The sun began to set as Roland made his way to Arthur's estate. The sprawling grounds were immaculately maintained, a testament to the wealth and power of the Valerian family. The main residence, a grand mansion of stone and wood, stood as a symbol of the family's prominence in its now-finished state.
The guards recognized him as he approached the entrance and quickly opened the gates for their Knight Commander. The interior of the mansion was adorned with luxurious furnishings and intricate decorations. Arthur’s base of operations was finally looking like a proper noble home. Everything had gotten up several levels since his first arrival and this villa was finally fit to accept other nobles.
While moving further he nodded back at a few butlers and maids, new faces that he didn’t recognize. In a spacious study, Roland found Arthur reviewing documents and reports. The young lord looked up as Roland entered, concern etched on his face due to the temporary loss of his best knight.
“Roland, you're here. Come, take a seat. We need to discuss a few matters before your departure.”
“Of course, Lord Arthur.”
Roland took a seat across from Arthur, who leaned back in his ornate chair. Arthur’s fingers started tapping rhythmically on the polished mahogany desk as he started speaking.
“I've prepared a few things for your journey. Firstly, here are the documents from the guild, if anyone doubts your identity, just hand them over. Thanks to our Guild Master, you will be taking on the role of a guard for a reputable merchant. They will be making a trip to the kingdom’s central regions, from there it will only take you a day or two to reach the Institute.”
Due to Arthur’s unwillingness to give him a referral letter, he would not be able to use his family name to get a free ride. Instead, he would use his adventurer credentials that had been upgraded recently. Roland was now a Platinum-rank adventurer with a lot more prestige. His card had been updated to a newer model to signify this event and would usually be enough to confirm his identity. While his guild name on the card couldn’t be altered, not many people would associate Wayland the adventurer with Wayland the Knight Commander.
It appeared that his contacts within the guild yielded more benefits than those within the union. It was understandable that no union dwarves were planning a visit to the central regions, and instead, he would need to attach himself to a merchant. Fortunately, the city was going through a second growth phase. It presented an opportunity to invest and earn a large amount of gold, prompting various merchants and companies to act swiftly.
“Thank you, Lord Arthur.“
“There's more. I've also arranged for a sizable amount of gold to be provided to you. Traveling comfortably requires resources, and I want you to have the means to secure your safety.”
Roland was genuinely surprised by the generosity. The amount of gold Arthur provided exceeded his expectations, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude.
“This is a lot of coins… are you sure?”
“Take it before I change my mind, with the current expansion underway, gold has become a trivial matter. Just be sure to return safely and you can use it for the trip back.”
“I will do my best, Lord Arthur and I don’t plan on staying for more than I have to.”
The two men soon stood up to shake each other's hands. Their relationship has grown through the years and Roland was starting to consider Arthur as an actual friend. From the way the young lord acted, it seemed that he reciprocated those feelings but he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps he was just treating him as one of his best assets; however, normally a person wouldn’t let their best asset stray away too far from their domain.
“I wish you luck, I hope you find whatever you are looking for.”
“I hope so too.”
As the two men were finishing up their conversation a knock on the door resounded and was followed by Mary’s voice.
“Lord Arthur, the adventurers have arrived.”
“Great, just on time, shall we?”
Roland nodded as he waited for Arthur to leave the room first, trailing a few steps behind to maintain the appearance of the Knight Commander. A scheduled meeting awaited him, involving two acquaintances.
"Anything I should know before I meet your two friends?"
"Hm, I guess Lobelia has a good head on her shoulders, so it should be fine... but when talking to Armand, it would be better if you didn't use any big words? I can guarantee his strength, but don't expect him to be too nuanced."
"I see, good to know."
Arthur chuckled at the description Roland gave of the two new bodyguards. During his absence, there weren't many people he could trust with Arthur's life. The issue lay with his Knight Commander position; he was somewhat responsible for Arthur's safety. If anything were to happen to his lord, he could be held accountable for it. This dependence on the main family and the Duke could lead to severe consequences, possibly even a death sentence. The only way out of such a predicament would likely be to run and seek refuge in another kingdom. An alternative would also be the territory of an opposing Duke.
“Welcome.”
“Uh… good day, My Lord?”
The two finally arrived to see two awkward-looking individuals. Lobelia attempted to perform a curtsy, but it was quite awkward and untrained. Armand, on the other hand, gazed into the distance as if he had something more interesting to attend to. Only after a jab in the side by his younger sibling did he turn his head to face the approaching Arthur.
