The Warden of The Witches

Abigail's Gift

Several days later, in the lower district area of Silver City, a narrow alley was cordoned off by the members of the Inquisition Bureau, surrounding a residential building.

"Your Honor, I truly had no idea that the young woman was actually a witch! She only claimed to be a woodcarver, and paid a large sum in advance, so I rented out this old house to her," the middle-aged man, the homeowner, nervously defended himself, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. "I now reside in the upper district area, so I haven't visited much. I really had no clue she was engaging in such activities in my property!"

"Enough, I understand," Rebecca, the senior inquisitor standing before him, raised her hand to halt his further explanations. "You need not worry. Just cooperate a bit with our questioning."

After speaking, she gestured to another team member, signaling for him to come over and take the man to record his statement.

The landlord subconsciously glanced to his left, where members of the Inquisition Bureau were moving out wax-faced mannequins from his old house. These mannequins had wide-brimmed hats covering their faces, their bodies tightly wrapped in clothing. At first glance, they appeared human, but upon closer inspection, various details revealed their artificial nature.

For an ordinary civilian like him, encountering a paranormal event related to dark magic was something he might never experience in his lifetime. When an inquisitor from the Inquisition Bureau arrived to inform him that his old house had become a witch's hideout, filled with props crafted by witches, he was utterly bewildered.

Thinking that the past few days His house was filled with self-moving dolls that wandering aimlessly in his house, sending shivers down his spine.

He couldn't help but wonder if the house would be haunted once these dolls were removed. Maybe he should find a spiritual cleanser just in case...

Suddenly, one of the dolls, that was being moved by someone, twitched, causing the landlord to tremble, and letting out an involuntary cry of shock.

Perhaps it was best to burn down this old house - he abruptly changed his mind.

The investigative team members escorted the shaken landlord away, while Rebecca shifted her gaze to the front entrance of the house.

This was the hideout of the witch Vera, discovered by the Inquisition Bureau, a workshop secretly used in the city to craft dolls.

Vera, a major witch added to the list only in the past two years, had limited information available within the Inquisition Bureau. Even her mastery of golem technology had only recently come to light.

However, in recent days, the Inquisition Bureau's searches at the Rose Prison, Aiden's residence, and other places he frequented had led to the discovery of eight dolls.

Starting with the investigation of doll-making techniques, the Inquisition Bureau traced back from the barber shop aiden visited to the materials used for the dolls. They not only traced her workshop but also reconstructed her portrait from the testimonies of witnesses who had encountered her.

Unfortunately, during the raid, they did not succeed in capturing Vera herself.

Rebecca watched as the investigators carried out the last doll—a remarkably intricate one, quite different from the earlier ones.

This doll was crafted to resemble a woman, adorned with a wig, its face and fingers made of wax, displaying a level of craftsmanship far superior to the others. Vera had left this doll in the house as her decoy, inscribed with illusionary runes and a simple veil of concealment.

The surveillance team, observing from a neighboring house, had seen "a woman" moving inside the house through the window, assuming that the witch Vera was present in her workshop.

In a surprise move, the Inquisition Bureau organized a raid, seizing all the dolls in the workshop... but Vera was nowhere to be found.

It seemed Vera only sporadically visited the workshop to infuse magic into the runes of the dolls; she likely had other hiding spots.

"Captain, the evidence collection is complete. How should we proceed with the scene?" a subordinate inquisitor approached Rebecca for instructions.

After a moment of contemplation, Rebecca replied, "Have the forensic team conduct another sweep, leave some personnel behind, and continue surveillance from the opposite building for the next two days."

"Understood!"

If Vera were to return to the workshop, continued surveillance might lead to her capture.

However, Rebecca was well aware of the slim chances of that happening. By setting up a decoy in the workshop to lure them into the raid, Vera likely had contingency plans to monitor the workshop remotely.

With the workshop now exposed, Vera would likely abandon this hideout— they had tipped their enemy.

At this point, Rebecca couldn't help but clench her fists.

As the leader of the raid, she felt the full weight of responsibility for failing to capture Vera.

Perhaps she had been too hasty, overly eager to apprehend the witch who had targeted Aiden's life, without considering higher-level strategies...

Reflecting on how if Aiden had led the assault as the captain, he might have anticipated the witch's contingency plans.

Clearly, there was still a significant gap between her and him...

Nevertheless, the raid was not entirely fruitless. They not only dismantled Vera's doll-making base but also gathered valuable information about her.

Vera had been in Silver City for less than ten days; ordinarily, she wouldn't have had time or resources to set up a second workshop. The Inquisition Bureau and the mounted police had joined forces, with patrols and inquiries conducted throughout the city. Vera's movements within the city would now be severely restricted.

Even if they couldn't apprehend her, it would be challenging for her to establish another workshop to craft these murderous dolls. At least for now, Aiden's safety could be ensured.

Thinking it over, she composed herself and called over another team member, saying, "Bring a sketch of the suspect. Let's go ask the nearby residents if they have any additional clues."

.........

Meanwhile, on another street in the lower district area, in the basement of a small house...

"Damn it!" Vera exclaimed in frustration, kicking the table leg, causing the cast-iron crucible to tumble to the floor.

Despite the Inquisition Bureau discovering her workshop location, that blasted Aiden Galord was still alive and kicking.

Why was he still cowering in the prison cell... Did this man have no pride at all?

Her methods had been too conservative; she should have played her ace card from the start.

"This flowing mercury is the beast I've tamed, feasting on bronze and precious metals," she chanted the incantation.

Simultaneously, the iron bucket in the corner of the basement began to rumble as if boiling.

Suddenly, a jarring voice echoed behind Vera, "I say, that's a gift from Abigail to you. Do you really intend to use it?"

Vera's heart nearly stopped at the shock, She turned around and finally lay eyes on the inexplicable figure behind her. "Chichimora?!"

(TN: Chimera -> chichimora / qiqimora / qimora for short)