The Runic Alchemist

"Where is that proud face now, huh? Hero?" taunted the leader of the brats, the oldest one that Sam had sucker-punched a few days ago.

"At least we aren't cowards who hide behind hired help," Sam retorted, turning his blade slightly.

Einar didn't even have a sword, nor did Damian, though he had spare ones in his spatial storage.

"These kids are dumbasses, but you guys are adults? You there, what's the plan? Bully some kids so these brats can feel less useless than they are?" Damian tried to talk them down. It might have worked against him, though, as the second-ranker looked at the boy leader with a stoic expression. However, Damian could see in his eyes that he considered this situation less than ideal.

"Shut your trap... Now.. Go!.. Show them what happens when they disrespect our noble houses!" yelled the oldest brat, and all the adults rushed forward.

There were five of them, with the second-ranker staying behind as the sixth. Damian immediately created an air tornado while saying some random words in different languages, blowing all of them back to where they started. It was more powerful than a normal air tornado, leaving no space for resistance unless someone could increase their weight or manipulate gravity.

Two landed on their feet, while the rest landed on their faces and behinds.

"Still want to do this?" Damian warned once more, his patience running thin.

The mob groaned but got up, looking at their young master, who angrily pointed at Damian. They continued their struggle, but this time, the second ranker joined them.

"Can you guys handle the five?" Damian asked, not wanting to reveal more than necessary.

"Of course," Geldric replied on behalf of everyone.

Damian took out a sword and spear from his storage, revealing the storage tool. He tossed the sword to Einar, who was surprised to see weapons just appearing in Damian's hands but kept his questions to himself. So did the others, as they prepared to fight the five first-rank men. Damian held his spear as the sergeant had taught him and awaited the rough-looking second-ranker.

The second ranker, a spellsword with a glowing golden aura around his blade, regarded him with a mix of skepticism and amusement. "You should have stayed at the camp, lad," he said in a deep rumble. "This isn't a game."

Damian didn't respond, his grip on the spear tightening ever so slightly. The second ranker took that as his cue, lunging forward with a speed that belied his size. The aura around his blade crackled, slicing through the air with a deadly hum. Damian sidestepped with fluid grace, the tip of his spear darting forward in a swift, probing strike.

The second ranker parried with ease, the aura around his blade flaring as steel met wood.

The alley echoed with the clash of weapons, the sharp ring of metal on wood resonating through the narrow space. Damian's movements were precise, his spear a blur as he deflected each of the second ranker's powerful strikes. All those practice sessions at midnight everyday coming in clutch.

Despite the second ranker's superior reach and strength, Damian held his ground, his small frame weaving through the onslaught with an agility that seemed almost unnatural.

The second ranker frowned, realizing Damian was no ordinary opponent. With a grunt, he summoned more of his spiritual aura, the blade in his hand glowing brighter as he channeled his power. He slashed downward in a powerful arc, aiming to overpower him with sheer force. Damian met the strike head-on, his spear intercepting the glowing blade.

For a moment, the two weapons locked, the alley filled with the sound of straining wood and crackling magic.

Damian's eyes narrowed as he pushed back against the second ranker's strength, his feet sliding slightly on the cobblestones. Then, with a sudden twist of his body, he redirected the second ranker's momentum, spinning out of the way and bringing his spear around in a wide arc. The second ranker barely managed to raise his sword in time, the aura flaring as he blocked the strike.

But Damian was already in motion, his spear dancing in his hands as he pressed the attack. The second ranker found himself on the defensive, his blade moving frantically to keep up with the boy's relentless assault. Each strike from Damian was precise, aimed at the second ranker's weak points, forcing him to expend more and more of his energy just to keep up.

Though Damian's spear had no aura, just plain wood and an iron tip, his strength nearly matched the second ranker's.

Realizing he was being pushed back, the second ranker grunted, channeling his aura into a burst of energy that sent a shockwave through the alley. Damian skidded back, his feet leaving small grooves in the cobblestones as he absorbed the force. The second ranker took the momentary reprieve to catch his breath, sweat beading on his forehead.

