The Runesmith

Chapter 454: Something’s Off.

“Miss Delfine, are you alright?”

“I… I’m f-fine…brother-in-law”

“The young miss is shaken up, please give her some time, she has been through a distressing experience.”

“Is she injured? How about she rides with me on my horse? We'll be able to get back to the city faster this way.”

“N-no I’m fine, I’ll just stay in the carriage…”

The large battle Roland took place was over and the people that he had saved were talking. Their interactions were quite strange as the ones that came to save them were met with resistance. The guards that were protecting the young miss, seemed on edge and it was the same for the young miss named Delfine.

There was an underlying tension in the air as if something more complex was unfolding beneath the surface. Roland couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. While this was none of his business and he wanted to leave, there was one big problem, he found himself in enemy territory, the lands of one of Arthur’s older brothers. The same one that had sent Knight Commanders to Albrook and almost killed Agni in the process.

Roland had chosen to spare the bandits and the tier 3 swordsman helping them. The man was riddled with holes and had lost his conscience but was still alive and his status was easy to read.

He was a Master Samurai but his level was rather low. Roland knew he possessed the advantage to overpower him easily. It was wiser to conceal his primary weaponry that could betray his true identity to these individuals. His combat technique, coupled with his distinctive mithril crimson armor, was probably something Theodore Valerian and his people knew.

To mask his true identity, he decided to conceal his Xandar's Institute robe first. He carefully removed the emblem presenting his status as a Deputy Professor and any other identifying symbols. Fortunately, the robe was enchanted, capable of assuming various forms. It had been crafted with fieldwork in consideration, and it would help him maintain a discreet profile. Altering the color of his armor proved to be a simple task and with the robe's adeptness at concealing the runes beneath, he was unrecognizable.

“Those people were here earlier but they only arrived once the bandits were dealt with, what were they waiting for?”

With the help of his mapping device, he spotted a larger gathering of people in the distance. They had lingered behind a large hill, out of sight, only emerging once he had dispatched the raiders. What struck him as odd was their apparent familiarity with the young girl inside the carriage. It appeared he had stumbled upon a potential power struggle. Fortunately, these individuals seemed to lack noble lineage and were likely merchants instead.

Had he been within his own territory, he could have easily disclosed his status as Knight Commander. However, here he was in potential danger and once Theodore and his people were alerted to his presence, he could very well be chased down. This was one of the reasons why he didn’t kill these people as he could be accused of killing citizens that were under Theodore’s protection. A Knight Commander of an opposing sibling couldn’t just waltz into their territory unannounced, so he couldn’t give them a reason to blame Arthur later. If his actions were to be discovered later, they could be retroactively used against them.

The situation was delicate, and Roland needed to tread carefully. His priority was to ensure his own safety and not to unravel the mystery here. However, getting out of here without alerting anyone to his presence would be difficult. There were already too many people who had seen him and he could not afford to reveal more of his cards.

‘Now how should I get out of this situation… what if I just take off, not like anyone here can really stop me…’

Roland had remained silent while analyzing the situation. There were close to forty men on horseback, quite a large gathering. It was as if they were expecting to be battling with these bandits that had ten men fewer. Among them, he noted the presence of a Tier 3 class holder, who observed him intently from a distance. This individual appeared to be affiliated with the girl's brother-in-law, who was still attempting to coerce her into joining him on horseback.

The girl herself possessed slightly elongated ears and an unusual pinkish hair color. She was quite a beauty and appeared to be in her later teens. It was evident that the group's leader harbored an interest in her, though she appeared less than thrilled about the attention.

He wanted to do nothing more than jump onto his shield and fly off but there were several obstructions in the way. His armor had been further damaged as he was crossing through the dimensional gate and the runes had started to deteriorate. The cost of flying would be increased and there were some airborne nuisances here as well.

‘Wyvern Riders… I heard that the Valerians utilized them but it's the first time I’ve seen one.’

Just as the name stated, wyvern riders were mounted warriors who rode large creatures known as wyverns. These beasts resembled dragons but lacked the forelimbs, instead having powerful wings and a long, barbed tail. They were agile and deadly in combat, capable of unleashing devastating attacks from both the air and the ground.

