Chapter 406 - Elenvine Academy

Very helpful comments on last chapter regarding the items Hump selected. It got me thinking and I agree that I've given too much in one go, and it's not been thought out enough. I've not made the changes yet but I'll be making some changes to the rewards that I'll clarify at the start of the next chapter. Thanks for the feedback.

Elenvine Academy was an old building. It stood tall, shaped by ancient magic, with towering windows and stone columns. Pathways of polished marble wound through meticulously maintained lawns, where sculpted fountains filled the grounds with the sound of running water. A belltower loomed at the centre of the building. Hump recognised it from when he’d lived in the city in his youth, only then, it had been in the distance and across many rooftops, and he’d never realised this was where the wizards studied.

Seeing the time, Hump was early.

Inside, the man at the front desk directed Hump to take a seat while he waited for Wizard Jentris to meet him, so there Hump sat, massaging his temples and feeling far more than a little sorry for himself. The Elenvine Academy lobby was bright, and it had been a long night of drinking. With the help of Bud and Dylan, he’d come to realise that his dragon blood made him hold his liquor as well as either of the Chosen, unfortunately, that had led to a challenge that each of them had regretted come morning. The temptation to use the Silver Sprig to cure his ailment was there, but he stuck to an old hangover cure from his spellbook that really didn’t seem to do the trick, along with a little help from Dylan. It was enough to get him functional, and that would have to do.

Around him, everything was marble. The floors, walls, pillars—all of it. Hump could only imagine the time and scale of the operation to bring so much fine stone here, and the number of spellcasters it would have taken to bring together into the academy, yet it was just one fancy building in a city of many.

The halls were filled with the click-clack of people walking on the polished floors. Tall pillars painted in pale red connected to the elegantly domed ceiling by arches. Paintings filled the walls, mostly portraits of men and women carrying wizard staffs and wands, the former with some of the most majestic beards Hump had ever seen. There were a few pointy hats which brought a smile to his lips.

Nobody looked his way while he waited, but he studied the many students, professors, and other people that passed through the room. There was a good mix of men and women. For the most part they appeared wealthy, but it was impossible to know for sure. Anybody studying here would either need great talent or a great amount of wealth. He saw a single foreigner in his time waiting—a man about his age, with a dark black beard shaped into a square. Of the students, most were his age or a few years older. If his memory served him, the academy accepted students from as young as sixteen, but only those that had become Rank 1 Wizards could enter. There were many branches of schools and masters that fed into the academy, but this was a place for wizards, not want-to-be-wizards.

Watching them, Hump’s mind couldn’t help but wander to the Silver Circle group that had been active here at the time of his master’s study. Eliana’s master had been a member, and he had very almost killed the old man. It was possible others here knew of the existence of the Book of Infinite Pages and wished to seek it. All the more reason Hump was pleased to have his Bag of Holding for his spellbook and the Eclipse Brooch to mask his aura. Identifying him now would be far more challenging than in the past.

Wizard Jentris arrived promptly, her eyes glazing over him as she scanned the lobby, then frowning in confusion. For a few seconds, Hump was tempted to see how long it took her to find him, but instead he stood and called to her. She turned around and her confusion turned to shock.

She hurried over. White wizard robes draped over her, her black wand standing out at her hip. With her black hair and the white streak that ran through it, she struck quite the figure. “Gods, Wizard Humphrey, I hardly even recognised you. Did something happen?”

“I suppose it had been a while since I’d bathed when we first met,” Hump said.

“That’s not what I mean. You feel… different.” She looked over him. “In fact, I can’t sense you at all. Usually all it takes is a glance for me to recognise another wizard.”

“I’ve been working on veiling my aura,” Hump said. “I’m quite pleased to find it works on even a wizard such as yourself.”

“You flatter me,” Wizard Jentris said. “I cannot argue with the effectiveness of the technique, but why would you do such a thing? A wizard should express their strength. The easiest way to dissuade confrontation is a display of overwhelming force.” She recited the phrase as if from a textbook.

“I’ve attracted the attention of a few too many angry demons and warlocks,” Hump said. “If I had the overwhelming force to dissuade them, I wouldn’t bother.”

Her face fell, a reassuring smile forming on her lips. “Ah. Now that I can understand. You must have faced much hardship, Wizard Humphrey. I knew of your reputation, but I will admit I hadn’t considered the price you must have paid for it.”

“It’s been a busy couple of years,” Hump said.

“From the stories I’ve heard, it hasn’t even been that long.”

