Runesmith: Chapter 479 – Suspicious Company.

“Ah, Professor Wayland, I’ve heard the good news! Do you have time now to discuss…”

A small black cat floated forward, his eyes sparkling with joy. He was able to see his assistant professor coming from around the corner. His name was Wayland and since his arrival, the whole Institute had been flipped upside down. Everyone was whispering his name and gossiping about the wave of change he was ushering with his presence. Many of the other professors were jealous, some even feared his newly gained position but Arion was truly grateful that he had become acquainted with this peculiar young man.

“Good day, Professor Arion.”

“Oh? Good day.”

Before he could speak any further three new people entered his field of view. Four young ladies accompanied his new friend. One of them had been central to a recent drama that Professor Wayland had resolved. He wasn’t too well informed about the three that accompanied her but they seemed to have a good relationship with each other. While he couldn’t tell what this was about, his friend seemed to be in some trouble. Even though his face was hidden behind armor, Arion could tell by now when Roland was flustered.

Arion, the head of the Runic Department, took in the scene before him with keen interest. Roland, or Professor Wayland as most knew him, was flanked by his sister Lucienne and her three friends, each carrying travel bags. There seemed to be some tension in the air, cleary something was unfolding before his feline eyes.

"I see you have company. What brings you all here?"

He noticed Roland hesitating for a second before moving closer and leaning in.

"Lucienne's brother is in some trouble, I have agreed to help her get there through the teleportation gate. The others are her friends… and they have decided to accompany us.”

Arion raised an eyebrow, glancing at the determined faces of the girls. They were in some strange defensive stance with Lucienne in the middle. From Roland’s tone, he could ascertain that the young man wasn’t too glad of how this situation was unfolding. He knew Lucienne from the recent incident with the Castellane family but was unsure how it would unfold in the future.

"I understand, don’t worry about the runic department, I’ll take care of everything, I just heard the good news directly from the Headmistress! I must thank you my friend, all of this wouldn’t have been possible without you! If there is anything that you wish, just tell me and I’ll make it happen.”

The news about an increase in funds had already reached his feline ears. Many teachers from other departments were starting to show interest in transferring to his side. He knew that they just wanted to ride the wave and use his newly-gained wealth for their own research but he could still use those vouchers. Perhaps his dream of runic magic spreading through the kingdom wasn’t that far off.

“Yeah, about that, do you perhaps know any people within the De Vere territory? I might need some help there.”

“Hm… De Vere… You probably already know of my previous assistant Lucille De Vere. Don’t tell me…”

“Yes, she is involved in this incident…”

“Oh my… How dreadful, is she alright?”

“Yes, she is fine but probably under house arrest, so if there is anyone else that you might know…”

Arion started to deliberate this question. The De Vere territory was well-known for its strict governance and formidable defenses. Given the current situation, any assistance there would be invaluable.

“De Vere territory, you say? Hm... I do know a few individuals who might be of help. There's Professor Eloise, who specializes in elemental runes. She has connections within the De Vere family and was young Lucille’s tutor. She was the one that awoke my assistant's love for runic magic! To this day, I’ll never forget those bright eyes when she walked in during one of my lectures…”

“Arion… could you please focus…”

“Oh, excuse me, where was I? Ah yes! There was also Bernard, a former student of mine. If I’m not mistaken he had decided to settle down in that region, he might be able to provide some help during your stay as well.”

“That would be very helpful. Could you send a message to them on my behalf? I need all the help I can get.”

“Of course, I will get right on it. I’ll make sure they know of your situation and the urgency.”

“Thank you, Professor Arion. I appreciate your assistance.”

He saw his large friend nodding while the four girls waited behind him. It was a strange sight to behold but he was sure that with Roland as the chaperone, they would be safe.

“No problem at all, my friend. Now, safe travels, and may the rune gods guide your path.”

Arion gave a warm smile and turned back to his work, leaving Roland with the reassurance that he wouldn’t be alone in the De Vere lands. With a nod, Roland led Lucienne and her friends to the teleportation gate. The girls seemed slightly more relaxed now, but the weight of the task ahead strained their expressions.
“There is never a boring day with him around…”

*****

The teleportation gate emitted a soft hum as it activated, casting a blue glow around the chamber. The girls exchanged nervous glances, but Roland’s presence seemed to give them some comfort. He stood at the front, his posture firm and resolute.

“Everyone ready?”

