...
Yo, and welcome to another chapter of TPoM! :D
Seems like I worried you lot with my AN in the last chapter. Sorry bout that, but I'm really fine. My family as well.
As for life itself, it's still the same, but eh, what can you do? Everyone has it hard these days.
Anyways, I'm going to stop rambling here and just let you guys be. So, enjoy this new chapter worth of 10k.
And please, don't forget to follow, fave, and (or) leave a review once you're done reading! :)
…
Chapter 15 – A Rather Chaotic Day
…
"Are you serious right now, pinky?! You just killed yourself by doing that!"
"Shut up! Those are my QPs and I'll do what I want with it!"
"Leave him be. You ain't going to be convincing him to save up on those things anyway."
"… Kieran, you're my bruh!"
"It'll be more amusing to see him bawl his eyes out later on when a great banner comes up though!"
"Turncoat!"
Hadrian sighed, leaning against the car window to watch the scenery passed by.
He and the others had just came back from Canada after a two-day tour that some of his retainers had insisted upon. After several hours of flight back to England, he and the others were escorted out of the airport by a small group of private personnel that were all under his grandfather's employment.
Now, he and the others were on their way back to the Schweinorg.
While his retainers were all seated around him, doing whatever they want, Hadrian busied himself in musing over the events that occurred previously.
"Give me your quartz, fam!"
"No!"
"Get your own, assface!"
He would greatly appreciate it if his retainers kept their peanut gallery on a minimum level though.
With a soft click of his tongue, Hadrian glanced over his shoulder and saw his three of his servants roughhousing in the back of the small bus that had been lend over to them.
"You three better not resort to using your powers." The young mage called in a warning tone, eyes narrowing slightly for emphasis. "We are in a public area right now, so you better behave yourselves for now. If you want to knock each other's lights out, do it later once we get home."
His words jolted Astolfo, Yan Qing, and Kieran by surprise.
"Ah, sorry, Master!" Astolfo said with a sheepish grin.
"Sorry, boss…" Yan and Kieran relented with sighs of their own.
The three then looked at another again and began arguing amongst themselves, albeit in a quieter yet furious pace.
Face-faulted, Hadrian sighed at his retainers' antics and turned around on his seat to return watching the scenery.
"They nearly just got killed in the island and they're already raring to go against one another…" Hadrian said with a shook of his head.
Charles, who was seated beside him, chuckled at his expense.
"Ah, but don't you think that's one of their charming points?" He asked with a grin.
"Charming?" Hadrian asked incredulously, quirking one brow up. "They're about to rumble in the back, and you think that's charming?"
"It's their way to relax?" Charles offered jokingly.
"I saw the sparks in their hands." Hadrian said offhandedly, brows furrowed slightly. "Those bloody fools were really about to duke it out over a game."
"Ahaha, fair point!" Charles conceded with a laugh, looking sheepish yet amused.
A few moments of silence settled upon them as Hadrian turned back to staring at the window.
The retainer beside him, however, noticed the look of contemplation in his liege's eyes and couldn't help himself from speaking out.
"Why the long face, master? We just got out of a near death situation, you should be celebrating." Charles inquired, tilting his head in curiosity.
"I'm just reviewing the events in my head." Hadrian answered in a low tone.
"Is it that interesting?" Charles asked.
"More like worrying." Hadrian corrected, shifting his gaze to the retainer. "That situation almost spiraled out of control. Is it not concerning for you?"
"It is." Charles admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back on recent events. "But since I don't have the answers yet, why worry about it now?"
Hadrian looked at him for a few seconds before he let out a resigned sigh.
"I guess life is simple for a soldier." Hadrian commented.
"A knight, milord." Charles corrected with his trademark cheeky grin.
"A knight then." Hadrian amended with a wry smile.
Their conversation got cut off when his mobile phone rang, causing Hadrian to take it out of his pocket and open the screen.
"Hello?"
"Young master? Please hurry home!" A female voice said in an urgent tone.
"Hm? Why, what's wrong?" Hadrian asked with furrowed brows, suddenly attentive.
"It's Lord Schweinorg! His health –"
"I'm on my way." Hadrian said before he cut the line.
Then, he turned to look at Charles, who was watching him with a concerned expression.
"Tell the driver to move fast."
…
…
While calm on the outside, Hadrian can still feel his heart pounding at a fast rate.
His retainers were behind him only a few steps away, while Hadrian was at the front.
His footsteps echoed just as loudly as his nervous heart as he walked up to the small steps that leads to his home. The Schweinorg castle was all white, about five stories tall and majestic in its form on both inside and out. The caste was situated on a private property that was well away from the town by hundred kilometers. Near the castle was a private beach that was on the ground level.
When Hadrian finally reached the front entrance, he went inside and made his way to the lounge area where he was told to go.
A bit of his anxiety showed on his face as he made that final turn.
Hadrian felt his heart drop to his stomach when he came upon the sight of his grandfather lying on the couch. Two female homunculi servants were behind him, keeping his grandfather cool with large fans on their hands. At first, Hadrian thought he was being pranked, but the solemn expressions on the occupants' faces told him otherwise.
Slowly, Hadrian entered the room and approached his maternal grandfather, whose eyes were covered by a towel for some reason.
As if sensing his presence in the room, his grandfather shifted from his position and spoke.
"Child, is that you? Have you arrived?" Zelretch asked, almost hoarse.
"I'm here, I'm here." Hadrian said in a soft tone, taking a seat on the black wooden coffee table that was in front of the couch.
"I see… I'm glad to see you have returned home safely." Zelretch smiled.
"Thank you. But, how are you doing?" Hadrian asked, concerned for his grandfather's condition.
"Just as well." Zelretch said before he coughed a few times. He leaned back down when he was done, sighing. "Nothing could be done about this, child."
"Yes, but that won't stop me from trying." Hadrian stated solemnly.
In response, the old magician merely grinned at the determination in his voice.
"Get some rest, opa." Hadrian suggested. "We can speak later when you're better."
Zelretch was about to speak when a loud feminine sigh cut in, causing Hadrian to turn his head to the open doorway.
