Bishop Reed sat in the guest house of the city of Serenia. Situated on 33rd Ring Road, right outside the intersection where the Tax Office stood. The Guest House had become practically the base of the CEF for these days.

In the private room, the CEF magician wiped his head and bowed to the Bishop. A blue orb shone in front of them, losing its light as the magician’s mana started to go away. Bishop Reed turned to the Magician. He moved his flattened palm toward his chin and lowered it.

The Magician signed a ’thank you’ back and left.

Reed leaned back in his chair, stared at the roof of the room. A madder red was spreading around his pupils. The superiors back in the headquarters gave him a go ahead. Those stupid knights and the mafia bastards won’t come in the way anymore.

"Bishop," His aide walked in. "Our forces have started inspecting all the places, along with the guards. We found that woman."

"Go on."

"She was a brothel worker, she didn’t know that thing’s nature, but claimed that it had helped her before and again this time. Karina was her name."

"It said nothing?"

"Nothing."

"But clearly intelligent."

"Clearly."

Reed chuckled. Such a thing could only be a demon. Only a demon, only a demon! He hissed, his heart pumping. Ah... a demon was here.

"Corruption? I am guessing not."

The aide nodded silently. Ah, what a situation this was. Very rarely had they ever had to fight with demons in such a manner, one where they are so well hidden and so obscure. Where could it have gone?

Where in the world... A guess, existed. Reed had one doubt, one fleeting, tumbling doubt in his mind. It was so narrow a possibility that he almost didn’t want to believe it, but it was difficult to leave it be.

"The Forbidden Fairy Forest..." Reed said it out loud, and the aide gasped.

"My lord, you do not possibly think that would be the case. Not even demons would go through the Fairy Forest. And if anyone survives there, the worst of the worst awaits them."

"Hah... the worst. I have been saying it forever. These witches are nothing but a source of evil." Reed sighed and stood up from his seat. His eyes glanced over the dark room. The wizard for communication had already left. Never did they want any of them listening in on important conversations.

The CEF operated on a very tight rope, and that rope was tight around the necks of all their members too.

"Get looking, everywhere. I thought it was strange near Kroma village too." Reed felt it. Straight in his heart. It was thumping oh so loudly. He wanted the world rid of all evil. This was... this was his destiny too! To get rid of the witches.

It was perfect.

"Search for traces leading to the Forbidden Fairy Forest. We will eradicate the monster at the source... and ah, for justification. We are looking for the man it has kidnapped. We will find and save that man too."

"He would be dead by now."

"Whatever, just slap any guy on that position."

Reed moved towards the windows, and looked out at the city of Serenia. His eyes were beyond the walls, toward the giant forest in the distance. What a grand way to grow it would be, he would ascend, for sure. If he could bring down the evil witch queen from this world, the witch queen that has been looming over this land for the last 300 years.

Oh, how God would love him! How God would spread His hands wide and embrace him!

"My lord."

The aide bowed and turned away, starting to leave.

A crow sat outside the window of the guest house, peering inside. Reed saw it and smiled. They said Crows were signs of both death and the dead, of a time to go and the gone watching over you.

"Haha..."

An omen like that was truly fitting for such a time, he hoped that his ancestors were watching over him as he took steps to change the world.

It was fitting.

***

The Torville Gang was in shambles. Many of their members in the city of Serenia were being arrested, and the rest had no choice but to keep moving around and lay low due to the presence of the damned guards all around.

"Tony! You’re here!"

"Sir!" In one part of the sewers where a table and many chairs and couches were set up, one of the members approached the Caporegime. "Three more of us have been arrested."

"Damn it!" The capo slammed the table. "That makes 7!"

"What do we do... we are all going to get caught like this."

"We just have to survive a few more days," said the Capo. "The Consigliere is coming here, and he will bring our treasure."

The solderatoes’ eyes widened. Three of them present here, and the rest hidden in many other places. All the members of the Torville Gang knew of the treasure, in fact, it was an open secret across the lands.

"The Obscurer? We will use the Obscurer?" Tony asked.

"Of course. What else can we do if the fucking CEF and the knights are behind our ass. He will bring an Obscurer, and we will go back to the capital of the Duchy."

The only reason such a mafia gang could operate in the central city of the Duke was simple. The Torville Gang possessed a treasured item built in the republic a long time ago, and all its copies. The Obscurer, a device that made them imperceptible to normal eyes, even magic couldn’t detect someone hidden with that treasure.

It was the best bet they had, and their constant trump card too.

"We will escape this damned city soon..."

Right then, a clank resounded. Like glass hitting the ground. All of their eyes turned to the side.

"Who’s there!?" The Capo screamed.

A homeless drunk was walking away... in quite the distance.

"Ah..." he muttered.

"Fuck off, damn it!"

"Eek!"

The drunk shouted and ran away. All the members sighed.

Very soon, they’d be out of this place.