Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 497 - 496- Origin

"Darling is famous... isn’t he?" Annabelle sighed, a mix of frustration and admiration in her voice, as she watched Adrian get ambushed by a group of enthusiastic Runesmiths who looked more than eager to introduce themselves to him.

It was like they had been waiting for him the entire time and the moment they caught a glimpse, they all rushed towards him like bees to nectar.

Ariana chuckled. "Well, if they could overlook even you, then surely they’re either crazy about his work or about him."

The two ladies were standing in the resting hall, arranged by Clark for those he had invited and considered a special presence at the exhibition.

Ruby had stepped away to meet a few of her father’s friends and colleagues.

She had grown used to introducing herself on behalf of the Patriarch, something Ariana genuinely admired about her.

Her calmness, the fluent way she kept conversations flowing, it all showed how naturally she had adapted to her new role.

Apart from being the leading heiress of the Vermillion Clan, she was now a Tower Master as well.

"I can never be her..." Ariana murmured under her breath, reminded once again of how terrible she was at handling diplomatic matters.

Annabelle huffed before finally tearing her eyes away from the crowd. "Should I find us something to eat? I’m sure they must have prepared some snacks..." She was getting hungry, and more than that, she needed something to keep her mind off her Darling.

Just then, someone approached them, holding a tray filled with food.

"Here you go, my lady."

Annabelle blinked in surprise. "Tiffany?"

Ariana hummed in curiosity as she studied the server standing before them.

Slightly dark skin, short light green hair, a pair of violet eyes, and a woman Ariana had never seen before.

The woman, Tiffany, wore a graceful smile as she spoke. "It’s good to see you in good health, my Queen."

The way she addressed Annabelle made Ariana’s eyes narrow slightly as she ventured, "You’re... a member of the Umbral?"

The green-haired woman let out a light chuckle. "Correct guess, Lady Ariana. I am Tiffany, a member of the Second Wing."

Ariana had heard about the division Jean had devised. Each wing represented the order in which a member had joined, not their ranking in power.

Based on their contributions, they could be promoted to a higher wing.

Jean herself belonged to the First Wing. As such, this woman was either someone who worked directly under her or a member of that inner group.

"An important asset... here in Antonmine?" Ariana murmured. Though quiet, her words still reached the other two.

"We are scattered across different and important nations," Tiffany replied calmly, "so we can keep our eyes on every significant change happening in the world. Changes that could bring both good and bad."

Ariana hummed in understanding.

The Umbral had been extremely useful when it came to gathering intel and providing assistance when necessary. Jean had even sent her forces to protect the Runebound.

Annabelle then asked, "How many of you are here in Antonmine?"

Tiffany turned toward her queen, answering with a smile in her voice, clearly pleased by the question. "Thirteen of us are here, positioned around the venue where Borodicus Clark is about to exhibit his new creation."

Clark was a name that stood on the edge, from the Umbral’s perspective. Whatever he was planning could lead to both good and bad.

His name alone was so widely known that if he started selling mud under the guise of a natural beautifying product, thousands would buy it without question.

And when such a person declared that he was about to change the world for the better, it was only natural for the Umbral to keep a close eye on things.

Tiffany’s brows drew a little closer as she asked, "Do you suspect anything, my Queen?"

Annabelle crossed her arms before replying casually, "I can only say that once Darling assesses the situation. If he says the new creation works, then there’s no need to make things complicated."

Tiffany lowered her head in acknowledgment. "Understood. Then I will wait for your command."

... 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

On the other side, Adrian was deep in an engaging conversation with the runesmiths surrounding him.

"I can’t believe you created something like that, Sir Lockwood. I mean, who can tune runes onto a spoon?" asked a man whose name Adrian had failed to catch.

"Indeed. Even Sir Glaer had a hard time tuning a wand made of plain wood. It really shows that you’ve gained knowledge of runes deeper than any of us."

Adrian chuckled. "Well, you’re all exaggerating now."

"Not at all, Sir Lockwood," the third man said, shaking his head. "I’m genuinely curious how you view the subject of runesmithing."

Another nodded. "Yes. I won’t speak for others, but I started runesmithing to make my family rich."

"For me, it was to get recognized by the Tower," someone added.

"And I just wanted to impress my bride," came another reason.

Adrian hummed, thinking for a moment.

His reason for learning runesmithing... wasn’t it because he didn’t want to meet the same fate Adrian Lockwood had in the novel?

But after that? Had the system forced him to delve deeper? No, not at all.

"For me," he began, his gaze drifting, "it was a hunger to reach the depths of the very thing that balances this world. For others, runes were a way to gain power. But for me, they were a mystery, something that kept me wondering, even in my dreams, about the origin of this... ancient language."

Avirin, despite being hailed as the God of Runes, was not the creator of this ancient language.

Runes had existed even before the arrival of Darkness. Back then, people considered them inefficient and far too costly to pursue when compared to true sorcery.

However, once independent magic was restricted, people began to rely on their only remaining option to stay above the general masses.

But where did it all come from? Why was there no path that traced back to the origin of runes?

Even the gods high above the sky were users of independent magic. Then who, exactly, had given birth to this privilege?

"And that’s exactly what makes you different from the others," came a voice from behind as everyone turned to look at the man advancing towards them.

He had a bright smile on his face, his hands locked behind his back and several people following.

The host of this event, Borodicus Clark was here.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been reading this story so far, please drop a comment.