In turn, Hadrian didn't see his grandfather's body stiffened and gain a nervous expression as his attention went to the person who had just entered into the room.
Said person was a beautiful woman with long, wavy black hair and bright purple eyes.
She was a head taller than him, and has a flawless, porcelain complexion similar to his own. She has a healthy physique, bearing a curvy hourglass figure that was almost a man's ideal. Her features were also just as flawless, striking and delicate even if she was wearing almost no make-up at all.
Her long black hair was done in a small elegant bun, some of her wavy locks framed the side of her face, which only amplified her beauty further. She wore a long, black dress that hugged her form, and a pair of high heels that was a few inches high. Her ears and left wrist were decorated with small diamond earrings and a gold elegant bangle.
Hadrian smiled at her appearance.
It was his mother, Lucia Aelfryth von Schweinorg.
Even after giving birth to him, his mother had remained untouched by the effects of time. She was just as beautiful as the day he had seen her pictures when she was still below twenty. It did made him wonder if his mother had uncovered a secret to maintain her youthfulness.
Then again, she is a talented mage, so he would not be surprised if she made her own.
"Mama…" Hadrian greeted her, standing up from his seat to embrace her.
Lucia returned her son's smile, hugging him before kissing his forehead.
"My son, I'm glad you have returned home." She said warmly.
"Sorry for being away for long." Hadrian said, smiling apologetically.
"That's quite alright. I'm sure your duties have kept you busy." Lucia said in light tone. "I hope you would remain at home for a while. I have not seen much of you these past few months. I would rather have you around while dear ol' papa here is being obnoxious. He's been unbearable lately, and I can only take so much jokes from your opa in one day."
Hadrian chuckled, a similar reaction that was shared by some of his retainers, who managed to keep themselves quiet by the sidelines.
Although, he did wonder what his mother meant by that last part.
As if on cue, Lucia leaned to the left to shift her gaze upon her father, who had been strangely quiet throughout their conversation.
She lifted one of her hands from her son's shoulder and pointed her index towards the old magician.
Small black tendrils of magical energy started to gather in front of her well-manicured fingertip and –
*BANG*
"ACK!?" Zelretch yelped both in pain and surprise, suddenly sitting up on the couch as he rubbed the spot where he got hit by a powerful Gandr shot.
The white towel that covered his eyes fell from his face, displaying his wide crimson eyes that were currently alight with pain.
"Don't you think you've had enough fun teasing your grandson like this? He must've rushed all the way to here just to see you." Lucia remarked in a flat tone.
"Ah, Lucia! Why do you have to be so violent to your papa?!" Zelretch complained, then swiftly turned to face a large painting of a beautiful woman with long dark brown hair and green eyes that was hanging at the top of the large fireplace. "Oh my dear sweet wife, our daughter has grown beautiful yet abusive. Where did we ever go wrong in raising her?"
Lucia clicked her tongue, looking annoyed by the old mage's words.
"This daughter of yours will soon fire off many gandr shots at you if you don't stop anytime soon~" His mother said in a sing-along tone.
Sensing that his life was about to be in danger, the old mage surrendered, shivering at the sweet (wicked) smile that his daughter had graced upon him.
Hadrian, who was watching the two interact, looked on the scene with a deadpan expression.
"So, he's not…?" He trailed off, looking at his mother questioningly.
"No, he's just faking it." Lucia answered with a small smile. "Being the prankster he is, your opa here probably thought it would be funny to see you rush in here, all ruffled up."
"Hmph…" was the only contribution that old magician had as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking like petulant child who was denied of his fun.
Knowing that he got his answer, Hadrian sighed as he suddenly felt tired for some reason.
The way some of his retainers were giggling and chuckling in the background didn't alleviate his annoyance on the situation.
'Hmph, those traitors…' Hadrian thought, noting how some of them didn't meet his glare just to laugh quietly to the side.
His attention promptly returned to his mother, who then turned to face him and cupped his cheek.
"You should go and changed first, little one. I'm sure you'll want to freshen up after coming home." Lucia suggested with a smile.
"Right…" And he did just that, unable to find it in himself to argue with his mother.
…
…
After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Hadrian went to his grandfather's study.
Most of his retainers had already scattered around the castle, far more interested in doing their own thing than to accompany him into the meeting. The only ones that stood by his side though, were the most faithful to their duties, such as Arturia, Charles, Dia and Medusa, who had escorted him on the way to his grandfather's office.
His two fluffy familiars were both hitching rides on the shoulders of Arturia and Medusa.
Scáthach would have joined him, but she remembered that she had something important to do and left.
Hadrian didn't bother to inquire her what that 'something', seeing as the crimson eyed woman would have told him vague words. Pushing the matter would simply displeased her and Hadrian respected her too much to do that, so he left her to her own devices and didn't ask her any more questions other than to tell her to come to him if there was something she need.
King Hassan had went off somewhere in the castle. Probably by the gardens, considering as the old assassin seemed to be fond of quiet areas to relax in.
As for the others, Hadrian had passed by them, goofing off and playing to their hearts' content on the video consoles they had purchased with the money he gave them a few months ago. Some of his servants had found it difficult to adjust living in the modern era, but after Hadrian had introduced the media to them, they had gained various kinds of hobbies.
Modern entertainment such as movies, music and video games were well-received by them with open arms, particularly by Kieran, Astolfo, Charles, Arash and Yan Qing.
His other servants though, became interested in pursuing other things.
Arturia and Dia were especially interested in the culinary arts, though the former was more interested in eating food than making it most of the time.
Scáthach had found an interest in classical music, though she was more into listening than to play an instrument. Sometimes, the spearwielder can be seen wearing airpods while practicing her moves and runic spells in the private courtyard. She would even sit with his mother and King Hassan by the gardens to relax and converse whatever subject that interest them over a few cups of tea.
Medusa was fond of reading books by the family library, particularly the classic kind of literature. Quite an avid reader, that one.
