The weather outside is clear and sunny. The late afternoon cold wind blows through the city cooling the city from the afternoon sun. Crowds fill the street as people take advantage of the comfortable temperature. The noisy street can be heard outside from the open window. 

in contrast to the cheerful atmosphere outside, the room is solemn.

At the table, the deacon was silently reading the papers in his hand. Nearby stands the church personnel who are nervously watching the deacon's every move. As the deacon reads further in the paper, the tighter he grasps the papers in his hand.

"That Charmant royalist mutt!" He cursed as he put down the crumpled papers on the table. 

"How dare he restrict the church even more. Especially when we have two cults running around this city. At every corner, this mutt drafts these stupid laws making it harder for the church to protect the city." He cursed as he slammed his fist on the table.

"First, they passed laws church personnel must be accompanied by police officers when doing investigations against cults, and now this! These dumb laws are the reason why the church has to sit while those cults grow stronger in the slums." He looked out from the window toward the south side of the city.

"In addition, that daughter of his. She is cut from the same cloth. She arrogantly barges into this sanctified place of worship." He clenched his fist as he pressed it against his forehead.

He thought of the scene a few hours ago.

"Good morning, deacon. I would like to have the church hand over the members of our Charmant family and her friend."

"Lady Charmant, we just need to ask a few more questions with lady Lucia."

"I'm sorry I wonder if I wasn't making myself clear. I want you to give my family member back. The Charmant already overlooked your illegal guests from the capital." Hildegard said with a serious expression.

The deacon thought for a few moments before telling one of the church guards to get Lucia.

"Father wasn't too pleased with the church this time around. I hope the church will behave this time." Hildegard said to the deacon before leaving the church.

The deacon dismissed the words. However, in the late afternoon, an urgent report was placed in front of him.

"You. Contact someone from our side and try to push back on this law." The deacon pointed at the solemn-faced young priest. 

The young priest left leaving the 

"A law where police officials need swear full allegiance to the city and no foreign power. Ha! A thinly veiled attack on the partnership of the church and the police we painstakingly made." A middle-aged priest voiced his thoughts while staring at the crumpled report on his table.

"Deacon, I think the support from the nobles might be on the mayor's side this time. Those dumb nobles are paying attention to the large movements of the North." An old nun reminded him.

"That might be true..." the deacon sat back as he paused deep in thought. After a few moments, he sat straight with a sly smile. "Maybe, we can manipulate the public sentiment that this new law does not affect us."  The deacon continued.

"Yes, because are not "foreign" at all." The old priest said excitedly. 

"Send a message to the Bishop. We already have a way to sidestep this law." The deacon smiled contentedly.

The Charmant city hall. A large three-story building located at the center of Charmant city. For generations, this building was the residence of the Charmant family. However, it was renovated and became the city hall for the city. At the city mayor's office, Simon Charmant is currently in a briefing with top government officials and advisors.

He has short slight curly blonde hair and a stern face with a finely groomed mustache. Under his tired eyes are heavy eyebags.

"What is the movement of the church?" Simon asked the tall lanky man with wide-rimmed glasses.

"They show no large movements. However, the news about the new law should have reached Deacon's eyes." the man replied.

"Hmph! These fat snakes are getting too arrogant. First, it was the botched operations on the foreign dignitary airship a while back, and now commandeering the entire police force. Did they not know their recklessness has consequences?"

Simon was awakened early this morning by the news that the church has commandeered the police force to surround Arco's manor. He quickly left home and summoned everyone for an emergency meeting. All day they worked to draft a law to prevent similar situations to happen again.

Simon lifted the teacup and drank the warm tea. He closed his eyes and contemplated.

"My father's decision to extend an olive branch to the Church of Steam to Aurelia is seen as one of the great accomplishments of the Charmant family. It has brought great progress to the country; however, now the church is getting too influential." He slowly narrates. 

The church of steam grew in prominence with the great steam revolution in the Great Victorian Empire, which lies out the coast of Europa. However, even with the strength of the church, it has no real foothold in the continent. Other religions had blocked the spread of the Church of Steam and other countries also distrust the church of steam thinking it was simply an extension of the Victorian Empire. This all changed when Charmant and Aurelia's royal family made a deal with the church. The church of steam can set up their denominations in Aurelia, in exchange for support to modernize the country with the knowledge and training in steam technology. 

"Mayor, is the influence of the church that deep in Charmant city? We already passed laws like requiring the church to submit a request when they want to bring in other church officials to the church."

"Maybe you are too young, but everyone here remembers the church-organized strike of the factory workers. In the end not only did we have to pass laws to protect workers, but we also had to guarantee that every sixth day of the week is a day of rest for their believers. The church got all the credit and praise of the public, but I got the animosity of the merchants and other nobles." Simon said with a calm face, but his clenched hand grasping the teacup betrayed his emotions.

"I noticed that many government clerks and merchants unconsciously make transactions easier when the customer are believers of the Church of Steam." A middle-aged woman added.

"In short, their sway in the public is too great, so we can only chip at their power. Even the royal family must be careful..." Simon paused and look at everyone.

"Everyone, the meeting is over" He abruptly announced.

Even though it was abrupt, the people left the room with tired faces. All of them have been in the meeting room since early morning. They still need to go to their office and finish their paperwork. However, some stayed in their seat. Once the door is shut close, Simon looked around the table.

"Let us begin the second part of the meeting," Simon announced.

"Director Ernst, any news regarding Arco's manor," Simon asked the bald old man seating to his left. People left the room. 

"According to the statement of the police officials present at the scene, the whole manor was on fire. They tried to approach the building, but the fire was too hot. There are two survivors of the incident, but the identity of the two was kept secret by the church...." Ernst paused and looked around.

"... However, I spent spies to investigate the scene. The whole perimeter has been guarded by church officials. The spies also found the manor in rubble; however, they have not found any trace of soot or burn marks." He continued in a solemn tone. 

Simon did not say anything and turn his face at the middle-aged man next to Ernst.

"Any news from the capital?"

"Yes, the Arco family publicly excommunicated Peter. Rumor has spread in the upper circles that Peter was a bastard child."

The room turned silent, slowly 

"It is the rewrite phenomenon. That means it is related to the supernatural beings." Simon said the words that were on everyone's mind.

Rewrite phenomena is a thing that occurs to people that directly saw an event caused by a supernatural being. Memories will change the supernatural phenomenon into something comprehensible to human logic.

"Ernst, should we increase patrols in the night?"

"I think night patrol should be armed especially when patrolling the south and west districts. However, I don't know if that is enough to deal with the supernatural beings."

Simon sighed in resignation.

"That means we can only rely on the church to deal with the problem. Hopefully, the church power won't be affected too much with the new law we passed." 

Simon massaged his temples. He then ordered the middle-aged man.

"Matthias, contact Victorian firearm companies and look for weapons that can deal with supernaturals." 

"The rest of you, contact the capital and other nobles to lend their expertise on this matter." Simon continued.

"We should look for an alternative just in case the church fails," He announced with a serious expression.