The sound of wheels spinning was only interrupted by the horses' trotting. Inside the carriage, five people sat, with Roland contemplating the future as he glanced out the window. He was on his way back to the teleportation gate, accompanied by students from the Institute. This wasn’t the entire group; Bernir, the craftsmen, and even Arion followed behind in two other carriages. Surrounding them was a group of ten knights, sent by Wentworth Arden, who had ordered them to escort the party back.
Armand and Lobelia, on the other hand, weren't with them. They had been considered too problematic to bring along on the trip, and Roland eventually relented. The two weren’t too upset about taking the long way back, as they had been cooped up on the island for far too long. As newly minted Tier 3 class holders, they were eager to tour the kingdom, experiencing it as true elites and enjoying some adventure. With countless dungeons and cities to explore, they likely wouldn’t return to Albrook for several weeks. Faster if Roland decided that they needed to return and with the use of teleportation gates, this was not an issue anymore.
The tension of the last few days had taken its toll on all of them, and the reality of returning to the Institute loomed over his head. Roland’s thoughts drifted between concern for his siblings and the nagging feeling of unfinished business. The power armor, Wentworth’s strong-handed approach, and the politics surrounding the Arden family left him with more questions than answers.
‘I might not get to see either of them… but… what am I supposed to do?’
Roland’s mind raced as the carriage swayed gently beneath him. The rhythmic clatter of hooves provided a steady backdrop to his swirling thoughts. The Arden family’s affairs weighed heavily on him, particularly the fate of his brother. Even though the two hadn’t interacted much, young Robert had grown on him. As someone from a more modern world, Roland disagreed with the fate that had befallen Robert and his lover. However, this was the safest route back, and rocking the boat now could potentially destroy everything he had hoped to protect.
‘I should just go home…’
His thoughts shifted to Albrook, the place he called home. His wife, Elodia, was waiting for him there. Although they had managed to stay in touch through magical tools, he still longed for her presence. His work wasn’t over yet. The city he was building needed his attention. This was supposed to be nothing more than a side mission. Robert was saved, Lucienne was back home, and everything had worked out in the end. There was no reason for him to do anything more. So, he tried to suppress those bitter feelings as the journey home continued.
The carriage hit a small bump, jolting him from his thoughts. Margaret and the others glanced over, still lost in their own reflections. Despite their concern for Lucienne, they seemed to trust his words from earlier. The long, peaceful road stretched ahead and hours continued to pass. With the knights protecting them, no bandits decided to impede their journey and they arrived at their destination before sundown.
The city of Antolun was before them and once inside they just needed to use the teleportation gate to return to the institute. The group’s arrival at Antolun was met with the usual bustle of city life. Market stalls lined the streets, the chatter of merchants and travelers filling the air. Getting through the gate was rather easy and they were welcomed by the guards with a lot of decorum.
‘Did Wentworth arrange this? I suppose this will make things a lot faster.’
It quickly became clear that he wouldn’t need to wait in line. Another group of soldiers awaited them inside the city, ready to escort them to the mage tower where the teleportation gate was located. Perhaps this was the old man's way of thanking him - or simply a means of keeping a close watch on the mage who had involved himself with his family.
Roland followed the knights through the bustling streets of Antolun, drawing glances from both citizens and guards. He was certain that the count's influence remained strong in the city and that his movements were being closely monitored. However, it wasn’t until they arrived at the Lorian Mage Tower that he noticed a change. Although the tower maintained a partnership with Count Graham, the mages had a tendency to stick together. Once inside, the guards and knights who had accompanied them were not permitted to enter.
"Thank you for your hard work. Please send my regards to the Lord Marshal."
The knight commander who came with him nodded. Finally, he took his leave and took his troops with him. Roland finally exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The towering stone walls of the Lorian Mage Tower offered a strange sense of sanctuary and allowed him to clear his mind. Here, magic reigned supreme and the familiar environment even brought a certain level of comfort to the three young girls that were with him.
“My parents are probably worried, I’m sure Luci will be fine with theirs.”
“You’re probably right, Marlein, there is no use for us to worry…”
Margaret seemed the most distant, as if her mind was occupied by numerous thoughts. She remained silent for most of the trip, a stark contrast to how she had been when Roland's sister was with them. To Roland, it appeared that Margaret didn’t hold these two girls in the same regard as she did Lucienne, though he wondered if he was overanalyzing the situation. After all, their friend had been taken away and was possibly facing punishment, so it was natural for them all to be feeling down.
