The Runic Alchemist

It felt as if his mana core had leaped out of him and joined with the tree. It was just a sensation, nothing physically painful. After resting for the night, the following day, getting refreshed, after bathing in the giant marble bathrooms, they were summoned to the throne room. Damian held Toph in his hands as Sam and Einar followed at his sides. Although the summons was specifically for Damian, he had been instructed to bring Sam and Einar with him. Nothing was mentioned about the cousins, who respectfully chose not to tag along.

The hallway to the inner castle was lined with exquisite and expensive artworks and paintings, decorations of all kinds displayed with harmonious elegance. As they finally entered the vast throne room, Damian already sensed who awaited them inside. Vidalia, the queen, and a few of her royal guards and another presence—a weaker, first-ranker mana signature.

As the enormous doors opened, Damian could finally match faces with the mana signatures he'd detected. The weaker presence belonged to an elven girl, likely in her early teens, though with elves, appearances could be deceiving. She looked around eleven or twelve, with curly hair and a childlike face. Damian assumed she was the same princess destined to marry the Ashenvale prince.

Einar led the way, as both Damian and Sam were commoners, well at least to his friends they were. Following Einar's lead, Damian followed the formal etiquette: bowing and rising when appropriate. If they'd been alone, Damian might not have bothered, but with so many eyes on them, he didn't want to risk offending the queen, especially in front of her daughter. Besides, she would soon be his boss, making a show of respect necessary for a good relationship ahead.

"Rise," commanded the queen in an authoritative tone, her gaze sweeping over the three of them as they stood. "Your valor on the battlefield has been commendable. Such young talents—I welcome you to our city."

"It is very gracious of you to say such kind words, Your Highness. We are honored to be invited here," replied Einar with graceful formality, a product of her years of training.

"Oh, how polite," the queen remarked, while Damian noticed the princess eyeing Einar from head to toe. They'd been provided with lavish but rather ridiculous clothing, which Sam and Einar wore, though Damian chose to wear something more comfortable from his own storage.

"Your official duties will commence in a few days," Vidalia continued. "Until then, feel free to visit the research facility. That is, if you're still willing to accept the role of royal researcher?" She directed this question at Damian, standing beside the queen, resumed her role as captain of the queen's guard.

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"If the conditions remain the same, yes, I accept," Damian replied, meeting both Vidalia's and the queen's gazes. Vidalia nodded, and Damian returned the gesture.

"Captain Maximus," the queen said, her tone and eyes firmer than when she'd addressed Einar, "I hereby appoint you to the title of royal researcher. An official announcement will be made soon."

Something in her tone suggested she wasn't entirely fond of him. Understandable, given his reputation. Damian also caught the young princess staring at him intently, though it was hard to tell if her attention was on him or on the young elephant he held in his arms. Several members of the queen's guard eyed him with a wary suspicion, as if expecting him to take out his weapons and pose a threat to their queen at any moment, even though both their weapons and spatial storage tools were taken before coming in.

If Vidalia had told them everything about him, their reactions were understandable. But even without those details, Damian knew that he was a somewhat questionable character to invite into a royal castle.

"For your invaluable contributions to the war effort—both through your strategic ideas and for saving my commander's life—I have decided to grant you one wish, within reason," the queen announced. All eyes instantly shifted to Damian, including those of Einar and Sam, who both turned to him in surprise.

Damian hadn't anticipated this. He'd thought his contributions were the reason he'd earned a pardon and hadn't expected further rewards. He hadn't done it for them and didn't seek anything in return. Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see that their promises of rewarding valuable contributions weren't empty. Many nobles wouldn't have cared.

One wish he could ask for… He already had access to research materials, and wasting this opportunity on runic tools or additional knowledge didn't feel right, as he already had plenty of both to occupy his time.

"There is one thing I would like, Your Highness," Damian said carefully, "though I also have another, more research-related request."

He heard whispers accusing him of being greedy, but he ignored them. Einar stomped on his foot, clearly trying to signal him, but he disregarded her as well.

"A bold request," the queen remarked, intrigued. "What is this research-related request?"

"I don't know how sacred this magnificent tree we stand upon is to your people, but it radiates with light mana," Damian explained his idea. "I noticed some large chunks of light mana stones within it. If I could use a small piece to try and heal my friend…"

The surprise in their expressions was obvious. Damian had guessed that they rarely tapped into the tree's resources, likely considering it sacred.

"Who is this friend of yours?" the queen asked, her gaze unyielding.

"Kazak, the beastmen chief." Even Vidalia's eyebrow rose at this.

"You won't be able to heal him," Vidalia interjected.

"I know," Damian replied, "but I want to try—one last time."

For reasons he couldn't understand, Vidalia nodded in agreement.

"You require only light mana stones for your experiments right? The fallen pieces will suffice," the queen declared. "Now… What is your true wish?"

Damian took a deep breath, glancing at Sam and Einar before finally saying, "I want Einar Larven to inherit her rightful place-the seat of power in Windhaven."