“So, tell me, what did you find?”

“Your Lordship, this is all the information our troops have been able to gather.”

Late at night, a few candlelights flickered, casting shadows over three men. One was Count Graham, seated behind his office desk. Next to him stood Grand Commander Leopold, ever vigilant, staring intently at the third man who was presenting some papers to the lord. It was immediately apparent that the Count was in a bad mood, and it was due to the thinness of the papers he was being given.

“Is this all you could gather on this man? I already know that he is a recent Professor, the rest doesn’t help with anything.”

Graham slammed his fist down on the table, causing it to rattle slightly. The papers contained information on the recent thorn in his side, Deputy Professor Wayland. While there was plenty of detail about his appearance at the Institute, the rest was quite vague. The only other connection they could make to his name, besides the Institute, was the Adventurers’ Guild. However, the records seemed fake and incomplete.

First, Wayland appeared somewhere in the region owned by the Valerian House, a place not easily accessible. Fortunately, guilds were required to keep records of adventurers, and those of Tier 3 and above had separate files. A man with the same name surfaced in a town called Albrook, but aside from confirming his name and his involvement with the local lord, there was little else.

There was a possibility that he was connected with a man named Arthur Valerian. However, Graham wondered if this was all just a ruse. Would a Knight Commander from the other side of the Kingdom suddenly appear here without his lord? It was more probable that the two weren’t related and that the Wayland from the Institute was just a cover. Perhaps the powerful mage was using this alias to obscure his true origins.

“This man could be dangerous... If he has someone willing to alter the records this much. Perhaps this Wayland was hired by someone to aid one of Valerian’s sons to destabilize the region? But what would they gain from that? ”

Many theories floated through Graham’s mind as he tried to connect the dots. There wasn’t much information, and the man was even rumored to be a runesmith, which made no sense. That story was probably a lie, and Wayland had likely been placed in Albrook for some specific reason. If his purpose was to destabilize the Valerian household, it was possible that the royal family had sent him. His connection to the Arch-Mage couldn’t be ignored either; perhaps she had finally decided to abandon her neutrality.

'Could it be about the young lass? She’s a clairvoyant, possibly on her way to becoming an oracle when she’s older. Are they just trying to curry favor because of her potential?'

Graham wasn’t sure what to think; the motivations behind these people's movements were baffling. Perhaps it would have been wiser to give in when he had the chance, but now things had gotten out of hand. He could no longer retreat from this battle, as other nobles would see him as weak. Even though he might offend the Arch-Mage, there were others who disliked her and could become potential allies.

“What about that workshop? I don’t see any mention of what they’re doing in there, just a list of names…”

“W-we weren’t able to proceed, my lord. The magical defenses around it are too robust for our mages.”

“Why am I paying those ingrates if their magic is useless!”

Graham shouted, throwing the report at the man standing before him in a fit of rage. The uncertainty of what was happening inside that temporary workshop was driving him mad. They were planning something, and he didn’t like it one bit. If, for some reason, his knight lost to the young Arden boy, he would become a laughingstock. The first noble to lose in a combat trial since many centuries. Eventually, the man was dismissed, leaving Graham alone with Leopold.

“Leopold.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“I want you to personally train that knight, use all the means at our disposal… even if that means you have to use ‘that’”

“By ‘that’ do you mean?”

“Yes. Go to the vault and pick up ones that will compliment our Knight, just make sure that it’s not too obvious.”

The Grand Commander just nodded as he understood the assignment. Soon he made his way out of Count Graham’s office and headed to the vault deep within the manor. It was a place few were allowed to enter, containing ancient artifacts and enchanted items collected over generations by the Graham family. The vault’s entrance was protected by a complex array of runes, ensuring that only those with the proper authority could access its contents.

Leopold approached the door, pressing his hand against the cold stone. The runes flared to life, recognizing his presence and slowly dissolving the initial barrier. The whole place continued to rumble as thick slabs of metal slid to the side to reveal a long corridor filled with traps. None of them activated and soon Leopold arrived at the last door that would lead him inside.

Once there, he could feel the air thick with the weight of magical energy. Shelves lined the walls, each filled with various relics, some shimmering with latent power, others dormant but no less dangerous. His eyes scanned the collection until they settled on a particular set of items. These were not the most powerful artifacts in the vault, but they were perfect for the task at hand. He approached and picked one of them up, a crimson red gem similar to a ruby but containing strange and forbidden power.

