Round Church Table

"How did the fire occur?"

The busy station of the Churchmembers were voiced with concern upon the sudden blaze that had appeared in the slums. Some of the higher position of the church members had gathered around the round table, seemingly trying to figure out the start of the fire as it happened so suddenly.

"It's still unknown, sir," replied the weak subordinate who had stood up behind all the men sitting on the round table.

"This is unacceptable!" Said a man who had slammed his fist down to the table. His bright silver eyes are a proof of his werewolf nature and his big torso could cover almost four of the people around the table in ease. He appeared to be angry despite wearing the cleanest white uniform that could put anyone to shame.

Seeing the calmness that other church members had shown despite the sudden fire that had caused hundred of casualty, the werewolf snapped in anger.

"It had been a week since the fire occurred and none of you had found a reason for it?! Have you all slacken and forgotten that our Lady Saintess would be deeply stricken with grief knowing that none of you have fulfilled your oath of protecting the weak!" He yelled, slamming his fist again on the table.

The other church members went silent.

Truth to be told, none of them had really cared about the condition of the slums. Since long, the slum was simply a burden and a shame to Rainville. Most of the children of the slums were thieves while the adults were alcoholics who had wasted all their good fortune for nothing but sins.

They also thought how great it would be if the slums were to disappear, and much to their luck, it did disappear suddenly.

Would they care of who had burned the slums? No. Would they care the reason for those people's deaths? No.

They simply held the meeting because the pressing needs from the citizen around Rainville who feared the sudden fire. The citizen didn't care if the slums were gone either, they just didn't want the fire to engulf them to their bones as well.

A snake like woman opened her folding fan by flicking her wrist. Her red lips curved upward as she stared at the werewolf and chuckled. "Calm down Santoz, what is the reason for you to be so angered? I didn't know you cared about the Slums so deeply."

"They are innocent people, Maria!" Santoz said with anger, her claws seemed to slowly morphed from the edge of his knuckles as he angrily looked at Maria who was calm in comparison. "Hundred of innocent people had died and you will just sit here without trying to find out the cause and reason for their deaths?!"

"Innocent people?" Maria scoffed. "You must have forgotten that they also kill each other there and steal for a living! None of them are innocent."

Santoz frowned, "Perhaps some of them are. Just like how in this room there are many sinful men who only care of their own wellbeing despite holding the name of the Saintess, there could be innocent people there who had never been touched by sins!"

"That is kind of superficial don't you think?" The sudden voice ringing in the room stopped the older werewolf and the vampiress. Magnus who had been sitting at main chair had crossed his legs and placed his hands with a faint smirk, "If you really cared about those people of the slums, why weren't you working to find the cause either, Knight Santoz?"

Santoz's eyes flickered at the younger man in front of him and it turned into a frown.

"Perhaps because you are the new Lord of Rainville but it seems that you don't understand that I belong to a different division. Even if I wish to help some people just wouldn't let me to help," said Santoz, his eyes falling to the vampiress, Maria who had scoffed upon meeting eyes.

Magnus' lips quirked higher and he turned his head to Lady Maria, "So you are the one who was assigned to find the proof of arson, I assume?"

"Indeed Lord Magnus. The name is Maria Ulric," the vampires pulled a smug smile knowing that Magnus is also a vampire like her and would side to her.

Surprsing her was what Magnus said next, "It seems that I have to assign your work to Santoz then. He seemed to be more capable than you and more driven in finding situation that had led to this arson case."

Madam Maria's eyes widened as she hadn't expected Magnus to easily pushed her work to Santoz who was akin to her mortal enemy, "Lord! If I dare to say, this wolf isn't as capable as he presented himself to be. For the fact is, he still couldn't find the damned phantom thief who had been causing havoc!!"

Santoz scoffed and slammed his hands again to the table, this time the punch had caused for the wood under his hands bend and cracked.

"If I have to remind you, Madam Ulric, this quest of finding the phantom thief first landed on your hands and your division. However, you are incapable of finding the phantom thief for a whole decade thus causing for me to take care of it. Between you and me, who is more incapable?"

The other church members who saw them fighting only shook their heads. The one person who seemed to be relaxed despite the loud argument Madam Maria and Knight Santoz had, raised his hands. His long black hair seemed to cover his bright white lashes which had made him stood out like a sore thumb between the other normal looking people.

"Lord Magnus if I may speak," said the man. Despite him seemingly to be older than Magnus, he didn't fail to deliver his politeness to the new governor of Rainville.

"Go on," Magnus tapped his finger as he had relaxed his back cozily on the couch. His pale knuckles seemed to have clenched as he created the tapping sound with his fingernail.

The man swiped away his straight long hair that appeared like thread of webs and spoke without looking at both Santoz and Maria who was stunned as he had raised his hands to speak. Typically the man would never speak that hearing his voice was as rare as hearing a siren's song.

"Although Madam Ulric hadn't found any clues to the burning, I have received an odd information from my subordinate," said the man as he fiddled with his long black nails.

"What could that be?" Magnus inquired as the man had hesitated.

