The Runesmith

‘I went and did it … Well, no use crying over spilled milk now; I’ll have to take responsibility for my own actions.’

Roland thought to himself while looking at the mostly terrified students before him. After showing the passed-out half-elven magic swordsman, they quickly changed their tune. Their ringleader, Viola, had passed out, and the two other ladies were trying to wake her up. It also seemed that the girl had managed to soil herself during the commotion. He might have overdone it with the gravitational spell that he had recently learned, but after seeing what they attempted to do to his sister, he didn’t feel that apologetic.

“Listen carefully, all of you. Your actions have consequences, and violating the rules of the Institute will not be taken lightly. Lady Viola Castellane might have coerced you all into doing this but that doesn’t make things right. I will detain you for attempted assault and bribery on an Institute Enforcer. Furthermore, you attempted to deceive an Enforcer during an investigation by shifting blame onto another, please do not resist.”

Luckily, after seeing the unconscious Elythaes, the four accomplices remained quiet. Without Viola awake, they weren’t sure what to think anymore, something quite common when the power dynamic gets shifted. They were now uncertain about Viola’s true value and the person that was undermining her authority. Roland was sure that these kids never imagined anyone standing up to a Marquess’ daughter. In reality, he didn’t really want to, as the main reason for this was staring holes into his helmet.

“You…”

“Ah, y-yes, my apologies!”

“Your name was, Lucienne … Arden, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct, Sir.”

He paused for a moment before including her last name to not sound as suspicious. His sister looked a bit shaken up by the situation, but she wasn’t cowering. It seemed that they didn’t fully break her spirit yet. His voice that was coming through the helmet was slightly distorted to keep his identity hidden, but he wasn’t sure if he could hide it forever. His sister was strangely interested, and her clairvoyance skill might have had something to do with it.

“While you might have been a victim in this incident, you will have to come to the Enforcement Department to make a full statement. Don’t lie or withhold information, as you will then be deemed as an accomplice, do you understand?”

“Ah? Yes, of course…”

His intent was to shelter her from getting punished as he was sure that the other brats would try shoving all the blame in her direction. It would probably be up to him alone to prove otherwise and luckily he had the recording to prove that. He didn’t know how deep the Castellane backing was in this institute but judging by the number of people coming here, they were probably highly regarded.

“What is this? Explain yourself!”

His mapping device had been upgraded to work around the mana around this place so he could see at least ten dots coming his way. To his surprise, the first person that appeared was not anyone from the Enforcement Department but instead someone that he knew.

“Professor … Delauder, what brings you here so late at night?”

Professor Delauder, a middle-aged mage with graying hair and a scholarly demeanor, approached the scene with a mix of confusion and concern on his face. He was a respected member of the Elemental Studies department, known for his expertise in magical theory and history. That he was here with many other people from his department spoke volumes about who the potential backer of the Castellane’s was.

“I received a notification about an unauthorized presence in the training area, and now I find Lady Viola Castellane passed out, students looking terrified, and you without a care in the world? What have you done? You will answer for this!”

“Anwser for what? I just did the job that you assigned me to, they broke the rules of the Institute, and I followed them.”

Roland responded promptly, ensuring he adhered to the rules outlined in the book. Aware that, had the group comprised commoners or merchants, the mages wouldn't have paid much attention. However, one of them was from a famous noble family that probably had its talons in the magical academy. Despite being largely in the right, Roland recognized the need to tread carefully and acknowledged his disadvantaged position.

“You followed the rules? Preposterous! I will have you excommunicated for this!”

“You would? Then I guess we should gather the Department heads for the hearing, I’m sure they will want you to present them with some proper evidence.”

Having achieved the rank of Assistant Professor, he took care to commit all the rules to memory. Removing a high-ranking Professor or anyone from another department wasn't a simple task. Specific procedures had to be followed, and even Delauder wasn't exempt from them.

“You…”

“Professor Delauder, what do you think you are doing, stop this buffoonery at once!”

A flying cat emerged in the distance and positioned itself between Roland and the other teachers, who had by now encircled him as if he were a criminal. As anticipated, the moment they laid eyes on him, they began to retreat. While they could dismiss him as a newcomer outsider, the same couldn't be said for Arion, a respected Professor within the Institute. Though his name may not have carried as much weight now, it still held some value.

“Professor Arion? Why are you interfering in our department’s affairs?”

Delauder, along with the other professors, looked both surprised and irritated at Arion's unexpected intervention. The flying cat landed on Roland’s shoulder while giving out a hiss of dissatisfaction at the larger group of people.

“Move aside. We have to deal with this insolent fool who dared to lay his hands on the students here.”

