Some of the children had mana as they are the same age if Adrian. The weird thing that Adrian discovers is that their mana is totally absent. He knows they don't have the same capabilities as Adrian's mana mastery.
Adrian had read about poisons and already made a book of 'Herbology' that Marylyn borrowed. Inside the book Adrian had a note about 'Rigor Poison'. It's a clump of elemental mana that is mixed with the creature's blood. It is feed into the victim, to put them in to a deep sleep state while preserving the body condition. In short, it is a food preserving method for the monsters.
It is hard to detect externally but they can be spotted or detected in the change of the victim's blood. It can be cured by a standard antidote or Light spell: Cure to counteract the poison.
"Is he new to this job?" Adrian stares at Jonah begun to trust the young priest less.
"Ahem… Priest Jonah… Have you tried to use 'Cure' on the children?" Adrian questions the priest.
"Umm… No. Why should we use 'Cure'? 'Cure' spell is only for the ones that are poison. It will be a waste of mana. You should know about this young master as you are a genius. The children are im…. Oh… I see. Is it what I think it is?" Jonah sweats like he had run a marathon after realizing his mistakes.
"Ralph…" Adrian rubs between his eyes, cannot believe an incompetent priest is working at his county.
"On it, young master." Ralph understands what Adrian mean. Ralph already senses the poison after the blood came out of the children's finger. He is a former mercenary after all.
*Smack*
Ralph smacks Jonah's head. Making him rolling in pain. The hit made quite a loud sound grabbing the attention of the other priests outside the ward.
The parents did not understand what happen but seeing Adrian ordering the priest to be smacked, an offence must be committed.
"Light magic: Cure." Adrian cast the spell in a wide area to cover all 8 beds. The spell made the ones watching mouths agape.
"Jonah… Do you want to die?" Adrian stands in front of the priest who is on the ground and questions him with menacing tone.
The voice is cold making the others shiver especially Jonah. He kneels in front of Adrian, did not believe a child can bring such pressure to him.
"I'm deeply apologize for my incompetence. Please spare me. Please!" Jonah begs for mercy.
"Hear me out everyone in this hospital… The Cross county did not want any incompetent people working here. DO your jobs properly! Because of this priest the children will die if no proper treatment is not administered on time. Now tell me what I should do to him?" Adrian's voice can be heard trough out the hospital, attracting everyone towards the ward.
"Ralph, what happen? The young master looks very angry." Kathleen asked Ralph.
"HUMPH!" Ralph is still salty towards Kathleen.
"Everyone, this priest did not do a proper examination to the kids that have been rescued by the young master. The young master had found rigor poison inside the children's blood. We should know that rigor poison is a preserving method for beast to save their food. If not treated as soon as possible the children can die. Thus, the young master is angry for the incompetence of the priest." Ralph explains out loud to the people inside the hospital.
"What? How can an incompetent priest be called a 'priest'?"
"Poison? But the priest said everything is okay.
"How dare you?! Young master sentence him to death!"
The anger of the people started to ignite. The other priests begin to panic. They also working with Jonah, and they also don't know the kids had been poison. Will they also be sentenced?
"Ughh… Dad? Where am I?" The sound of a kid that started to woke up interrupted the riot.
"Son? You are awake! Thank God." A man hugs his child with tears falling from his eyes.
"I give you another chance. Don't mess it up again." Adrian whispers to Jonah and immediately leaves with Ralph in tow. Ralph stares at the priest menacingly and follows Adrian.
Adrian's job is done here. The victims who are involved are fine so right now he need to handle the imprisoned demonic creatures under the lake. He had a lot of decisions to make and matters to settle before his trip to the capital. As for Jonah's case he let it be for now, he let the people deal with him.
"It's good that the Cross Catch matter is settle but… this matter…." Adrian felt like he is on a cross road.
"Young master, is there something troubling you? I, Ralph, will be at your service like always." Ralph kneels in front of Adrian like a knight.
"It's good that you change." Adrian smiles seeing Ralph loyalty.
