"That took you longer than I'd expected, Father Gallo."

Father Gallo entered the office space with a smile on his face.

"Oh, just happened to run into a new face just now. Rather pleasant young man, if I do say so myself."

"I see… Was he here to offer prayer to the lord?"

"No, no, just to have a look around, is all. It's clear that he doesn't believe at the moment, but I invited him back any time he wished, provided we're open. It is never too late to start accepting the lord into your life."

"You are a true role model, Father Gallo."

"I thank you for your words, but really, I only do what every follower of our lord Christ should do: accept all with open arms, minds and hearts."

"Even if they are heretics?"

"There are no heretics. Only believers and non-believers; non-believers are still the Lord's beloved and cherished children: whether they embrace his love for them or not is up for them to decide."

"Indeed, you truly are a role model for us all" I faked a slight laugh, standing up and making my way for the door. "Please excuse me; the office air is quite stale with the lack of windows. I find myself in the need to step outside."

"No problem. I provided you a key for the place already?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Oh, good, so I didn't forget. Depending on how far out you go I may already have left and locked up, so just wanted to make sure I didn't lock you out by accident or anything. That said, if you do need anything from me, you have my number; don't hesitate to call. For as long as you're here, the place is yours."

"You have my gratitude, Father."

Walking down the dimly lit corridor between the office and the church proper, I prepared a cigarette and my lighter. Dealing with that man, who disgraces the lord and embraces heretics with open arms, was maddening and tiresome. Keeping the two objects out of sight for the moment, I stepped into the church proper and began making my way towards the exit.

"The good Father has informed me a new face stepped into the lord's house just now" I mused. "Took a liking to him too, it would seem. What was your impression of him, Rider?"

"A civil man, though quite the gifted liar. There were moments where even I almost believed him; his talent for weaving truths with deceptions is not something I've had to deal with in a long time."

"To lie to a Father in a house of the lord; a great, unrepentant sinner indeed. Is he a master though?"

"To that, I cannot say. I could not discern any trace of magic from him, nor did I detect the presence of another servant. The presence concealment skill of Assassin could be at work there, but even if that were the case, I should have sensed some trace of magical energy leaking off the man."

"What about command spells?"

"None that I could discern. Yet, if he were to have command spells, all the more reason to be able to sense some trace of a mana leak from him, as he would be supplying mana to a servant. Whoever that man is, he is certainly no magus."

"I see… Unlikely the Association wouldn't fill up the remaining slots, under the current circumstances. If you believe he is just an ordinary sinner I will take your word for it, for now…"

Now that I was out back, I slipped out the cigarette and lighter. Taking a puff, I leaned back against the building and allowed myself to relax. Or as much as I was able to, within the presence of yet another heretic. Rider may have been in spirit form, but I knew he was hovering around here, somewhere. All these wretched souls that willingly reject our one, true lord… sickening. Absolutely sickening.

"Anything else to report?"

"The men have discerned the location of two bounded fields within the city. One surrounds the property of one of the new… founding families, as you called them. The other one encompasses an entire city block."

"An entire city block…? A rather impressive feat for a magus, provided it's stable and technical enough to affect servants and magi, without harming ordinary civilians. Or did a servant lay that one themselves?"

"They cannot speak to that. The only thing they have gathered is that standing within it's boundary feels… different, in comparison to the rest of the city."

"Not particularly helpful…"

"All information gathered about an opponent in war is helpful, master. What matters is how one applies what one knows."

Tsk! I stamped out the butt of the cigarette beneath my foot. Bad enough I had to tolerate working alongside this heretic; I refused to be lectured by him as well!

"Watch you don't overstep, Rider: when I want your opinion, I'll ask you for it. Do not forget who is the master here."

"Watch you do not overstep either, master. If we can cooperate in a civil manner, that would be preferable. If we cannot, I will do what I must to win this war."