The librarian, Rio, stared at me, then rubbed his chin in thought.
"I suppose another pair of hands is fine. Nice to meet you, Evangeline."
Both Clementine and I exhaled relieved breaths.
Her identity was simple.
She’s Evangeline, and she’s one of my former companions.
That’s it.
Her lack of actual presence here didn’t matter much, since she was beautiful, and most of the people believed every word that came out of her mouth.
But with how close the two of us were, and how careless Clementine was, every single person we passed already thought of us as a couple.
Still...
At least she was a fast worker.
***
The next two weeks flew by in a flash.
Unlike before, where my days consisted mainly of helping people, I now spent the majority of my time in our home.
I bought a closet and settled into her room.
It was a little cramped.
A little awkward at first too...
We would sleep a few inches apart, but by the time both of us woke up, we’d already be in each other’s embrace.
So after a few nights sleeping beside each other, we both warmed up enough to not find it embarrassing.
And even now, while both of us were at work, Clementine didn’t hesitate to sneak up and hug me from behind.
As I relaxed, prepared to hug her back, I heard footsteps.
The two of us separated in an instant, and soon enough, Rio walked up to us and spoke.
"Hey. You two mentioned that you used to fight demons together in the past. Isn’t that right?"
Clementine and I exchanged a glance, then nodded at him.
When we did, he flashed a slightly complicated expression.
"I know this might be a big ask, but I have no one else to turn to. Would you two be able to deal with a little problem of mine?"
Oh?
We’re jumping straight into the assessment phase?
I couldn’t help but feel excited, but I still kept my composure and replied.
"We’d be happy to help. What kind of problem is it?"
Rio flashed a slight smile, then put on his act.
"You see... Two days ago, I lost contact with one of our customers in the neighboring village called Frejrad. I didn’t think much of it at first, but today, I heard some unsettling news."
"Demons were sighted close to that village... I believe something terrible must have happened. I would tell the city guards, but by the time someone sends help, it would already be too late. Which is why, I believe you two are the only ones I can turn to. Please help me."
How dramatic.
Though, this was how most recruiters dealt with this kind of stuff.
They evaluate the person, and then assign a real mission to them.
So he must have seen us as people with a deep grudge against demons.
It was perfect.
"I suppose that’s fine. Frejrad, you said? We could go there right now if that’s not an issue. Or would you rather we finish our shifts, boss?"
Rio shook his head and gestured at the door.
"Please. Don’t mind me. If you get to the root of the problem, I promise I’ll give you a bonus."
Haha.
I didn’t need a bonus, but sure.
Though, this would technically be Clementine’s first time earning a bonus, or any money for that matter, so she couldn’t hide her excitement.
So she was the first to stand up, and also the first to leave through the door.
I chuckled at the sight, and after waving Rio goodbye, I caught up to Clementine.
"You seem happy."
Clementine let out a giggle.
"Just a little. It’s my first time doing such things as going on missions. When you talked about them, I was kind of hoping to go on one too one day."
Ah.
So she wasn’t happy about the money, but the mission instead.
How innocent of her.
Even so, the two of us skipped out of the city, and when we were far enough away, we began heading at full speed.
I was slightly faster than her now.
Though, I was also on the verge of reaching Grade 30.
Meanwhile, she should still be around Grade 27 by now.
So with a satisfied smile, I sped up, and so did Clementine.
It took us half an hour to get to the nearby village, and just as Rio said... demons had definitely passed by.
The whole village was in ruins, and dozens of mutilated corpses were scattered atop rooftops and even on the main road.
It was a total bloodbath.
But I held out hope that someone would be alive.
And when I closed my eyes and began spreading out my Telekinesis, I soon spotted someone.
They were underground.
Rather, they were inside of a well.
I turned to Clementine, ready to announce what I found.
But I realized she was staring at the sight with a horrified expression.
"..."
"I know it sounds cruel, but you will need to get used to it, Clementine."
I grabbed her hand tightly.
"Demons don’t hold back when it comes to violence and cruelty, so don’t hesitate to kill them when you’re in front of them."
She stared at the gruesome sight for a few seconds longer, then turned to me.
Her eyes were still trembling, but she still mustered up a nod and let go of my hand.
Then, without any need for me to say anything, she approached the well.
I did too.
It was an empty well at a glance, but I quickly spotted a protrusion in the bricks a bit further down.
I signaled to Clementine, and she created a pale green rope for me out of her Soul Weapons, which I used to climb into the well.
Her Gift... I decided there was no point in hiding it.
The only limit I placed on her was that she should use only one weapon at a time, instead of a thousand.
And so, her Gift was just Weapon Formation.
Allegedly.
As I climbed down the well, I reached the wall, and after tapping a few times, the bricks fell down, revealing a hole in the wall.
But there was also a small, malnourished child curled up in a ball.
Her breaths were unstable, and her fingers were black from frostbite.
She was on the brink of death.