The Prince Of Magic

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Silently, he gestured for the other free chair as he looked at his grandfather questioningly.

"You may." Zelretch said, nodding towards the seat.

Upon permission, Hadrian sat on the chair, leaning back to make himself comfortable.

His retainers went and occupied the couches behind him, but their attention were on his grandfather, who cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Now that you're here, child, we can begin the meeting." Zelretch said, interlacing his hands in front of him.

"What you do wish to know?" Hadrian asked.

"Start from the beginning, do not leave anything out. I wish to know the recent events from your point of view." Zelretch stated, crimson eyes narrowed in focus.

"Very well…" Hadrian said, closing his eyes briefly.

The young mage took a deep breath and began his retelling of the events that occurred in Canada.

First, he began his report by telling them about his investigation in the abandoned mansion of the fallen magi family, the Zepter. Next, the retainers' encounters in the murder areas, what occurred in the Watch's underwater headquarters and on the Spider's island and more.

Then, after recounting the events one by one, he informed them of his suspicions regarding the enemy servants, Jester Karture, and the unknown arcane spells.

His words caused the usually mischievous elder magician to don a solemn and calculating mask, which looked strangely eerie to anyone who have not seen him turned serious before.

It was not just his grandfather. His mother, who had been mostly silent throughout his report, now appeared solemn as well, but there was a hint of worry that leaked through her calm mask.

"Are you sure of this?" Zelretch asked, his tone wholly absent of mischief.

"I am." Hadrian confirmed, looking thoughtful as he glanced to the side. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

Hadrian was about to continue, but paused when he noticed Hugo's questioning look.

Noticing where his eyes were and the hesitant expression on his face, Zelretch huffed before speaking.

"It's alright, enkel. Hugo is trustworthy. You can as well." The old magician pitched in for his subordinate, leaning back into his chair with arms crossed over his c.h.e.s.t. "Continue your explanation."

"Ah, yes." Hadrian looked a bit surprised, but quickly regained his composure as he continued where he left off. "As I was saying, the automaton was unable to identify the arcane spells that were left in some of the murder locations and on those servants' cloaks. It only does that if the object does not belong on earth."

"Then, what if it's of alien origin?" Lucia asked.

"Possible, but it has a low chance that it came from this dimension. I have already ran through the calculations of such a possibility with the automaton, and even that thing was not convinced." Hadrian reasoned, recalling the Moon Cell's bafflement over the issue with a bemused expression.

"Hmm, if it so, then this coincides with Lorelei's findings." Zelretch stated with a sigh.

"Lady Lorelei? What did she found, opa?" Hadrian inquired, blinking in surprise at the mention of his mentor.

"Do you recall when I told you about her bothering a colleague of mine?" Zelretch asked instead.

"Yes." Hadrian nodded slowly, remembering their talk over the phone a few days ago in perfect clarity.

"Well, it seems that the Queen heard murmurs of something interesting while she was 'visiting' Rita." The old magician stated.

"And what is that, papa?" Lucia asked, bright purple eyes alight with interest.

"When they had been fighting, Lorelei found out from Rita that there was someone intruding upon her territories. Perhaps it might be related to this Jester Karture you are speaking of. It's a possibility that we can't simply discard." Zelretch said in a thoughtful tone, rubbing his bearded chin with his right hand.

"Then, the reason why Rita ventured into human locations…" Hadrian trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as the realization dawned on him.

"It was to find the intruder, yes." Zelretch clarified with a nod. Then, he sighed, frowning in irritation. "But, in the end, she didn't managed to catch them since Lorelei blocked her before she could even go deep in her investigation. That brat kept calling me ever since Lorelei destroyed almost half of her castle, demanding me to pay for the damages your mentor had caused."

"And did you pay, milord?" Hugo asked, almost hesitant to know the numbers.

"Course not!" Zelretch denied, giving him a deadpan stare. "Why the hell would I pay for the damages the Queen made over there? Rita can kiss the Spider's nasty alien a.s.s before that happens. I can hardly believe that that brat is in destitute. Except for the Spider, all the 26 Dead Apostles are ridiculously well-off, and that brat is no exception. But, I'm the wealthiest than all of them combined!"

With his loud declaration, a round of chuckles broke out in the room save one.

Hadrian, in particular, wondered what the unknown Dead Apostle named Jester Karture was truly after and, most importantly, his motives.

"Oh, by the way, you should go visit your mentor, enkel. She'll want to know that you've arrived here now." Zelretch began, snapping Hadrian out of his thoughts.

"Ah, right." Hadrian said with a small nod. "Then, is there anything else, opa?"

"Yes, a few things, but we can speak of them later after your visit." Zelretch stated with a wave of his hand.

Hadrian was about to say farewell before he stopped as a thought came to mind.

"Ah, before I go, here." The young mage said, pulling something out of his pocket before he laid it down on his grandfather's desk.

Three pair of eyes settled upon a small black piece of device, blinking a few times before they turned to the calm-looking young man in confusion.

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