"There were traces of magic," said the man that made the rest of the people sitting on the chair to gasp.

"What did you say Raphael?" Santoz inquired, his eyes had turned brighter almost in a glint that a sword would give.

"Magic," Raphael's eyes lifted up toward Santoz, showing a sense of eerie naivety.

"I heard that," Santoz sighed, "But you should also know that humans who could use magic are only those in the church. Do you know that you could be accusing someone with mere words?"

Raphael seemed to stare at him with a look of disapproval, "I am not accusing anyone, I merely state what I have found. Didn't you want an evidence?"

"Of course I do! But only those who are in the church could use magic. For what reason would those men who worship the saintess hurt innocent people?" Santoz angrily inquired, apparently offended that the churchmembers were questioned for their beliefs. "Everyone outside the church had always accused us of violence and greed, but I do not expect that you would do so either, Raphael."

"I… merely told you what I have found, it is you who interpreted it that way…" Raphael had spoke softly but this words only seemed to fuel more anger in Santoz that his eyes grew brighter in anger.

Magnus sighed seeing how the three were a bad match of each other. Madam Maria clearly despise Santoz's strong justice, seemingly hating the man's guts for being hypocritical and superficial. Meanwhile, Santoz couldn't bring himself to like either Madam Maria for her manipulative nature as well as Raphael insensitivity.

"I see," Magnus commented while looking at the table. He had been haunted by that girl's crying sounds and thought of finding the reason for her family's deaths. It would have been better if the girl's family died in an accident but it seemed that the fire in the slums was no mere "accident".

"Lord Magnus, surely you don't believe that one of the church members had done it do you?" Santoz said in an alarm.

Magnus stared at the man's eyes, lifting lazily his crimson gaze and pulled his left lips higher, "What makes you believe that the church members are innocent, Knight Santoz? Even the purest being in this world, the saintess could also kill people if there was a reason."

"The saintess wouldn't!" Santoz bellowed, his voice rang so loudly that Madam Maria and Raphael had to squeeze their ears together.

Only Magnus was unmoved at the howl, as though he had expected it.

This knight, he had proved to be the most annoying.

He is one of the devout worshipper of the saintess, believing she is an innocent being when she was far from it.

"Tsk," Magnus thought of something that immediately soured his mood. He pushed himself to stand, "It appears that there is nothing to be talked about anymore then. Ulric, if you do not see that it would benefit you to find the cause of the slump's blaze, then you do not have a reason to stay in this room either."

Madam Maria's eyes grew wider, "Lord?! Are you saying that—"

"—Yes," Magnus cut her off with his velvet voice, looking at the creatures in front of him with a slight frown and smile. "I am saying that if you do not show me that you are capable of doing such a simple task that a five year old could do, you could pack your belonging and leave the Church for good, or best, leave Rainville. I have no use of incompetent people."

Shocked that Magnus wasn't on her side despite both being vampires, Madam Maria fell on her chair in shock. The last thing she wants to waste her time in was to find the reason for the slums's fire— as it would be clear that it was a mere fire started accidentally by those foolish peasant.

Magnus then removed his gaze and raised his eyebrow at Santoz who seemed to be holding contempt over the words he had uttered that disgraced his precious saintess. Yet despite the glare, Magnus's smile widened and his crimson lips enjoyed the sight of someone defending the saintess to feel offended by the clear truth.

"And you, Knight Santoz. It is about time that you let go of the phantom thief case. If you cannot find a mere human who had stole here and there, you can close the case and work on something else," Magnus hummed as he walked toward the door. "You can help Ulric with her endeavor to find real truth of the slums. That case is more pressing than a mere thief."

"If I may, milord," said Santoz who was trying to be polite despite still holding a grudge against his words, "If I do not take care of the phantom thief's case, wouldn't they take the advantage and steal from more shops?"

Magnus recalled the soft cries that kept him awake at night and lowered his long black lashes, "That won't happen anymore."

"Milord," said Raphael who suddenly raised his hands. "If Knight Santoz decided to stop looking for the phantom thief, I can take care of the case."

Magnus hummed, placing his hand under his chin, "Not necessary. But you can also go to the slums and look at it yourself. As someone with magic, perhaps you can find out better what happened in the slums."

"As you wish," said Raphael, bowing forward as Magnus walked out of the room, followed by Madam Maria and Knight Santoz who both appeared to be holding dislikes on the actions Magnus had taken.

In comparison, Magnus appeared to be calm, not caring of their hatred or contempt as it matters less to him what those measly creatures could be thinking of.

As he looked at the bright sky outside the window, his lips pursed a little.

He wondered if that girl will finally leave her room today for he worried she would wither from crying too much.

"Humans won't die from crying would they?" Magnus suddenly spoke, startling Tuesday the butler.

Looking at Magnus' mighty broad back and his hair that reached almost his nape, Tuesday questioned the sudden inquiry his lord had uttered to him and shook his head, "I'm sure they won't, as long as they stay hydrated and eat. Humans aren't too weak."

"Perhaps," Magnus whispered, "But cats are weak."