Hump raised an eyebrow. “And what stories are those?”

“It is said that you were part of the expedition that defeated Bledsbury Dungeon alongside Prince Kassius, shortly after the passing of your master. Apparently, you managed to hold back the dungeon guardian on your own for a period.”

Hump was suddenly uncomfortable at how far back these stories went. He assumed it had been talk of his recent battles in Sheercliff and the Infernal Halls. It hadn’t crossed his mind that his activities had been tracked back to Bledsbury.

“Are you alright?” Jentris asked.

“I just didn’t realise the stories including information so far back,” Hump said. “It’s rather…”

“Unnerving?” Jentris offered.

Hump nodded.

“I know the feeling,” Jentris said. “I won a single duel eight years ago, and since then it feels like I can hardly leave the city without my actions being noted somewhere.”

“Does it still bother you?” Hump asked.

Jentris tilted her head and considered the question for a moment. “Yes and no. There are certainly times I wish people were not watching me so closely, but the benefits are far more significant. Once, a wizard would do all they could to avoid notice, but it is less common now. Those still in hiding mostly do so due to the stigma left over from the time when we were hunted. Truly a shame. I dream that one day wizards will be able to live free of prejudice. It’s one of the reasons I work so hard to fight with Chosen—to show them that we are very different to the warlocks that give us a bad reputation. But for all my efforts, even my name has not spread as much as yours.”

Hump felt himself smiling. It was an ambition he could get behind.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Hump said. “Even as a hedge wizard’s apprentice, I had heard stories of the destruction wrought by the great Wizard Jentris Grantham, whose lightning chained a thousand foes.”

Jentris laughed. “Now you really are flattering me. Let’s begin the tour, shall we?” Hump followed as Wizard Jentris headed away from the lobby and deeper into the academy. “You’ve been arranged to have special access to much of the academy. I think some of our professors are hoping to woo you over.”

“Hoping, are they?” Hump asked with a raised eyebrow.

Wizard Jentris laughed. “Am I to presume you descend from a line of wizards vehemently opposed to too much hope.”

Hump felt himself smiling—she’d called him out on a comment he’d made without thought. He wasn’t used to being around other wizards that were closer to his age. While older, Jentris couldn’t be over thirty.

Hump scratched his chin. “Err. ‘Vehemently’ is too strong a word. I do try to avoid the word however.”

“No need to be embarrassed by it,” she said. “It is common enough, even here, though these days wizards are a little more open to such things. The history behind it is quite interesting actually. It goes back hundreds of years to the time of legend, where wizards were said to rival gods.” Wizard Jentris chuckled. “Fairy tales to up and coming wizards, I’m sure. But such things have always interested me. Like dear old Dustin here,” she gestured to a portrait on the wall, depicting a young man with a proud expression. “He was a student some five-hundred years ago, known for archiving ancient artifacts and knowledge, much of which is still recited to this day.”

“If I wasn’t an adventurer, I might have been drawn to such research too,” Hump said. “The time of legends has always fascinated me.”

“You’re a student of history, are you?”

“Student may be a stretch,” Hump admitted. “But the heritage of wizards, the technology of ancient magic, and the wars out of history certainly are gripping.”

“Then you must have found the temples in the Remnant Realm most interesting,” Wizard Jentris said.

Hump nodded, deciding not to mention this was not his first time seeing one. “Very.”

“When I learned of such a thing, I could only shake my head that warlocks were the ones to have rediscovered such things.” Jentris sighed. “Wizardry has truly arrived at a sad state if we fail to find a temple located right beneath our feet, but we shall ensure it returns to the right path, won’t we Wizard Humphrey.” She smiled at him.

The right path, eh? Hump though. He wondered what Wizard Jentris would think if she learned what he knew from the Book of Infinite Pages. What if the right path was for mortals to regain the power of ancient wizards, break through the barrier of Soul Domain, and ascend to become gods just like those of the Pantheon.

What if she learned that the warlocks may have a point.

Hump smiled back. “I’ll leave that for you and the wizards of the academy. My path is more in the fighting monsters category.”

She chuckled. “Don’t be too quick to differentiate yourself from the rest of us already. I’m sure you have already guessed, but you are quite the hot topic here at the academy. You may yet join the ranks of its students.”

Not bloody likely, Hump thought. “I’m interested to see what it has to offer,” Hump said instead.

“Is there anything specific you would like to see while you’re here?”

“There is, though I’m not sure it is possible,” Hump said. “One of my reasons for coming here was to gain access to the library here.”

