The Runesmith

“I see…”

The pale light of a crystal ball faded as the magical connection had been cut. The man before it continued to nervously tap his desk while thinking. Ever since the dungeon appeared in this city he wasn’t sure if he could consider it a blessing. From what had become known to him now, it seemed that it could be turning into a curse.

“My Lord.”

“You can come in.”

The door opened up and soon a person dressed in a maid uniform entered. She was quick to push the curtains blocking out the sun to the side. This illuminated the inside of the room and revealed the city lord's face. His gaze was plastered on the round object on the desk, it was clear that the news that he received wasn’t the greatest. Before the maid could ask about the issue he started speaking out.

“Our backup plan won’t be arriving for another day, we might be out of luck this time around…”

“I’m sorry, Lord Arthur, It’s all my fault if I had been able to impede them for longer…”

“You did your best, I’m surprised that they made it here this fast, their leader must be an indifferent individual… But in the future, I’d like you to refrain from using those types of underhanded means.”

“Yes, My Lord…”

A sulking Mary was bowing down before Arthur. Both of them were inside the villa that used to be the Mayor’s house. Since they had arrived here the building had gone through a renovation and finally began looking like a proper home for a noble. With the sunlight shining in through the window to this office they could see out onto the courtyard. There some soldiers along with the staff were gathering to receive their new guests.

“What about him?”

“He said that he doesn’t wish to be involved in things related to nobles…”

“That’s what I thought, can’t really blame him.”

“He’s just an ungrateful coward, I knew we couldn’t trust him.”

“It’s not like we trusted him to begin with, our little alliance had a shaky foundation from the beginning.”

Arthur shrugged while weakly smiling. The person that they were talking about was probably the only one that could help them out in this time of need. They already knew about Lord Commander Emmerson the moment he appeared at the city gate. Soon he would make his way over to the villa without them having any proper protection.

“However, without the Guild Master’s help, this will put me in a bind…”

“Are you going to sign it, Lord Arthur?”

“...That depends…”

The city lord started thinking of the issue he was facing. The hired muscle that was supposed to be here to act as a deterrent wasn’t here. Without having any allies in high places there was no one to ask for help or even for a deal. Other nobles that resided on this island didn’t want to have anything to do with the Valerian house. They did not want to catch the ire of any of the sons of Duke Alexander without getting offered a proper payment.

No one in their right mind would provide backing for Arthur who was the least likely to achieve success. Some didn’t even consider him to be part of the race for the duke title due to his shaky birth. This meant that the young man would need to work extra hard to even out the playing field. Now on the other hand, with the Rank B dungeon in his territory, he had become a valuable resource that the other brothers would attempt to conquer.

“What about the other offers?”

Mary looked at the desk that had some paperwork laid out on it. Theodore Valerian wasn’t the only one attempting to get access to the resources from the new dungeon. He was just the one that was the closest to this location. Even if he was able to handle the knights that arrived in his city today, this wouldn’t fix the issue.

Arthur was the fifth brother from the line according to age. This didn’t mean that he was the youngest as their father continued to foster more prospects. During this short time span he received two other letters from other siblings that were asking for the same thing. While they couldn’t legally force him to sign a contract, there was no one stopping them from being persuasive.

Each and everyone that he was going up against had their own hired help. This came in the form of strong adventurers, mercenaries, and even more unsavory types. It wouldn’t be strange if the knight that arrived today wouldn’t leave unless he signed whatever contract he brought along. If he refused then there was no telling to what length Theodore’s men would lower themselves, using force was probably not off the table.

“Oh, more of the same, Theodore’s men just arrived the fastest. Perhaps if we can prolong the discussion enough to buy us some time, they could hinder each other.”

“But will they arrive in time?”

“I don’t think we have any other options, for now, we can only delay…”

Arthur clicked his tongue in indignation. There was really nothing that he could see doing to avoid this confrontation. It was as if the world was against him. Perhaps the people that he was trying to pull to his side had already been bought out by his siblings and it was never meant to be. Without proper protection and time, there was no chance of him ever competing with those brothers of his.

They were treated differently, from the start they were given experienced knights as helpers. Their territories were already somewhat established, they just needed to know the basics of managing a fief. Other people were quickly drawn to those places offering money and power. Working for a duke’s son and possible heir was a very attractive offer. Soon they were commanding large armies with multiple tier 3 Knight Commanders.

To Arthur who wasn’t even given a knight of that status this felt unfair. His brothers were able to just send out a person of such power with leisure and one of them was now at his doorstep. Normally, if he had gained the loyalty of a Knight Commander rank person then no one would be able to bully him out in the open.