It didn’t seem that this rider was involved in this encounter as they steered in a different direction. If he attempted to use his flight capabilities it wouldn’t be strange if he was noticed. There was no need to act hastily and instead, he decided on a more subtle approach to reach the city. Fortunately, there was a group present that could serve as an escort back, and his guise as an eccentric mage would aid in maintaining his cover.

“You there.”

“Huh?”

Roland casually approached the leader of the group, who was swiftly encircled by the armored men. Despite their knight-like attire, it was evident they were mercenaries rather than true knights, likely hired by the merchant. The so-called brother-in-law appeared to be in his late twenties, lacking any combat class, much like the young lady from the carriage. His primary bodyguard, named Witter, reacted promptly, gripping his spear tightly, though he did not appear overly eager to initiate an attack.

“Yes you, I wish for you to guide me to the city of Aldbourne, this is the least you can do to repay me.”

“You want me to do what? Who do you think you are talking t…”

Before the merchant could finish his sentence a strange sensation took over the scenery. All of the guards found their knees to be buckling and weak. His intimidation ability proved to be quite effective as it spread throughout the group. Even the Tier 3 master spearman, Witter, seemed to be affected, though he managed to maintain his composure better than the others.

“I am merely asking for assistance, nothing more. Surely, you wouldn’t refuse a request from a weary traveler, would you?”

Roland’s voice was calm and collected. Utilizing his magic, he subtly altered the tonation of his voice, granting it a lower pitch than usual. The merchant hesitated momentarily, while the Tier 3 bodyguard leaned in to whisper something into his ear. Though their conversation was beyond the perception of ordinary individuals, Roland possessed the means to easily interpret their words.

“Sir, we shouldn’t provoke this man, he is too dangerous, it would be better to do as he asks at least for now.”

“...”

The man frowned but he took the advice to heart and quickly changed his tune. His face switched almost instantly as if he had done this hundreds of times.

“Of course, of course, my good sir! We would be delighted to escort you to Aldbourne. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Aubert Abramz from the Abrams merchant group, and these are my men.”

‘Abrams… I’ve heard of them but Aubert, that name wasn’t anywhere in the reports…’

Gathering information on his enemies was important and the Abrams Merchant group was a well-known entity in the region. They handled a lot of trades but weren’t the only group active in this region. Roland had somewhat of an idea who the lady was now but still wasn’t sure what this Aubert was up to.

“Very well, Mr. Aubert, I’ll leave it to you then while I rest, this carriage will do, don’t mind me…”

“Um?”

Everyone was taken aback as Roland approached the carriage. The young lady stood outside, surrounded by her guards. At first, it seemed that the peculiar mage intended to enter the carriage, but their assumptions were quickly proven wrong. Instead, he levitated into the air and gracefully descended onto the roof. Out of nowhere he produced something resembling a rolled-up sleeping bag and placed it beneath his head to settle in comfortably.

Everyone was shaken by the display of might which was only overshadowed by the strange behavior. No one expected him to get on the carriage but there he was, in a position that implied that he wanted to sleep.

“What are you waiting for, lass? Get in the carriage and let's go! I’m tired so please don’t disturb me.”

The guards hesitated, unsure of how to react to this unexpected turn of events. They exchanged puzzled glances but before they could make a decision, the young lady started moving. She seemed to be eager to slip into the carriage and left her brother-in-law stunned. He seemed to want to follow her inside but the guard leader stepped forward to stop him.

“Sir, you need not worry, we will protect the lady with our lives.”

This carriage had spaces in the front and back where the guards had a place to sit. While there was a lot of free space inside, for some reason it didn’t seem that the girl wanted any company and even appreciated that the mage saved her from a horse ride with this brother-in-law.

“Nonsense, who are you to sto…”

“Hey, Didn’t I say to not disturb me?

The same pressure that everyone felt before fell on the entire area as Roland grumbled. His voice sounded older than it usually was and carried a hint of annoyance. The man instantly decided to back away, it didn’t seem like it was worth risking his life just to ride inside this carriage.

“O-of course honorable mage, we shall depart!”

Aubert quickly gave in to the intimidation and the carriage started moving forward. The horses pulling the carriage trotted along the dirt road towards the city of Aldbourne. The guards rode alongside, keeping a vigilant watch over the surroundings, though their attention was occasionally stolen by the peculiar mage resting atop the carriage.

