It was true that the main force of the Security Bureau consisted of devil contractors.
However, was the Bureau’s strength solely dependent on them?
It was not.
“Long before this world ever connected to Hell, there were always people fighting devils. We’ve called them by various names—exorcists, shamans, onmyoji, and others.”
In Ha-young who was gripping the steering wheel began to speak as she stared straight ahead.
“The public believes the Bureau fights devils using guns, missiles, or advanced scientific weapons that aren’t disclosed to civilians. After all, openly admitting ‘We’re using the power of devils to fight’ would cause all sorts of problems. It’s already hard enough protecting people from demons, but if the citizens we’re supposed to protect started thinking ‘Isn’t the Security Bureau basically a den of demons?’ we’d have an even bigger headache.”
In Ha-young continued speaking.
“That’s why we’ve kept tight control over information, and despite having such overwhelming power and authority, the Bureau remains a mysterious organization with very little known to the public. But some factions within the Bureau, particularly the so-called ‘Purists’ or demon slayers, don’t like this situation very much.”
“W-Why not?”
In Ha-young let out a bitter smile and shook her head.
“Well, I guess they thought they had nothing to be ashamed of. Exorcists and people like them have always either clung to those in power or tried to become the ones in power themselves. It wasn’t much different back then, and it’s no different now.”
In Ha-young’s tone of voice was filled with deep disdain, or perhaps skepticism, toward religious people.
Or perhaps it sounded like profound disappointment in the concept of God itself.
“As a result, the Security Bureau is now divided into two factions. There’s the pragmatic faction led by devil contractors like myself, who believe we should use whatever means necessary to eliminate devils. And then there’s the Purist faction who argue that devils must be defeated with human strength alone; they insist that humanity must not lose its purity. These two groups are locked in a fierce power struggle and subtle rivalry. That’s why Team A and Team B don’t get along.”
In Ha-young glanced at Na-yoon and smiled briefly, but her smile contained fatigue and bitterness that she couldn’t hide.
“Pathetic, isn’t it? The world could end tomorrow because of devils, yet here we are, humans splitting into factions and fighting amongst ourselves. Even the Security Bureau which is supposed to be humanity’s last line of defense is like this once you scratch the surface.”
“……”
“This isn’t something a newcomer like you, Na-yoon-ssi, should have to see. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, no! It’s fine!”
Na-yoon shook her head vigorously, though on the inside she was thinking something entirely different.
She was relieved that she hadn’t accepted Team Leader Song Ji-hye’s proposal earlier.
If those who preached so passionately about humanity’s purity found out she was a demon (devil contractor), they might have tried to kill her on the spot.
Na-yoon resolved to stay at least ten meters away from wherever Song Ji-hye was from now on.
After a brief pause, In Ha-young continued speaking in a calm voice.
“Anyway, Na-yoon-ssi, you’ll find out later, but once you gain enough experience as a security agent, you’re given two choices.”
“Choices?”
“One is to make a contract with a relatively safe devil kept in isolation by the Security Bureau and become a devil contractor. The other is to become a disciple under one of the Security Bureau’s demon slayers and learn exorcism techniques.”
Na-yoon tilted her head in confusion.
“Which do people usually choose?”
“Over ninety percent choose the first option. The Security Bureau needs forces that can be deployed immediately in the field. Most of the demon slayers currently active in the Bureau have been learning since childhood for at least ten years. But in a situation where anything could happen tomorrow, starting to learn those skills from scratch takes too much time. Besides, demon slayers tend to be quite secretive and rarely accept anyone as a disciple unless they already know them.”
Like a family secret technique, maybe?
Na-yoon nodded her head in understanding.
Well, if I had a secret technique, I wouldn’t want to share it with others either.
“In contrast, with devils, as long as you can pay the price of the contract, you can gain immense power immediately. That’s why most people choose that path. Most Security Bureau agents desperately want the power to fight devils, even if it comes at such a cost.”
In Ha-young trailed off with a sigh.
“I also… became a devil contractor that way.”
A heavy silence suddenly filled the car.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Na-yoon felt awkward and shrank a little in her seat.
Why did things suddenly get so serious?
She felt like she should ask something, or anything, to break the silence.
Na-yoon finally opened her mouth cautiously.
“Team Leader, how did you end up joining the Security Bureau?”
“That’s….”
Just then, the car came to a sudden stop.
In Ha-young smiled softly and looked at Na-yoon.
“It seems we’ll have to save that story for later.”
“Huh?”
In Ha-young pointed at the front windshield as she spoke.
“We’ve arrived at our destination. Let’s get out. I’ll finish the story when we have another chance.”
