The Runesmith

‘Damn..., it’s barely holding together but… we’re not far from the meeting spot.’

“Ahh… We are going to die!”

Roland's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the shouts of one of the children as the space around them began to unravel, causing the metallic wagon to tremble violently. After he had inscribed runes around them, the cart turned into an impromptu flying ship. His cube golems were used as propulsion and hidden within a magical mist he had conjured up to hide them.

During their escape, they sustained several hits, which Roland countered by erecting a magical shield around them. However, the strain of maintaining the flying construct took its toll, resulting in more damage than he anticipated. Nonetheless, they continued flying until the runes began melting through the steel chassis. Now surrounded by flames, Roland urged the children to huddle around the tower shield he had melted to the ground.

“Huh? No one is going to die, just gather around me, I promise you, no one will die.”

Roland shouted over the roar of the flames and the creaking of the metal. He focused his remaining mana into a large spherical mana shield. It enveloped the shield he was kneeling on along with the children that huddled around him.

‘The runic structures have deteriorated too much, I can’t control the flight path anymore and the levitation spell is coming undone, the landing will be rough.’

Without voicing his concerns to the group, Roland remained focused on maintaining his concentration. After over a day of being chased, he had depleted most of his mana and was suffering from a headache induced by mana potion consumption. Fortunately, his skills allowed him to persevere through the pain. Before long, the mana solidified around them, forming a thick sphere of watery energy that enveloped them all.

The children, wide-eyed with fear, clung to Roland as the wagon shuddered and groaned under the strain. The heat was intense but thanks to the water magic around them, they were shielded from the worst of it. Roland placed his arms around the children to add another layer of protection with his body and the wagon continued to descend rapidly, hurtling toward the ground below.

As they approached the earth, Roland braced himself for impact. The sphere of mana surrounding them absorbed much of the shock, but even so, the landing was rough. The wagon crashed down with a deafening roar, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. The metal groaned and protested under the strain, and eventually burst into a ball of flames around them.

Once the dust settled, the children opened their eyes.They found themselves suspended in mid-air, surrounded by a watery shield that promptly dissipated. After ignoring the sensation of wetness, they turned their attention to the wreckage of the wagon they had just been in. They realized that during the descent, Roland had reactivated the levitation capabilities of his shield and safeguarded them from the impact.

“Is everyone alright?”

He asked the children, his voice hoarse from all the accumulated exhaustion. They nodded in response, and soon felt themselves descending toward the ground. However, the landing was abrupt, and they experienced a gentle bump as they touched down. Though their savior attempted to land more slowly, it was evident that he was nearing the limits of his power.

Soon, their eyes fell upon a group of armored men bearing the screst as their pursuers. The children were startled by their sudden appearance, but Roland remained composed. He recognized their leader, someone he knew well. As the armored men approached, they too recognized Roland and quickly saluted him, who was their Knight Commander.

“That was quite the entrance, Sir Wayland.”

“Good to see you, Lord Arthur.”

Roland stood up straight and quickly performed a Knightly salute to Arthur, who to everyone gathered here, was his lord. While he wanted to do nothing more than to get all of this behind him, there was still more left to do in this little schhe cooked up.

“I’m glad to see you also, and almost in one piece. However, we will catch up later, we have made the appropriate preparations.”

Arthur winked at Roland before glancing to the side, where a robed man stood, roughly Roland's height. Beneath the darkened robes, he wore armor similar to Roland's, giving him a striking resemblance to the individuals their pursuers were after. Now that he was among his allies, he could rearrange his robe to take on the form of a cape, adorned with a Valerian crest on the back.

“You have my thanks.”

“Hey Wayland, what is this all about? Care to explain?”

“Hey, give him sspace you big idiot, can’t you see that he is tired.”

“Hey, why did you kick me?”

Two familiar voices sounded out from the distance and they belonged to his brother-in-law and his younger sister. Both Armand and Lobelia had gathered along with Sir Gareth and Morien. Lobelia was on horseback while it seemed that Armand had used his own body to keep up with the mounted soldiers. All of them were now tier 3 class holders and were just the backup he needed.

Roland let out a weary chuckle as he spotted those two approach. Despite the dire circumstances, their presence brought him a sense of relief. He took a moment to compose himself before addressing them.

"Armand, Lobelia, it's good to see you both. I'll explain everything, but first, let’s get this over with. Troops from Aldbourne are approaching and we need to deal with them first.”

“Aldbourne? That shithole?”

