"Master Azveal; as expected," a man spoke, covered in a lab coat with a uniform underneath. Short brown hair, and a short beard to match his short height. His face remained expressionless as his green eyes remained sunken.
"I expect diligence as well from when I stated there would be visitors," Azveal spoke, walking into the room with his hands behind his back.
Jotou and Hotaru followed closely behind, Fuko straying a bit to take a better glance whilst Asobi wandered off to the, "It's so shiny in here!" she poked the wall with her wand.
The room was an eggshell white till the ceiling, tables against the walls while many desks were set at various positions in the sa complexion.
Upon them, files and docunts, reports filling them to the brim. Clipboards and notepads were in the hands of the silent researchers.
Not one of them seed bothered by their entrance; maybe a passing glance, but not any seed to acknowledge them in the room, continuing to focus on their work.
"Yes... we tend to keep our work environnt clean," he answered.
"This is our head researcher in the Velatos Case; Fritz Kowalski," Azveal introduced.
"Pleasure to et you," Hotaru gave a soft curtsy, "Hotaru Kinoshita," she stated, while Jotou narrowed her eyes to the redhead.
"Oh right," Jotou stepped out from behind Azveal. 'Formalities.' "I'm Jotou Howllett; you may know as the Thundering Blade," she gave a bow.
"The girl in purple is Fuko Namora and the magician is Asobi. We asked for access into the Ordinate, I hope you will entertain our presence," Hotaru smiled.
Fritz furrowed his brows, "How could I not? You're all over the news," he was still not amused, ignoring Hotaru's reply.
"Despite your odd customs Ms... Howllett," Fritz glanced to Azveal before looking back to them, "It would be my honour to give you a look inside our departnt," he frowned.
"Well then, you wouldn't mind joining to survey as well; I am personally escorting them after all," Azveal smiled.
"Of course not sir," Fritz replied turning around, "Follow please," he began walking.
Hotaru and Jotou lined up behind, while Fuko loosely followed. She checked one of the open notes on the table, before a researcher with their back turned took it away and began writing in it; Fuko acted like she wasn't snooping.
"Odd customs?" Jotou whispered to Hotaru.
"I assu your bow," Hotaru hushed back.
"What's wrong with my bow?"
"I was just giving a slight curtsy for the act, you went into a complete bow," Hotaru cocked a brow.
"Oh... Yeah, maybe I was being a bit too formal," Jotou's eyes glanced to the side.
"Never mind that, focus for now."
Fritz began talking, while experints and such rang in the background, "In January was the first sighting of the creature we now call a velatos.
After multiple reported sightings from the Krialin and the Adventurers Guild, the Maleficos Ordinate had to take action as the problem appeared to be magical in nature.
And as such, two departnts were created. The Maleficos Ordinate Velatos Resolution Departnt and the Research Departnt.
Both our goals are aligned to stop this threat. While they gather intelligence and stop whatever they can, we learn and adapt to face them anew.
The people you see in this room are devoted to the cause; volunteering to assist in this mysterious case," he explained, pointing around the room to nothing in particular.
Jotou looked up and around, "Well, I'm curious. What is their origin? The city's surrounded three ways by water and it's clearly foreign."
"The only way in and out of the border is heavily guarded, so any creature must've been noticed. It must've snuck or been brought in," Hotaru chid in, "Or-"
"Or it originated from within the city," Fritz turned around to complete her sentence, "This is the conclusion we have co to and have not gone past."
Fuko leered into Fritz's expression; it was as mundane as his tone. The brunette's ear caught sothing; a scanning device to her left going over so remnants.
"Pardon ," Fuko raised her hand, an innocent smile and a curious glance to one of the researchers with red hair and brown eyes, " and my party have killed a few of those things.
There's a machine just like it in the guild even. It traces them to check for velatos, right? Wah-what is it tracing?" she asked, patiently waiting for an answer.
"I'm sorry, that's strictly confidential information," Fritz answered from the other side.
Jotou and Hotaru glanced over with knitted brows... 'Is that Fuko? Did soone snatch her body or is it mind control!?' Jotou couldn't place.
"Kowalski, these are the ones who put a stop to many of the velatos at large; an entire guild can hold them accountable," Azveal replied.
"I'm aware of this oddity. The ability to be immune to velatos attacks has been on my radar for ...a while now; as well as the ability to destroy them without master level magics," Fritz's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not a velatos," Jotou was quick to reply to his mistrustful tone.
Fritz's eyes went back to their expressionless selves, "So you say..."
"Regardless, we need cooperation if we are ever to end this case. So, I request that you answer so of their questions," Azveal ordered.
Fritz grumbled... "Very well sir," he conceded. "What we trace is velatos, simply put. We have not discovered what trace of magic they emit, but it's a similar signature that we can fixate on."
Fuko walked up, "How can you track sothing without knowing what you're tracking?" a finger on her chin in pondering while her eyes almost sparkled.
The researcher she initially asked opened her mouth, "We can't quite explain it," putting her goggles atop her head, "The reality is..." she looked to Fritz then back to the group.
She gulped, a nervous sweat, "The velatos have us on edge and we're not quick enough to find a response. All we know is that master level spells and above are the only ones damaging them.
Besides that, we have no clue where they co from; so say they're ghosts taking on manifestations which is out of the realm of the Ordinate's practice of magic.
We never understood the spirits and we're not even sure they are spirits. We can only go off of what we know and we're sorry we can't offer you much," the woman pleaded, hands held together.
Fuko humd, "It's okay, you don't have to feel bad. That's a lot of information as it is," a sympathetic smile on her face.
The researcher gulped looking surprised, "Thank you for understanding..." her gaze went away.
Fritz let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders drooping, "There you have it. That's the truth you wanted, right? We only know a little more than the public.
We can't say much because we have nothing to say. This puzzle's a lot more complicated than you think; than we think. If you would please, continue your tour elsewhere."
Azveal nodded in courtesy. He pivoted to et Jotou, "Shall we continue our tour then Thundering Blade?"
"Yes, if that's alright," Jotou played along.
Hotaru was about to speak, but then her head and ears swivelled, "Uh, where's Asobi?" she searched for the missing elf.
Fuko shrugged, "Probably went outside."
"Oh boy... we'll go find her then," Jotou noticed the open door, the magician nowhere in sight.
The four left the room and Azveal closed the door behind them, "Do we need to find a missing friend then?" he asked of the three.
"No need," Fuko appeared from behind the closing door, arms crossed. Two Fuko-s now standing outside with them...
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