Lucienne nodded, gripping her bag tightly. Her friends mirrored her actions, standing close together. Roland wasn’t feeling too well about what was happening, his preparations were slim to none and he didn’t truly know the area he was attempting to go to now. Everything was happening too fast for his liking but there was no time to prepare. If they didn’t go now, Robert’s future was at risk.

What he was mostly worried about were the three girls that were coming along with them. He had agreed to take them along under the pretense of emotional support for his sister. While Roland was a loner that didn’t need anyone, this wasn’t the case for others. It actually was somewhat helpful as he wouldn’t need to worry about this part of the trip. However, some irregularities arose during their departure.

“Young lady… I think you should reconsider, I’m sure that the Professor will handle…”

“Hadley, That’s enough. We already discussed this, let's go!”

Margaret Braganza, one of Lucienne’s friends and an upperclassman, was quite suspicious. She was capable of hiding her status in a way that he didn’t understand. He had attempted to discern it but couldn’t pinpoint the source of the spell or ability being used. Then, once they had decided to leave, she appeared with another person, clearly a powerful guard.

The guard was a woman who somewhat reminded him of Mary from Albrook. She was wearing a maid uniform and concealing some weapons under her long skirt. No normal person would be able to detect the faint magical traces, but he could tell that she was hiding something dangerous under there. Her status had been hidden as well, probably through the same technique Margaret was using.

This woman had long black hair done in a ponytail and her left eye was covered by an eyepatch. Her movements were somewhat rough and lacked the grace Mary walked with. She seemed to be more of a frontline warrior type than someone that hid within the shadows. Possibly, another Knight Commander like Elythaes Baskerville that he had faced.

‘Who is this girl…’

On one hand, having an experienced guard would be beneficial, especially given the uncertainty of their mission. On the other hand, her presence complicated things, as her true motif was still unknown. Was she truly an ally or would they attempt to do something similar to the incident in the nearby dungeon?
‘She doesn’t seem like someone who is taking orders from Viola. Is she a hidden daughter of some powerful noble? I bet if something happens to her, they will blame me for it, great.’

It wasn’t strange for nobles to create hidden offspring that no one knew about. It was possible that this was one of those situations and she was living a double life with a knight protecting her well-being. However, there were other possibilities, she could have been a criminal, a spy from another country, or just someone that wanted to hide their identity for some reason.

‘Her words feel genuine at least, I don’t think she is an enemy, maybe her hidden identity could come in handy?’

While thinking Roland, Lucienne, and her friends vanished into the teleportation gate. Once through to the other side of the teleportation gate, the group arrived in a small, dimly lit chamber in the mage tower closest to the De Vere territory. The room was lined with intricate runes, and a mage was present to oversee the transportation process. He nodded at them, signaling that all had gone smoothly.

“Welcome to the Lorian Mage Tower.”

The mage that was present said, his voice echoing slightly through the chamber.

“I trust your journey was uneventful?”

Roland replied in the most polite tone that he could muster. They were now in a new area and making enemies right at the start of this new adventure wouldn’t be wise. The Mage Tower was named after a long-deceased Arch-magus and was occupied by a local mage guild. It had some ties to the adventurer guild as it lent its mages to them for a price. The local lord supported them and would even use their services if any outside lords attacked.

‘I’ve heard that this mage guild was one of the reasons that the De Vere house won their new title.’

The mage present was an older man with gray hair and a long beard, dressed in the traditional robes of his order. He seemed unsuspecting but there was a certain glint in his eye, of someone that had gone through battle before. Roland was aware that this territory had been in a recent conflict and was now blossoming.

While rare, disputes between nobles periodically escalated into skirmishes. If there was a good excuse, even the king would permit battles to resolve these disputes. If one noble family was abolished to strengthen another, the kingdom didn’t really lose much. This was the case here, and perhaps the reason Lucille De Vere had been able to spend so much time at the institute. It was common to send important family members away for their protection, and what better protection than a tier 4 magus?

“Quite so but will you give us a moment, for some this was the first time going through a gate.”

“Of course, take your time, the price has already been paid but please don’t take too long, there is another transferral scheduled in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you.”

Roland nodded and turned towards the people he had been with. His sister along with two other girls were down on the ground and clutching their heads. This had been clearly the first time they had gone through a gate. However, the maid along with her mistress seemed to be fine.

“Ugh, I feel dizzy…”

“I don’t feel good… urp…”

“You’ll be fine, just give it a few minutes!”

