How long has it been since then?

Five years? Six years?

She left from my life for so long. Was it long due to it being a fifth of my life? Or was it due to my longing for the time that has passed to come back?

Time…

It’s all due to that Fucker…

I look at my wrist, where the wristwatch snuggly fits. I sincerely wish it wasn’t a gift.

Irregular I-2766, The Watches of the Watcher. The personal watch from the Cult of Time Leader.

I turned to the second mode and looked at the displayed status. Twenty-four hours had passed, and I changed it to how much Mana I should have currently.

It shows nothing.

“System.”

Nothing shows up.

Supposedly, a layer that is invisible to everyone else should have shown up.

Was it because I am foreign from this world? Or is it because I haven’t been baptized by the System Church? That shouldn’t be. The Demon race wouldn’t have the System either if they needed the System Church’s permission.

If I don’t have access to the System, the people in my world and I will be much weaker than those here. Individuals power only though.

I glanced at my bag, except if you count the modern gun and Irregular in my world. The world of Idam would be a helpless prey under the Factions.

The Government will gladly integrate the six countries. The Industry will greedily eye the abundant resources. The Safe Company will want to capture the new Irregulars, and other major Factions will join in devouring anything in this world. Not to mention the smaller Factions like the Hospital.

Nothing can stop them if they are determined.

And it’s apparent they will be focused on this world.

If a small Pocket Dimension filled with Space Oddities can cause a significant conflict, how will they react knowing about Idam?

I know even the hibernating Time or the elusive Goddess will pay attention. Unless they already know. The goal between the God System and the Goddess is, after all, similar, eradicating the Irregulars.

Can I stop it? Can I hide it? No. Regardless of the Faction goal I am in or my intention, we suddenly wanted to hide the Information about Idam’s existence. It is still a definite no.

Sooner or later, these people will be greeted by foreign invaders.

But. There is also the matter of language and disease immunity. It strongly suggested someone else already come to this place first before me.

One of the suspects was probably her…

Ah… I tried so hard not to think of her yet at the end it came back to be about her.

I should look for distractions.

Looking around, I was currently in a visibly better building, both in material and aesthetics.

“So this is the Central district.”

Who would have thought a gang wouldn’t have their secret base in the West and South districts, their territory, and instead placed them in a district known for their exclusivity? They are also called as the Noble district.

It was filled with the noble’s mansions and their servant’s residences.

~~~~~

“So, do you finally want to talk?”

A young woman in a purple light armour swaying a fireball on her right hand. The fire illuminated her face as her pony-tailed pink hair bobbed left and right. The dagger in her left hand shines as it just feasted on fresh blood.

Beneath her was an old man with a charred body. His arms were full of slashes, and no hair was left on his head.

His whimper is drowned by two knights in the shop.

Daniel furtively peeked at his Lady, murmuring as he rummaged the cabinet over the front table.

“Thank God you followed my advice to change clothes. Your favourite dress would have been much dirtier if not. Lady should stop hiding her tomboyish side.”

His twin, Danny, heard it. He was busy executing the injured thugs that had barged in from the outside, low-position members that wouldn’t know their new base location.

Unlike the illegal trader they just apprehended, which was the Wild Boys main trade route in this district.

“Daniel.”

“What? I am right this time. Hmm? What is this?”

Daniel brings out two items from the cabinet. One was a pouch. Opening them, he found out they were candies. Despite the bizarre appearance, he can recognize it as candies due to how addicted his Lady is to good candy.

“My Lady, look at this.”

He threw the pouch to Anna, and she caught it. Seeing the inside, she smiled and pocketed them.

“Tell me the location of your new base and where you got this kind of candies?”

She lifted her leg backward and kicked the old man, making him sit on his back instead of on all fours.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Please stop…. I.. Will tell you… our base is in… the mansion in… the seventh telyard street…”

Both of the knights stopped their activity.

Anna didn’t notice it as they finally had new information. They just scoured all over the West district for this information. Literally eliminating most of the Wild Boys business in the district.

“Telyard Street? Wasn’t that one of the Central district streets? An expensive one at that. Why did you guys relocate to that place? And how?”

~~~~~

If I remember correctly, my damn father has one mansion in the Telyard street. The fact the Demons have their new base near it was suspicious.

The Demon worshipper in front of me replied slowly.

“It was to… avoid.. The Ghost…”

If it’s everywhere else, everyone wouldn’t understand the implication. The Ghost of the Heart City is a ghost demon who has terrorized the West District for five years.

Under Theresa’s direct order, the Ghost is not disturbed or exorcised. Its main activity was in the West district, but it has slowly increased to other districts in recent years.

Now, that kind of makes sense. That Ghost also targeted these guys before moving from here to the South district. Then, we hunted their South district base.

Now, the next question.

“How did you guys have a mansion in such a place?”

All I earned was an anxious face. Just when I wanted to threaten him again, a familiar voice rang out from the door.

“It’s your father’s mansion. Since his death, the mansion was inherited by your uncle. This confirmed your uncle’s connection with the Demon.”

She is Theresa. She had to go somewhere else, I don’t know where, but my guess was the empty house. Her statement made me glance at Daniels and Danny. They seem to know when he spouted the street name.

I started to think.

Again? How deep is my late father’s connection with the Demon? I could hear Daniel commenting on Theresa’s statement.

“Must be that desperate for them to move into such a high-risk location.”

“Or they need the nobles as a sacrifice.”

Daniel disagreed. He lodged his Zweihander into the last remaining thug alive and continued his sentence.

“Either way, we should eradicate them for good this night.”

That I agree. Seeing Theresa staying near the door, she seems to urge us to leave soon. Before leaving, I asked the old man one last question. An essential question.

