Chapter 21: Blood Sanctuary

"Well, come in, my good man. You too, Evan. Let's talk inside." I swung the door wide open, ushering both of them into the room. Grabbing a spare chair, I placed it opposite me and settled into my own. Julius Wattson took a seat across from me, while Evan stood beside me.

"Sebastian, have you found any clues on the Ripper?" he inquired, wearing a serious expression. In response, I handed him the file Evan had given me.

"Check it out yourself, Wattson."

"Alright." He accepted the file, and after about ten minutes, he placed it back on the table. "Most of it is very similar to our file, with some differences in suspects and investigations. But suspecting reputable figures like Madam Leena and Sir Wilson is quite daring. However, your logic is sound."

Madam Leena... I thought inwardly, recalling another character, a minor villain in the first volume who worshipped an evil god.

Julius Wattson continued speaking, "Well, I once again got to see the amazing skills of your boy and you. I think you both can assist our Enforcer branch in these districts. We'd like to officially hire you, on account of your skills shown in the Evil Cult case."

"Is that so?" I mused, rubbing my chin. Tapping the table with my index finger as if contemplating, I finally spoke, "Well, what will be the payment?"

"We have decided that if we do manage to find the Ripper, his bounty alone is 300 pounds, of which half would be given to you. Additionally, you would be paid 200 pounds by the Enforcers," Julius Wattson explained.

"Are other detectives also invited?" I questioned.

"Yes."

"We'll consider it," I replied, leaning back in my chair, a thoughtful expression on my face.

"Hmm, do ponder about it," his words lingered in the air.

As I closed my eyes, a weighty silence descended, creating an atmosphere filled with anticipation. Evan and Julius seemed to hold their breaths, waiting for my next move.

Exactly two minutes later, I opened my eyes, meeting Julius's serious gaze. His face had taken on a more solemn expression as he questioned, "What's the matter? Did you realize something again? Who's the culprit?"

"You think too much," I replied, a touch of flatness in my tone. Continuing, I added, "This matter carries a lot of danger."

"Danger?"

"Yes, indeed. I suggest you contact the church to send a strong wizard force. Things will be very risky," I cautioned, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

"What do you mean?" Julius questioned, a deep frown etched on his face.

"This case runs very deep. That's all I can say," I replied in a mysterious voice. "Moreover, anyone involved in this case should immediately come under protection, preferably with the assistance of an Exorcist of Holy Affinity."

"No kidding?" He questioned, seeking confirmation.

"No kidding," I affirmed.

"But I need some proof. Can't convince the department with just words, even if it's yours."

"Use your brain, Wattson, use your brain," I advised in a serious manner. "Have you heard of the midnight businessman?"

"Yes," he replied. The midnight businessman, a ghost popular among the people, began making headlines two years ago.

While many dismissed it as the imagination of a talented author or a delusion, this was actually a real person, the so-called Sir Wilson. He was a wizard at gate two, of the darkness affinity. Though not a lot of information about him wasn't mentioned I could speculate that he was a part of The First Order.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"If my investigations are correct, he is a wizard at Gate 2 who is trying to reach the next gate. He is, in truth, preparing for a ritual."

"What?!" Julius could no longer keep his calm. Matters like these weren't something to be joked about, especially in a world where wizards existed. While this world was very similar to Earth, there was a line that separated both worlds. Even though there seemed to be laws to protect normal citizens, there existed wizards – pursuers of truths. Why would the law matter to them? All they pursued was knowledge, akin to power.

"This..." It seemed like Julius was now completely speechless. The weight of the revelation hung heavy in the air. In a world where even a single wizard could unleash chaos, the gravity of the situation hit him.

"Thank you very much for this information," Enforcer Wattson said, his tone laced with a mix of disbelief and concern. In a hurried manner, he walked towards the door. Before exiting, he turned around and fixed a penetrating gaze on me. "Be aware, though I don't know what kind of investigation method you used to uncover this, there are chances some curse might have affected you."

"And do consider my offer. The evaluation I had about your skills just escalated to a whole new level." Saying this, he finally exited the door. Witnessing his departure, I couldn't help but release a sigh of relief. No matter what, dealing with an official Enforcer was no small matter. A criminal would always be wary of the police no matter how flawless he is – this was the case for me too, moreover I had many flaws.

'They should be able to trace suspicion to Madam Leena...' The thought lingered in my mind. Madam Leena, a facade of respectability in high society, concealed her true identity as a wizard at Gate 1. Yet, the real menace stemmed from her affiliation with Blood Sanctuary, a clandestine organization veiled in darkness. What sent shivers down the spine was the potential presence of wizards at the rank of pillars within this enigmatic group. After all, its existence and history could be traced back to the Second Generation.

Unlike The Wizard Society, Blood Sanctuary harbored fanatics of the highest order, individuals whose sanity teetered on the brink. Within this gate, the majority were marked by mental instability. Their worship centered around an evil deity known by various ominous titles – Blood God, Primordial Degeneration, God of Apocalypse – but they collectively hailed it as The Abomination Progenitor.

A god that came from the cosmos, and bestowed the gateway to humanity, or rather a few people. At least that was the information of him, given in the novel. His believers then came together and formed an organization called the Blood Sanctuary.

They had an entire book similar to the Bible. This book was called, The Book of Revelation. It had a place called Sanctuary of the God, obviously referring to The Abomination Progenitor. This was the reason, this organization was named Blood Sanctuary. The members of this organization were major villains in the second volume and also some were minor villains in the first volume.

And well, I wanted to remove all these minor villains before the plot started, as it would make things much easier. However, undoubtedly the main target was Ripper. Though he wasn't the one who killed Alister Kelmort, which was me, he indirectly caused all of this shit. Sigh, at the end this was a fantasy world, where strength mattered a lot.

Pondering about all this quietly, I finally broke the silence that had enveloped the room. "Evan, fetch those files," I said to Evan as I looked towards the cupboard.

Evan quickly nodded and then walked toward the cupboard, bringing a total of six files. Haa, this man had stockpiled quite a lot of cases right?

"Well, quite a trove of cases we have here," I remarked as I set aside The Ripper Case File, focusing on the remaining five. Gradually, I eliminated two more files, deeming them too precarious. It wasn't that these cases were inherently challenging; rather, they seemed suspicious, riddled with loopholes that could expose my recent activities.

Turning my attention to the remaining three files, they appeared comparatively straightforward. One involved the search for a missing boy, another was commissioned by a journalist seeking an investigation into a potential criminal's clandestine activities, and the third bore the title The Lost Detective. Commissioned by the family of Detective Remus Grunder, even the Enforcers were on the lookout for him due to his impressive track record. However, his family entrusted me with the case, citing a history of collaboration between the detective and me.

"We've postponed these files for far too long. Evan, consider this a challenge—solve the case of the missing boy." The Lost Detective and the Criminal Case were deemed too dangerous for a young boy like him, leaving me with no choice but to entrust Evan with The Missing Boy case.

"Furthermore, let's treat our clients like royalty," I declared, surprising him considerably. With a touch of drama and humor, he responded, "Who are you? What have you done to my boss? Imposter!"

"Enough with the theatrics, or the rod won't be spared," I deadpanned. "Boss, what happened to your motto?" Suddenly, he adopted a serious expression and replied in a flat tone, "Treat your customers like absolute garbage; this world is full of masochists."

"Looks like I'll have to dock your pay."

"No, Sir, right away!" he exclaimed, swiftly taking the file from me.