The Runesmith

"Robert, are you awake? Quickly, lie down! What do you think you're doing?"

"Mother, I'm fine…"

"No, you certainly are not! I've seen all those wounds! If it weren't for the good sir from the Institute, you could have been dead by now! Did you even thank him? Quick, lower your head, you foolish child!"

"Uh… It's fine, madam. I'll excuse myself…"

Roland stood there in front of his stepmother, concealing his true identity from her. To her, he was just a representative from Xandar's Institute of Wizardry. She still believed he was only there because of Lucienne, who had gained the rare Clairvoyant class. After spending the night discussing potential issues that could arise during the trial, he was ready to leave. However, when the woman awoke from his spell and found Robert awake as well, she began to panic.

"Nonsense, my good man! We of the Arden house show gratitude, and you have done more for us than we could ever repay. You've saved my son, and that is something I will never forget. The least my son can do is show his respect."

For Roland, who had endured five years of this woman's jealous schemes, the whole scene felt surreal. She had pitted Robert against him at every opportunity, and now she was forcing Robert to bow before the man she despised. He wasn't sure how to feel about it and wondered how she would react if he revealed his true identity to her. The scene was quite ironic to him but he did not wish to reveal himself even now, it was better to keep up the act of the concerned professor who was just here to protect Lucienne.

"Madam Arden, I assure you, it's not necessary. Your son needs his rest, and there's no need for such formalities. What matters is that he recovers fully and gets ready for the coming hearing."

Still groggy and trying to wrap his head around the situation, Robert looked between his mother and Roland's armored figure. The entire situation felt bizarre, but he felt grateful to his estranged brother. It was strange to see his mother grovel in such a way and eventually, he decided to go along with it. His head was lowered and a heartfelt thanks was given.

Roland stood silently, watching as Robert awkwardly lowered his head, mumbling words of gratitude that seemed foreign to both of them. For a moment, he wondered if this charade would be worth the trouble. His stepmother, oblivious to the true identity of her son's savior, seemed satisfied with Robert's display of humility. She gave a small, relieved smile and nodded approvingly.

"That's better, you must always show respect to those who help you, Robert. Remember that."

"Yes, Mother…"

Robert was still somewhat dazed from the emotional rollercoaster and physical torment he had endured. His eyes flickered to Roland, trying to convey a silent message of gratitude. Roland caught the look and gave a gentle nod, acknowledging the unspoken thanks. He understood that time was short, but they would need to continue playing within the confines of this noble charade.

"Now, if you'll excuse me,"

Roland replied, his voice somewhat firm and hidden behind a voice-altering enchantment.

"I must make preparations for the trial. Sir Robert, you should rest. There's a difficult road ahead, and you'll need all your strength."

"Yes, of course. Thank you… sir… Deputy Professor…"

Robert stumbled over the formal address, the word 'sir' feeling strange on his tongue when directed at his younger brother. But at this point, he had already made peace that his brother Roland had surpassed him and probably all their other siblings. He was already a tier 3 class holder that could even overpower Knight Commanders who trained their whole life. If there was someone that could save him from this fate, then it was him.

As Roland turned to leave he took a moment to look at his sister Lucienne. She was standing behind her mother and not speaking. Without any indication for it, a spell effect was activated that created an invisible bubble around his head. A little tunnel formed from this bubble and connected with the area around Lucienne before he started speaking.

"I'll go check on your friends; they're staying at a nearby inn and should be safe. Don't worry, your mother can't hear us, but cover your mouth while speaking."

It was a simple modification of the sound-canceling spell, reduced to cover only their heads. A mana concealment spell was also woven in, ensuring that even the most powerful mages wouldn't detect it. The sound waves would bounce around within the sealed-off area, allowing them to communicate without anyone else hearing a thing. Lucienne nodded slightly, the spell was something she had never seen before but they had previously discussed it.

"Be careful, you never know what that count could do and tell everyone not to worry!"

"I know, don't worry, they won't dare attack someone from the Institute. As we discussed, I'll try to get them to go back."

"Mmm… Margaret might not want to…"

"Don't worry, I'll convince her, one way or the other, she'll go back to the institute…"

Roland intended to use this time to escort the three girls and the maid back to the mage tower. From there, they could return to the institute. The round trip would likely take no more than a day, giving him ample time to handle this before the trial, which was exactly three days away. Now, he just needed to get the group out of here, even if it meant doing so by force.

