5 Chapter 5

-[Liam]-

He sat in the Esdeath's private library in the palace, studying the tome of runes in silence. It had barely been a few hours since he had gotten it and his excitement had barely reduced.

Rune magic was a branch of magic that provided endless possibilities. Given time to prepare, any user of rune magic could be very deadly, even to powerful foes.

He heard the door behind him open quietly as familiar footsteps made their way towards him. "How is it going, dear?" Esdeath asked, her arms snaking around him from behind.

In a book on the study table in front of him were scribbles and notes on rune matrices and incomplete ideas that he wanted to implement down the line.

"Slow." He said simply.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're excited about it." Esdeath said, easily noticing it. "I still don't see how you can understand anything in this book."

She was referring to the open tome which laid beside his notes. He'd gotten curious as to whether other people could read/understand them so he allowed Esdeath to sneak peeks at the pages when he was studying.

To both his and her surprise, she was hit with a sudden wave of headaches, dizziness and was unable to read it. A security measure, he presumed, one he was very happy for.

"It is simple yet very complex at the same time. It's a matter of figuring out what each sequence of runes does and what their combinations do as well." He explained.

A soft giggle escaped Esdeath's lips. "It's nice to see you this excited. Is there any way I can help?" She asked, curiously.

Liam hummed for a moment before answering. "Well, I'll need some live subjects as well as every medical related book you can get." He said.

"That can easily be arranged but for now," Esdeath's smile turned eager as she whispered into his ear. "It's time for our date."

His eyes actually widened in slight surprise. "It's that time already?"

He'd promised her a date a few hours ago but time had passed too quickly from his perspective. His interest in runes had only doubled the more he studied the tome.

+++++

[Rune Magic](Novice)

You possess a good understanding of runic magic. You are able to inscribe runes and create magical artifacts that cause a number of effects.

+++++

Even at this basic level, there were a myriad of things he could accomplish that would boggle the mind.

"I already commissioned a sword of the highest quality to be made for you but for now, you'll have to make due with a normal one." Esdeath said, handing him a standard sword.

Getting up to his feet, he stretched a bit. "Let's see how long this one will last." He thought, grabbing the tome, letting it disappear from his grasp.

"That ability of yours still baffles me." Esdeath commented as they exited the private study.

'You're not the only one.' Liam thought in slight amusement, having no clue where the book stored itself when it was not in use either.

-[Later]-

Esdeath's idea of a date was hunting danger beasts in Gifnora forest. Standing over the corpse of a lion type danger beast, Liam swung his sword to the side, sending the blood off it quickly.

"I'll admit, I didn't expect to find it this fun." Liam said, turning to face Esdeath who had a smile on her face.

"I told you it would be. Though, we dealt with them faster than I expected. It seems like you're always getting stronger." She said as they walked deeper into the forest.

They had been hunting danger beasts for quite a while and neither could complain. Esdeath was having some alone time with Liam while the male in question was getting some much needed experience in leveling his skills.

"I have a good teacher as well as a few tricks of my own." Liam said, picking up a stone from the ground.

They stopped walking as Liam's nail lengthened, carving a symbol into the rock. It didn't take more than a few seconds after which he handed the rock to Esdeath.

"What's this?" She asked, looking at the object in her hand in confusion.

"The danger beast that's been trailing us for a while, throw it at it." Liam said, a mysterious smirk on his face.

Barely a moment later, Esdeath spun in her heels, her arm moving at high speed as she threw the stone into the thick bushes to the side.

There was a moment of silence before it was heard.

*Boom!*

A small explosion ruffled the tree, surprising Esdeath who quickly went in the direction of the explosion.

Following behind her, they quickly found the body of a danger beast that was now missing its head. The blue haired general immediately turned to Liam in surprise.

"That was…" she muttered, putting it together.

"Like I said, I have a few tricks of my own." Liam said, proudly.

He had carved an exploding rune on the stone, setting it to activate when thrown. Rune matrices were made of a lot of things with the most two important things being effect and trigger.

"You just keep on surprising me. Is that what you were studying earlier?" She asked as they ignored the corpse and continued their hunt.

"Yes. This is just a basic but useful application. I'll eventually be able to do much more but this is decent for now." Liam answered as they moved through the forest.

"It's certainly useful." Esdeath muttered, her mind already running through many scenarios where it could be used.

"About the wedding, have you decided on a date?" He asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

A pondering look formed on her face. "I would prefer if we could deal with Night Raid before having an official ceremony. Though, I did hear that an exchange of rings is acceptable until then." Esdeath said in a curious manner.

"I think you're talking about an engagement ring." Liam said, barely pausing as his ears picked up the sound of a branch snapping somewhere around him.

As Esdeath nodded, Liam suddenly dashed to the side, brandishing his sword. The sudden movement surprised the hidden beast who was unprepared as Liam swung the blade, beheading it instantly.

"Oh? Impressive, you're getting much better at staying aware of your surroundings." Esdeath praised as he swung his blade clean of the blood.

"I'd need to. I don't doubt that Honest would have some of his men keep an eye on me." Liam admitted, gaining a frown from Esdeath.

"The minister's way of handling things is crude as always. It wouldn't surprise me either. Anyway, you don't need to worry about him trying anything for the moment." The blue haired general said, confidently.

Gaining a smirk, Liam moved close to her, giving her a quick peck at the corner of her lips. Her confident look was immediately covered with a healthy blush as she looked at him in surprise.

"What was that for?" She asked in surprise but not disliking it.

He shrugged as he continued walking. "Nothing. I just felt like it." He said, a smile forming on Esdeath's face as she followed behind him.