M.I Hausk

Chapter 1 - Part 4

Unexpected Result

Back in his office, Hausk toyed with a new spell he had picked up from one of the grimoires. The spell itself was ridiculous-designed to summon a single drop of water to a random part of the target's body. But for Hausk, it was perfect for killing time.

With a mischievous grin, he pointed his finger out the window at an unsuspecting bystander passing by. The poor soul blinked in confusion as a drop of water splashed into his eye. Hausk chuckled, wobbling his head to stay out of sight like a child playing a prank.

Suddenly, the door swung open without warning. Hausk snapped the book shut, feigning an air of serious study, but relaxed when he saw it was only his team returning from their mission. Still, he couldn't resist one last poke-he flicked his fingers, sending another drop onto the same bystander. Then, turning back to the team, he grinned.

"So, results?" Hausk asked, his smirk growing.

Cammron crossed her arms. "No imaging. Valen's body rejected the magic from the ARI device. It triggered a full rejection response."

"Then run another test we discussed before!" Hausk snapped, irritation creeping into his voice.

"We didn't have room to bring anything else," Cammron replied. "The ARI was the only equipment we could carry."

Hausk's eyes widened. "Valen's here, right? Unconscious because of the rejection? That's your next test subject, then. Or is that too much for you?"

Chasen and Cammron exchanged weary glances before sighing, clearly unimpressed by his attitude. With resigned expressions, they stood and left the room without another word.

Hausk shifted his focus to Foremain, still lingering by the door. "What about you? Anything interesting?"

Foremain held up a sheet of paper. "I cataloged every magical item and object in her possession. Turns out they're pretty standard for someone from an academy setting." He handed the paper to Hausk, who skimmed through it.

"This is useless," Hausk muttered, tossing the paper aside.

Foremain's brow furrowed. "Isn't this what you asked for?"

"I wanted something useful, not this junk," Hausk shot back, irritation building in his voice.

Foremain crossed his arms, his face hardening. "That's all I could find. What do you want me to do?"

Hausk shrugged, staring lazily out the window. "Break into her house. Search for something interesting."

Foremain blinked, caught off guard by the casual suggestion. "Break in? You know we could just ask for a key, right?"

"That defeats the purpose. I need you to find something she wouldn't willingly hand over. And take Tessa with you," Hausk added, his eyes now following another bystander outside the window.

Foremain scowled. "Why Tessa? And why do we even need to break in?" he protested, clearly frustrated.

"Unless you'd prefer to negotiate with someone unconscious who's not going to let you snoop through their personal belongings, I suggest you do as I say," Hausk replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Foremain blinked rapidly, trying to process the logic-or lack thereof. After a moment, he shook his head and moved toward the door.

"Oh, and about Tessa," Hausk called after him. "It might look a little suspicious for a big, ugly orc to break in on his own. Tessa's there to smooth things over."

Foremain stopped in his tracks, turning back with a look of disbelief. "Are you implying I'm too ugly to break into someone's house?"

Hausk didn't even glance his way. "Wouldn't look good in the news, would it? At least Tessa can make it seem less... threatening."