The Runesmith

Roland paced nervously in the hallway, his mind racing with thoughts about what might happen next. The outcome of the hearing could have far-reaching consequences not only for Viola but also for Lucienne and even Roland himself. The mages inside were deliberating, and the tension hung in the air.

“Are they still in there? It's been an hour already. They must really not be sure about what to do if it's taken this long.”

Arion joined him outside; though not a part of the judges, he could sense that something was amiss. Typically, decisions in matters like these were made swiftly. It was apparent that these old mages hesitated, likely reluctant to offend the nobles. However, the rules were clear - Viola Castellane needed to be punished.

‘I can’t imagine the punishment being too great but perhaps Thorne will use it as an example to deter other nobles from doing the same, at least that seemed to be his main goal…’

Soon enough the heavy doors of the hearing chamber finally creaked open, revealing the five judges. It was time for all the involved to return as a verdict had been made. Roland looked at the five trying to figure out the decision by their facial expressions. Thorne seemed stoic, Rathos contemplative, and Delauder unhappy.

“After careful consideration of the evidence presented and the testimonies provided, we have reached a decision,”

Thorne announced, breaking the tense silence after everyone had returned to the hearing chamber. Roland held his breath, awaiting the verdict that would determine not just Viola's fate but the course of his sister's future at the Institute. Lucienne stood next to him in an environment seemingly against her, while Viola huddled with all the other students and her knight.

“Lady Viola Castellane, based on the evidence and testimonies, you are found guilty of orchestrating an unauthorized expedition, endangering the lives of fellow students, and engaging in reprehensible behavior, not befitting of a student of the Xandar’s Institute of Wizardry…”

A sense of relief washed over Roland as Thorne delivered the verdict. Lucienne was quite shocked by the one-sidedness of it, and Viola could not comprehend what she was hearing. She was stunned by the words the Enforcement Head was speaking, unable to grasp the situation.

“No this must be some kind of mistake, I didn’t do anything wrong…”

“Lady Castellane, please don’t interrupt, if you continue speaking, your punishment will be heightened. Now… where was I?

Viola stood up in protest but soon found her legs going weak. She wasn’t taking the harsh tone or words lightly but the consequences for her actions weren’t as harsh as Roland hoped for.

“As a consequence of your actions, Lady Viola, you are hereby suspended from attending classes for the next two months. This suspension will serve as a period of reflection and rehabilitation. Further, a formal apology is expected to be issued to Lady Lucienne Arden for the emotional distress caused along with a monetary compensation of a thousand gold coins. If you are unable to pay the monetary price, the suspension will be extended and merit points will be used instead…”

In summary, the extensive verdict concluded that Viola had to pay restitution or work using merit points. She could achieve this by taking on various tasks within the institute, working outside or just paying it off. Elythaes, her knight, was prohibited from attending the Institute as Viola's guard, and the other students received a few weeks of suspension.

‘A thousand gold coins is nothing for a noble house like that, she won’t have to work for it for even a minute…’

Roland expected Viola to receive somewhat of a slap on the wrist, so he wasn't too surprised by the lenient verdict. He acknowledged that if it were a commoner who had done such a thing to a noble, they would likely have been expelled instantly. The two months away from the Institute amounted to nothing more than a free vacation. After that period, people would likely stop talking about the incident, and it would eventually be forgotten. However, he wasn’t so sure if Viola would ever forget this disgrace.

As the weight of the verdict settled in, Viola's expression shifted from shock to anger. She glared at Lucienne, who stood quietly beside Roland and perhaps realized that her actions had not only failed to break Lucienne but also led to her honor being tarnished. Thorne continued, addressing the other students involved in the unauthorized expedition. Each received varying degrees of punishment, ranging from suspensions to community service within the Institute.

‘It would be good if things ended at this but…’

It was evident that this young Lady was angered, and it wouldn't be surprising if she used those two months to plan her revenge. Roland, who had been the deciding factor in this whole hearing, would likely be on her radar, possibly a higher priority than Lucienne, who had finally managed to stand up to her. Despite being a baron house, they were still a noble house. The thing nobles detested the most was a tarnished reputation, and perhaps their parents could come to some type of deal now that the truth was out.

'Wentworth Arden, he should have some friends in the royal military... I'm not sure if even the Castellanes can offend him that easily, that is if he cares enough to pull some strings...'

Lucienne, who had just been through a lot, chose to position herself behind him, seeking refuge from Viola's death glare. Wentworth was her father, and he should be the one protecting her, not Roland, who had arrived here by accident. In Roland's mind, his father was a failure in terms of raising children, and it was something he hoped to never become if he ever had children of his own.