"You're no ordinary kid, are you?" the second ranker panted, his voice tinged with grudging respect.

Damian gave a small smile, his grip on the spear steady. "I practice unlike bullying kids, like your young master..."

With that, they resumed their stances, preparing to clash again. However, a wide wave of air forced both of them to lean to the side and look behind them, halting their fight.

"What is going on here?" asked Mira, the pugilist captain, her face serious and angry.

Damian retrieved his spear and quietly walked to her side. Sam and the others had also managed to survive, if not defeat, their opponents. They stopped and gathered near her. The goons retreated to the group of annoying brats, who looked half-scared but still stood proudly as if saying, 'We did nothing wrong here.'

"Good thing you're here, Captain. These savages attacked us after following us. Our friends here were helping us deal with them," said the older boy with no shame at all.

"They outnumber you, and you have adults with you... and they attacked you?" Captain Mira, of course, didn't buy their lie.

"That's what we said happened, Captain. Are you going to trust their words against ours, the nobility?" The venomous tongue in his handsome face was a stark contrast, highlighted by the people nodding behind him. Some, like the second-rank guy, a few goons, and the plus-sized white-haired kid, hesitated slightly, but no one spoke up.

Well, that's how it was.

The captain was also helpless against them here. Even if they presented their case to the lord, if he heard them at all, the words of a noble held more weight since they lived in a world where status dictated how one was treated. The laws of the region were as good as their lord.

Damian gestured to his friends, and they all got ready to turn and walk away.

"Hey! Stop there! Captain, tell them to stop! They attacked us. I will present my case to the lord commander," the boy demanded.

Damian had enough of this nonsense; it wasn't fun anymore. It was okay as long as it was between kids, but hiring people and ambushing them was too much. Damian turned back and looked into the eyes of the lying teenage boy.

"Do that, and they'll find your corpse in the river tomorrow morning... Don't forget, you still have to live with us."

Just to get his point across, Damian threw his spear with full power. Piercing the air like a bullet, it landed a few meters behind the five boys and exploded, sending all of them flying. It didn't harm them but scared the life out of them. Damian had used the exploding arrow runic circle he had learned from Andrea on his spear, just in case.

They walked away, but they weren't alone.

"You threatened him in front of me. That's a clear violation of the rules," said the pugilist captain, walking behind them.

"Now you follow the rules?" Sam disdained. The others also looked at her as if she were their enemy too.

"I understand what you're going through, and I'm sorry for letting it get to this point, but you cannot threaten people in front of the army officers and expect to walk away freely," she reasoned.

"What is the punishment? Expulsion from the army? Or direct hanging? Or do they also get to decide this?" Yovan spat on the side, mocking her apathetic act.

"Calm down, guys," Damian said, trying to cool them down. "The captain is right. It was necessary, no doubt, but it was wrong of me to do that. Whatever they decide, I'll deal with it."

"They might ask for you to be whipped or maybe even hanged. Crimes against nobility are not taken lightly," she said, and the color drained from everyone's faces.

"But that is only if someone tells them..." Understanding the hidden meaning behind her words, everyone forgot their anger and looked at her in a positive light.

"What about them, though? They'll never let it go," Yovan asked, voicing what was on everyone's mind.

"You'll be safe as long as you stay inside the camp... That last thing you did will make them think twice before trying something like this again, but they could use other, more civil methods. It won't be enough to convince the lord though..." she reasoned.

"Maximus, if you could do that, why didn't you start with that?" Einar asked, confused.

"It's too petty a reason to kill people..." Damian was surprised to see how easily they were asking him to kill people as if it was nothing.

"What are you talking about? They were here to kill us all," Jorven argued.

'Knowing when not to choose violence, controlling his emotions and power... Those are the qualities of a veteran soldier... Has he fought in a battle before? How could that be? He's barely 11...' Mira thought looking at Damian.