I perched atop a tree, gazing upon what would soon become my own exorcist squad, comprised of unpaid interns. They were here to handle the problems I didn't want to waste my time on.

I hadn't chosen these individuals randomly; I specifically requested each of them. Take Miku, for example. I had saved her during the Expert Exams, and she had been my classmate even before that. In the original story, she was meant to be a mere background character who met her demise, but she had survived and proven herself to be relatively trustworthy.

Her most remarkable quality was the formidable attack power of her special ability. Essentially, she could shape her Ord into an arrow, capable of piercing through most armors.

One of my weaknesses was dealing with individuals possessing armor-like abilities or demons with high defenses. It was a flaw I was doing my best to rectify, but until then, Miku would serve as my buffer.

Then there was Pan, a lanky guy with greasy dark hair and dark eyes. He seemed more suited for a rock band than becoming an exorcist, but he had a unique condition I was curious to explore further. There was still much I didn't understand about Ord, and individuals like Velma/Chariot and Pan were outliers, although Pan lacked the talent and potential that Velma possessed.

Lastly, there was Mr. Bear—a talking bear. What more needed to be said? I had never encountered anything like him, and I was eager to see what he could do. His origins remained unclear, and I had no idea whether he was a human turned bear or a bear with human-like intelligence.

It appeared that my soon-to-be adorable subordinates were on the verge of a conflict. So, I leaped down from the tree and adjusted my glasses. As Ord users, their senses were sharp enough to detect my presence, and they all turned towards me.

I tried to put on the kindest smile I could and waved at them. "Hello there, I'm Nok, the Water Exorcist, and I'll be your overseer."

Miku looked at me with a face that seemed to ask, ‘Are you serious?’

In response, I widened my smile.

As expected, she recognized me. Damn shounen genetics—I couldn't even grow a beard.

The Bear tilted his head and asked, "Isn't that title already taken? I believe there's an old man known as The Water Exorcist."

"He recently retired," I dismissed his skepticism.

"You don't look that old for an Elite Exorcist," Pan frowned, ready to create trouble. "How old are you? Twenty? You look even younger than me."

"If you want to test my power, feel free to try. If you can touch me, it's your win and I will grant you the title of Elite Exorcist," I assured him. Achieving the rank of Elite Exorcist in one's 30s was considered talented, but reaching it in one's 20s held the potential for becoming a Special Exorcist. "Rest assured, even if you fail, I won't go for critical attacks or banish you."

Pan cracked his knuckles and charged at me, yelling like a barbarian. However, after only a few steps, his eyes widened, and he clutched at his heart. With little resistance, he collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Ah, damn. Did Carpy kill him? I believed he had control over his water manipulation, but it seemed the poor guy suffered a heart attack. Carpy must have disrupted the arteries in his heart.

Just as I contemplated whether to begin chest compressions, Pan regained consciousness with a gasping breath. "Holy shit! I just saw my dead grandmother calling out to me!"

Pan stood up, examining his hands thoughtfully. "I saw the light. Does the afterlife exist? Am I a sinful person? Perhaps this is a sign that I should strive to be better!"

"Anyway, I'll lead all of you to your lodgings," I disregarded Pan's existential crisis, relieved that the display of power had brought everyone else in line.

They each had their own residences, wooden huts located on the outskirts of the town. Positioned on hills, they offered a good view of the surroundings.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

After acquainting them with their new homes, I returned to my own cabin. Hopefully, they would be able to handle matters independently from now on. They needed to prove themselves as exorcists, not rely on others to care for them.

As I entered my hut, I discovered a note on the table—an unexpected arrival. Typically, ordinary mail would be delivered under the door, though no one knew where I resided, making it unlikely for anyone to send mail that way.

There were numerous unusual abilities in existence, so the sudden appearance of a paper on my dining table was cause for concern. "Carpy, use your water tendrils to grab that paper!" I commanded.

Despite Carpy being deep underground, our bond allowed him to sense my emotions, and the water obediently moved from the sink, seizing the paper and unfolding it. I approached the message cautiously, apprehensive about its contents, but I read it nonetheless. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a warning informing me that the princess would soon visit the town, and I would be tasked with being her bodyguard during her stay.

It seemed the senders of the letter were unaware of my whereabouts and had employed some special ability to deliver it. Nonetheless, I erred on the side of caution and promptly burned the message.

The irony was not lost on me. The princess was coming to this place? I strongly suspected she was the same princess I had been arranged to marry. This reeked of a conspiracy by the Dark Sword Clan. Unable to bring me to the princess, they had chosen to bring her here instead.

However, they had not anticipated my decision to don glasses, change my name, and keep my true age a secret from her.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, and I went to answer it. It was the talking bear, patiently waiting outside, and he requested, "May I come in? I'd like to discuss something privately."

"Of course, make yourself comfortable," I welcomed my new subordinate. It still felt somewhat strange to have others under my command, but I hoped I would grow accustomed to it.

Once inside, I took a seat at the kitchen table, and the bear settled across from me. The chair creaked under his weight, but fortunately, it held.

"Thank you for taking me in," the bear expressed his gratitude, bowing his head so much that his snout almost touched the table. "Since graduating, I've struggled to find a stable job as an exorcist. No one wanted to hire a talking grizzly for that kind of work. But you saw beyond all that and still gave me a chance. Thank you."

So that was what had been bothering him. Poor guy, he was probably struggling financially, and there was little he could do about it. I couldn't help but feel guilty that I had hired him solely because having a talking bear around seemed interesting. "Don't worry about any of that. You're my subordinate now, and I'll take care of you."

Tears welled up in the bear's eyes, cascading onto the table as he began to cry. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

***

A day had passed since Miku started her more stable job in the exorcist world. However, she was unsure how to interact with her employer, Kon. Kon had been a friend who saved her from a leech demon during the Expert Exams and had since become an Elite Exorcist. Rumors circulated about his ability to defeat an ultimate class demon in a single attack, though there was no official confirmation. Speculations ran wild on the black markets.

Kon had summoned Miku to meet him in front of his cabin. As she stood there, she gazed at the statue and grave in the front yard. Bets, as far as she could recall, was the only regular member on Kon's team.

Despite arriving twenty minutes early to demonstrate professionalism, Miku found the talking bear already present, reading some papers near Kon's door. Curiosity got the better of her. "How long have you been here?" she inquired.

The bear responded, "An hour. It's always better to show up early in these situations. Besides, this is my first job, and I don't want to make any mistakes."

In contrast, Pan arrived just a few minutes before the scheduled meeting time, panting. "Oh, thank God! I made it in time."

The front door swung open, and Kon emerged, visibly sweaty as though he had just completed an intense workout. Locking eyes with each of them, his gaze grew sharp before he singled out the talking bear. "I want the bear to do my taxes," he declared.

His peculiar request caught them off guard on their first day of work. However, one thought lingered in Miku's mind, compelling her to voice her curiosity. "You pay taxes?"

"Hell no," he responded without skipping a beat.

Choosing not to inquire further, Miku watched in disbelief as the talking bear complied, accepting the papers Kon handed over and settling at the kitchen table to perform calculations.

Feeling thoroughly unnerved, Miku pinched herself, needing confirmation that she was still rooted in reality.

"Oh, by the way, in a few weeks, one of the princesses will be paying us a visit," Kon casually announced, as if discussing the weather.

"Shouldn't we prepare something special for her?" Pan inquired.

Kon's expression turned sour, as if he had swallowed a whole lemon. "Why would we do that?"

Because she was literally a princess?!