Chapter 493 – Not Playing Fair.

“So, tell me, what did you find?”

“Your Lordship, this is all the information our troops have been able to gather.”

Late at night, a few candlelights flickered, casting shadows over three men. One was Count Graham, seated behind his office desk. Next to him stood Grand Commander Leopold, ever vigilant, staring intently at the third man who was presenting some papers to the lord. It was immediately apparent that the Count was in a bad mood, and it was due to the thinness of the papers he was being given.

“Is this all you could gather on this man? I already know that he is a recent Professor, the rest doesn’t help with anything.”

Graham slammed his fist down on the table, causing it to rattle slightly. The papers contained information on the recent thorn in his side, Deputy Professor Wayland. While there was plenty of detail about his appearance at the Institute, the rest was quite vague. The only other connection they could make to his name, besides the Institute, was the Adventurers’ Guild. However, the records seemed fake and incomplete.

First, Wayland appeared somewhere in the region owned by the Valerian House, a place not easily accessible. Fortunately, guilds were required to keep records of adventurers, and those of Tier 3 and above had separate files. A man with the same name surfaced in a town called Albrook, but aside from confirming his name and his involvement with the local lord, there was little else.

There was a possibility that he was connected with a man named Arthur Valerian. However, Graham wondered if this was all just a ruse. Would a Knight Commander from the other side of the Kingdom suddenly appear here without his lord? It was more probable that the two weren’t related and that the Wayland from the Institute was just a cover. Perhaps the powerful mage was using this alias to obscure his true origins.

“This man could be dangerous… If he has someone willing to alter the records this much. Perhaps this Wayland was hired by someone to aid one of Valerian’s sons to destabilize the region? But what would they gain from that? ”

Many theories floated through Graham’s mind as he tried to connect the dots. There wasn’t much information, and the man was even rumored to be a runesmith, which made no sense. That story was probably a lie, and Wayland had likely been placed in Albrook for some specific reason. If his purpose was to destabilize the Valerian household, it was possible that the royal family had sent him. His connection to the Arch-Mage couldn’t be ignored either; perhaps she had finally decided to abandon her neutrality.

‘Could it be about the young lass? She’s a clairvoyant, possibly on her way to becoming an oracle when she’s older. Are they just trying to curry favor because of her potential?’

Graham wasn’t sure what to think; the motivations behind these people’s movements were baffling. Perhaps it would have been wiser to give in when he had the chance, but now things had gotten out of hand. He could no longer retreat from this battle, as other nobles would see him as weak. Even though he might offend the Arch-Mage, there were others who disliked her and could become potential allies.

“What about that workshop? I don’t see any mention of what they’re doing in there, just a list of names…”

“W-we weren’t able to proceed, my lord. The magical defenses around it are too robust for our mages.”

“Why am I paying those ingrates if their magic is useless!”

Graham shouted, throwing the report at the man standing before him in a fit of rage. The uncertainty of what was happening inside that temporary workshop was driving him mad. They were planning something, and he didn’t like it one bit. If, for some reason, his knight lost to the young Arden boy, he would become a laughingstock. The first noble to lose in a combat trial since many centuries. Eventually, the man was dismissed, leaving Graham alone with Leopold.

“Leopold.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“I want you to personally train that knight, use all the means at our disposal… even if that means you have to use ‘that’”

“By ‘that’ do you mean?”

“Yes. Go to the vault and pick up ones that will compliment our Knight, just make sure that it’s not too obvious.”

The Grand Commander just nodded as he understood the assignment. Soon he made his way out of Count Graham’s office and headed to the vault deep within the manor. It was a place few were allowed to enter, containing ancient artifacts and enchanted items collected over generations by the Graham family. The vault’s entrance was protected by a complex array of runes, ensuring that only those with the proper authority could access its contents.

Leopold approached the door, pressing his hand against the cold stone. The runes flared to life, recognizing his presence and slowly dissolving the initial barrier. The whole place continued to rumble as thick slabs of metal slid to the side to reveal a long corridor filled with traps. None of them activated and soon Leopold arrived at the last door that would lead him inside.

Once there, he could feel the air thick with the weight of magical energy. Shelves lined the walls, each filled with various relics, some shimmering with latent power, others dormant but no less dangerous. His eyes scanned the collection until they settled on a particular set of items. These were not the most powerful artifacts in the vault, but they were perfect for the task at hand. He approached and picked one of them up, a crimson red gem similar to a ruby but containing strange and forbidden power.

There were many of these crystals here, all of varying shapes and sizes. The Grand Commander looked at the labels on the shelves and used them as a guide. The stones pulsed faintly with a dark-red, internal light, emanating a power that seemed to twist the soul. It was considered a taboo thing but if his lord ordered it, he would comply, that was his knightly duty.

He placed the gem in a small, ornately carved box, lined with protective runes to contain its energy. With the treasure sealed and ready, he returned to the manor. The trial was fast approaching, and his knight needed to absorb the power of this gift from the lord. Once that was accomplished, with some guidance and training, victory was assured. There was no doubt in his mind that Robert Arden would die.

*****

Back at Roland’s temporary workshop, the atmosphere was tense but focused. The team had begun work on the exoskeleton framework, with the dwarves meticulously forging each piece under Bernir’s supervision. The sound of hammers striking metal filled the air, intertwined with the hum of mana as Arion adjusted the runic components.

Roland moved between workstations, his mind constantly processing and recalculating. Every piece had to fit perfectly, every rune had to be aligned with absolute precision. There was no room for error, not with Robert’s life hanging in the balance. As he worked, his thoughts occasionally drifted to the Count. He knew that Graham would stop at nothing to ensure his knight’s victory, which meant that Robert would be facing more than just a man in combat – he would be up against the entire Graham estate’s resources.

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But Roland had his own secret weapon: the prototype suit. If everything went according to plan, it would tip the scales in Robert’s favor. However, much work remained, and dangers loomed on the horizon. Revealing his creation would likely make him a target. Initially, people might dismiss the rumors, but eventually, the power armor prototype could attract significant trouble to his doorstep

‘I’ll cross that bridge when the time comes. If I’m lucky, they’ll just see it as a new type of artifact that isn’t practical for military use. This should give me some time to prepare. Fortunately, there’s no internet here, so word will travel slowly. And Graham will likely avoid leaving any records of his loss…’

Roland was making several assumptions to buy himself some time. He knew that powerful armors capable of enhancing strength would be highly sought after by the nobility to bolster their armies. However, one prototype alone wouldn’t be enough to attract serious attention. Only once he had developed a full-fledged squadron of Runic Power Armor users and presented them to the world would they be taken seriously. Rumors would start but only once this project was fully launched in Albrook, would he truly attract unwanted attention.