Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 522 - 521- You are one of them

As expected, Adrian found out about the whole situation.

They never intended to go out of their way to lie to him. They simply thought that if he did not ask, they would not tell.

However, it became practically impossible to hide anything when he saw them returning from somewhere, their bodies covered in wounds.

The one who suggested hiding things from him was the one who folded under his gaze first.

Annabelle began narrating the whole thing that happened after he left. Starting with Sarah then their small planning and the ambush.

Ruby and Ariana followed suit and filled in the details.

Now, they sat side by side as Adrian loaded the healing bullet.

"I understand when it comes to Bella, but you two as well?" Adrian asked, shaking his head slightly.

Annabelle groaned. "Why does Darling always make me look immature?"

Adrian sighed. "That’s not it. You just lack the restraint that keeps people from taking needless risks."

"But this time, it worked, Adrian." Ariana spoke up unexpectedly. "It worked because we didn’t wait for them to strike first. They were planning to ambush the one place that could have hurt you more than any physical wound ever could."

Adrian’s heart sank at her words. A grave silence settled over the room, broken only by Ruby.

"While Annabelle initiated the plan, we were all in agreement with it. So yes, she isn’t the only one to blame."

Annabelle smiled faintly at her best friend before turning to Adrian. "Darling... I would have pulled away if things had gone out of control. You know I care about them as much as you do, right?"

Adrian’s shoulders sagged as he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You’re right. I was being too critical." Shaking his head, he admitted, "I sometimes forget that all of you have faced dangers far worse than anything I have. It’s just my concern that makes me unreasonable at times."

Three hearts melted at once.

Ariana held his hand, and Annabelle hugged him before saying, "That’s very sweet of you, Darling. You’re not unreasonable."

Ariana hummed in agreement. "Your concern is what makes us hesitate before getting reckless. So don’t stop being yourself."

Ruby met his eyes with a gentle smile and added, "Not everyone is fortunate enough to have someone worry about them. Don’t take that privilege away from us."

Adrian chuckled softly and patted Annabelle’s back reassuringly. "I understand. Now sit down and let me heal you."

Annabelle slowly pulled away, grinning as she said, "You know what, Darling? I’m glad you went to the exhibition today and cornered Clark so badly that he ended up targeting you."

As she sat down, Adrian double-checked the bullet before asking, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, in a world where my Darling exists, how can anyone else hold the title of the greatest Runesmith?"

Adrian rolled his eyes, smiling in resignation.

He pulled the trigger, and Annabelle’s body was engulfed in a silvery brilliance. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The bullet’s effect reminded him of something he had skimmed over earlier. "You mentioned ancient magic users?" he asked. They were among the few who had made him realize that Forgelet’s bullets might not be the answer to everything.

Of course, that was only the beginning, since magicians like Abraham and Nytharos did not even flinch at the bullets, especially the dismantling one.

Ruby nodded. "It sounds absurd, but there were actually three of them there. Each of us dealt with one."

Adrian turned to Ariana in surprise. "You never mentioned encountering an ancient magic user."

Ariana gave a wry smile. "I used the lack of space inside the building to trap him in his own spells. To me, he was just a regular mage, nothing more."

Ruby chuckled. "Maybe that’s what makes you the best Warden among us."

In terms of raw strength alone, Annabelle held the lead. But when it came to battle strategy and a calm conscience during confrontation, Ariana stood at the top.

"I wonder what their source of knowledge is," Adrian muttered as he turned the revolver’s muzzle toward Ariana next.

Ruby nodded. "I tried interrogating one, but it led nowhere."

Concern showed on Adrian’s face. Ancient sorcery was territory he had yet to explore.

That branch of magic was invented by witches, severed from all the original streams of magic.

Witches remained detached from other civilians not only because of their ambiguous existence, but also because they guarded their secrets fiercely.

The reason they could survive without being devotees of any deity was also rooted in their profound knowledge of sorcery.

"They knew something that could have caused a catastrophe," Adrian muttered. "That’s exactly why no one dared to force them onto the path everyone else followed blindly."

A brief silence fell, each of them lost in thought. The first to speak was the one with the least knowledge of the past.

"Then how were they hunted, Adrian?" Ariana asked, confused. "If they were that strong and could preserve their unique identity amid all that fanaticism, how did they end up surrendering later on?"

She was referring to the period when Darkness itself was being hunted, when most villages occupied by witches were burned to cinders.

"Wasn’t it because of the Apostles?" Ruby asked, uncertain. "I heard they were directly involved in the hunt."

Annabelle had no answer. She was quite young at that time to remember anything. Not to talk about her hell of a life that always kept her perception narrowed at her village.

As a result, every gaze turned toward the one person who had witnessed it all.

Adrian took a deep breath before speaking. "Those deities were in a panic. They believed Darkness was wounded and exhausted after influencing humanity on such a massive scale. They were completely wrong."

He looked out the window as he continued, "Assumptions were made, and the witches were blamed. They did not hesitate to challenge the fundamental laws, sending their blessings into a select few they deemed worthy to wield their power."

Apostles.

They were responsible for an entire community being driven to extinction.

Ancient knowledge, preserved culture, the only humans among millions of blind worshippers, all of it was gone.

Adrian turned to Annabelle. "Bella... you were among them."

Annabelle’s eyes widened. "Huh?"

Adrian nodded. "You were blessed by Nytharos, as you may have already guessed. You are one of the few apostles born in that era to carry out their duties."

He met her gaze steadily. "You are a Divine Descended. An apostle."

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A/N:- The last part may came out as weird but Adrian genuinely believed Annabelle must have figured it out herself. Well...drop a comment.