Chief Reid gladly accepted and said with a smile: "I'll head to St. Wind's Church this afternoon and make sure to help the priests catch those little thieves."
---------------------------
Afternoon.
Chief Reed brought along two young officers and headed to the Holy Wind Cathedral.
This was his first time assisting a church with a case. In the past, although he had heard of thefts occurring in churches, the churches usually never needed police involvement, they were capable of catching petty thieves on their own.
The Holy Wind Cathedral was large. The breeze that blew through here was cool and refreshing.
Chief Reed waited inside the church for over ten minutes before someone finally came to receive them.
Leading them was Bishop Ron. Although Ron wore a smile, Chief Reed keenly noticed that the bishop seemed to be in a bad mood, the smile on his face carried a trace of strain.
Could it be that the value of the stolen goods from the Holy Wind Cathedral this time was exceptionally great?
"Good afternoon, Bishop Ron."
"Good afternoon, Chief Reed."
After a brief exchange of greetings, Bishop Ron invited Chief Reed to sit at the round table in front of the statue's steps.
The two sat face to face, and Chief Reed began to conduct business, asking about the events during the crime, what items were stolen, and other important details.
Although Bishop Ron tried to answer, Chief Reed could tell he was being perfunctory, some of his answers even contradicted each other.
Reed stopped questioning, and with a firmer tone said, "Bishop Ron, before the gods, shouldn't you be more honest?"
"Apologies, I was thinking of other matters just now." Bishop Ron looked nervous and even secretly wiped sweat from his forehead.
Such guilty, unconfident behavior could never escape the eyes of Chief Reed, honed by years of police work.
"Bishop Ron, for the questions to come, I expect honest answers."
Bishop Ron nodded, promising he would answer truthfully.
"On the night of the incident, where were you? Who were you with? Who can testify for you?"
Bishop Ron froze. Even a fool would realize this was suspicion directed at him. He raised his voice: "Chief Reed, are you accusing me of stealing from my own church?"
Chief Reed chuckled, spreading his hands. "Just a little joke, to help focus your attention."
"…That's not funny!"
"Of course." Chief Reed smiled and admitted fault, then continued his questioning normally.
When the questions were done, he prepared to inspect the theft site.
Bishop Ron looked tense, blocking his way, and stammered: "I just remembered, there are still some details I haven't clarified."
"Bishop Ron, deliberately misleading the police with false testimony is also a crime!"
"I only just recalled it."
Bishop Ron coaxed Chief Reed back into his seat and started chatting casually about unimportant matters.
At first, Chief Reed listened patiently, but the more he heard, the more he realized something was off. After enduring for a bit, he finally cut off the bishop's chatter.
"Bishop Ron! My time is valuable. After handling this matter, I need to hurry home to spend time with my lovely child, he was only just born and surely wants his father with him often."
At the mention of "child," Bishop Ron suddenly tensed, his body stiffening, his face paling. Still, he forced a relaxed tone: "Chief Reed, I was only joking."
"That's not funny at all! It wastes our time and serves no purpose!" Chief Reed stood, looking down on the bishop, his voice filled with unhidden anger.
"Yes, yes, I was inconsiderate. I apologize." Bishop Ron kept apologizing until Chief Reed's anger finally subsided.
At that moment, a breeze blew in through the church windows, and the stone statue on the steps seemed as though its eyes were opening.
Outside, a sudden thunderclap split the clear sky, deafeningly loud. Then the wind howled, and a torrential downpour fell.
Chief Reed muttered: "Didn't expect thunder and rain in weather like this. I forgot to bring an umbrella. I really don't want to go home soaking wet to see my precious child."
Bishop Ron visibly relaxed, smiling. "We can send you home by carriage."
"That's very kind, thank you." Chief Reed accepted the offer.
Soon, the two young officers finished inspecting the scene and came to report.
Two priests' rooms had been broken into, their drawers pried open, cash and valuables stolen. The total was around 200 gold pounds.
Chief Reed nodded. A theft of 200 gold pounds indeed qualified as a major case.
After gathering some more details and noting it was getting late, Chief Reed decided to return home and resume the investigation the next day.
He didn't refuse the church's considerate offer of a carriage ride back home.
Once Reed left, Bishop Ron collapsed into a chair, face pale, sweat beading his forehead.
He was merely a bishop handling mundane affairs of the Holy Wind Cathedral, not one with great Beyonder powers.
Facing the father of a potential parasitic Evil God offspring, the pressure was enormous. Especially when Chief Reed grew angry, he had truly feared Reed would suddenly lose control and devour him whole.
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly, with no unexpected incidents.
"You've worked hard this time."
A voice came from behind. Bishop Ron waved a hand. "Did you find anything?"
"There are no signs of parasitism or corruption on Chief Reed. He's just an ordinary father."
Bishop Ron rubbed his brow. "So only the infant is a problem?"
"The archbishop has personally followed."
"The one driving the carriage?"
"Yes. For an archbishop to act as a coachman, this Chief Reed certainly has a remarkable connection."
…
The storm continued outside, wind howling, thunder rumbling.
Chief Reed stepped down from the carriage, holding the umbrella he'd borrowed from the church, treading through the muddy ground toward his home.
Behind him, the coachman, Ace Snake, lifted his gaze to the second-floor window of the house.
According to intelligence, the newborn baby was in that very room.
Rain poured down, soaking him through, his hair messy, clothes drenched.
But he didn't move forward, nor act rashly. He only stared quietly.
…
"Little one, look who's back!" Chief Reed folded away his umbrella, tidied his hair, then entered the room. He squatted by the crib, playing with the awake baby.
The baby simply sucked his fingers, big black-and-white eyes staring at him intently, as though very curious about his greeting.
"Look, what's this?"
Smiling, Chief Reed pulled out a rattle drum, twisting it lightly so that the beads struck the patterned drumhead with a rhythmic bang-bang-bang.
This was a toy originally designed by Emperor Roselle for his own children, later spreading widely.
Children everywhere were said to love its sound.
The baby opened his mouth, blowing bubbles, looking adorable.
Chief Reed gently wiped the drool with a tissue, smiling. "Drooling already, are you hungry?"
"He was just fed not long ago."
"Our little one is so lovely. I hope Baron Campbell will give him a fitting name soon."
After chatting with his wife for a bit, they saw the baby had fallen asleep again and quietly left the room.
But once they were gone, the "sleeping" baby opened his eyes. The same black-and-white gaze now carried an adult's expression.
He climbed out of the crib, toddling toward the window.
The sill was too high, he couldn't reach.
He jumped, still not high enough. Then, after a thought, his body floated upward. With a touch of his finger, the window opened. Wind and rain should have poured in, but when they neared him, they bent and slipped away harmlessly.
Standing at the window, he scanned the surroundings. His gaze locked on the carriage still waiting outside, and on the wary man sitting upon it.
His black-and-white eyes gleamed with mockery. After just a glance, he lifted his gaze to the stormy sky, where wind and lightning gathered in the clouds.
No panic showed on his face, only calm curiosity.
After watching for a while, he lost interest. His body floated back to the crib, and the window closed once again.
Below, on the carriage, Ace Snake shivered, his whole body filled with a biting chill. In weather like this, that feeling was even more terrifying.
Just what kind of Evil God's offspring was that?
In the past, all the Evil God offspring's he had seen, or heard of, were born with destructive impulses and terrifying powers.
Their very existence meant destruction and ruin.
But this one looked harmless, even leaving his close parents unscathed.
His wisdom and restraint were such that he seemed less like a newborn Evil God's offspring… and more like an Evil God's avatar!