Hey guys, welcome back to TPoM. We're now on chapter nine… Well, technically the 10th, if you include the prologue, but anyways, enjoy! :D
As always, feel free to leave a comment, fave and (or) follow this story.
To the ones that left questions in the previous chapter, your answers are at the bottom of this page. Please go there to see it! :)
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"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
"Spells" or "Abilities"
* Sound Effects *
[ Moon Cell ]
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Chapter 9 – Idle Moments
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[… Vancouver, Canada – Midnight …]
"So, what has happened, enkel?" the voice of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg was heard through one of his mystic codes, the Portable Terminal.
Hadrian sighed, then went on explaining what has occurred to him and the others earlier.
It was now midnight, and Hadrian and the others had recently returned to the penthouse.
Needless to say, everyone was tired and no one was in the mood to stay awake after having eaten dinner. Before they all went to their respective rooms, Hadrian had to ask for their reports first of the two respective groups, particularly Arash and Scáthach.
Arash raised no objections to this, though Scáthach did since she desired to clean herself first before reporting to him.
Hadrian didn't blame her, not after learning what she and Rider had went through. The bits of guts and droplets of blood on her hair and clothes made him relent to her wishes in the end.
After their report, Hadrian had let go and left them to their own devices, but not before thanking them all for their time and for doing a good job, of which he can see that his retainers appreciated.
The events of what happened earlier in the day has led Hadrian to report to his grandfather.
Not only that, he also explained to the older man of his own findings.
The papers that Arash and his group had found consisted of something related to plans that Hadrian had yet to thoroughly look into.
The memories that he borrowed from Rider and Scáthach on the other hand, he did his best in trying to decipher.
Based on what he saw and the Moon Cell's calculations, the creatures were once former humans that had undergone extreme mutations due to the untold experimentations that were done to them in the past. It was quite obvious, honestly. From his knowledge, only through experimentation can usher a result of a once human body to become that way.
Hadrian knows this, because he had seen it during a class session in the Clock Tower when he was still a student there. The only difference was that the subject during that class was already dead and used for the lesson, while the creatures that he saw in the memories were still somehow 'alive' and created by an unknown magus.
"… and that's what happened for today." Hadrian finished with a sigh.
While not physically exhausted, Hadrian felt a bit mentally drained.
Hadrian and his group didn't encounter anything threatening in their investigation, but Arash and Scáthach's groups had for some reason.
The former group were attacked in surprise by some unknown individual that they did not get to chase, while Rider and Scáthach were trapped inside the old asylum and encountered strange mutated creatures that had been sent after them. What gave Hadrian a headache was Scáthach's decision to reduce the old asylum into tiny rubbles with powerful explosive runes.
According to Scáthach, she had no other option but to destroy the building for there were too many creatures that kept being sent after them through the red ritual circles. Scáthach had to destroy the buildings, or else, she and Rider would have been trapped inside the asylum for quite a while.
While the two of them had enough strength and endurance to take the battle the long way, Scáthach was afraid that the enemy might set up another trap and bring the building down upon them if she did not acted immediately. The asylum was full of traps, that's for sure, but with their enemy still hidden in the shadows, Scáthach had to make a choice.
It was either play into the enemy's hands and risk the chance to let the creatures roam alive, potentially hurting a local in the future, or take the matter into her own hands and disrupt the enemy's plans by getting ahead of them. Not one to back down from a chance of tweaking their enemy's nose, Scáthach chose the latter.
It was only not to their expectations that the bounded field that she installed would be unraveled by the enemy, which caused Scáthach and Rider to retreat quickly since there were locals passing by.
The result of the event ended with Scáthach's rune-bombing of the asylum reaching the local headlines in the news, while Rider and Scáthach herself returned to the penthouse, looking dirty and tired.
'The cleanup is going to be brutal. Good luck to the magi fixing that mess up. At least no locals got involved…' Hadrian mused with another sigh.
His musings were interrupted as his grandfather spoke up on the other end of the line.
"Huh… so that's what occurred. I was wondering why my secretary dropped a small stack of papers on my previously cleaned desk here earlier. I can already guess that those papers must be billing reports for destroying the building and the money to pay the clean-up team to erase and cover the incident from the humans." Zelretch said airily.
