Chapter 48: Ch48 – The Academy

Ryan and Eleanor opened their respective folders.

The documents inside were thick, neatly organised and stamped with official seals of the Rupes kingdom in red ink. Ryan skimmed the first couple pages, then slowed and began actually reading.

They contained his fake backstory.

He was listed as a native of the Rupes Kingdom, from the Rupes mountains in a town near where the fortresses Ryan passed were. Rockingham, a modest settlement nestled deep into the mountains. A mining and trade village, due to being so close to the fortresses that were currently defending against the Elves, the military escorts that were meant to bring Ryan away from the town were halted.

Believable I guess.

Eleanor leaned over and scanned Ryan’s page before returning to her own. “Same town,” she murmured, “convenient.”

There was an extremely detailed description of the town as well. Harsh winters. Steep rocky trails. A population that is disciplined and has endurance. Ryan guessed that the reason this town was picked was because it had an extremely small population, meaning it was nearly impossible for anyone at the academy to also be from the same place.

There was a line in bold at the bottom of the page.

Approved for immediate transfer to Lithara Academy.

After giving the duo a few moments to review their documents, Gregory turned and gestured toward the far side of the room, where a wide stone hearth sat dormant against the wall. It was clearly built for presence more than comfort, its mantle was carved with old military insignias and dates Ryan didn’t recognise.

“When you are finished memorising the contents of your files,” the Field Marshal said evenly, “you will destroy the documents. Burn them. No copies remain. Not here. Not with you.”

Eleanor’s eyes flicked up. “All of them?”

“All of them,” Gregory confirmed. “What exists from this point forward exists only in sealed records. If these papers were ever found on you, it would raise questions that even I could not easily silence.”

Ryan closed his folder.

Gregory gave a single nod, satisfied. “I will leave you to it, exit the room and go to the lobby when you are ready to leave.” He turned toward the doors and exited the room.

Eleanor stood up, gathered her folder, and walked toward the fireplace.

She knelt and arranged the papers neatly atop the cold ash inside. Ryan joined her, adding his own stack.

“Did you put all of every single one of your documents in?” she asked quietly.

Ryan nodded.

Eleanor raised one hand. Mana stirred. “Ignis pila.”

A small compact sphere of flame formed above her palm, humming softly. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it into the hearth.

The fireplace erupted with action.

The documents caught instantly, edges curling, ink blackening, seals blistering and peeling away. The flames danced brighter, the orange reflecting in Eleanor’s eyes as the false lives they’d been given were reduced to ash.

Ryan watched until the last page collapsed inward, burning in on itself.

They stepped away as the fire settled into a steady burn.

The two guards straightened as the doors opened. Neither spoke as Ryan and Eleanor passed between them.

Just outside the room, someone nearly collided with them.

A shifty-looking teenager froze mid-step, eyes darting around the corridor as if he’d taken a wrong turn and was desperately trying to remember how to leave the building.

“Oh—hey, Ryan… and Eleanor.” Ben scratched the back of his head, forcing a crooked smile. “I was just, uh…”

He hesitated, glancing down the hall and then back toward the closed doors behind them.

“…looking for Field Marshal Gregory,” he finished. “I was meant to deliver the message.”

Wow, he is still alive. That’s an impressive surprise. Ryan thought.

Ryan answered. “Ah. You just missed him. He left a moment ago.”

Ben let out a quiet breath of relief, shoulders sagging slightly. “Of course he did.”

Eleanor nodded. “Unfortunate timing.”

“Yes, very.” Ben said. “Well I will just keep looking for him this way. Good luck you two!”

“Good luck to you too, Ben.” Ryan replied.

They then parted ways. Ryan and Eleanor headed to the lobby.

They passed by arched hallways lined with banners, staircases spiralling upward into restricted levels, and intersections guarded by soldiers who glanced at them with curiosity but asked no questions. Somewhere deeper in the compound, a horn sounded, followed by the distant rhythm of marching boots.

Eventually, they reached the stairs that led back down to the main lobby.

Several guards waited near the entrance.

One stepped forward. “The carriage is ready.”

Outside, the air was crisp. The fortified walls loomed infront of them, and beyond the gates, the city stretched out once more.

The carriage waiting for them was sturdy rather than luxurious. Reinforced wood, iron-bound wheels, and the insignia of the Rupes Military painted obnoxiously on each side. Two mounted guards flanked it, their horses restless.

Ryan climbed inside first, Eleanor following. The interior was lined with dark fabric, a small lantern hanging from the ceiling to keep the space lit at night.

As the door closed, the carriage lurched forward.

The compound gates opened, iron groaning, and then they were moving. Rolling away from the Coalition compound and toward Lithara Academy.

Ryan leaned back against the seat, staring at the unlit lantern as the city passed outside in fragments.

After ten minutes of listening to hooves and the groaning of the wheels of their carriage, Ryan could finally see something interesting. Up ahead there was a large wall, with a massive black metal gate.

As the carriage approached, the gate began to open inward, even though there were no guards nearby to operate it.

The carriage passed through the automatic gate and into a massive grassy area. Ryan was shocked such a large enclosed area was in a city.

They followed a cobblestone road. Other people were passing them by, seemingly heading to the gate they had just entered.

One of those people… were an Elf.

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