“Everyone, let's go. Once you're back at the Institute, please resume your classes. Your classmate Lucienne will likely return later.”
Inside, the vast atrium of the mage tower was bustling with robed figures, scholars, and arcane researchers, all engrossed in their various pursuits. They were part of the mage guild and took on various quests for money, something that some of the graduates from the institute would end up doing in the future. The teleportation gate sat in a separate chamber on an elevated floor, once they arrived there the portal shimmered into life as their arrival had been pre-arranged.
“I didn’t get much time to look around last time, but I definitely prefer our workshop to this mage tower.”
Roland and the students from the Institute weren’t the only ones there - Bernir, Arion, and the craftsmen had come along as well. They, too, were from the Institute and would be returning with the group.
“Just don’t touch anything, and keep your voice down. Some mages might take offense,” Roland cautioned.
“Ah, sure, boss!”
Bernir replied with a grin and moved to the side. Roland led the students and everyone else toward the platform, the familiar hum of magical energy reverberating through the room. The same gray-hair mage as before was there to greet them. He just nodded at Roland when he saw them, not really taking any time to make sure he wasn’t using the gate for anything nefarious. His mana signature was the same and he had the institute's emblem with him and this was enough to be trusted by the mages working here.
“The gate is ready for you, safe travels.”
The man gave them a few words before they approached the gate, and this time, Roland insisted that the four go through first. He needed to ensure they went through and didn’t try anything reckless, like staying behind to contact Lucienne. For a moment, he thought Margaret might try to argue, but to his surprise, she was the first to step through, followed by her maid. The two other girls followed shortly after, and soon the rest of the group began filing through as well.
“Well, I’ll be heading ahead. This trip was fascinating, but I need some shut-eye.”
Arion said, yawning, and one of the dwarves nodded.
“Aye.”
Arion was the next to pass through, followed by the dwarven craftsmen. They had worked tirelessly for days on the power armor and were in dire need of rest. The journey here had been rough; while some had managed to sleep a bit, others looked exhausted and pale.
“Is something wrong, boss?”
“Wrong? No, everything is fine.”
“Are you sure? You’ve been spacing out a lot more than usual and that could mean only one thing…”
Bernir was quick to realize that Roland wasn’t feeling great. His perceptiveness never failed to surprise Roland, but he couldn’t let his worries slip through the cracks.
"I’m just tired, Bernir. Like you said, this trip has been long and… complicated."
Bernir tilted his head, clearly not satisfied with the vague answer, but he nodded anyway.
“Well, if you say so, boss. Just remember, I’m with you - heck, we all are. Whatever you decide, no one’s going to fault you for it!”
“I’m not sure what you are getting at…"
“Hah, don’t worry about it! But it might be best if you give the missus a call before you do anything else.”
Bernir teased with a wink before stepping through the teleportation gate. His words lingered in his mind, and the hesitation to step through the teleporter grew stronger. The gray-haired mage glanced at him with concern as the magical energies continued to drain, longer than necessary.
“Aren’t you going? If not, you’ll have to wait until morning to travel again.”
“… My apologies. I think I’ll take the one in the morning.”
The mage looked confused but nodded. The teleportation gate shimmered for a moment before losing its form and shutting down. Roland stood there, staring at the now deactivated teleportation gate, feeling the weight of his decision. His companions had already passed through, returning to the safety of the Institute, but something inside him had made him hesitate. He knew the reason why he had stopped but the rational part in his brain was still trying to make him reconsider.
‘If I wait too long, I might not get the chance… Once Robert gets to the estate, it will be much harder. I can still catch up to him and also to her but...’
“We have a waiting room nearby, friend, if you'd like to think things over.”
The gray-haired mage suggested, giving him a long, curious look before pointing toward a guest room. It wasn’t unusual for mages to pause and contemplate deep matters. The tower encouraged such reflection, even providing special rooms for uninterrupted thought. Roland nodded at the suggestion and quietly left the teleportation chamber, heading to one of these rooms, which featured a balcony.
There, he paused to ponder his situation more deeply. Bernir’s words echoed in his mind, and he decided to follow the advice - if he was about to do something dangerous, his wife deserved to know. He moved over to the balcony and activated the long-range communication feature inside of his helmet and waited patiently for his wife to respond to his call.
As Roland waited for the connection to stabilize, his eyes scanned the surroundings. He was in the middle of the tower and from this balcony could see some of the soldiers that had followed him from Count Graham’s estate. Most of them were in the process of retreating but some still were hiding out and keeping a lookout on the tower. He was sure that Graham had ordered them to remain there for longer and make sure that he didn’t just wander out into the city to cause more trouble in his lands.
