, she lifted her nun’s habit.

Legs of steel revealed themselves instead of flesh and bone.

For the first time, the priest’s mouth fell shut at her actions.

Silence hung between them.

That silence was eventually broken by the priest, who managed to squeeze out some words.

“The Vatican… will not treat those children carelessly.”

In response to the priest’s words, the head of the orphanage retorted sharply.

“Of course they won’t. As long as the children turn a blind eye to corruption.”

“You understand, don’t you? That’s a necessary evil. Moreover, if that’s the condition, you also know there are no other options, right, head of the orphanage?”

A priest’s shrinking voice and the silent headmistress.

As the priest said, the safest and most reliable place for those with holy power was the Vatican.

Though they didn’t earn as much as corporations, they still earned a decent amount.

Though they didn’t hold as much power as the government, they still had some authority.

Moreover, in terms of corruption, the Vatican was the least problematic of the three.

It was like the pot calling the kettle black, but compared to corporations or the government, the Vatican’s darkness was relatively shallow.

At least, despite turning a blind eye to corruption, the Vatican could guarantee one’s life.

Other places often not only endangered lives but also jeopardized those around them.

However, the headmistress couldn’t bring herself to send the children there.

She knew how beautiful they were, like blooming lotuses, and didn’t want to send them into such filth.

But she also knew there were no other options, and the weight of that knowledge made her chest feel heavy.

She bite her lips, briefly lamenting the unfair reality.

In the end, she didn’t make a choice.

Though she knew what was best for the children, she left the decision entirely to them.

‘I really am a cowardly woman.’

With that self-deprecating thought, she made her stance clear to the priest.

“Let the children decide their own future.”

Once again, the priest and the headmistress exchanged intense gazes in the air.

The priest looked at the headmistress with meaningful eyes before letting out a deep sigh.

Then, raising both hands

“Understood. You win.”

He declared his surrender.

At the priest’s declaration of defeat, the headmistress let her shoulders sag as if the strength had left her.

Watching this, the priest gave a bitter smile and offered her a new proposal.

“You said you wanted the children to make their own choices, right? Let me help you.”

The priest said it would be difficult to completely deceive the outside world as things stood.

His proposal was to help Amon and Sonia hide their holy power.

“I’ll block the holy power from leaking out with special ankle bracelets, and I’ll use some of my connections to prevent rumors of Sonia’s shooting skills from spreading further.”

“What’s your real intention?”

“I don’t have any ulterior motives. Information only holds value when it’s monopolized. I’m simply willing to take on this hassle for the sake of the value of the information I possess.”

“Fine. I’ll accept. But, there’s a condition.”

“Name it.”

“Even after all the kindness you’ve shown, I won’t interfere with the children’s choice two years from now.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll have to gradually win their favor by then. You won’t stop that, will you?”

Nod.

The headmistress nodded.

The priest slowly nodded in return and stood up.

Saying that speed was key in these matters, he promised to take immediate action.

He placed the two ankle bracelets on the desk, the ones for the two to wear.

Though the priest stood, the headmistress did not.

It was her silent way of refusing to see him off, A quiet protest, and also an expression of her sadness toward him.

The priest gazed down at the pouting headmistress with melancholic eyes,
Yet with an attitude that seemed detached.

“I understand your feelings. But, as your senior, I advise you— You’ll regret it.”

“I know.”

The priest put on the coat that had been hanging on the rack and donned his hat.

Before leaving the reception room, he spoke to the headmistress one last time.

“Then, I shall take my leave. Glory to the Vatican.”

“And may the love of the Holy Mother be with you.”

With those parting words, they both bid farewell.

The headmistress didn’t leave the reception room right away.

She sat there, gently stroking her prosthetic leg, over and over again.

Her thoughts continuously replayed the faces of the two children.