Upon arriving at the Timer Association's headquarters, I spotted Kirigaya-san standing in front of the vending machine at the entrance. "Kirigaya-san." I approached Kirigaya-san and greeted him. "Oh? You came here fast." "I headed out immediately after; I was right in the midst of breakfast and a leisurely morning." "Is that so... Would you care for a drink?" Kirigaya-san pointed at the vending machine. It seems he's offering to treat me. "Thank you. I'll have a coffee, then." Saying that, Kirigaya-san bought a can of coffee and handed it to me. "Let's talk over there." "Sure." Kirigaya-san gestured towards the sofas in the entrance, and I went there to sit down. "Sorry to bother you this early in the morning." "Not at all. Normally, this is the time I'd be busy dealing with my boss's nagging, coaching my subordinates, and answering calls." "Haha, that's right. Anyway, I called you here first because I need to give you this." Saying that, Kirigaya-san took a black notebook out of his inner jacket and placed it on the table. I took it, opened the notebook, and looked inside. There was an emblem alongside my mug shot inside. "It resembles a police badge, doesn't it?" "It serves a similar purpose. It will act as your ID, so make sure to carry it with you at all times. But don't lose it, okay?" Losing it would definitely spell trouble. "Of course." I answered and tucked the badge into my inner pocket. "Normally, you'd expect something like an initiation ceremony, but our organization doesn't do that sort of thing. We don't have a welcome party either." I don't really want one anyway. "Is it because your organization can't operate publicly?" "Of course, that's one reason, but there are also considerations specific to all the exorcists. Given that exorcists are exceedingly rare, we strive to accommodate their degree of freedom and their requests as much as possible. For example, our organization permits them to take on side jobs. In fact, some even regard their work with us as a secondary occupation." "Interesting." I suppose even with this salary, some might have their own businesses or other reasons, so it's hard to judge. "And another reason is that people don't want to reveal their faces or names, right?" "What? Are there dangerous individuals among you?" We might not have any wanted criminals here, but there's definitely a scent of the underworld. "More than anything, there's an air of mistrust between the exorcists. They hold considerable power, which could very well be turned upon others." That's a valid point. There are bound to be those who get carried away with their newfound power. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." "Yes, it's crucial to defend oneself. There are other reasons, but the most significant is the presence of another organization." Another organization... "Are you talking about a hostile organization?" "Hardly. In fact, exorcists have quite an ancient history, and there are families that have been in this line of work since the olden days." "Like a medium?" Or perhaps, a shrine maiden, or a temple's Buddhist monk.

"Yes, it's something along those lines. These families have a long lineage, and to put it simply, they possess a great deal of pride. However, we are a governmental agency, and the truth is we work in cooperation with them." "But there's bad blood between you, right?" After hearing that story, I can hardly imagine they get along well. "I shouldn't really say... I'll leave it up to your imagination." It's bad, isn't it. "Well, it's not really my concern." "That's not entirely the case." Eh? "Is something going on?" "To be honest, we've allowed the exorcists quite a bit of autonomy and have left them to their own devices until now. But recently, there's been some internal questioning about that approach." "Is there a problem of some sort?" "There are discussions about whether we should at least provide some guidance to the new recruits." Oh, I see. "That would certainly seem like a good idea." "Indeed. After all, the latest to join us is a high school girl..." A high school girl...? What? "Um, excuse me, could that be the person from the restroom incident?" "It's probably better not to mention that directly to her, don't you think? Yes, that's Kichi-kun." That's right, her name was Kichi. "That kid is really in high school? Atleast ditch the uniform though." "It seems she was on her way home from school. I did suggest her change, but well... sigh." The man in his late thirties lets out a sigh. "However, isn't it a bit risky to employ a high schooler?" "Indeed, this ties back to what we were discussing earlier. Kichi-kun comes from the distinguished Kichi family, known for their exorcist lineage. The patriarch of the Kichi clan approached us to have Kichi-kun work here as part of her apprenticeship. Facing a shortage of manpower ourselves, we couldn't decline the request from our esteemed allies, the Kichis, so we welcomed her aboard as part-time staff." "That's quite something. It's like a story out of a manga." "You say that as if it's none of your concern, Exorcist Yamada-san." Oh, right, I'm one of those people too. Not to mention, at home, I have a talking cat and a homunculus, and on weekends I'm off being a grand sorcerer in another world. I'm practically living inside a comic book. "If I told my friends or parents, they'd probably suggest I get checked into a hospital." "Anyway, let's get back on track. As I was saying, for the first month of employment, we're having newcomers avoid any solo demon-hunting missions. Of course, there are emergencies and situations that require flexibility, as mentioned before, so there's no formal punishment. But generally, we prefer that the newcomers don't operate solo." "What about me then? What should I do?" I wonder if Kirigaya-san will be joining us. "That's precisely why I've called you here today. I want you, Yamada-san, to form a team." "A team?" "Yes, a trio to be exact, a three-man cell." "Three people, huh..." That's quite a few... "What do you think?" "Does that include you too Kirigaya-san?" "No, no, you wouldn't want to team up with an old guy like me, right?" Hey... I can almost guess who's teaming up from the way this conversation is going...