The Reborn Magus and His Prince

Chapter 30

That very night, Yulian had successfully caught a glimpse of the body of Tim with much negotiations on the part of Alex with the captain. Though the captain at first had misgivings at letting a civilian get near the body of the suspect with the conditions laid out to him by the price, he relented at the end.

In a room with grey walls and had a strong smell of chemicals, Tim's body lay on a cold metal bed. There's a transparent glass separating him from the dead body. One condition of the captain, they're only allowed to look from the outside. But for Yulian, it was enough.

From the appearance of Tim, nothing had been done to him yet. His tattered cloak had been removed revealing a white shirt and black pants that he recognized were the academy's inner uniform. This guy, ever since he left the academy... No, that's no longer his concern. What he needed to focus on was the sword impaled on the left of Tim's chest.

There's no doubt the weapon was the same as those swords carried by the knights. And the way he took his own life was the same as his brother had done. Almost telling them that they refuse any judgments to befall them.

'There are no dark energies in the body,' Ignis returned to Yulian's side after he floated earlier and inspected Tim the moment they reached the room. 

'i'm afraid he's been used as a tool by his brother.' he added.

 Yulian did not answer but stared intently at the body behind the transparent glass. Two white clothed men coupled with a white mask had entered the room and went beside Tim's body. Just as they began cutting his clothes, a hand covered his eyes.

"That's enough, let's go back." Yulian felt Alex's breath on his ear. Another arm clamped on his shoulders that dragged him away from the room.

Yulian removed his hand from his eyes and squeezed it gently. "I'm okay. Really."

Alex stared at him, gauging if he's telling the truth. When he found no discomfort in his eyes, he relaxed his hold.

"I'll get you something to eat, the night will be long and I know you have not properly eaten at the party."

Yulian nodded. In his heart, he lauded Alex's calmness through all that happened, though he showed a moment of weakness back at the observatory, he picked himself up soon and helped everyone the best he can.

Shortly after they were back at the room they first had gone to, the captain entered with a man who introduces himself as the chief detective.

The food delivered to them grew cold and left untouched. And just like Alex had said the night indeed was long as the both of them recounted many times their experiences at the manor. Yulian's statement had been modified by himself. 

With no one as a witness he hinted to the detective that due to his status as Tim's friend, he had been spared of the 'fainting spell' as they deducted what happened to the people at the party. Then he followed Alex and the twins to their chase for the cloaked men. With the prince backing up his every word and coinciding with Alex's, they accepted his alibi at the end. 

With one last formality, they ended their questions. The captain then offered the prince his own room in the headquarters to let him rest. And the captain seemed to have expected Alex's next action when he tugged Yulian with him to the room.

The next morning, Yulian was sent back to the academy and Alex had been called back at the palace. Before parting, he promised to talk with him when he gets back.  

Two days after, the incident at the marquis' manor traveled to the whole capital and even to the neighboring towns. It caused a short uproar but before the terror could bloom in the citizens' hearts, the office in charge of the investigation released a statement to the public. Pointing out that the culprit had been caught and imprisoned and the cause was a personal vendetta against marquis Stewart. They had revealed that no major injuries occurred at the party, only the marquis was wounded but had recovered fully at the time they released their statement. 

Yulian took note of the fact that to keep the public's moral trust in the city knights they concealed the deaths of the Dan brothers as well as the involvement of a royal and two nobles' participation in the fight including his involvement. The last part was his request to hide his part in the fight, saying he had not done much when the older Dan decided to throw everything including his life.

The son of the marquis was rewarded for his small act of heroship when he discovered the secret basement and rescued the missing girl. On Yulian's spell, he put an illusion that the mohawk had gone to check his favorite horse amidst the party and notice something strange with the hays. Everything Yulian did in the basement, he replace himself with the image of the mohawk.  