Adrian returns to the estate when it was already sunset. He took a bath first then had dinner after reading through the reports of demonic beast encounters that he had noted down. This is the last year he had before he had to attend to the academy. He needs to keep the county safe for his family and for Marylyn to roam around happily.
"It looks like I have to do it. I have no other choice." Adrian made up his mind.
He took out a quill and paper in his desk then begin to write a letter. He puts the letter in an envelope and stamp the seal of the Cross family. In the front of the letter, it wrote 'Urgent'.
He sings for Cassie and go to sleep.
In the early mornings where the time for Adrian and Ralph trains, Adrian stops Ralph from training today.
"I have an important job for you to do today. I want you to depart right now. Take this." Adrian said to Ralph while handing him an envelope, his family insignia and Charles's insignia to avoid extra trouble.
"Yes, young master! Tell me what I should do." Ralph puts his hand on his chest then takes the items.
"Deliver this to the king immediately. It had to be personally given to him. Tell the king the letter is from me and me alone. Now, go and keep this matter a secret from the others. I expect you to return tomorrow morning. If you improve your speed, you can come this evening." Adrian tells some extra details regarding the letter.
"If the young master wants to test my speed. So, be it. I will prove my speed to you, young master. I deliver the letter without fail. I will also protect the insignias with care. Also, I'm sorry." Ralph bows and sprints away.
The trip to the capital will take 4 days by carriage. By flight it takes, half a day. Adrian expects Ralph to fly to Amber Rose capital. If he can't do that he had to run and return tomorrow.
"Let's finish this training and go 'fishing'." Adrian starts to train his spells that he needs to increase it proficiency for today. He hears what Ralph says he felt he can full trust him now.
This training depletes his mana quickly and gains him a deeper understanding towards mana and the elements.
[INT: 670]
"Alright, lets cut it short." Adrian finishes his training after 1 hour then takes a bath and prepared to take some of the lake imps to do an experiment at the estate basement. He also waits a little to restore mana before setting of to town.
Since the sun is not out yet, but some did wake up by the time Adrian pass through the town, like the baker. Adrian stealthily passes through town to get to the lake.
Adrian can only retrieve 10 lake imps for now including the lake imp king and carry it using magic to the estate carefully without being seen.
The basement of the estate is a temporary prison to hold criminals, to soon be judge at the capital. The justice system of the Twilight Kingdom had a judge to lead the trial but the king had the final word in the courtroom.
The basement prison is now empty as the criminals are already send to the capital as soon as possible. Malcom don't want necessary trouble to hold a criminal for too long. He would rather kill them than let them sit under their house. Even though, the criminals are bounded by Dark Chains.
Dark chains that chained criminals are bounded by chained cuffs that had been enchant by Dark magic to strip their use of mana as long as the cuffs are on their hands. Adrian knows the magic circle and already test it out. It looks like the Dark magic is a very ancient method. He also knows that the spell is shared by the Primordial dragon, Ortus Celestial.
Adrian place all of the lake imps together in one cell, as they are already imprisoned anyway. He takes an old table that is close to the entrance and put it in the next cell. All the cells are separate by walls, like a room for solitary confinement. He also takes some 'tools' inside the chest near the entrance.
He already left a message in his room saying he will be at town with Ralph to avoid disturbance form the other servants. He locks the entrance of the basement from the inside and drags an imprison lake imp to the table.
"Release."
The dark spike that pierced the ice prison turns to goo and went inside the rhombus mark on the lake imp's forehead. The ice prison also melted and went it to the mark. The mark glows black meaning that the curse can be use again.
"Kcikkk… Kiyakk!" The lake imp pounce on Adrian.
Adrian grabs the 'bleeding' lake imp by the neck and slams it on the ground.
"Be quiet. Your fate is seal. Just be quiet and be a good test subject." Adrian bound the knocked-out lake imp to the table using the Dark chains.
"Now let's begin. This would be gruesome." Adrian said while spinning a knife on his hand.