Plans brew in the darkness

"Is this it for your report?"

Asks Miranda while holding up a stack of papers. Her rose colored hair glitters in the candlelight as her grey eyes flash over the investigative report.

Her alluring, beautiful, yet fierce figure makes the reporting mage blush for a few seconds.

"Yes ma'am. That is all we have been able to find out these past few days. We will continue our investigation."

Miranda stares directly into the eye of the mage before nodding.

Not before long he turns and leaves the room, during which his heart was still fluttering from the encounter.

The door closes and only four people are left in the room.

"They have been really careful ever since that incident huh."

Miranda stands, and walks up to the window behind her seat to gaze down at the training grounds.

While staring at the mages practicing sword movements, she breathes out a sigh of disappointment and turns to her comrades who are seated on the sofa before taking a seat.

The three of them were busy indulging in refreshments stationed on top of the table.

"They are not even making a single move."

Says Miranda while biting her lower lip in frustration.

Her face looks utterly disheartened as she clasped her hands together.

"What about that tip we got from Mond?"

The blue haired woman spoke after taking a sip of from the cup of tea.

"That tip from an unknown source?"

She leans back and stretches her arms towards the back of the couch while staring at the ceiling in contemplation.

"It seems really fishy if you ask me about it."

The man with orange hair and glasses spoke while touching his chin is thought.

"I agree with Fabian, there is no way someone just happened to know where a black magicians base is."

"It must be a trap."

The well-built man says in an assertive voice.

All the members eye their captain to wait for a response. Miranda continues to stare deeply into the ceiling, blinking slowly every few seconds. She breaths out deeply and sighs.

"All right. We'll investigate it."

She bounces back from the couch and sits upright again while facing her team.

"Even though it may be a trap?"

The well-built man says with a concerned look on his face and a snack in hand.

"Even if it is a trap, it is our duty to check it out. Besides, we don't have other leads."

She rests her cheek on her arm which is sitting on the armrest.

"Tch. Why did these bloody black magicians have to get involved anyway."

She clicks her tongue while staring off into a painting hanging on the wall in front of her.

All members look at each other in worry before someone speaks again.

"But captain, what are we going to do about the ones who destroyed the base?"

"That's right! Who the hell are those people?"

"Are they the enemies of black magicians? If so why are they hiding in the dark instead of working together with us?"

The members spurt out question after question and continue the discussion by themselves.

"Hah."

Miranda leans forward and sighs.

"Fabian, Aaron, Meia. I know all of you are curious as to who these people are, but our job is to simply investigate the matter at the academy and track down the black magicians."

"Before we accomplish that we shouldn't have other thoughts."

She narrows her eyes, signaling her seriousness to her comrades as she delivers the line with an assertive tone.

"Yes ma'am."

"I understand."

"Yes captain."

The three respond diligently to their captains words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A man was walking alone through a secluded tunnel only lit by the minimal amounts of sunlight seeping in through the hallway windows.

Age in mid 20's, long blonde hair that was tied up into a ponytail, red eyes. Overall insanely good-looking.

His pace stops as he reaches the end of the tunnel with only a wooden door ahead of him. It looked to be imbued with different kinds of magic. One of which was an anti-sound spell which could make the room sound proof.

He turns to face the woman with violet hair to his left.

"Is sir Spencer still inside?"

"Yes, mister Noel."

Noel smiles and grabs the door handle with his right hand before opening the door.

As he left for the room, the woman's cheek couldn't help but be dyed a little red.

Inside the room Noel walks up to the tall man that was standing before the table on the left side of the room.

The tall man was hunched over and eyes glued to table.

All sorts of things could be found on it. Medical equipment, gloves, a candle and even a weird looking orb.

"You're here?"

The tall man speaks while still staring at the table.

"Yes sir Spencer."

Noel bows politely.

When he looked up, Noel changed his gaze and fixates it at the dark-skinned young girl that was annexed to the back wall.

He stares closely at the number written on her neck.

It read "No. 20".

"Is the project close to completion?"

"Not yet. The overall project still needs refinement for the best weapon. But the trials should be complete soon."

Spencer walks up to the young girl with a syringe in hand.

It looks to be filled with some black liquid.

He carefully plunges it into her neck before retreating back to the table.

Spencer ignores Noel and places the used syringe aside and takes up a new one, this time filled with light blue liquid.

Once again he walks up to the girl and plunges it into her neck before stepping away a few seconds after all the liquid has entered her body.

Back at the table, Spencer takes off his stained gloves and finally turns to Noel.

"So, what have you come for?"

The tall man straightens his back to face Noel and towers over him. Noel did not have a short stature by any means, in fact, in terms of height, he was taller than most males within the nation. It was just that in front of the extremely tall Spencer, he might as well had an average height.

Comparing the two would be like comparing a giraffe to an elephant.

"I came to deliver some good news."

"Oh?"

"We have successfully captured more materials to be used for the absorption."

"About two times more since the last delivery."

Noel says in a huge smile.

"Two times. That will definitely increase the speed of completion."

Spencer smirks and turns away, looking down towards the table before picking out another syringe.

"How about the test subjects? I remember you saying something about the second inquisitor squad."

Spencer flicks the needle on the syringe before turning his back to Noel.

"Yes. I believe they will be the most perfect to test the trials against. I have started to lure them into Mond with different clues."

"Well, I trust your judgement. As long as I can see my creations at work, I don't mind who it is against."

"It's not like the inquisitors can even do anything to the homunculi anyways."

Spencer lets out a giggle.

"But what about the one who killed Wanfi and Agatha?"

"Ah. Don't worry about that person, if my intuition is right, they should appear when the trials start. When that happens, I shall trouble sir Spencer to ask his subordinates to take action."

Spencer turns back and faces Noel with a stern face.

"That's fine by me. But I believe you should also do something as the duke's son."

"Sir. If I may. The duke's house is under close watch, so I sincerely apologize for not being able to act through the royal mage corps."

"We are already doing the most we can with the deliveries."

Noel bows.

"I suppose it would be rude of me to not accept your apology, especially since the materials you are providing is crucial for the project to succeed."

Spencer turns his back and faces the girl.

"Wanfi, I really didn't like that bastard."

"But it was because he got himself killed that I got acknowledged by 'that man', so shouldn't I at least avenge him?"

"Very well, when the time arises, my subordinates will eliminate them."

"Thank you sir Spencer."

Noel once again bows and deepens his sinister smile.