Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 444 - 443- Ambush and romance

"His presence just vanished," an Acolyte reported, head bowed so low his hood brushed his chest.

Abraham hummed softly, his gaze fixed on the silhouette of the distant castle. Pale moonlight clung to its spires like frost.

"He teleported away, I assume?" he asked, fingers interlaced behind his back.

"There is no other explanation," the Acolyte replied. "One moment his signature was steady. The next—gone. If he is still alive, teleportation is the only method that fits."

An Acolyte had been assigned solely to Adrian. Not to watch, not to intervene—only to track.

Days ago, when Adrian had left the Academy alongside the first-ranked Warden, the tracking mark had been planted. A delicate weave of magic, invisible and persistent, allowing the caster to pinpoint Adrian’s exact location so long as he remained within range. Until moments ago, that mark had burned steadily.

And then it had gone cold.

Abraham let out a quiet chuckle, dry and humorless. "How unfortunate. I was looking forward to crushing that maggot with my own hands." His eyes narrowed. "Still... he must live. At least for now. Our future demands it."

The delay had irritated him. Waiting until Adrian departed before moving against the Academy felt like unnecessary restraint. Yet Adrian’s blood—his lineage—made him an unpredictable variable. Better to strike when that variable was far away.

Footsteps crunched softly behind him.

Another Acolyte stepped forward, his cloak dyed crimson instead of the standard black. He stopped a pace away and bowed. "Shall we begin, Commander?"

Abraham lifted his gaze to the moon, watching thin clouds crawl across it like dying creatures. Then he nodded once.

"Commence."

The red-cloaked Acolyte thrust his hand skyward. A pulse of mana erupted from his palm, condensing into a blazing sigil before shooting into the air like a dying star. It detonated silently above the treeline, bathing the surroundings in a sickly crimson glow.

Alarm bells rang immediately.

Guards patrolling the perimeter froze for half a heartbeat before sprinting toward the beacon, boots tearing up soil, weapons snapping into their hands. Steel rang as blades were drawn, shields locked into place.

Then the night screamed.

Spells tore through the darkness from every direction—firebolts, shards of condensed wind, lances of corrupted mana. The first guard barely had time to raise his shield before it exploded into splinters, the shockwave snapping his neck backward with a wet crack.

"Take cover!" someone shouted, voice already breaking.

The remaining soldiers slammed together instinctively, backs pressed tight, shields overlapping as magic battered them relentlessly. Heat scorched their faces. The ground split beneath their feet. Trees ignited, sap boiling as trunks burst apart. The air itself grew heavy, buzzing violently with raw mana.

They endured.

Barely.

Just as the barrage faltered and hope flickered—

Something enormous moved through the smoke.

A massive green hand burst through the haze and wrapped around a soldier’s torso, fingers sinking deep into flesh and armor alike. Bones shattered with a sound like snapping branches. The man screamed once before the sound was cut short, blood spraying from his mouth as he was lifted off the ground like a toy.

"I-It’s an orc!" another soldier cried in terror.

Desperation overrode training. A wind blade screamed through the air and slammed into the monster’s chest, carving a shallow gash that barely slowed it.

The orc snarled.

Its grip tightened.

There was a sickening crunch as ribs collapsed inward, organs rupturing under impossible pressure. Blood poured down the creature’s arm as it casually tossed the corpse aside. The body hit the ground in a boneless heap, armor caved inward, crimson pooling beneath it.

The remaining soldiers staggered back, legs shaking, breath ragged.

Then—

A flash.

A razor-thin wind slash cleaved through the orc’s left arm at the shoulder. The limb spun away, trailing blood, before hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The monster roared, stumbling back, blackened blood gushing from the wound as it clawed at empty air.

Footsteps crunched calmly through the chaos.

A man emerged from the smoke, greatsword resting in his grip. His presence alone seemed to push the madness back, the air around him stabilizing.

"It’s the Captain!"

Relief crashed through the soldiers like a wave. Some nearly collapsed where they stood.

The white-haired commander advanced without haste, silver armor reflecting firelight. His blade dragged along the earth, carving a deep scar into the soil as mana gathered around him, sharp and focused.