And yesterday he had received news about the situation of Minne He secretly checked her in a hospital where she received further medications. Unfortunately, her memories had also been tap but not by him. She did not remember everything even her own name. She seemed to degenerate into someone with a mentality of a preschool. The healers found it odd but pointed her abnormal condition to the experiments done with her body that they discovered.

He saw how her sisters broke into tears when she opened her eyes and babbled something that only a child could do. However, the matriarch stood strong and smiled at her granddaughter lovingly. 

Yulian left in silence upon seeing that scene. To be able to wipe out a large scale of memories from a human brain, one must have an ability that encompasses the mind or have the status of a magus. But neither the Dan brothers both have those. He was certain of that fact when he fought them. 

That only means there's still someone behind the brothers. The one who wiped Minnie's memories and possibly killed Tim. 

Tim's death was too clean and perfect but there had been a nagging feeling that bothered him ever since he saw Tim's body. And his visit to Minnie solidifies his suspicions.

Back at his room at the dormitory, Yulian gazes one last time at the photo of Tim and his brother before a spark ignited on his fingers which he use to hold the photo. A small orange flame started at the edge of the squared image and slowly engulfed the whole photo. After a while, he opened his palm where the ashes were left. He extended his hand with the ashes on the opened window and let the wind carry the ashes. 

He watches outside the window for a moment. Despite all that he did Tim had been his friend however short period it was. So he could not help but feel a little melancholy. 

He only went back inside when the night was nearing. He shut his window as well as the sadness he felt.

He sat on his bed and took a book. On the other side had been completely cleaned out. The authority had taken all Tim's belongings, all that's left were an empty bed and a book where he saw his photo. Yulian hid it from the officer who had come.

The book was a compiled journal of various healers of their activities all over the continent published five years ago. He opened the page where he first saw the photo. He instantly recognize the full page of a simple sketch of the Ruke town before the plague hit it. The next two pages contain short details on how the deadly sickness started, how it spread and was later contained and cured. It had cited also the death counts and the very first victims which were Yulian's parents.

The first time he saw Tim's photo, he thought that he was careless to leave something so important behind. Especially how in the following days, his brother appeared with the marquis. It was too convenient and too easy. Yulian believed in his heart that Tim must have planned all this. Leaving clues intentionally and anticipated his fight with the mohawk leading for his father to come and naturally his brother serving as a footman would also go along.

What boggles him was Tim's confidence that he will follow all his clues. From the start, did he know everything about him? But during their fight, his reaction when he discovered he's a magus was genuine. He had no way to know, now that the only person who can tell him was dead.

There must be another hidden message why he specifically inserted his photo at Ruke's page aside from catching his attention the first time.

He turned the pages to where the history of the Ruke's plague ended. His hand freezes. A familiar name came into his view. On the bottom of the last sentence of the journal, there was a name and an elegant signature.

William Braun.

He's the healer who helped cure his town and pulled it from the death's door. And the same man who helped him get into the academy. 

His heart pounded against his chest. Was this another coincidence or Tim's trying to tell him something?

Yulian closed the book and put it on his table. He took a deep breath and puff it out. There's no point in wallowing and asking the dead. At this point, he better follows these clues no matter how silly they were. Better start at something to gain something. 

But not tonight, this afternoon after his class and he was on his way to his room. Alex's attendant that he got familiar with approached him. The attendant gave him a folded piece of paper then bowed at him and left.

Guess, Alex's back at the academy.

He almost snickered a little at the note on his hand. He brought it on his nose, a rose blooming in the morning assaulted his sense of smell. 

Really? A scented paper to pass a small message? 

He shakes his head but with a smile, he opened the note. 

Let's have dinner under the tree for a change. 

Alex.

The tree Alex had mentioned was his tree but by the looks of it, the prince considered as his tree. In that case, he will give his consent as the original owner. It will be their tree.

Yulian arrange his clothes and made sure everything's tidy before going out of his room. He directly went to Alex's room and the students he met along his way had long been used to his presence walking to Alex's floor.

Yulian then casually used the prince's secret door leading to a secret path.