There was not a day that goes by when Medusa would hang out in the family library to read books. Hadrian also frequent the library, but his interest lies in the private section where various subjects on magecraft that were there, courtesy of his father and grandfather. The female servant, however, would simply read the ordinary kind of books as she was not interested in learning magecraft.
His thoughts in how his retainers were using their free time came to a pause when he and the others had arrived to his grandfather's study.
Hadrian glanced behind him once, meeting his retainers gaze before he turned back to the twin doors and rapped the back of his knuckles against the wood twice.
"Opa?" He called.
"Come in, come in!" The old magician said from behind the doors, prompting Hadrian to open them.
Of course, upon his entrance, it goes without saying that his grandfather's private study was just as luxurious as the one he has in the Clock Tower.
The walls and floors were made of dark polished wood. There were a few tapestries with the Schweinorg coat of arms stitched in fine gold that decorated the walls, along with several bookshelves filled to the brim of magical tomes and personal notes of his grandfather's research in magecraft and true magic.
Covering most parts of the floor was a soft, red velvet carpet. Two leather couches were in the center of the study with a glass coffee in between.
Above the coffee table was a small chandelier that would emit a soft, but vibrant light once the night arrive. Further up the couches were two chairs, designed with soft cushions and detailed carving. In front of the two chairs was a desk and a black leather chair, which the latter had his grandfather sitting upon it.
Behind his grandfather's back was a large window that overlooked the private courtyard of the white castle. Since it was still daytime, most of the light from the outside kept the room bright and clear.
The young mage stepped inside the office and saw his grandfather, his mother and, much to his slight surprise, Hugo Faust, who was seated in one of the two chairs in front the desk.
At the sight of his grandfather, Hadrian resisted the urge to sigh, though some of his retainers were not so restrained in their reactions as they smirked and chuckle in amusement.
The reason was due to the red handprint that was on his grandfather's right cheek.
Looking at his mother's calm yet beatific smile that exudes satisfaction and the way his grandfather keeps glancing warily at her from time to time, Hadrian can already tell that there was a story behind their actions. The old magician had done something to annoy his dear mother, again. Hence, the bright red handprint that was on the former's cheek.
Instead of making a comment about it, he turned his attention to Hugo instead.
The other magus waved at him with a welcoming smile.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Faust." Hadrian greeted, giving the man a slight nod.
"A good afternoon to you as well, young master." Hugo returned.
"If I recall, weren't you at the Watch?" Charles asked, quirking one brow up as he followed behind his liege.
"I was, but I've been summoned here by Lord Schweinorg almost after you had all departed and visited some of Canada's iconic locations. Milord wanted me to relay a full report in person, so I flew to here after I was done with my business at the Watch. I just arrived yesterday, actually. Jet-lag and all." Hugo explained with a wry smile.
Hadrian simply hummed at response, while his retainers went voiced their acknowledgement by either nodding or other gestures.
He then shifted his attention to his mother, who stood near the old mage by the desk, sending her a smile that was returned just as warmly before he turned to his grandfather.
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 chest. "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 ass before that could happen. I can hardly believe that that brat is in destitute. Except for the Spider, all 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.
"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? Porn? 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 blue prana.
"What? It was a serious, legitimate question!" Zelretch defended, causing Lucia, Medusa and Arturia to look at him with mild disgust.
Hadrian exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again.
"No, opa. It's not porn." 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 amusement.
"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." Zelretch relented with a fond smile, turning to Hadrian as he said. "After dinner, enkel."
…
…
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 downturned 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 the bloodsucking 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 of 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."
…
…
[… Clock Tower …]
It didn't take long for Hadrian and co to arrive at the Clock Tower in London.
Escorting him on the way there were Charles, Dia and Arturia. His lavender haired servant, Medusa, however, had left from the group temporarily when she saw a bookstore nearby the building, which she used the latter to excuse herself and check to see if there were any new books in the establishment that she would like.
As per usual, his two familiars were inside a dark brown satchel to keep themselves hidden, they poke their little heads out to see their surroundings.
In his right hand, Hadrian was holding a medium sized box containing the food that his former mentor likes. He figured that he might as well bought something for Lord El-Melloi II since he had not seen him for the past few months, due to their mutual responsibilities and tasks for the Mage's Association.
When they stepped foot in the building, almost all eyes were upon them.
Specifically, on the young mage of the Schweinorg house, Hadrian.
Hadrian himself didn't pay the other mages sneaking glances and whispering at his wake any attention, considering as he was already too used to this kind of attention. The cheeky retainer, Charles, however, was not so ignorant. Instead, he took note of the whispers and glances, laughing quietly to himself from the small entertainment he was provided with.
Although, his fun gets cut off whenever he met the bright emerald eyes of Arturia Pendragon, who stared at him with a slight reproaching expression whenever she heard him laughed.
Having escorted his liege many times, Charles blinked when he realized that Hadrian was not going to the direction where his master's office was situated.
"Uh, master, I thought you're going to visit Lady Lorelei?" The cheeky retainer asked, slightly confused.
"I'm going to visit Lord El-Melloi II first." Hadrian answered without looking back. "There's something I must discuss with him first."
"Ah, okay." Charles nodded in acceptance.
After a few minutes, he and the other arrived to the office of his former mentor.
Hadrian rapped his knuckles gently on the dark wooden door before turning the knob and pushing it open, then he leaned the side of his body and checked the inside of the room.
Unlike most mages offices, Lord El-Melloi II's was a bit smaller and less decorated in wealth. But, his study was filled with many, many books and other various trinkets that offices of many magi were rarely seen without. His former mentor might be a lord of the El-Melloi household, but that was only in name and title.
The true heir (or heiress) to the house was deemed too young to take on the duties of a Lord, so his former mentor was simply holding the position till the heir becomes old enough to inherit the position.
"Hello?" The young mage greeted, then his brows raised upwards in surprise.
Instead of seeing Lord El-Melloi II, occupying the office were his three friends and fellow classmates, Flat Escardos, Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia and Svin Glascheit.
And two of them were wrestling against one another, while the last was sighing at their antics.
"ACK! Stop it, you crazy bastard!" Caules shouted, looking highly irritated at the foolish blonde's actions.
