Chapter 64: Ch64 – Pure

Ryan had grabbed food quickly, barely tasting it as he shovelled vegetables and roasted meat into his mouth. The dining hall had been busy as always, students filling the tables, but Ryan hadn’t lingered. He’d eaten standing near the entrance, too hungry to care about finding a seat.

After finishing, he’d made his way to the main building, the tower in which Helena resided loomed over him.

Ryan entered the vast lobby. He quickly found his target, the large map that hung on the wall near the entrance, detailing the academy grounds in meticulous detail.

Ryan had scanned it quickly, finding what he needed.

Public bathhouse. West side of the Academy grounds, near the dormitories one and two.

Ryan checked the time. 10:34.

Plenty of time before my next lesson at half past eleven.

He’d stopped by the dorm first, grabbing his white mage robes from his bed and tucking them under his arm. The room had been empty.

Now, Ryan stood outside the bathhouse, staring up at the building.

It was low and wide, built from dark stone with a sloped roof. Steam rose from vents along the sides, curling into the air and dissipating in the breeze. The entrance was divided into two sections, each marked clearly. Men. Women.

Ryan pushed through the door on the left.

The air inside was thick with heat and moisture. The walls were lined with wooden benches and hooks for clothing. A few students were already there, some undressing, others wrapping themselves in towels before heading deeper into the building.

Ryan found an empty spot and began pulling off his training gear. His muscles ached as he moved, stiff from the morning’s brutal sessions. The padded vest came off first, then his tunic, both damp with sweat.

He grabbed a towel from a nearby stack and wrapped it around his waist before stepping through the archway at the back of the room.

The bathing area opened into a wide space with a high ceiling. Stone pools filled the room, each one large enough to hold a dozen people. Steam rose from the water, the surface rippling faintly from the heat. Magical runes were carved into the edges of the pools, glowing faintly blue.

A few students were already in the pools, most sitting quietly.

Ryan recognised one of them immediately.

The stocky, short, bald student Jared had sparred with earlier. He sat near the edge of one of the pools, washing his arms.

Ryan moved towards an empty pool and stepped in carefully. The water was hot, a bit too hot, but after a moment, his body adjusted. He sank down until the water reached his shoulders, exhaling slowly as the heat seeped into his aching muscles.

For the first time all day, he felt himself relax.

“You’re one of the new ones.”

Ryan opened his eyes.

A student stood at the edge of the pool, looking down at him. Average height, red hair, amber eyes and tanned skin.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah.”

The red-haired student stepped into the pool, moving closer. “You were in the sparring session this morning. Got paired with that tall guy.”

“James,” Ryan said.

“Right.” The student smirked. “You looked pretty pathetic out there.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened. “I’m new to it.”

“Clearly.” The student leaned against the edge of the pool, arms crossed. “What’s your name?”

“Ryan.”

“Navius,” the red-haired student said. “Navius Rellick.”

Ryan didn’t respond.

Navius’s smirk widened. “You know, it’s embarrassing watching someone flail around like that. Makes the rest of us look bad by association.”

Ryan tried to look unbothered. “I’m learning.”

“Learning?” Navius laughed. “You couldn’t block a swing from a child.”

“Leave him alone, Navius.”

Ryan glanced towards the voice.

The short, stocky, bald student had stood up from his pool and was walking over. His expression was calm but firm.

Navius turned, raising an eyebrow. “What’s it to you, Jeremy?”

“I want a calm quiet hour in the bathhouse.” Jeremy said, he then turned to Ryan. “Ignore him. He does this when he’s bored.”

Navius scowled. “I’m just making conversation.”

“No, you’re being an arse,” Jeremy said flatly. “Go bother someone else.”

Navius stared at Jeremy for a moment, then shrugged. “Whatever.”

He climbed out of the pool and walked away, grabbing his towel and disappearing through the archway.

Jeremy sat down on the edge of Ryan’s pool. “Sorry about him. He’s always looking for a fight.”

Ryan exhaled slowly. “Thanks.”

Jeremy nodded. “You’re the one who sparred with Jared’s brother this morning, right?”

“Yeah.” Ryan said with a thumbs up.

“You were bad,” Jeremy said bluntly. “But you improved very quick.”

Ryan managed a small smile. “Thanks. I think.”

Jeremy grinned. “Jared’s a solid fighter. If you’re training with him and his brother, you’ll get better quick.”

“That’s the plan,” Ryan said.

Jeremy stood and stretched. “Good luck. See you around.”

He walked back to his own pool, leaving Ryan alone again.

Ryan leaned his head back against the edge of the pool, staring up at the ceiling.

No more people please, I want to rest.

Ryan finished his bath quickly after that, scrubbing himself clean and rinsing off before climbing out. He dried off, pulled on his mage robes, the white fabric light and clean against his skin, and headed back towards the dormitories.

The walk was short. As he went, his white robes caught eyes, a very uncommon choice of colour.

By the time he reached Dormitory six, the sun was higher, the morning chill completely gone.

He climbed the stairs to Room Twenty-Seven and pushed the door open.

James, Jared, and Eleanor were all inside.

James sat on his bed, sharpening a dagger with a whetstone. Jared was at one of the desks, reading through a notebook. Eleanor lay on her bed, arms crossed behind her head, staring at the ceiling.

She glanced over as Ryan entered. “Nice robes.”

Ryan closed the door behind him and turned to face her. “I need to ask you something.”

Eleanor sat up slightly, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

“This morning,” Ryan said, “during mana internalisation. I circulated a light blue mana through my body. Not light mana. A light blue mana.”

Eleanor frowned. “So?”

“You told me I only had the light element,” Ryan said, his voice edged with frustration. “You said I didn’t have a second element. But I can use this other mana too. Did you lie to me?”

Eleanor rolled her eyes. “Are you seriously accusing me of lying?”

“I’m asking,” Ryan said.

Eleanor stood, crossing her arms. “I didn’t lie, Ryan. That light blue mana is not an element, it’s pure mana.”

Ryan blinked. “What?”

Eleanor gestured towards James and Jared. “Those two don’t have elemental affinities. But they can still circulate mana through their bodies because they have an affinity for pure mana. It’s how knights without elements can still strengthen themselves.”

Ryan stared at her. “So… pure mana and elemental mana are different?”

“Yes,” Eleanor said, her tone clipped. “Any mage that has an elemental affinty has an affinity to pure mana. Some humans,” she pointed at James and Jared, “only have an affinity to pure mana.”

Ryan’s face flushed. “I see… thank you, and sorry for accusing you.”

Eleanor sighed, her expression softening slightly. “It’s fine. Just don’t accuse me of lying next time.”

“I won’t,” Ryan muttered.

Ryan moved to his own bed and sat down, pulling out his schedule from the desk drawer.

11:30. Elemental Theory.

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