The Runic Alchemist-Chapter 527: We Don’t Keep Secrets Here..

The carriages ran through the stone- and mud-filled roads of one of the biggest cities of this time, moving one after another. Closed glass and iron windows gave glimpses of thousands of men and women gathered outside, curiously waiting to see the people who had come from the skies. The faces of the crowd leaned more toward excitement and curiosity rather than fear and uncertainty—most likely because their king had made first contact with the strangers, and the meeting had not turned into a fight.

The authorities might have wanted to keep Damian's "magic" under wraps until they understood more about it, but that didn't sit well with him. He needed as many people as possible to talk about his arrival in the city.

Damian took out two of his sacrium mana cubes and activated them at full power. He was in the carriage with Evrin, Reize, Einar, and Lucian—all of whom looked quizzically at the floating white cubes and the golden mana liquid encircling them.

Damian sent mana threads through the gaps of the carriage, using pure intent to shape two massive runic spells. The first was a large-area healing spell powered by over 30,000 points of mana. It was a fixed-effect spell that remained in place even after their carriage had passed through. The second was the golden shield spell the prince had once used, but at a massive scale, covering half a kilometer above them. He kept it connected to himself through a mana thread, pulling it along as the carriages rolled forward.

He used his Sigil Replication skill on the healing spell, continuously copy-pasting it every few minutes powered by his liquid mana. The massive healing area covered the entire path from their starting point to their destination.

The golden shield spell was just for show—to make sure people saw and understood that he had done something. Chaos ensued as people noticed the enormous golden spell above them, followed by the realization that the pain in their bodies was fading. He had tweaked the healing spell to provide a fixed amount of healing to each individual in range that an ordinary body could easily endure.

Even the soldiers marching alongside them felt the effects and could not hide their shock at the massive display of unknown power. Needless to say, the civilians went wild, shouting and cheering even louder once they realized their wounds were healing.

"Isn't that a bit too much? Won't you scare them like this?" Evrin asked, watching the giant golden runic shield in the sky and glancing at the spell's effects through the window.

"I want them to spread as many rumors about me as they can," Damian answered.

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The others understood there was some scheme behind it, but only Lucian was straightforward enough to ask, "Why?"

Damian simply replied without explaining, "I want their iron."

Soon, they reached their destination—Somerset House, a stately, sprawling complex on the Strand, overlooking the River Thames. It looked every bit like a prestigious government residence, used for accommodating foreign guests and hosting state affairs.

The River Thames glistened in the late afternoon light, its murky waters carrying barges filled with goods and coal. A high brick wall and an ornate gate enclosed the estate, manned by armed guards in red coats, their muskets resting at their sides.

A long, cobbled driveway led to the entrance, where servants and officials stood waiting, some stealing nervous glances at the carriages. The sound of hooves and wooden wheels echoed as the carriages slowed before the arched entryway, flanked by tall columns.

Once the carriage doors opened, they were led inside. The air smelled faintly of wax, parchment, and burning wood from nearby fireplaces.

Damian entered a grand but slightly aged chamber with stone floors, wood-paneled walls, and chandeliers holding flickering candles. Wide staircases led to the upper floors, where their rooms had been prepared for them.

Portraits of British aristocracy and past monarchs lined the walls, their stern gazes seemingly judging the new arrivals. Through arched windows, courtyards and gardens within the estate offered more private spaces, though guards patrolled the perimeter.

The staff bowed respectfully but kept their distance, unsure how to treat these foreign visitors. Servants brought refreshments—plates of bread, meat, and wine—offered not just as hospitality but also as a subtle test to see whether they would eat the food.

Damian listened as their hosts described the services offered to them, then, after a moment of thought, walked out of the hall, followed by his group. Lord Anson remained with them, along with several others, so Damian directly asked him:

"Do you mind if I make my own place to stay here?"

Lord Anson raised his eyebrows. "Is something not to your liking, sir?"

"No, everything is perfect, but we would still prefer our own residence. We have some people with us who require a little more privacy," Damian replied.

"You will be building it right here?" John Pringle asked, confused as to how someone could simply build a residence out of nowhere.

Damian nodded, then looked around. Spotting a nice-looking tree nearby, he pointed at it. "I'll use this. That okay?"

They nodded in confusion.

Damian smiled, bringing out his three sacrium mana cubes and activating them at full power. Using a growth spell, he made the tree grow into a fully mature, strong structure in seconds. Then, using wood style, he built a thick, sturdy frame around the tree, using it as the center. Next, he took out some steel ingots, melting it with a spell to create simple runic-inscribed plates, which he attached beneath the wooden building frame.

Once that was done, Damian cast a gravity reversal spell on the tree, making it—along with the sturdy wooden frame—rise into the air near the empty land beside Somerset House.

As the floating structure hovered in place, Damian cast a flying spell and ascended. Using wood style, he built the rest of the large wooden residence, shaping multiple rooms. The steel plates had already been inscribed with a weight adjustment spell, ensuring the structure maintained equilibrium with the gravity spell and remained suspended in mid-air.

With the main structure complete, Damian created two stairways—one leading down to Somerset House's side and the other connecting to the River Thames side. Both were supported by sturdy wooden pillars extending deep into the ground below. Doing all of it barely took 20 minutes.

When Damian finally finished and turned back, he found himself facing a huge crowd—one that included not just the British but also many of the Highswords and even his own friends. All of them had their mouths and eyes wide open.