They wouldn’t be as brazen to send a large force like this into his territory without any approval. As it stood now, they were not afraid of any retaliation, they were clearly not afraid of any repercussions that could normally come out of attacking a fellow noble.

“What’s done is done, perhaps we can talk things over, our helpers might still make it in time. More importantly, do you have any word of their movements inside the city?”

“Yes, they have been gathering up our associates, they split into several groups and they are gathering up people associated with us, merchants, business owners, even adventurers.”

“I see, they intend to make a scene…”

They were gathering up people that were associated with his name. They were probably not in danger of anything and were just there for the spectacle. It seemed that he would be publicly shamed in front of his associates and retainers. Probably after he was forced to sign the contract, the Knight Commander would force him to make a speech. In it, his brother Theodore’s name would certainly be mentioned as how he was the real lord of the city.

“They really want to make me look like a fool in front of all those people, are they even going to bring him along?”

Arthur clenched his fist while looking outside the window. There he tried glancing into the distance towards the forest area. His associate that created a lot of helpful gadgets was living there. It was well known to everyone that the city runesmith was working for him. It wouldn’t be strange if the knight dragged him over here to take part in the scene. Wayland was smart so there was no reason to be concerned about this issue, instead he was more concerned about the forced speech itself.

After making such an announcement and word spreading it would be over. In the noble circles, he would become just a henchman for Theodore, his brother. While he didn’t care about his name as much as the others, it carried a meaning. No one would associate with him anymore and treat him as a lackey, regaining his foothold would become impossible. He would probably be forced to accept an overseer inside of the city. This would turn him into nothing more than a puppet.

“Halt! Identify yourself!”

“Hmph, mere soldiers dare stand in my way? Stand aside if you wish to keep your heads.”

“Make way for the Knight Commander! Don’t you see the crest you fools?”

The commotion that was taking place at the entrance gate could be heard by Arthur. The guards that were placed there had been picked and trained in a more proper manner. Even though they knew that the other knights belonged to the valerian household they wouldn’t just let them through.

“Mary, go out there before someone gets killed.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

After the maid left he gave out a sigh. The people that he was assembling weren’t all bad, some of the soldiers were even loyal. He had given them weapons and a place to stay. The more they were in his service they more a sense of belonging started blossoming. Yet now, if they saw him capitulate in front of the first real obstacle, everything could be over. Still, he could not let the men just perish, those knights from his brother’s side would make quick work of them.

He could hear the shouts thanks to a runic device that had been installed within the gate walls. Wayland had placed other such devices through the whole compound that made communicating a lot easier. Thanks to this Mary could quickly take hold of the situation without even arriving at the front gate.

‘Would those runic turrets be able to contend with a tier 3 knight?’

Knight Commander Emmerson waltzed forward while covering his face with the helmet. He reminded Arthur of his associate that also usually didn’t reveal his face out in the open. The defensive turrets were installed in a couple of places and were a potential threat for the unwelcome guests. Yet, the tier 3 knight wasn’t the only problem as many other well equipped soldiers arrived as well. Their shields looked magical in nature and their numbers weren’t small.

‘Many people would die…’

For a moment he contemplated the nuclear option. He could claim that Emmerson started it all but his victory wasn’t assured at all. When he thought back to the Lich monster that was able to easily crush the defenses of the man that created these turrets, then he started calming down. The man was a different type of fighter but the weak magical attacks that these runic machines offered would probably not work.

Soon he could see the group entering inside and spreading out into various areas of his temporary home. It was clear that they were trying to take over all the strategic locations. They wanted to assure their victory before anything started. They weren’t attacking anyone yet but were probably ready to turn this place bloody if he didn’t comply with whatever they wanted.

‘It might be better to go out there, perhaps those turrets can act as a deterrent…’

Arthur smiled at himself as he wasn’t sure what he was even thinking about. His face didn’t show it but he was under a lot of stress. Without seeing a way out he could only think about bluffing. Yet, even he didn’t believe that these bluffs would amount to anything. Leaving the city was also not an option as he had no place to hide. Perhaps if he had a powerful backer it would be possible to take a break at their villa. Otherwise, his brothers would just announce that he abandoned the city and take it over without him being there.

“I wish to speak with your master, Maid. Show me the way.”

“Lord Arthur is busy, have you made an appointment?”

Emmerson, the leader of the group, arrived in the middle of the courtyard. His gaze fell on the magical instruments that were pointing at his head. The maid that tried to welcome him was mostly ignored as his eyes darted around the compound. It was clear that he was checking for potential threats to his mission. After a few glances, he finally moved his hands toward his helmet which was then slowly removed to reveal his rather bored expression.