"Ah, come on, Caules! It won't hurt, I promise!" Flat reassured, smiling widely.
The foolish blonde was trying to push his new invention towards his fellow classmate (guinea pig), who stared at the device with a wary eyes as he tried to keep it away with both of his hands.
Caules simply wanted to ask his teacher for advice, but he got ambushed by his blonde classmate, who was trying to make him test out a new invention that Flat himself made. Said invention seemed to look like one of those devices that he had seen a few years back, one that appears to be nuclear in nature.
Needless to say, Caules was unwilling to find out what the mystic code can do, especially when it was made by someone as unpredictable as Flat Escardos.
As if a final nail to the coffin, Flat's next words didn't gave the assurance that he thought it would bring to Caules.
"It'll just sting a little, aaaand then it'll be done!" Flat chirped with a refreshing grin.
"What are you talking about?! You're not making any sense, you dolt! First, it won't hurt. Now, it'll sting?! Make up your mind!" Caules demanded, annoyed by the grin the blonde was sporting.
"Just a little test, man! Come on! Don't be a baby! It'll go fine!" Flat encouraged, pushing the strange-looking mystic code.
"SHUT UP!"
Standing by the side of the couch his two classmates were wrestling on, Svin had his arms crossed over his chest and sighed.
"Idiots…" The docile-looking young man muttered under his breath.
Having seen enough, Hadrian had decided to make his presence known to them.
"What are you lot doing?" The young mage asked, his tone tinged with a bit of exasperation.
"Hm?" All three heads swiveled towards the door and their eyes widened when they saw him.
"Oh yo, Adri! You're back!" Flat greeted with a wide grin.
The foolish blonde got off the couch and skipped over to him, causing Caules to sigh in relief when the crazy blonde's attention was finally off of him.
Svin, who was standing near the couch, saw his reaction and smiled wryly. He then patted the spectacled mage's shoulder a few times in sympathy, causing the latter's eyebrows to twitch in irritation.
"Oh, is that for me, bruh?" Flat asked, pointing to the brown box he was carrying in his right hand.
"No, this is for Lord El-Melloi II." Hadrian said, smiling bemusedly at Flat's 'aww' of disappointment.
He was a bit thrown off guard by Flat calling him 'bruh', seeing as he was used to hearing it more from his male retainers than the foolish blonde.
"Hey, man, glad to see you again." Caules said with a small smile as Hadrian entered the room.
"Caules. Svin." The young mage gave the two a nod of acknowledgement, which Svin returned with one of his own.
"If you're here for Lord El-Melloi, he's not here." Svin spoke, having an idea of his reason to visit.
"Where is he then?" Hadrian asked instead.
"He's in a meeting with the High Council." Caules said with a sigh, glancing at Flat warily (who set his strange mystic code on his lap) from time to time.
"About what?" Hadrian inquired, curious by the reason.
"He's relaying our reports." Flat interjected, helping himself with some beverages and small cakes that he found (and stole) in his mentor's hidden refrigerator.
While Hadrian made no move to stop him, he has a feeling that his former mentor would not be so happy to discover that the food he kept in reserve was being devoured at a scary pace by Flat.
"Ah…" Hadrian nodded, understanding the situation.
'Hmm, he's probably informing them of their recent findings…' He mused, watching idly as his two familiars got out of the satchel to join Flat in devouring the food he spread on the coffee table.
While he made no move to stop the foolish blonde, he has a feeling that his former mentor would be pleased to know that the food he keeps for reserve for his gaming nights was currently being eaten by one Flat Escardos, who the head of El-Melloi household considered as an imbecile when it comes to magical theories on modern magecraft.
He was about to speak again when the door of the office suddenly slammed open, jolting his retainers into protective position.
But, they relaxed when they saw who it was.
Except for Hadrian, whose body shivered as a chill went down his spine at the sight of the newcomer.
Leaning against the doorframe was a familiar face, who has long blonde hair set into twin-tails and bright blue eyes. She has a crimson tight top with long sleeves and a large white cross symbol on the front, a black knee-length skirt, and a pair of black boots with high heels. She also wore a light brown peacoat designer to protect herself from the cold air.
She was a beautiful young woman with a tall and lithe form, but her features was currently set into a small scowl, which brought nothing but discomfort to Hadrian since he already knew that he is the source of her displeasure. Let it be said, Hadrian would rather take on a horde of alien spawns than a ticked off young woman, especially a talented mage of her caliber.
"Rin?!" Hadrian said in surprise, blinking at her sudden appearance.
Rin Tohsaka, who had her knees bent slightly and was panting slightly from exhaustion, snapped her head up and turned her gaze towards him.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she used her right hand to steady herself, and then it began.
The classic scenario in which Rin Tohsaka puts down Hadrian von Schweinorg, the elusive Heir of the Moon.
Despite all of his abilities and experience, Hadrian doubted there was anything that could prepare him when it comes to dealing with someone like Rin Tohsaka anyways.
"Hadrian!" She shouted, making him flinch slightly from the sound of her voice. "Why didn't you tell me that you're already here?!"
"Err… sorry?" Hadrian apologized, chuckling nervously.
In return, he heard a growl of annoyance from the heiress of the Tohsaka house, causing the normally calm and collected young mage to be sweating bullets.
The young mage didn't even noticed that he had sat down on the other couch that was facing the one that Caules and Flat were sitting on, who both appeared to be making themselves as unnoticeable as possible due to the intimidating presence of the twin-tailed heiress, Rin Tohsaka.
"Not once did you even call me when you're away. No messages, no calls. None!" Rin gritted out, uttering each word as she took a step towards him.
"Uh, I was busy!" He defended, slowly inching backwards as Rin's shadow began to loom over him.
"Busy enough to not take a few moments to call me and see if I'm even alive? What kind of ally are you?" She growled, her features almost twisting into a snarl.
And then, she was upon him.
Before he could speak another word to defend his case, Hadrian was interrupted as a pair of smooth and delicate hands found purchase on both of his cheeks, making him cry out in surprise and pain as they quickly began to pull and stretch his cheeks. Surprised as he was by his predicament, the current scenario was not exactly the first time she pulled it on him.
