Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Adrian had no way to warn Ariana about the ambush beforehand. What could he have possibly told her—my past life told me? Definitely not.

But now, he had a source. Sylvie.

He relayed to them what she had overheard, adding his own speculations.

"I knew they'd strike again," Ariana muttered, brows furrowed. "But to think they'd target an event where so many important figures will be present… they're being bold."

Ruby crossed her arms. "Their aim has always been to stir distrust between the public and the Towers. Since the Tower is hosting this event, it's the perfect chance for them."

Adrian nodded. "Not to mention, they've got a personal grudge against Ariana and me. They failed last time, and for so many strong Acolytes to work together only to lose… yeah, they must be frustrated."

Juggler and Bishop—two of the cult's core members—had reported directly to the higher-ups. Losing to a handful of schoolteachers must have been a serious blow to their pride.

"We can't inform the authorities now…" Ariana muttered under her breath.

Ruby glanced at her. "Hmm? But why?"

Ariana sighed. "Didn't you hear? The person Sylvie overheard is from Blackthorn Academy. Those Acolytes have members everywhere—maybe even in the management. If they realize we know about the ambush, they'll just change their plan."

Adrian added, "And to report the ambush, we'd have to reveal our source. I don't want Sylvie's name getting dragged into this."

Ruby fell silent. They were right—trusting the wrong person could backfire, and making too much noise might spark something even more dangerous.

After a short pause, Adrian turned to Ariana. "I have a plan… but I'll need to involve Elana."

Ariana's brows drew together. "Why her?"

Adrian laid out his theory. "The man said, 'Isolate her.' Isolate a girl to bait me… If I'm guessing right, the only time they could pull that off is during the match. And in our team, I think Elana might be the target."

"Are you close to her?" Ruby asked, her brows knitting.

"His favorite student," Ariana scoffed.

Adrian's expression went flat. "Is that really important right now?" He exhaled sharply and turned back to Ruby. "How many troops do you have under your command?"

Ruby thought for a moment before answering. "I can bring fifty elite warriors—untraceable, skilled in rescue operations."

"Good," Adrian said with a nod. "Call them. Have them arrive only on the day of the battle. And make sure they stay away from Hereth."

Hereth—the nearest town to the venue. The same place where they had gone on a date just yesterday.

Ariana frowned. "You suspect something?"

"Maybe I'm being paranoid," Adrian admitted, "but I felt eyes on me there. Better cautious than sorry."

Ruby nodded. "Understood. I'll write to them tonight and send the message through the secure line."

Adrian turned to his fiancée. "Just act natural, Ariana. Many eyes are on you. You're one of their targets, so be cautious of anyone who isn't in this room."

Ariana's lips curved in a faint smile. "No need to worry about me. I keep my eyes open at all times."

Adrian moved on, outlining the plan in detail. He had pieced it together over dinner, considering every step he'd need to take to keep his students—and as many innocents as possible—safe.

The main goal: remove the core members of the enemy group. If they slipped away, they'd become like wounded beasts—dangerous, desperate, and unpredictable. Failure would mean even the cult might abandon them… and that would only fuel their hunger for revenge against him and the others.

Adrian had no intention of letting them walk away this time.

"This is… a very dangerous plan," Ruby muttered, her gaze sharpening. "You do realize you're talking about letting yourself get cornered by them, right?"

Adrian sighed, pulling a revolver from his coat and showing it to them. "As long as I have this, I can escape any situation."

And there was always the staff—his ace in the hole—for teleportation if things went south.

"But still, Adrian, let me come with you," Ariana pressed. "This is too dangerous."

He hesitated. The only reason he'd planned to go alone was because he intended to use independent magic. But Ariana already knew his secret, so… "Alright. We'll decide based on the situation, okay?"

Ariana didn't answer. Her eyes already carried the silent promise—she would be with him.

After a brief pause, Adrian leaned back in his chair and asked, "Ruby, do you have time? I need to make a few artifacts using your element."

Ruby blinked at the sudden request, then gave a small nod. "I don't have anything scheduled tomorrow."

"Good," Adrian said as he stood up. "Let me grab the supplies."

He vanished from the spot, reappearing an instant later with a small sack slung over one shoulder and a set of carefully arranged tools in his hands.

"This will take a while," he admitted, setting them down on the table. "So… let's do five today and five tomorrow."

Ariana tilted her head, a note of curiosity in her voice. "Who told you to make so many artifacts?"

Adrian began sorting through the tools as he replied, "The same person who gave me that artifact… and the golem. Truth be told, I've been taking advantage of her kindness for a while now. She always asks for small, harmless things in return for artifacts that are worth a fortune. But this time…" He exhaled, almost reluctantly. "…this time, she asked for something real."

The truth was, he felt like he'd been leeching off Forgelet for far too long. Her artifacts and weapons had saved his life on more occasions than he could count. And now that she had finally asked for his help, he'd made her wait far longer than he should have. The guilt sat heavy in his chest.

"Another rival?" Ariana murmured, her tone light but her eyes sharp as she glanced at Ruby.

Ruby froze, her gaze flicking toward Adrian with a silent, questioning look.

Adrian didn't bother looking up. Instead, he rolled his eyes and began arranging the materials in a neat row. "I need silence for now."

He needed to build the artifacts first before he would need Ruby's help in inscribing the runes on them.

The room went quiet except for the soft clink of metal and the faint crackle of Ruby's elemental energy beginning to stir. Outside, the rain kept falling, its steady rhythm like a drumbeat to the quiet tension lingering between the three of them.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you are enjoying the story so far, consider dropping a review