Return of the Legendary Runesmith

The workshop Ruby brought him to wasn't the same one they had visited before.

This one stood a little farther from the mansion.

A three-storey building rose before them when they stepped out of the carriage. Its dark walls and the stillness around it gave the place a quiet, almost solemn air.

Adrian's brows lifted at the sight, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

"Come on," Ruby urged, leading the way inside.

Damien followed silently as the three of them entered what looked more like a research center than a simple workshop.

Just past the entrance, two soldiers immediately straightened their backs at the sight of Ruby and Damien.

"We greet the Young Lady and Young Lord," they said firmly.

Ruby gave a small nod before pointing toward Adrian. "He's my friend, Adrian. Please add his name to the register."

The soldiers saluted, and the trio continued deeper inside.

Adrian's gaze wandered, taking in every detail.

Meanwhile, Damien leaned toward his sister and muttered, "Still introducing him as your friend?"

Ruby flinched, shooting her brother a sharp glare.

Adrian, oblivious to their exchange, was marveling at the building's design. Two corridors stretched out to the left and right. Along the walls, stone figures seemed to emerge from the very rock itself, as though the stone had come alive.

There were no grand decorations, no gilded ornaments—only quiet artistry carved into the stone. And somehow, that simplicity made the place feel all the more beautiful and serene.

"Let's head to the first floor. That's where they should be," Ruby said, urging them forward.

The trio climbed the stairs, and Adrian immediately noticed something: soldiers were stationed at every single door. Their presence gave the corridor a heavy, watchful air.

They took the left hall and soon stopped before a room. Ruby pushed the door open and stepped in first, with Adrian and Damien following behind.

"Chief?" The first to notice her was a short, bubbly girl in a white lab coat.

At her voice, the rest of the room turned toward the redhead.

"Eh? I thought you were busy with your fiancé today," a man with spectacles asked, tilting his head curiously.

In moments, six researchers had gathered in front of Ruby—only to freeze when their eyes shifted to the man entering behind her.

Adrian.

The air seemed to hitch for a moment. He carried himself calmly, but his sharp features and presence were enough to snatch their attention at once.

The pink-haired girl practically melted, her lips parting as she whispered, "Who is this hotness?"

The man with spectacles coughed loudly, snapping her out of it. "That," he said pointedly, "is Adrian Lockwood—the runesmith we've been talking about these past few days." His gaze sharpened on the pink-haired girl as he added, "And he happens to be the chief's fiancé."

The short girl flinched and glanced nervously at Ruby. Ruby's smile looked pleasant… but her eyes did not.

Realizing her slip, the short girl gave a sheepish grin. "Don't be mad at me for admiring him! I mean, honestly—anyone would!" she protested, crossing her arms over her chest in mock defiance.

Adrian chuckled softly. "I can see you've gathered quite a lively team, Ruby."

Damien, who had wandered off to examine the shelves and notes scattered around the room, missed the small commotion that had just taken place.

Ruby let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly before she refocused. "Adrian wanted to see the workshop—and hear how you're progressing with the artifact." She turned to the bespectacled man. "How is it going, Nathan?"

Nathan exhaled heavily, pushing his glasses up. "Honestly, Chief? It's a complete mess. I can usually trace the thread of a person when it comes to weapons, but this artifact… it's an entirely different challenge."

Adrian blinked at that revelation. So, it isn't just Ruby—this Nathan can also attune to a third-thread?

Ruby's brow furrowed. "What's the problem you're running into?"

Nathan picked up a small sword hilt from the table and held it out for them to see. "The main issue is space. There just isn't enough room to inscribe all the necessary runes."

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he studied the unfinished tool. His voice was calm, yet thoughtful. "You're making a bladeless sword, aren't you?"

A green-haired man nearby nearly dropped his notes, staring at Adrian in surprise. "You… you can tell?"

Adrian gave a small shrug. "Ruby mentioned your subject has an affinity with Light. That would allow them to use space magic. And since there's no blade…" he gestured toward the hilt, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "…the rest explains itself. Please, go on."

He settled into a chair beside Ruby, giving the group his full attention.

Nathan rubbed his forehead. "There are too many runes. The blade keeps becoming unstable, and as for the material—we can only afford this much. Making another handle isn't an option."

Adrian's brows rose at that. He was about to ask why cost was even a problem when the heiress of the Vermillion family was backing this project, but the pink-haired girl leaned closer and quietly explained,

"That's military-grade material. You can't just buy it on the market. Chief pulled strings with her connections to get even this much." She gave a bright smile. "Oh—and my name's Raira."

Adrian gave a small nod of understanding.

He knew well enough—there were only a handful of materials in the world capable of carrying a third-thread inscription, and for Light affinity, the options were even rarer. Heartstone was one possibility, but it was far too brittle for something like a sword handle.

Nathan let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry, Chief… we've wasted so much funding and time on a complete failure."

Ruby, after carefully inspecting the half-finished artifact, had to admit he was right. What they had attempted was simply impossible.

Too many runes drawn at once would always end in disaster. Pulling on multiple threads risked serious backlash, often injuring the subject—and, in some cases, the runes themselves lost effectiveness through overuse.

It was failure. Plain and simple.

Ruby exhaled, already preparing to suggest they recycle the material into something more practical. But before she could speak, a calm voice drifted from behind them.

"I think you can still make it work."

Every head turned. Adrian sat lazily in the chair, his brown eyes fixed on Ruby as though he had been waiting for this moment.

The redhead blinked at him, baffled. "But the overload—?"

Adrian smiled. "Then we'll just remove the second thread."

The room froze. Gasps echoed at once.

Skipping the second thread—and going straight to the third?!

"That's reckless," Nathan snapped, frowning deeply. "Without the second thread, the subject will have no stable connection. They'll be injured for sure."

Adrian chuckled under his breath. "That's what the conventional method says, yes. But is it really the truth?"

Skepticism clouded the room. Most of the researchers exchanged doubtful looks, convinced Adrian was speaking nonsense.

But one girl's gaze didn't waver.

Ruby.

Her eyes softened, a quiet resolve in them as she extended the sword handle toward him.

"Then show us the impossible… Teacher."

°°°°°°

A/N:- If you are enjoying the story so far, please leave a review.