He saw her moved, but made no move to stop her nor did he ran away. Choosing either option would just stroke the female mage's irritation even further if he did so.
Thus, he was left with no choice but to face her wrath head-on, even if he won't be able to feel his face normally in a while.
Besides, knowing her, displaying her annoyance through actions was simply Rin's way of showing her concern for his well-being.
Well, at least that's what he wanted to believe anyways.
"Auuuuuugh!" Hadrian groaned, feeling his cheeks get stretched a bit.
"You might be cu– Ah, I mean! An ally but that won't always save you from me!" She declared loudly.
"Err, wut?" Hadrian asked, his pronunciation off-center as his face was still hindered by her grabby hands.
"Be quiet and take your punishment like a man!" Rin demanded, stretching his cheeks a bit more as she did so.
Although, from the observers' point of view, her words didn't exactly matched with her behavior as her own cheeks flushed in slight embarrassment and her stuttering earlier, causing a certain cheeky male retainer and a foolish-looking blonde mage to snicker at her slip (and his predicament, most likely) in the background.
Caules and Svin were more subtle in their amusement as they both smirked at the scene before them.
Dia and Arturia, however, remained loyal to their duties to him and began to save him from the heiress's iron-like clutches.
"Ms. Tohsaka, please release his majesty." Dia started, stepping forward like the brave knight he was.
"Indeed, he had recently recovered from an injury. Therefore, we would like for you to refrain yourself from… punishing our master too much." Arturia added, looking poised, regal and calm.
Hadrian, who still had his cheeks stretched by Rin, inwardly cheered at his two retainers' staunched loyalty in fulfilling their duties to him. He honestly felt touched by their actions, unlike a certain friend and cheeky retainer, who were just watching, content being in the background like the traitors they were.
He also couldn't count much on Svin and Caules, seeing as they feel no need to stop Rin from 'punishing' him.
To interfere would simply turn the heiress's irritation upon them as well, so they too stood by the background since she was not exactly hurting him too much. Hadrian can forgive these two, but not the two certified idiots (Charles and Flat) snickering in the sidelines. He will have to get even by the time his 'punishment' from Rin was over later on.
Hadrian might not be as prideful as his benefactor, Gilgamesh, and can ignore most slights at him as long as they were harmless in nature.
But after the time when the latter's had passed his powers unto him, the young mage's temperament had been changing a bit lately, almost taking after the golden king's but not quite. Nevertheless, the idea that his personality was changing, perhaps even becoming similar to Gilgamesh's, was a concerning thought for him to contemplate.
'Perhaps I'll bring the matter up later to opa. He might know something…' Hadrian mused, feeling disquieted by the possibility.
His musing came to a halt when he heard Rin sigh above him and (finally) released his cheeks, albeit in a reluctant manner.
Hadrian let out sigh of relief, massaging his cheeks slowly to ease the ache.
"Hmph, then I'll let you off the hook… for now." Rin relented with a small frown, crossing her arms below her chest.
The female mage lifted her chin up and stared him down from her dainty nose with an imperious expression.
Hadrian chuckled nervously, having a strange sense of déjà vu in the situation.
He had seen this side of herself in the past before, and that was during the time when she and Rani had assist him in the war since they had already lost their servants. Whenever his friend/ally acts like this, it only meant that she was concerned for him. But, he also needed to be honest with her, or else, there would be hell to pay later on.
"Erm… thanks." The young mage sighed, knowing that was best he was going to get from her as mercy.
"Hmm. Now, what's this thing I heard that you got injured?" Rin began, her brows scrunched and met in the middle.
'Well… that was short-lived.' Hadrian deadpanned, lamenting over the short lifespan of his relief since his answer would only further displease the Tohsaka heiress.
Buying himself some time, the young mage scratched his head as he considered his next words carefully.
Meanwhile, Rin tapped her low-heeled boot on the carpeted floor, raising one brow at him as she waited for him to speak.
"That is –" Hadrian began, opting for a gentle approach.
*BAM*
He was interrupted once more when the door to the office was slammed open.
All occupants in the room turned to the entrance, and they all had various reactions to the intruder. Most were curious or surprise, but one twin-tailed mage stiffened at the sight of the newcomer.
It was a young woman, who seemed to be a bit older than Hadrian.
She has long golden blonde hair styled in large coils that was set into twin-tails and held up by two blue ribbons, and dark amber eyes. She has a slim and athletic build, but more gifted in the chest area (which was something that always seemed to irk a certain twin-tailed mage whenever the subject of sizes comes up). She was also around the same height of Rin Tohsaka, much to her chagrin.
Like most female mages of noble statures, the young blonde-haired woman was also beautiful, easily displaying a beauty and grace similar to that of a swan. Her features alone were delicate and quite aristocratic, subtly hinting that she came from a long line of European nobility. Her proud bearing and balanced movements were also hints of her noble upbringing.
In contrast to a certain twin-tailed mage, the young woman wore a long blue dress with long sleeves. The dress was designed in a white and blue color scheme, but only some parts in the upper section of the dress were white, while most were colored in blue. She was also wearing a pair of long white boots with laces that seemed to be made of leather, and her hands were both covered with gloves.
Strangely though, her current behavior was not like a noble's as she happened to meet Hadrian's gaze by chance, looking just as surprised as he was.
"Ah, hello, Ms. Luvia." Hadrian broke out of his stupor and greeted her with a small smile.
The newcomer, Luviagelita Edelfelt (also known as Luvia), was one of Lord El-Melloi II students. He was not that personally close to her since he was already Lady Lorelei's apprentice by the time she registered into Lord El-Melloi II's class, but he does consider her a good acquaintance that he can count on.
She also happened to be related to Rin Tohsaka, who had gone strangely quiet by her sudden appearance.
From the corner of his eyes, he can see that her body had gone rigid, as if rooted in place. Hadrian was a bit tempted to look up and see her reaction, but his instincts were warning him not to.