“A rogue type? Were you the one?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about?”

Mary didn’t flinch but deep inside she was scared. The man had a strange presence that was unique to tier 3 class holders. Anyone that was below this tier could feel a certain pressure applied to them. It also didn’t help that the man before her was quite large and above two meters. Together with the full plate armor that he was wearing he looked like a walking tank. It also didn’t help that he was able to ascertain her hidden class through a glance which was worrisome.

“It does not matter, you’ll be under supervision soon, the ravens could use someone like you.”

“What are you…”

“Silence, Where is your master? Bring him out, I need to speak to him.”

Mary gritted her teeth as she realized what the man was doing. Emmerson was purposely talking around Arthur’s name. This was something that happened when knights didn’t respect the noble they were interacting with. Proper etiquette forced them to refer to Arthur by the name of his noble house. Yet it didn’t seem that this powerful knight had any willingness to show proper decorum.

“What do I owe this pleasure, I didn’t think my dear brother Theodore would send such a prestigious Knight just to talk to me.”

While Mary was left wondering about her reply the doors to the estate swung open. There a handsome young man with long white hair and green eyes appeared before them. His face was all smiles to mask all the worries on the inside.

Emmerson was sure to look at the man before him. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, there was a certain charm that this person was radiating. At first glance, there wasn’t really much that made this young man similar to his older brother Theodore Valerian. The two came from separate mothers and it seemed that the younger one didn’t receive much from his father besides the eyes.

The gaze, even if mild, reminded him of his own liege that he had sworn himself to. Then there were those long white locks. It was more than likely that they were lengthy to cover up the blemish on the side. Arthur Valerian was a known half-elf and his ears showed that fact. There were various types of elves in this world and to Emmerson, the lineage was also unknown. The coloring implied that the mother was a moon elf that were known for their snow-white locks compared to the golden ones the sun elves possessed.

“Lord Arthur, I presume?”

“How dare y-...”

“It’s fine Mary, the Knight Commander is probably tired, why don’t you fetch us some tea? How about instead of the stuffy mansion we have this talk out in the garden?”

Mary nodded while disliking the fact that the Knight wouldn’t mention Arthur’s full name. She wasn’t sure why they were switching to the outside garden area but considering that the runic turrets were also there, it made some sense. This point didn’t go unnoticed but it didn’t seem that Emmerson or his knights were perturbed by the magical devices. Perhaps the fact that there was a mage in the midst of this group of soldiers had something to do with it.

Within some time they all arrived at a nice garden with something that looked like a large gazebo in the middle. Inside it, there was a large table with chairs around it, the area was designed for holding conversations with other nobles during events or get-togethers. It wasn’t suited for large knights like Emmerson which was causing the regular chair to strain under the weight of that bulky armor.

“Would you prefer black tea or maybe something exotic? If so, Mary here could conjure up one of her special blends.”

“Lord Arthur, you know what I am here for, let us discuss the issue of the dungeon.”

“Hah.”

Arthur didn’t really know what to say to the glaring knight before him. His people were all gathered around the area as well and ready to go into battle. The situation didn’t look good and he didn’t know if his silvery tongue could get him out of this situation. Yet before the conversation could really switch toward the dungeon topic, an unforeseen event unfolded before him.

“K-knight Commander.”

“What is it? Why are you disturbing our conversation?”

“I understand Commander but we have been attacked!”

“Attacked? Who dares to attack the Knights from the Valerian household?”

Not soon after coming to the garden and sitting down an armored soldier rushed inside. He looked to be out of breath and in a state of distress. Something had happened and by the conversation, some type of fight had taken place. To his knowledge, there didn’t seem that there would be anyone stupid enough to cause a disturbance with Valerian Knights. Either one of his other brothers had arrived to fight for the rights to the dungeon or someone extremely reckless had appeared.

“Knight Commander Emmerson, you’re the leader of these knights right? Come out, unless you’re too scared to face me in a proper duel.”

“Huh? That voice... Wayland?”

To Arthur’s surprise, he heard a loud voice that had been probably magically enhanced echo through the entire compound. It belonged to someone that he knew but the words didn’t make any sense. Why was Wayland here and why was he trying to challenge Emmerson to a duel?

Previously he ignored his runesmith ally as he didn't see him being able to help. There was no sense in calling Wayland over as he made it clear that in a fight between nobles, he would not lift a finger. Now for some reason, he was trying to challenge a tier 3 Knight Commander to a duel. It was known to Arthur that Wayland was probably a noble himself, could he have finally decided to drop the disguise? If he actually did, what could have maddened him enough to go to this extreme?