“Where did you get these cute and sweet-looking candies?”

These candies have the motif of cute animals and fruits. I wonder where to get these.

The old man hasn’t spoken when Daniel comes close to me and shows a blue perfume.

“I think he gets them from the same seller if his ledger is any indication of proof. Look at what is inscribed on it.”

I immediately spotted the name on the perfume.

“Rivan?”

Wasn’t he the guy Theresa knew? Why is his name on this perfume? A love-shaped one nonetheless, I can smell the subtle Rose scent from it.

He tells me a fake name instead of the real name. I should hurl him one fireball for that.

“Bring it to me.”

Feeling the cool blue bottle in my hand, I look toward Theresa. One particular thought entered my mind.

Rivan really brings out multiple emotions from Theresa.

Like right now.

“Quickly.”

I come closer to Theresa, who has her hand outstretched. Despite her usual gentle voice and smile, I can tell she isn’t actually smiling.

Behind me, Danny took care of the old man for good.

Watching how Theresa inspects the perfume with an interest of good gossip, I can barely hear the audible voice.

“Someone dare to pursue him…”

Pursue? So.. Are they in a relationship?

*Crack*

Theresa gripped the perfume so hard it cracked and wounded her own hand. Just then, I remembered the pouch of candies in my pocket.

I offered them to Theresa.

“Big sis, here.”

Hahaha, my excitement and nervousness once again make me call her impolitely again. I should train to suppress this side of mine tomorrow.

Theresa didn’t take it. She waved her bloodied hand. The wounds in the hand are already healed from Theresa’s natural healing ability.

“You take it. That candy should be a new experience of flavour for you. Considering he sells those, it shouldn’t be pure sweet candy. Probably sour or salty or any other flavour is mixed into the candy.”

A salty candy? That’s crazy. I pocketed the candy pouch again since I still had one in my mouth.

Theresa changed her demeanor, the one that means business.

“A new order. The three of you immediately go to Seventh Telyard Street and eradicate the Wily Boys new base. We can’t let this scourge of Demon worshippers run around in the city any longer.”

The three of us replied accordingly.

“Yes, Lady Theresa. The Saintess Will is our duty.”

“It’s possible that you will meet Rivan or the Ghost in this operation. If you did, make sure to help them.”

Rivan is one thing, as we found his traces around this shop. But the Ghost, too? Wasn’t it still restricted to the West district due to its inherent weakness? Telyard Street is near the East district. It can’t reach that far.

“Yes.”

There should be a reason why Theresa speaks that possibility. This is a good chance…

“Go, now.”

On our way out, we could see my subordinate going to clean up the shop. We also could hear Theresa’s whisper.

“It’s a good thing you choose to sell…”

~~~~~

The priest oversaw the cleaning up before leaving the shop. She faces a particular direction and mutters.

“I should take care of her, Sial, was it?”

Not far from where the priest looked, several blocks in distance. A woman was crying with her boyfriend’s family.

“This is all my fault.”

An, her boyfriend had passed away. He was executed by Father Rizky because the Demon ‘Corruption’ on his body was too severe to be left alone.

Sial didn’t have the time to meet An for the last time as when she came back, Father Rizky already left with the proof of An death, his heart.

Sial tried to hold back her tears, but they failed. On her hand was a pair of wedding rings.

In his last letter that failed to reach her, he said he worked in another city to buy a wedding ring. He asked his family to not tell her about it, and they complied.

It’s for a surprise.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been incited by the Demon.”

Her leg went weak, and she slumped over to the ground.

If only she hadn’t been childish and angry if only she didn’t come to the city library if only…

“It’s not your fault, Si. It is our fault. We shouldn’t hide it from you. We should have waited for the Saintess instead of letting Rizky act wild.”

An mother came over to Sial. She had cried so much that she could no longer cry. She consoles the woman she considers as her own daughter.

“Auntie…”

“Shuush.. Sial, can you call me mother for this night?”

Sial mother is her bestfriend. She had long wished Sial to enter her family. She forced her son, An, to work in another city so he could buy the dowry gift and wedding ring much faster.

It’s her fault for being hasty.

She looks toward her bruised husband. He must be feeling the most grief. He failed to stop Father Rizky and then found out the Saintess was in the district. The one who should be able to purify An instead of forced execution.

“Mother…”

Hearing Sial call her mother, she can’t help but hug and cry a dried tear.

A few minutes into their grieving, someone entered the room.

“I had heard of what happened on the way here.”

Sial looked up and saw the Saintess. Her everlasting soft and gentle voice flowed inside the room.

“I am sorry. I should have checked your boyfriend myself instead of letting Father Rizky do it. As for Father Rizky, although his action is wrong, I personally can’t do anything to him to get your justice. He is the direct subordinate of the archbishop instead of mine.”

The archbishop…. He is the vocal supporter of complete Demon annihilation…

The Saintess Theresa walked closer to Sial. On her hand was a familiar book. It was the book that caused Sial to hex and curse An.

“I originally came here to return this book, as I had already removed the Demon influence in it. Sial, should I hold on to the book and burn it? Or do you want the book for reminiscences?”

Once again, Sial didn’t notice the coldness hidden in Theresa’s voice, butAn’s parents did.

~~~~~

“So this is the mansion?”

I had asked around the people here for the Seventh Telyard Street location. It’s night, and fewer people are in this district than in the West district, so I had to visit the shop for my question.

The front gate is open?

I look left and right. No one is guarding the gate. So far, whenever I saw a mansion, there would be one or two guards.

Except for this one.

Walking inside, I can’t help but notice the subtle odour of blood emanating from the garden and mansion itself.