Recalling his friend's relationship with Luvia, whose family was a distant cousin of the Tohsaka's, Hadrian knew that Rin's reaction to the latter's presence was not a welcome one.
His attention, however, snapped back to Luvia as the contours of her countenance brightened at the sight of his smile as she returned it with her own.
"Hadrian, welcome back, how are yo–"
*BANG*
"AUGH!"
The smiling face of Luvia Edelfelt contorted into a still grimace as a small black sphere (that looked suspiciously familiar) landed directly on her face, dead-center.
The force behind the Gandr (he later realized) caused the Edelfelt heiress to fly backwards, literally being lifted off her feet and away from the door. With the exception of one, all eyes had turned wide-eyed as they watched Luvia hit her back against the wall just outside of the office before gravity pulled her down and caused her to end up on the floor, face-down.
Hadrian blinked, then slowly turned his head to the right where he saw a smug-looking Rin Tohsaka with her right hand set into a pistol gesture.
The tip of her right index finger letting out a bit of steam, a solid evidence of her recent action that she seemed to take pride in doing.
From behind, some people couldn't help but make their comments.
"Ohhhohoho, bullseye!" Flat laughed, followed along by a few claps.
"That was awesome… but, that's gotta hurt too." Charles commented, unsure whether to be impressed or sympathetic.
"Ah, there they go again…" Caules muttered, sighing in resignation.
"By the way, Caul, why does Rin keeps calling Luvia tube-curls? I don't get it." Flat asked, turning to the spectacled mage with a confused expression.
"Seriously?" Caules gave him an exasperated look.
When the carefree blonde didn't budge and waited for him to explain, Caules sighed and surrendered.
He was about to speak, but Svin had beaten him to it.
"It's her hair, you fool." The docile-looking young man said in a low volume, eyes closing briefly.
"What he said." Caules added with a nod.
"Oh…" Flat paused, as if in thought, then he grinned goofily. "Ahaha, Rin's right. Her hair DOES look like curly tubes! Now, that's funny!"
His laughter turned into a surprised yelped as he found himself slapped in the back of the head by two hands.
"Shut it! Don't let Luvia hear you say that, you idiot!" Caules whispered furiously, pulling down Flat by the back of his neck as he glanced at Luvia in the distance with a wary expression.
"If you're going to be suicidal, do it far away from us." Svin grunted, scowling at the foolish blonde.
"Sorry!" Flat cried, properly cowered by their combined glares.
When there was movement nearby in the corner of his eye to the right, Hadrian switched his attention to Rin and saw her walk to the prone blonde.
"Sorry, tube-curls, I just saw your ugly face and felt the need to shoot something." She said in a not-so apologetic tone.
'You always do that whenever you happen to see her…' Hadrian deadpanned, recalling the times the two interacted. 'At least she didn't kick her in the neck again…'
Silence reigned for a moment before a soft feminine grunt broke it.
The source was none other Luvia Edelfelt, who slowly tilted her head up and pushed herself from the ground in a careful manner. She moved her head, revealing a bleeding nose and a face that was a bit red (from anger), bruised and a bit dirty, starting from her forehead and down to her chin.
Regardless, she looked fine as she finally stood up, though the twitches of her eyebrow and the snarl on her lips indicated her anger.
"Grr… I can't believe that you would seriously fire a Gandr spell at a lady's face like this. This is why I can't stand unintelligent barbarians!" Luvia insulted, pointing an accusing finger at her assailant.
There was a hint of tears in the corner of her eyes, but Hadrian doesn't know whether that was from embarrassment for being caught off guard or from the pain of taking a Gandr shot to face.
The insult caused the twin-tailed mage to crack her knuckles in response, one at a time. Rin's eyes were overshadowed by her bangs as she glared at her distant cousin, baring her teeth in irritation.
"Don't get so haughty." Rin taunted through the ominous sounds of her cracking knuckles. "Just because you wear a dress and act ladylike, it doesn't change the fact that you're still a gorilla!"
"Quiet, you!" Luvia snapped back.
It wasn't long for the two to get into a fistfight and hair-pulling, and then all hell broke loose.
…
…
Lord El-Melloi II, formerly known as Waver Velvet, sighed.
He had just finished relaying the reports to the High Council and all he wanted to after was to relax for a few minutes in the safe confines of his office. It had always been that way, ever since the cases of strange murders around the world had begun a few months back. But, nothing can be done but for him to grit his teeth and endure the pressure.
However, it does annoy him that his time to play games had been cut off ever since the High Council had given him command to take a more firm position with investigating the murder cases.
Granted, he might be weak when it comes down to magical combat, but his skills in deductions and theories in modern magecraft were enough for the members of the High Council to choose him as one of the mages to lead the investigations. He gave them results, which was received positively by the High Council most of the time, but it was still irritating that his workload also increased.
Under his right arm, he was carrying a small stack of papers that details of the reports discovered by other teams, which he would have to read through later on. Preferably after some rest.
Thinking of the couch in his office calling out to him, Lord El-Melloi II let out another sigh.
Following him through the corridors, a young woman of small stature looked at the back of her mentor with a worried look on her face.
"Are you alright, teacher?" Gray asked, carrying a couple of books that belong to the man walking in front of her.
The former master glance back at her over his shoulder before turning his gaze to the front.
"I'm fine, Gray. I just need to get some rest." He assured her calmly. "Speaking to those old farts had never been easy nor simple. Every time I meet them, it's always stressful."
"Ah, then, would you like me to make you a cup of tea, teacher?" Gray offered.
"Yes, thank you. That would be appreciated."
While his words were stated calmly and almost in a nonchalant manner, it was enough to make Gray feel happy and smile.
The two walked to his office in comfortable silence, until they caught sight of two familiar figures in the distance.
They were about to ascend to the upper level of the building, but the two figures stood in their way.
The first was a young girl, who seemed no older than fifteen years old. She has a long brilliant blonde hair that cascaded down her back, a pale white skin reminiscent of a bisque doll, and clothes and grace that were similarly picturesque. She wore a dark blue attire with a sweater around her shoulders that was a darker shade of blue, a pair of long black stockings, and brown gloves and boots.