The orc glared at him, hatred and pain burning in its eyes.

It took one step forward.

Then the Captain vanished.

The soldiers barely tracked the movement—only the sound.

Slash. Slash.

The air screamed as multiple cuts landed in the same instant, pressure ripping through space itself. The commander reappeared behind the orc, landing silently, blade dripping with thick, dark blood.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then—

The orc collapsed.

Not whole.

Its massive body broke apart mid-fall, severed into cleanly cut sections that hit the ground one after another, shaking the earth. Blood spilled everywhere, steaming as it soaked into the dirt.

The white-haired man turned his head slightly. "Go," he said calmly. "Inform the Headmistress."

His gaze shifted forward, eyes hardening as he sensed it—something vast, oppressive, crawling closer through the darkness. A presence that dwarfed the monster he had just reduced to pieces.

"We are under attack."

.....

With Raven resting quietly in his arms, Adrian gazed at the paintings she had created during the long years of waiting. Each brushstroke carried time, longing, and a devotion that words could never fully hold. The face she had painted might not have been his exactly, yet the soul beneath it was unmistakably familiar.

"Avirin was more handsome than me, wasn’t he?" Adrian asked lightly, his arms tightening around her waist as if to anchor himself there.

Querella let out a slow sigh. "How am I supposed to answer that?" she said, a faint smile touching her lips. "To me... you both look the same."

He hummed, leaning closer. "The same how?" he murmured near her ear, his breath warm and teasing against her skin. "Plain? Charming? Or dangerously irresistible?"

She turned to face him, her expression soft but thoughtful. "Did you talk to Annabelle and Ariana... about me?"

Adrian tilted his head. "I did," he admitted. "But you probably don’t want to hear about their reactions."

Concern flickered across her eyes. "Were they upset?" she asked quietly. "You shouldn’t have come here right now. You should be focusing on them."

A soft chuckle left him. "And why would that be?" he asked. "Do you think you matter any less to me?"

Raven lowered her gaze, sighing. "It’s not that," she said gently. "I just want you to sort things out there first. I don’t want you standing before me while your mind is weighed down by what they might be feeling."

Adrian lifted her face with his hand, thumb brushing tenderly along her cheek. His eyes softened as he smiled. "So... this Queen demands my undivided attention?"

She shrugged lightly. "Of course I do," she replied. "Even if you have others in your life, when you’re with someone, truly be with them. Don’t let your thoughts wander... or you’ll end up hurting hearts without meaning to."

He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. "Lesson learned," he whispered. "And don’t worry—right now, my body, my mind, and my soul are all with you."

Querella giggled as she snuggled in his chest, feeling his warmth steadying her heart.

Adrian then informed her, "I told them about you and us. Ariana was slightly upset but what surprised was Annabelle."

"Did she run away?" Querella asked in concern as she looked up at him.

Adrian shook his head, "I was expecting the same but surprisingly she said she expected this."

Querella hummed, silently urging him to continue.

Adrian sighed and said, "She said the only person in front of whole Avirin wasn’t a guardian, a Runesmith or a legend was you. That’s why, she didn’t seem upset that I got together with you."

A strange sense of elation filled her heart hearing Annabelle acknowledging their relationship.

She remembered Avirin often mentioning his idiot and things about her which clearly signified how much he adored her.

Leaving the girl behind wasn’t an easy decision for him, but he had to.

However, things were better now. Adrian can stay with both Querella and Annabelle.

"Maybe she won’t bite me now when I would meet her." Querella said, with a little smile.

Adrian chuckled, "I am not very hopeful. But yes, I will bring you to meet the others."

Cupping her cheeks, the man said, "But for now, focus on just me. I missed you, Querella." He planted his lips on her forehead.

A sigh of warmth seeped through her lips as she mumbled, "Words can’t describe how much I wanted to see you, more so after I realized you remember everything about us."

Adrian smiled at her and said, "Now, I am here and I am not going anywhere at least for these twenty-four hours."

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- This is a major point in story where the groundwork of the final arc would be laid. We are about a hundred Chapters away from seeing an end.