"Oh, really..." Raymond said, his voice heavy with skepticism. "What's with all those muscles?"

  "I used to clean the roads, maintain the scriptures at the outposts, and handle various other tasks," George tried to explain, "and I needed to fend off wild beasts, bandits, and the occasional demon encounters. So, I need to be strong to survive. However, even though the job was perilous, I get to travel to a lot of places."

  "Like where?" Raymond asked, his voice muffled as he savored a bite of the tiramisu.

  "Pretty much everywhere, I'd say" George said. "From the scorching desert to the south, to the treacherous icy mountains to the north, and to the enchanted forest to the east."

  "Anything fun happened?"

  "There was one time I traveled to the south with my late wife," George said, "However, in the middle of the desert, we were ambushed by a horde of demons."

  "Oh, what happened next?"

  "After a long and grueling battle, we managed to fend off the demons. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues were injured, and we suffered some fatalities. My wife was also among the injured. To complicate matters, the horses bolted in a panic."

  "Oh my goddess!" Raymond exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment. "That's horrible. How did you go home then?"

  "So, using these muscles of mine," George flexed his arms, showcasing his biceps, and continued, "I lifted the wagon onto my shoulders, pulled it out like a horse, and moved it to the next village with my wife and our companions riding on it," George said, with a faint smile, "Then, she said something like, 'I suppose we can scratch buying horses off our list now.'"

  Raymond then said, "Sure, I'll let you know when I need a wagon pulled."

  "By the way, aren't you going to leave some for me?" George looked at the desserts. Raymond had taken a bite out of all of them.

  "No, these are all mine." Raymond said as he pulled the tray of desserts closer to himself.

  "I bought them though." George complained, but his expression teasing.

  "You bought them for me, so they're all mine." Raymond furrowed his brow and puckered his lips, vigilantly defending his dessert. "I want to save some for mid-night snacks too."

  With a teasing smile, George rose from the table, purchased more desserts to-go, and presented them to Raymond, saying, "Thanks for the information; consider this as your tip."

  "Thanks!" With an unbridled grin, Raymond devoured the remaining desserts, savoring each bite with evident delight.

  "Wow, you can really finish them all," George commented in surprise. "I'm impressed."

  "Of course!"

  After the old man and the boy parted ways, Raymond headed to the orphanage's preschooler section, carrying a box of desserts.

  "Kaine, over here!" Raymond shouted outside the playing room. A black-haired five-year-old boy happily ran toward the door, his Sapphire eyes sparkling with joy.

  Seeing Kaine running out, Raymond moved to the empty lounge.

  "Hey, what's in the box?" Kaine asked with curiosity as he watched Raymond open the dessert box.

  "I've got a special treat for you, but remember, this is our little secret. Enjoy in silence, okay?" Raymond whispered.

  "Thanks, sis… bro." Kaine whispered back to Raymond.

  Kaine quickly took a bite and asked with a cheesecake in his mouth."You seem happy, did something good happen?"

  "No, I'm not happy." Raymond said with a straight face.

  "Yes, you are."

  On the other hand, George headed towards the orphanage's headmaster office.

  "You haven't smiled in a while," Leslie said to George in his mind. "Perhaps, you should talk with the boy more."

  "No, I'm not smiling," George said with a straight face.

  "Yes, you are."

  Inside the headmaster's office at the orphanage, Count Rupert, Ms. Wendy, and a bespectacled gentleman in his sixties sat on two plush couches, positioned on either side of the coffee table, where an elegant tea set was placed.

  "Sorry, I got caught up with something," George said.

  Count Rupert beamed with a warm smile as the group rose from their seats. "Not at all, we've only just arrived ourselves. Permit me to introduce our distinguished colleague, Viscount Bennet, who has graciously accepted the directorship of our undertakings."

  Viscount Bennet offered a courteous nod, saying, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

  "And allow me to introduce Viscount George, who will be spearheading our forthcoming endeavors." Rupert continued.

  "Well met," George replied with a nod.

  "Please," Count Rupert gestured everyone to sit down, "take your seats and let us begin our discussion at your leisure."

