章 285: Cardinal of the Light

"Am I being promoted?"

"We all believe it's time for you to become a Cardinal of the Light." Sebastian looked at his son, awaiting his response. Of course, there was no valid reason for him to refuse.

Anton wasn't surprised by this; he had expected it given his recent contributions to the association.

"You're rushing too much to hand me your position, Father. Are you really sick?" This time, Anton was calm. Despite his relationship with his father not being the closest, they both knew how to look after each other from a distance, considering their jobs.

As an exorcist, one is exposed to solitude and often cannot be with the people they love most of the time. This was the sacrifice everyone had to make to eliminate evil in the world, each bearing it as best as they could.

Sebastian shook his head, took a deep breath, and said, "Just accept what's being given to you. There will be no problem, besides the new requirements you'll have to follow every time you're in a different country."

"I don't like welcome ceremonies or protocols." Anton was old-school, preferring to be very discreet.

Time was gold, something everyone in this place knew very well.

Anton had a flight in a few hours; he wouldn't even have time to say goodbye to Akira, so holding a ceremony to title him as a Cardinal of the Light would be a bit complicated.

But Sebastian alleviated each of his concerns. "Just accept this new insignia. Your words from now on will carry weight that could affect an entire country if you're not careful."

"I understand. So, if that's all, I have to go exterminate parasites." Anton stood up after taking a silver rosary with light diamonds.

"Take care, son. You know what I mean."

"You won't lose your only family member. I promised I'd bury you someday." Anton smiled slightly, and after a parting glance, he headed towards the exit.

Sebastian remained silent in the empty room, his gaze weakly passing over the paintings on the wall as he murmured, "I suppose you're ready, my son. Remember that everything you've gone through has meaning for the future."

"I've been through everything you have. If my time ends sooner than expected, you must know to be strong and stay alive, which is the most important thing. Without people like us, the strongest wouldn't be protected, and when that happens, the strong will die."

…

Anton walked towards a black van where all the men accompanying him to South Korea were, but when he came out, he noticed something unusual.

"Greetings, Cardinal of the Light!"

"So soon?" Anton was surprised that the news had spread faster than he expected.

Alexander approached, the edge of his coat embroidered with golden details, and said, "Congratulations, Cardinal. We are all happy about your promotion."

"If you all come back alive from this mission, you'll all be promoted. I don't want you to make me look bad with my words." Anton got into the van without saying anything more.

Jay, who was beside him, looked at his companion and asked, "What did the boss mean?"

"Don't die, simply that."

"Did he say it in those words? I don't think so. Damn it, I forgot my grenade launcher in the workshop." Jay cursed after remembering he hadn't brought his most trusted weapon.

"You don't need something like that on this mission."

Jay looked at the guy who spoke to him and said, "You have no idea. If a mature parasite comes at me head-on, I only have a few seconds to kill them, and there's nothing better than turning them to dust with that impact power."

"Get in now; there's a flight to catch." Alexander approached the agents who were talking and put them to work.

"There are monsters to eliminate."