Annabelle was too far from the academy, and Adrian only had today—so he asked Elana if she was free.

And, naturally, she replied, "Yes! I'd love to."

Meanwhile, Bella was still texting him, asking what was going on and saying she could rush to the academy in a heartbeat.

But Adrian told her he was just checking in on her. That alone made her melt in the chat.

It wasn't anything important enough to call her all the way from east to west.

Right now, Elana and Adrian were on their way to his workshop.

As they walked, Elana asked, "You accepted the manager position, didn't you?"

Adrian nodded. And before she could get the wrong idea, he added, "Not because of you—Professor Gilbert asked me."

"I understand~ I understand," she said, swaying side to side, her eyes curving into little crescents.

Adrian sighed. She clearly wasn't listening.

He let the topic drop and stepped into the workshop.

Luckily, he had already arranged everything during his last visit. Still—

"Wow… it's as messy as ever."

"You really don't hold back, do you?" Adrian said with a wry smile.

The silver-haired girl grinned. "I'm just happy to see something imperfect about you."

Adrian didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet and set up the assessment table.

It wasn't anything fancy—just a table with a few compartments for his runic pencils. There was also space for calming candles and other tools. But he didn't need any of that.

After Elizabeth destroyed his lab, most of the new equipment had been sent by Ruby—and it was all top-quality and extremely expensive.

"Okay then—woah!" Adrian exclaimed as he turned toward Elana.

"Why are you undressing?" he asked quickly, spinning back around.

Elana, who was just about to take off her shirt, tilted her head. "You don't need me to?"

Adrian shook his head. "The fourth thread doesn't require that."

"Ohh," she replied, then pulled her shirt back on.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. He really should've told her earlier.

Soon, Elana walked up to him with a faint smile and said, "I'm glad I didn't have to undress... Today's underwear is kind of boring, you know."

Adrian gave a wry smile. "I don't need the details. Now lie down."

A small giggle slipped from her lips as she climbed onto the platform and lay down without complaint.

Adrian shook his head slightly, then picked up a glass of water.

After taking a few sips, he told her, "If you feel uncomfortable during the process—or anything close to that—just shout or push me away, okay?"

Elana nodded silently.

Adrian rolled up his sleeves and stepped onto the stool, looking down at her.

"I'm going to touch you," he said calmly. Without reacting to the smile forming on her lips, he gently placed his hand on her arm.

He had expected that working on a living subject might feel different—but just like with the practice doll, he was able to synchronize with Elana's mana right away.

Closing his eyes, he focused and entered her body through the flow of mana.

Inside, it was vast, filled with multiple mana points scattered throughout.

As he already knew, people with complex elemental affinities usually had larger mana reserves.

Adrian took a deep breath and started mapping out her mana routes in his mind. As he did, his right hand quietly reached toward the dagger resting beside her.

Elana, watching him work, was surprised by how precise and steady his movements were. That focused frown on his face—so serious, so sharp—was just a delight to her eyes.

'Professor… so passionate~' she squealed inwardly.

Adrian carefully wrote down the mana nodes, their coordinates, and how they functioned on the blade.

Thankfully, Elana was patient.

The process went on for the next twenty minutes.

Surprisingly, Elana didn't feel bored at all during that time.

Once he finished mapping out the mana layout on the blade, Adrian took a deep breath.

This next part was going to be tough.

He had to stay focused. If his mind slipped, he'd lose track of the mana map.

Now, one might ask—why bother keeping the mana map in mind when it's already written on the armament? After all, neither the system nor Avirin's notes require him to track it constantly.

But when it comes to aligning the runes at the very end, everything needs to be in clear sight—and that's why.

'Let's see how her mana behaves…' As he studied Elana's mana pattern, he held the magical map in his thoughts as tightly as he could.

Her mana flow looked like small tornadoes—clear signs of a wild and unstable surge.

'No wonder she's prone to accidental magic.' Elana was one of the rare few who could release magic without using an armament, and her chaotic mana was the main reason.

Adrian took his time, silently thanking Elana for being so patient, as he jotted down her mana pattern on the blade.

Another five minutes passed before the armament was finally ready.

But he didn't open his eyes just yet.

Instead, he gently touched the runes, feeling the faint mana he had imbued into them, and began matching it to the mana map still fresh in his mind.

A thin smile crept onto his lips.

Then, he opened his eyes and looked at Elana.

"Success," he said.

Elana's smile bloomed instantly.

"Congratulations, sir. I knew you could do it."

Adrian dropped into the chair behind him, his body going limp. He removed his glasses and sighed,

"Well, I wasn't sure about this one. Honestly, I still can't believe I pulled it off on the first try—with you, no less."

Elana's smile said it all. She was glowing with happiness as she replied, "I'm just glad I could be helpful."

Adrian looked at the armament. The faintly glowing runes was the sign that he has finally achieved it.

He has finally become a fourth-grade Runesmith.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment if you enjoyed reading the chapter.