Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 35 - 34- Elana Ironhart

It was about two years ago.

Elana newly joined the academy and was someone who was pretty popular even before her face appeared in public.

Reason: her father.

Her Father was one of the strongest Wardens—ranking at Eighth and possibly the strongest knight in the Royal Order who climbed through the ranks through his sheer strength and unshakable determination.

However, his popularity doesn’t come from being solely strong—it was his conquest on the battlefield ten years ago when he left behind his battalion and charged at the enemy by himself.

The orders were to not advance and endanger the lives of the soldiers. However, Commander Ironhart couldn’t let the enemy attack them first either since there were civilians at the post he was handed.

Torn between his duty and the orders, he chose to sacrifice himself and jumped into the den of enemies, taking them by surprise and executing more than two hundred evil god worshippers in that raid.

He was awarded the Honor of Gallantry, the highest degree of honor a knight could attain, and after that, a noble position was created just for him.

Duke Nolan Ironhart.

Naturally, when coming from such a prestigious family and possessing the blood of the greatest warrior this country has ever produced, expectations with Elana were soaring higher than she could imagine.

People believed that she would ace all the exams if it’s related to weapons and martial arts. People believed that they would see her name in the top rankings all the time. And they thought the daughter of Duke Ironhart must gain the title of the strongest student of Runebound Academy in no time.

However, none of it happened. Reason: Elana was barely better than an average student.

One must remember that the enrollment assessment of Runebound Academy is pretty strict, where several times, the instructors fight with those students who want to qualify for the test through their strength alone.

Elana, although passed the test on her first attempt, she wasn’t ranked in the top ten.

People started chatting behind her back and sometimes in front of her about how she was quite underwhelming for someone who shares the same name as the legend

Elana’s confidence dropped severely upon hearing those murmurs and ridicule.

She was originally a shy child—someone who had been brought up in a sheltered household. Upon receiving ’those’ looks from her fellow students, she just forced the little girl to hide herself from the world and try to remain away from the limelight as much as possible.

She tried every single day, to improve herself...to stand on everyone’s expectations. In her heart she was searching for validation...that people accept that she was worthy of her name.

However, visible progress is not something that one can achieve through a few days of work.

People from different parts of the country came to her—and challenged her so they could prove that having a legendary surname and superior bloodline doesn’t make you a talented being.

They defeated her, again and again, and humiliated her as if she had boasted of her title and made fun of others in the past.

"What a crappy battle stance. How can you even call yourself the child of that Legend?!" She never called herself the daughter of any legend. In her eyes, she was just the daughter of her father. Was that a crime?

Day after day, Elana started to lose hope of having a normal school life.

Commoners didn’t approach her since they thought she was above them. And the other noble kids were too busy humiliating her to see that she just wanted to make a...friend.

’I just want to disappear.’ That thought appeared once in her mind when she was sitting in the gymnasium in the middle of the night, all alone.

Tears rolled down her eyes, her legs curled as the girl silently wept.

She couldn’t define how she was feeling that day.

Horrible... unneeded. Countless thoughts were filling her head and a part of her mind was ushering her to take a step that might end this all.

In that darkness...suddenly, a hand approached her.

She never noticed him approaching.

He shouldn’t have been here at that time.

It was the gym, and he didn’t have anything to do with exercising or martial arts.

Yet...he appeared there.

Resting his hand on her head, he said, "The taste of victory is the sweetest when the world wishes to see you fall."

She remembers every single word he spoke that night.

"I have seen your struggles...but I didn’t do anything. Not because I couldn’t help you, but rather because I want you to help yourself."

Slowly, she looked at him—those warm eyes...so pure and so gentle. She had forgotten when was the last time someone looked at her so gently...so fondly.

"You can choose between two—escape from here and have your father know about it, which surely would ruin several lives....or, listen to my advice and start again."

Elana’s eyes moistened upon hearing that as she shook her head, "It’s easy to say that I should start again. I have no hope in myself." Clenching her fists, she choked out, "I am a complete failure."

Adrian, almost instinctively called out, "Failure...that’s a very familiar word."

Elana stiffened when, suddenly, he crouched before her and looked Elana in the eyes.

With a tilt of his head, he said, "As a warrior, you feel yourself as a failure because you can’t defeat every opponent you come across. And just like that, I, as a Runesmith should also have crossed the biggest hurdle in my life...the Arcane Engraving Test."

With a soft smile, he shook his head, "But I couldn’t."

Elana’s eyes widened.

She...couldn’t believe at all that the man in front of her, who was rated so highly by his students...actually failed the most basic test of Runesmithing. freёwebnoѵel.com

And even if he did...did he just reveal his failure to a student he barely knows, just to uplift her confidence?

Adrian sighed as he said, "Now it’s up to you to believe me or not. However, it’s the truth that I also live with the tag of a failure. But did you see me wail or fall into depression?"

Elana didn’t respond but she would have said ’no’ in her usual mood. She has never seen that smile fading from his face, regardless of the situation.

Adrian got up from the ground and told her, "If you choose to stay and want to give your life a new start, meet me in my office sharp at seven tomorrow."

Without another word, he turned around and walked away.

Elana kept looking at him until he disappeared from her sight.

She didn’t know him...she never paid much attention in his class...and she was nowhere near the crown of the rankings. Yet ..he approached her, motivated her, revealed something big about his life...and just left.

She could have ignored him after that night. She could have continued with her life or could have returned home. Her parents wouldn’t have said a word against her decision.

She had the easy way out...but,

*Knock*

The next morning, she arrived before the person who changed her life.

The only man she admires more than her father.

And the person she has ever come to love.

Her Professor. Her mentor. And the love of her life.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- There wasn’t much to the story but I thought adding her backstory early on was necessary. Thanks for reading.