"Hey, shape up; we're in the presence of a noble! Do you want us to get thrown into the dungeon?"
"I'd like those skinny soldiers to try!"
“Haha, you were right, they are truly an interesting duo!”
Roland glanced over at Mary, who was rolling her eyes. She seemed to have some experience dealing with the two, so he felt confident leaving Armand to her. With that, he bid his farewells and exited the villa. He promised Elodia to review their contracts and steer them in a more favorable direction. Once signed, they would become part of Arthur’s private entourage, responsible for his safety in his absence. Now, he could focus on completing his other inquiries and preparing for his journey ahead, set to commence in around three days.
‘I guess I’m really doing this…’
While walking through the city, he continued to ponder his current situation. The prototype he had provided to the church was operational, and they were already analyzing all of his schematics and writings with their own craftsmen and mages. The place was filling up with even more people, and the entrance gate was more crowded than the time he had arrived here all those years ago.
The expansion of the city had been reignited as people began purchasing plots of land outside the main city walls. This influx brought in substantial revenue, likely one of the reasons for Arthur's generosity. Prices were on the rise, and everyone seemed poised to make substantial gains. He took in the sights, contemplating how different the place would be upon his return.
‘It would be great if traveling didn’t take so long, I wonder if I would be able to create one of those things. Usually, mages create them when they achieve tier 3 too, so it should be possible but the cost will probably be astronomical…’
As he strolled through the streets, he contemplated what new knowledge he needed to focus on in the magical institute. He didn’t want to stay there for more than a month and needed to focus on the most important issues. First came the mana phantom research that should theoretically allow him to create runic prosthetic limbs, his main reason for making this trip.
There were other topics that he wanted to delve into, one of them being mage tower technology, which proved quite intriguing. He understood that these towers were typically constructed by magical craftsmen similar to his own profession. The materials involved consisted of various exotic minerals and crystals endowed with strange powers. Inside the tower, every magician's power would be enhanced, typically the primary reason for their construction.
Then there was also knowledge of various spells locked within the library. With his eyes, he could transform everything into runic form. In theory, he could harness the power of every spell within the institute if he so chose. There was also the potential of acquiring new skill books related to magic, which were quite elusive and not easily found outside a magic academy or tower. He aimed to extract as much value from this trip as possible, as he wasn't planning on many after it - at least not until everything within the city calmed down and the cult was in decline.
Soon, he arrived at the path leading to his home and encountered a few adventurers leaving with magical weapons in their hands. He had worked tirelessly for close to a month to stock up his shop along with other necessities. His shop would need to keep up with the Union while he was away. Luckily, his runic wares were unique in their use and of high quality. Even if there was no stock for a while, he should be able to recover in due time.
‘I need to start packing, everything is ready…’
The door opened without him needing to use the door handle, and a little chime sounded. His shop was constantly improving, and after rebuilding it, it looked even more magical than before. At least in terms of aesthetics, he was sure that his place was more eye-catching than the bland dwarven smithies. This was also probably the reason why there were a lot more female adventurers here. The place looked more interesting and was spotless thanks to the store manager, who was also his wife.
“Welcome… ah, how did it go?”
“Everything went well. Now I just need to start packing and meet up with a merchant. I’ll be taking on the role of their bodyguard for the time being.”
The moment he heard Elodia’s voice, he smiled. Inside the store, some guests were looking at the wares, and thanks to his position, a larger arrangement of guards was present on the outside and also on the inside. Due to the recent events, he had asked Arthur to provide him with his own private squad of guards. They were young tier 2 class holders and were outfitted with some of the best runic equipment he could muster. This, coupled with a large paladin presence in the area, allowed this place to still be considered a fort.
“Want me to pack you some snacks? Those spatial spaces should be able to hold a basket of food, right?”
“I guess it should…”
“Are you still worried about leaving now?”
“A bit…” “Don’t be, we will be fine.”
That he was stressed about the journey didn't go unnoticed. His wife continued to cheer him on, even though she was the one who should be feeling fearful about him going away.
“If you say so, I also saw that they finished up the small cloister nearby, I hope Agni won’t cause any trouble.”
