What is this man on about?

Though I'm bewildered as to the intent of Laffer's statement, from the corner of my eye, I catch Lily break out a small grin, before making a distressed countenance and scurrying behind Laffer.

What the hell's happening?

"Jeffrey, I didn't know you were such a scumbag," He intones, draping his mantle over Lily. She pulls a face with her tongue out, whilst Laffer's attention is on me.

Oh, I see what's happening. This ingrate is trying to frame me.

However…

"Are you seriously siding with the guy who tried to cook you, twice?" Her face freezes as I mention this, contrary to Laffer's incredulous look.

"Jeffrey, you need more tea," He's indignant, but remains civil, "I've never met this girl before, so how could I have tried to cook her?"

Though, as he was busy clearing himself, Lily had already scampered behind me, making that same distressed look. And I had to say, I was genuinely impressed with her act. If I didn't know her, I would probably think Laffer actually did something gravely sinful.

You were a bird a couple hours ago, so how are you so skilled in theatrics? Give me your secrets.

I eye her, but apart from stiffening up, she doesn't make a squeak.

Not gonna budge, huh? Well, guess that can wait until later.

Laffer is once more dumbfounded at what had just transpired, but before getting his bearings in place...

*Pat*

A hand is placed on his shoulder.

Looks like we were yelling louder than I thought we were.

Once again, I'm silently cursing this stupid bird of mine. Did her intellect not increase after inheriting a humanoid form? Guess it's just purely aesthetic then.

"Comrade Laffer, come with me, I thought you knew, but some laws are universal," Lacer relays after looking at the situation for a minute, before forcibly dragging Laffer away.

"Hey, I didn't do nothin'!"

Laffer tries to explain himself but the more he does it, the more it seems like an extenuation.

"Hmm, I will find out by morning then,"

I heave a sigh of relief, watching the two leave my sight.

Poor guy, he looks drained of his soul. Though my sympathy for him only lasts for a transient second before I get back to questioning a certain troublemaker.

"What was that stunt?"

"What was what?'

Playing dumb, hmm?

"You were trying to frame me,"

"Uhm, no I wasn't," She turns her head to the side to avoid my boring gaze.

I take a deep breath. I forget how infuriating this little bird can be.

"I thought you'd learn by now that I take drastic actions when I'm pissed," I say, slowly cocking a bolt in my crossbow.

*Click!*

Her expression falters at the click, as cold sweat drips off her brows, "Hey, c'mon, ain't I basically your daughter? Isn't that the case?"

"Not too sure, but I guess that would indeed be the case.," Her complexion noticeably eases up by that statement, "However, if that was the case, I would probably want to disown a daughter that tried to frame me," Only to crash again.

"Hey, i-it was just a joke,"

"I don't think you understood the gravity of that situation," I very well could've died just then. I didn't understand immediately, but that universal law they were talking about was in reference to all moral tradition. An unspoken law, per se. And breaking it had unspeakable consequences, even if you're a part of this cult, as evidently seen.

Though I guess that should be expected, after all, even in the barbarian encampments of the north or the uncivil tribes of the south, such a moral law is strongly held, never mind civil peoples such as ourselves. However, I guess such a concept just holds little meaning in the eyes of monsters.

…

"So, you tellin' me this little lass, is the bird you kept?"

"That's what she's claiming, but I dunno man, could be anything really," I jest.

I clear up the situation with Lacer before things take a turn, and well, apparently, after a bit of discussion, it was probably the rare candi I fed her that triggered this bout of evolution. So then, this brought another question to mind.

"So, you guy's gonna want to kill her or something?"

A totally valid question, after all, these guys clearly have a vendetta against the demi human races and for all intents and purposes, Lily looked like a demi human with her wings.

"No,"

Let me guess, you're gonna twist the doctrines around to leave an exception. Not that I'm unappreciative of this fact. I hope you know, you've had a terrible track record of following the doctrines so I kind of expected this answer.

