The Prince Of Magic

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Yan snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the purple-haired spoke again.

"No, I won't." Rider calmly stated, continuing when she saw the questioning look in his eyes. "Do not misunderstand. I care for Master's health, physically and mentally. And I would do anything in my power to keep him happy and safe. But if he's changing, then I'm not worried for him… because I know that he's strong enough to see through his own behavior and correct it."

"Oh ho? So, you're not going to do anything about it then?" Yan asked, one black brow raised.

"At the moment? No. If he's unable to return to his previous state, then perhaps I might. Frankly speaking, I'm not worried since his current behavior might be his method to deal with the burdens that he is shouldering right now. The cases in his hands are anything but simple. It would take more than a calm and collected persona to deal with such things. I'm more surprised that Master is handling these problems quite well at his age. But, given his experience in the Holy Grail war, it's not surprising that that side of himself would return in this manner." Medusa answered thoughtfully.

Yan blinked, a bit surprised by her insight. Then, a thoughtful expression took over his face.

"Hmm… you're right." Yan agreed, albeit hesitantly. "Maybe we're just being overly concerned about him. Maybe we should just give him a break? The cases he's dealing with aren't simple murders. I know I wouldn't be all gung-ho and overly positive when I'm dealing with shit like that. He's doing his best, after all."

"Yes, and simply providing him our support might be our best option here." Medusa nodded. "Knowing Master, he does not need for us to be hovering around him like mother hens. Just supporting him as per usual is probably enough for him. I'd give it a few weeks, Master will most likely return to his previous behavior."

"And if all else fails, I'm sure you girls can find a way to get him out of his funk." Yan chuckled at his own suggestion.

Medusa raised an eyebrow before she asked quietly. "…And what might that be?"

"Oh, I don't know… seduce him till he looks like a stuttering v.i.r.g.i.n like he is." Yan grinned cheekily.

The long-haired retainer laughed when he noticed the look of contemplation on Medusa's countenance, making him feel somewhat sympathetic for his Master's peace of mind.

Yan and some of the male retainers in their group had been subjected to her sultry side before, but it was more during in combat and it came a healthy dose of malevolence mixed in it, not the genuine display of affection she only shows to their Master.

Once again, Yan told himself that such good things also come with consequences, which in this case were the troublesome yet gorgeous women.

'Master's days in the near future is going to be rough, for sure…' Yan shook his head in amus.e.m.e.nt.

The two retainers came back to reality when they heard a familiar voice shouted at them from somewhere nearby.

"Heeeey, guys! Better come here quick! I think I found something!" Astolfo called out excitedly.

Yan and Medusa glanced at one another before they quickly went to where they sensed the pink-haired servant was located.

The two of them did not ran, more like walked at a faster pace since they didn't sense any immediate urgency in Astolfo's voice that would giveaway that he was in danger.

On their way there, the two retainers couldn't help but feel wary.

Before, when they had seen the island, all of the retainers sensed a great danger looming within the isle, causing them to be on guard, which was understandable given that an Ultimate One was living in said island.

Now that they were venturing into the Spider's territory, they all feel uneasy as the small hairs on their bodies stood up the longer they walk around.

The clouds and the mildly thick fog around them was not making things any easier on them.

Curiously enough, as they got closer to where they sensed their fellow retainer, the fog was slowly dissipating, allowing them to see their surroundings better.

"Alright, pinky, what did yo¬u –" Yan trailed off as his eyes widen at the sight before him.

Beside him, Yan idly noticed that Medusa was a lot quieter than usual as she took in the scene as well.

After the two retainers went around a bunch of crystals, they arrived to a small clearing devoid of any signs of life with the sole exception to the large, dense and tall tree rooted in the center.

It was pure white and has leaves with the color of blood.

The 'Blood Spring' tree looked ethereal, glowing with a certain power as little bright blue lights fly around it.

Hanging from its branches like fruits were the tear-shaped objects that their Master has tasked for them to retrieve, 'Blood Beads'.

Yan found it hard to believe that such a majestic-looking tree was something that an Ultimate One had made, given from what he had seen of its appearance. He was expecting a tree with a grotesque appearance like in some alien movies, but he was glad to be wrong.

'I guess you can't judge a book by its cover…' Yan mused.

Together, Yan and Medusa made their way over to where Astolfo was located, who was standing several feet away from the white tree.

"Heeeey, guys! Over here!" Astolfo called, waving at them with a wide smile.

"Geez, calm down, ya idiot. No need to yell like that!" Yan berated, frowning.

"He's right. Calm yourself, Astolfo. Keep in mind that we are on a dangerous territory." Medusa cautioned, taking care not to speak out loud.

"Oh right! Sorry, hehe!" Astolfo apologized, looking sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head.

Yan shook his head with a sigh, then turned his gaze upwards as he looked at the tall white tree.

"So… this is the one then?" Yan asked, pondering aloud.

Suddenly, the three retainers felt the mental link opened as their Master's voice resonated in their heads.

'Oh, you've found one. Good work, you three.' Hadrian complimented. 'Now, it'd be better if you get to work on harvesting the Blood Beads fast. The intruders has not been on the move since then, but it's better to finish this as soon as possible. Who knows what they might be up to if they wait for too long.'

'Sure, we'll get to that, but where are we going to put these things in? We don't have bags and I doubt our pocket would be able to fit them all.' Yan stated as he plucked one Blood Bead.

'Hmm… check your pockets, Yan. I send something for you to use there.' Hadrian suggested.

Yan did as instructed and he pulled out a medium-sized black sack neatly folded from his once empty pocket.

'You can use that to hold the Blood Beads. Now, please get to work, and do it quick. The others have already made first contact with some of the intruders.'

With that said, their master's voice cut off and the link closed once more, causing the three retainers to look at one another in bewilderment.

"Shit!" Yan cursed before he moved.

"Where are we going to keep these things safe if we're all jumping into a fight?!" Astolfo asked in a panic as he helped Yan harvest the Blood Beads.

"Hell if I know! Just keep plucking, pinky!" Yan yelled back.

"I suppose we'll just have to leave it in someplace else to keep it safe." Medusa sighed as she helped the two, albeit on a more average pace.

Yan, Astolfo and Medusa started to harvest the Blood Beads as fast as they could before they quickly set off to where their target was located, dashing through the tall crystals to the best of their abilities after they had started hearing the familiar sounds of metals clashing and the occasional rumbles of the ground pervade the once quiet, eerie island.

The battle to capture the intruders had begun, and the three retainers would prefer not to be late for the party by being the last ones to join in.

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