Birth Of The Crafts-God

Baylands City welcomed a new day with the sun rising high into the sky. The chill of the winter breeze swept through the city, but due to the unique climate of the region, there was no snow to accompany the breeze. However, the temperature was still low enough to be harsh.

This was the unique situation in Baylands City.

Whereas all the other fifteen districts would be welcoming the winter season with pristine white snow, Baylands City would be bitterly cold, yet no sign of any snow. Researchers had once argued that it was due to the close proximity to the Wastelands, which possibly harboured a special phenomena that created this event. This was because the situation in the Wastelands was the same as Baylands City; where the weather would be cold enough to freeze water, yet no snowfalls.

Apart from the numbing chill and frost-bites that came with the weather, the winter season also marked the end of many activities in Baylands City. Whether it was the high-school session or the college semester, these were all standard events that occurred within this season.

There were also the holidays, which were famous all over the planet. Eretre didn't have a Christmas or any other holidays with religious descents, but they did have an end-of-the-year holiday which lasted for a week. It was known as the Verglas Beano [1] since the last week of the year happened to be the coldest period of winter.

While the start of winter kicked off the countdown to a lot of events and culminations, elsewhere, it was the opposite.

"Director!"

The door to an office was forced open as a silhouette walked in furiously.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Lieutenant Lily Mayer glared at the man in front of her with a mixture of shock, confusion and anger.

The man before her was the director of the Red Fangs; a special department under the Baylands City Patrol Corps yet possessed some degree of autonomy and only answered to the commissioner of police. In other words, apart from the commissioner of police and the City Lord, the director was the only one who could order the Red Fangs. But at the same time, he also had another identity, Lily's father.

"Oi, what with barging into my office so early? If it were anyone else, don't you know that you —a mere lieutenant— could get sanctioned for this?" The man frowned at his daughter. Deep down however, he was bemoaning the fact that he has spoiled her a little too much.

"I apologize, but you can reproach me another day, director. That's not what I'm here for." Lily replied.

Seeing as his daughter still spoke to him using standard protocol, Director Mayer sighed and waved at her.

"Fine. What is it?"

"Last night, the director for the BCPC for Central Prefecture district has conducted an operation at the Mertens family estate." Lily said with a grave expression.

"That white fogey is so ballsy? Since when?" Director Mayer looked surprised.

His relaxed and playful manner was a sharp contrast to his bold and confident self from the meeting with the city lord. Only his daughter was allowed to see this side of him.

"That's not the issue. The issue is the target of the operation." Lily slammed her hands on the table.

Immediately, a projection popped right up in between her and the director.

"It was the human, Lucas Saunters. They arrested him on account of terrorism, but we all know that video was a shitty attempt to accuse an innocent man. So why did they do it?!"

Director Mayer sighed. Sometimes, he wondered where his daughter got her strict sense of justice from, but then he remembered her mother. The two could be passed as the same, which was why the man cherished her more than anything in the world.

"Regardless, it's outside our jurisdiction so let it be. The matter also occurred in the Central Prefecture district and was handled by the BCPC branch. It would be hard for us to interfere." Director Mayer waved off the matter, clearly having no interest in it.

"But that's wrong. If we can't protect innocent civilians, then what can we do? If we can't uphold the justice and fairness of the law, then why preach it?" Lily refused to stand down.

"Get to the point, Lily. I've heard rumours that you've been involved with the victim. Don't tell me you have feelings for him?" Director Mayer stared at her.

"Wh, what?" Lily faltered a bit.

"Oh?"

Director Mayer seemed turned to a father who had sensed a threat as his eyes flashed with a strange light.

"No, that's not it. Hold on, you've already investigated him? That means you knew about this?"

Seeing his daughter successfully change the topic, old Mayer knew he wouldn't be getting anywhere today so he just went along with her.

"And what about it?"

"Then why did you let it happen?" Lily was confused.

"You're a lieutenant, smart and my daughter. You should be able to figure out the situation he's in. This isn't something for us to put our noses into. The Red Fangs have a simple role, and that is to defend the city and the city-state. We might be a part of the BCPC, but that's only on paper. You should already know the other departments treat us as some sort of outcast. Butting into this matter would only make things worse for us." The director explained.

Of all high-level security organisations in Baylands city-state, the Red Fangs was the youngest. It had only existed for close to one hundred years, whereas Baylands city-state was already five hundred years old and the corresponding security organisations were of a similar age.

What's more, the nature of the Red Fangs founding was somewhat unique. It was said that the founder of the Red Fangs had started the organisation out as some sort of vigilante group a hundred years or so back to protect the city from terrorists. After making great achievements and defending the city with their blood and sweat, the group was finally recognised for their efforts and turned into an official organisation.

However, the original Red Fangs weren't incorporated into the Baylands City Defence Force, which at the time was supposed to be the most logical decision. Instead, they were brought to the city and attached to the Baylands City Patrol Corps. Even then, they were turned into an entirely separate department and given a significant degree of independence. So much so that even the highest uniformed individual in the Baylands City Patrol Corps, the Chief of Police, could not order them. They only answered to the commissioner of police, who stood above the Chief. But even the commissioner rarely interfered in their business, making the Red Fangs a special organisation that answered only to their director.

With this arrangement being backed by the then city lord, there was nothing anyone could say about it.

Naturally, this generated discontent amongst the other departments of Baylands City Patrol Corps. They all wondered why the Red Fangs, a group of vigilantes, had to be treated so special. And so, they began sidelining the Red Fangs in many activities and operations.

One hundred years down the line and the treatment was still the same, especially since a new city lord was in power. Even though most of the department directors from back then were either dead or retired, their successors bore the hate and had even tried to push for the dissolution of the Red Fangs. One of those at the forefront of the movement is the director of the BCPC department branch in the Central Prefecture district. This was why director Mayer wanted to avoid an issue with the former.

"So we should just stay out of it? We both know that this action of theirs would lead to more cons than pros for the city, so why tolerate it?" Lily still didn't understand.

"Because it is outside our jurisdiction." Director Mayer said once again, but this time around, with a serious face.

"This discussion is over. If you have nothing else, leave. If you overstay your welcome, I'll see to it that you get a two weeks suspension and have your salary cut down by thirty percent."

Lily froze right away. She tightened her fists and gritted her teeth, but in the end, walked out of the office. Being the director's daughter, she already knew about her father's personality well. Once he got serious, it didn't matter whether the person before him was a top four family head or even the city lord. He would follow through with his statement.

After she departed, the director sighed before taking a look at a document he was reading prior to his daughter's invasion. Surprisingly, it was actually a report on the case with Lucas.

'This entire case is strange. Even if they are so greedy, this is going out of control. A top four family was even caught up in this? Why hasn't the city lord done anything yet?'

Director Mayer frowned.

For some reason, he felt that the conspiracy was bigger than what anyone thought.

A struggle between the top factions for the mysterious transformative technology? That was what everyone in the know believed, however, director Mayer felt the truth was far more complicated.

Suddenly, he widened his eyes abruptly.

'Don't tell me...!'