The Prince Of Magic

...

...

Inside a lone mansion located near the mountains, there are three figures walking around in the darkness in one of the building's empty hallways.

While the moonlight was bright, each of them were equipped with flashlights so that they can make their way easily without fear of stumbling onto something.

Leading the group was a young woman of 15 years old.

She has a healthy, pale complexion, a pair of striking blue-green eyes and a long gray hair that was braided and set into a bun.

She has a lithe physique similar to that of an ordinary fifteen year old girl, which often causes people to assume that she is unfit for combat until she forces them otherwise. Her features bears similarities to people with European heritage, particularly British.

She was wearing a long gray cloak with a black capelet that has white ribbon to keep it in place and a silver fur lined around the hood that was over her head. Beneath the cloak was a short black dress with long white sleeves that covered her arms from the cold weather. She was also wearing a pair of long black socks that reaches up to her knees and dark brown shoes with laces.

The young woman's name was Gray, a Magus and apprentice of Lord El-Melloi II.

The two figures behind her were students of her mentor, whose names are Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia and Flat Escardos.

Behind her left was Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia, who wore a serious yet nervous expression.

Caules was a young man of eighteen years old, but he has a childish, freckled face that does not match his age, which often causes people to mistake him for a 15 or 16 years old.

He is 172 cm tall, has a light tan skin tone, and possess a slim, somewhat lanky physique, giving indication that he does not exercise often. He has short, messy brown hair, and light gray eyes behind a pair of spectacles with black frames. He was wearing a light blue blazer with navy lapels, a white turtleneck with long sleeves, black pants and formal brown shoes.

Walking behind her right was Flat Escardos, who was smiling and looking as if he was taking a stroll in the park, which was a stark contrast to Caules's nervous façade.

Flat was a young man of eighteen years old, similar to Caules. But unlike the latter, who can act m.a.t.u.r.e and cautious in given situations despite his childish features, Flat was the opposite.

He has short blonde hair that was messy, and a pair of blue eyes that emits a vibrant, cheerful energy. He has a light tan complexion that was a bit darker than Caules's, and is 167 cm tall, a tad shorter than Caules.

Notably, he has a silver earring with a small ruby gem pierced on the lobe of his left ear.

He is wearing a white formal shirt with long-sleeves and a few top buttons undone. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his shirt was untucked.

He also has a red vest, and black suspenders that were left hanging in both sides of his waist. He has black trousers, a pair of long white socks and black shoes. To ward off the cold weather, he has a black coat over a white hoodie.

The three young Magi make for a rather strange sight as they venture into the depths of the territory of their target.

But, dangerous as it was, the trio do not have much of a choice, considering as they had been specifically instructed to go to their mentor, despite the older man's initial warnings beforehand.

Earlier, Gray, Caules and Flat had been sternly instructed to stay in the parlor by their mentor, Lord El-Melloi II, and not move until they were given further orders.

The long haired professor and their fellow classmate, Svin Glascheit, were the first to venture into the mansion of their target, Blair Icecolle.

Blair Icecolle was the last member of the Icecolle family, which was a fairly old bloodline of practitioners of the dark arts.

The Icecolle had been forced on the run by the devastating witch hunts of the Middle Ages. They escaped from western Europe all the way to Siberia, but it was there that they lost the foundation of their thaumaturgy, eventually falling into a decline.

Blair Icecolle was the first child to be born of the decaying bloodline in a long time. He was accepted into the Clock Tower as a student and eventually left as a Magus with a decent record under his belt.

However, when he had not responded to the summons of the Clock Tower, the higher-ups has decided send someone to check on his well-being.

Blair may not be a Magus with no notable breakthroughs in his research, but he was still a good student with a promise.

Therefore, the higher-ups made the decision to have someone go fetch him in person, to confirm whether the magus in question was still alive, which resulted with Lord El-Melloi II flying over to Siberia with a couple of his students in tow.

They had just landed a few hours ago, and it didn't took much difficulty to find where Blair was currently staying.

Gray, Caules and Flat had been waiting in the parlor for a few hours, waiting (im)patiently for their mentor and fellow classmate to return, hopefully with Blair in tow.

However, after several hours of waiting and radio silence, Flat received a call from Lord El-Melloi II via Svin's phone, informing them to come to where they are.

And thus, here they are, walking deep into one of the hallways of the mansion, which would be a handful to venture into if not for their flashlights and the moonlight since it was quite dark.

Flat, who had been quietly humming to himself to pass the time, remembered something important.

"Hey guys, did you saw how professor El looked earlier?" Flat began.