Roland couldn’t help but smirk under his helmet, knowing that Arion’s arrival had thrown a wrench into their plans. The situation had calmed down but he wasn’t free just yet. Arion, unfazed by the accusations, calmly addressed Delauder and the others.

“I won’t move aside. I am here to ensure justice is served, and it seems that Assistant Professor Wayland has acted within the boundaries of his duties. If there are any accusations, they should be properly investigated, and the Institute's rules followed. Why don’t we leave this to the Enforcement Department head, Professor Thorne? We shall hold a hearing just as the rules state.“

“Justice? You're advocating for justice when Lady Castellane lies unconscious and these students are traumatized by his actions? Unbelievable!”

Delauder retorted, clearly agitated by the unexpected turn of events. The other professors mumbled among themselves, seemingly torn between supporting their fellow colleagues or acknowledging the rules and regulations that governed the Institute. To their surprise, the man under interrogation stepped forward as one of them attempted to help Lady Viola to her feet.

“Please refrain from assisting the detainee; she is still under investigation, and according to Institute rules, falls under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Department. The person you should be helping is not the troublemaker there but the affected party.”

Roland moved his head towards his sister who flinched the moment all the professors and other teachers took notice. She bowed respectfully before them but it was clear that the whole thing made her uncomfortable.

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“Affected party? What baseless claims…”

“Cease with this, all of you.”

A loud voice crackled through the destroyed training grounds as Professor Thorne, the head of the Enforcement Department, arrived at the scene. He was accompanied by a couple of guards and luckily the attention changed to him now.

“Professor Thorne, this… person here has violated the rules and assaulted Lady Castellane and other students!”

Delauder hastily explained the situation, hoping to garner support for their cause. However, Thorne raised his hand, signaling for silence.

“Assistant Professor Wayland, you have some explaining to do.”

Roland nodded and commenced recounting the events that led to the confrontation, emphasizing the attempted assault on his sister, the deception, and the use of the charm to attract monsters. Before he could finish, Delauder attempted to interfere, but it became evident that Thorne was someone who prioritized rules above all else.

“You can’t be serious, these are baseless accusations. We can’t leave students in the hands of someone like…

“Enough, Professor Delauder. This is an issue that falls under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Department. I understand your reservations but this is not the place to discuss it. We will transport the students and this man to the Enforcement Department.”

“You still wish to detain them? But think of…”

“I said enough, if you have an issue with the Enforcement Department, then we will hold a council meeting, until then the students will be detained.”

As Professor Thorne asserted his authority, the tense atmosphere on the training grounds lingered. The professors and teachers who had initially surrounded Roland and his sister reluctantly backed off, acknowledging the chain of command. Arion, still perched on Roalnd’s shoulder, gave a nod of approval, silently supporting the course of action.

Thorne was the first but not the last member of the Enforcement Department. The members that arrived approached Viola, who had regained consciousness, though she was still in a daze. They proceeded to secure her wrists with magical restraints, preventing any attempt at spell casting, something that Roland took note of. Her entourage of fellow students, the supposed accomplices, and her guard the Magical Swordsman were also restrained.

“This isn’t over!”

Their opponent, Delauder, was forced to retreat for the time being, but this case was far from over. Arion finally took the hint and left Roland’s shoulder and soon all of them were moving through the air. Lucienne, still entangled in the fiasco, was also detained, just like the rest of them. Now, it was up to Roland to prove her innocence during the hearing that would likely be held in the morning. He was certain that Delauder would push for a swift resolution, probably before any substantial evidence could be gathered.

“Assistant Professor Wayland, my office, now.”

After they had left the training ground and the door closed behind them, Thorne had finally turned his way. The old man seemed angry and Roland couldn’t fault him for that. On his first day, he had turned the whole training ground upside down and now there was more work to do for everyone.

“I’ll see that the students make it to their holding rooms, you better go, I haven’t seen old Thorne this mad since that transfiguration incident five years ago. I see you have taken a liking to that girl, don’t worry, I’ll make sure that she isn’t mistreated.”

“I didn’t…”

Roland wanted to refute the observation but he kept glancing over at his sister from time to time. She was doing the same but holding her mouth shut as if she had been told not to interrupt when adults were talking.

“Thank you, I’ll leave her in your care then.”

As Roland entered Thorne's office, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. Thorne, a stern-looking man with a lack of hair and a gash over his eye, motioned for Roland to sit. There was quite a large vein protruding from his forehead which looked as if it was going to burst.

“Who do those bastards think they are? Do they think my Enforcement Department is a joke or something?”

“Huh?”

In all honesty, Roland was not expecting this question. It seemed that the department head was not mad with him but with Delauder who had been throwing his weight around the whole time.

“Look, Assistant Professor Wayland, I've been running this department for over two decades, and I've seen my fair share of power plays and political maneuvering. These noble brats think they can manipulate everyone to suit their whims. But, by the gods, I won’t stand for it anymore! You have my full support. I will not rest until justice is served, you did a good job out there, If only more Enforcers were like you.”