Na-yoon turned her head in the direction Ha-young was pointing.
Outside the window, she could see the entrance to Neverland Theme Park along with its large sign.
***
“You’re late!”
At the entrance of the theme park, Team Leader Song Ji-hye and the members of Team A were already waiting.
Song Ji-hye stood with her arms crossed while tapping her foot impatiently.
In a rare moment of frustration, In Ha-young spoke with a hint of annoyance.
“It was only a five-minute difference. Plus, you left first.”
“You made me wait! If you’re part of a useless team, you should at least be here early and get ready! How dare you talk back?”
“Ha, seriously….”
Sensing the tense atmosphere between the two, Na-yoon nervously backed away with sweat forming on her forehead.
But the direction she was heading in was already occupied by someone else.
The narrow-eyed Agent Park Seo-joon smiled at her and spoke cheerfully.
“Hey, rookie. You’re also running away ‘cause those two are scary?”
“Ah, yes….”
“It’s not surprising, really. But if you stay on this team, you’ll see it so often that you’ll get sick of it. Those two act like this all the time.”
Na Yoon tilted her head at the strangely familiar atmosphere and asked.
“Um, senior, what exactly is the relationship between those two?”
“They’re colleagues.”
“Colleagues?”
“Yeah, they joined at the same time. Both are skilled, young, and have impressive records. People say they’re rising stars, one from the purist faction and the other from the pragmatist faction. Because of that, our team leader has a huge rivalry with her.”
Park Seo-joon added with a sly smile.
“Well, not sure how long that’ll last, though….”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Let’s leave them be and focus on getting ready for the mission.”
With that, Park Seo-joon pulled a large bag out from the trunk of Team A’s car.
Other agents from Team A also grabbed bags, each one a different size, filled with gear.
Na-yoon was the only one empty-handed.
“Huh? Rookie, you don’t have a weapon? With the mission being at a theme park, you could carry one while wearing a suit, and people would just think it’s part of a costume. But, of course, nothing too flashy.”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine with just this.”
Na-yoon lightly tapped the inside pocket of her suit, and a faint clinking sound of metal echoed from within.
The gun Team Leader In Ha-young had given her last time was tucked away inside.
It wasn’t heavy, and if hidden well, it didn’t show at all.
Thanks to that, Na-yoon looked like an ordinary office worker who had just come to the theme park for a quick visit.
Park Seo-joon grinned and joked with Na-yoon.
“Hey, rookie. Looks like we’re overlapping roles.”
“Huh? Overlapping roles?”
“I’m a sniper too, you know. I heard your shooting skills were pretty amazing last time. Can I expect the same this time?”
He patted Na-yoon’s shoulder a couple of times and teased her slightly as he spoke.
Then he led the other Team A members toward Team Leader Song Ji-hye who was still visibly irritated.
Na-yoon who was left behind watched them walk away with a confused expression and thought to herself.
What was that? Am I… being sized up?
No, that can’t be it. Who would bother with a rookie like me?
Deciding to focus on just surviving this mission, Na-yoon tried not to overthink it.
At that moment, In Ha-young approached her and spoke.
“Sorry, Na-yoon-ssi. I got caught up by that annoying woman. Shall we head in now?”
“Oh, yes. But didn’t the disappearances happen at night? There’s still a lot of time left…”
“That’s true, but we’re going in early to see if we can find anything. Plus, there’s always a chance we’ll have to fight inside, so it wouldn’t hurt to familiarize ourselves with the layout.”
“F-Fight?”
Na-yoon’s voice trailed off as she swallowed nervously.
This was already her third mission, but the word “fight” was still enough to make her uneasy.
No, don’t get too scared. I couldn’t do anything during the first mission, but the second one was different.
Now, Na-yoon had the power Kang-joon had given her.
With this power, at the very least she could protect herself.
And if things got really bad, she was sure she could rely on Kang-joon to help.
…Right?
Because of Kang-joon’s unusual silence that day, Na-yoon couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
And so, the unplanned visit to the theme park began.
Na-yoon spent the entire morning and afternoon wandering around the park with Team Leader In Ha-young.
When their legs grew tired, they sat on benches to rest. When they were hungry, they bought churros, watched parades, and stayed to witness the final fireworks display. By then, she had to admit to herself.
Why am I enjoying this? I’m supposed to be working.
Na-yoon ended up having a surprisingly pleasant day. In her own way, she had fully experienced her first theme park visit.
But despite all the walking around, nothing happened during the day.
It was only when all the visitors had left and the theme park’s main gate closed that things finally began.
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