“Don’t worry, she won’t be bothering you for a while…”

Lucienne nodded as the hearing concluded, and the students began to disperse. While the verdict had been delivered, they still had some time to gather their belongings before leaving for their suspension. The only person who had been outright expelled from the Institute was Viola's guard dog, the Magic Swordsman. He along with Viola were being escorted out by the same enforcers that had previously removed their bindings and the two that helped safeguard his sisters appeared to escort her away. She looked a bit apprehensive and for some reason looked to him for confirmation.

“It’s okay, they will just lead you back to your dorm room.”

Lucienne offered a small, grateful smile, her eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and exhaustion. Roland observed as Viola, with her head held high but anger burning in her eyes, was escorted out of the hearing chamber. Thorne gave him a nod, and previously they had agreed to meet up later. However, once outside the hearing chamber, he encountered his friend Elythaes, who appeared to be waiting to give him a warning which was obviously a threat.

“I don’t know who you think you are but remember, a Baskerville never forgets a debt, and we never forgive those who interfere with the Castellane name.”

Elythaes’ words carried a menacing undertone, and his eyes bore into Roland’s visor, signaling a potential conflict in the future. Roland, however, maintained his composure, meeting the Baskerville Knight's gaze without flinching.

“Spoken like a true guard dog but you should be careful, that misguided loyalty could bring about your downfall.”

“Hah, I don’t know where that bravado comes from but it might serve you well to remember that I am not just a guard dog. I am a Baskerville, and we have ways of dealing with those who cross us.”

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“Just as you dealt with me on the training ground? If that's what a Baskerville is, then I don't have anything to worry about. Now, vacate the premises as you were instructed... otherwise…”

Roland turned it up a notch as he attempted to intimidate the knight back. He knew there was no way of going back now, and these people were his enemies. It was better to at least make it clear that he wouldn't be an easy target.

“You…”

Elythaes snorted in response, clearly dissatisfied with Roland's words. Without another word, he finally turned away to walk back to Viola's side. Arion, who wasn't far behind, overheard the conversation and quickly voiced his opinion.

“What a buffoon, he dares to threaten a member of the faculty?”

“It was a warning”

He responded while thinking some other things

‘I’ll have to be careful, once outside the Institute I could be targeted…’

“How barbaric, we need to keep such people away from this Institute!”

Roland believed that he shouldn't worry too much about getting in trouble while inside the institute, but when he finished his research, what he did here could lead to some trouble. He was sure that both the Baskerville knights and Castellane would probably try to dig up his past. It was even possible that they could make a connection to Arthur and Albrook, but that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. If his connection to a duke household was revealed, it might shield him from further harm.

“We probably should.”

“Is something wrong? You seem to be concerned about something?”

Roland paused for a moment and Arion caught the change in his tone. There was one thing that he was still worrying about and it didn’t concern Albrook.

“Is it that obvious, where were the student dorms again?”

“The student dormitory? It’s not far from here.”

Arion raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by Roland's sudden change of topic. However, he decided not to press the matter and simply pointed in the direction of the student dormitories.

“It's that way, just follow the main path, and you'll find it easily. Why do you ask?”

“Just wanted to make sure I know where it is. Thanks, Arion.”

“No problem, if we are on the topic let me teach you the guiding charm spell.”

Arion floated up and the bracelet that was on his tail started glowing. It was quite an easy spell to follow and it produced a little guiding path that looked like fireflies. They were attuned to Roland so he didn’t even have to focus on the mana.

“The institute has already been marked by guiding spells, you just need to know where you want to go when using the spell~”

“...”

“Is something wrong?”

“No… it’s nothing…”

Roland desired nothing more than to administer a smack to the cat for keeping the spell from him. All he needed was to replicate the runic code embedded in the bracelet, enabling him to promptly use it with his armor. This spell could have helped him not get lost so many times but now was somewhat pointless after he managed to reconfigure his mapping sensors. Nevertheless, he took his time to copy the runic structures from the bracelet Arion was using. It was quite a powerful artifact with many compact runes that were much smaller than his and were at this point above his capabilities.

“Well then, I’ll see you later, and don’t forget about that lecture in a few days, I don’t think that devil will forget about it.”

After nodding at Arion, Roland proceeded towards the student dorm. On his way out, he also noticed Thorne, who was encircled by various other faculty members. It appeared that some department heads were inquiring about the hearing and the consequences for a high noble. The Institute would likely be in turmoil for a while, but fortunately, the nobility couldn't take substantial action due to the protection afforded by the royal family.

His concerns were not focused on the institute but on his sister, who needed some internal protection. He had a partial understanding of the workings within the school. It was conceivable that other students around Lucienne's age might resume bullying. This could be the opportune moment for them to display allegiance to the Castellane estate. While uncertain of what might unfold, Roland believed it was prudent to minimize potential damage from the outset.

