The Runesmith

Chapter 720 – Hidden Chat.

“Robert, is it really you?”

“Yes, Lucienne, it’s me. Everything is fine.”

“I really thought we would never see each other again…”

Roland continued talking to the other students while keeping a close eye on the magical communication channel connecting the two siblings. He didn’t truly want to eavesdrop, but he had to keep them connected, and his usual paranoia was also at work. He needed to know if any secrets were being shared during the conversation and make sure no one else was listening in. He wanted to maintain full control over the connection, though a part of him was also curious about what his two siblings would say to each other.

“You were all far too reckless.”

Roland said it aloud to the group, crossing his armored arms over his chest.

“Winning is one thing, but showing off your full capabilities in the very first round only paints a giant target on your backs. From this moment on, every major academy will be analyzing you and your support equipment.”

His voice was louder than usual as he attempted to keep everyone's attention focused on him while his siblings continued their conversation. He had, of course, placed them inside a soundproof bubble so the other mages could not hear them, but he could still tell that they were being watched.

“Even now, look.”

He pointed toward a few people, and when he did, they quickly looked away. Many of the other school professors and students were already gathering intelligence, trying to figure out why Xandar’s Institute was doing so well and had taken first place despite not being particularly prominent during the previous few convocations.

This attention was not limited to the support equipment he had created. It also extended to the event they were taking part in. Around the storage area where his construct was currently being kept, there were prying eyes everywhere, all trying to analyze what was really happening.

Many people were already moving in the shadows, perhaps even complaining to the organizers. If they continued winning, there was a real possibility that someone might try to get them banned from the competition.

Eventually, he expected their creations to undergo a thorough examination, though it was not as if they had anything to hide. However, he wasn’t quite sure how much scrutiny they would actually face. For now, he was simply trying to scare the students enough that they wouldn’t notice Lucienne was distracted and no longer paying attention to his lecture because she was busy talking to Robert.

“You gave them a free show. Now you must assume every opponent in the next phase will come prepared.”

Sylphie shrank back slightly under his gaze, her hat shifting on her head.

“We were just trying to get enough points…”

“And you did get ‘quite’ enough points…”

“Uhh…”

The treasure hunter team slumped their shoulders as they were lectured by him. As they did, Roland glanced back at his siblings, who were still talking. Robert had just finished explaining what had happened after the trial from his perspective, and Roland could see Lucienne flinch slightly at the mention of Lucille.

“Ah… so you really are engaged to Lady Lucille… I wish I could have been there… That sounds so romantic!”

It was clear that, to a teenager, the whole thing felt as though it had been taken straight from a romance novel. The two of them had fled during the night to a faraway place, away from their families who opposed their bond, and were now living in hiding. It certainly made for quite the romantic story.

“Romantic? I’m not so sure about that…”

Robert replied slowly. It was clear that he was not a man who knew much about romance, so he tried to explain the less pleasant side of their situation.

“Before your brother Roland saved us, we spent our time on the run. We were even caught in the cold woods, where we had to hide ourselves and avoid entering large settlements. Then, once we reached Albrook, settling in was difficult as well. I’m not sure any of that can really be considered romance. It was more like surviving…”

“What are you talking about?!”

Lucienne shouted and leaned back from her wrist. Roland’s silence spell prevented the others from hearing what she was saying to her bracelet, so she quickly leaned back down toward it.

“That’s sooo romantic! Just running away with the love of your life… just the two of you!”

Robert let out a soft sigh that echoed faintly through the internal spell link. He seemed completely unable to convince his younger sister that sleeping in freezing woods, or escaping from a count, was far from a romantic adventure. Rather than arguing with her any further, he changed the subject and asked about her life at the institute, wanting to know whether she was eating properly and staying safe.

While the two siblings caught up in hushed tones, Roland kept his gaze on the remaining students. He continued explaining what they had done wrong and what they could improve upon going forward. It was not an easy task for someone like him, who was not much of a talker, but he had to make up a few things so that his siblings could have more time to talk.

His plan was somewhat successful, but after a while, he started running out of things he could criticize the group for. He had already mentioned several times that they stood out too much, but there was not much else he could complain about when it came to their teamwork. They were doing everything right when it came to the competition and were working quite well together.

‘I think this will have to do. Another chance to talk will present itself after the semifinals, so for now… wait… is that…’

Just as he was about to end the first conversation between the siblings, someone approached them. Someone who knew both of his siblings and also knew him. Francine Arden.

“Mother? Why is she here…?”