Armand commented before receiving another kick to the shoulder from Lobelia. It was rather odd to see her kicking a man from horseback, but at least the sight brought the tension down. The soldiers didn’t voice their opinions, but they wore strange expressions on their faces, clearly unused to seeing people behave in such a way around nobility.

“How dare you behave in such a way in front of the Lord!”

“Haha, it’s fine Mary, it’s quite entertaining!”

Roland looked at the group that was assembled and wasn’t sure what to think. Arthur seemed to be taking things quite lightly but considering that he now had a proper tier 3 entourage, he couldn’t blhim. While his own horse was being prepared he took a bit of tto look at Gareth and Morien, who were now a force to be reckoned with.

“Vico, don’t worry. You can trust these people, go with them until we deal with those people that were after us, do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir!”

Twas of the essence, and he needed to play the role until the very end. Vico was on his side, so he didn’t need any convincing. With his help, the other kids moved with sof the soldiers who were tasked with bringing them to a safe location. Troops of an opposing Valerian brother were approaching, and this place was far from safe.

As the soldiers escorted the children to safety, Roland and his allies prepared themselves for the impending confrontation with the troops from Aldbourne. They positioned themselves strategically, taking advantage of the natural terrain to maximize their defensive capabilities. Their numbers were high and probably exceeded Theodore’s troops. Their goal was to scare them off and not to engage but things didn’t always go as planned.

"Sir Wayland, your friends are approaching. Did you have anything in mind for this event?”

“My Lord, it would be best to keep them from entering your territory, it would showcase your strength and send a message to you brother.”

“Hm, dear Theo won’t like this…”

Roland was now situated on his horse, right behind Arthur. His two knights didn’t fully trust him yet, and the swent for Mary, who was responsible for their information network. Their leader appeared to be pondering this issue, his fists tightening around the reins he held. He might have been anxious about confronting the troops belonging to his brother, but if he wanted to be taken seriously, he needed to demonstrate that he would not back down from a fight.

“Very well, move the troops, if they dare to enter these lands, you are free to intercept them. Show them the might of House Valerian.”

Arthur's voice carried authority as he gave the command, and Roland nodded in agreement. He relayed the orders to his men, who quickly sprang into action and right behind their commander. Theodore’s troops that were pursuing them quickly arrived at this scene and the comb of their Knight Commander becvisible. The man was riding in the front and began to slow down the moment he saw the small army waiting for them.

The border between Albrook and Aldbourne was marked by a rugged landscape of rolling hills and sparse vegetation. Nearby, dense patches of forests housed creatures that occasionally emerged to ambush merchants and travelers. Though the volcanic lands were fertile, the absence of farmlands was noticeable due to the persistent threat posed by the monsters. A rock formation delineated the boundary between Aldbourne and Theodore’s lands, and their troops were assembled near it.

Alphonse, one of Theodore’s Knight commanders, rode at the head of his troops. He had split off from them and appeared to be attempting a charge into enemy territory. However, upon realizing that he was facing a sizable force led by a fellow Velarian, he quickly brought himself to a halt. His steed trotted forward and stopped just short of crossing the border. Now, he stood before Roland, surrounded by other Knights, with Arthur visible in the distance.

“Halt, you are attempting to trespass into the lands of Lord Arthur Valerian, identify yourself!”

Alphonse straightened in his saddle, his gaze locking onto Roland with indignation. He recognized Roland’s identity as the Knight Commander he had interacted with before. Luckily, he was not aware that he was the sman who took him on a wild goose chase and crashed the slaver’s wagon.

"Sir Wayland, pray tell, how did you..."

The man was clearly shaken by the appearance of the enemy troops. When Emmerson visited Albrook, they hadn't been able to resist even one Tier 3 class holder. Now, on the other hand, he could discern the presence of at least five other such individuals here, along with over a hundred mounted troops. Behind them stood archers and foot soldiers armed with shields and spears, ready to mobilize at a moment's notice.

“State your business. Are you trying to attack the lands of our lord? Why have you brought your knights here? We do not take kindly to such threats, are you trying to start a conflict?”

Roland knew that it was forbidden for the Duke candidates to engage in such extrconflicts and battle it out on the fields. They were still nobles from the shouse, and the Duke did not want to risk losing his troops to his sons' disputes. The intention was for them to expand their influence without resorting to militarized conflict, or at most, only engaging in skirmishes under the guise of training exercises. However, Theodore's actions suggested otherwise, as his troops were invading his lands without going through the proper procedures.