She was also wearing a small black beret on the side of her head, somewhat tilted and on the verge falling off, but it was supported by a silver metallic ornament that was on her right ear. The shape of the ornament appears to be similar to a head of a rose upon close inspection. But, out of all that, her most defining feature were her eyes.
Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, but clear and vibrant in color. They were blazing like fire, overflowing with strength and determination. In contrast to her eyes, the manner in which she held herself and calm and cold expression was similar to how an experienced mage of stature would appear.
Behind the young girl, there was a tall figure standing behind the former.
Said figure was a head and few centimeters taller than the young girl. She was dressed in a black maid uniform with a white apron, cap, and a large red ribbon on her neck. She was also wearing a pair of white stockings and black shoes with low heels. The figure seemed to be a female in appearance, but her skin was a color wholly unsuited to human beings; a shining silver.
Lord El-Melloi II stopped, frowning at the sight of the two figures.
His forehead creased especially when his gaze landed on the smaller figure of the two, considering as there was always something headache inducing that would come whenever he sees her.
With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to walk towards the pair, despite his great reluctance to ignore them entirely.
"Reines. Trimmau." He said by way of greeting.
In response, the young girl with long blonde hair smirked, putting one hand on her hip.
"Why hello there, older brother." Reines El-Melloi Archisorte returned.
The being standing vigilantly behind her, Trimmau, acknowledged his presence with a slight bow of her head.
Used to the maid golem's behavior, Lord El-Melloi II shifted his gaze to his 'little sister' instead.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have class?" The long-haired professor asked, wondering why she was on her way to his office.
Reines scoffed, tilting her head as she gazed to the side with a mild look of displeasure.
"Hmph, that tutor is just as incompetent as the last one. So, no, I don't have a class to attend to." She said in a nonchalant tone.
In other words, the tutor was either dismissed or 'at the bottom of hell'. Whichever was the answer, the reason behind such a thing was because they had done something to offend her, or perhaps she found them simply inadequate to teach her. Now, she was just wondering around the Clock Tower with Trimmau in tow to search some form of entertainment.
Sighing, Lord El-Melloi II closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Assigning tutors with great credentials to educate the princess of El-Melloi house had often been a difficult task for him, and now, she had turned away a tutor that had only lasted for a week. The long-haired professor hoped that the tutor was alive and mostly unharmed. Last time, the previous one was left traumatized, to the point that even the slightest noise was enough to make him jump in fright.
Lord El-Melloi II had not seen a shade of hair nor hide of that tutor ever since then.
Noticing that his first question was unanswered, Lord El-Melloi II spoke again.
"You didn't answer my first question, what are you doing here, Reines?" He repeated, observing his 'little sister' carefully for any signs of lie.
The smirk from before made a return as she noticed the suspicious look on his face.
"Oh nothing, I was just on my way to your office and I found something interesting." She explained vaguely.
"And what's that?" Lord El-Melloi II inquired, his frown deepening at the mischievous tone lying beneath her gentle voice.
"Like I said, something interesting." Reines grinned.
The mere sight caused a seed of dread to appear in the pit of his stomach.
Just as he was about to insist on getting a real answer out of her instead of vague words, a loud noise of something breaking thundered above their heads.
Four eyes snapped to the ceiling with expressions that varied from surprise and curiosity, then they heard muffled voices that were loud enough to pass through the concrete. Two female voices were heard, shrieking at one another, and Lord El-Melloi II recognized both of them entirely.
The color from his face began to drain the longer he listened.
"HAH! YOU THINK THAT SUPLEX'S ENOUGH TO KNOCK ME OUT?! C'MON, GORILLA!"
"I'M GONNA RIP THOSE STUPID PIGTAILS OUTTA YOUUUUUU!"
*BANG*
*CRASH*
"OI! THAT'S ENOUGH!"
"STOP THEM!"
The second he heard another crash, the long-haired professor bolted, going pass an amused-looking Reines and an impassive-looking Trimmau and up the stairs as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his feet. He didn't even heard Gray calling after him as he went up the stairs as fast as his weak body can allow.
His destination: the office.
By the time he arrived, he was panting and ready to keel over out of pushing his weak body past its limits.
But Lord El-Melloi II persevered, gritting his teeth as he forced the doors to his office to open.
Only to gasped as he was immediately horrifying sight.
His office was in disarray. Splinters of wood and broken glass were cluttered in the center of the room where the coffee table had once stood. The couches were moved and tumbled over, and there were small holes littered all over them that were two to three centimeters wide. The bookshelves were also damaged and skewed, with most of the books on the ground, dirtied and trampled upon.
Seeing his precious tomes and research notes lying carelessly on the stained wooden floor was enough to bring the normally composed professor onto his knees in despair.
"NOOOOOOO!" He wailed.
The sound his voice caused the occupants in the room to snap their attention to him in surprise.
Lord El-Melloi II, however, didn't care about that. Instead, anger had replaced his sadness like a switch.
Immediately, his eyes sought out the probable suspects for the cause of his once clean office, ignoring the sheepish looks on his students' faces.
Taking notice of the two twin-tailed haired cousins, who were still fighting and pulling each other's hairs… and somehow remained oblivious to his presence.
"Grrr… let go, you gorilla!" Rin shouted, glaring at the blonde.
"You let go first, you insolent barbarian!" Luvia fired back, returning the glare with equal ferocity.
Righteous anger bubbled up in his chest, Lord El-Melloi II didn't noticed Gray nervously backing away from him as he quickly pointed an accusing finger at the two idiots rumbling on top of the coffee table that seemed to be on its last legs. Not that it was any better since the glass surface was already broken and beneath the boots of the two distant cousins.
With his teeth bared in anger, he shouted at the two perpetrators for the current state of his office.
"NOT YOU TWO AGAIN!"
…
Author's Note
…
Well, that's it for now.
That's another chapter down. And like the title of the chapter says, it's quite a chaotic day for Hadrian here.