Hadrian winced, grimacing a little.
"Err… you can just send the cost to my account. I can pay for it." Hadrian suggested, feeling a bit bad for burdening his grandfather.
"No, it is fine. Do not worry about those bills. They are of no concern to me." Zelretch insisted firmly. "Instead, I have something else for you to do."
"And that is?" Hadrian asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The person you will meet tomorrow will lead you to a place I have made some investments in. I want you to go there and relay my greetings to the ones in charge of that place."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, just your greetings?" Hadrian asked, a bit perplexed.
"Yes, my greetings. It has been quite a long time since I've checked on that place in person, and I want someone I trust implicitly to make sure that all is well over there." Zelretch explained.
"Alright then, and is there anything that you want me to relay to those people other than your well-wishes?" Hadrian inquired.
"Hmm… ah, yes, there is. Tell Edward Miles that his ticket to victory is 150403691."
"… I'm not even going to ask what that is. Is there anything more you'd like to add?" Hadrian hoped not.
"Yes, that and tell him that he needs to stop giving in to his mistress's cajolery. He's not getting any younger, so that damn woman ain't going to love him truly if not for his wallet and his gifts."
"…" Hadrian didn't dare to ask what that was about, maintaining his silence instead.
Fortunately, his ever eccentric grandfather changed the subject.
"Anyways, how is your progress?" Zelretch asked, interest clear in his voice.
"Just fine." Hadrian answered, feeling a bit relieved at the change in topic. "Made a bit of progress with my research in Magecraft and True Magic. My mastery over both is increasing, but the first is more likely to happen soon than with the latter. The spells are still few and in its experimental phases, but I'm getting used to them slowly, one by one."
"Hm… that's good to hear. Now, the bad?" Zelretch asked in a nonchalant tone, as if he was asking for the weather in Canada.
Hadrian sigh at his grandfather's bluntness. Then again, the older man was experienced enough in the mystic arts to always expect that things won't always go smoothly.
"Err, I might've been stuck with uncle's True Magic." Hadrian reluctantly admitted.
"And? Well, out with it. No use pondering it on your own. That boy's magic can be potentially dangerous if it's not properly understood and done correctly." Zelretch encouraged.
"The first true magic seems to have correlations with Time Manipulation." Hadrian stated.
"Ah, time manipulation. If you are telling me this, then the lessons I taught you in that category is not enough, I take it?" Zelretch asked in a knowing tone.
"Yes." Hadrian admitted. "But it's not just that, there's other subjects that correlates with the First Magic."
He took a deep breath before speaking in detail of his current dilemma.
"According to Uncle Mathias, the First True Magic is like a blend of other Mysteries mixed into one. It's like… how do I put this…"
"The void." Zelretch summed up for him in a confident tone.
"Ah, yes. How did you know?" Hadrian asked in surprise and curiosity.
"It's one of the theories I had when I was researching the Kaleidoscope. That was way before I acquired it." Zelretch answered in a casual tone.
Hadrian heard a weary sigh from his grandfather's side.
"A blend of other mysteries, huh. This means that you will have to master each of them first before you are permitted to use the First True Magic. Seems like you have your work cut out for you, enkel. You might want to start learning the basics as soon as possible." Zelrecth advised solemnly.
"I will do that as soon as I get back home. I'll have to talk to Lehrer Lorelei about some books too." Hadrian frowned in thought.
"Speaking of the Queen, I heard talk from the other side that your teacher has been picking fights with Rita recently." Zelretch said, his voice returning into a casual tone.
"Rita? Rita Rozay-en? Isn't she…" Hadrian trailed off, unsure.
"One of the weird Dead Apostles with an equally odd friendship with another weirdo? Yes, she is." Zelretch clarified in a deadpan tone.
"Er, why is Lehrer picking a fight with… her?" Hadrian asked, curious but hesitant to know the situation.
"Well, Rita has been walking about in human territories recently, and your Lehrer is not exactly tolerant of people like Rita."
"What about you then?" Hadrian interrupted.
"I'm special." Zelretch said simply yet confidently, causing Hadrian to chuckle silently. "Now, don't interrupt your grandfather."
