Chapter 2: Run-down and Neglected

Looking at the screen, Helcurt — now Collins — felt a jolt of excitement run through his veins. His eyes sparkled, wide with wonder. The glowing interface, floating midair, was almost identical to the ones he'd seen back in the afterlife. Sleek, intuitive, and brimming with power.

Heaven-Appointed Director?

Collins frowned at the words, his title, his job. He could already imagine the sheer hassle it would bring, it involved taking care of children. Children, of all creatures, were never his "thing" to begin with. The thought alone made his soul flinch.

"Baron Collins we have arrived!" The coachman merrily said.

Collins looked outside, the coachmen and a lad started to unload the carriage. It seems Heaven already planned this out properly. He helped himself out of the carriage but he encountered a problem.

He was stuck...

"Baron Collins, are you stuck again?" The coachman asked. "Me and my son would gladly assist you, if you don't mind?"

What do you mean stuck again?!!!

"No need, I got this." he replied irritably. He comforted himself, He just needs to push through right? Not like he can't force his way though.

Collins tried to squeeze his way through the door but struggled to shift his bulk. His sides pressed against the frame, and he could feel every inch of resistance. The father and son watching him wore expressions of barely concealed pity, which only made his jaw tighten. 

How dare they look at me with such expressions!!!

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself forward. By the time he finally slipped out, his face was flushed a deep red, and his body was drenched in sweat. He took a short rest on the grass.

The father and son look at each other like they have seen a miracle.

Huffing heavily, Collins clutched his chest. His heart was pounding far too fast for comfort. It had taken an absurd amount of effort just to get out of the carriage. If only he had swallowed his pride and accepted their help, he wouldn't be in this sorry state now.

This was the cost of pride!

He tried to regulate this body's Mana. However, his core rejected Mana. He once again circulates Mana through his veins to the core. Unfortunately his core kept rejecting Mana. He had never experienced such a scenario before. it was weird.

Collins displeased, did not bother with it anymore and stood up.

It was noon, he was on a hill with vast grass land. The air would sweep the grass while the bird would glide freely from the air. At the top of the hill was a tiny manor with a courtyard. It looks run-down and neglected.

Is... this the orphanage?

"Baron Collins, we have cleared your items from the carriage and moved them in the orphanage. We will now bid our farewell." The coachman man bowed.

Collins said in a cold voice, "Go."

The father and son duo soon climbed back into their carriage, turning around without another word. They departed quietly, leaving behind only the sound of wheels against gravel.

The son glanced back at Collins as they moved farther and farther away. He fidgeted nervously, then turned to look at his father, his eyes full of unspoken questions. He seemed eager to say something but held his words back, unsure.

Noticing his son's actions, "His not that bad from rumors say, huh, Auriel?"

"Indeed, he's been a bit different ever since he arrived here," Auriel added thoughtfully. "I shouldn't have judged him like my friends did. Rumors are just that, rumors."

The father said nothing and focused on the road.

Collins trudged up the sloping road toward the orphanage, sweat pouring down his face with every step. His bulk jiggled uncomfortably as he moved, and his clothes quickly became soaked through once again. The effort alone was exhausting, but he kept going.

"Maddening!" Collins scowled. This bothersome inferior body! "In the name of Dark Lord, what did the owner eat to form this orc body?!"

As Collins drew closer, his eyes caught sight of a solitary figure standing just outside the orphanage. It was a woman dressed in simple nun's robes, her posture calm but resolute. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, his gaze locked onto hers, and hers meeting his without a flicker of hesitation.

It was Selassie!  

"Took you long enough partner, or should I say, Baron Collins?" she said, one hand resting firmly on her hip, a sly smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Like him, she had awakened and arrived by carriage,  though hers came much earlier. Upon arrival, she found the place deserted, with only herself around. The moment she stepped off, a wave of frustration overwhelmed her. She twitched with barely contained anger, nearly smashing the orphanage's gate in her fury.

What employee wouldn't be furious after being down-promoted? Fortunately, she managed to keep her composure, reminding herself that King Yama must have his reasons.

"Where are we?"

"According to the coachman that I arrived with, we are at the rural side of the Royal Empire of Vehllerich, near the borderlines of Aetherian Wilds." she answered.

"I see." This was really the familiar world he lived in.

Collins and Selassie entered the orphanage and were warmly welcomed with dust and webs. Selassie coughed hard from the sudden inhaled particles. They slowly walk in while covering their mouths.

"Behold, Heaven's fully-funded orphanage — Happy Orphanage." Selassie introduce.

...Happy Orphanage?

The entire place was gloomy, not a single spec for him to be happy about.

The walls were riddled with cracks, crawling with insects and scurrying mice slipping through the gaps. Furniture lay in ruin, some barely standing, others shattered beyond repair. Moss and stubborn plants pushed through the creaking floorboards, claiming the space for nature. Compared to this, even the abandoned tower felt like a palace.

How is THIS livable?!

Doubtful, Collins mock. "Is this really the place where Heaven assigned us?"

Ding!

[ System: Mission Triggered ]

---

---

"C-cleaning?..."

His pride twitch, he had never cleaned in his life. As the Absolute Dark Mage, Helcurt Freyhex, he ordered others to grovel in the dirt, never touched it himself. Now, visioning scrubbing floors and unclogging drains felt like divine punishment.

"Can you see the system, the floating screen?"

Selassie nodded, seemingly indifferent. It saved Collins the effort of explaining himself, something he preferred to avoid anyway.

...

The main hall's doors creaked open with a long groan, like the building itself was protesting their entrance. As Collins stepped in, the wooden floor wheezed beneath him.

?!!

"Careful," Selassie warned. "I'm not strong enough to fish you out of the basement if the floor gives in."

Collins sneered. "Hilarious."

Day 1 was hell.

Collins bent down to pick up a broken chair but misjudged his weight and lost his balance, crashing down hard on his rear with a loud, echoing thud. The sudden impact sent a small shockwave through the room, knocking over three more rickety chairs that were barely holding together.

"...!"

This blasted frame!!!

Selassie, who had been sweeping nearby, had to stop mid-motion as a soft chuckle escaped her lips. She quickly covered her amusement, but the sight was too much to ignore.

"Stop wheezing and help me up, woman!" he said while being red as a tomato.

He couldn't even squeeze through the narrower corridors, forced to sit in the hallway like a stranded walrus, reaching in with a broom just to clean.

Every time he tried to help, the entire building shuddered under his weight. Dust cascaded from the cracked ceilings, settling in clouds around him. Selassie quickly learned to brace herself, anticipating the tremors whenever he shifted.

Still, he tried.

He couldn't swing a mop properly, so he wielded it like a giant spoon — pushing thick sludge toward the door as if scooping soup from a cracked pot.

At one point, while trying to wipe the edges of a narrow window, his arm got hopelessly stuck. Selassie had to find some kitchen oil to grease his elbow before she could finally pull him free, stifling a laugh as she worked.

By nightfall, they had only cleaned a single room.

Selassie flopped on a semi-clean bench. "That's one room down. Twenty-seven to go."

Dammed Heaven!!!