Some of you noted that the previous chapter had quite a lot of content in it, and I agree. It was quite a lot. I actually debated whether I should cut it into two chapters, but I figured I might as well just put it into one instead. I couldn't help it since it was just sitting in my folder, so I might as well include all of that.
In this chapter, ya'll don't need to worry about it being long. It's 10k worth of words. The last chapter was special, so the total of words in this one is just average in my opinion.
Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed that reunion. I did mentioned a few chapters back that certain characters in canon would be making an appearance in the story. So, here they are.
Also, I know that Rin Tohsaka (of Fate/Extra) had a cousin, but I don't know who they are. The devs didn't really specify their identity, so I just made Luvia Edelfelt play the part.
Interestingly enough, Rin Tohsaka (FE) is somehow related to the OG Rin Tohsaka. Dunno the actual specifics, but it was said that she was her niece or something. Some speculate that she was even Tokiomi's illegitimate daughter through some woman he met a long time ago, which I think is not right.
It's more fitting for her to be OG Rin's niece than a step-sister, which would be weird if it was the opposite.
Also, I started another story. I know I said this before, but it's the truth.
I just haven't had the time to do some serious work on it due to rl stuff. I also need to edit some chapters in that story, so the progress is kind of slow at the moment.
It's somewhat related to this one, but it's a cross-over with a different story. It's another Fate crossover, but with a story that I don't think most people know about before.
I'll admit, I'm a bit hesitant in writing that story, but that's just my introvert side talking. Publishing the story might probably label me as some kind of a pervert, but to be honest, I blame my damn curiosity into reading a certain manga. Frankly, it was due to another manga that I got to read that damn thing. Didn't even know that I was looking at hentai in the first place.
My poor brain and eyes was unprepared. The damn thing might as well be labelled as hentai due to the amount of sex in the story, which is a shame because the art was beautiful.
So, here I am, making a fanfiction involving a different universe with another Fate crossover because I'm frustrated by the lack of actual plot that was in that story. I just find myself a bit resigned whenever I think of what happened in canon, especially at the end of it. The story went from good to worse, like literally.
I don't know why, but the authors seemed more interested into making one sex scenes after another in every chapter than improving the plot.
Hence, my frustration over the matter. And so, a fanfiction story was born out of it. Hurray…
Anyways, for those who doesn't like harem, I suggest you steer clear of that story. I'll tag it as a harem just to give you guys a heads up.
I'm a healthy adult, so do forgive me for my candid interest on an unusual genre like harem.
So, anti-harem readers, you have been warned.
If you see a tag harem in one of my stories, don't click on it. I mean it… O_O
With that said, that's all for now, guys. I'll see you all next time with the new chapter.
Stay safe and healthy, people. Eating healthy and staying healthy is important, especially in these dark times of ours.
Au revoir, and a Happy Halloween! :)
…
Q & A
…
Dxhologram:
A – No, it hasn't been a kind year to all of us.
And yeah, pretty much.
…
Journey to the End:
A – Hadrian found Angra Mainyu when he was sent to find a distortion of malevolent magical energy in Fuyuki, courtesy of Zelretch.
In actuality, the 'Holy Grail' there (which was the source of Angra Mainyu's anchor to reality) was the one that Zelretch sensed. Rather, it was Angra Mainyu's evil energy leaking out from the grail that was the cause, not the guy himself. From what I know of him, he's actually quite chill. Bit sadistic and murder-frenzy, but chill overall.
The rest was history from there.
As for King Hassan, that's because of Hadrian's compatibility with anything related to death. If you recall, one of the main patrons of his family (Lucis, I mean) was Etro, the goddess of death. His own lineage literally became the catalyst to summon the old man of the mountain. The Moon Cell handled the rest of the hard work to pull the old man out from the Throne of Heroes.
His luck (which he inherited from Gilgamesh) also played a part in the result.
…
Doortolight47:
A – Thanks for understanding, and the concern.
My family's alright now, that's what matters :)
…
Gen2324:
A – I know, it's quite a lot.
I guess I should have cut it into two parts.
…
Shiroyasha Rises:
A – Hadrian will have his own spotlight soon.
What happened to him in the previous chapter is more of a reason to show him that he's still weak.
I want to motivate him to get stronger, and among other things ;)
…
fruitspunchsamurai-987:
A – Oh, it's fine.
The chapter was just sitting there, so I wasn't exactly pushing myself.
In hindsight, I should have cut the chapter into two. Guess I was too excited… (-_-')
As for my brother, he's fine too. Healthy as he can be. His test result turning out negative was a false alarm, so everything's okay now.
He just visited me the other day, and gave me a bit of a headache. He can be annoying when he wants to.
…
The Loud Person:
A – No, the Royal Arms won't be enough to kill the Spider.
With the help of the Royal Arms and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, it's possible. But, he'll need great control in using the latter.
Still, as you can see, he's dealing with painful headaches every time his mystic eyes acts up.
He'll need proper training to make use of the mystic eyes. He can endure the pain, but he has yet to actually use them.
Something to explore later on, which should be fun.
…
Kensei-1085:
A – Thanks, my family's okay now though :)
And yes, I hope things do get better in the future. Not just for me, but for everyone.
…
Derek:
A – Hopefully, it'll be over soon.
Also, I did say (in some previous chapters ago) that there'll be a twist with the Spider encounter :)
…
Finn:
A – Probably shock, and then sad.
Arturia is Hadrian's first Servant. So, even if (Lancer) Arturia doesn't know him, she's still related to his servant.
He'll probably have a soft spot for her if they do happen to meet. If she tries to kill him, Hadrian will most likely be contrite in fighting her.
He will still fight her, but he'll be feeling guilty and sad in the end.
…
redavaris:
A – That's because it has yet to actually involve the HP verse.
If you read my AN notes in some previous chapters, you'll notice that I've said there that the pacing of this story will be a slow one.
For the moment, I'm showing the readers the MC's life in the Fate verse. I don't want him to suddenly jump into a different world for no reason. That would make even less sense.
Why jump into a different world when there's no purpose to it? So, he's in Fate verse throughout these previous chapters.
But, that will change soon once he's given a reason.