Chapter 509 – Goodnight.

“Thank you for the update, Professor Arion. I’ll have to speak with Headmistress Arvandus myself, won’t I?”

“That would be for the best, Professor Wayland. But tread carefully my friend, this situation is highly unusual.”

Roland sighed, glancing at the monitor where Arion’s concerned face hovered. He had just received word that the Xandar Institute leader wanted to chat with him. She hadn’t given a deadline, but it was implied that if he didn’t show up at her office, Bernir wouldn’t be returning to Albrook. He hadn’t anticipated this development when he formulated his plan, as the woman had always remained passive regarding his decisions. It seemed he had pushed his luck too far with his last adventure. But it also raised the question: why hadn’t she contacted him directly earlier?

‘Could there be a limit to her abilities?’

He recalled the one time she had intervened in his affairs. Yavenna had protected him from the other tier 4 class holder in the nearby dungeon. Considering that, the De Vere estate might have been simply too far away for her plant-based magic to reach. Perhaps she could only influence a limited area around where she resided – likely connected to her mage tower, which resembled a giant tree. He had examined it before and concluded that the roots extended in all directions, spreading far beyond the institute’s premises. Perhaps this was her territory, and it had boundaries.

It was similar to his situation in Albrook, where he had been spreading runic cabling. In theory, just like modern technology, there would be no limit to how far these cables could extend, and as long as they existed, they would be under his direct control. However, this could not happen in the near future, as it would require a colossal investment of both time and resources – neither of which he currently possessed. If his theory was correct, then he was safe here in Albrook from the woman’s influence. Even a tier 4 class holder had their limits.

“I see… I need to take care of a few things here first, could you keep an eye on Bernir for me, until then?”

“Of course, my friend. Don’t worry, I’ll arrange a temporary badge for him and some lodgings, he’ll be safe here.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem! You’ve already opened my eyes to the possibilities of runes, my friend. This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me!”

Arion chuckled as he replied. He had been nothing but cheerful since Roland arrived at his doorstep. Thanks to Roland’s influence, Arion had been exposed to innovations like the Runic Power Armor and new ways to make his lectures more engaging for the young mages.

Roland exhaled deeply as he ended the conversation with Arion. Despite the reassurances, the weight of the unknown still pressed heavily on him. His assistant, Bernir, being detained at the Institute by Headmistress Arvandus was not something he could dismiss lightly. He had expected some consequences after the incident at the De Vere estate, but this was an unforeseen complication.

After everything that had transpired, Roland had hoped for some time to regroup, focus on his projects, and help his brother and Lucille adjust to their new lives. But now, the headmistress had other plans. If she wanted an explanation, she would get one, but Roland knew he had to tread carefully. She was connected to his father, and returning to the Institute might result in him being captured or even held hostage. Despite his recent advancements in his inventions, there was no way he could take on a tier 4 class holder in combat.

‘There’s no way I’ll be able to escape that tower once I’m inside… Should I just take Bernir and flee?’

He started weighing his options. One plan involved going to the Institute, retrieving Bernir, and making a quick escape. While Roland considered himself a competent fighter, the Institute housed far more mages than the small tower he had previously broken into. Taking control of the teleportation gate this time would be far more difficult. Fleeing with his glider was another possibility, but even if he managed to slip past the barrier, Yavenna’s influence likely stretched far, perhaps reaching towns days away. The other mages were capable of flight as well; it was only a matter of time before he’d be chased down and caught.

The whole situation seemed impossible. But then again, the headmistress had been lenient with him before – perhaps he was simply overthinking it. Roland’s mind raced through possibilities, each more dangerous than the last. He couldn’t afford to wait too long; Bernir’s life could be in jeopardy. He had undoubtedly offended some mages within the Institute, and once they discovered who Bernir was, they might seek revenge through him. And, of course, the Headmistress wouldn’t wait forever for a response. However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the warm nudge of a nose at the back of his head.

“Worf?”

“Ah… I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

It was Agni, his wolf companion, whom he hadn’t seen in a while. Agni rested his muzzle on Roland’s shoulder, whimpering softly. Roland couldn’t help but reach up to pet him on the head, realizing his loyal wolf was simply trying to cheer him up. Despite the bind he was in, there was no use worrying about it now. All he could do was plan carefully and hope for the best, as he always did.

