"Before we begin, I want to make it clear," Cassandra said, her tone firm as she glanced at Dallas, who nodded in agreement. "The pastor, Abraham Cronous, is confirmed to be the main culprit behind the murders in the city."
Cassian's eyes widened in shock, while Alix and Lumine looked surprised, though not as much. Cassian had his suspicions, but hearing it confirmed still caught him off guard.
"And what makes you so sure of that, if I may ask?" Alix said, breaking the silence and reminding Cassian that he, too, had no idea what evidence had led Cassandra and Dallas to this conclusion.
"Would it help if I told you that out of the three families he helped move into the city, two were murdered?" Dallas said, his tone grave. This time, even Alix looked shocked as she nodded.
"And that's not all," Dallas continued. "We've also discovered that he's helped a lot of families relocate—sometimes to far-off villages. And guess what? Entire families in those places have been found murdered, too. All those families were involved with him." His words left the group even more stunned.
Russella and the other villagers present seemed to already know, their reactions showing a mix of emotions. Russella looked to be in disbelief, Aiden was visibly angry, and Dasika clung tightly to her son, fear written all over her face.
"But that's not the only thing we uncovered," Cassandra said, her tone heavy with seriousness. "We were attacked."
"Not just attacked—but by strange-looking people," Dallas added, sounding a bit shaken. "They had dark spots on their faces and completely black eyes... almost like there was nothing there, just empty voids."
"Yeah, that's their description," Cassandra continued, her tone grave. "But as for their strength— all three of them were Circle Warriors, and one of them was a Third rank Circle Warrior." Her words sent a ripple of shock through everyone. Even Aiden and the others, who had seemed somewhat composed earlier, were visibly stunned.
The revelation was chilling. Three Circle Warriors were powerful enough to wipe out hundreds of normal humans in moments. A Third rank Circle Warrior, on the same level as Aiden, could effortlessly eliminate even the lowest-ranked Circle Warriors as easily as swatting a fly.
"Do they belong to some kind of organization?" Alix asked after a moment of thought, her expression serious.
"I'm not sure, but they seemed like they might..." Cassandra said, her voice tinged with hesitation. After a pause, she added, "I suspect they're connected to the organization Detective Killian has been investigating."
Alix's eyes widened in shock. She quickly stood, her expression turning serious and worried. "We need to inform the sergeant about this immediately," she said, urgency lacing her tone. Turning to Cassian, who stood there looking puzzled, she added, "Cassian, bring me the message relay board."
Then, facing Cassandra again, she continued, "Detective Cassandra, can you explain what makes you suspect their connection to those cultists? And do you think the pastor is part of their organization as well?"
Cassian was too involved in what Cassandra has to say, making pay no attention to her order, so he just ignored it and kept listening.
"He is," Cassandra said, her voice filled with fury. "From what we've uncovered, he's a magician, and all these family murders are part of a sick ritual he needs to advance his mage rank." Her words left everyone stunned, except Dallas, who already seemed aware of this revelation. If Cassian were an older man, he might have had a heart attack by now with the string of shocks delivered in mere minutes.
While just as shocked, Alix handled the news better than the others. Her curiosity as a mage got the better of her, and she asked, "What kind of ritual?"
"We don't know the full details," Dallas interjected, her tone grim. "But what we do know is that he's planning to come here soon—to kill this child as part of the ritual." Her gaze shifted to the boy in Dasika's arms. "The three attackers we faced were heading to this village to do just that."
Dasika clutched her son tighter, holding him as close as she could, her fear palpable.
"The situation's gotten way worse than I expected," Alix said with a frustrated sigh. "Now those damned cultists are involved too. Looks like we're going to need more reinforcements here."
As Alix continued outlining their next steps, Lumine leaned closer to Cassian and whispered, "What are these cultists my sister and Detective Alix are talking about?"
Cassian didn't know much about them either, but he shared what little he did. "It's a terrorist group called the Cult of Silas. Detective Killian's been investigating them. From what I've heard, they're seriously bad news—dangerous and completely twisted."
Lumine nodded and shifted her attention back to Dallas, who was now speaking. "If the law enforcement department can't spare more people, we could request the city guard to send reinforcements. They could investigate the villages around the jungle and figure out just how deep this pastor's involvement goes."
Cassandra nodded thoughtfully. "It's a terrorist organization, so they shouldn't refuse. Having the city guard here would provide extra security. Honestly, we don't need anyone exceptionally strong—just a few third or fourth-circle warriors would suffice."
Alix raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? is that pastor fellow aren't that strong?"
"Well, he's a magician," Cassandra explained with a casual shrug. "At most, he'd be as strong as Detective Killian. I can handle that easily. If he's stronger than that, then we're in serious trouble. But let's be real—if he were a Grand Mage, the Tower Master would've already dealt with him." She chuckled at the thought, her confidence evident.
Alix, however, wasn't amused. "Let's call Detective Julius as well. It's never a bad idea to have someone strong backing us," she suggested firmly.
Known for her sharp mind and strategic planning in the department, Alix naturally took the lead, assigning tasks without much resistance. Even Cassandra didn't object, understanding Alix's reasoning. If anyone disagreed or had input, they voiced it openly, but Cassian and Lumine, being the juniors, mostly stayed quiet.
The three women—Alix, Cassandra, and Dallas—handled the planning seamlessly. Their strategy also involved enlisting the help of the village heads. Aiden stepped in to assist, along with Russella, who was beginning to recover from her shock and disbelief about the pastor. With her ability to communicate with those still brainwashed into believing he was a kind man, Russella's role became crucial to their plans.