Return of the Legendary Runesmith
Chapter 149 148- Planning

There was no inquiry and no complaint filed regarding Michael's death. His parents were told that their son had tried to murder a student—Allen—over a minor disagreement and then fled.

Later, his body was discovered in the forest—tortured and brutally murdered.

The one who testified against Michael was none other than the beloved Princess of the nation. Because of that, Michael's father—despite holding considerable influence—could do nothing but swallow his anger and grief.

A few days passed, and Sylvie quietly returned to her daily routine.

Aside from Adrian and Ariana, only Elana, Allen, and Olivia knew the truth—that Michael had actually come for Sylvie. They were asked to keep this information to themselves.

Naturally, they agreed. Allen and Olivia didn't want rumors spreading that someone had tried to harm their friend.

And Elana… well, she was like Adrian's loyal shadow. When he told her to do something, it became an unquestionable command.

"Haah… Michael's chapter is finally over," Adrian muttered under his breath as he sat alone in his office.

On his desk, Adrian found two letters from different senders—one from the Vermillion house, and the other from Lockwood.

He chose to read the one from the Count first.

[Adrian, I met Victor recently…]

Adrian paused, taking a deep, uneasy breath.

This needed a calm mind.

After a moment to settle his nerves, he continued reading:

[…I brought up a few things about you and Ariana—like how you stood up for her during the celebration, and how you protected her during the ambush. I also hinted that you two have grown quite close and seem to make a good pair. His reaction was…mixed.]

Adrian swallowed hard.

Things were getting serious.

Still, he read on:

[I didn't say anything outright, but I'm sure he picked up on the message. His response was neutral, so I can't say for certain what he's thinking. But I strongly suggest you go and meet him soon. He may ask others about you two, and it's better he hears the truth from you first.]

Adrian heaved a sigh as he leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to the ceiling.

The letter hung loosely between his fingers as his thoughts wandered to his uncle.

Upright. Disciplined. Always clear about where he stood with family. Narrow-eyed and sharply observant.

A textbook definition of a strict father figure.

Or rather—father-in-law material.

"He treats me like his own son… and now expecting him to suddenly accept me as his son-in-law? Yeah… not likely."

Still, the realization didn't deter him. He was going to try. What truly mattered was Ariana's acceptance.

"Speaking of Ariana… I should show her this letter. Maybe we can plan a day off to visit Uncle Victor together."

With that thought, he folded the letter neatly and slid it under the paperweight.

Next was the letter from the Vermillion family.

Naturally, it was from Miss Ruby.

[How have you been? You suddenly disappeared.]

Adrian shrugged.

There weren't any phones in this world—no easy way to stay in touch. He continued reading:

[Thanks for keeping your word. Now, every time Anna talks about you, she smiles a lot. Thank you.]

A small smile tugged at Adrian's lips.

He hadn't been giving that idiot any special attention, but he wasn't ignoring her either. He made an effort to reply politely.

When her messages got excessive and started blocking others, he gave her a warning—and she'd stop.

Like a mischievous little house cat.

Adorable, honestly.

He continued reading:

[About our promise—you said if I cooperated with Valmora, you'd teach me more about the Second Thread. Are you going to keep that promise?]

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. Right… there was that too.

He read down.

[Let me know when you have time.]

At the moment, Adrian wasn't sure. He had no intention of breaking his word, but right now, his focus was entirely on dealing with his father-in-law.

Scarlette: [Runesmith?]

A new message popped up. Seeing it appear in the chatbox, Adrian let out a small hum of curiosity.

[You still haven't told me what you want in return. Unless I give you something, the deal won't be complete.]

He hummed again before replying, "First, tell me—how are the artifacts? Are they working properly?"

[Yes. They're impressive. But I might need a few more—some new occupants have started living in the room.]

Room?! Adrian blinked, confused.

The place she referred to as a room was actually a massive ceremonial hall… and now she was casually calling it a room.

Still, putting aside his curiosity, he said, "I can make them anytime you want. But I might need to buy some Hearthstone first."

[Why buy it? I can provide some.]

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You have Hearthstone?"

[Yes. Should I send it now?]

"Ah, no. Give me a few days before I start crafting again. In two days, I'll send a list of what I need for the trade—including the Hearthstone."

[Understood. Good day.]

Adrian closed the chatbox and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

The next arc was going to be long—and troublesome.

Another heroine. More drama, romance, and battles.

Every year, the four academies send one student each to a different academy. Officially, it was to maintain peaceful relations and expose students to different cultures and teaching methods.

In truth, it was just a convenient excuse to introduce another heroine and stir up more drama.

Naturally, this setup created the perfect chance for the Acolytes to act. By killing a foreign student, they could sow discord between the academies.

They could have picked any of the other schools. That would've sparked political tension just as easily. But where was the Protagonist currently enrolled?

Runebound Academy.

So, of course, that was the target.

Haah~ this is troublesome. This time, Allen would be forced to handle everything alone—since the teachers would all be locked away in the dormitories.

Adrian's goal was to keep Ariana out of the battle... even though that would be easier said than done. She wanted to protect all her children.

But not everything in this world could be bent to her will.

'I need to carefully plan things out and request Scarlette accordingly.' saying so, he took out a pen and started writing all the important details of the events.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.