There were many of these crystals here, all of varying shapes and sizes. The Grand Commander looked at the labels on the shelves and used them as a guide. The stones pulsed faintly with a dark-red, internal light, emanating a power that seemed to twist the soul. It was considered a taboo thing but if his lord ordered it, he would comply, that was his knightly duty.

He placed the gem in a small, ornately carved box, lined with protective runes to contain its energy. With the treasure sealed and ready, he returned to the manor. The trial was fast approaching, and his knight needed to absorb the power of this gift from the lord. Once that was accomplished, with some guidance and training, victory was assured. There was no doubt in his mind that Robert Arden would die.

*****

Back at Roland’s temporary workshop, the atmosphere was tense but focused. The team had begun work on the exoskeleton framework, with the dwarves meticulously forging each piece under Bernir’s supervision. The sound of hammers striking metal filled the air, intertwined with the hum of mana as Arion adjusted the runic components.

Roland moved between workstations, his mind constantly processing and recalculating. Every piece had to fit perfectly, every rune had to be aligned with absolute precision. There was no room for error, not with Robert’s life hanging in the balance. As he worked, his thoughts occasionally drifted to the Count. He knew that Graham would stop at nothing to ensure his knight’s victory, which meant that Robert would be facing more than just a man in combat - he would be up against the entire Graham estate’s resources.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

But Roland had his own secret weapon: the prototype suit. If everything went according to plan, it would tip the scales in Robert’s favor. However, much work remained, and dangers loomed on the horizon. Revealing his creation would likely make him a target. Initially, people might dismiss the rumors, but eventually, the power armor prototype could attract significant trouble to his doorstep

‘I’ll cross that bridge when the time comes. If I’m lucky, they’ll just see it as a new type of artifact that isn’t practical for military use. This should give me some time to prepare. Fortunately, there’s no internet here, so word will travel slowly. And Graham will likely avoid leaving any records of his loss…’

Roland was making several assumptions to buy himself some time. He knew that powerful armors capable of enhancing strength would be highly sought after by the nobility to bolster their armies. However, one prototype alone wouldn’t be enough to attract serious attention. Only once he had developed a full-fledged squadron of Runic Power Armor users and presented them to the world would they be taken seriously. Rumors would start but only once this project was fully launched in Albrook, would he truly attract unwanted attention.

“Well Boss, the exoskeleton is mostly ready but without the user it will be hard to complete.”

“Let me see first, me and Robert have a similar build.”

As the night wore on, the workshop remained a hive of activity. Eventually, they managed to assemble all the available parts into a framework for the suit. Being a prototype, getting into it was quite troublesome. After removing a few sections, Roland slid inside from the back and had the other craftsmen push the exposed parts back into place. They planned to attach a larger battery pack to the back of the suit, but for now, it was being powered by Roland himself.

Once inside the exoskeleton, Roland noticed the stiffness surrounding him. Although he had removed the armor around his body while keeping the helmet on, it was still a tight squeeze. This wasn’t ordinary armor; it was more akin to a golem with its own moving parts. If he tried to use his strength to move, he risked bending and breaking the entire suit. Only after activating the runes and using the soul-to-mana connectors did he attempt to move.

“It works Boss!”

Bernir called out in a jolly voice and was followed by one of the dwarven craftsmen.

“By my beard, it does!”

“How splendid!”

Arion chimed in as he watched the exoskeleton come to life. The current shell was composed of thick rods and braces encircling Roland's limbs. These components were made from various metals and salvaged parts from golems and old creations. There wasn’t much time to be stringent but they were planning to prepare a proper sturdy outer shell. The dwarven craftsmen were already working with a special alloy called black dwarven steel. While not as strong as mithril in its raw form, with thicker plates, it could become just as resistant.

They had already performed all the required tests so activating the exosuit was rather simple. Once running, the suit buzzed slightly before the runes sprang to life. The metal skeleton Roland was inside began to pulsate with glowing runes, marking the commencement of the suit's functionality. He attempted to move his right hand first. Though sluggish at first, it started to move. The joints on the sides creaked as they were pulled and pushed by the force of the mana motor.