Robert said it first when he noticed her approaching. She was not alone. Dianna and her husband were with her, along with a few of their knight guards. They were simply walking around as though there was nothing unusual about their presence.

‘Not having my drones out to scan the area is becoming a problem…’

Roland was unable to spread his influence throughout the area as he normally would. Usually, he would bury several sensors around the location and have his golems scan the surroundings. They could even provide him with a bird’s eye view through their cameras, allowing him to observe everything from a distance.Here, however, where there were too many mages to count, that approach was far too risky.

“M-mother?”

Lucienne jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice, her eyes darting between Robert and Francine in panic.

“Calm down, you two. She won’t recognise Robert in his disguise. Just try to act naturally.”

Francine Arden approached with a slow, measured stride, like a proper noble lady, or perhaps like someone who cared far too much about appearing like one. Her posture was perfectly rigid, matching the proud demeanour of a noble household that aspired to be more than merely a baronial house.

Dianna and her husband moved with a similar grace, escorted by heavily armed guards whose armour bore the Abollet crest. Ivetta, Lucienne’s guardian knight, was there as well, accompanied by several others from the Arden estate.

People nearby glanced in their direction, but their attention did not linger for long. There were plenty of other nobles and knights wandering around, as the garden was filled with mages and reputable figures from across the continent.

“Baroness Arden.”

Roland acknowledged her with a slight incline of his head, keeping his voice modulation controlled through his armour. The two had interacted during the trial involving Robert, so she was already familiar with him.

“Professor Wayland, is that you? It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

Francine’s gaze swept over the assembled students before settling on Lucienne, who looked visibly panicked the moment her mother noticed her. Francine then glanced towards Robert, who was leaning against a stone pillar. Her eyes lingered on the cloaked figure for a moment longer than necessary, as though she were trying to place something familiar about his posture.

“And who might this be?”

Francine asked, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity.

“A guard provided by the institute?”

“No, that’s just one of the assistant teachers from the institute. Don’t mind him.”

Roland replied, trying to remain calm. He had no idea why Francine had noticed Robert so quickly when he was standing so far away from the group. Was it motherly intuition? Or perhaps the shiny helmet he was wearing was simply too conspicuous beneath the magical lights.

“I see…”

Francine said slowly, though her eyes remained on the tall, silent figure for another moment before she turned her attention back to her daughter.

“Lucienne, what are you doing over there? Come here and let your mother congratulate you. You truly made me proud.”

“Ah, sure, Mother.”

Lucienne was clearly acting differently, but Francine did not seem to realise why. Roland could also see Robert’s gaze lingering on her. It was painfully obvious that he wanted to say something but could not.

His mother was standing right in front of him, yet he had to remain hidden. Revealing his true identity could land him before the noble court once again.

“Well then, I think I’m done here. I won’t intrude on your family reunion.”

Roland said smoothly, taking a small step back. He signalled to the tall, cloaked figure beside him with a subtle tilt of his head.

“We have preparations to make for the upcoming golem match, so we shall take our leave.”

Francine gave a polite nod, though her eyes remained fixed on the armoured assistant for another brief moment before she turned back to her daughter with a rare, gentle smile.

Robert kept his mouth firmly shut, offering only a formal bow before turning to follow Roland out of the gazebo. Every muscle in his body was tense as he walked away, leaving his mother and sister behind in the crowded garden.

Neither of them spoke a word until they were well clear of the pavilion and tucked away in the quiet stone corridors leading back toward the golem storage bays. Only when the noise of the crowd had faded into a distant rumble did Roland speak through their private link.

“You handled that well,” Roland said quietly. “A single slip of your voice could have ruined everything.”

Robert did not reply at first. After a few steps, however, he finally let out a sigh.

“It was harder than I thought it would be, but knowing that Mother is fine is enough for now. For a moment, I thought she would see through the disguise.”

Roland nodded.

“Seems like it. For a moment there, I thought she would notice too.”

Robert chuckled as he walked.

“Me too. I tried walking differently than usual. I think that might have worked.”

“Ah, so that’s why you were walking like that.”

Roland had not commented on it earlier, but at some point Robert had started walking with a limp, and he had been doing it rather awkwardly.

“Best if you don’t do that anymore.”

“Huh? Why? I think it looked convincing enough.”

Roland simply shook his head as they continued forward. The two returned to the golem hangar, where their machine was waiting for them. The third match would be starting soon, and afterward, they would have some more time to deliberate over their family problems.

“So, how was it?”

