Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Chapter 110 109- Flaw

Adrian was surprised to see the equipment in the workshop.

He had read about all sorts of useful tools in books—rare materials, special ores, enchanted stones, high-quality runic pencils, perfect lighting setups, and shelves full of books.

"You don't use those fancy rune-smithing tools, huh?" Adrian said, noticing only a runic pencil and an alignment scale on the table.

"I've never needed them," Ruby replied. "They're pretty much useless if you really care about rune-smithing."

Ruby had always believed that tools like calming candles and echo bells were for people who didn't truly enjoy the craft—people who had to force themselves to do it. For her, it was always just the subject, the pencil, and the runesmith's mind.

Adrian grinned and picked up the aligner. "Then what about this thing?"

Ruby shrugged. "Sometimes, the mind tries unorthodox ways to do something it normally can't."

Adrian chuckled. "If Professor Gilbert heard you say that, he'd have a full-blown lecture ready."

At the mention of that name, Ruby froze. Adrian noticed it right away.

He set the aligner back on the table. "Do you know him?"

Gilbert was a well-known runesmith, with a solid reputation and a few impressive accomplishments. Surely Ruby would be interested in someone like that… or was there more to it?

"It's nothing," Ruby said quickly. "I've met him. Ran into him once at the Runebound."

What she didn't say was that Gilbert was actually a spy for the Vermillion family, feeding them information from the academy. And he wasn't the only one. The Vermillions had someone planted in each of the four central academies—and even in the government. That's how they stayed one of the most powerful ancient families, always keeping an eye on everything.

Adrian could tell she was hiding something, but he didn't push.

Instead, he changed the subject. "So, what are we doing today?"

Adrian was eager to explore more of the workshop and ask Ruby about the strange artifacts she had lined up on the shelves, but he didn't want to come off as nosy. He was the guest, after all, so he simply smiled and let her decide what they should talk about.

Ruby's eyes lit up with excitement. Without warning, she swept everything off the table in one dramatic motion. Adrian jumped in surprise, half-panicked—until he saw what had been hidden beneath the clutter.

There were scribbles carved directly into the wooden tabletop—clearly re