— "Easy now, lad! There's no reason to run. Come, sit back down," the priest said, gently forcing Gantz's shoulder down. "Did Olete tell you to avoid revealing yourself?"
Gantz nodded affirmatively while staring at the wooden armrest of the other pew, trying to control his nerves. He decided to just let the priest tangle himself in his own conversation.
— "You know this gift is for the few, don't you? Our Lord's power does not fall into weak hands."
But it falls into the hands of sick men like Olete, Gantz thought without saying a word. — "I know, Father."
The priest seemed to understand that Gantz wasn't interested in talking.
— "Very well. You have a path you wish to follow, but I hope one day you might consider changing it. When that day comes, come to me, and I will guide you along a path I believe to be better."
— "Thank you for your understanding, Father. May the divine waters purify your pain."
— "Likewise, my son. May the holy waters carry you toward the correct path."
Gantz stood up and left, trying his best not to appear rushed. Once outside, he let out a deep sigh. What was I thinking, doing something like that? How did I not think they would notice? He quickened his pace back to the apartment.
As he walked, he thought about the conversation. Olete seems to have enemies and an infamous reputation within the church. But I have no way to get to him; that jerk isn't just a priest, but someone much higher up than I expected. Gantz reached his apartment and went straight to sleep. Tomorrow, his first day of work began—if he could even call it "work."
...
— "Mother, Father Olete has come to see you."
— "Send him in," uttered the middle-aged woman. Her white hair reached the middle of her legs, and her blue robe was open, displaying a full white bust with a small black mole on the side. Her long neck—not disproportionate to the rest of her body—conveyed an air of authority and arrogance.
Olete, with his rounded belly, entered the room and bowed. His expression was not good.
— "You had only one job." She didn't bother to look at him as she watched the children sitting in a courtyard in front of a dolphin statue. The courtyard was beautifully decorated with jade and paintings; the floor was covered in a luxurious red.
— "No one could have imagined a pack of wolves would attack us in that place."
— "Is that your excuse for the loss of more than one thousand four hundred diamonds?"
She shifted her gaze to face him, and she didn't miss the peek the little man took at her breasts before looking her in the eyes. Idiots, she reflected, shaking her head mentally.
— "Is there anything else you wish to tell me about your trip?"
— "No, my Lady. Everything else went as planned."
This time she physically shook her head. — "Not even a good excuse. My God, how men cannot be trusted."
Olete knew his cue. He left the room with his head bowed, but as he closed the door, he heard once more:
— "You will pay for the losses."
— "Of... of course. Yes," he whispered dejectedly as he closed the door as delicately as possible.
Clarissa returned to observing the children. The statue emitted a bluish glow that filled the environment, making the little ones forget any distracting thoughts. Their minds were one hundred percent dedicated to the task at hand, greatly accelerating their learning capabilities.
...
Olete left enraged. He crossed the suspension bridge and took his magical gala carriage; this time he chose the blue one, adorned with small fish and chrome wheels. There was a driver's seat, though it didn't need a conductor. Opening the cabin door, the tanned blue leather upholstery improved his mood. He had insisted they be made from werewolf hide.
— "Only two little things left," he reflected, settling into the spacious seats. He commanded the vehicle to follow a pre-programmed destination using a magic stone of the same color as the carriage. The "new car" smell made him even more excited.
The carriage didn't take long to reach a beautiful house on a very noble street. Each house looked like a small castle of white stone, all following an identical pattern. The vehicle entered a covered parking lot on the side of the building.
Olete exited the carriage when the door was opened by a maid. He walked past her, then turned back. He looked her up and down, appreciating the green ruffled white dress, open from the top of the breasts to the shoulder. He groped her breasts for a moment before entering. The maid showed no reaction.
He passed through large rooms completely decorated with landscape paintings and black and red carpets, which stood out against the marble white of the interior. He ignored everything and went down an extremely narrow corridor—so narrow he had to walk sideways. This entrance was hidden between two shelves of brown books and, due to its impeccable whiteness, easily went unnoticed.
Reaching what should have been the basement and opening the door, he entered another white room. There were orbs of light floating everywhere, and the environment was almost blindingly bright. The room was completely empty except for a white marble table in the middle, over which a man was bent over what appeared to be a corpse.
— "I need two new ones," Olete uttered, looking with interest at the man's work.
The subject had his hands inside the head of a young woman, no more than twenty-five years old. He seemed to be using some kind of black lines that appeared to be moving something inside the white brain.
— "What happened to the previous two? Perhaps I can fix them." The voice was thick, like a heavy smoker's.
— "Werewolves," Olete said as he walked along the sides of the table, looking greedily at the naked body.
— "I am short on resources. Resources you said you would obtain."
— "I know. I apologize. I know we have many orders, but a wagon is bringing several, coming from a purge."
— "Wasn't there anyone interesting where you came from?"
— "There was one." Olete remembered that woman he had incinerated. A waste, he reflected. "So, will you give them to me or not?"
The man straightened his back as he shifted his gaze to Olete. — "All of them were already under order. I don't think that would be very good for business."
— "When I saved you, my dear Alistar, from being burned alive for the use of dark matter and human chimerization practices, I thought the roles of both sides were clearly defined."
Olete observed the man—neatly trimmed white hair swept back, stubble, and a noble bearing. Despite the macabre hawk eyes in his face, he could still be called handsome.
— "Do what you want and let me finish this."
Olete returned to the carriage, excited, as he hugged the waists of two women who walked without expression.
— "Well, I'll dress you in beautiful gowns and accessories, and we'll have some fun later!"
Both remained silent.
— "Well, I'll have to program you to look normal, too."
Olete looked at the two and appreciated what he saw. One was thin with small, rounded breasts that could fill a man's hand; her straight shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, and reddened lips made her look no more than twenty-five. The other had full breasts, curly black hair, and honey-colored eyes; her lips were large and velvety.
— "I wonder if I chose this one because of Cassandra?" he pondered as the carriage began to move.