Normally, Roland would never have asked something like that or pried into Robert’s personal affairs. He was a stoic person who generally avoided talking about relationships or family problems. Over time, however, he had changed, and he felt that it was best to at least hear what his brother thought about the conversation.

“It was not what I expected.”

Robert paused briefly before moving toward the golem. He climbed inside as though sitting in the cockpit would help settle his restless thoughts.

“She has grown so much. The last time we spoke, she felt more like a child. Now she is surrounded by friends and standing on her own feet. If things are really like this, perhaps I won’t have to worry about her anymore.”

Robert said it with some conviction, though Roland did not truly believe him.

“You, not worry about your dear little sister? I don’t think so. But don’t worry. There will be more opportunities for you to meet her.”

Robert nodded as he climbed farther into the golem compartment. The hatch opened, and he settled inside, preparing to wait for his next battle.

‘His vitals seem good.’

Roland checked Robert’s biometrics. He had been somewhat skeptical about the whole situation, wondering if meeting Lucienne might affect Robert’s performance in the upcoming battle. However, Robert seemed more relaxed now than he had been before, as if the brief conversation had given him enough peace of mind to keep going for a while.

“You’ll be on standby for now. I’ll inform you once you need to move.”

With that, Roland turned toward the screens in the golem storage area. They displayed various other competitions taking place throughout the academy, including several in which their academy was participating.

To no surprise, their teams were still performing rather well. The competition that had started first was also beginning to wind down and was approaching its conclusion.

“It’s time to end it! Who will be the convocation champion of the magical marksmanship contest?”

The announcer’s voice resounded throughout the stadium as he watched the red-haired girl from Xandar Institute take part in the final stages of the first event. The first day was coming to an end, and so was the competition.

Surprisingly, the three final participants were the same three who had started the event. The student from Sapphire Flame was still there, as was the same prodigy from Starbloom. Both had already been defeated by the girl from Xandar once, and they were taking the final round far more seriously now.

The event had also changed. The stationary targets had been replaced by moving ones that drifted unpredictably through the air. To make matters worse, barriers now moved between the participants and their targets, making each shot considerably harder to land. It was no longer enough to predict the targets’ movements. The contestants also had to time their shots around the barriers as they shifted into and out of the firing paths.

There were several ways to overcome this problem. Self-targeting spells capable of avoiding obstacles could be produced, but they required tremendous amounts of magical power, concentration, and time. As before, there was a strict time limit.

The competition began, and the crowd erupted into cheers. The student from Sapphire Flame immediately began weaving a complex array of magic circles, attempting to guide his mana bolts around the shifting barriers. Beside him, the Starbloom prodigy gathered an overwhelming amount of raw power, clearly intending to brute force his way straight through the protective shields.

Meanwhile, the quiet girl from Xandar settled into her stance behind the metallic staff. She adjusted the three legged stand beneath her weapon and calmly peered through the optical sight.

Rather than rushing to cast high tier spells or attempting complicated homing trajectories, she simply waited. Her gaze followed the distinct rhythm of the moving constructs, patiently tracking their movements.

A sound echoed through the stadium as her first bolt flew. The blue sphere zipped cleanly through a tiny, fleeting gap between two overlapping barriers, striking a fast moving target directly in its weakened central joint. The stone construct shattered in midair, sending golden numbers soaring above her head to indicate her score.

The Starbloom student unleashed a massive beam that smashed through one of the barriers, but the residual force was far too weak to destroy the reinforced statue behind it. The Sapphire Flame youth managed to curve his projectile around an obstacle, but the sheer mental effort required slowed his casting rate. He could not maintain the pace for long.

By contrast, the red haired girl fired with mechanical consistency. Every shot cleared the moving obstacles and found its mark with absolute precision. She did not waste a single unit of mana. The specialized runic sight did the difficult work of tracking targets and identifying structural flaws. All she had to do was decide when to pull the trigger.

When the final bell resounded, the numbers floating above her head dwarfed those of her rivals. The stadium erupted in a mixture of cheers and utter disbelief as the announcer shouted the improbable result. Xandar Institute had taken top honors in the opening event of the convocation.

Inside the quiet golem bay, Roland watched the display with a sense of satisfaction. His runic design had proven its worth, turning what had initially been a simple casting exercise into a demonstration of his sniper staff concept.

But he could not help wondering what would come of it. Now that the design had been seen by so many people, would it be adopted for military purposes? Or would it simply be dismissed as an eccentric creation designed for competitions between mages?

He had no idea who might have been watching from the sidelines. Still, he had a feeling that things might change once the convocation was over.