The Runic Alchemist

As they walked toward the hall, Damian once again noticed the familiar glances from passersby, their eyes lingering on him and Toph in his arms. It reminded him of the looks he'd often received in the Eldoris palace events—those same expressions from girls and women before they tried approaching him, only to be intercepted by the queen's loyal nobles. He always thought the attention stemmed purely from his crafting abilities and the noble families' desire to form connections with him, but maybe there was more to it.

The gala hall was enormous, even grander than the Hall of Glory Einar had once shown them. Upon their entry, many heads turned, and conversations paused momentarily before the murmurs resumed. Drinks were being served, and there was a buffet of light snacks. Tables were scattered throughout for chatting, including several placed on the hall's twelve spacious balconies. Each balcony was adorned with stone railings, offering stunning views of the ocean and the full moon, though the cold was biting.

Of course, many noble students wore runic items with warmth spells, and Damian spotted plenty of runic circles glowing in the crowded room.

****

It was a mixed event for third- to fifth-year students. First and second years were tasked with organizing and catering the event—it was very much "by the students, for the students." Naturally, participants earned grades for their involvement.

Participation was mandatory only for fifth-years. Students from the earlier years could opt out, so only a few noble kids or particularly enthusiastic commoners from the first four years were in attendance. The majority of the crowd consisted of fifth-years, spread across all three sections.

Damian spotted a pugilist student he had partnered with in Combat Arts class. They exchanged nods in mutual acknowledgment. Then, of course, there was the Dawnstar prince, perpetually surrounded by a throng of noble students—this time including admirers from both genders. Over in one corner stood the beastmen boy with his group, while other clusters, large and small, had formed throughout the hall. Most of the faces were vaguely familiar to Damian, though he could only recall the names of a few.

When people from Dawnstar and Eldoris greeted Evrin and Grace, Damian took the opportunity to step aside with Reize. The two slipped away from the group and picked drinks from the student servers before settling against a wall to survey the room.

From time to time, Damian noticed girls and boys glancing at him. Some of the girls even smiled, though none approached. He wondered if it was because he was standing with Reize—or perhaps they were afraid he might throw them into a wall too.

Well, he was glad for both reasons. In fact, he preferred it that way. Still, he would have loved to get to know some simple guys who shared his interest in spells and runes or who were just fun people to talk to.

"What are you thinking?" Reize asked as Damian sipped his drink, his gaze still wandering.

"Calculating what spells I could use to cover the whole hall," Damian muttered absentmindedly.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Pfffff… It's a gala, kid—be nice," she replied with a chuckle. Then, in a gentler tone, she asked, "Where are you from?"

"Hmm? Eldoris," Damian replied, locking eyes with her. They had a little green mixed in them with the brown—had he ever noticed that before..?

"Come on. You're clearly not from there," Reize said knowingly. "Your knowledge of runes is unmatched. I asked around about you. And found out aout those special potions—the ones crafted by the famous 'Morph Vialist'? The ones that gave Eldoris an edge on the battlefield, devastating Dawnstar forces? Well, it all makes sense now. How Eldoris managed to crush the Ashenvale army, even when outnumbered-When they came invading."

"What does it matter where I'm from?" Damian responded simply. "I have no home here."

"Here? Where is it, then?"

"Too far," Damian said simply, his tone a bit heavy. "Maybe, too lost by now."

"I was raised in a prison," Reize confessed softly. "I know the feeling of having no home. The only thing my mother and I could see was the sky—the vast, bright blue sky. Oh, how I envied the winged ones soaring freely in it."

Damian reached out to gently wipe away the tear that had rolled down her cheek without her realizing it. For a moment, their gazes held. Their breath seemed loud against the backdrop of muffled chatter, which faded into silence as though enveloped in an unseen veil. The closeness felt.. Natural.

A voice broke the spell though.

"'Cough'… Uh, sorry. Am I interrupting?"

The sound snapped Damian back to reality, and Reize quickly stepped away, also adjusting her posture. They turned to face the newcomer, a pretty girl with auburn hair and shy yet determined eyes. Damian recognized her as someone from his history of magic class.

"Oh, hello!" Damian greeted her with a polite smile, noticing her eyes widen slightly.

"Uh, hello… um…" she hesitated. "May I have this dance?"

Huh? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Even in this world, it was customary for guys to ask girls. He'd seen it happen countless times back at the palace, with noble heirs vying for the attention of ladies. Still, the girl in front of him was growing more flustered by the second as he processed the situation.

He glanced at Reize with a strained smile, who chuckled and nodded. Taking the hint-Damian handed Toph to Reize. Then he extended his hand to the girl with a welcoming smile.

"Let's go, then," he said.

The girl beamed and placed her hand in his, though she tried her best to mask her excitement. She was slightly taller than him, like many others here, but that didn't hinder their performance as they glided through the slow, ceremonial dance to the accompaniment of live student musicians.

They weren't alone on the dance floor. Around them, others were swaying to the rhythm—Sam with an unfamiliar girl, and several boys from Combat Arts with partners Damian vaguely recognized. His hand remained steady on her back as they moved, the motions ingrained in him through years of practice in Goldilock villa.