Two days after Adrian's burst of anger at Ralph. One week after the last meet. It's time to meet Kathleen to settle the distribution of Cross Catch manuals. Luckily, she lives with Rupert so he did not need to go to move to other location to finish the matter.
Ralph had been quiet since then. He just nods and say 'yes' like a good servant. The relationship turns awkward when Ralph does his morning training elsewhere. Adrian saw him in 'Map'. Ralph change places to train every morning. Adrian is not worried about it. Ralph is still viewing Adrian as a kid. Adrian just wants him to stop. That is all, no hatred.
"Hello! Rupert, Kathleen. Are you in there?" Adrian called out the couple's name outside the workshop.
After a minute of silence, ha calls out again.
"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Adrian makes a puzzled expression. Rupert should be out by now to greet him. This is unusual.
So, he wait a little bit and try again, but still no answer.
"Let's go to the tavern." Adrian leaves the premise. As he did not hear or detect anything. So, he wants to check out the place where everyone usually gathers.
Ralph nodded but he actually nervous inside. Adrian and Ralph move fast to Lily's Tavern.
"Hello." Adrian enters the tavern after pushing the door. The tavern is empty. It is already noon so some customers should be here by now.
"Yes?" A girl's voice suddenly came out from the kitchen.
"Oh, Molly! Thank god, you are here. Where is everyone?" Adrian felt relief after hearing the bar owner's daughter responding.
"A… Adrian. You are here. Sob… sob." Molly suddenly had tears rolled down from her eyes.
"Hey, hey. Calm down. Tell me what happen. I promise, I will help out." Adrian hugs Molly to calm down her tears.
"Sniffle… sniffle" Molly nodded and calming herself down.
"Sniffle… This… This morning some kids are playing at the near by lake. Suddenly, they got drag into the lake and disappear. Mom, dad and the customers heard this and went to the lake and check it out. She told me to wait here but it's already been 3 hours. I'm scared. Sniffle…" Molly tells the story that she heard.
"No wonder the towns people are much lesser than usual." Ralph begins to know the reason why.
"Don't worry. I will bring all of them back. I promise. So, please wait a little longer okay." Adrian tries to be optimistic to Molly. He put out his pinkie finger and pull Molly's hand to tie the pinkie finger together as a sign of promise.
Molly nodded back. She become much calmer after hearing Adrian's promise. Adrian pats her head and stands up to look at Ralph.
"Let's go." Adrian rushes out while opening the 'Map'. He directly uses 'Windrun' to go to the lake. Ralph also followed suit.
At the lake near Light Edge town, many people are already gathered around.
"Any news from the messenger sent to the count?" A worried parent voiced out.
"He just came back earlier. He said the count is not available right now as he went to the capital with his family…." A mercenary told them the news.
"The count is not available. Those people already went inside for 3 hours now. My boy." Another parent sounded out.
"But the young master is available… but… he just went out." The mercenary continues the news.
"Huh? The count's heir is left alone? He is only 10 to 11 years old by now. How can he help?" A random onlooker said.
"I can help what I can." A boyish voice sounded grabbing the bystander's attention.
"Eh?"
"The… the young master?"
"He came?"
Adrian walks pass everyone and came face to face with the mercenary. Ralph is left behind so Adrian is not…. Speak of the devil he just made it while panting.
The scene is quite weird seeing a boy standing with no fear in front of a 2-meter-tall mercenary.
"Tell me everything that happen. No details left out." Adrian orders the mercenary.
The mercenary put on a puzzled face, then he looked at Ralph. Ralph just nodded after getting his breathing to normal again.
"Ahem… This morning, 8 children went missing inside the lake. The 2 boys who reported this are witnesses as they did not dive in the lake yet, just to repair their fishing poles."
"After the adults rush to the scene the lake is calm and no movements what so ever, so a mercenary dive in the lake and found a hole under the lake. The mercenaries gather some capable towns people to dive in to quickly rescue the children. It was led by a mercenary named Gideon, who is proficient in Water element."
