After the maids of his had arrived, Albus enacted his plan. Avis diligently stalked this group of ruffians for a few months and when the time came they struck.

A group of men in rambunctious spirits had made fools of themselves as they exited the pub. They punched each other, spilt beer on the ground, slapped each other's asses (as well as any passers-by) and were a general nuisance to anyone that lived in the small village. They left the village and no one there longed for their return.

As the day soon turned to night, a woman walking home noticed how empty the main dirt road of the village had gotten.

"That's strange… is there something going on?"

She continued walking along the road but as much as she walked there was no one else but her. Maybe the village had decided to rest early after those punks had been partying all day. As long as she got home, she could always ask her parents what was going on.

She got somewhat side-tracked looking for another person and groaned when she realised ended up on the side of the village further away from her home.

"I swear, everywhere here looks the same." She muttered as she turned around. As she walked she noticed something in the yard of the nearby houses. With the night so dark she hadn't noticed it before but there was something on the ground. It breathed and made a strange sound as it lay on the floor.

("Don't tell me it's a stray sheep? Shit maybe it's a wolf!") As she decided to mind her own business rather than mess with a strange creature on the ground, a hand was placed around her mouth.

She briefly considered it was a friend trying to frighten her but she was quickly sent to the floor and dragged behind the stone fence of the home she viewed. She didn't know what was going on and tried to struggle out of it but she couldn't move her limbs the way she wanted. She noticed a powder had been thrown in her face and slowly lost consciousness. As she felt herself fading the thing in front caused her to make a muffled scream to briefly ring throughout the village. It was no animal but a human being that looked to be in terrible condition. Their head was split open though they kept breathing.

As she desperately tried to figure out what was going on, she finally fell unconscious.

She woke up in a cell with her hands and legs chained. She tried to call for help but a gag had been tied around her mouth.

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Albus was staring into her cell, looking quite curious.

"She's not gonna cut it." He disappointedly remarked.

"I see, Lord Bradley. Then what shall we do with her?" The maid beside him asked.

"For the time being, we'll figure it out after these contacts of my uncle stop by."

The woman had been making noises for help but the pair paid her no mind as they walked off.

Soon rumours began spreading across the parish about what had happened in the village. Mysterious attackers had come in the dead of night in a peaceful village and taken all the young women they could get their hands on. What happened the day after, all but confirmed who the suspects were. At least to those not in the know.

The estate was littered with the bodies of young men; they were especially concentrated around a few select individuals.

"These adventurer guys did better than I thought," Albus commented as he walked around with one man in his hand. He held him by his neck and twisted it unnaturally.

"Is having these fools die for you necessary my lord?" Avis commented.

"Honestly I'm not sure. I do feel kinda bad having them die for us but I feel we'd be worse off if we showed we were capable of defending ourselves against these guys." He dropped the man in his hand to the floor. "More importantly, these guys aren't aware of what we do right?" He asked with uncertainty.

"(It's been a while since I've seen him this worried.) Worry not, Lord Bradley it seems they've only committed this act in some vain sense of patriotism."

As if a switch had been flicked in him he was back to his usual self. "Whew is that so? (I don't know what I would have done if these guys had figured me out.)"

----------------------------------------

Several days after the attack, an officer commonly known as O'Reilly had visited him.

"I tell ya, it's sick what those bastards did," O'Reilly said.

Albus had various parts of his body wrapped in gauze.

"I knew they were bad but this is out of hand. To think they'd have the arrogance to attack a proud noble of this nation. And you say that wasn't all?" Albus said as he did his best to sound appalled.

"That's right, from what we've heard they've also kidnapped some women as well. Cormac and his gang have gone too far this time. And just because of some silly beliefs about a place that doesn't exist anymore." O'Reilly sounded dismissive when he said that last statement and Albus nodded along. "I'm sorry this is how you had to experience this parish."

"Oh please, I won't let these stains on your parish ruin my perception of it, Officer O'Reilly."

"Well, I'm glad to hear. Since this was such a big commotion, you wouldn't mind if me and the boys guarded the property for a few days."

"I don't mind but… with how many came out are you sure there are any left?" Albus asked.

O'Reilly groaned and wasn't expecting this reaction. "Unfortunately, this might not be the end of it. I've heard that boy say he has members in the thousands and given I've seen him strutting about the parish no worse for wear he might not be telling a lie."

Albus's eyes opened but O'Reilly would have found it suspicious if he was so calm after hearing something like that.

"I-I see. I do hope we can capture these barbarians soon."

"Don't worry we'll be on it in no time."