Adrian—not even in his wildest dreams—had expected the Patriarch of the Vermillion Clan to show up at his doorstep.
Naturally, he invited him inside, offering him a seat and a glass of water.
Adrian remained standing, which prompted the man to say with a calm tone, "Please, sit. I'm only here for a casual conversation." He insisted.
Adrian gave a small nod and took the seat across from him.
For a few monts, silence lingered between them. Neither spoke until Reid finished half the glass of water.
Then, turning his gaze toward Adrian, he studied him quietly for a second before asking,
"I assu you're here accompanying your employer and cousin?"
Adrian nodded. "Yes. I knew I might get the chance to et my father… and I was also concerned about Ariana's safety. So I ca along."
Reid didn't know much about Adrian's father—only his na and noble rank—so he simply nodded in acknowledgnt.
"I've heard about your recent accomplishnts," Reid said next, a touch of knowing in his voice. "You've caught the eye of Tower Master Albec. From what I gather, he's been trying to recruit you for quite so ti."
Adrian paused for a mont. His eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice stayed steady as he replied,
"You know Sir Albec?"
Reid offered a small smile. "I make it a point to know anyone who's made a real contribution to society. And Albec certainly has."
Then, glancing up slightly, his tone shifted—curious and purposeful.
"Right now, I'm more interested in you. I'd like to know—what can you do to serve our world?"
Adrian raised his brows. "I'm sorry, sir. Are you asking what I can do for the well-being of others?"
Reid leaned back slightly and said,
"Isn't that what we all should be asking ourselves? After all, our talents are wasted if we don't use them to help others."
Adrian smiled faintly, lowering his gaze to the floor, looking at nothing in particular as he said,
"You're right about that. But even so, I'm not as strong as your daughter—she reaches out to people and helps them directly. I don't have that kind of courage."
Reid leaned forward slightly, his voice calm yet persuasive, each word wrapped in reason.
"Ah, but you can help them in your own way—by doing what you're best at."
Adrian still couldn't quite figure out where this conversation was headed. So, he chose the safest path.
He knew what this was about.
Reid was trying to steer the conversation toward a familiar subject—his armants. He wasn't the first to suggest making them available to the public—or the military—but he was by far the most powerful voice to bring it up.
Adrian gave a thoughtful hum.
"You're right. If I have a gift that could help others, I shouldn't hold back from using it to make the world a better place."
Then he raised his head, eyes calm but sharp.
"But tell this—who decides who's worthy of using what I create? And who can guarantee that my armants will only be used to protect, not to oppress?"
Reid's gaze narrowed.
"You can at least trust your king with that, can't you?" he asked softly.
"You live under his rule. Doesn't that an you owe him your trust?"
Adrian smiled again, but this ti there was a flicker of steel behind it.
"And if, one day, Valmora and Grimvale clash—over land, over pride, or politics—would you truly want our soldiers to wield my creations on the battlefield?"
This ti, Reid didn't answer.
Silence filled the room.
He had done his research on Adrian—on the armants he could create and the potential they held.
And the fact that his own daughter had taken an interest in Adrian… spoke volus about the young man's abilities.
Adrian t his gaze with a calm, sincere smile.
"I'm not arrogant, sir. But I also won't pretend to be modest. I know what my creations are capable of—and I know the kind of impact they could have."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"That's why I've chosen to use my skills only to help people directly and to continue my research. Nothing more."
That was his conclusion. His line in the sand.
There was nothing else to discuss.
Adrian wasn't going to hand his inventions over to the military—not without reason.
Not until the day a common enemy of humanity revealed itself.
In the past, he had been reckless—too idealistic. But after what he had learned… after all that the system had shown him, he knew better now.
He couldn't just draw runes, craft a weapon, and call it a gift.
Every pencil stroke could shift the world in a way he couldn't take back.
And if he wasn't careful, that shift could destroy everything.
Reid sat in silence for a long mont before finally smiling. This ti, it wasn't tight or diplomatic. It was genuine.
"I'm impressed," he said.
"Despite your age, you're already thinking so far ahead."
There was honesty in his voice—and Adrian could feel it.
"I'm honored to hear that," Adrian replied with a slight bow of his head,
"Especially from the man who single-handedly stopped an empire from falling."
Reid's smile deepened as he rose from his seat, and Adrian followed suit.
Two n. Two generations.
Both knowing the weight their choices carried.
The older man extended his hand with a warm smile.
"It was a pleasure eting you, Adrian. I hope my daughter didn't give you too much trouble."
Adrian shook his hand firmly, offering a polite smile of his own.
"She was a wonderful company. Soone who devotes her ti to helping others. Honestly… quite admirable."
Reid let out a small chuckle.
"Coming from you, I think she'd be very happy to hear that."
Adrian blinked—just slightly confused.
…Huh?
But before he could ask, Reid had already turned.
"Well then, see you during the celebration."
With that parting line, he walked out of the room.
Adrian remained still for a mont, watching the door.
He hadn't planned to attend the celebration.
Not until now.
....
In the room next door, Ariana sat face to face with Ruby—the daughter of the man who had just spoken with Adrian monts earlier.
Ruby lounged comfortably on the bed, her left leg draped over the other as her amber eyes lazily scanned the room.
Ariana, composed and poised, remained seated in a nearby chair, silently waiting for Ruby to reveal the reason for this unexpected eting.
"Why are you here and not at the academy?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Well, I'm not complaining. You brought Adrian with you… that's reason enough to call this visit a blessing. Still, it's surprising to see you."
Ariana narrowed her eyes at that.
Why was she so pleased about Adrian being here?
Keeping her answer crisp and asured, she replied,
"For security reasons."
Ruby gave a low hum, amusent dancing in her voice.
"Oh? So the King has no one stronger than you? Poor him~"
Ariana couldn't tell if the remark was ant to belittle her or mock the Supre Authority itself.
Then Ruby asked casually,
"So, Ariana… how much do you pay Adrian?"
That finally made Ariana sit up straighter, her calm beginning to crack.
"Why do you want to know?"
Ruby's gaze finally settled on her, and for the first ti, her smile widened. Her sharp canines peeked through as she grinned.
"Because I want him."
Her tone was syrupy sweet, yet bold.
"He's a great teacher—loves to guide others. I'll have him transferred to Grimvale's academy. That way—"
"You can't have him." Ariana cut her off, her voice a low growl.
"He belongs to ."
Ruby's smirk faded.
She stared at Ariana with unreadable eyes before saying flatly,
"You're his cousin. You can't seriously think about having him like that."
Ariana raised a brow, her voice cool and daring,
"And what if I do?"
Her lips curled into a confident smirk.
Ruby wasn't smiling anymore.
She studied the woman before her for a long second, and then said, with all pretense gone,
"He deserves soone better. Soone who truly understands him."
Ariana leaned forward slightly, her voice calm but unshakable.
"And who understands him better than soone who's grown up with him?"
", a Runesmith. I know his potential and you are wasting it by keeping him locked in there." Ruby rebuked.
Ariana grinned, "Do one thing and try to convince Adrian to leave or my academy. If you can do that then I won't stop you."
Ruby's lips thinned in a smirk, "You are underestimating , Headmistress."
"Not at all," she said, glancing down at the redhead with a calm smile.
"It's just that I trust my love above all else… so go ahead and try~"
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Ladies, ladies. No fighting. We all know Adrian's libido...so like...eheh~
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