"After waiting for 2 hours, there is still no news from them. So, we decided to contact the count but there is only you at the estate, young master." The mercenary finished his story.
Adrian scans around and look at the towns people.
"Aria, do you sense anything under the lake?" Adrian asked Aria in his thought.
[Responding. None.]
"It my time to shine now, Adrian." Cassie voiced out with a smug expression.
"Okay. Cassie, how about you?" Adrian turns to the former lake fairy.
"Bring me closer. Maybe I can sense something." Cassie said wanting to show her capabilities.
" Alright." Adrian nods and walk in closer to the edge of the lake.
"This feeling…. The culprit is the lake imps." Cassie immediately sense something.
"Hmm… Lake imps. The prankster of the blue. Sigh… This will be tough. No wonder the ones who went inside still haven't come out. They are lost." Adrian sighs letting everyone know of his findings.
"Lake imps?"
"Why is an uncommon creature kidnap our children?"
"The young master deduces it just by getting close to the lake?"
"You there disperse everyone that is not the parent of the victim. Everyone else who is NOT involve, get back to town. The town is looking like a ghost town. Ralph, help him out and secure the area." Adrian gives out his orders to the mercenary and Ralph.
"What did we do? We are just here to watch." A bystander voiced out in the crowd.
"What you are doing is making the ones back at town, worried sick. It is not your problem. As of now this is my, Adrian Cross's problem. You got that. Now scram." Adrian shouted at the many bystanders that aren't involve.
"To the parents of the victims and the kids that their parents who went inside, don't worry your family is still alive at this moment. Lake imps had the tendencies to play with their food first by exhausting their mentality first."
"Three hours had already passed, as I was too late to get the news. It is estimated if the ones inside the lake is not save in the next 1 to 2 hours, they will become food." Adrian gives them the good news and bad news.
"We only have that little time?"
"Nooo… My boy. Sob… sob"
"Sniffle… sniffle… Uweehh."
"It should be enough time… For me to save them." Adrian's voice suddenly stops the misery.
"???" Everyone is flabbergast hearing the 10-year-old boy's announcement.
"Ralph, take care of everything up here. I will be back soon with everyone else." Adrian does some warm up to get ready to dive in the lake.
"But… yo…" Ralph wanted to say something but Adrian's gaze stops him.
"That is an order, Ralph." Adrian said with a threatening tone.
The crowd that is leaving seems like they would not budge even after the mercenary told them to leave. They heard Adrian's declaration and wanting to stay and watch. This can be a historic moment.
"Aria, how is my condition?" Adrian begins his ritual.
[Responding. Master is in perfect condition. No abnormalities detected.]
"And how about you, Cassie? Ready to came in the playing field?" Adrian finally turns his attention to Cassie.
"Hehehe… Now this is my forte. Let's go. I will assist you." Cassie is excited because marine battles is he expertise.
"I promise to bring them all back." Adrian smiles to the crowd and jumps into the lake.
With the help of Cassie, Adrian had enough oxygen supply to breath underwater and maintain buoyancy to sink or float, also maneuver through water.
Under the lake he saw a 10-meter diameter hole, big enough for 4 adults to swim through comfortably.
Adrian dives in further inside the hole. It was dark but Cassie's water detection expertise and Adrian's mana sense, he can guide through the tunnels just fine without Light magic. Adrian did not use Light magic because he wants to save mana. He had to save more than 10 people after all.
After exploring for about 10 minutes, Aria's detection finally senses it.
[Warning. Demonic beast activity detected inside the cavern.]
[Warning. Concentrated miasma detected inside the cavern.]
[Notice. 'Map' had been updated to include this cavern. Master can check 'Map' for information.]
"Sigh… it is a demonic beast activity. So, the chances of them to be alive are slim." Adrian put on a grim expression.