  George sat down next to Ms. Wendy, facing Count Rupert and Viscount Bennet.

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  "Our operation has yielded a resounding success, Viscount Bennet. Your exceptional leadership has not gone unnoticed." Rupert nodded to Bennet with a warm smile.

  "I'm honored," Bennet replied.

  "Regrettably, we have encountered two minor setbacks, which, though slight, mar an otherwise exemplary canvas," Count Rupert said, his countenance momentarily somber, "Ms. Wendy, I must address the unfortunate incident involving the juvenile transport's wheel malfunction. A modicum of foresight might have averted this mishap. The well-being and security of our personnel have, and shall forever remain, our paramount concern," Rupert said, "Had the wagon's driver not possessed the resourcefulness born of her, shall we say, 'unrefined' upbringing, our second division's recruitment endeavors might have been dealt a grievous blow. I implore you, Ms. Wendy, to extend your personal attention to this matter, ensuring such oversights are rectified in our future endeavors."

  "Understood, I apologize for the slip up." Ms. Wendy answered solemnly, lowering her head.

  Jasmine, the Paladin lady and the driver of the wagon with the broken wheel, grew up in the slums of a far eastern city. She was adept at driving badly maintained vehicles, saving the children from an otherwise deadly incident.

  "Furthermore, I must convey the distressing news that our second division has met with a calamitous defeat, at the hands of the notorious Adamantium Ranked Adventurer, Hawk, as corroborated by the esteemed Knight Order."

  Rupert's eyes locked onto Viscount George, his voice imbued with an air of confidence. "As your inaugural undertaking within our esteemed organization, Viscount George, I entrust to your proven abilities the delicate task of alleviating the repercussions stemming from the unfortunate intervention of the Adamantium Ranked Adventurer, Hawk, an endeavor that demands the utmost discretion and tact."

  "Sure, what entails?"

  "Firstly, we must ascertain the, indeed, lamentable fate of our operatives, thereby ensuring an accurate reckoning of the fallen. In accordance with established protocol, the Royal Knights are presently overseeing the requisite arrangements for our fallen operatives, with the intention of returning the remains to their grieving families within a fortnight. Viscount George," Rupert nodded to George, "We'll require your assistance in confirming the identities of the perished."

  "Understood," George nodded.

  "Fate, in its inscrutable wisdom, has seen fit to impose upon us a heart-wrenching affliction, a calamity of unmitigated sorrow, wherein cherished loved ones are torn asunder, their earthly existence cruelly severed from the divine realm, leaving naught but an unbridgeable chasm of grief in its wake. Viscount George, I humbly request that you extend a benevolent hand, guiding the earth-bound mortals to reunite with their loved ones in the great beyond."

  Since the second division failed at their mission to kidnap the children, Rupert decided to execute the hostages, meaning their families, as a warning to the rest of the bandits.

  "It'd be my honor," George said with solemnity.

  "Viscount Bennet, might I entreat you to regale us with an account of the progress made by our newly inducted employees, upon whom fortune has seen fit to bestow its favor? I implore you, elucidate the particulars of their development so that Viscount George may be thoroughly apprised of the situation."

  "Yes," Viscount Bennet began, his voice taking on a practical, no-nonsense tone. "To bring you up to speed, our newest recruits are currently housed at a temporary facility. For those with influential family connections, we have arranged a 'rescue' operation with the Royal Knights, thereby mitigating potential public backlash and facilitating the seamless integration of our new recruits."

  Newest recruits referred to the kidnapped children.

  "The remaining recruits will undergo a comprehensive evaluation, assessing their physical appeal, charisma, and talents. The top-ranked candidates will subsequently receive invitations to our exclusive hiring event, scheduled to take place two weeks from now."

  In other words, the children were sorted; and some would be sold at the auction house for a higher price.

  "The rest will be deployed immediately to various work sites."

  To put it another way, those who were not sold at the auction house would be sent to hazardous labor camps around the country.

  As Viscount Bennet unrolled the map beside the sofa and arranged it on the coffee table, the attendees, in unison, raised their elegant teacups. At the same time, Ms. Wendy discreetly got up to move the teapot to her desk.

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