Luckily, thanks to those two being fine he didn’t really need to worry about talking. He was the main guardian but that didn’t mean that he needed to take care of everything. While they were trying to recover, he took his time to adjust his sensors to this place. Soon his runic map appeared before his eyes and showcased all the mages in the vicinity.

‘If I’m not mistaken, this is the city of Antolun and we’ll have to get to Ballac where Robert is, I hope that we won’t be too late…’

He glanced at the young ladies accompanying him. Before leaving, he had to fill out a few papers indicating that he was taking them for extracurricular classes. Their parents needed to know where their children were, and he was under a time limit. Luckily, the maid was also here, so he might have been able to get her to escort the rest away in his stead, in the case of going over the limit.

"Are you all set to go?"

Roland asked, looking at the group he was stuck with. Lucienne and her friends, though still slightly disoriented, were starting to get back on their feet.

"Yes, we are fine now, right everyone?"

Lucienne assured, her face pale but determined. The other girls nodded in agreement, though they were clearly still adjusting to the aftereffects of the teleportation.

“Alright, follow me. We need to reach our next destination before it gets dark.”

Roland said, leading the way out of the chamber and into the bustling streets of Antolun. The city was a blend of old-world charm and modern advancements, with cobblestone streets and magical lanterns illuminating the way. When he compared it to Albrook and what he had been developing, it wasn’t much but to the people of this world, something like this was cutting-edge technology.

The maid, Hadley, stayed close to Margaret who for some reason was a massive chatterbox. The two other girls Atasuna from the wolven beast tribe and the freckled Marlein seemed to have a hard time keeping up with the pace.

“Professor Wayland!”

“Um, yes?”

“Where are we heading?”

Before going further, Margaret jumped out to stop him. He wasn’t sure what this was about as he was supposed to be the leader of this group but it seemed that she had some plans of her own.

“We need to find a fast carriage first, there are no airships here but we aren’t that far off from the city of Ballac, it shouldn’t take more than half a day.”

“Half a day? Why don’t we do it in a quarter?”

“Ah, yes?”

He wasn’t sure what she was talking about but soon, her maid was called over.

“Hadley, you know what to do.”

“But young miss…”

The two looked at each other as if they were communicating through some hidden means. The maid bodyguard didn’t seem too willing about whatever the young lady meant but soon she relented.

“I understand, please wait here for a moment.”

“Where is she going?”

“Don’t worry Professor, she is just going to bring us a carriage! We just need to wait, why don’t we go to a restaurant for now, this shouldn’t take long.”

The girl puffed out her chest as if she was proud of her new plan but Roland couldn’t help being skeptical. The bustling streets of Antolun were alive with activity. Magical shops lined the streets, their windows displaying enchanted trinkets and potions. Street vendors called out their wares, and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air. Roland and his companions found themselves standing at a busy crossroads, with Margaret seemingly taking charge over their expedition.

“Alright, let’s find a place to sit and wait for Hadley.”

Margaret said, looking around. She spotted a quaint little café across the street and led the group toward it. Her confident demeanor suggested she was used to having her way and was not something that her current status would produce. Roland was unsure if he made the right choice of taking her along as these types of people usually caused more trouble than good.

She spotted a quaint little café across the street and led the group toward it. They settled at a table outside the café, where the view allowed them to keep an eye on the passing crowd. Lucienne, still pale from the teleportation, took a sip of water and tried to relax. Atasuna and Marlein were slowly regaining their composure, their eyes wide as they took in the sights and sounds of Antolun.

“This is a beautiful city,”

Atasuna commented, her voice soft and tinged with wonder.

“Yes, it’s quite different from what we’re used to,”

Marlein agreed as both of them attempted to cheer his sister up. They knew what this trip was about and keeping their friend in good spirits was their true aim. Margaret ordered drinks for everyone and forked up the bill before he could go for his purse. Who was this girl really, and what was her true motive?

After a few moments, Hadley returned, leading a sleek, black carriage drawn by two majestic, magical equine beasts. The carriage itself was a marvel, adorned with intricate runes that shimmered in the sunlight. It was clearly no ordinary vehicle, and Roland’s suspicions grew as he saw the ease with which Hadley handled it.

‘How could they procure something like this, so fast?’

Roland raised an eyebrow but kept his thoughts to himself. The magical beasts were elemental horses who embodied the element of wind. Their manes strangely resembled clouds as they shimmered in the summer air. Their bodies were green and exuded elemental wind energy, when it came to speed they were unmatched. It seemed that their trip would be speedy and Roland decided to ignore his new strange helper if it meant that his brother could be saved.