'Now then…'

His sister looked to be sad at the fact that her friends had to go but for Roland this was the better option. If the trial failed, having the three girls here would only complicate things. Eventually, the door shut behind him and he was instantly greeted by two armored men. They weren't his match but it was clear that no one would let him go around this whole place. Mages had appeared and created multiple barriers already which luckily his new and improved mapping system was able to go against.

'They clearly don't trust me… That Leopold is also near and they also got more Knight Commanders to guard this tower…'

It was clear that escaping this place wouldn't be easy. If Robert lost the trial, it might be wiser to free him on another occasion when the number of guards had decreased. Typically, prisoners were transported elsewhere after the trial was over. The problem was that these lands belonged to the Count, who had the authority to decide everything, including ordering an immediate execution or incarceration once the trial was concluded.

'I should go get this over with…'

Roland looked at the guards without nodding and moved forward. The two parted and after he vanished down the stairs, they followed closely after. Once he was outside, the heavy doors closed behind him with a resounding thud. The air outside was cool, a slight breeze rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. There were many more guards there not then when he arrived.

'They must have called for reinforcements from outside, perhaps more will arrive later…'

It seemed that the Count would not make this easy. In three days this whole city would probably turn into one huge impenetrable fortress. The mages were assembling arrays and preparing siege magic. Even if he tried to use his newly created runic glider, escaping through the air would be difficult.

He made his way through the courtyard, the stone path crunching beneath his boots. The estate was sprawling, a testament to the wealth and power of House De Vere. Everyone he saw was on edge, their hands clutching their weapons and ready to attack. Grand Commander Leopold was there with him, his gaze following his movements as he approached the gate outside.

There was a whole platoon of soldiers at the gate. More than half were wearing heavy armor similar to his Rune Mark I suit and behind them stood a row of archers with a mage in the middle. As he stopped, the Grand Commander made his way in his direction.

"Deputy Professor,"

Leopold greeted but his tone was cold.

"I trust everything is in order with the prisoner?"

Roland nodded and replied in a similar way.

"For now, and I hope he remains that way… But for the time being, I will be taking my leave. I need to confer with some of my students from the institute, I'm sure you understand. I will of course return for the trial and make sure that it proceeds fairly."

"You dare to assume that my lord would…"

"Why wouldn't I? Have you forgotten about the state young Robert Arden was in when I arrived here? I hope that you're not trying to deny it?"

Leopold's eyes narrowed as he was enraged by the animosity flung in the direction of his master. However, what Roland said was true, they did torture Robert without going through the proper procedures. The armored soldiers heard their conversation and took a step forward but were quickly stopped by their leader.

"Let him through."

Roland's eyes remained fixed on Leopold and a sense of tension rippled through the soldiers around them. The Grand Commander was seething, his face a mask of controlled fury, but Roland knew that he had no choice but to let him pass. The last thing the Count wanted was to provoke the Institute of Wizardry with a powerful tier 4 mage in its ranks.

Finally, Rolland took a step through the gates and was allowed passage. The gates looked heavier than before and they groaned open. More cool air hit his armor and ruffled his robe. The road leading away from the estate was lined with more guards, their eyes watching for any sign of betrayal. Roland kept his pace steady and calm, the heavy thuds of his boots on the stone echoing in the silence.

Once he was clear of the main gate, he took a moment to assess the situation. The estate sprawled behind him, a fortress bristling with armed men and magical defenses. He knew he had to move quickly if he wanted to get Lucienne's friends out safely and return in time for the trial. The Count's forces were prepared for an all-out confrontation and could potentially target him or the others once they were inside the city. There was a strong possibility that someone would be waiting to stop them after they headed towards the teleportation gate. After eavesdropping on Graham De Vere, Roland was certain the man wouldn't shy away from using such methods.

After scanning the surroundings for any potential threats or spies, he headed deeper into the city of Ballac. Margaret along with Atasuna and Marlein had gone into the noble district. There they resided in the most costly inn around. His suspicion of Margaret continued to grow and once he arrived he encountered a lack of customers.

