18 Operation2/3

The sun had finally set and it was already night. At the back of Elwin's house was already part of the forest connected to the mountain. Trees with their prolific leaves flank Elwin's small abode.

Perched on a branch of a tree near Elwin's house, Owen sat comfortably, hidden perfectly by its thick leaves. Through the open window, he secretly watched what was happening inside Elwin's house.

Two figures, Elwin and Nerys, could be seen by the kitchen window of the house. It was already dark, and the faint glow of a candle barely lit the entire kitchen.

In Elwin's small kitchen, the heavy, tantalizing aroma of roasted lamb filled the air.

"Smells delicious!" Elwin chirped as he removed the mittens from his hands.

Elwin placed a roasted leg lamb at the center of the table on a polished wooden platter, its golden-brown crust shimmering faintly in the light of a nearby oil lamp.

Wisps of steam curled upward, carrying the heady fragrance of rosemary and garlic, which had been rubbed generously into the meat before its slow, deliberate roasting.

He swallowed as he stared at the food, then glanced at Nerys, who sat across from him at the table.

Nerys had been watching him closely since the food preparation began.

"Nerys, I'll let you have the first bite!"

Nerys on the other hand was reluctant. Even watching Elwin earlier preparing the raw piece of young lamb meat, he couldn't help but feel terrified and pitied the animal's tragic fate.

"I…" he hesitated, unsure of how he should respond to Elwin's invite, "Elwin… My kind don't eat meat."

Hearing his confession, Elwin paused in surprise, staring at Nerys directly in his eyes. How could an underworld creature don't eat meat?

"Is… Is that so?" Elwin muttered, a little skeptical.

Nerys felt like laughing at his reaction, his green eyes glimmering like an innocent child. He stood up from his seat and raised his hand to ruffle Elwin's fluffy, ginger hair.

"Yes, but perhaps I can try…" Nerys said despite himself, "Will you get me something I can use to cut... to cut the meat?"

"Of course!"

Elwin quickly turned to grab the utensils, his back now to Nerys. Meanwhile, Nerys's sharp forest-green eyes flickered as he subtly tilted his head, glancing at the tree outside through the open window.

Owen flinched the moment his eyes met Nerys's for a brief instant. He immediately ducked his head, his heart pounding wildly at the thought of being discovered.

How'd he know I am here? 

"The night breeze is getting cold, I should close the window," Nerys stated and casually strode towards the window. He took another glance at the tree where Owen was hiding before closing the window.

Owen didn't linger any longer and quickly climbed down the tree. After casting one last glance at the house, he headed straight to the chapel where he and his team were staying.

When he arrived, he was immediately asked to come to the Deacon's office.

Upon arriving at the office, he found his team already gathered along with Deacon Frantz. However, his attention was drawn to an unfamiliar white-haired man standing beside the seated Deacon.

The man was dressed in formal attire: a white shirt, a black vest, and a double-breasted tailcoat. A bow tie at his neck and black gloves on his hands hinted at his role, leaving the Sanction member to wonder what he was doing in the chapel. His short white hair was slicked back, giving him a clean and sharp appearance.

The man noticed Owen's surprised expression, his scarlet-red eyes scanning the newcomer without uttering a word. He remained silent, standing guard beside the Deacon. Before Owen could ask any questions, the Deacon gestured for him to take the empty chair prepared for him.

"This is Atticus, he'll be working with me for a while." Deacon Frantz started, unbothered by the mixed reaction from the team.

Owen and his team simultaneously turned their gaze to the white-haired man standing beside the Deacon, their faces reflecting a mix of surprise and alarm.

Atticus? That name was certainly infamous among exclusive people in the church and, of course, among heretic people.

Wasn't that the name of an evil entity worshiped by heretics?

"Deacon…sir, h-how… no, when—"

Molly wasn't able to finish her question. She could not even rack her brain to pose a more appropriate question to ask.

Frantz glanced in her direction, his ragged appearance made her feel a little guilty for asking. The Deacon seemed, to her, to be in a weary state to explain. Did he even get some sleep?

The Deacon understood everyone's confusion. The white-haired man's imprisonment was not disclosed to the members of Sanction, except for those members who were present during the time of the operation and captured him.

Since the church hadn't thought of what to do with the captured evil entity, and to their relief, the entity seemed to be not violent and was more docile, especially towards Frantz, the church decided to appoint the Deacon to look after him. 

Cerefina Village was a secluded estate in the countryside, owned by the Loic family. Thanks to Nolan's father's strong ties with the church, they had been granted access to his land.

"It just happened that his name was Atticus, don't get any ideas." Deacon Frantz merely said to answer their confusion.

Owen and the rest looked at Frantz before they darted their eyes back to the man beside him. That was a plausible explanation for them to believe.

They subtly nodded their head in response to the Deacon to show they understood.

"A fire has been detected at the center of the forest as per a local official's report. The local leaders will cooperate with us to make our investigation at the scene. Owen, I need you to do the investigation as soon as possible."

Owen and the team listened carefully to the Deacon's report. One of the drawbacks of having short members was their delayed response to certain events, which could hinder their chances of capturing heretics.

Seeing that there was no question from the Sanction members, Frantz continued. "The two lunatics that had been captured will be put in prison here for the time being for questioning before we can hand them over to the Oslo for their final verdict."

Oslo was a penitentiary colony of their empire, where criminals were penalized for their crimes. Heretic people were also thrown in there for their sinful ways or while they awaited their final verdict from the church. Like other criminals, depending on the severity of their sin, heretics were sentenced to death.

"We cannot guarantee a perfect cleanup operation here. These heretics are like termites, continuing to multiply regardless of our efforts unless we eliminate their Queen. We must serve justice to the innocent victims who met a horrible end at the hands of these repugnant lunatics."

The members were moved by the passion in the Deacon's voice. They, too, felt a burning resolve in their hearts, a sense of heroism that had driven them to join the Sanction.