Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Adrian was led to a different room, with Annabelle walking beside him.

Ariana stayed back with Jean, chatting lightly.

Their guide was none other than the team's engineer, Eros. For some reason, the lively pink-haired girl, Ellie, who had introduced herself earlier, also tagged along with a bright smile.

"You've made good use of this place," Adrian remarked, noticing how every hallway and room now had a purpose—whether for storage, inventory, or research.

"We've been working on expanding the base as our numbers keep growing," Eros explained as they turned another corner and walked toward the room at the end of the hall.

Annabelle frowned slightly. "Who are these new people you're recruiting? Are you… hiring them? I only remember saving the core members of Umbral, not the rest."

Ellie was the first to answer, her tone cheerful as always. "Oh, they're the forgotten ones."

Annabelle tilted her head, puzzled, until Eros added, "They're the people left behind—those who almost lost their lives or were abandoned by the ones they served. Umbral gives them a place. Of course, only if they can actually be useful to us."

Adrian raised his brows. "And the Tower? They've never tried to capture your members?"

After all, the Tower would never sit quietly if it knew an organization was forming. Especially one led by the very person they once regarded as their strongest Warden. That alone would be enough to shake them.

Eros spoke with a casual tone. "We've already considered the day we might have to face them. But for now, our operations stay in the shadows, so they don't know much about us."

As she finished, she pressed her palm against the artifact fixed to the door. With a faint hum, the door slid open, revealing a wide chamber that immediately caught Adrian's interest.

At the center stood a long rectangular table cluttered with tools, spare parts, chunks of crystal, and all manner of curious objects. Weapons lined the walls. In one corner sat a blazing furnace with a proper ventilation system, while nearby rested an anvil and smithing tools.

No luxurious chamber could bring Adrian the same comfort he felt at that moment.

"Darling, do you like this place?" Annabelle asked softly, noticing the way his eyes lit up.

Adrian's lips curved into a smile. "It's perfect. Silent, dark, and filled with tools I could play with for hours."

"Fufu~ Eros sometimes doesn't come out of here for days either," Ellie giggled.

Eros, however, was watching Adrian closely, studying the spark of curiosity in his eyes as he stepped toward one of her unfinished artifacts. He leaned over, examining it with interest.

"May I?" Adrian asked.

Eros gave a simple nod.

Carefully, he picked up the shroud lying on the table.

At first glance, it looked like a plain cover. But the moment Adrian touched it, he realized thousands of tiny crystal shards were embedded in the outer surface of the fabric.

"Is this mithril?" he asked, inspecting the shards closely.

Eros nodded. "I designed it for cloaking with the Darkness element."

Adrian let out a low hum, clearly impressed. "That's a meticulous way of creating an artifact. Not a single gap left uncovered. If you had used a full sheet of mithril, the shroud would've been too rigid to wear. But if there were gaps between the shards, the runes' effect would have faltered.

This isn't just functional—it's art. A piece born from hours of dedication and passion."

Eros's lips twitched.

Compliments on the finished product were always nice, but when someone praised the effort and dedication behind the result, it gave a deeper sense of fulfillment. And right now, that was exactly what Eros felt.

"What other artifacts have you prepared for this mission?" Adrian asked, gently setting the shroud back on the table.

Eros calmly began showing him the collection—small and large tools her team would need during the operation.

Adrian examined each one with keen eyes, occasionally asking questions and offering praise. At the same time, he slipped in bits of advice on how certain things could be improved or made more efficient.

In the meantime, Ellie was keeping Annabelle busy, chatting with her, and asking her several things.

The pinkhead was smart enough to not pick those topics which could bore her Queen, that's why she chose the topic which got Annabelle all excited.

Adrian, of course.

"Adding two elements to a tool? Is that even possible?" Eros asked at one point, her tone carrying a hint of disbelief.

Everything she had been taught—every session she had attended, every book she had studied—said the same thing: armaments and artifacts were fragile creations, unable to withstand the strain of more than one element.

Yet here was this man, calmly suggesting otherwise.

Adrian gave a slight nod. "Yes, the idea is there. But I don't yet have the material I need to confirm a proper method." His tone was calm yet certain. Once the Tower agrees to the deal and grants me access to the strongest material—silver—I'll put my theory to the test, he thought.

"I've heard things about you, and your unusual way of Runesmithing," Eros said, turning to face him. "What you did during the Tower's contest… and the fact that the Vermillion family themselves are seeking you out—that alone is a remarkable feat for a Runesmith."

Adrian smiled faintly. "For me, that isn't an achievement." He clasped his hands behind his back, his voice steady and firm. "The real achievement would be to shatter the myth that armament users are weaker than independent magic users. To strip away the shackles of runes that hold people back from reaching their full potential. That—" his eyes glinted with conviction, "—would be an achievement worth being proud of."

Eros fell silent, his words echoing in her mind.

No wonder the Queen favored this man. As a creator, as a fellow Runesmith, she couldn't help but feel a growing admiration—for his vision, and for the depth of his knowledge.

"Well, while I concur that these tools would be enough for you and your team to co-operate and execute the mission, there are things I can provide to ease the work."

Adrian suggested.

Eros is a brilliant engineer, and quite a good Runesmith. In comparison, she is as good as Ruby.

And as a craftsman, she was better than Adrian.

She just lacks knowledge or she would be able to produce better artifacts.

Eros asked, "Then…can you help me build it?"

Despite knowing how mad Ariana would be, "Yes, sure."

If Runesmiths wouldn't help each other, then who would?

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.