Unlike a traditional robot with motors and numerous moving parts, this suit utilized something akin to arcane musculature. With each movement, the runes responded, tugging in the desired direction and generating the necessary motion. There was no need for cogs or cords to assist with the pulling; instead, the mana itself powered all the movements. This allowed the prototype’s joints to be designed much more compactly, making the suit both efficient and streamlined.

Roland took a cautious step in the exoskeleton, feeling the heavy frame respond with a slight delay. The suit's mechanisms creaked and groaned, but it held together. He moved his arm experimentally, the mana-assisted joints whirring softly. The dwarves cheered at the successful initial test, their excitement evident despite the long hours of labor.

He remained focused as he tested the movements, carefully noting the lag between his actions and the suit's responses. The delay was expected, given that this was still a prototype, but it would need to be fine-tuned to ensure Robert could use the suit effectively in combat. With his mind in place, he started changing the parameters, making the prototype’s movements smoother with each second until he was satisfied.

"Good work, everyone, But we’re not done yet. We need to reinforce a few joints and make a few adjustments. I'll redraw the schematic, just follow the instructions.”

“A few rivets have come loose, we need to address that…”

Arion warned and floated closer to examine the runic components running along the exoskeleton. His sharp eyes noted the faint glow emanating from the runic circuits, indicating that the energy flow was indeed operational.

“The mana seems to be going through smoothly but will those runic batteries be enough to make it run?”

“We might have to condense the runes even further and find a more optimal route for the traces… but it will still only have a short operation time, no longer than ten or fifteen minutes.”

This experimental golem armor would be using a lot of mana. Even with a large battery pack strapped to the back, the time would be limited. It was possible to establish a wireless charging station that would refill this prototype but during the fight it would probably not be allowed. Robert would have around ten minutes to defeat his enemy, less if he was forced to move around too much.

As the night deepened, the workshop's atmosphere grew increasingly intense. Roland, now satisfied with the initial test, exited the exoskeleton with the help of Bernir and the dwarves. The suit had proven functional, but it was far from battle-ready.

"Alright, let’s focus on the key areas."

Bernir was proving himself to be a perfect assistant and leader of his own team. Even though he had been an outsider, the dwarven craftsmen could tell that he was their superior. He was able to perfectly read his schematics and instruct the small group where to do the repairs. It only took a few hours for the exterior of the suit to be ready. Arion and Roland on the other hand had another thing to take care of, the main runic display that Robert would see once he put the helmet on.

“Do you have an idea for this ‘display’ ?”

Arion, intrigued by the idea, asked curiously. He had already seen the inside of Roland’s helmet and the complex data displayed within, but he wasn’t sure if a regular knight would be able to comprehend all that information. Roland possessed a unique trait along with enhanced Tier 3 perception, something that Robert still lacked. To address this, Roland realized he would need to prepare a simplified version of the graphical interface, and he already had an idea in mind.

“It’s nothing complicated, we’ll use a series of color patterns and audio prompts. It will inform the user of when an attack is coming.”

Roland had come from a world filled with various games. Some of these games had intricate battle systems and boss fights. What he was focusing was on the tutorials of those games and how they initially prepared their players for the challenge. There were many ways of showcasing an incoming attack, like making the enemy glow red or highlighting specific areas where the next attack might land. Sometimes they would put a red area on the ground where a spell or special ability would land. These simple cues were effective in helping players quickly understand a fight's mechanics and he was planning to use this concept in the suits display.

He envisioned the helmet providing Robert with a combination of visual and auditory signals. For instance, if an attack was imminent from the right, the helmet's display could flash a red warning on the right side of the visor, accompanied by a brief tone. The intensity of the light or sound could correlate with the severity of the threat, allowing Robert to react more intuitively without needing to decipher complex data.

“Interesting, so you’re going for something more instinctual? That could work, especially since Sir Robert won’t have time to analyze anything too complex during a fight.”

“Exactly but can’t leave it all up to the MPU.”

“Have something else in mind?”

“Mhm.”

While the suit could use the mana phantom to predict enemy movements about a second in advance, this alone was not enough. It was more effective to analyze the enemy and identify their strengths and weaknesses. With his golems still hidden away within the De Vere estate, Roland had already been gathering information about his brother's enemy. He was in the process of analyzing the man's threat level, movements, and vulnerabilities. Initially, everything went smoothly, but one day, things changed. The man displayed a strength that hadn't been evident before, something Roland immediately took notice of…