"Now, what was I saying again? Ah, yes. So, when your teacher heard that Rita has been near the Barthomeloi territories, Lorelei didn't hesitate to leave her office and go out of her way to trail after Rita. She found her, and the two clashed, as the young people are so often fond of saying these days."
"How's Lehrer?" Hadrian asked, a bit worried for his mentor's safety.
"She's fine. Lorelei came back from the fight, safe and sound. The two seems to be equal in strength, if you ask me. In fact, it's Rita who seems to be bothered by your mentor these days. I heard from her – more like complaining – that Lorelei has been killing her servants and wrecking her mansion recently." Zelrecth chuckled.
"That's Lehrer for you." Hadrian laughed.
Noticing a white fluffy familiar near his feet, Hadrian smiled as he picked Fou with his left hand and placed her on the flat surface of the veranda's concrete railings. He leaned on the stone and looked over the beautiful sight of the city, taking in the various bright lights and noises coming from below the penthouse.
"You don't need to worry about things here." Zelretch continued. "Rather, what I'm worried about is you."
"Me?" Hadrian repeated in surprise.
"I called her earlier and Saber informed me of your condition." Zelrecth explained, causing Hadrian to massage his right temple wearily. "She said that your eyes acted up again. How is it this time?"
"It was still painful, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon." Hadrian sighed. "I think I'm going to live with this weakness for quite a while. It doesn't seem to have any intentions of stopping if the recent episodes had anything to say about it."
"Hmm, let us do another examination later after you get home. I might have missed something last time." Zelretch said musingly. "Now, get some rest. I'm sure you need it after everything that had happened to you earlier. Don't do anything stressful, or it might affect your eyes again. I don't want you mother to get worried."
"I won't. I'll go right to bed after this." Hadrian grumbled, feeling like a child being scolded.
"Good. And by the way, did you know that you reached the headlines here, enkel?" Zelretch added, his tone turning mischievous.
"… What?"
"After your departure, it seems you left quite an impression on many people at the airport in London." Zelretch teased.
If the older man was in front of him right now, Hadrian had no doubt that his grandfather would be wearing the shit-eating grin that he always uses whenever he's in the mood for teasing.
"You got lots of pictures floating around the news. It seems like you're on every news channel the day after you left here. Your mother and I were surprised when you came up in the news we were just watching the other day. You got lots of people excited, that's for sure!" Zelretch chuckled, greatly amused.
"Err… is that all, opa? I would like to go now." Hadrian asked, eager to end the conversation.
"Oh, not quite. Your mother sends you her love and greeting. She misses you already." Zelrecth informed him.
"Tell her thank you and that I will see her soon." Hadrian smiled.
"I will. Goodnight, enkel." Zelretch said.
"Night, Opa."
Hadrian sighed as he saw the call get disconnected after he put the device away from his ear and looked at the screen.
"Well… that happened." The cyan eyed Master said with a huff.
Putting it inside his pocket, Hadrian gazed over the beautiful sight of city lights before him again, feeling relaxed as a gentle but cold breeze went against his body.
The breeze helped cooling his head, so he didn't mind the cold at all.
"Fou…" The white fluffy familiar beside his left arm cooed.
Hadrian smiled when he saw her looking at him in concern.
"Let's stay here for a bit and enjoy the lights, okay?" He asked gently, scratching her behind her rabbit-like ears.
"Kyufou!" Fou agreed with a nod of her head.
The Master and familiar duo stayed on the veranda for several minutes, enjoying the beautiful scene that the city can offer at midnight in comfortable silence before they went to his room to rest.
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Author's Notes
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I know, surprising that I uploaded faster. But, honestly, this chapter was hanging around my folder, so I thought to myself that I might as well upload it.
Word of advice, guys, please drink vitamins and eat nutritious food these days. Seems like the coronavirus is more effective against people with weak immune system. It may not be fatal as SARS, but there's no cure to be seen for this virus yet. So, better to be safe than sorry against something this virus during these trying times.
Nothing much has really happened to me since the last update, which was understandable since it has only been a few days, so I'll just leave it at that.
It still the same as usual, really. Work, rl responsibilities, write, rest and repeat. I won't lie that in the last two weeks, I had a hard time writing since I was still adjusting to the routine that I unexpectedly made for myself. When I started writing, my routine from that day forth kind of got off-road, so I had to learn to adjust.
