The Prince Of Magic

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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.

"Why the flash drive, young master?" Hugo asked for Lucia and Zelretch.

"That flash drive was found when it fell out of a rogue servant's pocket." Hadrian explained, briefly recalling how Arash passed the item to him a few days ago. "Arash managed to pick that up after he and the others killed him. I've already hacked through it, so there's no need to worry about any firewalls and whatnot inside that thing. I took a quick look inside, and there's a lot of stuff in it."

"Of what kind? P.o.r.n? Ack!?" Zelretch cried out in surprise and pain, quickly rubbing the back of his head where he was smacked.

"Behave yourself, papa." Lucia said sternly, pulling her left hand away that suspiciously glowed with prana.

"What? It was a serious, legitimate question!" Zelretch defended, causing Lucia, Medusa and Arturia to look at him in mild disgust.

Hadrian exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again.

"No, opa. It's not p.o.r.n." He deadpanned, ignoring the chuckles from the male retainers behind him. "Inside that storage seems to be blueprint for plans and captured images of ritual circles. I think that rogue servant had been taking pictures of the blueprints and the ritual circles in secret. I don't know why though."

At the mention of ritual circles, the two mages and one magician turned to him in attention.

Knowing that he has their undivided attention, Hadrian continued.

"I can't make heads or tails of the blueprints and the ritual circles, so I thought it's better for you to have a look at them instead." Hadrian suggested, inwardly knowing that his grandfather was the more knowledgeable and experienced mage when it comes to anything related to magecraft. "I know some rituals, but I'm no expert when it comes to that."

He had already tried to have the automaton scan the blueprints and the ritual circles, but the results that came up were unsatisfactory.

"Hmm… very well. I'll take a look at this later." Zelretch hummed, then shifted his gaze to his grandson. "But enough of reports. I have to ask, enkel. Are you fine?"

"Hm?" Hadrian blinked, surprised by the sudden question.

"I've heard from Hugo and Edward that you were attacked by the Spider's spawn." Zelretch explained, nodding briefly to the mage in question before turning back to his heir. "So, are you fine?"

"Ah, hm." Hadrian nodded, looking solemn as his gaze lowered to the desk briefly. "Some of my ribs were broken a few days ago, but they're all healed now."

"And your eyes?" Zelretch asked next, eyeing his heir with observant eyes. "Are they still bothering you?"

Hadrian was silent for several moments as he met his grandfather's gaze with an unreadable expression, then he sighed.

"Yes, they are. Not as much, but it does occur from time to time." Hadrian gave the old magician a knowing look. "As I'm sure you are aware."

By the last comment, Zelretch chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"No need for the cheek, enkel. I just wish to clarify your situation." The old magician smirked, causing the young heir to huff. Then, a calm yet solemn façade took over his weathered face. "When you return later, meet me in my workshop. I will need to examine your eyes again to see if there's any changes."

"After dinner, papa." Lucia interjected gently, causing the grandfather and grandson to turn to her in surprise. "Hadrian has just came home after a few months of investigation. It has been a while since we have had a family dinner, and I wish to spend some time around my son some more."

"Very well then, my dear." Zelretch relented with a fond smile, turning to Hadrian as he said. "After dinner, enkel."

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After embracing his mother and some parting words, Hadrian left the office with his retainers.

Seated on his chair, the Magician of the Kaleidoscope looked on with a fond expression.

"Is it just me or has the little one grown?" Zelretch spoke after a moment of silence.

"He has, isn't it?" Lucia said with a hand on her cheek, a forlorn expression on her beautiful countenance.

"I think he has grown by a few inches or so. His shoulders also didn't looked that broad." Zelretch mused aloud, rubbing his bearded chin in thought. His crimson eyes with vertical pupils glowed brightly with mischief as he continued. "Hmm… he's beginning to look like a man. Admittedly on the beautiful side, but a true man nonetheless."

"My little one is not so little anymore…" Lucia commented sadly, the corners of her lips downturn a little.

"Bah, cheer up, daughter of mine. The boy still has a few years to grow, so you can still keep babying him." Zelretch replied nonchalantly, waving off her concerns.

Lucia giggled, covering her luscious lips with a soft, dainty hand as she did so.

"I could, but I would rather not embarrass him by going overboard. Those female retainers of his seems to have given him enough trouble as is. Being subtle about my concern for his well-being is a much better approach."

"If you say so." Zelretch shrugged.

The old magician turned to Hugo, who leaned back slightly in surprise, clearly startled by the sudden attention heaped upon him by his employer.

"Now that I've heard of enkel's report, I wish to hear yours, Hugo." Zelretch began, his weathered face set into a calm and serious mask. "I want to know what you've seen on that island, and I do mean everything. Do not leave anything out, even the smallest of details." Then, he tapped his finger on the flash drive. "And after this, we shall take a look inside this thing and find out any information related to the recent events."

"As you command, Lord Zelretch." Hugo acquiesced, bowing his head slightly to the magician in deference.

The old magician stood up from his chair and looked out the window, his hands behind his back.

"This situation has gone far enough, and I almost lost my heir in the process." His crimson eyes glowed, a calm fury simmering beneath its depths even though his expression stayed neutral. "I want to find out the culprits to these… slaughters, and I want them found now."

"And what if it is just another clue, milord?" Hugo asked carefully, aware of his liege's current mood.

"Oh, we will find something." The magician of the Kaleidoscope stated, almost growling. "I can feel it in my bones, Hugo. I may have aged since that fight with that bloods.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard, Crimson Moon, but my instincts remains sharp. If what we are looking for is not in that device, then I have another method that I can use."

"You'll be using the chair, papa?" Lucia asked.

"I would prefer not to, but I'd rather not risk enkel's safety anymore. So, I must." Zelretch sighed, rubbing the top of his brow to ease the incoming headache. "Enkel's claims about those people had me worried the most. The operations of parallel worlds are under my purview, and I do not like it when the world – our world – has intruders, especially ones as troublesome as these."

Noticing the dark clouds hovering in the far distance, Zelretch pursed his lips at the ominous sight and continued.

"No, we will get to the bottom of this and find the perpetrators of these incidents." Glowing crimson eyes with reptile-like pupils narrowed dangerously. "And when we do, we will eliminate them."

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