Isabella nodded at Adrian's request, her expression already sharpening with purpose.
"I'll see to it immediately," she promised, then stepped out, calling for a few of the nearby captains and quietly detailing the plan to organize scouting teams to check nearby areas.
As she left the room, Adrian turned his attention to Marcus, the soldier who had been speaking earlier. "Marcus, come with me. We're going to examine the captured creatures."
With a quick salute, Marcus fell into step beside him, leading the way to the holding area where the circus's beasts had been contained.
The path through the manor's training grounds felt oddly quiet, the air tense as they walked through the early morning light.
Once they reached the holding area, Adrian took a moment to observe the creatures. Each one was locked behind thick, rune-inscribed cages, restless and unnerved by their unfamiliar surroundings.
Their darkened eyes still held traces of a foreign, twisted energy, remnants of the black magician's influence.
Adrian took a deep breath, focusing inwardly as he reached out to his system. He mentally issued a command," System, do you have any items that could help me track the black magician through the remnants of mana she left behind in these creatures?"
A familiar, emotionless voice answered within his mind.
"No item exists within the inventory that is capable of tracking residual mana in this manner."
He frowned slightly, not entirely surprised but still disappointed. He then tried a different approach.
"Can you track my own mana signature left in the black magician's body? I know I managed to wound her yesterday, so maybe it's still lingering in her."
"Negative", the system replied, its response final. "The target is too far from your location to trace any lingering mana signature you may have left."
Adrian sighed, shaking his head with quiet frustration. He'd hoped for a lead, but it seemed that for now, any direct trail to the black magician would remain elusive.
Nonetheless, he steeled himself, approaching the cages where the captured beasts were held. Find the newest release on novel(ꜰ)ire.net
Marcus, sensing Adrian's mood, cleared his throat. "We did our best to contain them, but these creatures aren't normal animals," he said. "They've got a strange resilience—something unnatural was done to them, that much we can tell."
Adrian nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the creatures, his mind turning over the possibilities.
The black magician's twisted magic seemed to have tainted them, likely making them more dangerous than they appeared.
"Let's test something," he muttered, reaching out to place his hand on the cage of the nearest creature.
His fingers hummed with a faint glow as he subtly probed the creature's mana signature. Perhaps there was still something useful to be gleaned from these tainted creatures, even if he couldn't directly track the magician.
As he continued his inspection, Adrian's mind worked on possible ways to use these traces of mana to fortify their defenses, ensuring his family and allies would be prepared for any future encounter with this dark foe.
After several minutes of meticulous examination, Adrian found no traceable lead on the creatures themselves.
They bore lingering traces of dark energy, but it was far too faint and dispersed to provide any real clues.
With a sigh, he turned to leave, but something caught his eye—a slight shimmer of movement from the far corner of the enclosure.
It was the three-headed fox, the first creature to have caused chaos during the circus incident.
The fox had an unusual aura around it, something distinctly different from the others. While the rest of the creatures remained tense and jittery, this fox seemed almost… calm.
Observing it closely, Adrian noticed a subtle glow around its form, one that pulsed and radiated as if it were actively working against the dark energy within it.
Curiosity piqued, Adrian stepped closer, his gaze sharpening as he concentrated.
He could sense the creature’s energy interacting with the residual mana, seeming to cleanse itself of any foreign influence.
He reached out with his mana, seeking to understand more about this peculiar creature.
"System," he commanded silently, "Appraise this creature."
The familiar display of stats and abilities unfolded before him, but his eyes widened at one particular line in the attribute panel: Unique Ability: Purification.
His mind raced, his heart pounding with excitement. This wasn’t a mere beast—it had the remarkable ability to purify foreign mana, neutralizing any dark energy or contamination within itself.
Such an ability could be invaluable, especially in countering dark magicians who used corrupting magic to manipulate creatures or people.
Adrian’s mind buzzed with excitement and caution.
The fox’s Purification ability was a rare asset, potentially a great help in his current struggle against the dark magician's conspiracy and any future enemies who might use twisted magic.
But he had to be careful—this kind of knowledge was too valuable to share. He would only share with his women and no one else, even if they are under the soul contract.
Clearing his expression, Adrian turned to Marcus with a measured tone. "Marcus, do you know anything about the previous owner of these creatures? Who was responsible for them before they fell under our watch?"
Marcus straightened, thinking back as he shifted his gaze toward the beasts.
"The circus was managed by a man called Randolph Keith, a traveling ringmaster from the southern borderlands. He’d been coming to this region for years, always bringing a new assortment of creatures and magic acts. But he’s vanished—no trace of him or his people was found after the incident."
Adrian nodded thoughtfully, processing this new information. "Did Randolph ever seem to dabble in dark magic or strange rituals? Or associate with anyone who might?"
Marcus shook his head, brows furrowing as he considered.
"Not to my knowledge, my lord. The people here enjoyed his shows, but he was always something of a mystery—kept to himself, never stayed in one place for too long. We did try questioning some of the circus performers, but they didn’t know much about him outside of his role as their employer. They didn’t see any signs of him being a dark magician."
"So, we have someone well-versed in handling exotic creatures, who’s possibly got a connection to darker influences,"
Adrian murmured, his eyes lingering on the fox, though he forced himself to look away before Marcus could follow his gaze. “That’s something we’ll need to look into further.”