The trail of fireflies led him outside the main institute building. Much like every other aspect of the school, the dormitories were segregated by ranks. This division was comprehensive, with three distinct locations. The least impressive one was allocated to commoner mages, lacking any additional facilities such as a cafeteria.

The middle-tier dormitories accommodated individuals with less noble backgrounds, whereas the highest-tier dorms were exclusively reserved for the elite - the heirs and heiresses of the most prestigious mage families. Advancement in dormitory rank was possible, but only from the lowest to the middle tier. To reach the high-tier dormitories, one needed to possess a certain level of prestigious heritage. A student could also fall in rank after losing enough merit points and this was something that happened to his sister.

‘So this is it? Looks quite old and shabby…’

When he went through Lucienne’s records in the Enforcement Department it was stated that she was forced to move out of the middle-tier dormitories and come here. What was before him was a rather weathered building, showing signs of its age. The walls were adorned with ivy, and the overall structure exuded a sense of history. As Roland entered, he noticed the modesty of the common area, with a few worn-out sofas and tables scattered around. The atmosphere was subdued, and the sound of hushed conversations filled the air.

“They should really fix this hole.”

“Hah, like they will ever do that, this place never changes.”

Upon his arrival, he noticed the halfling and gnome duo examining some holes in the wooden walls that had been patched up with magic. It seemed someone had conjured plant matter that hardened in place. While it effectively sealed the holes, the appearance left much to be desired.

“Hey, isn’t that the newbie?”

“You shouldn’t say that.”

“Why not? He doesn't seem to mind?”

Roland approached the two, with the louder one being the gnome woman who seemed inclined to keep things casual. While he acknowledged that he was the newcomer, he held a certain superiority over the two by virtue of being an assistant professor and a tier 3 class holder. Typically, people would be hesitant to provoke someone with the ability to harm them with a mere flick of a finger.

“It’s fine.”

“See? I told you, If the old man thinks he can be trusted, then it must be true! I think an introduction is needed, you can call me Jona, and this ugly thing here is Nelan.”

“Who are you calling ugly with that face of yours?”

“Wayland.”

He just nodded back at the two who were bickering, it seemed that they were either good friends or lovers. However, he was not here to make new friends he needed to hand something to his sister.

“So, what do you need, Wayland?”

“The student you brought here, where can I find her?”

“She should be on the third floor, room number twenty-six.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, see ya back at the Department, we’ll probably have a lot more work to do from now on, can’t wait!”

The two walked out from the dorm, with Jona appearing content, likely deriving satisfaction from the drama surrounding the training facilitator incident. On the other hand, her friend Nelan seemed somewhat more irritated. Students around them continued to glance and whisper, indicating that news about the incident was likely spreading rapidly.

Roland headed towards the staircase, observing that the entire area had fallen silent. The students stared at his armored form with evident interest. Uncertain whether their fascination stemmed from fear of his appearance or the enforcer robe, Roland couldn't help but acknowledge that the inhabitants of the least favorable dormitory seemed adept at keeping to themselves. Not offending nobles was probably something they had trained themselves into doing to survive through their stay here.

Once he arrived on the third floor it was quite easy to locate the room with the twenty-six on it. The door was wide open and a loud voice was coming from within. It was a voice that he had heard before and it most likely belonged to the young lady that had visited Lucienne at the clinic area.

‘It’s the one with the fake status, does she also live here?’

Uncertain of the lady's identity, Roland harbored reservations about placing full trust in her. The fact that she could afford an expensive charm to conceal her status when she shouldn’t, was suspicious. Despite these suspicions, given her close friendship with his sister, Lucienne, Roland was inclined to let the matter be. His primary reason for being there was not to engage in arguments but rather to present Lucienne with a gift.

‘Now then… How do I go about this without looking like a creep?’

Roland was not known for being overly talkative, especially when it came to casual conversation. His presence in this particular context was somewhat unusual, going the extra mile to keep a watchful eye on Lucienne. Despite being around twenty-two years in this world, when he factored in the years from his original one, his true age was already over forty. Interacting with teenagers posed a challenge for him, making this encounter quite awkward. Given the choice, he would prefer facing both Emmerson and Elythaes in the battlefield rather than being forced into small talk.

‘I should get this over with…’

Nevertheless, he mustered the strength to confront the challenge. His hand reached for the wooden door, knocking a few times to announce his presence. Four sets of eyes turned toward him as he appeared in the doorframe. In addition to Margaret and Lucienne, two other young girls were in the room. A hushed silence instantly enveloped everyone upon seeing him, and a peculiar drawn-out stillness lingered in the air…

‘Starting out well…’