"Roland? Is that you?”
Elodia's voice crackled through the device, and the moment Roland heard her, his worries seemed to melt away. On the small panel inside his helmet, her face appeared - concern in her eyes, but with that familiar, comforting smile.
"Yes, it’s me. Sorry for calling so late. Are you doing alright?"
He asked, trying to buy himself some time as he gathered his thoughts, unsure of how to ask for permission for what he was about to do.
"I’m fine. I’ve closed down the shop and we had a small explosion in that Alchemy lab but everyone is fine"
She replied and her brow furrowed slightly.
"... but you sound… different. What’s going on? Did something happen?"
“I guess you can read me like a book, I would like to hear your opinion on this…”
Roland took a deep breath, leaning against the stone railing of the balcony. The day had ended and the sun had already set. While it wasn’t quite dark yet, the air was quite cool and the stars were starting to show themselves. He stared out over the city of Antolun, the distant glow of the lanterns being turned on made him somewhat relax as he started explaining to Elodia.
“First, you probably know about my brother and how all of this started…”
“Yes, go on?”
Elodia nodded and sat down in front of her own communication device, listening intently as Roland explained how Robert had successfully won his duel and earned his freedom. But not everything had gone as hoped - Robert had been quickly apprehended by his father, and his lover remained imprisoned in a tower, locked away, doomed never to meet him again in this life.
“I see... so what’s holding you back?”
She asked, her voice strangely calm which took Roland by surprise.
“Huh? What do you mean? You’re not against it?”
“I probably should, shouldn’t I? I suppose I got used to my husband’s antics.”
Elodia replied again, her voice was laced with some worry but she als seemed to have some confidence.
“Roland, I wouldn’t have married someone who turns their back on family. Robert is your brother, isn’t he? You’re capable of saving him, aren’t you? I know you’ve thought this through in that big head of yours, and are worried about bringing more trouble into our lives if you do this, right?”
“I…”
“So don’t worry. If something happens, we’ll tackle that problem together as a family. Now stop moping around and go help your brother.”
“I… yes, Ma’am.”
Elodia smiled brightly at him, and in the background, he could hear a certain wolf barking from a distance. He was surprised by her reaction; he knew she was still worried, but now that they had discussed it, he was determined to give it his all. Agni’s barks only made him want to return home faster, but first, he needed to finish what he had started.
“Just don’t take long. I’ll make your favorite stew… I suppose I’ll have to make more than usual?”
“Yeah, we’ll be having two more guests.”
“Great, don’t take too long and be careful…”
“I will. See you soon and… I love you.”
“I love you tw…ack! He Agni, stop trying to squeeze through the window! Bad Wolf!”
Just as they were about to have a moment, he heard a commotion from Elodia’s side. The connection momentarily wavered, and Roland chuckled as he imagined Agni’s antics disrupting their conversation. He felt like a weight dropped from his shoulder and now he knew what he had to do.
“I’ll hurry back, I promise.”
With the conversation drawing to a close, he took a deep breath and focused on the task ahead. After ending the call, he stepped away from the balcony to make some space and avoid detection from the soldiers down on the ground. Once out of sight he took out one of his new creations, the runic glider.
“I can finally use this no one saw it before, so they won’t be able to pin it on me. Robert’s location is there… can I get them both before the teleportation gate is free again?”
He pondered the question while making some adjustments to his appearance. Although he was wearing full-body armor, showing up in the institute robe would be a foolish idea. Even if someone recognized him, they would need proof. So, he pulled out a previously prepared attachment for his helmet that fit perfectly, giving him the appearance of a very common monster. He removed his robe and replaced it with one tinted dark green, and his glider shifted to match the new color.
Once everything was in place, he set the glider down near the balcony and glanced outside. There didn’t seem to be anyone nearby, but the soldiers remained vigilant. He took a moment to steady his breath, feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through him. The stakes were high, but he had made up his mind. He could not leave Robert to his fate, especially when there was still a chance to make things right.
With one last look over the edge of the balcony, he activated the glider, and it sprang to life. The runic symbols glowed softly on the metallic surface of his flying creation. Once active, he took his first step forward, his feet magnetizing to the surface, allowing him to stand on the glider as it hovered gently in the air. A dense fog erupted from beneath the glider, surrounding his form, and he slowly propelled himself into the night sky, heading toward the convoy that held his brother hostage.
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