Chapter 176: Road to Gravundar Kingdom

Mira’s Workshop,

Zane leaned casually against one of the cluttered workbenches, gears and crystals glinting under the workshop lamps as he explained everything—well, everything except the parts involving Abyssals, parasites, and assassinations.

“Stonefang Combat Forge’s chairman, Grom Ironfury, was here,” he said calmly. “It was an official meeting with the academy. Caelum, Lucen… everyone was involved.”

Mira’s eyes widened instantly.

“Grom…? Chairman Grom Ironfury is here?”

Her voice practically exploded with excitement. She shot up from her chair so fast she nearly knocked over her tools.

“I—I have to meet him! Before he returns! It’s been ages—he’s my former teacher, my mentor, the one who guided me into magic tech, and—”

Zane raised a hand, stopping her mid-bounce.

“Hold your horses, Professor Mira.”

She froze mid-motion, still half-leaning forward with sparkling eyes.

“…Yes?”

“There’s a reason I brought him up,” Zane continued. “During the meeting, it was decided that you and I will be going to Stonefang Combat Forge as guest lecturers.”

Blink.

Blink.

Then her whole face lit up like a mana crystal catching sunlight.

“W–Wait—both of us? Me? Guest lecturer? At Stonefang combat forge!?”

Her voice shot up an octave.

“That’s—THAT’S AMAZING, PROFESSOR ZANE!”

Zane shrugged. “We leave tomorrow morning.”

Mira practically vibrated on the spot.

“Tomorrow!? Only one night! That’s so soon—ahhh, I have to pack—no, I have to prepare—no wait—”

She paced in tiny circles, hands fluttering.

“It’s been seven years since I’ve gone back there… I want to see how much it changed… how much the workshops changed… how everyone is doing…!”

Zane watched her spin around with a small amused smile.

He’d seen students excited before.

He had never seen a professor—the academy’s artifact prodigy—act like a hyperactive squirrel.

“You seem excited,” he commented dryly.

“Of course I am!!” she beamed. “Stonefang Combat Forge is where I learned everything! To think I’m returning—not as a student, but as a lecturer—aaah, this is so surreal!”

She suddenly paused.

“…Professor Zane, why do you look so calm about this?”

Zane shrugged again, expression unreadable.

“Let’s just say I have my own business in Gravundar.”

Mira blinked.

“Oh. Well… as long as it’s not anything dangerous.”

Zane smiled lightly.

“Of course.”

.

.

.

Mira was still pacing circles, mumbling to herself while Zane watched with a raised brow.

“I need to bring my tools… no, not all of them—maybe the resonance calibrator? Or the micro-etching quill? And—oh spirits, should I bring my old notes? Did I even keep them…?”

Zane finally spoke.

“Mira.”

She spun toward him.

“Yes!?”

“You don’t have to prepare that much. It’s just a guest lecture.”

“It’s not just a lecture!” she protested, pointing dramatically at him with a soot-smudged glove.

“This is Stonefang! My old home! My old workshops! My old colleagues—”

She froze.

“…and maybe my old bullies too.”

Zane blinked.

“Bullies?”

Mira quickly waved it off.

“It was nothing—just some dwarves who didn’t like that a young human girl beat them in artifact crafting. Nothing serious.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Meanwhile Mira had already moved on, rummaging through her shelves, pulling out crystals, tools, papers, throwing half of them back.

Zane watched her with mild amusement.

“You do realize we’re leaving tomorrow morning, not in ten minutes, right?”

“I KNOW,” she said, stuffing a bag too full and then wrestling to close it.

“But tomorrow morning is basically right now if you consider the amount of packing required!”

Zane walked over and tapped the overflowing bag.

“…And this is why you’re struggling.”

Mira paused.

“…You’re not wrong.”

Zane flicked his fingers lightly.

A soft wave of mana flowed outward—clean, smooth, precise.

The messy tools on the table levitated, sorted themselves, then placed themselves neatly back into compartments.

The bag reorganized its contents, compressing them perfectly until the flap closed without resistance.

