The Reborn Magus and His Prince

Chapter 10: The First Sighting

A madame was talking animatedly at Luke by the porch when he had reached his side. He could not fully distinguish the madame's face as half of it was covered with thick powder. And she kept applying on.

"I say you let them be, Luke. What's a young man got to do but enjoy his life?"

"Yes, I understand, ma'am but father is -"

"Oho! That old fool your father is! I say I watched him grow up and he's much as a fool as Leo when he's your age!"

The madame's loud voice summoned two women from the inside of the house who' looked like only a few years older than them. Both sporting Auburn hair.

"Oh if it isn't the young Luke!" One of them exclaimed.

"Good day, miss Ann, Miss May." Luke took off his hat and greeted the maidens.

"Bet he's looking for his twin again." They giggled at him.

"Yes, and if you could tell where he and Minnie might be."

The two girls stopped whispering at each other. "And why would we tell you? You're just going to interrupt their alone time like you always do!"

" Yeah and besides we don't know where they are."

"You do know you're all being difficult right now."

The madame snapped her compact mirror and with that force, it snapped into two. "Are you threatening us, boy? If ever any of you lay a hand on me or any of my family. I will cry injustice to the king and I think you know full well how he is."

After the current king ascended the throne, one of his notable achievements was the fair justice system that sees no nobles and commoners. He was highly praised because of that.

Luke had reached his limit in persuading these maidens, sighed in resignation. "I'll come back again to visit."

"That's it, boy. Go back home." The madame made a shooing gesture.

The younger man returned to the carriage without another word. The madame even shouted, "Tell your grandmother I said hi!"

He waves his hand in response and boarded the carriage.

"Where's Yul?" Alex found no one behind his friend.

"He was just right behind me -."

They both glanced outside and saw the midget. He gave something to the madame in which she exclaimed happily. Both she and her granddaughters were now talking with Yulian with a look of adoration and even pinched his cheeks occasionally. It went on for a full five minutes before the midget waved to the three and turned back at the vehicle waiting for him.

"I know where Leo is." He said the moment he got in.

"They told you?" Luke filled with doubt stared at him.

"Yeah, and they were nice about it."

Yulian settled himself beside Alex. "The House of Mirth is where might Leo is, they say."

With still disbelief in his eyes, Leo opened the small compartment at his back and instructed the coachman.

"House of Mirth."

A voice answered from the other end. "Yes, sire."

The carriage drove to several turns of the street, residential homes became scarce replaced by commercial establishments. And after another turn, they came out to a quiet street. Only several people can be seen walking on the sides.

Once again, the vehicle stopped at another establishment. The House of Mirth was a run-down pub. The loose hanging nameplate would make one worry about his head when passing through the front door.

Alex had to be left again at the carriage and the other two entered the pub. Contrary to its appearance outside, the inside was organized and free of dirt. Its chairs and tables are neatly arranged together and the bar counter can blind a person.

However, a slumped figure with the same hair as the man beside him had ruined the scene. On his hand was a half-filled glass of what looked like liquor.

Luke strode towards his brother. He snatched the glass from his hand and set it down hard creating a rough sound with the impact.

"Leo, wake up!"

The other twin was stirred. "Dang... You found me already?" He revealed a silly smile. His voice was small and a little raspy.

"Oi! we're not open until seven in the evening!" An elderly man with a big mustache came out from the door behind the counter. Seeing another two young men in his pub surprised him.

"I'm sorry, Mr... But we won't be long." Yulian stepped up to placate the owner.

"Oh? You're here to fetch that troublesome kid?" He saw Luke with the same face as the other kid and drew his own conclusion. "Make it fast, that kid had been here since last night and refused to go home. If it weren't for his money, I would have thrown him out myself!"

Yulian made a little laugh and apologized again at the owner on behalf of Alex's friend since he was occupied in dragging his twin to stand up.

The pub owner made a grump sound and decided not to care about them. He picked up a glass at the counter and busied himself in cleaning it. The wasted kid already paid him twice as much as he needed so, he's going to let this go today.

"Get up, moron. You're freaking heavy!" Luke had a hard time taking away his brother from the counter.

"Let me help."

Yulian went to the other side of Leo and put his arm around his shoulders while Luke was on the other side. He might be smaller than the barely awake guy but he's stronger so hoisting him up was an easy task.

'Stop!'

His steps halted. Ignis had awakened.

'I feel him... Calis.'

The small flame appeared on his side. 

'Are you certain?' He communicated with his thoughts.

'Yes.'

Ignis floated over at Leo and examined the boy.  'Faint but the lingering dark matter is still here on this boy.'

"Something's wrong?" Luke frowned when the shorter had ceased to move. He even had a serious look on his face as a grave problem had occurred. "If it is too much, you can just go ahead at the carriage and had the coachman help us."

Yulian quickly schooled his expression. "No need, I just thought I step on something. Let's go."

Luke did not ask any further questions as his arms and shoulders were getting stiff with the baggage he calls his twin.

On the other hand, Yulian maintained his innocent expression when conversing with Ignis.

'Just like what I had thought you. Feel with your inner core and gather the dark matter. Filter your fire and release the pure light.'

The arm on the waist of Leo slowly raised and hover on his nape. Unnoticed by anyone including his twin. A small white light flashed and disappeared with a blink of an eye.

A swirling mass of black smoke trapped on a cage of white light was at the hands of Yulian.

'That's it. Absorb it in your body. The dark energy won't affect you as long as I'm here.'

The two energies on his hand like a yin and yang converge and went in on his body.

By the time they had reached their vehicle, everything went normal for Yulian but the fallen god decided to not sleep anymore and continued to float around him. Ignis might have an indifferent expression on that fireball face of his but he could sense his excitement vibrating. This was their first breakthrough ever since coming here. So he could much understand him.

"What's wrong with him? He smells disgusting."

Yulian's attention went back inside the carriage. Alex had his nose covered with a white cloth. Frowning upon the figure of Leo who had been tossed uncaringly by his brother inside.

"Just another idiotic episode of his."

Hearing his brother's voice, Leo bawled awake. "You! You, heartless! All of you are heartless! And my Minnie... is heartless too!"

"Let me guess, she left you?"

"Ahhh...! She left me even though... Even though she said she wants to meet me last night!"

The howling of a drunkard continued on in the carriage, he shouted how his beloved Minnie had left him for another man. The people inside almost had conspired together to silence him.

"Just wait till we get home, father's been furious all night." Luke couldn't take it anymore and brought the father card.

"I don't - ! Ey, father's back?"

"Yes."

This time the howling was for the brother begging for help.

Alex already used at this scene chose to close his eyes and pretend to sleep.  

'Yulian, you must find the source.' Ignis had been examining Leo the moment he had been dumped inside. 'He's only had contact with someone who had been contaminated with dark matter.'

Yulian knew what he needed to do. He gazed at the sleeping Alex and made a decision. "Could you drop me off at the next street? "

Alex opened his eyes after hearing him and cast an inquiring glance at him.

"Uh...I remembered the chief told me to visit a friend of his around here."

"Are you sure? What street? We can just drop you from here." Like was busy fending off his annoying brother but still managed to hear him.

"Yeah," he told them the street that he remembered reading off at a post sign earlier.

The owner of the vehicle made no further comment and told the coachman his destination. 

"Did you bring money with you?" The man beside him asked.

Now that he thinks about it, he had no belonging in him right now. He was originally planning to simply take a walk around the premises of the academy but got dragged from there to here. 

He grinned at Alex. "No, but could you lend me some?"

"Uh..." Alex face away from him and eyed Luke. "Could you lend me some?"