Return of the Legendary Runesmith

"Haa." Adrian exhaled as he appeared back in the room, his eyes landing on Querella sleeping comfortably on the bed, the massaging bag still wrapped around her.

She looked peaceful, almost fragile in that moment. There wasn’t a single trace of worry or tension on her face, a rare sight for someone who carried such weight.

She had been shouldering everything alone for far too long, never once allowing herself to rely on anyone, not after all the betrayals she had endured across both lives.

She had given her childhood and her youth to this world, to its people, all to help build a place where others could live in peace.

She never wished for some grand, advanced civilization. Just a shelter and three meals a day. Was that really so much to ask?

Could they not have simply let her live her life? Could they not have stayed away, leaving this place as abandoned as it had always been?

And now, they were going so far as to drain the very life force of this world just to revive their dead apostles.

’I don’t want to overthink this, but...’ Adrian had a strong feeling that the timing of their move was not a coincidence. That they had chosen to awaken their apostle now because of him, simply because he was close to Querella.

’I hate nothing more than those bastards.’ His fist clenched, his hands trembling with restrained frustration.

When things turned out like this, he felt a sudden wave of helplessness, as if all the knowledge and power he had gained over time meant nothing. And that was a feeling he never wanted to experience.

Yet here he was.

"Haah... I can’t tell her about this... but if I hide it, things will only confuse her even more later." A known disaster was better than an unforeseen calamity. He needed to inform the one person millions relied on.

But for now, he just wanted to stand there and look at his beloved.

Peaceful, calm, and so lovable.

.....

"Ah, you’re back," Ariana said as she saw Annabelle enter her office.

"Yeah. Were you busy?" the blue-eyed woman asked, dropping into the chair across from the headmistress.

"Nothing important. What is it?" Ariana replied, her attention shifting fully to Annabelle.

The raven-haired woman asked, "Is Darling at Raven’s?"

Ariana nodded. "He said he contacted you through the chat group?"

Annabelle hummed. "Didn’t you go with him?"

Ariana gave a wry smile. "He wouldn’t have taken me even if I asked... and," she leaned back before adding, "I don’t want to come between them, especially when Adrian has gone to see her after so long."

Ariana, Annabelle, and even Ruby saw Adrian often. The two of them could meet him at the academy, and Ruby either visited him using teleportation or had him come over to her place.

But with Raven, things were different. His visits had to be purposeful, since traveling to another world always carried risk.

"True," Annabelle nodded, her voice calm.

Ariana grinned. "Has anyone told you your whole demeanor has changed?"

Annabelle looked at her with slight bashfulness. "Jean mentioned something like that, but I couldn’t really tell what changed."

Ariana chuckled. "What changed? It feels like you’ve matured a lot after Adrian popped your cherry."

Annabelle blushed faintly. "You really have no filter, do you?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

Ariana shrugged. "Would you rather I sugarcoat it?"

"Okay, stop there." Annabelle raised her hands to cut her off. "Well... now there’s a certain feeling that helps me stay calm most of the time."

She placed a hand over her chest and muttered, "Before, there was always this uncertainty... that Darling might never accept me as a woman. It made me act childish, just to get his attention. But now... things are different."

Ariana’s brows lifted, a sly grin spreading across her lips. "So you’re going to stop being clingy, and I can finally have Adrian all to myself at night?"

"There’s a difference between maturity and foolishness," Annabelle shot back. "I may not be desperate anymore, but I still want his attention."

Ariana snickered. "Look at you... now it feels like you’re just pretending to be all grown up."

Annabelle smirked. "You’re just making things up. You’re scared that with my looks and personality, Darling will start focusing on me more."

Ariana rolled her eyes. "You still have a lot to learn. What Adrian and I share? No one can touch that. Even now, no matter how far he goes, the place he returns to is this office. Want to know why?"

Annabelle grumbled. In frustration, she tossed a document aside.

Ariana smirked. Just as she thought, the childishness was still there... and that was exactly what made Annabelle who she was.

.....

"Mm..." Raven slowly parted her eyes, her body feeling slightly heavy.

She raised a hand and touched the nearest thing. Warm.

It felt comforting.

She sighed and leaned closer, wrapping her arms around it.

So comfortable... hmm? But wait, this wasn’t a pillow.

"...!!" Her eyes snapped open. Her hand shot toward the person’s neck, claws ready to tear his life away in a single strike, but she stopped midway.

"Sneaking into your bed without asking warrants death?" Adrian asked with a faint smile, tilting his head to give her better access to his neck.

Her eyes widened as realization struck, memories rushing back.

Right... Adrian had come. He gave her that incredible artifact, and before she knew it, she had drifted into a deep slumber.

And now...

"I am sorry, I..." She tried to pull away to properly apologize, but he held her down gently, drawing her closer into his arms.

"It’s okay," Adrian said softly. "It’s only natural for you to react like that."

His hand moved slowly along her back, steady and reassuring.

She melted instantly under his touch, her body softening as her eyes grew moist.

This feeling... she had missed it far more than she ever admitted.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked, her face nestled against his chest. And what was it that he used? Why did he smell so good?

"Only a few hours. You seemed really exhausted," he replied, his hand moving to her hair, gently stroking it.

"You must have been bored... sorry for not being there." She had wanted to spend time with him, but truth be told, she felt much better now than when he had first arrived. Perhaps it was better that she had rested first.

Adrian shifted slightly and pulled her on top of him.

"Umm... I might be heavy," she said with a faint blush, her full weight now resting against him, their legs loosely entangled.

"What nonsense. I feel like I have a pillow on top of me," he replied, brushing aside her concern.

Raven chuckled softly. He always knew exactly what to say to make someone feel at ease.

They fell silent after that. Wrapped in each other’s warmth, yes it felt very comfortable. A sensation they couldn’t get enough of.

But then, in a gentle voice, Raven asked, "What’s the matter, Adrian?"

The brown-haired man hummed in question.

She smiled, looked up and said, "While you are silent your heart isn’t. So tell me, Adrian. What is bothering you?"

Adrian exhaled a sigh.

So, the time has come.