“They really see them as some holy beast…”
Elodia shook her head while peeking at the wolf in question who was walking around the inside of the compound. While Agni was usually eager to go outside, with so many sun worshipers trying to kneel before him, he seemed to be feeling uncomfortable. They even assembled a place where he was supposed to visit from time to time where people could present their offerings. It was one of the stipulations in the contract, and many high-level paladins would always be there to protect the sacred beast.
“He is just mad that he’ll have to actually work now.”
Roland laughed as his wolf was quite the lazy hound. Most of the time he just slept or dug up holes around his home.
“He probably heard that.”
“Let him.”
After some pleasantries with his wife, he headed inside. There he encountered a somewhat annoyed-looking sun wolf. After a staredown that lasted exactly ten seconds, Agni took off running and started making laps around the whole compound. Roland wasn't sure what this tomfoolery was about and just headed down into his workshop where Agni couldn't reach him.
There he found his new armor placed on a large table. It had already been outfitted with runes and was fully operational. The dwarven craftsmen took care of the outer shell, streamlining his design to make it slightly thinner than before. By adding some special alloys, it would not overheat even if he activated his two best skills at once. The Silvergrace suit had also been slightly upgraded, cutting down the lag between casting spells even further.
Roland examined the armor with a critical eye, running his fingers over the engraved runes. The intricate patterns glowed softly, indicating the powerful magic embedded within them. It was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a blend of dwarven precision and Roland's own runic expertise.
“They really do know how to use a hammer. It looks different enough to the old one, so no one should recognize me…”
He needed to avoid being identified as the Albrook City Knight Commander at all costs. If Arthur’s enemies realized that he was out there alone, they could send unsavory characters to remove him. Luckily, he wasn’t that famous of a figure, and by wearing armor and other clothing items to cover his face, probably no one would be the wiser. It was also a territory related to a different Duke in the opposite royalist faction. Arthur’s brothers probably didn’t have enough power to do anything about him, even if they realized he was there.
‘I managed to increase the storage capacity of the spatial runes slightly, wish there was a way to do something about the limited opening size… Perhaps I can find something to alleviate this problem at the Institute.’
The backplate housed a spatial space through which he could remove some of his armaments, like the floating cubes that helped him control greater spells. While he was able to create a reasonably large space to store items in, the problem was in removing them from within. The limiting factor was the size of the opening, which he couldn't increase with his current knowledge.
Quickly, he started to go through his list of items, double and triple-checking if everything was in order. On the outside, it would look like he was traveling lightly, but in reality, he had a wide array of weapons with him. Some of his general items would be stored in a backpack carried by a hired porter. His role was that of a bodyguard shadowing a merchant and nothing more.
Time started to go by and he spent it together with his friends and family. Everyone gathered for one big farewell feast that most people weren’t aware of. It was a lot less eventful than the wedding night but everyone left with a smile on their face. He made sure to say his goodbyes as the time for departure approached.
The next day, Roland set out from his home in Albrook City, fully equipped and ready for the journey ahead. The sun was just beginning to rise as he walked through the waking city, the familiar sounds of merchants setting up their stalls and the chatter of early risers filled the air. His body was covered by a large dark cloak to hide his appearance. From today, he was playing the role of an adventurer and not a Knight.
Normally, his big bulky armor would give him away quickly, but for this trip, he wasn't wearing it. He chose to wear partial parts over his Silvergrace suit and then covered it with some loose clothing. If a problem arose that required his full capabilities, he would don it fully, but to keep himself hidden from prying eyes, he needed to conceal some of his gear.
As he made his way to the meeting point with the merchant caravan, Roland couldn't help but worry about this place. Thoughts of abandoning his mission flooded his mind, but the image of Bernir without his arm intact quickly dispersed those intrusive thoughts. This place had been a safe haven for many years, but to keep it safe, leaving for a while was the only option.
The meeting point was a bustling area near the city gates, where merchants were preparing their caravans for the journey. The air was filled with the scent of fresh goods and the clattering of hooves as horses were readied for travel. Roland spotted the merchant he was supposed to accompany, a portly man with a shrewd look in his eyes.
‘That guy fits the description.’
After identifying his new boss, he headed over to greet him. The instructions he received from the guild informed him about all the procedures. This caravan would head to Isgard, and part of the people there would take the airship with the costlier items heading to the mainland. Not everything would be able to fit onto an airship, as the rest would go by sea. His role as the guard would end after the man arrived at the city of Ardford, from then he would travel to his destination, Xandar’s Institute of Wizardry…
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