'Did I come too early? I guess it's not even seven in the morning…'

They had strategized through the entire night and he left close to the break of dawn. It was normal for people here to still sleep. The inn he entered was well-protected and quite large. Some waiters were already setting the tables and preparing for the young lords and rich merchants to arrive for breakfast. Roland quickly made his way through the grand entrance and was greeted by the innkeeper, a stout man with a graying mustache and a wary expression.

"Good morning."

Roland said while the innkeeper was taken aback by his robed and armored form.

"A group of students from Xandar's Institute of Wizardry should have arrived here yesterday, are they still here?"

"Ah, yes they did…"

The man looked at Roland from head to bottom and nodded. It seemed that the girls had already informed the innkeeper that someone of his looks would arrive so it made things much easier.

"Good, Please inform them that the Deputy Professor of the Institute is here."

The innkeeper's eyes widened with recognition, and he quickly gestured to a worker on the side. The person was a young woman with proper manners just like all the others, a stark contrast to the people he was used to in such places. As they headed out to call the girls, he was given an option to rest at one of the empty tables.

'They are all still there, the maid is with them…'

On his monitoring device, he could see all their dots in one room together. It also informed him that they were being followed. Some guards from the estate had gathered outside and didn't even try to hide their presence. They were probably there to distract him from the true pursuers, who had better skills, but with his map, he could quickly record everyone's mana patterns for future use.

'Once those four are out of the way, I should examine the city for any potential escape routes. Even though they increased the amount of guards, I bet there are some thief guild tunnels no one knows about…'

Roland's plans were simple. First, he would attempt to use his knowledge to get Robert a deal. The best way would be to bribe the count with some money or convince him that this whole predicament was making him look bad. If this failed, he could take a more rule-heavy angle and bring up Robert's unlawful torturous treatment. That approach gave him some footing but in a world filled with nobles, justice rarely saw the light of day.

'If all fails, then I'd need to get him out of here… but I'll also become a criminal then.'

His position as a professor or Knight Commander would not protect him from the consequences of breaking Robert out. He would be branded a criminal, and even escaping into Valerian territory would be futile. Despite the area being controlled by an opposing noble faction, they often collaborated in such situations. Arthur's brothers would be more than happy to get rid of him and would likely try to present him on a silver platter.

As he was contemplating, the innkeeper's assistant finally returned. Behind him, he spotted three teenage girls with their eyelids glued together. All of them looked like they hadn't slept well and would probably not appreciate what he was about to tell them. The maid walked slowly behind them, her steps silent, much like Mary's.

"Professor, you're back! But where is Luci?"

"She will be staying here for a few days due to family matters. You on the other hand will return to the institute…"

"What? No, we won't! If Luci isn't coming then we aren't going!"

Just as he assumed, Margaret quickly refused his order. Roland sighed inwardly, knowing this confrontation would be inevitable. He had anticipated resistance from Margaret, the most stubborn of the trio, but he couldn't afford to let his sister's friends remain in Ballac. The city was becoming a dangerous place, and if things went awry, they could easily become collateral damage.

"Miss, Margaret, this isn't up for debate."

Roland said, his voice firm and coupled with a stern tone.

"No, I will not leave Luci here without any help! I'm her friend and that's what friends do."

"Now listen here young lady… as I've said this is not up for debate, if you won't come willingly then…"

Roland was not in the best frame of mind, his stress levels rising with every passing moment. He saw the girl as nothing more than a thorn in his side. Even if she had the heart in the right place and wanted to support Lucienne, her presence here was a liability. The stakes were too high, and he had no time for stubborn defiance. Thus, he chose to activate one of his skills, which soon proved to have been a big mistake.

Margaret's eyes flinched as she felt her body be put under a lot of strange pressure. The feeling didn't last for too long as almost instantly, her maid-knight Hadley stepped forward. Roland could barely keep up with her speed and without activating his mana Eyes of Mana to help him predict movement. He underestimated who he was facing and now the woman was charging forward.

The whole inn shook as his automatic defenses activated. A veil of thick mana surrounded his body as a bladed weapon collided with it. Hadley had unveiled her weapon which consisted of rather long-looking finger claws. They suddenly appeared over her fingers and were now aimed at his face. The woman didn't take kindly to him using his suppression skill and now he was in quite a bind...