The Black Order was mourning. They had just lost one of their Generals and the oldest one at that. If that wouldn't be enough they got the frightening information from him before he died that the other Generals are targeted right now. The European Branch's Supervisor Komui Lee grouped the Exorcists and them after the Generals to get them back to Headquarters for safety so they could figure something out. Most of their Generals contacted them periodically and reported everything, but there was one they didn't know anything about. General Marian Cross had dropped off the face of Earth years ago. He hadn't been seen by anyone from the order since his departure on a mission that he completed within a couple of days and gave them his report only to never to be seen or be heard of. The only lead they had on him were the rumours the Finders heard and told them they were scattered and barely anything, but it was more than nothing. The latest one said he had been seen in Liverpool for a day or two before disappearing as if he had never been there to begin with.

Leenale, Lavi, Krory, Miranda and Bookman had departed to the afore-mentioned city as fast as they could to gather information on the vanishing man. The journey there wasn't too long or hard because it was a widely known harbour city.

"Do you think someone can tell us anything useful?" asked Miranda.

"Maybe, maybe not." answered Lavi truthfully. "If they saw him then we will have something to go on because the General is pretty hard to miss with his long, wild blood red hair."

Miranda nodded, accepting the fact that they were practically on a wild goose chase. They had been warned at the very beginning, but it was still hard to face the lack of information. They separated at a fountain going three different way. Lavi went with Leenale, Krory with Miranda, and Bookman went alone.

The Bookman in training saw a market place and pulled his partner towards it at the questioning look he voiced his reason. "Many people are there every day. Higher chances to meet someone who saw him." The duo spent the whole day there asking anyone there if they saw the General, but they had no luck. So at the end of the day they went back to the Inn they all are rooming in with nothing. Hoping that the other three had more luck. Miranda and Krouri didn't have anything, it was obvious without asking just by looking at their slumping shoulders and gloomy faces. Bookman on other hand had been successful. A small shop's owner had seen him at the docks boarding a ship. The only problem was it had been a month ago so the invasive man had a whole month's time on them and who knows where he could be right now.

The next day the group was at the docks at the crack of dawn to figure out where the womanizer went and to board a ship, as soon as possible, to go after him. Asking around for information about him they met with an anomaly. As it turned out many people around the harbour had a hard time identifying him for they had seen a father who looked like him. The young exorcists wrote it down as a coincidence, but Bookman kept this piece of information at the fore front of his mind.

"Did you see a black clad man, who has wild, blood red hair?" asked Lavi. The tall muscled man looked down on him questioningly at first then opened his mouth slowly.

"Yes. I did. He wanted a ride to France. I wasn't planning to do trip there, but he said he pays me double the money I would ask for normally so I took him and the boy."

Lavi had been nodding his head along as the man was talking, but now his mind was working a mile a minute. Cross had a boy with him so he must have found a compatible pair. "How did the boy look like?"

"I don't know. He never took off the hood of his cloak. I only that it was a boy because I heard him speaking a couple of times."

It struck the Bookman in training how odd it was that someone wouldn't show their face to someone who takes him over the seas on his ship and this person was traveling with the General. "Did they part ways after they got off your ship?" This he had to know for if they didn't then the General had a young exorcist in training under him and that is a very important information Central and the Supervisor would want to know because it has a great effect on their mission.

"No." said the captain shaking his head as if to make sure his answer got through. "The red haired man led walked into town with him side by side and from what heard I know they won't part ways."

"Would you accept a trip there again. My four companions and I want to go there. If you weren't planning on going there then pay you double the amount just like he did." said Lavi without missing a beat.

The broad shouldered man contemplated the offer for a minute or so before giving his consent. "Meet me at my ship," he said pointing at a big sea cruiser that was already under preparation to go on a trip. "in three hours at most if you and your team are not here by then we leave you behind and go to our planned destination."

"Understood." said the exorcist leaving the captain behind as he went back to the others. "The General went to France and he had a boy with him. I made a deal with the captain that took them over the seas to give us a ride there too. The ship will leave in three hours."

"What kind of boy?" asked the pigtailed girl.

"I don't know. He never showed his face to the captain."

Bookman was the only one out of the group who made the connection between Cross and the father everyone was talking about in this city constantly. He was sure the two man was one and the same. Meaning they had dismissed a great deal of information when they didn't know this fact.

"I go and inform brother about the mission." said Lenalee. Before anyone could say or do anything she activated her innocence and left the harbour behind to call Headquarters. The rest of the group stayed where they had been before the sudden depart continuing their conversation as if nothing happened. For them it was normal for the Chinese girl to leave like that so they didn't bat an eyelash. The other reason behind it was that they didn't want to hear the Supervisor ask about his darling Lenalee all the time so it saved the trouble and time it takes to get her to the phone every time after giving their report.

One hour before the deadline Bookman herded the team back to the big sea cruiser. The waves were slow and soft so it looked like gentle caresses on the body of the ship. The crew members were moving constantly as they readied it for the long journey ahead. It hadn't been the first time they had to prepare for an unplanned trip suddenly and out of the blue so it didn't give them too much trouble.

The group stood huddled together in front of the majestic ship waiting for the captain to let them board. Lenalee had collected their luggage. With the help of her innocence she had been able to get them all to the harbour in a record time.

Ten minutes after the exorcists arrived to the ship the man Lavi talked with walked up to them. The muscled man ordered them to board and follow him to their cabins. They were given to rooms beside each other. One for the girls and one for the boys. "If I catch any of you trying to force yourself on one of the ladies I will throw you into the sea personally! Is that clear?" threatened the tall man. Lavi and Krory could only nod mutely in the face of a man this big. Bookman on the other was left out of the threatening prompting his apprentice to pout. He gave a glare that forgone any complaints then went inside their cabin.

The young exorcists made their way to the side of the ship looked out onto the sea as the preparation slowly died down to give way for the ships depart. Watching the city growing farther and farther away from them until it was no more than a speck of dust on the endless looking sea. After that they switched to watching the sea while the sailors moved constantly as the ship moved forward at moderate even speed. For the first time since this mission began the youngsters were hopeful. There was a chance of them finding the General now and it was miles from the hopeless case they thought of it when they heard what was required from them.