“Thanks, Agni. Let’s head up – I do need some rest to clear my mind.”

Before turning to leave, Roland called out to Sebastian, his AI. His creation had been steadily evolving, becoming something more sophisticated. Its speech patterns had been upgraded to accept more complex commands, but Roland still needed time to fully analyze this latest iteration. The artificial spirit had developed a degree of autonomy, and Roland needed to ensure he could properly control it before releasing it into the runic network. Coming from a world that feared rogue AIs running amok, he wanted to proceed cautiously.

“Sebastian, notify me if Arion tries to contact me, and keep watch over the city. Follow the procedures I’ve outlined for you and notify me immediately if you detect any anomalies.”

“Yes, Master.”

Sebastian replied using a cold text-to-speech-like voice that he intended to fix later. The glowing orb of light hovered close for a moment before drifting off to another part of the workshop. Despite the appearance, Sebastian’s true form was the deeper within the workshop and this was nothing more than a form that was easier to converse with. He fashioned him in such a way so that people like Bernir and Elodia would be able to converse with the runic computer whenever they wished.

Agni padded beside Roland but it proved a problem to get him into the elevator again. His size had already become a problem and perhaps he could use some of his spatial runes to alleviate the problem. Within the institute, there were many rooms affected by dimensional magic. Even the main institute was under such a spell, creating a vast larger interior than the exterior of the building. He could probably do the same with the elevator here, which would save up a lot of money as he wouldn’t need to renovate.

“First, I’ll have to get Bernir back… Now get in there, Agni, we need to go up.”

“Woof!”

Roland pushed his overgrown wolf into the elevator and opted to take the emergency stairs instead. It was a hassle, especially since he was already tired, but he was larger than his wife and would have trouble fitting in the elevator with Agni. While going up his mind raced with probabilities for the future. When he reached the top floor, he exited through the secondary workshop, which belonged to his assistant.

“Dyana must be home…”

He muttered, noticing the absence of Bernir’s wife. He had intended to mention why Bernir wasn’t around, but neither she nor their child was there. The couple often brought their son to the workshop, and Roland recalled Bernir asking him to craft a special sound-blocking device. It was designed to block out the noise from the outside but allow sounds from inside to escape. They used it for the crib that Roland now looked at. The child could sleep peacefully, undisturbed by the clanging and hammering of the workshop. However, if the baby started crying, the device would ensure the parents were instantly alerted.

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Roland had even designed a small bracelet to fit around the child’s wrist, crafted from a special elastic metallic polymer-alloy. It utilized a faint amount of mana to monitor the child’s vital signs. If anything were to happen, the parents would be alerted, even if the sounds of the child’s cries didn’t reach them. The bracelet could also notify them if the child woke up, even if he didn’t start calling out or crying. This technology was designed by him to monitor prisoners but it worked fine with children as well.

After looking around, he decided to leave and fetch Agni, who had gotten stuck again. After a few tugs, he managed to wrestle him free from the confines of the elevator. It had been bent in a few places but was still in working order.

The sight of his windmills and home brought him some joy. He had been away for so long, and now, seeing the familiar windmills turning gently in the breeze above his house, the tension eased slightly. It reminded him of the good old days when it was just him, his wolf pup, and his starry-eyed assistant. Those were simpler times, which he occasionally longed for, though he wouldn’t trade them for everything he had since accomplished.

One of the biggest reasons he no longer dwelled on his past was the woman who opened the door to his home. There she was, his wife, waving him over in an awkward manner. She seemed troubled and in need of his help. He often found himself thinking about her while out on his adventures – something he wished to limit in the future, though he knew it would be difficult to follow through.

One realization from his latest escapade was that he was still lacking. Tier 3 wasn’t as powerful as he had once believed, and there was still another mountain to climb. Even then, he could never allow himself to relax, always striving for more. After safely bringing Bernir back from the institute, he needed to shift his focus. Though Arthur’s power base was growing quickly, it still wasn’t enough.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yes, I think you’ll have to carry them to their room. They’re a lot more tired than I expected,”