Writer's block didn't help me in the slightest when it came knocking. Still, I try to force myself to write even though I don't feel the motivation and energy to spend. It's just the matter of finding inspirations and the energy to do it in my case, so it's not a great concern like before.
Didn't mean to go deep there, but I just wanted to let you guys know what's been going on with me in the previous weeks that I took a break from writing in general. I guess the pressure from my rl responsibilities and my desire to make a good story just clashed during that time, so it took a lot out of me.
Anyways, feel free to leave a review about what you think of this chapter, fave and (or) follow this story.
And my utmost gratitude to everyone, the readers, who are understanding of my situation. I'm grateful and happy that you guys are patient and understanding with someone like me, who is still an amateur author. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I wish to repay your kindness and patience by aitming to become a better writer in the future.
Again, thank you to everyone who has been with me in this journey so far.
Also, next chapter is going to be MC centric. It's going to be a lot longer than this, so stay tuned.
Take care and see you guys in the next chapter. Adieu for now! :D
[Note: To those who have left questions in their reviews, please scroll down below to see my responses to them.]
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Q & A
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Guest: How old is the MC at this point?
A – Presently in the story, he is fifteen years old.
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KingAllen:
A – Thank you, I'm glad you are enjoying so far. I admit, comments like these often make my day. :D
As for him learning HP verse magic, I think I know of a way for that to happen, so yes, it's highly possible :)
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Robobot:
A – Thank you :)
And yes, they are going to meet in the future, but probably after Hadrian returns to London. Also, I'm thankful for your patience and understanding. Long chapters often takes a long time for me to finish since I need to make time to put it together and make room to write in between my busy schedule. So, I'm glad to have readers like you around.
A great day to you as well! :D
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Dxhologram:
A – Kind of. The detective work in regards to magecraft will probably happen in snippets until Hadrian and Waver meets.
They're the ones who are heavily involved in the murder cases, after all. Right now, you can say what they are doing in the previous chapters is that are trying to gather enough clues to put the bigger picture together. Once Hadrian meets up with Zelretch and Waver, it is when they will start to piece the puzzle together.
Granted, there's bound to be questions later, but it'll be answered as the story goes on.
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Gen2324:
A – Probably once Hadrian and Waver meets. Honestly, my inspiration when it comes to detective work mostly comes from like how Batman analyzes a crime scene in Arkham games and also how Waver does it in the Case Files, which I have yet to finish watching (^_^')
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Doortolight47:
A – I'm sorry to hear that, though I'm the author has a serious reason for deleting their account. They must be going through something in rl that it requires their utmost attention. Still, I'm thankful that you are patient and understanding of my case.
Also, I'm glad to see that you enjoying my story so far. It makes the hard work all the more worthwhile that my story can be enjoyable to you guys :)
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fruitspunchsamurai-987:
A – Technically, he already is. He did flew to Canada to recheck the murder sightings under Zelretch's inquiry, cases of which are related to mass murders occurring around in the story. It's only going to be a matter of time when Hadrian would meet up with the others in the upcoming chapters. You'll see what I mean soon enough ;)
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Kensei-1085:
A – Agreed! Frankly, I find FGO Babylonia to be fun to watch than any other anime these days besides Demon Slayer. Animes these seems bland for some reason. ( -_- )
And I hope that they do Camelot a great job as well like what they did with Babylonia. But more importantly, I hope they can sneak in full Morgana's appearance in the movie. I've always been curious about what she really looks like besides having the vague appearance of a blonde buxom beauty (BBB) ever since I caught a glimpse of her in Apocrypha.
And I bet that TIamat is going to be scary. I still remember her last second form when she has that curvy body but her mouth was freaking gaping and slits from her mouth and across her cheeks. Now that was freaky, but the devs did a fine job in making her beautiful yet terrifying at the same time.
Also, I kind of wish that the devs makes her into a servant. I felt bad for her when she was just being used by Dark Solomon in the Babylonia arc.
There were hints in that arc that Tiamat isn't exactly a bad person. Instead, she was more lonely and upset that she was treated that way by her children, but it was clear that she didn't have intentions of annihilating mankind until a certain demon came along.
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