"Good to see you again, Mister Lockwood," the butler said with a light bow as Adrian approached the carriage.
He was slightly late, having slept longer than he intended. His partners had not woken him up either.
When he finally got up, he still felt sluggish. Only then did he realize just how fatigued he was.
Even so, he had an appointnt to keep. He took a quick bath and left as soon as possible.
"I hope I didn’t make you wait," Adrian said, glancing at the large carriage parked nearby. "How far is the destination?"
"His Majesty is staying near the border of the town," the butler replied.
Adrian nodded and gestured forward. "Then lead there."
The butler nodded, stepped forward, and opened the carriage door for Adrian.
After Adrian got inside, the butler followed suit and sat across from him.
Once they were seated, the carriage began to move at a moderate pace, heading south.
For the ti being, Ariana was staying at Ruby’s place. If Adrian found the ti, he would bring her back to the academy later. If not, she would use the teleportation portal early the next morning.
It was inconvenient, but after the recent incident, Adrian had grown a little paranoid. He would rather have her surrounded by people he trusted.
In a way, he was insulting Ariana by doubting her strength. He had already apologized to her for it. Still, until she was completely recovered, he preferred to remain cautious.
"Sir Lockwood, may I ask you sothing?"
His daze was broken as the man across from him spoke politely.
"Yes, of course," Adrian replied.
"What is the actual reason you refrain from openly distributing your armants, at least among the prominent side of society?"
Adrian humd and leaned back into the cushioned seat.
Resting his hands on his lap, he said, "My reason is balance."
He straightened his shirt and continued, "I have long realized what kind of capability my armants possess. This may sound overly self assured, but they can change the tide of war. And if they were to fall into the wrong hands, they could be used for purposes I deeply despise."
The butler humd. "So it is not the threat of soone copying your skills?"
"Skills cannot be copied," Adrian said calmly. "And knowledge cannot be stolen."
"But I assu you are still hesitant to share it?" the butler pressed, his tone uncertain, leaving Adrian to fill the gap.
Adrian’s answer did not align with his expectations. "No. In fact, I enjoy teaching people my ways. Professionally, I am a teacher first, then a Runesmith."
He shook his head lightly and added, "It’s just that my thods are sowhat unorthodox, so many struggle to fully grasp them."
The butler nodded in understanding. From what he could tell, he was facing a genius who knew his own worth and possessed the potential to alter the world’s order.
The real reason he had initiated this conversation was that he had seen his lord wield an armant crafted by the man sitting before him.
The mayhem caused by a single dagger had been both unexpected and devastating.
Although his lord had not openly shown that he wanted to acquire a new armant from Adrian, soone who had served him for twenty years, the butler knew his master would appreciate another of Adrian’s creations.
As such, he was rely testing the waters, gauging how deep the ocean truly was.
And from the brief exchange he had with the Runesmith, the butler could already tell that convincing him would be no easy task.
"Here we are," the butler said as Adrian stepped down from the carriage and took in the massive mansion before him.
"Antonmine, despite being so small, has a place like this?" Adrian mused inwardly.
As the main gates parted, Adrian followed the older man inside.
They walked along stone plates, crossing the vast garden. As they did, Adrian asked, "May I ask why the Emperor is here, so far from Noredeim?"
Noredeim had always stayed away from others’ affairs. No war, no politics, only isolation behind tall mountains.
History books stated that once, twelve nations had aligned to attack Noredeim because of past grudges.
After that war, an entire continent was liberated from its rulers.
For the first and last ti since the formation of the Northern Crown, Noredeim had revealed its full strength. Even now, that display served as a deterrent, keeping other nations wary of them.
The butler smiled softly and said, "He ca to et you, especially."
Adrian’s brows lifted in genuine surprise. "That’s... unexpected. I didn’t think my creation would leave such a deep impression on His Majesty."
The butler stopped near the entrance and turned to face the brown-haired man.
With a knowing look, he said, "I am not permitted to speak of it. But His Majesty may choose to tell you what your creation has done for him."
Adrian’s brows lifted, curiosity clear in his eyes, but the butler did not continue the conversation and instead led him inside.
"It’s quite chilly in here," Adrian noted inwardly.
An artifact, perhaps? Then again, these people were from the north. They likely preferred the cold.
The ambience was peaceful and warm in its own way. The decor was not overly extravagant, yet the antiques and chandeliers blended perfectly with the atmosphere.
Leaving Adrian in the reception hall, the butler departed, likely to inform the Emperor.
As Adrian sat down, a maid arrived and served him tea along with so cookies.
After giving a bow, she stood quietly in a corner.
Nothing he wasn’t accustod to.
To pass the ti, he asked the system, "What happened to my request?"
[The host is being unreasonable.]
The reply ca swiftly.
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "I’m only asking you to extend the Ti Chamber a little, and you’re giving that attitude? Haven’t I always completed every task you assigned ? Stop being heartless and grant so extra space."
It wasn’t that Adrian was claustrophobic, nor was the Ti Chamber small. To prepare the artifacts ant for plantations, he needed to transport a large amount of equipnt into the Ti Chamber.
That was why, rather than disrupting the neatly organized items already stored inside, he was demanding additional space.
There was a brief pause before the system responded.
[The host must finish the fifth thread first. Only then will the system grant extra space.]
Adrian clicked his tongue. "That would take more than a month, and I need to start working on the artifacts tomorrow. Why are you so stingy?"
There was no response, which only frustrated him further.
This system doesn’t miss any chance of living up to its title of bastard.
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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