Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 231 - 230- Arrival(1)

The Contest of the Courageous. The Showdown of the Chosen. The Championship of the Elites.

It went by many names, but the purpose remained unchanged—a grand competition among the strongest students from the major academies. Held annually, the event was overseen by the Tower to ensure fairness and impartial judgment.

The venue was always selected by the Tower and was carefully chosen to be in neutral territory.

Since many students perform best under specific conditions, the organizers typically select plains with mild weather—open grasslands with gentle warmth that offer a balanced battleground for all.

This year, however, the venue had been set near the Celestial Vault—the very Tower governed by Albec and Tia.

Naturally, many assumed this gave an advantage to Runebound Academy, as it lay closest to the site. But in truth, only a handful of Towers are located in truly neutral zones with enough open land to host such a large-scale event. The selection was not about preference, but practicality.

Adrian sat quietly inside the carriage, with Gilbert on his left and Norma seated across from him.

Only three teachers had been assigned to escort the students for now. The others—including the more senior instructors—would arrive on the second day, just before the official start of the contest.

The Headmistress was expected to arrive with them.

Naturally, an event of this scale drew a massive crowd. Alongside the student participants, their families, curious locals, and even nobles from surrounding regions had been invited to witness the spectacle.

As for the venue, it remained the same as in the original canon. That alone brought Adrian some relief. However, his own presence during this arc was already a major deviation from the storyline—an unknown variable that could shift everything. He had to stay alert.

He turned slightly toward the teacher beside him.

"You seem a little tense, sir," Adrian said, watching Gilbert dab at his forehead with a handkerchief.

Gilbert let out a shaky breath. "Well, the first day is always the most nerve-wracking."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Why’s that?"

Before Gilbert could answer, Norma chimed in with a slight smirk, "The welcoming ceremony, Professor. Teachers from the other academies tend to give him a hard time."

Gilbert sighed, sinking a little in his seat.

"They show up in fine clothes, dancing effortlessly, chatting as if they’ve known each other for years. And then there’s me... battling mild social anxiety and praying no one pulls me into conversation. This day always feels like a nightmare."

Adrian understood him all too well.

In his previous life, he rarely ventured outside. He barely had any friends, and once he was crushed under the weight of debt, even those few connections began to fade. Over time, he had become isolated—retreating into himself and growing more introverted than ever.

"If you’d like," Adrian said, "you can skip the event."

Gilbert looked up, eyes wide and shimmering with hope. "Really?" For a moment, it was as if an angel had appeared before him.

But then—

"Wouldn’t the Headmistress be upset if one of the senior professors skipped the meet-and-greet?" Norma interjected, her tone curious but pointed.

Gilbert’s shoulders slumped at once. Right... There was that.

Adrian chuckled softly and reassured him, "Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it."

Gilbert blinked in surprise. "You will?"

Adrian gave a calm nod. "Yes. I’ll speak with her. You have nothing to worry about."

Norma’s lips curled into a sly grin. "Talking about the Headmistress...is it true that Professor Adrian is in a relationship with Madame Ariana?"

Gilbert jolted at the sudden question, glancing back and forth between the two in surprise.

Adrian let out a long sigh and shrugged. "Well, sorry for not inviting you to the engagement ceremony."

Norma’s eyes widened, her mouth parting. "You’re already engaged?"

Gilbert quickly composed himself and offered a small, respectful bow. "Congratulations, sir."

Adrian smiled in response and not so long after, the carriage was engulfed in comfortable silence.

...

Meanwhile, in the other carriage—

Elana sat beside Aries, while the other three—Brendon, Allen, and Altia—occupied the opposite side.

The atmosphere inside was subdued.

Brendon remained stiff, still not used to interacting casually with his seniors.

Allen, ever focused, had his mind lost in strategy and potential matchups.

Altia, as always, was too shy to initiate conversation.

And Elana was naturally reserved, content with silence.

So under these circumstances, who would break the quiet?

"I swear to god, those people are nuts," Aries declared dramatically, arms folded. "I mean, I’ve always been confessed to by girls—boys usually don’t go for someone like me. And there? I was getting hints. From guys! Can you believe it?"

Brendon sighed and muttered, "Maybe you just don’t notice the Runebound guys giving you hints."

Aries turned to him with a devilish grin. "Wait a second... Are you flirting with me, junior?"

Brendon’s face flushed crimson as he quickly looked away, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

Aries let out a soft laugh at the reaction before shifting her gaze to Altia. "What about you, girl? How many confessions have you gotten?"

Altia was the delicate, quiet type—the kind of girl many men admired from afar.

At least until they saw her lift a sword and tear through her opponents like paper.

Until then, she gave off the impression of a docile, graceful maiden.

She fidgeted slightly at the question, clearly flustered.

"Umm... seventeen..." Altia murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Seventeen?" Aries blinked. "Woah, that’s quite a lot. But still... doesn’t even come close to the record of the Icy Lady sitting next to me."

Elana didn’t even lift her gaze. She simply turned a page in her book, completely ignoring the remark.

But curiosity had already taken root.

Altia tilted her head slightly, intrigued. Even Brendon, despite trying to act uninterested, leaned in just a little.

Seeing their reactions, Aries smirked. "I don’t know the total number, but just counting the ones I’ve personally witnessed, she’s rejected forty-six people. A few of them weren’t even from our school."

Elana’s book snapped shut with a loud thud.

She glared at Aries, eyes cold as frost. "Mention that again," she said flatly, "and I won’t hesitate to freeze your pillow every single night."

Elana couldn’t let Professor Adrian hear about this. Although she never accepted any of those proposals, she still doesn’t want to let him know.

Aries grinned and hugged her from the side.

For the next few hours, mostly Aries talked and others responded with a few words. And before they knew it, they were standing before the venue where it would be decided whether Runebound could change their fate or not.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.