“To research this history, or something else?”

“Both,” Hump said. “History, warlocks, demons, and a few other things I have heard rumour of on my travels.”

“Interesting. Well, I’m sure such things can be arranged for a young wizard of your reputation. At the very least, I can take you to see the Archive.”

As they walked, Jentris continued to comment on the various portraits and statues of long dead wizards. She knew her history, and in general seemed like a person that had read and studied every bit of content that she could. As they talked, Hump sensed a hush to the building—a combination of the tall ceilings and people trying not to be too loud. It made his mind wander to the many people that must have walked here in the past. Strangely, it made the building feel old and full of history.

The library was perfect. Stacks of bookshelves rose like monoliths, reaching all the way to the ceiling on every floor, each with tall ladders on wheels to grant access to the highest tomes. The room stretched upward across five levels, each ringed with walkways and viewing platforms that allowed visitors to peer down at the activity below.

At the centre of the vast chamber, long rows of tables filled the floor, occupied by students pouring over tests, scribbling notes, or murmuring in hushed tones. The scent of old paper and leather bindings filled the air.

Jentris led Hump through the first floor, pointing out cozy nooks hidden among the shelves. Some were tucked away in alcoves, while others positioned by windows with views of the sea or the academy’s gardens.

Arriving on the other side, they moved on to other parts of the academy. It was much like Sheercliff Academy, only larger in every respect. Enchanted chambers for magical experimentation lined one wing, their walls reinforced to resist magic and self-repair after destructive spells. Through windows and open doors, Hump glimpsed students and professors conjuring elements, summoning elementals, and practicing with various other spells.

An entire wing was dedicated to artificery, filled with workshops that hummed with arcane energy. Hump saw magical items in various stages of completion—rings being etched with runes, staves capped with glowing crystals, and amulets carefully imbued with essence.

Underground, they reached the training grounds, where dueling squares and open arenas buzzed with activity. Wizards of varying skill levels practiced their spells, their magic lighting up the dark stone chambers in flashes of light and sound. The air smelled faintly of scorched stone and chemicals.

And then it was more stairs… leading back up to the dormitories. Hump once again found himself grateful for his dragon blood. If there was one thing he would recommend to anyone that got the Book of Infinite Pages after him, it would be to find themselves some of that.

“You’re in impressive shape for a wizard,” she remarked, catching her breath after the hike.

Hump smiled. “All that time trying to keep up with Chosen I suppose.”

As lunch approached, they stepped outside the academy for the first time, wandering through one of the academy’s herb gardens. Jentris was particularly enthused as she showed Hump a section filled with predatory plants. Vines writhed faintly as they passed, and several plants seemed to track their movement.

They arrived at one of the academy’s many cafeterias. Though Hump used the term loosely. There were tables and chairs set up around the room, a kitchen in the back, and an entire alchemy workshop setup in between. Shelves were lined with jars of liquid and pickled items that would seem more in place in a witch’s hut than a restaurant. Dried herbs dangled from the ceiling, along with growing vines and other plants.

“I thought we’d end the day with the magic food I told you about,” Jentris said.

“When you mentioned it, I hadn’t expected an alchemist’s lab.”

“Nobody ever does.” Jentris laughed. “The line between alchemy and cooking is thinner than you think. The chef here swears that only by combining both can you create truly magical cuisine.”

Before Hump could respond, a sharp voice cut across the room.

“You!”

Both Hump and Jentris turned toward the sound. A tall man with silver-streaked hair and a commanding presence strode toward them, his piercing gaze locked on Hump. He was dressed in robes of deep indigo trimmed with gold, the markings of an accomplished wizard, and his expression was stern, bordering on accusatory.

Jentris straightened immediately, her tone respectful. “Good afternoon, sir.”

The man barely acknowledged her, his eyes fixed on Hump. “Forgive me, Jentris, but this is a matter of grave importance,” he said brusquely. His voice carried the weight of authority, every syllable sharp and deliberate.

Hump frowned, unease settling in his chest. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

The man took a step closer, his gaze unwavering. “I am Professor Torvik Malvek,” he said, his voice quieter now but no less intense. “And I believe we share an acquaintance. A Mister Durain.”

Hump’s blood turned to ice.

Samuel Durain. The first master of the Book of Infinite Pages.

The name sent a jolt through Hump’s body, his mind racing as he stared at the man. He fought to keep his face neutral, though the thundering of his heart made it feel impossible.

He’d been discovered.