The Runic Alchemist

In the early morning, the camp came alive, bustling with activity and the sound of people chatting as they broke down their tents, preparing to move out. Everyone was eager to return home, ready to see family, friends, and finally cash in their earnings.

Damian didn't have to do much—just hold the little munchkin in his arms and watch the soldiers get ready to depart. After a full day of rest, he was feeling much better; life was indeed best with his mana fully restored. With over 17,000 credits, Damian had accumulated wealth rivaling that of a small noble house, though it came with a steep price in effort and danger which he was determined never to repeat. Even without Vidalia's offer to make him a state researcher, along with the funding that would entail, he could now easily afford materials on his own.

Still, Damian didn't want to go solo. Vidalia's offer was appealing, and aside from the usual complications-which he could handle for more money, there wasn't much reason to decline. Also the kinds of materials he'd need required high-level connections, and who better to provide them than the royalty?

He hadn't expected the war to end so soon, but he was grateful it did. Offensive operations had never been part of his contract, so now he'd be spared from unnecessary fights. Although his leveling would slow without battles-added with his slow growth, especially since he couldn't kill humans for their high experience value, it was still worth the peace of mind. He would have to think of some other way to level up. With Einar and Kazak's explanation and demonstration of aura he had at least learned to sense it a little bit and contain it inside his body, not to unnecessarily leak out and scare mundanes. High-level individuals could still sense it, though—Vidalia and Bonecrusher must have picked up on it yesterday. Maybe that explained Bonecrusher's strange behavior, though he was an odd fellow to begin with so it was hard to tell.

"Fweeee-uuu!"

Damian looked down to see the little guy thrilled by the lively camp and the first light filtering through the deep blue sky. It must have been the first dawn it had ever seen.

"Calm down, or I'll leave you behind," Damian said, locking eyes with it.

"Eeee-ahhh!"

the munchkin chirped, shaking his smooth head in defiance.

When Damian returned from the village, he'd asked Sam and the others what to name the little guy. They had suggested a lot of funny names, each of which the little one showed his disapproval of, much to everyone's amusement. Eventually, they found a name it liked.

"Toph," Damian said. The little guy looked up immediately, blinking as if to say, "What's up?"

Damian also checked his 'essentials' and confirmed he was a boy. Apparently, even when emperor-rank beasts reincarnated, they kept their gender—and maybe their memories too. Damian wondered, When he remembers, will he turn on him someday? He wanted Toph to be strong, yet his evolving intelligence might bring troubles in the future.

Sighing, Damian let the little guy sit on his shoulder as he mounted his horse. One of his soldiers had saddled it for him and greeted him with a cheerful smile, clearly relieved to be heading home safe. Damian set off, riding up a small hill that rose in the distance. Just as they reached the top, golden rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, bathing them in light.

Toph was mesmerized, then trumpeted loudly, tapping his tiny feet on Damian's shoulder. Though he quickly ran out of breath, he kept at it until he flopped down, exhausted. Damian scooped him up and placed him on the horse's back, where Toph gazed out at the valley below, aglow in the morning light, with the distant village as breathtaking as the first time Damian had seen it.

After breakfast, the army was ready to depart, though a few people stayed behind.

"Are you really staying?" Damian asked Royce and Mira, who stood on the ground with their new recruits.

They'd asked Tristan to assign them the task of guarding the valley until a new lord was appointed to the region.

"Yes… It feels like my responsibility. I have to see it through, Valoris is staying too, so.." Royce said, his tone laced with sadness.

"Don't worry about us," Mira added reassuringly. "We'll return to Pyron once the new lord takes over."

"Okay. Take care," Damian said in farewell.

"You too, Captain Maximus," Royce replied with a note of pride and respect. Had he heard some of those wild rumors too?

Valoris was assigned the task by Tristan but the other two had joined on their own. Technically they all had come after most of the fighting so it could be called fair, Damian guessed.

Damian simply nodded and rejoined his unit as the army began the march home. The men from the nearby villages and towns in the forest were all going back as their homes came on the way—at least, those who had survived. Their force had been over 35,000 strong at one point, but barely 7,000 were returning. By comparison, Ashenvale had only one third ranker surviving who had run away in disgrace, leaving the battlefield.. And they had almost twice the numbers as them.

Damian had to admit it was an impressive feat. Whatever Vidalia's methods, she was undeniably effective. Perhaps if they'd been more prepared from the beginning, more lives could have been saved. But what was done was done, and no amount of power could change the past.

Sam walked alongside him as Einar and Yovan took their positions further away, and Toph rode on his horse with contagious enthusiasm. Damian had to hold him back to keep him from jumping and matching the horse's rhythm. This little guy was going to be a headache for the rest of his life— A curse indeed, no doubt about that.

Then again looking at the little elephant Damian also felt whatever happened was for good and he would not change a single thing about it, except forcing Kazak not to engage with the beast. Though Damian had to admit, the chief of beastmen was more powerful than him, and in a direct fight he would never be able to match him. So forcing anything would be pointless, as ultimately the decision was his to make.

Now Pyron awaited them, and hopefully, a life of peace that he'd barely known so far would become his new normal.

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