Chapter 263 - The Ark Of Ysabeau's Research

"So, still the same information as Mavislin... Any other new things I can go and research on?" asked Ysabeau, still trying to get more similarities between the victims.

Gab sighed and gestured to Ysabeau to leave the bar area. With that, 'Flowered Maidens' has closed for the night. As they made their way upstairs, Ysabeau failed to hear the flutter of butterfly wings.

"They are an interesting bunch. I'd hope to get that young girl."

Soon, the mysterious girl flew off into the night, with the fresh victim she carried under one arm. Meanwhile, the two made their way to Gab's study. There, Ysabeau was given a huge stack of papers by Gab.

Gab's work area, or 'study' as he prefers to call it, was bigger than the average bedroom. The left wall from the door was plastered with world maps and notes, while the opposing wall had bookshelves. The ceiling was tall, even for a Mage's standard.

Once someone enters, they would see the giant wooden desk that is right in front of a full panel of stained glass. A few candles in candle holders hung around the room, with a large one at the corner of the desk. And that desk had all of the reports, letters, and profiles of the Albion Domain.

"Go read this through if you really have got the energy and time. You Mages don't sleep, right?" asked Gab, yawning.

"Sleep is a luxury of ours but we do need to replenish on our Elemental Energy. For Mavislin, it would be absorbing the positivity out of the area around her. For me, it would be just taking in the night winds. I can do that later. For now, I'll sift through these things," replied Ysabeau.

She then took the stack of papers and made a beeline to the door. Gab then took out a cigar and an old lighter.

"No need. You can use this room for tonight. You may mess up the area as you'd need but do clean it up before you leave," said Gab, going out for a smoke.

"Thank you, Baron Tuazon. I will try my best to keep it nice and tidy," said Ysabeau, bowing slightly.

As the human left the room, Ysabeau sighed inwardly. Since Mavislin had made significant progress, she must not lag far behind. She then cracked her knuckles and sifted through every profile that Gab has given her.

Hours passed. Mages can't be exhausted mentally but this was indeed frustrating to handle. Even for the patient High Queen. Photos were strewn about and scribbled notes were flying everywhere. A map of the area was lying on the floor, with pins sticking right into certain areas.

The areas represent the different places that the victims had been last seen at. It did not pose any similarities or patterns of any sort so Ysabeau decided to look for physical appearances instead. Photos of the girls were now laying in front of her as she tried to figure things out.

"These are all quite different. Just as I thought I would have the pattern figured out, another misplaced feature comes out of the mix. Either all would be brunette and then a blonde would appear. Or their hand features... Or..."

"Wait a minute... These few reports aren't recent, they are over a year old!" exclaimed Ysabeau as she dug through the older files.

Why? Why did these young girls vanish? And why did the Baron not tell them sooner? She held back that thought. The Arks weren't supposed to get involved in the first place. It was only when a Mage was seen nabbing the girls then they got activated.

But it wasn't fair. Did the Baron see these as minor numbers so he didn't try to resolve it on his own? No, Gab wasn't like that. But... Bryan did prove that Gab wasn't telling all the truth. Hell, these might be even faked! Just like what Old Man Pond did to the Congregation members.

Back at the Tryouts, Ysabeau was forced to tell Mavislin a lie. Those who did not make it through the tryouts did not return home. In fact, they were being rounded up and tortured to death. By the same panel of judges that judged them.

And the only reason why the Husks' mass graves were formed was because of Old Man Pond's lack of empathy to both humans and mages alike. In a cruel and twisted way, he wanted to take the bodies of the dead and create a fence out of their remains.