It might have seemed as if he was sleeping but in actuality, his eyes were glued to his mapping screen. On it, Roland witnessed what was happening around him and took note that half of the mercenaries remained behind to take care of the guards. He had put in their mana signatures and once they had traveled over the hill, some of them began to vanish.

‘Taking care of the witnesses? They are still bandits so that’s not the strange part though…’

As Roland observed the dots vanishing from his screen, a sense of suspicion crept over him. Roland found himself increasingly convinced of the merchant's ulterior motives. Yet, what intrigued him more was the underlying reason behind this strange charade. With himself perched atop the carriage, it became apparent that their plans would be stalled and probably foiled. Once they were inside the safety of the city, it would probably be a lot harder to do anything to this young girl.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was strangely calm. Delfine, the young lady sat inside quietly and she seemed calmer than before. Soon they continued their journey without further mishaps, it only took them about three hours to reach their destination and the bustling city of Aldbourne became visible.

‘It doesn’t look bad but… the defenses are worse than in Albrook.’

Once they were at the gates, Roland decided to lean forward to examine the settlement he arrived in. There were no nearby dungeons like in the city he came from but it seemed to be a thriving hub of commerce. The walls surrounding the city were sturdy but lacked the runic reinforcements present in Albrook. Guards manned the gates and surveyed those who sought entry with a seemingly watchful gaze. However, some of them weren’t even looking and he could tell that the city guards lacked some discipline.

‘Albrook looks better than this.’

A sense of pride rose in his chest as it became clear that the city that he helped build, was ahead of this one. While it was not the city in which Arthur’s brother resided, it had stood here longer and had more time to grow. The carriage rolled through the gates of Aldbourne, and the guards stationed there cast curious glances at the peculiar sight of a mage lounging on top of it. However, they dared not interfere as they recognised the carriage emblem that indicated something.

Once inside they ventured further into the city and Roland couldn’t help but notice some differences between this place and Albrook. His city seemed more organized and had more armored soldiers patrolling. There was more chaos here and a lot more people were shouting. Merchants bustled through the streets, peddling their wares in vibrant markets, while beggars pleaded for scraps of food at every corner.

The carriage eventually came to a stop in front of a modest-looking estate. It was not as large as the noble ones he had seen and more similar to the one Arthur lived in. At this point, Roland wanted to descend from the roof of the carriage. There was no point of him entering the estate so as the gates were opening up, he descended. However, before he could excuse himself someone came running from within this mansion. It was a young man that couldn’t be older than twenty one. His face was flushed with worry but also rage.

“Delfine! Are you alright? What happened?”

The man rushed forward and opened the carriage door while ignoring the massive robed mage to the side. His eyes scanned the interior for any signs of distress. Delfine stepped out of the carriage with a relieved expression on her face. Once the two saw each other, they quickly embraced and quickly informed Roland about their relationship.

‘Is this her husband or perhaps fiance?’

He noticed that Aubert displayed some disdain for the show of affection the two displayed. Aubert quickly composed himself though his unease was evident. Roland observed the interaction with detached interest as his mind was already elsewhere. The maiden was saved and delivered to the doorstep of her beloved, there was nothing more he needed to do. Thus, without even mentioning anything, he started to remove himself from this situation by walking away.

“P-please stop!”

However, before he could leave the previously quiet girl called out to him and attempted to show her gratitude. He was surprised to hear the timid voice calling out to him. He halted his steps, turning back to face Delfine, who seemed to be struggling with her words. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she gathered her courage.

“Um... I-I just wanted to say... thank you. Thank you for saving me back there.”

She stuttered like before but this time around it didn’t seem as forced. The man who was embracing her let up and quickly faced him and started talking.

“This Sir saved you? Could I ask you for your name Sir? On my family name, I would …”

Roland interrupted before the man could finish his sentence as he knew where this was heading. The man would probably try to invite him into the mansion and then give him a monetary reward or even offer him a job. While more money was great, he was not someone that craved it anymore. There was nothing this merchant could offer him that he couldn’t earn in a week's worth of time.

“I appreciate your gratitude, but there’s no need for you to thank me. Our fates just intertwined for a moment, think nothing of it, now I must depart.”

Roland turned around while making his robe flutter around and started walking. He wasn’t sure if his acting was good or not but it didn’t seem that they were trying to stop him. Luckily, people knew better than to hinder eccentric mages and he was lucky enough to leave the area before being dragged into something he wanted no part in, or at least that was what he thought at that moment…