“I uh… I was just doing my job?”

“Just doing your job? Such humility!”

“Thank you…”

The man continued to strike his desk with his fist while vocalizing his disapproval of the nobility; it became apparent that he was not part of the problem. The more he complained, the more Roland appreciated him, sensing that he was someone who genuinely cared. It was becoming evident that he was among the few members of the Institute who detested the divisions between students of noble birth and others. Perhaps things weren't as bleak if he had this man on his side.

“Now, tell me the whole story, from the beginning. Spare no details.”

The conversation gradually shifted towards the specifics of the incident, with Thorne wanting to ensure he had all the details. Roland began recounting the events leading up to the confrontation. He described the unauthorized entry into the training area, the bribing attempt from her Knight, the attempted scapegoating of Lucienne, the manipulation and lies from Viola, and the subsequent monster stampede. Thorne listened intently, his expression growing grimmer as he processed the information.

“I see… this is quite the mess. Lady Castellane will undoubtedly use every resource at her disposal to turn this in her favor. We need concrete evidence to support your claims.”

“If it’s evidence, then I think I have something, sir.”

“You do?”

“I have a recording of the events.”

“A recording? Could you be more specific?”

“Of course.”

Roland decided to play out part of his interaction with Elythaes Baskerville who he then took out. The holographic image of the conversation raised an eyebrow but they were in a magical institute so such magic wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary. However, the man instantly identified the usefulness of this magical recording device.

“This recording, how convenient. Is this related to the Runic Department?”

“In a sense, yes. It does use runes to record and memorize images.”

He had replicated modern-day camera and recording technology, which wasn't widely spread in this world. No one anticipated anyone being able to record information in such a way here; otherwise, the Baskerville knight would probably not have been so nonchalant during their conversation. Thorne immediately recognized that such technology could significantly aid his cause. It became clear that nobles could deflect any allegations, and the other affected parties were too afraid to speak out due to potential consequences. However, if the incidents could be easily recorded, it changed the dynamics.

“This magical artifact… could the Runic Department supply us with it?”

“I don’t see why not but it will take some time and resources.”

“So it’s possible?”

The bald man’s eyes started shining as if he discovered a new toy.

“But perhaps we should focus on this case first?”

“Ahem… Yes, you are right, we shall speak about this later then.”

Thorne cleared his throat as both of them returned to discussing Lucienne, who was the main victim. It appeared that the typical scenario involved someone like Viola shifting all the blame onto a lesser noble house like the Ardens, who would never defend themselves. Even now, their case would have less validity if Lucienne chose to protect her tormentor - an issue that both of them were aware of.

“Assistant Professor Wayland, this evidence is invaluable. With this, we have a strong case against Lady Castellane and her cohorts. I’ll ensure that she is properly dealt with, but we must also protect Lucienne Arden from any potential retaliation.”

“Potential retaliation?”

“The Castellane family is well-connected and influential, not just within the Institute but likely throughout the entire region. I don’t think they will take this lightly, they might even attempt to retaliate against the victims family. While they can’t directly affect the Institute…”

“They have ways of doing it indirectly…”

Roland understood what Thorne was implying and why most lesser noble houses chose not to provoke conflicts. Even if Viola were proven guilty, the honor of her family would be tarnished. It was highly likely that her family would opt to retaliate in some way against the Arden house as a whole, just to establish that the Castellane household wasn't to be trifled with.

‘Robert might even be afflicted and the rest as well…’

“Having second thoughts?”

“...”

How others acted wasn't much different from Roland's old ways. He had always chosen to flee when things got too rough. This was the first time he had actively been trying to gain more power, even in the face of adversity. He placed himself outside his safe haven of Albrook not only for his survival but also for Bernir and others. It would be easy to just shut his mouth and accept Lucienne's fate. However, Roland was done with running, and he finally realized that sometimes there were things out there that were worth fighting for.

“No, we shall proceed with the hearing, Viola Castellane needs to be punished and the students need to see that your noble name doesn’t give you the right to treat others as if they were lesser.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that, Assistant Professor Wayland. We will ensure a fair hearing, and I’ll personally oversee the proceedings to make sure justice is served. Finally, those noble bastards will get what’s coming to them.”

He nodded while listening to Thorne but couldn't shake the feeling that he had potentially initiated something more significant. Saving Lucienne was the right thing to do, but it would likely have future consequences. His stay at this Institute might need to be extended, as leaving within a month while his sister remained alone and with no help would be irresponsible. Roland understood that he was now entangled in the complex web of noble politics, something he had hoped to have left behind when he abandoned the Arden estate over ten years ago.