The Demon’s Bride

With her question, Elise had made a single point clear and those who understood her words would only be her and her enemy. Ernest didn't immediately response. The stare he had on her was deep and judging. Elise also noticed how slowly Ernest's hands which he folded on his back begin to slide, undoing the cross as if he was preparing for an action.

Her own hands begin to lift from the sides when she noticed the fishy movements when a third footsteps came after them. Elise was the first to turn around. Seeing Dalton and the person who she hadn't met for a very long time, Alex. Both of the four people looked at each other in surprise. 

Alex was the first to begin, "Elise... or should I call you Lady Elise now?" A smile was on the elder man's face which then turn shorter. "I hear about Ian... I'm sorry for your loss. This world and Warine have lost such a great person. If I my ask, when do you think the funeral be hold? Ian have helped and taught me a lot, I do owe him a lot that I have yet to repay."

Elise showed Alex a polite smile, "The funeral wouldn't be hold," she said in a low tone that had the three men to question but at the same time unable to ask their question aloud as they were afraid it would be insensitive for them to do so. "I am certain if Ian is here, he would be extremely pleased to hear your words. What are you doing here, Alex?"

"Oh, I and Dalton are planning to go over the evidence which you submitted which why we were very surprised to see you here," Alex was the one to answer.

Dalton agreed with a nod before looking at Ernest where the two exchange a deep but quick gaze, "I didn't think my younger brother would be here as well."

"Is the evidence you mean about the keys that I mentioned?" Elise inquired and Dalton answered with a prompt nod.

"Yes, milady. Oliver wasn't supportive with the idea of having all the church members who are in the possession of the keys to be investigated but I stand in the believe that no matter how white a pigeon is—"

"There must be a dot of black on them that could darkness their entire color," Elise helped the man complete his words.

"Correct and now we have collected all the keys," Dalton answered and he reached out his hand onward, "As I think you have also came in regarding the dark sorcerer case, we should take a seat inside the room."

"I agree. More eyes means more judgement and more brains to see the bigger picture," Alex answered while looking at Elise, "We should not waste the precious time. Who knows what the dark sorcerers are doing at the moment. I can only imagine them doing unspeakable actions."

Elise who agreed followed Alex. Even though she didn't looked at the Lone brothers, Jett who had became her second eye didn't miss the silent exchange of gaze that the brothers did again before Dalton frowning in worries.

Inside the private room, the four of them had taken a seat. Dalton begin to pull out the small brown pouch while Alex pulled out the book that was filled with written papers. Elise's watched carefully how the keys fell from the big as Dalton tiled the pouch.

"One, two..." Ernest counted beside Elise, humming in a very faint whisper. "Fifteen... that's twenty five. Was that all? I didn't know there was this much."

"We got some that are not in use as well, all except his sixteen keys," said Dalton, separating the keys into two sides. 

"And how many people have the key?" Elise questioned Alex who was reading the parchment. 

"Seventeen."

That fall short of one... where is it then? "And the person responsible for it?" Elise's eyes shifted at Dalton who shake his head in response.

Alex explained, "We have searched his house. As an unmarried man, he should be living alone in the small town of southeast Runalia but we found no trace of him there for about a week now. The neighbor said he left the house in a strange behavior."

"He began talking and murmuring to himself," Dalton added more depth to the information. "According to his closest friend, they once met and he suddenly had an outer burst of anger, threatening to kill his friend. The magistrate fortunately stopped him from doing anything reckless and he was last heard muttering the word "your lordship". Only those two words."

Lordship... Elise didn't have to dig through the puzzle to know the man had been muttering about the Dark Sorcerer Lord. 

"He must be under a black magic," Elise concluded while she looked at the key that at first sight looked the same, she noticed each tip of the key had its own unique style. "Is there any way for us to separate whose key belong to whom?"

"Yes," assessed Dalton who hen pulled out one key from the bunch of the keys, "This is mine. As the team leader I do have my own key. If you look at the part behind the key..."

D. L.

"That is your name," Elise summarized quickly.

"Yes milady. We should go on by checking all the keys and I am certain we would be able to know whose key the one which you had retrieved belong to as I heard there was no name carved in it," Dalton support was clear that he wanted to end this. Meanwhile, Ernest continue to stare at Elise with his eyes that had loses light. He then shifted his eyes when he noticed the crow flying.

While Elise peacefully stayed in the church wrecking her head to find the dark sorcerer Lord, Satan slammed his hands on the table. Veins popped on his forehead as his red burning eyes shot a grim gaze toward Orias, "What did you say? What did my granddaughter do?"

Back in the church, Elise's eyes stared at the ticking clock, "Are you perhaps in a hurry, milady?"

Elise turned to Alex who had asked her the question. A wily smile spread on her red lips, "No, I was just remembering a good memory."

It should be now the time for the gear to move as she had put a kick start on it.