As dusk fell upon a new day, Ryn returned to Aurelia's manor to continue his training.
Upon his arrival, Sela opened the door to welcome him and led him straight to the training chamber. Inside, Aurelia was already waiting. Ryn lowered his head in respect.
"Very well,"
Aurelia spoke.
"Today, we shall cover the remaining lessons."
Her voice remained calm as she began her explanation.
"Defensive magic exists to protect its wielder—such as barrier spells."
"The principle is similar to offensive magic, but with one crucial difference: the spell persists continuously until the caster releases it, or until their life force is completely drained."
Aurelia turned her gaze toward Ryn.
"Try it."
Ryn nodded. He focused his mind, envisioning the air around his body being wrapped in a thin veil of luminous armor, then released the spell.
A soft, radiant green light manifested around him, clinging to his form like a translucent shield.
Aurelia gave a slight nod.
"Good."
She continued,
"To dismiss the spell, perform the same action. Clench your fist, and the magic will be canceled."
Ryn concentrated once more and tightened his hand.
In an instant, the glowing barrier shattered and vanished.
"Remember this,"
Aurelia warned in a firm tone.
"Never leave a spell active for too long. If you do, the danger will fall upon you instead."
Ryn nodded in understanding.
"And finally,"
Aurelia went on,
"Support magic."
She explained in her steady voice,
"Support spells exist to enhance existing magic—whether by altering its form or increasing its effectiveness."
Aurelia raised her hand. A fireball, no larger than her palm, ignited above it.
"If you wield fire," she said,
"no matter what you do, it will remain fire—shaped in this manner."
She turned her gaze toward Ryn before continuing.
"But if you wish to wield a flaming arrow, you must weave a support spell into it."
Aurelia closed her eyes for a brief moment, visualizing the fireball in her palm as she reshaped its form.
The flames began to twist and contort, rapidly transforming into a blazing arrow—its silhouette sharp, its structure firm and refined.
Ryn stared without blinking, absorbing every word.
"What truly matters,"
Aurelia said in a firm, unyielding voice,
"is the strength of your imagination. The form of your magic is governed by the will of its caster."
With that, she clenched her fist. The fiery arrow dissolved into nothingness.
When Ryn attempted the same, the fireball in his palm slowly shifted, morphing into a flaming arrow as well.
However, it lacked clarity. Its shape wavered, slightly distorted, and its power remained unstable—far inferior to Aurelia's demonstration.
Aurelia observed for a moment before giving a subtle nod.
"Good."
That single word eased Ryn's tension without him even realizing it.
"Return and hone your skills,"
she continued.
"Tomorrow, you will come here again. We shall begin training in healing magic."
With that, Aurelia turned and left the chamber, leaving Ryn standing there, staring at the imperfect flaming arrow until it faded from his hand.
Ryn took a deep breath, committing every lesson to memory, and prepared to continue his training on his own.
When Ryn returned to his cabin, he found that Richard had already come back.
"Master… you've returned?"
Ryn greeted him, his voice tinged with quiet relief.
Richard turned at the sound.
"Ah, yes. I'm back. It wrapped up sooner than I expected,"
he replied casually before adding,
"And you? How far have you progressed with your magic?"
"I've reached support magic now,"
Ryn replied.
Richard raised an eyebrow slightly before smiling.
"Oh? That's quite fast."
Ryn bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"Then… it's almost over, isn't it?"
The words made him pause. He looked up, confusion crossing his face.
"Almost finished?"
"Yes," Richard answered casually.
"Why?"
Ryn frowned slightly.
"But I've only learned the basic spells."
Richard let out a soft chuckle.
"The 'basic spells' you're talking about? That's all there is to magic."
His tone grew a little more serious.
"Aurelia herself told me she would teach you nothing beyond the fundamentals."
Ryn's expression darkened. He had hoped—at the very least—to learn something unusual, something devastating. Richard smiled, as if he could read his thoughts.
"Magic doesn't become more destructive just because you study more of it,"
he said.
"It's experience that sharpens it. Fire magic is still fire magic—
you simply make it larger, or stronger."
"It's not as though you'll suddenly unlock some grandiose spell called
'Apocalyptic Inferno' or something like that."
Ryn nodded slowly, showing that he understood,
even though a lingering dissatisfaction remained in his chest.
"Go get some rest," Richard said.
"Don't you have more training tomorrow?"
Ryn acknowledged him, gave a small bow, and walked back into his cabin with slumped shoulders, without saying another word.