Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Sylvie felt a little off. Was she really looking so miserable that even a classmate who barely ever spoke to her decided to approach her today?

Michael hadn't been rude, nor did he make it obvious that he was trying to console her over her brother's death.

He simply acted... friendly. Asked about classes, training—the usual small talk. Not once did he offer sympathy or say anything meant to comfort her.

It felt more like two casual friends spending time together. And even though Sylvie had wanted to be alone, she didn't turn him away. They weren't total strangers, and he was clearly careful not to overstep.

They had lunch together and ended up chatting about her favorite subject—runes.

Michael wasn't good at them, so he asked questions, and eventually even requested her help.

"You know the difficulty of Aegis Trials, right? Could you teach me a bit?" he asked, wearing a sheepish smile.

It was... refreshing to see him like that. Less distant than usual. Not just that boy who occasionally glanced her way from across the room.

But it was also strange—how suddenly he was getting close to her.

Sylvie didn't mention it aloud, but the weight in her chest lingered.

Was she really giving off the kind of vibe that begged for comfort?

"Ah!"

Sylvie's thoughts were abruptly cut off when someone grabbed her shoulders, halting her in her tracks.

She turned to find a familiar face grinning back at her—a raven-haired girl she knew all too well.

"Senior Aries... you could just say hello like a normal person."

"I was checking your reflexes. You need to work on them," Aries said as she let go of her shoulders.

Sylvie sighed. She wasn't wrong. She had been zoning out a lot lately. For Aries to sneak up on her this easily... it was honestly a little embarrassing.

"Now don't look so heartbroken, or I'll start feeling bad," Aries teased, patting her shoulder. "It's okay. You'll get back to your old self soon."

Sylvie knew what she was referring to, but she didn't comment. Instead, she asked, "So? Did you want something?"

Aries's eyes lit up with mischief as she remembered her reason for showing up.

"Come here first." She grabbed Sylvie's wrist and pulled her toward the stairs, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby.

Sylvie gave her a tired smile. "I'm not into girls, Senior."

Aries paused, deadpan. "Did you really think I was going to confess? Relax. I have different tastes. If anything, I'd try my luck with Elana, hehe~"

Sylvie shook her head and sighed. "Senior… can we skip the buildup and get to the point?"

"Oh, right!" Aries leaned in, voice dropping with curiosity. "You were talking to that blond cutie yesterday, right? Is there something going on between you two?"

Sylvie frowned. "No… did it really look like that?"

She hadn't thought much of her conversation with Michael, and it surprised her to hear someone misread it. She often spent time with Allen, and no one ever made comments about them.

What made Michael so different?

Aries grinned, eyes gleaming. "Well, I was just around the corner when I saw your beloved professor staring at you and blondie pretty hard."

Sylvie blinked. "Professor Adrian?"

Aries almost laughed—Sylvie had guessed it too quickly. But she held back her teasing and nodded. "Yup. When you were walking with Michael toward the common hall, he was looking at you two with a seriously intense expression."

Sylvie's cheeks flushed. "You're lying… He was probably just thinking about something."

"I know the difference," Aries said with a knowing smile. "He even took a step forward—looked like he was about to come over—but then he shook his head and walked away."

Sylvie stood there, stunned.

She glanced at Aries again, and something about the senior's expression told her it wasn't a joke. She wasn't making it up.

Was he really... bothered by seeing me with Michael?

Sylvie didn't want to admit it, but the thought tugged at her heart. Even if Adrian only saw her as a student—despite whatever feelings she might have had—she couldn't shake off what she'd just heard.

In the end, she whispered, "Please don't tell anyone about this."

Aries grinned slyly. "Of course~ But let me know if anything happens between you and the Professor."

Sylvie didn't respond. She turned and walked away.

But somewhere, deep in her mind, a decision had already been made.

She would distance herself from Michael.

Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding. Maybe it meant nothing. But Sylvie didn't want to risk doing anything Adrian might not like.

°°°°°°

Adrian was nervous.

Trying out independent magic like this—it wasn't something he could take lightly.

He was fully aware of the Fallen God's influence... and its reach. If the spell he cast happened to fall under that god's dominion, then he'd be risking more than just a failed experiment. The Fallen God might try to take control of him—and if that happened, Adrian would need someone nearby. Someone he could trust to break him out of a daze before it was too late.

But trust... that was the tricky part.

Who could he trust enough to stand by his side during something like this?

Definitely not Ariana. Her position as a Warden would force her to intervene the moment she sensed something forbidden. And beyond that, she cared about him too much to allow him to put himself in danger. If he confessed his discovery of independent magic, he'd also have to explain how he came upon it—through the Staff of the Dark Lord.

No... involving Ariana was out of the question.

Elana? He immediately shook that thought off. She was just a child. Curious and intelligent, but far too young and far too kind-hearted to be dragged into something like this.

Then there was Ruby.

For a brief moment, he considered her.

She was his friend. She'd always been supportive and always stood for what was right. But maybe that was the problem.

Ruby was constantly working to improve the human world—fighting corruption and pushing boundaries in the right direction. Adrian couldn't be sure how she'd react to a Runesmith defying the fundamental laws of magic. Breaking the very foundation of what made their system stable.

She might try to stop him. Maybe even report him if she believed he was losing control.

And she could. Ruby had the strength to pin him down and drag him to the authorities if she thought it would save him from himself.

So no—she wasn't an option either.

He was thinking what he should do when he heard a knock on his door.

Adrian stopped thinking altogether and hurriedly approached the door.

Upon opening it, he found Ariana standing there with her cheeks tinted with pink.

Adrian felt his heart rate elevating slightly as he invited her inside.

Today, he was going to tune a first third-grade armament for someone.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.