Mira stood frozen.

“…I hate how effortlessly you do that,” she muttered.

“You’re welcome.”

A moment passed.

Then she looked up at him again, more serious this time.

“…Professor Zane. What exactly is the meeting about? Why are you going personally? Stonefang isn’t exactly a casual trip.”

Zane didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he smiled a little—far too calm, far too knowing.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Her brows knitted together.

“That sounds worrying.”

“It should,” he said honestly, yet gently.

“But don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to anyone.”

Mira blinked,

“I trust you, Professor Zane.”

Zane nodded once.

“Good. Then finish your preparation. We leave at dawn.”

Mira saluted with childish enthusiasm.

“Aye aye!”

Zane turned to leave—

But paused at the door, glancing back at her.

“Wait I have something else too…?”

“What is it professor Zane?”

Zane flicked his fingers, and something small and silver appeared between them.

A delicate crescent-sun brooch—silver petals curving around a milky white gem that glowed faintly even in the lamplight.

Mira’s breath hitched the moment she saw it.

He held it out casually.

“I heard from Corvin,” Zane said, “that you’re exceptionally skilled at extracting information from unknown artifacts. I found this one in the dungeon during the rescue of students … but never had time to show it to you.”

Inwardly, he smirked.

I could analyze this in a second. But it’s probably trash anyway… so why not test the professor Mira’s s skills?

Mira gingerly took it from his hand, turning it so the gem caught the light—her eyes widening with each second.

“This…” she whispered, voice trembling with disbelief, “Professor Zane… this is an S-rank artifact…!”

Zane raised a brow. “That so?”

“C-Can I take it for research?” she blurted out, clutching the brooch with both hands like she’d just been handed a national treasure. “I want to document it, run structural diagnostics, maybe even unlock its internal—”

Zane deadpanned.

“Didn’t I literally say the same thing just now?”

Mira froze.

Then—

“Hehe… sorry,” she said, sticking her tongue out in a silly, embarrassed way. “I got a little too excited…”

Zane handed the brooch fully into her palms.

“Go ahead. Just don’t break it.”

“I won’t!” she said instantly, hugging it to her chest like a prized jewel. “I’ll analyze it right away!”

Zane turned toward the door again, hands in pockets.

“Good. Keep it ready before we leave tomorrow.”

Zane stepped out into the cool morning air, coat fluttering behind him.

His technowatch glowed faintly on his wrist, Eira’s sleepy voice chiming through it.

“Let’s go, boss… new adventure.”

Zane smirked. “Yeah. Let’s.”

He crossed the courtyard toward the academy gates.

There, gathered in a small circle, stood Caelum, Lucen, Vira, Elena, and Grom—engaged in quiet conversation. The moment Zane approached, five heads turned.

Grom grinned beneath his beard.

“You ready, Zane?”

Zane nodded once. “Ready.”

Lucen looked toward the academy road.

“Mira should be here any moment.”

Vira brushed her long emerald hair back, offering Zane a curious, almost suspicious look.

“Then we’ll take our leave as well. Matters of our kingdoms won’t wait.”

Elena nodded in agreement.

“I will try to convince our king regarding the alliance. It won’t be easy… but I’ll attempt it.”

Caelum folded his arms.

“Good. Keep communication discreet.”

Vira stepped closer to Zane, lowering her voice.

“Hey, Zane… are you, by any chance… an elf?”

Zane blinked. “No.”

“Oh.” Vira nodded, satisfied—or perhaps even more confused—and stepped back beside Elena.

Elena raised her staff, a dark blue magic circle blooming beneath her feet.

“Then we shall return.”

In a flash of rippling space, both she and Vira vanished, leaving behind a faint shimmer.

Lucen exhaled.

“Her space magic is always impressive…”

Before anyone could speak further—

“HEY! I’m here!!”

Mira came sprinting from the path, waving with both hands, bags bouncing, goggles crooked on her head, completely out of breath but beaming.

Grom chuckled. “About time, girl.”

And Zane just smirked.

The journey was about to begin.

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