Gray looked over her shoulder to give him a look of silent curiosity, but it was Caules who asked the question for them.

"Hm? What is?" The bespectacled Magus asked, forgetting his anxiousness in venturing into a magus's territory momentarily.

"He looked… Hm, I don't know…" Flat frowned, brainstorming as he tried to find a proper word to describe what he wants to say.

Gray and Caules sweatdrop at the focused look on the weird blonde near them. The latter's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Ah, yeah! Serious! Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for!" Flat said with a grin.

Used to his behavior, Gray giggled at his response before she turned back to the front.

Caules on the other hand, let out a weary sigh, face-palming.

"By the root…" Caules muttered under his breath, then he turned to Flat. "And how is that anything new? Professor El is always serious, idiot."

"Hm, that is true…" Gray agreed with a nod.

Flat was not deterred though, despite their opinions.

"No, I mean, doesn't he look more serious than usual? His forehead is wrinkled a lot more too." Flat pointed out.

"Of course that would get your attention." Caules deadpanned, giving the shorter young man a mild glare before thinking over his words. "But, yeah, you might be onto something there."

Gray also agreed with their sentiments, though she remained silent and stayed vigilant of where they are going.

"Right, right, right?!" Flat said excitedly.

So elated was he at being correct and having someone support his assumption that Flat stepped into Caules's space, invading the latter's privacy that he had to lean back to avoid being close to Flat's face when the blonde magus got closer to him unexpectedly.

Caules's left hand twitched, suddenly feeling the urge to push his classmate's face away from him, but refrained himself from doing that.

Caules let out a sigh of relief when Flat stepped back as quickly as he leaned forward.

A few feet in front of them, Gray giggled quietly at the scene behind her, amused by their antics.

"No need to get excited over something like this." Caules scolded, his expression grim as he continued. "If Professor El is like that, then something must have happened. It won't do us any good if we just wonder about it now, so we might as well go there and see what it is for ourselves. So c'mon, you two."

Without further ado, silence reigned upon the three as they continued to make their way through the hallway.

Gray and Caules were tensed, knowing better than to let their guard down in a Magus's home.

Flat though remained the same as always, humming to himself and looking as if he was enjoying the experience in being inside a haunted mansion.

A few minutes later, they eventually reached the entrance (that was already opened) and found themselves in a brightly lit area that appears to be a large study room.

The room was a vast when it comes to space. It has two floors made into a rectangle. It was filled with many rows of bookshelves and various equipment typically seen in magus workshop.

If anything, the new room resembles more like a fancy public library, which was the norm when it comes to most magi.

Gray gasp softly at the sight before her.

"So many books…" She muttered in surprise, obvious wonder in her blue-green eyes as she looked around.

Beside her, Flat and Caules did not even batted an eye as they too observed the new area.

Unlike Gray, the two young men came from magi families with wealth and certain standings in the moonlit world. Thus, seeing such a scene before them were often the norm for those like them.

Still, the sight of many tomes made Caules whistled, silently impressed with the Icecolle's family research archives, despite their decline over the years.

Instead, they were more mindful of searching for their professor and fellow classmate, whom they both found to be in the center of the room where there was a desk and chair.

Seeing the familiar figures of Lord El-Melloi II and Svin Glascheit, Flat called to the two beside him.

"Hey, there's Svin and Proffessor El! C'mon, guys!" Flat pointed before he ran towards the two.

Caules looked alarmed when he noticed that something was amiss, turning to Flat who had already gone ahead of him.

"Ah wait, you dolt!" Caules shouted in warning, running after the blonde with Gray following behind.

"Hey, Profess–" Flat paused, stopping into a halt as his eyes lay sight to the scene before him.

There, on the desk, was the body of Blair Icecolle, who they were instructed to check on by the high council.

The magus's upper body was on the desk, with the lower part still seated on the chair. The left side of his face was flat down the surface of the desk, and his right hand lying beside it.

On a closer look, one can see slit wound between his eyebrows with blood pouring out in a slow but steady pace, pouring on the desk and down to the floor. His eyes were opened and staring blankly.

Flat had been unable to see the body since his professor was in the way of his line of sight at that time, but when Lord El-Melloi II turned around as he heard the blonde called out to him, that was when he saw the dead body of Blair Icecolle lying on the desk in full view.

Flat's complexion turned white when it dawned on him that he was literally staring at a dead body.

Grimacing, he turned around, eyes closed as he tried to swallow down the urge to puke the contents of his stomach.

Seeing his foolish student's reaction, Lord El-Melloi II frowned.