"First off, comrade, we do not twist the doctrines, and second, the bird is in essence, a monster that has learned human transfiguration," Lacer explains, "Very different from demi human races whose existence are endorsed by the gods,"

Endorsed? Interesting wording. Well, I'm not gonna worry about the specifics but that's all well and good.

"So, you gonna get her some clothes?"

"Well, I was just about to ask that actually," I present an upturned hand toward Laffer.

"I expected as much,"

He hands over a set of robes, a standard for this cult. And to my knowledge, this cult only. I mean, those blood cult bastards were certainly not building chariness with any pretentious attire.

"Well, I'm gonna go back to sleep, Laffer I'm trusting you to take care of Lily, aight?"

"Wait, you can't seriously be considering that. He tried to eat me!" Lily pleads, her face aghast, "Twice!"

"That's what you get for being a naughty child, now shoo," I reply, driving her off with my hand.

"I tried to eat you? I don't remember that,"

I hear a murmuration as I retreat from the room.

…

Overlooking a map of the city, Cooper, an active and well known local adventurer points down at a specific location.

"Oho, that's pretty hidden, you sure the info's good?" A captain queries.

"Yeah, I wouldn't 'ave called a meeting if it t'was shite,"

"To think these scum were hiding out in our city, ptui!"

"Ay, ay! No spittin' in mah' building!"

Being reprimanded for his rude and highly unsanitary action, the captain quickly apologized.

Gathered here was a group with one sole purpose for gathering. And Cooper was the representative of this unified vigilante corps, called to purge the city's cultist problem. He was already briefed on the plan with his confidants so continuing on he explained the plan to the vigilantes present. Yes, vigilantes. Law and order was already extremely low in Joost, but it plummeted to all new depression since the terrorist attack on the Mirjam house, people were being mugged on the streets, abductions were frequent, and it wasn't uncommon to see a corpse lying about.

Crime was at an all time high.

And as such, when the guards failed their job these like minded people were brought together to bring a new reign of order to this city, to proclaim the jurisdiction of the orthodox states. Together they will confront the ones behind this chaos and thereby expel the evil in this city!

Well, that was what they planned. Not mentioning that the heretics were extremely difficult to kill, it was a supremely vain excursion. Though the root cause may be the heretics, killing them wouldn't stop the current lawlessness in the city. If they miraculously succeeded, then they may be destroying the disease, but the symptoms had already run deep.

"Everyone understands what to do?"

"Yup," A round of nods resonate across the room, a strict solemnness replacing all other emotions.

"May the Alea, Goddess of Victory give us her favour," A friar chanted, which was echoed within the room.

They said their prayers, gave their blessings and prepared themselves for the hard fight that was to come.

"We set out tonight!" Which was a terrible idea, as it was an open secret that the heretics were night owls and had much more superior night vision than the average person did. So if anything, a daytime raid would serve them much better.

But then again, not much was known about dark arts cultists, aside from them using the dark arts. And even then, nobody really knew what the dark arts legitimately were, or even if it should be considered an art due to its strange principles that stray quite far from ubiquitous theory.

They were mysterious, so much so that the contemporary citizen may even believe them to only be an urban legend. Their secrecy had always been kept since ancient times, and their practice runs through time immemorial. Their grand plan was an enigma to the common populace and the powerhouses alike.

That being the case, all the nations had long since issued a decree to outlaw the use and practice of dark arts, even the daemons were somewhat hostile to these particular cultists. Something that baffles scholars due to the incredulousness of the claim. After all, the daemons tended to have much common ground with other cults and often cooperated.

In fact, it could be said that even in the cult community, the dark arts cultists were the odd ones. For starters, these cultists are always hyper aggressive when in the presence of other cultists and temple priests alike and even go all out to annihilate oppositional cults, rather than cooperate to resist the higher authority. Raising several peculiar points on what their beliefs were or how they are able to handle so much pressure from so many sides.

Nonetheless, with their preparations set, this group of vigilantes set forth on their righteous mission!