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Ryan pointed to the bookshelf behind him and smiled.
"I only have three books on soul runes here, but don't worry. At the Immortal Bastion, there are enough books and notes on soul research to fill Piltover's public library."
"Oh, my goodness! There must be thousands of books!"
Seraphine covered her mouth in awe. The thought of reading so many books in the future made her face twist into a bitter expression.
"Books are so boring… there's no soul in them," she muttered.
"I want a book that can sing. That way, I could read all day!"
Ryan chuckled as he noticed her expression.
"Ah, I forgot to warn you…" he said casually.
"The soul research books at the Immortal Bastion are quite different from ordinary books. Most of them are sealed with twisted souls. You'll need to be cautious not to let yourself be corrupted."
"What!?"
Seraphine's face froze in shock. That kind of book didn't seem worth the trouble! She wanted her normal, boring books back.
Ryan watched her reaction and, wanting to spark her enthusiasm, added with a knowing smile, "Do you know why your ability can't hear the singing of my soul?"
"Why?"
Seraphine perked up, sitting straight and looking at him with wide, curious eyes.
"Because my soul is protected by runes," Ryan explained, his voice calm but firm.
"Your talent is impressive, but if you want to hear the songs of Champion souls, you'll need to refine your gift and make your magic uniquely your own."
"Champion souls… like Sister Katarina's?" Seraphine asked in a hushed voice, glancing toward the shadows.
"She's still too raw," Ryan replied bluntly.
"She lacks the necessary depth and experience. Your talent surpasses hers, but if you doesn't work hard to carve out your own path, it's only a matter of time before she surpasses you."
Seraphine's face reddened slightly as she shook her head.
"Oh no, I'm nowhere near as good as Sister Katarina! I barely understand my talent, let alone its principles."
Ryan smiled faintly. "Learning will help you master it faster. One of the best things about Piltover's approach to science is its focus on sharing discoveries. They publish their findings so everyone can critique and improve on them. That is a lesson all mages can learn from."
"Ugh, but studying means reading… and I can't even recognize half the words in those books," Seraphine muttered under her breath.
"Knowledge is the foundation of any mage's growth," Ryan said sternly.
"No mage can rely on talent forever. If a mage depends solely on their innate gift and is still considered strong, then they're simply wasting their potential."
Seraphine nodded reluctantly as Ryan's words sunk in.
Ryan's gaze shifted, his tone becoming more contemplative.
"Knowledge is the reason I joined Noxus," he admitted.
"Demacia oppresses mages, Ionia is trapped in tradition, Shurima is a shadow of its former self, and the Freljord doesn't even have a structured system for mages. Noxus, for all its flaws, preserves knowledge—sometimes more than it even realizes."
He let out a soft chuckle. "It's ironic, isn't it? The place where knowledge is least respected holds the most of it."
As the night deepened, Ryan noticed Seraphine's glazed expression, overwhelmed by the flood of new information.
His voice softened as he said, "Katarina can show you to your room. There's paper and a pen there if you want to jot down anything you don't understand. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask her."
"Thank you, teacher!"
Seraphine leapt up as if granted a reprieve, her fatigue momentarily forgotten.
She loved the idea of knowledge and found Ryan's lessons fascinating… but actually absorbing it all was another matter. Her head felt overstuffed, and her eyelids were heavy.
Maybe, she thought, she could have a chat with knowledge in her dreams—through a song, of course.
Slumping onto her makeshift stage, she allowed Katarina to guide her out of the room.
When Seraphine reached the door, Ryan's calm voice drifted from inside the room.
"My students shouldn't only understand magic. There will be a visitor tomorrow, and I expect you to be there to listen."
"Understood, Mr. Ryan!"
Seraphine's face, which hadn't brightened in some time, fell even further. With her head lowered, she allowed her floating stage to carry her out of the room.
Ryan watched her diminished enthusiasm and chuckled softly, shaking his head in mild amusement before returning to the runic tome in front of him.
He recalled something Swain had mentioned—the first wave of the Empire's future enemies would be adept in soul magic.
Looking at the vast collection of soul-related notes stored in the Immortal Bastion, Ryan felt a stirring suspicion.
Perhaps Seraphine would prove to be more than just a promising talent. She might bring an unexpected advantage.
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The Next Afternoon
Ryan and Camille sat across from each other in a quiet chamber. Both were unnervingly calm, their postures refined and deliberate.
Behind Ryan, Seraphine fidgeted uneasily, while Katarina stood motionless, composed and alert.
"So, this is the famous Chess that has spread across the Empire?" Camille remarked, picking up a black-armored pawn and moving it forward two squares.
"They say the game was your invention."
Ryan's lips curved into a faint smile.
He lightly tapped the chessboard, causing the knight piece in his square to glow faintly with blue light. It leapt forward in an elegant L-shape.
"Knights, warhorses, mages, soldiers, kings, queens… It's a layered metaphor, isn't it?" Camille mused.
Camille examined the chessboard critically.
"The soldiers are too constrained, the king is nearly useless, and the queen can run wild. A fascinating analogy. I imagine Darkwill's expression would be priceless if he ever analyzed this game properly." She smirked with a tinge of mockery.
"Darkwill's opinion is irrelevant," Ryan replied lightly.
"What matters is that the queen approves of her role. That has allowed Chess to spread unopposed throughout the Empire."
Camille arched a brow, moving her knight to a square threatening Ryan's position.
"Still as bold as ever, Ryan," she teased.
"You even project your ambitions onto the chessboard. Killing the king is the sole path to victory."
With a sharp motion of his hand, Ryan waved his staff. A stream of water swept across the board, shattering Camille's knight and occupying its square.
"But if the mage holds the critical position," Ryan said evenly, "the king and queen are forced to play carefully. Even the mighty queen will hesitate, wondering if she must die for the king."
Camille nodded, her expression cool.
"True enough. The king will either be slowly cornered or forced into a desperate gambit. Regardless, it's rarely the queen who pays the price in the end."
She moved her king, subtly positioning the queen behind him for protection.
In the final moments of the game, Ryan's pieces executed a calculated assault, and the king fell—while the queen remained unscathed.
Camille tilted her head slightly, her tone calm and poised.
"What would you have me do?"
"Nothing. That is Swain's domain. This is my arena," Ryan answered with a faint smile before shifting the conversation.
"However, regarding last night's events, do you have any observations? If there's something you need, don't hesitate to ask."
Camille's eyebrow twitched faintly at his remark.
"You speak like a merchant pretending to sympathize with his workers—transparent and insincere. What should I think? I wish for a peaceful Piltover, but this is your game board, not mine."
She crossed her arms, her tone sharpening.
"The council is deluded if they think the Noxians would lend their hand so charitably. Whatever happened last night couldn't have unfolded without your involvement. I wouldn't be surprised if every move was meticulously planned by you from the start."
Ryan's faint smirk didn't waver. Camille's observation was astute, though he neither confirmed nor denied it.