"Oi, Flat, didn't I told you not to run in here so casually. This is not the time to be jolly, you fool." He reprimanded.

Beside him, Svin Glascheit sighed at his classmate's incompetence.

Svin was a young man with the same height as Flat. He has short light brown hair with wavy locks, and dark blue eyes. He has a natural pale complexion with European features, and a lean physique that often causes people to see him as delicate due to his soft features, which was far off from the truth if one were to see what he can truly do in a fight.

He is attired in a white formal shirt that was untucked with the neckline and cuffs dyed in black, a black vest and tie, black custom fit trousers and dark brown shoes with no laces.

Like the rest, he was wearing a black coat and a scarf to protect himself from the cold weather.

"Try not to throw up near here. Do it in a corner over there." Svin scolded, gesturing a hand to the far corner of the room.

Having caught up to the blonde, Caules took a few moments to regain his breathing, cursing at his lack of exercise.

"I told you to wait, didn't I?" Caules sighed, patting the blonde's back to ease his discomfort.

Flat may be annoying most of the time, but Caules considers him a good friend, despite their nature as magi.

"S-sorry, guys." Flat apologized as he walked a few feet away from the others, just enough so that he can't see the body anymore.

Caules hovered nearby to keep an eye on him, but he also paid attention to their professor, who continued his inspection of the body before their arrival.

Gray shot a concerned glance at Flat, but she went over to Lord El-Melloi II, who was now standing with his hands inside his pockets in front of Blair Icecolle's corpse.

"What happened to him, Professor?" She asked, casting a worried eye to the body.

"He was murdered." Lord El-Melloi II answered, lighting up a cigarette as he conjured a bit of fire via his fingertip before letting it hang on his mouth.

The students sweatdrop, regarding the answer to be too simple.

"I think an explanation would be more preferable over that, professor." Svin sighed.

The long-haired professor inhaled, then he held the joint between the fingers of his right hand.

Looking down at the dead body with his left hand in his pocket, Lord El-Melloi II puffed out the smoke and he tilted his head as he observed the corpse in front of him with a careful eye.

"I don't think there's an accurate explanation over this case other than concluding that he was murdered, really." Lord El-Melloi II said casually.

Surprised as they were by his admission, the students can't help but noticed the resigned yet grave glint in his eyes. It was as if their professor was feeling something, but he refuses to show it.

Then, they all remembered how their professor advised them to always keep a clear mind in any type of situation. Still, the urge to ask was there.

The question was on the tip of their tongue, but the students simply don't know how to phrase it in a way that would earn them a scolding from him.

In the end, it was Gray who had gathered enough courage to do it, which was understandable since she is his apprentice. But, contrary to their expectations, she stated a different question for him.

"Do you know him, Professor?" Gray inquired, looking up at him with concern.

Lord El-Melloi II sighed, not expecting for his apprentice to see through him that easily. He gave her a glance before turning back to the body.

"He was among my first students." The long-haired professor announced, expression stoic.

There were a few gasps heard around the room, but Lord El-Melloi II ignored it. He had already expected the reaction.

Instead, he focused his attention on corpse of his first student before him.

"After he left the Clock Tower, he became one of my contacts for the murder cases." He began, knowing full well that his students were paying attention to his every word.

"Since his expertise lies with the dark arts, I figured that he would provide a substantial help to the investigations." His jaw clenched. "I never thought that those bastards would caught up to him like this so early in the game."

Lord El-Melloi II closed his eyes for a brief moment, a subtle attempt to calm himself, before he opened them again.

'To take him out like this, he must've found something. Not to mention leaving his body this way. They could have simply drag it to somewhere, but to leave it out. It's as if they are taunting us. I have to report this to the others. This case has become more dangerous than before.' He mused, eyes narrowed.

With a grim expression, he turned to his students. His left hand formed into a fist inside his pocket, hinting his frustration.

"Stay here, all of you. I have to make a call." Lord El-Melloi II said in a tone that brooked no arguments.

The students nodded, watching nervously as he leaned forward and closed Blair's eyes before he stood upright and walked into a corner.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number that only a few people knows before putting the device on his ear.

The line connected and someone from the other side picked up the call.

"Yes, this is the Schweinorg office speaking." A feminine voice announced.

"Is Lord Schweinorg there?" Lord El-Melloi II asked.

"To whom am I speaking?"

"It's El-Melloi II, and I wish to speak to him about an urgent matter."

"I will transfer you to his line immediately. Please hold."

As he waited for a few moments, Lord El-Melloi II thought to himself.

'Those bastards will pay for what they did to you, Blair. This, I swear…'

...

...