"Sir Wayland, it doth appear a misconception hath arisen. We possess no inclination towards strife. Nay, our presence in this place is solely to ensure the protection of our lands and the welfare of our people."

Alphonse replied quickly while also raising his hand up. This caused the men behind him to stop in their tracks and gather at a distance. It was clear that he didn’t want to give Roland any excuses to attack him. At this moment, Alphonse found himself at a disadvantage, as most of his troops had not yet arrived. It would be impossible to prevail against hundreds of enemies with only thirty of his men, especially against someone who had defeated Emmerson, a truly strong Knight Commander.

“Verily, I do assure thee, we harbored no intent to encroach upon thy lord's demesne. Our sole aim was to conduct a vigilant patrol along the frontier, safeguarding the sanctity of our own estates. As thou art well aware, the locality hath witnessed a surge in the nefarious exploits of monsters and brigands in recent moons. We have diligently pursued one such miscreant. It doth appear that thou hast encountered this vagabond…”

Roland wasn’t fond of the man's rhetoric, but it was evident he was attempting to buy time. He was at a large disadvantage with only thirty men here and waiting for reinforcements. The pursuers weren’t elite forces, and their numbers didn't surpass his own. It would be unwise for them to encroach on their lands unchecked, and Roland needed to ensure they understood they couldn't trespass at will.

“Yes, as you can see, we have apprehended a peculiar mage and a strange flying carriage has crashed into our territory.”

"It doth indeed appear thus. Permitto remind thee that this scoundrel hails from the domain of Lord Theodore Valerian and hath purloined goods from within his demesne. I beseech thee, do the honorable deed and surrender them unto us, and we shall forthwith take our leave."

“Is that so? Hm… I refuse.”

"Surely thou jest?"

Roland had anticipated this reaction, which is why he had instructed Arthur to prepare a body double. As they conversed, Alphonse caught sight of a figure in a dark robe being escorted away and placed into a carriage. It seemed he was being taken to Albrook for further interrogation, and his side would examine the wreckage, something Theodore's faction strongly opposed. It was evident they didn't want the captured children to divulge information about the kidnappings and the illicit slave trade, as it could lead to consequences even for their lord.

“I am quite serious. If you attempt to cross into our territory, I will not hesitate to defend it. As a Knight Commander of House Valerian, it is my duty to protect these lands and their inhabitants. Your accusations against this mage may be valid, but the matter will be settled within our jurisdiction. If you wish to pursue justice, I suggest you do so through proper channels. However, I must warn you that any attempt to enter our territory without our consent will be met with force.”

Alphonse's expression darkened at Roland's words, his hand twitching as if itching to draw his sword. He clearly didn't expect such firm resistance, especially from someone he had previously underestimated. It was a risky move, but Roland knew he had the advantage here. His troops outnumbered Alphonse's, and they also had the law on their side. In theory, whatever ended up in Arthur’s territory was his to examine. Roland also knew they wouldn't divulge the truth about the wagon's purpose or its passengers. Which meant that they had nothing to stand on.

“Sir Wayland, thou shalt regret thy insolence!”

“If you have nothing further to add, then leave.”

With a frustrated growl, Alphonse spurred his horse and turned back to his men, barking orders to regroup and return to Aldbourne. Though he seethed with anger, he knew better than to engage in a fruitless confrontation. The risk of provoking a conflict with Arthur Valerian was too great and would only risk the ire of his liege. He knew that he could just deny all the claims made by his enemies, and it was not worth risking his men’s lives in a meaningless battle.

As Alphonse and his men retreated, Roland breathed a sigh of relief. He had effectively thwarted any further confrontation from the man. Fortunately, Alphonse was intelligent enough to recognize that he wouldn't emerge victorious from this clash. Moreover, it would only reflect poorly on Theodore if his Knight Commander were to attack Arthur’s troops while his brother was among them. Arthur’s mere presence made it challenging for the Knight Commander to retaliate, and attempting to force their way in was futile given the presence of multiple Tier 3 class holders on their side.

“Yeah tell them, Sir Wayland~”

“Such a knightly tone! I’m impressed!”

“Shut up you two…”

While gazing at the back of Alphonse’s neatly combed helmet, Roland heard voices from behind. First cArmand with a quick one-liner, followed by Lobelia. After turning his head, he caught sight of Arthur attempting to suppress a laugh and Mary shaking her head.

‘I want to go home…’